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Masood hosts largest-ever Pakistani delegation attending ‘Select USA Investment Summit’
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan hosted the largest-ever Pakistani delegation, which attended ‘Select USA Investment Summit’ held in Washington D.C, and Select USA leadership including Executive Director for Asia at the US Department of Commerce Aileen Crowe Nandi, SCO Foreign Commercial Services Nathan Seifert.
According to the media reports, the largest-ever Pakistani delegation attended ‘Select USA Investment Summit’ held in Washington D.C. A group of 19 business leaders and entrepreneurs from Pakistan attending this year’s summit represented a range of businesses including clean energy, telecommunications, IT, security, chemicals, packages, fabrics, constructions, agriculture, manufacturing, food & restaurants, pigments, logistics, education, rubber industry, automobiles, and others.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan appreciated the contributions of the Pak-American community who were investing in Pakistan and were playing a critical role in building bridges and connecting the people of the two countries. He said the US is the largest trade partner and export destination for Pakistani products and 80 US enterprises are undertaking profitable business ventures in Pakistan, employing 150,000 persons and providing livelihood to nearly one million households.
Also read: FM emphasizes expanding trade & economic ties b/w Pakistan, Tajikistan
The Ambassador expressed hope that Pak entrepreneurs attending the Select USA Summit would also take the initiative to launch ‘Select Pakistan’ for enhanced investments in the country. He said that Pakistan is emerging as a huge regional business ecosystem acting as a hub for Central & West Asia, Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa, and therefore should be an attractive destination for investment and business activities.
“The government is investing in women’s entrepreneurship to make Pakistan’s economy and businesses inclusive,” he added.
In her remarks, Executive Director for Asia at the US Department of Commerce Aileen Crowe Nandi said the US administration is committed to providing a conducive environment to the business community. Acknowledging the huge potential of Pakistani female entrepreneurs, she expressed the hope Pak businesswomen and entrepreneurs would also visit the United States to explore business opportunities and expand their networks.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Select USA Summit is the highest-profile event in the United States aimed at providing business leaders, from across the globe, a unique opportunity to explore investment opportunities, expand their businesses, and forge robust networks. This year the event was attended by over four thousand delegates from different parts of the world.
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AppleInsider may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made through links on our site.
After selling out, Amazon’s $79 AirPods deal has returned. Black Friday bargain hunters can also snap up Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $199.99.
The entire AirPods product line is discounted at Amazon for Black Friday, with the newest member of the lineup — AirPods Pro 2 — marked down to $199.99. The savings reach $100 off, with AirPods Max discounted to $449. We’ll be tracking the best Black Friday offers on AirPods in our AirPods Price Guide.
The post Amazon’s $79 AirPods deal is back for Black Friday, AirPods Pro 2 $199 first appeared on appleinsider.com

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Six-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is finally ready to participate in Esports. Reportedly, Hamilton had posted a picture on social media that shows his brand new sim racing setup. The Instagram story has since become unavailable.
It is understood that the prominent British driver will soon take part in a Gran Turismo Esports event.
Meanwhile, the viewership for F1 Esports is at an all-time high, with many professional and retired racers participating in virtual racing events. Hamilton is set to become the latest entrant in the world of virtual competitive racing, albeit not in F1. Apart from Hamilton, his long-time championship rival Sebastian Vettel also revealed that he would be making his Esports debut soon.
The 32-year-old German mentioned that he just got his simulated racing setup ready, which ensures that it would be just a matter of time before we see the Ferrari star participating in virtual races.
Over the last few months, multiple Esports leagues have been organised. Professional racers like Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen have already stepped into the world of virtual racing. Ferrari ace Leclerc has so far dominated the F1 Virtual GPs.
The main objective behind Formula One's decision to start virtual F1 GPs is to fill the gap left by the cancelled races amidst the coronavirus pandemic. However, some racers like Vettel and Hamilton are yet to participate in the F1 Virtual GP events.
As Essentially Sports reports, Hamilton is unable to participate in F1 virtual GP because he is currently in a contract with Gran Turismo. He also happens to be their brand ambassador.
Hamilton has been associated with Gran Turismo since 2017, and the game features Lewis as a "maestro" and a mentor. Throughout the game, Hamilton's virtual avatar guides the racers.
In an interview, the 35-year-old British racer said, "I have been playing Gran Turismo since I was a child. So to actually be part of the gameplay design has been an incredible experience."
On the other hand, Verstappen admitted to not being comfortable with the F1 2019 game.
Notably, Verstappen has been participating in numerous Esports tournaments such as "Real Racers Never Quit." However, he never played the F1 Virtual GP based on the F1 2019 game.


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Wednesday’s business headlines
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Here’s a look at Wednesday’s business headlines with Jane King.
IRS issues nearly 8 million tax refunds
The IRS has issued nearly eight million refunds worth about $15.5 billion. That’s as of Feb. 3. Now the average refund amount was $1,963. It’s down from $2,200 at the same time last year. That average could change as the IRS processes millions of returns before the April 18th deadline.
Gen Z and millennial renters have lower inflation rates | Rent getting more expensive in Indianapolis
A new report from Redfin shows the rent situation is gradually improving for young adults. It shows the market isn’t as bad as it was just a few months ago for people taking on a new lease. Rental price growth is slowing. Some of the hottest rental markets are actually seeing price declines. Meanwhile, rent in Indianapolis is getting more expensive. Redfin says local rents were up 15% over the past year. That’s the third biggest jump in the nation. That makes the median asking rent in Indianapolis just over $1,500.
Amazon to double down on grocery business
While Amazon has intentions of doubling down on its physical grocery business when the company figures out what kind of format it wants, Amazon execs told the Financial Times it’s experimenting with selection check out formats, assortment, and prices.
Airbnb sales forecast higher than expensive
Even with worries about the economy, Airbnb says guests are excited to travel now. 2022 is a record year for the company. It was their first full year of profit. Airbnb has been a big beneficiary of the work and lifestyle changes brought on by the pandemic as people are working remotely and even tacking out a couple of extra days to a vacation, and just working there as well.


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The Whitsundays is seeing a number of national retailers come to town – a good indication that there is confidence in the region, according to the team at Ray White Whitsunday.
Ray White Whitsunday have recently leased properties to Boost Juice, BWS and Zambrero (a Mexican restaurant chain) and are in discussions with other national brands looking to open outlets in the Whitsundays.
Ray White Whitsunday’s commercial property consultant Tracey Oates said national retailers conducted serious research before they considered a region.
“They are viewing the Whitsundays as an area of growth that is worth investing in,” she said.
The Whitsunday commercial leasing market has seen a major shift in the past two years with only a handful of vacant shops now remaining in the Airlie Beach main street (ground floor level).
“A few years ago the main street had a vacancy level of around 30% (but) this is no longer the case,” Ms Oates said.
“We now have numerous prospective tenants actively looking for properties in the main street with only limited opportunities remaining, and some businesses are now struggling to secure a suitable location.”
The leasing activity isn’t just limited to the centre of Airlie. Cannonvale’s modern business centres, 121 Business Centre and Whitsunday Business Centre are now starting to fill after many years of high vacancy levels.
Ms Oates reports there has also been a recent increase in inquiries for industrial properties, although there are still plenty of industrial opportunities remaining for those looking to open a new business or to relocate.
Cannonvale’s newest retail development Reef Plaza (home to McDonald’s, Sportspower, Airlie Fitness) has only one vacancy remaining in the building.
“We are seeing some serious interest in this last tenancy and are now taking expressions of interest for the next stage of Reef Plaza, which the developer can custom build to suit tenants’ requirements,” she said.


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The last two years have seen a big shift toward the hybrid business model in the small business sector, with online trading becoming an integral part of many independent retailers’ business plans. Businesses had to react quickly to the pandemic by setting up online stores in addition to offering the traditional shop-front service. Gift shops found it was the only way to move stock, estate agents offered video show-arounds, and food and drink outlets shifted towards doorstep deliveries.
With a new reliance on ‘digital’, for the first time, fast and reliable Internet connectivity became a key consideration for small businesses such as these. That’s why Triangle Networks has developed its new Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) for Business service, which is currently being rolled out in locations across the country – Milton Keynes, Leicester, Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester, with new launches planned in Bath, Weston-super-Mare and Plymouth early this year. This new product opens up affordable, full-fibre connectivity to smaller businesses that were previously only able to access unreliable copper and part-fibre services.
Paul Anslow, CEO of Triangle Networks, says:
“Business FTTP is a crucial step forward in full-fibre revolution. Previously, most small businesses had no choice but to run their operations using a sub-standard copper-based connection. Now, for a similar price, these businesses will be able to access ultra-fast full-fibre services which will support them as we move further into the gigabit era.
“Working with UK cities current network of IT businesses, we’re offering lightning-fast internet connectivity for a fraction of the previous cost so that high street businesses can achieve their full potential. This is welcome news to all, but particularly those that have seen their bottom line hit by ongoing restrictions.”
Previously, most businesses would pay upwards of £400 per month for a 100Mbps full-fibre ethernet service, or £199 per month on CityFibre’s existing metro networks. Now, Triangle have introduced a 900Mbps internet service over CityFibre’s new FTTP network costing less than £100 per month for businesses to access. Businesses will be able to afford state-of-the-art digital connectivity to underpin their operations, whilst making cost savings of between £2-4k per year.
With a shift towards supporting local businesses such as cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants and takeaways, there is an increasing demand for ultrafast wireless internet access. The findings of The Allegra Group’s 2021 Impact of Coffee survey revealed that 65% of people would visit local coffee shops over the coming months to support them as they bounce back from the pandemic, with 68% of people agreeing that supporting local coffee shops was important when deciding where to drink their coffee.
But trends are going in two ways, although there has been a huge rise in restaurant, cafe and bar use for work, there has also been a dramatic increase in ‘ordering in’ and online shopping. 580,000 restaurants are using Just Eat worldwide and 140,000 are connected to Deliveroo. Deliveroo’s consumer base reached an average of 7.8 million monthly active consumers in the second quarter of 2021. Also, Tech UK reported that consumer trends toward shopping online have also been accelerated with a quarter (25.5%) of all UK retail sales in August 2021 made online, up from 18.1% in August 2019.
With shopping habits changing and huge competition from large e-commerce companies, it’s clear that, for the small high street business, adapting to combine the physical and digital experience for customers is more than essential. Clearly, reliable internet is now critical.
If you are ready for your business to be part of the full-fibre revolution, contact Triangle on firstname.lastname@example.org. If FTTP is not yet in your area, then Triangle can register your interest and let you know when this is available.
Triangle Networks is a full-fibre ISP and distributor on a mission to bring gigabit connectivity to as many homes and businesses as possible across the UK, working in partnership with network operators, IT providers, developers, landlords and local community organisations.


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FAU-G is the Indian game title that recieved a lot of popularity since its announcement. The game has always been regarded as an alternative of PUBG Mobile since the latter’s ban and finally after a couple of months, the release date of FAUG has been revealed.
The game launched its first ever trailer on the auspicious occasion of an Indian festival and the game is filled with a sense of patriotism and respectful admiration for the Indian army. The bollywood actor Akshay Kumar released the game’s trailer on his Twitter handle and soon afterwards, the game developers nCore released their own statement confirming the launch in November 2020.
The trailer depicts the bravery of Indian soldiers and shows the stints of Galwan Valley incident. The gameplay or any kind of hands-on experience is not revealed yet but the trailer indicates towards a possibility of this game being a story mode.
As FAU-G was seen as the replacement of PUBG in India despite the co-founder rejecting the claims. The game was always assumed to be released in the battle-royale genre but that is not the case. It can be potentially a story-based multiplayer or solo game which depicts the valor of Indian army.
The game has not only kept the army as the centre of attention but also promised to aid them. FAU-G will be making a generous contribution towards a good cause by donating 20% of the total revenue generated to the “Bharat ke Veer” Trust. The release date of FAUG has been confirmed to be in the November 2020 and considering the pattern, the game can be expected to be launched on the next big Indian festival of Diwali.


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Amidst the spate of continuing bad news (COVID spiking! Russia hacking! Arctic melting!) and the continuing absence of any civility or sentience in our nation’s capital, we should treasure the few bright spots in our national and local climates.
Start with the weather. True, 2020 was Chicago’s hottest summer on record, according to just-released data from the National Weather Service. But it sure didn’t feel that way. In fact, most days felt balmy and mild (mid-70s was the average temperature), and the lack of rain made for clear skies and lots of opportunities for outdoor activities.
Then there are the peaches. Last year, not so good. This year, OMG—splendid—bag after bag, all summer long, juicy and sweet!
There are other pluses too.
The sweatshirt and casual wear business is booming, and with good reason. Why invest in costly business clothes when most of us are lounging around the house in jeans and T-shirts or going shopping or for long neighborhood walks in shorts?
Let us hope COVID can eliminate the neck tie like JFK ended top hats, when he failed to wear one at his 1961 inauguration. There Is no more execrable piece of fashion apparel than men’s ties. After all, who would want to wear something that chokes you at the windpipe and may even harbor contagious pathogens?
Work in general is changing. “I used to see eight patients an hour,” one of my wife’s doctors told her. “Now I’m down to four. And I love it!”
Not everyone can control their schedule that way, or effectively halve their income—salaried and hourly workers don’t usually have that option, if they’re even lucky enough to have a job. But some people are beginning to see the connection between working less and enjoying life more.
Take working from home. Outside of Silicon Valley, it used to be rare for companies to let employees telecommute. Call it the “Woody Allen Principle”—80% of success in life was just showing up. But now we know “showing up” can be done just as well from home, on a computer screen.
In fact, it turns out working from home can be better—more productive and less stressful—than commuting to work. Better for the environment, without all that driving. Saves money on transit fares and gas. Saves hours of commute time a week. And an added benefit for our canine friends, who have all that extra human company.
Fun to wear PJ bottoms at a Zoom meeting—who would know? (But don’t forget to “Stop Video” when getting up to make coffee or go to the bathroom.) Nice also to forgo shaving—Zoom can’t tell if you have a three-day stubble!
With the time saved commuting and the flexibility of being home, people can run errands, get to doctor’s appointments and chauffer the kids as needed, instead of having to cram those activities into the weekend. Some businesses have traditionally been suspicious about just how much work time from home is actual “work,” but those views are changing as productivity seems to be steady or even improving.
Of course, endless Zoom meetings bring on a kind of Zoom torpitude, interrupted occasionally by barking dogs and crying kids.
Speaking of kids at home, well…that’s a mixed bag. While it’s awful that children in Evanston and many other places can’t go back to school this fall, depriving them of facetime (the old-fashioned kind) with their pals and putting working parents in a real bind, there is one upside: families get to spend more together time, as this writer posted on WBEZ’s blog: “Working at home means I can be productive when I feel productive and get the sleep that I need and spend more time with my child. It means I can drop everything to do a noon virtual yoga class or go for a run before I start my work day, whereas before, as a working mother it was either hitting the grocery store on the way home or hitting the gym to squeeze in a 30 minute workout before picking up my child before his aftercare closed. Working at home means I can wear yoga pants and comfy tops 99% of the time. Working at home means I can breathe.”
Even as school and work time schedules are changing, so is sleep. According to Current Biology, a recent study shows people are sleeping longer and later. Time magazine, in reporting on the study, said: “Clearly, we have yet to control the coronavirus pandemic, but as individuals, we can try to control our response to it. Improving our sleep might be one of healthiest responses of all.”
Longer and better sleep, more family time together, greater productivity and relaxed clothing standards: these are some of the unintended benefits that might endure after the pandemic finally has the decency to depart.


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Rotary plans yard sale Saturday at park
East Palestine Rotary Club will have its eighth annual Community Yard Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at East Palestine Park.
Sellers can rent an outdoor area of about 15-by-15-feet for $10. They will need to take their own tables and other setup displays. Setup will begin at 6 a.m., and teardown will be at 4.
The Rotary will sell a variety of food, including hot dogs, sloppy joes, coney dogs, nachos and cheese, muffins, cookies, chips, candy, pop, coffee and water.
All proceeds from the space rental, a basket auction and the sale of food benefit the Rotary Club, which sponsors many community events.
For information or a contract call Bonnie Davis at 330-271-1979 or any Rotarian.


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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently reversed a district court’s ruling, which had denied a motion to compel arbitration of Opportunity Financial (OppFi) on the basis that the arbitration clause was substantively unconscionable due to the choice of law provision in the loan agreement containing the arbitration clause. The Ninth Circuit vacated the decision and directed the district court to refer the matter to arbitration.
We are pleased to announce that Troutman Pepper attorneys Jason Cover, Mark Furletti, and Caleb Rosenberg will moderate a panel at the Online Lenders Alliance’s (OLA) Legal Issues Conference, taking place February 13-14 in Arlington, Virginia.
On January 9, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (CA DFPI) announced a consent order with Credova Financial, LLC, (Credova) to resolve allegations that, in violation of the California Consumer Financial Protection Law, the company failed to disclose potential third-party fees to consumers. Pursuant to the settlement, Credova is required to pay a $50,000 penalty and disclose potential third-party convenience fees to consumers in the future.
On January 2, New York Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled her 2024 consumer protection agenda, which includes plans to regulate the “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) industry. Specifically, Governor Hochul plans to propose legislation to require BNPL providers to be licensed in the state and to authorize the New York State Department of Financial Services to propose and issue regulations for the industry. According to Governor Hochul, “New Yorkers are increasingly turning to [BNPL] loans as a low-cost alternative to traditional credit products to pay for everyday and big-ticket purchases. This legislation and regulations will establish strong industry protections around disclosure requirements, dispute resolution and credit reporting standards, late fee limits, consumer data privacy, and guidelines to curtail dark patterns and debt accumulation and overextension.”
Yesterday, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued guidance to banks on managing the risks associated with “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) lending. Specifically, the bulletin addresses BNPL loans that are payable in four or fewer installments and carry no finance charges. The stated aim of the OCC’s guidance is to ensure that these loans are offered in a manner that is safe, sound, and compliant with applicable laws and regulations.
A California state court recently denied a preliminary injunction sought by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (the DFPI) in its long-running litigation against Opportunity Financial (OppFi) contending that OppFi is the “true lender,” and therefore subject to usury limits, on loans originated by OppFi’s bank partner. The court found that on the factual record before it that the DFPI had not shown a reasonable probability of prevailing on the merits of its claim.
On July 7, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed SB 103 into law, which prohibits any person from offering earned wage access (EWA) services without registering with the Division of Finance and paying an annual $1,000 fee. The law also requires EWA providers to develop procedures for dealing with consumer questions and complaints, specifies notices required to be given to consumers, and regulates the types of fees that may be charged and the manner in which repayments may be pursued. The law further specifies requirements should the EWA provider solicit, charge, or receive tips or gratuities from consumers. Like Nevada, discussed here, the law specifies that EWA products are not loans or money transmissions under Missouri law. In March 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation took the opposite position with respect to EWA products and proposed new regulations under the California Financing Law that would update the definition of loan to include EWA products, except for those offered by employers.
On March 29, the New Mexico Financial Institutions Division of the Regulation and Licensing Department’s (NM FID) new rule on the New Mexico-Annual Percentage Rate (NM-APR) becomes effective. We previously blogged about New Mexico’s 36% APR cap on loans of $10,000 or less under the Small Loan Act (SLA) and Bank Installment Loan Act (BILA)…
Last year, Missouri State Senator Justin Brown (R) introduced a bill that would have imposed certain mandatory disclosure requirements for commercial financing transactions. Ultimately, the bill failed to advance. On December 1, 2022, Senator Brown reintroduced a similar bill, known as SB 187, which also requires registration of a commercial financing broker. The bill…
Can websites or mobile apps that offer ranked lists of mortgage providers purportedly best suited for individual consumers violate section 8 of the Real Estate Settlement Practices Act (RESPA)? According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) in its recent advisory opinion, these digital platforms may violate the RESPA if the platform:…


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June 16, 2021
Netflix is getting one of the more popular (and lucrative) sitcoms beginning later this year with exclusive streaming access to former NBC hit “Seinfeld.” As part of its April 2021 distribution agreement with Sony Pictures, Netflix secured the rights to the 1990s series that made Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Julia Louise-Dreyfus, Michael Richards and co-creator Larry David household names.
“Seinfeld” previously streamed exclusively on Hulu as part of the platform’s six-year license agreement hammered out in 2015 for a reported $190 million.
“Seinfeld” on Netflix is a big deal for the streamer after it was dealt double blows with the departure of “Friends” to HBO Max and “The Office” to Peacock. Series creator Warner Bros. Television opted to license the content in-house as part of WarnerMedia’s high-profile marketing around the launch of Max.
At the time both “Friends” and “The Office” ranked near the top of Nielsen’s most-popular streamed catalog shows on household televisions.
Netflix hasn’t blinked on Nielsen as the legacy rating service’s weekly Top 10 of licensed TV shows stream on the SVOD pioneer’s platform.


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The Chevrolet Bolt Concept is bound to hit the production line in late 2016 as the model will go on sale one year later, as a rival for the Tesla Model III.
The battle for electric vehicles has begun as most carmakers are getting into it. Chevrolet makes no exception as it has officially pulled the wraps off the in Detroit, a month ago, and rumor has it that this will not remain a simple one-off vehicle. According to Reuters, the model in question will be hitting the assembly line in late 2016 only to become available for order one year later, which will basically make it a 2018 model year.
The Chevrolet Bolt is said to be put together at the Orion Township GM facility, along with an Opel badged version, where the Buick Verano and the Chevrolet Sonic are currently being assembled. The production version of the Bolt will be based on the Gamma global small car platform, made by General Motors, which will also serve as a basis for the next generation of the Sonic, also announced for late 2016. The production variant of the Chevrolet Bolt is rumored to hit dealerships in early 2017 and this should be priced at approximately 30,000 USD. The model will get a range of more than 200 miles, the equivalent of 322 km, and it is aimed towards the upcoming Tesla Model III and, judging by its looks, to the BMW i3 too. More details on the subject are limited at this time.


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Brewers of real ale should join forces with publicans to make the drink more appealing to women, a campaign group has said.
Camra says most adverts for real ale are aimed at men
The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) says 80% of female drinkers have never tried a pint of bitter in a pub.
The group is calling on brewers to target more marketing at women, who now make up a quarter of its 87,000 members.
Camra's first-ever chairwoman said beer marketing was at times "patronising".
Paula Waters said most adverts for beer were biased towards male drinkers: "When is the last time you saw any press or TV advert for beer which is meant to attract women?
"At best they are inoffensively aimed at men and at worst they are downright patronising to women."
Despite concerns that women are not ordering real ale when drinking in pubs, figures show the market for bitter sold in shops rose last year.
Analysts TNS Worldpanel said bottled ale sales increased by 8.4% in 2006, following a 0.2% fall in 2005.
Camra's research coincides with the opening of its Great British Beer Festival at the Earl's Court exhibition centre in London, which runs until 11 August.


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Hardly a day goes by where some publication or another doesn’t pit the latest, sixth-generation Ford Mustang against other machines of the pony/muscle car ilk.
And indeed, why shouldn’t that be the case? Americans love ’em, and with the cost of a gallon of gas currently well below its peak, now seems like a perfectly fine time to look at bringing a boldly-styled, V8-powered, rear-wheel drive brute home.
On that note, onward to this week’s three-way V8 pony car comparison, by website Cars.com.
Cars compared the 2016 Ford Mustang GT against the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS, and the Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack. The result? Well, there’s no easy way to say this; the Ford Mustang GT lost the comparison overall, not only to GM’s newer Camaro, but to Fiat Chrysler’s now-antique Challenger, as well.
In its defense, the Ford Mustang earned high marks from Cars’ judges for its distinctly “fun” handling characteristics, with Joe Bruzek praising its “superb balance” and, at the same time, its “playful, tail-happy attitude.” And, where the latest Camaro continues to falter in terms of cockpit visibility, the Ford Mustang excels in that regard, while also offering comfort and cargo space enough to make the pony car suitable for daily use.
However, Cars felt that the 2016 Ford Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V8 was underpowered next to the plants powering the other two ponies, and that it suffered from poor build quality due to inconsistent panel gaps. Even more than that, the judges hated the Recaro seats, with Aaron Bragman stating that they’re “not nearly adjustable enough and are mounted in a position that puts me into a horribly uncomfortable driving position.” Joe Bruzek went even further, bemoaning that they “don’t have power adjustability, a heated or ventilated function, cost $1,595, are uncomfortable and don’t grip any better than the sports seats in the Challenger or Camaro, which have power, heated and ventilated front seats.”
This isn’t the first time that the Ford Mustang has ranked second to the latest Chevrolet Camaro in a comparison test, of course. Its loss to the third-generation Dodge Challenger is much more surprising to us.
You can view the full opinions of the Cars.com judges on their website.


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LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — With the end of the year just days away, retailers have something to smile about. Early estimates show holiday sales up close to 8%.
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which tracks an array of payments including cash and debit cards, holiday sales rose 7.6%, which is a slower pace than the 8.5% increase from last year. The report shows clothing sales up 4.4%, jewelry and electronics sales down about 5% and in-person spending up about 6.8%.
Business owners in downtown Lake Worth Beach are celebrating a successful holiday season.
Shane Logan, who owns the Dancing Elephant bookstore downtown, said the holiday rush was more than he expected.
"It's been crazy. What we used to be doing on a busy weekend, we are doing on a weekday now, numbers-wise," Logan said. "It's more than doubled during the holiday season."
But he's learning more about preparing for next year.
"You have to really be on top of it or else you fall behind," Logan said. "You could have a section that's totally wiped out, and you could miss out on an opportunity for someone walking by."
Logan opened the store in August and had his biggest day of sales since the opening week on Tuesday. He said he prepared for the Christmas sales, but shoppers outpaced him.
"I think we underestimated how busy we would be," he said.
Joe Lipovich owns Lilo's Streetfood and Bar, also in downtown Lake Worth Beach.
"Christmas week is a strong week for us," Lipovich said. "We were expecting this. We were pacing at a certain growth, and we are getting that growth through the Christmas week."
He is looking forward to a strong season ahead.
"Being the way Lake Worth is configured, it's a lot more housing and homes, so our season really kicks in after President's [Day] weekend, but Christmas week is great," Lipovich said. "It's not out of control, but from what we usually get here, it's been good."
A bigger picture of holiday spending will be released next month when the National Retail Federation puts out its combined report for November and December.


text: $13.99 Big … $5 Whopper Jr. Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press Today is National Cheeseburger Day , which means that many restaurants are offering deals and freebies to celebrate. [Read: 13 Best Student Discounts to Save Money in 2020] Mooyah. Below you will find a list highlighting some of the deals you can expect to find at a restaurant/chain near you in celebration of National Cheeseburger Day: The offer will be valid through May 31 through the … Chili’s On May 28, Celebrate National Burger Day with Chili’s while spending only $10! A hamburger is good, but a cheeseburger is better. This same Wagyu special will be back on a regular basis at Stock Hill every Wednesday starting Sept. 23, 2020. For every cheeseburger sold, they’ll donate a dollar to Ketch. Burger King Get one Whopper Sandwich, one Small French Fries and one Small Soft Drink for $5. This National Cheeseburger Day deal is available in the bar, lounge or patio areas. Check out these freebies and deals for National Cheeseburger Day. But the restaurant does serve burgers, so why not! Today is National Cheeseburger Day, and we’ve rounded up ten of the best deals to help you celebrate. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 deals. Applebee’s Applebee’s are offering a complete Burger Bundle for $8.99. Smashburger The deal: Try the chain's new Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger and you'll get a second one for … There is a limit of one per customer. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 is Friday, September 18th, and there are tons of great deals out there in restaurants across the country. Applebee’s – $8.99 Burger Bundle with your choice of any Handcrafted Burger, classic fries, and a soft drink BurgerFi – Spend $10 or more on burgers and […] Learn More Cheeseburger Day 2020 – National Cheeseburger Day Wishes, Images, Status, Deals & Quotes! McDonald’s. September 18, 2020 is National Cheeseburger Day so here are some cheeseburger-related deals and specials to help you celebrate: - Applebee's - Get any Handcrafted Burger, classic fries, and a soft drink for $8.99 on September 18, 2020 at participating locations. Meal for 2 (2 Whopper Jr. sandwiches, 2 small fries, 2 small soft drinks.) We’ve searched the web so you don’t have to. Dave’s Combo cheeseburger meal from a Wendy’s restaurant is pictured in Pittsburgh Tuesday, May 5, 2020. We’re compiling a list of deals, so you can indulge in cheesy goodness on the cheap. To celebrate National Burger Day, Del Taco is offering a BOGO deal on its Double Del Cheeseburger! 2020 National Cheeseburger Day deals in California are in Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto at Farmer Boys, Red Robin, Jack in the Box, and some Habit Burger stores. National Cheeseburger Day 2020: Find deals and free food Friday at McDonald's, Applebee's and more. Applebee's: The eatery is offering its … 00:02. National Cheeseburger Day is celebrated on September 18. National Cheeseburger Day is Friday, September 18th.. Time to ditch your diet and scarf down some comfort food at a discounted price, or even free in some cases. Wichita’s Southeast Carryout has announced a National Cheeseburger Day deal for 2020 on its Facebook page that’s also a charity fundraiser. ; Some deals even get you a free cheeseburger or free sides to go with your delicious cheeseburger. You’ll find all the best National Hamburger Day 2020 deals right here. Applebees National Cheeseburger Day deal The ooey gooey cheese melted deliciously onto a delicious burger patty, sandwich between grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, some amazing sauce and a bun is everything and more. Rewind 10 Seconds 00:00. Here’s some of the best 2020 deals. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 is today, September 18, 2020. National Cheeseburger Day is celebrated on September 18. For one day only, … Fullscreen . National Cheeseburger Day 2020 is today, Friday, September 18, and that means freebies, deals and special offers at some of your favorite fast food and restaurant chains. 00:02. By Seren Morris On 9/18/20 at 8:35 AM EDT. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 Deals Applebee’s. Burger King has several offers that might help you celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. Applebee’s is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day by offering guests a complete Burger Bundle for just $8.99. National Cheeseburger Day 2020: Deals In Maryland - Baltimore, MD - Mark your calendar for Sept. 18 to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day. On Sept. 18, stop by your local Applebee’s for a Burger Bundle priced at $8.99 — today only! By Kristin McGrath , Contributor Sept. 15, 2020 By Kristin McGrath , Contributor Sept. 15, 2020, at 10:55 a.m. Share. $3 Double Cheeseburger Meal includes 1 Double Cheeseburger, 1 small fry, and 1 small soft drink. Carl’s Jr. Buy one, get one free on the Western Bacon Cheeseburger or Famous Star With Cheese. National Hamburger Day Deals for 2020. National Cheeseburger Day is celebrated on September 18. With National Cheeseburger Day on September 18, 2020, I’m getting ready to treat myself in ways I never have before. BOGO Whopper. Below are the restaurants where you can get a deal to celebrate the National Cheeseburger Day 2020. The best-known burger chain of them all is going all-out on National Cheeseburger Day with $0.50 McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger, exclusively available through the deal in the McDonald’s app on Sept. 18. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 Deals at McDonald's, Applebee's, Smashburger and More. - BurgerFi - Buy any burger and fries via their app and get a $10 reward in the app. National Burger Day 2020: Freebies, deals and specials. Get a regular cheeseburger for only $2 on Sept. 18, 2020. Kelly Tyko. National Cheeseburger Day is Friday, September 18 and many restaurants are offering deals including McDonald's, Burger King, Applebee's, Red Robin, Steak 'n … This is a very popular food celebration day. National Cheeseburger Day is Friday, September 18 and many restaurants are offering deals including McDonald's, Burger King, Applebee's, Red Robin, Steak 'n Shake and more! When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Offers.com is supported by savers like you. Friday is considered one … National Cheeseburger Day is on September 18th and you’ll be able to grab some deals! U.S. Burger Fast Food Food Deals. $3 Double Whopper. On this note, we have carry out some research. Food Deals on National Hamburger Day. Volume 60%. ... For a limited time only, buy one Western Bacon Cheeseburger or Famous Star With Cheese and get the other one for $1. Learn More. National Cheeseburger Day arrives on Friday, September 18, 2020, and some national and regional chains will be offering deals and giveaways to celebrate the occasion. Price and participation may vary by location. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on National Cheeseburger Day customers can get a Big Cheese for $2. One of the great things about National Cheeseburger Day is that there are always plenty of deals knocking around. Applebee’s. National Fast Food Day 2020 is today, November 16, and there are plenty of deals to be had at your favorite restaurants to help you celebrate. Steak ‘n Shake– Steak ‘n Shake is offering all loyalty app members $2 off (aka 50% off) the Double ‘n Cheese Steakburger from September 18 th through September 24 th.Limited to one per order, per visit. Note that some of these deals can be redeemed for one day only, while others are good for a week or even throughout the month of September. Who would have thought Applebee’s would get in on National Cheeseburger Day? Here, we'll show you all the best National Cheeseburger Day 2020 freebies and discounts available on Friday from nationwide burger chains. USA TODAY. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 Deals. National Cheeseburger Day 2020 Freebies and Deals We rounded up the best cheeseburger freebies and deals from restaurants, so you can celebrate National Cheeseburger Day (Sept. 18). I will keep updating this post if I find anymore deals! Each bundle comes with guests’ choice of any Handcrafted Burger on the menu plus classic fries and a soft drink. As usual, a lot of customers will be looking for restaurants where they can get a good deal for the day. $4 for 2 Bacon Cheeseburger Meals (with small fry and soft drink). | iHeartRadio. Skip Navigation. The deals are valid September 18 only, unless otherwise noted. McDonald’s is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day with an offer for a $.50 double cheeseburger. MARYLAND — This year, National Cheeseburger Day falls on Friday, Sept. 18. | iHeartRadio. Rewards app users will receive a free cheeseburger with the purchase of fries and a drink on National Cheeseburger Day… I love a good cheeseburger! Celebrate one of America’s favorite foods on National Cheeseburger Day, Friday, September 18th, 2020. | iHeartRadio. Today is the United States, every year the National Cheeseburger Day is celebrated on 18th September. National Cheeseburger Day falls on September 18, 2020 and according to USA Today multiple fast food chains are offering limited-time specials on their twists to classic American cheeseburger. And to help us celebrate, several restaurants are stepping up with special offers and meal deals. ... Del Taco is offering customers a buy one, get one free Double Del cheeseburger through May 31 in the official app. National Cheeseburger Day is Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, and Hopdoddy Burger Bar's "double it" deal is among many eatery specials planned in California. Peruse the list, find favorites near you, and enjoy!. 2020 National Cheeseburger Day Deals Applebee’s. To honor the go-to to-go food, September 18 is National Cheeseburger Day and there are so many restaurants offering free burgers, meal upgrades, or desserts for the occasion.


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4 key hirings will augment ZEE5’s vision to strengthen its Product and Tech team in India
ZEE5, the Indian entertainment app, today announced key appointments in their Product and Technology team.
As part of the strategy to further drive the next stage of growth and innovation, ZEE5 has onboarded Anjul Sachan as Chief Architect of the Adtech vertical and Manit Kathuria as Head of the User Experience.
The other two hirings include Prateek Pant as the Head of Video Engineering and Mandar Deodhar as the Director of Technology.
Anjul Sachan, a graduate from IIT Bombay, in his new role, will be leading the AdTech Architects team at ZEE5.
He will be responsible for the R&D as well as technical execution of all AdTech projects including adserver, selfserve and optimization engine among others.
He brings with him rich experience in building and managing ad recommendations, content feed personalization and a self-service portal for advertisers and publishers.
In his previous avatar, Anjul has led AdTech growth strategies and product roadmap for Times Internet’s Adtech division.
Manit Kathuria brings over 14 years of design experience with him. In his current role with ZEE5, he will lead the CX experience from a product perspective.
His key focus involves solving consumer problems across platforms effectively and quickly and building a seamless experience for both AVOD and SVOD users.
He will lead the Product Design team to achieve these goals at ZEE5.
An alumnus of the University of Washington in Seattle, he has also been instrumental in building companies such as Rooja.com, Exclusively.com and Prophesee during his early days in the fashion and SAAS space.
He has formerly worked as the Head of Design and UX for companies like Snapdeal, Fabhotels among others. Before joining ZEE5, he was a part of Magicbricks as Head of User Experience.
Prateek Pant, with an experience of over 18 years in technical leadership experience in video technologies has led the design and development of several multimedia CE products and OTT platforms.
In his new role at ZEE5, he will be handling end to end video engineering from transcoding, encoding, CDN and all player playability across platforms and will also be focussed on video pipelines for meta generation.
Prior to joining ZEE5, he has worked with leading firms like Astro, Technicolor, Cisco, Maxim Integrated, Samsung Electronics and DRDO.
Lastly, Mandar Deodhar joins as Director of Technology. He will be responsible for end to end technology requirements for subscription, payments and all third-party integrations.
Mandar is an IIT Bombay alumni and has worked in different companies like Indiagames, Disney, Citrus Payments, Hotstar & Here Maps.
These key hiring’s will augment ZEE5’s vision to strengthen its Product and Tech team and build a robust Adtech architecture that is critical to platforms ability to deliver continuous innovation.
ALSO READ: OTHER NEWS ON UNKRATE


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Footage from future blockbusters including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (pictured) headlined a ground-breaking presentation organised by the British Video Association today.
With sales of new release film on DVD and Blu-ray set to rise 2% in the UK this year, following an 8% decline in 2014, BVA CEO Liz Bales said the “Insight Forum” — compered by broadcaster Edith Bowman — was developed to give distributors an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the entertainment category at retail.
“It has never been done before, the sector has not come together and lined up their content in that way for the benefit of retail before. All of our members, large and small, have been incredibly supportive in providing a look at their long-lead content — content that wasn’t even shown at Cineeurope. I am blown away by what people said they would deliver for the day. It’s a real coup for us in the UK for us to have mounted this initiative to drive the video category,” she said.
“It is a really significant move because it says we are happy to work as a collective to demonstrate to both physical and digital retailers that we are absolutely committed to the category, committed to sustainability in physical and growth in digital.”
Other exclusive content from the future video category slate showcased included The Walt Disney Company, “Zootropolis” from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Everest” from Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, “The Walk” from Sony Pictures, as well as, “Suffragette” and “The Peanuts Movie” from Twentieth Century Fox, as well as many others.
Around 200 video industry representatives, among them 40 retailers, attended the Insight Forum, including Tesco Category Director Electrical, Entertainment & Media Ian Ditcham who pledged his company’s support for the video category.
“It is vital to retail, what other product group offers such an engaging opportunity to bring products to life outside of the core category aisle? Video presents new opportunities every week for cross-category conversions thanks to franchises and the emotive connection consumers attach to filmed content. The halo effect video has across store is magnificent; however, intrinsic to our collective success is the collaboration between distributors and retailers,” said Ditcham.
The forum also saw sessions presenting new research into consumer shopping habits, which Bales said would help retailers to plan their schedules: “We wanted to look at consumer shopping habits and map that against the releases coming down the line over the next 18 months.”
BVA research suggests that half the UK population is familiar with downloading videos and 55% of purchasers of digital content plan to stick with the format. It also says that half the UK population buys videos each year, with the average annual spend per buyer on physical discs being £51.03.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment MD and BVA Chair Robert Price said the daily value of video sales today equates to £4 million on physical formats and £2 million on digital.
“Although physical ownership is still dominant, digital is an important driver of growth. This represents a fantastic opportunity to capitalise on shopper demand and work hand-in-hand with retailers to maximise the opportunity across all outlets and platforms to showcase new releases and draft catalogue across all formats,” he said.
Gidon Katz, MD of Sky-owned streaming service Now TV, also delivered a keynote speech in which he praised the BVA’s collaborative approach: “It’s reassuring that the BVA and others are driving such pioneering insight-led change and championing a collaborative approach to the benefit of everyone across the industry.”


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A man in the US has claimed his leg was burned after his iPhone 6 bent and caught on fire in his front pocket, as the susceptibility of the devices to bending continues to be a hot issue for Apple. By Andrew Sadauskas
Microsoft has unveiled a number of major new features for its Azure cloud services at a conference in San Francisco, while also confirming in a keynote the company is launching datacentres for the service in Australia next week. By Andrew Sadauskas
Samsung has unveiled a smartphone processor dubbed the Exynos 7 Octa, with the new 64-bit chip boasting eight processor cores, as a leading trade union urged cancer victims to join peace talks with the tech conglomerate. By Andrew Sadauskas
SmartCompany.com.au is Australia's leading website for SMEs featuring business news, business information and business blogs. SmartCompany's archive of news, feature articles, entrepreneur interviews and business webinars cover topics such as advertising and marketing, buying or selling a business, starting a business, growing a business, franchising, SEO, superannuation and tax.


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The First Bits Of Wine's Wayland Driver Were Merged
The Wine Wayland driver is hoping to be possibly upstreamed in full this year while last month saw the initial merge request that stubbed out the new driver and added other early parts to this "winewayland.drv" implementation.
It's that merge request, "winewayland.drv: part 1: Introduce the Wayland driver", that as of today is now in Wine Git. A "second part" of this Wine Wayland code is currently being worked on to report more monitor information and the "GetCurrentDisplaySettings" handling.
This part one code will be found in the Wine 8.4 bi-weekly development release expected tomorrow. Hopefully by the Wine 9.0 stable release early next year we'll have native Wayland support all ready for Wine desktop users and gamers.


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American designer Rachel Roy was in the capital recently to unveil her jewellery piece that she created in collaboration with Forevermark’s Promise collection.
The Forevermark Promise Collection is a unique initiative by the diamond giants where they invite certain designers to design a piece centred around a promise they want to commit too. Remember Reena Ahluwalia’s stunning necklace?
Roy has promised to never stop striving to make the world a better place for her children and for women and children who do not have a voice to speak for themselves. She designed a body chain featuring Forevermark diamonds set in rose gold.
The event saw the likes of Tanisha Mohan, Malini Ramani, Pia Pauro and Gauri Karan from Gauri and Nainika attend.


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Ferit Odman record signing on Record Store Day
Celebrating the independent record stores around the world since 10 years, Record Store Day events will be taking place this year on April 22, Saturday. As part of Record Store Day events taking place in Istanbul, Ferit Odman, together with Kerem Görsev, will be signing records at four different record stores. The event start at noon at Lale Plak in Tünel district, Beyoğlu and continues at Kontra Plak in Pera at 1:30 pm. Bringing two artists to four different stores ona single day, the record signing event will visit Cihangir Opus3A at 3 pm and will make Teşvikiye Groove Records its last stop at 4:30 pm.


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Astron Energy, which is undergoing a massive rebranding strategy for its Caltex fuel stations, has now successfully rebranded 100 fuel stations since the first service station was rebranded in Cape Town last August.
Astron aims to have over 200 fuel stations rebranded from Caltex before the end of the year. The company has over 850 service stations across the country.
Astron Energy chief executive Thabiet Booley said they were pleased by the pace and progress being made in the massive rebranding programme.
“We are very pleased with our progress so far, which has seen a healthy mix of highway, metro, and rural sites being rebranded as we introduce the Astron Energy brand to the country and the consumer public.
“We have received a huge amount of interest, not only from the public, but also from potential investors and retailers who see the huge potential in something fresh, exciting, and rewarding to the market,” Booley said.
Astron Energy said the rebranding project is catching customers' attention with its bold orange and purple colours.


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Simon Launches Venture GroupPosted: Updated:
Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE: SPG) is forming a venture group to invest in retail innovation. The company says Simon Venture Group's investment portfolio will range from early-stage to high-growth technology companies.
March 20, 2014
Indianapolis, Ind. -- Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG), a global leader in retail real estate, announced today the launch of a new, dedicated Simon Venture Group. This new business will invest in retail innovation, focusing on opportunities that enhance the shopping experience.
Simon Venture Group will be investing across stages from early-stage to high-growth technology companies, making Seed to Series C+ investments and focusing on both direct and indirect strategic investment opportunities.
Mikael Thygesen, Chief Marketing Officer of Simon Property Group said, "We believe we have only scratched the surface on applying technology to the retail environment in innovative, interesting ways."
The new Simon Venture Group will be led by J. Skyler Fernandes, who will be responsible for identifying, evaluating, and making investments.
Fernandes was previously a partner at Centripetal Capital Partners, a multi-stage venture capital fund, where he concentrated on consumer Internet, retail, and high-tech with commercial applications. He is also the founder of One Match Ventures, a seed fund focused on consumer Internet and high-tech companies. Fernandes gave the first TED Talk on Venture Capital, entitled "Innovating the Financing of Innovation," and leads a number of global initiatives, including the Missing Middle Initiative, launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which is focused on creating funds that invest $100,000 to $3 million.
"We're excited to add Skyler to the team and look forward to his active engagement with the venture capital and start-up community to capitalize on opportunities that will yield benefits for our consumers and our retailers," Thygesen said.
About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG) is an S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry. We currently own or have an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America, Asia and Europe comprising approximately 243 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S. For more information, visit simon.com
Source: Simon Property Group Inc.


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Workers in Greece, Spain, and Portugal held synchronized protests on Wednesday against austerity measures, with the demonstration in Madrid in particular taking a violent turn as police charged with billy clubs. Large factories in Spain shut down production, and retail traffic was slow. In Athens, 5,000 people took to the street in a mostly peaceful protest. More demonstrations are scheduled in Madrid and Greece as the day goes on, although analysts warned that the frequent protests have caused the government to tune them out.
COME TOGETHER Andres Kudacki / AP Photo


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The Tata Nano is the world’s cheapest car but nowhere close to being a good seller. If you factor in the economics of demand and pricing, you will feel the Nano should have done better, much better. Sadly it hasn’t and there are several reasons for it. Firstly the car was positioned as the cheapest car in the world. Nobody (at least not in India) wants to drive the “CHEAPEST” car. Had Tata Motors positioned the vehicle as the most affordable car in the world, things could have been different for the Nano. Or so the theory goes. The truth is probably closer to the fact that people, once they have a little money, don’t want to drive a car that shouts “I can’t afford more!” That type of reverse snobbery is left to very developed markets, or Jay Leno’s garage. Read More >
Long feted as “the next China,” the Indian car market turned into a big disappointment: India’s annual car sales fell for the first time in a decade in the financial year just ended, Reuters says.
“Carmakers in India, two years ago the world’s hottest growth market after China, have seen high interest rates, rising fuel prices and prolonged economic gloom turn an industry recently growing at 30 percent a year into one plagued by huge discounts, showrooms full of unsold cars, and chronic overcapacity.” Read More >
A farmer from a village in Punjab recently paid Rs. 7,00,000/- ($13,000) to get the registration number PB-07 AK-47. AK-47 is the famous assault rifle, but what is shocking is the vehicle he got this number for. Read More >
General Motors entered India in 1996 and to this date, the company hasn’t been able to understand the market. The American car maker was among the first few to enter India after the economy was opened to foreigners in 1991, with majority of manufactuers entering India after 1998. GM has two plants in the country, both of which are under utilized (only 38% utilisation). The company initially entered with Opel branded cars (Corsa and Vectra), which were a nightmare when it came to repairs, since parts were imported from Germany, thereby costing a fortune.
While Volkswagen is soaring high in most countries, its India innings have been far from successful. Everybody keeps talking about China and India being the next big automobile markets in the world. The truth is, China has already peaked, while India has a long way to go. For instance, Volkswagen sold 2.8 million units in China last year, while in India, they sold less than 100,000 (which is their plant capacity).
Although Jaguar Land Rover has made tentative forays into building cars in India (such as building the Jaguar XF from CKD kits), the British luxury group, now owned by Tata, is apparently on the cusp of establishing full production in India.
The whole world is betting big on India and China. I don’t have much idea about China, but India definitely needs to move its game if it wants to become a biggie in the automobile sector. Scams, scams and some more scams is what India is becoming more famous for, resulting in a huge deficit for the government. This in turn results in hue and cry by the ministers, resulting in increased taxation. Read More >
The Honda CR-V might be a major success in Europe and America, but in India, it performs very poorly, selling in double digit numbers every month. Since the time of launch, Honda has sold 13,739 units of the CR-V in India. Honda launched the CR-V here ten years ago in 2003, and it still isn’t in the groove. India is d-d-d-diesel dominated, and SUVs and crossovers better be diesel or they are d-d-d-destined for d-d-doom. BMW recently launched its facelifted X1 in India, offering it with a diesel engine only. Yes, heresy, d-d-dat’s right. Read More >
The Bugatti Veyron is one of the fastest cars in the world and definitely the rarest car in India. The very few (single digit) Veyrons that have been sold in India make it a sighting as probable as Elvis. Now an Indian car designer (SF Carz) has taken a Maruti Suzuki Esteem (second generation Swift) and turned it into a Veyron. The result hasn’t turned out too bad. Although the smaller dimensions of the Esteem are immediately visible, the effort is certainly a good one. Read More >
Fiat is one of the oldest car manufacturers in India, having enteredat a time when there was no GM, Volkswagen, Nissan, Renault, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai in the country. Today, Fiat is the second last in terms of market share, selling just less than a thousand units on a monthly average. The company below Fiat in terms of market share is Mitsubishi, which only sells SUVs in the Indian market. So how did Fiat manage to perform so poorly? Poor customer service, bad marketing and lack of new products has lead to Fiat’s slow demise in the Indian market. No more, says Fiat. Read More >
If there’s a better symbol of how much the world has changed since the fall of the British Empire than an Indian-made Jaguar, built by Tata, then I haven’t seen it.
Yes, the Jaipur court has issued arrest warrants against the Porsche CEO and eight board members for cheating. Porsche entered India a few years ago, appointing Precision Cars as their official importer. The local company made investments in 7 dealerships over the course of time and suddenly Volkswagen appointed itself as the new importer, thereby abruptly ending Precision Cars’ contract. According to media reports, likely sourced from lawyers, the German car maker did not give any prior notice and neither parties were able to come to a conclusion since April 2012. Precision Cars says it got in touch with Porsche several times but received no response from them. Precision Cars wants to see Porsche managers in handcuffs and a cell. Read More >
We had posted earlier about how the Duster was setting sales charts on fire for Renault. Now, the Duster’s commercial success has been matched with critical acclaim, as it has taken home the coveted Indian Car of the Year award.
While Ford has launched quite a few vehicles globally in 2012, the American automaker hasn’t launched a single new product in India this year. After the success of the Figo (a hatchback developed especially for India and now being exported to emerging markets), Ford announced its plans to launch 8 new products by 2015 in the sub-continent. The company promptly launched the first product, the new Ford Fiesta. It performed quite badly due to the high pricing. At the Auto Expo earlier this year, Ford created a huge wave among prospective buyers by unveiling the second generation EcoSport. Read More >
Last week, when talking about Volkswagen’s future $10,00o low-cost car, we said that “is rumored to work on something that costs about half.” Guess it is no longer a rumor. Reuters writes that Gerard Detourbet , the man behind Renault’s Logan program, is in Chennai, India, to work on a real budget car, costing about half of Volkswagen’s targeted price. India is the battlefield for low-cost cars. And that’s not because of Tata’s Nano. Read More >


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Mammoth Police are asking for the publics help in identifying a man who broke into a local restaurant to steal wine valued at $225 a bottle.
Detective Doug Hornbeck with the Mammoth Lakes Police Department reports that the burglary occurred at Whiskey Creek on August 7th, after 1:00 am.
The suspect entered the business, which was open at the time, and proceeded to break a window to a secured room where alcohol is stored. Detective Hornbeck reports that the suspect stole three bottles of wine. The thief apparently had expensive taste. The wine was made by Opus One, a California wine valued at about $225 a bottle.
Surveillance photos show a Caucasian male with an average build, with short brown hair and possible sideburns.
If you know the suspect or have any information that might help, contact Detective Hornbeck at 934-2011 ext. 17. You can remain anonymous if you like.


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Mercedes-Benz tease new CLA
Mercedes-Benz has started to reveal details of its next-generation CLA.
The German brand has issued a single, shady image of the new swoopy-roofed four-door sedan ahead of its official reveal at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.
Giving little away, the image previews the roof line of the second-generation sedan - the fourth model in Mercedes-Benz' latest small car family, joining the A-Class hatch, B-Class mini van and conventional A-Class sedan.
It is expected to borrow much of the same hardware, including a range of four-cylinder turbo engines, new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions and the cutting-edge MBUX digital interface within the twin 10.25-inch colour display screens on the dash.
Like the other models, the CLA is likely to be longer with more interior space and is expected to match - if not better - the current car's world's best aerodynamic figure.
Full details will be revealed at the CES in January.


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Nissan Introduces Nismo Concept Smartwatch
September 9, 2013 4:39 PM
comment(s) - last by
It will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show
took a big leap today as it became the first automaker to develop a smartwatch that couples with its vehicles.
Nissan introduced its Nismo Concept Watch today ahead of its big reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The smartwatch was made to be worn while driving Nissan Nismo cars.
The wearable has the ability to access vehicle telematics and performance data, capture biometric data via a heart rate monitor, receive tailored car messages from Nissan, connect to the car using a smartphone app via Bluetooth Low Energy and monitor the efficiency of their vehicle with average speed and fuel consumption readings.
“Wearable technology is fast becoming the next big thing and we want to take advantage of this innovative technology to make our Nismo Brand more accessible," said Gareth Dunsmore, Marketing Communications General Manager, Nissan in Europe. "On track, Nissan uses the latest biometric training technologies to improve the performance of our Nissan Nismo Athletes and it is this technology we want to bring to our fans to enhance their driving experience and Nismo ownership.”
The smartwatch is just a concept for now, and Nissan plans to add to it over time. The automaker wants it to have additional capabilities like Electroencephalogram (EEG) Brainwave reading to monitor the drivers’ levels of concentration and emotions; Electrocardiogram (ECG) readings to measure the intervals of the R-R rhythm of the heart, and identify early fatigue, and skin temperature readings to record core body temperature and hydration levels.
Of course, Nissan wants to add social aspects to the smartwatch so that data can be shared on Facebook, Twitter Instagram and Pinterest via Nissan’s Social Speed software.
This means that users will be able to wear the watch in other instances rather than just driving. Athletes can use the vital readings for training, for example.
The Nismo Watch will use a lithium battery and will be charged by micro-USB. It will have a battery life of over seven days (under normal usage conditions).
It's unclear when Nissan's smartwatch will hit the market, but it was a good move on Nissan's part, since wearable gadgets are the next big thing in tech.
, Microsoft and other major tech giants are still currently working on their wearable device releases.
Just last week, Samsung unveiled its
$299 Galaxy Gear smartwatch
featuring a tiny 1.63-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 320x320, features 4GB of internal storage, 800MHz processor, and 512MB of RAM.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
I pass, even if the car wasn't a Nissan
9/9/2013 10:07:48 PM
How many different ways can you say useless? Now pick one of those ways and that's how I would describe nissans idea.
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A federal judge on Friday gave Visa and MasterCard the go-ahead on a $5.7 billion class-action settlement to resolve merchant complaints over the fees they are charged each time a customer swipes a credit or debit card.
The ruling comes after years of litigation and ushers in the largest private antitrust settlement in history. Yet it is not enough to quell the anger of retailers, who say the agreement does not prevent the credit card giants from imposing higher fees with impunity.
“We are very disappointed that this deeply flawed settlement has been approved,” Mallory Duncan, general counsel at the National Retail Federation, said in a prepared statement. “It is not supported by the retail industry and would do nothing to reduce swipe fees or keep them from rising in the future.”
The trade group is considering appealing and has the backing of several retail organizations, including the National Association of Convenience Stores and National Community Pharmacists Association, that say the deal will not change the fighting between merchants and card companies.
Others involved in the case are more confident that the deal could result in a win for shoppers, who might see lower prices for products depending on how they choose to pay.
“It will reduce the fees and overall prices that consumers pay, which is good for merchants and consumers,” said Patrick J. Coughlin, one of the merchants’ attorneys and senior trial counsel at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd. “There will be more transparency in the pricing.”
U.S. District Judge John Gleeson approved the settlement in a written order.
Retailers first sued Visa and Mastercard in 2005 over “swipe fees,” also known as interchange fees. Card processors, such as Visa and MasterCard, set swipe-fee rates, but merchants pay banks the fee each time a customer uses plastic. Swipe fees are typically 2 to 5 percent of the purchase price.
Merchants have argued that they have limited power to negotiate the amount of the fees, which cost them and their customers about $30 billion a year, according to the National Retail Federation. They have also accused credit card companies of barring them from steering shoppers to cheaper forms of payment.
Financial firms contend that they are charging retailers for providing a service that helps their businesses. The government stepped into the fray two years ago, when the Federal Reserve placed caps on swipe fees for debit cards but not credit cards.
In July 2012, attorneys representing merchants nationwide reached a $7.2 billion settlement that has since tumbled to $5.7 billion as 8,000 merchants, including Amazon and Wal-Mart, bowed out of the deal. Those dissenters say the deal forces merchants that accept Visa or MasterCard to waive their right to sue the companies over swipe fees.
The settlement includes cash payments to merchants across the country. It also allows retailers to charge shoppers extra if they choose to use MasterCard or Visa, a practice known as surcharging. Critics of the deal say retailers are unlikely to take advantage of the surcharging for fear of driving shoppers to competitors that do not engage in the practice.
For the credit card companies, the approval of the settlement will allow them to cast aside a tremendous legal headache. Two years before the class action lawsuit, Visa and MasterCard settled a similar case over the card fees with another group of retailers.
“We have realized a significant achievement in our efforts to resolve the long-standing legal differences between merchants and the payments industry,” Charlie Scharf, chief executive of Visa, said in a statement. “We are confident that through this agreement we have opened the door to new opportunities for collaboration with our merchant clients.”


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McDonald's in disguise
Ronald McDonald, either as the most reliable purveyor of modestly priced meals or as standard-bearer for American junk-food imperialism, isn't making a big deal out of being American when he's abroad.
Indeed, since Sept. 11, some foreign franchise holders have been making a big deal out of not being American. Some stores in Lebanon, Egypt, and elsewhere in the Middle East have been hit by consumer boycotts over US policies. When the US bombing raids started over Afghanistan, Bambang Rachmadi put big green signs in front of his 85 McDonald's restaurants in Indonesia proclaiming their Muslim ownership, and piped in Arabic muzak.
At the Yogyakarta branch, a raised area with low tables is reserved for patrons who want to take off their shoes and eat sprawled on mats, in the traditional style of central Java. There they can choose a burger and fries or a "Rice Package," combining fried chicken, scrambled eggs, and rice. Dispensers pump out not ketchup, but the ubiquitous Indonesian chili sauce called "sambal."
In France, you can have your McDonald's cheeseburger made with Roquefort. In Turkey, customers order double kofte burgers, made with meat patties containing onions and flavored with Turkish spices.
In China, the Big Mac is still two all-beef patties on a sesame seed bun. But its known as a "ju wu ba," which means "Great Imperial Warlord."
"Most people don't care that McDonald's is American," says An Ying, who manages a new 410-seat restaurant in Beijing.
"We never have incidents" over political disputes. "That's not how Chinese think. We just like fast food."


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Digiweb’s information website www.nolinerental.ie saw a 63pc increase in traffic over the past two weeks since Eircom confirmed a line rental increase from 1 August.
A survey on the website found that 77pc of respondents said an increase in line rental charges would deter them from getting broadband. Thousands of people participated in the survey since it was launched on the site in May.
Some 96pc of respondents were not prepared to pay for any increases in line rental charges, the survey found. More than a quarter were unaware that it was possible to receive broadband without a landline.
Commenting on these statistics, Emma O’Hare of Digiweb stated: “The increase in traffic to www.nolinerental.ie and the results from the interactive survey clearly highlight that there is a reluctance to pay additional line rental charges, especially as Irish customers are already paying the highest line rental in Europe.”
The move by Eircom to increase line rental has prompted the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) to impose a 12-month freeze on the charges Eircom can impose for line rental from September. When the price freeze lapses in October 2008, Eircom will only be able to seek a price increase in line with inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, for a further two years.
By Niall Byrne


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By John Kell
Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. (PJC.A.T) has unloaded the last of its stake in Rite Aid Corp. (RAD), with the latest sale coming as Rite Aid's shares have more than doubled recently.
Canadian pharmacy chain Jean Coutu first took an investment in Rite Aid in 2007, when Rite Aid spent around $3.4 billion in cash and stock to buy around 1,800 Brooks and Eckerd chains, along with six distribution centers and the assumption of some debt. The stores, located primarily on the East Coast and in the Mid-Atlantic states, were later rebranded as Rite Aid.
That deal gave Jean Coutu a 32% stake in Rite Aid, though the Canadian company didn't begin to unload its investment until April 2012.
The latest stock sale--Jean Coutu also sold off shares in April and June this year--comes as Rite Aid's stock has doubled since the beginning of 2013 amid a firmer performance and a turn to profitability after years in the red. Rite Aid's acquisition of the Brooks and Eckerd chains was regarded as ill timed, coming ahead of the global recession and saddling the retail chain with a heavy debt load.
But Rite Aid has managed to turn a corner. The company has reported three consecutive quarters in the black, as low-priced generic drug offerings have helped lift margins. Debt refinancing and store remodels have also helped the retailer generate profits of late.
Jean Coutu said it completed the sale of 65.4 million shares in Rite Aid on Thursday, selling the stock at an average price of $2.95 for a net proceed of $192.2 million. The company said it will record a gain of $94.1 million during the second quarter of fiscal 2014, as well as a previously disclosed gain of $50 million from a stock sale last month.
Rite Aid was down 0.3% to $3 in recent trading.
Write to John Kell at email@example.com


text: Apple often reminds me of that well-to-do friend who's always buying rounds of drinks and shows up one day with a new car at a time when everyone else is counting pennies.\u00a0You admire his fun, cavalier spending and lack of anxiety, but you have to wonder: Where does it all come from? Will he run out? Isn't he worried?\u00a0We are in an economy that is, by all accounts, on the verge of a recession.\u00a0Is Apple worried? Not really.\u00a0If it is, Mr. Jobs and company ain't showing it. One could argue they have no compelling reason to worry. The company did just experience a "record breaking" quarter for iPhone, iPod and Mac shipments with revenue and profits that beat their own forecasts. Earlier this month, Apple refused to budge on prices for its new MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops, while prices for PC alternatives dip everyday.\u00a0"We're not economists," Jobs said during an earnings call that sounded too laid-back for these times. He added: "We may get buffeted by the waves a bit, but we'll be fine."\u00a0God bless him. I've always admired people who don't panic, who are relaxed and self-assured even when the guns are on them. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady jumps to mind. Muhammad Ali. FDR.\u00a0But is Steve Jobs FDR, or is he more like a certain erratic Republican candidate who believes "the fundamentals of our economy are strong"?\u00a0Microsoft, on the other hand, is like all your normal friends: concerned and cautious about the economy, a bit hopeful and a bit solemn.\u00a0The software giant did experience a 9 percent year-over-year increase in revenue for its Q1 2009, but took a hit on its most important division, the Windows client division (that is, Vista), which grew a paltry 2 percent. But despite the mostly good news, Microsoft made a point during its earnings call to concede that the economy is in trouble and they are worried about it.\u00a0Microsoft described a three-part plan to endure the current economic crisis. It also lowered its revenue and earnings expectations for fiscal 2009. Microsoft's CFO Chris Liddell said an economic recovery during the second half of the fiscal year is "unlikely to occur" and that "there's a high degree of uncertainty in outlook based on the state of the economy."\u00a0Ahhh, some good old-fashioned realism. Thank you for being worried Microsoft. Hey, Apple probably will end up "fine." (Doesn't it always end up that way?)\u00a0 But in my mind, Microsoft's respectful recognition of the looming recession and how it affects customers and partners trumps Apple's relative nonchalance.


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There are dozens of big players in the realm of cloud computing, including popular names like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. But what about DigitalOcean? It’s not the biggest cloud computing company in the world, but it might be one of the simplest.
DigitalOcean is looking to IPO this week. We’re breaking down some of the broader points for investors from the company’s S-1 filing, which consists of all of the important information about a business and must be completed and filed with the SEC in order for the company to go public.
We’ve read the entire report and put together the top five things you need to know to help investors digest this upcoming IPO:
1. It’s All About Simplicity
In DigitalOcean’s S-1 filing, the company said its mission statement is to “simplify cloud computing so developers and businesses can spend more time creating software that changes the world.” That bold and underscored sentence falls early in the report. But if you read the entire report, you’ll start to see a recurring theme. The word ‘simple’ is used 20 times. The word ‘simplicity’ is used 20 times as well. The word ‘easy’ is used 34 times. Do you think they’re trying to tell us something? Absolutely.
DigitalOcean wants investors (and consumers) to know that their business is about simplifying everything: the pricing, platform, interface, customer support and anything else that falls at the fringes. They also want you to know that said simplicity has made them popular. The company flexes its “net promoter score,” which measures the likelihood that existing customers will recommend a company or product on a scale of zero to 100. Their score was 65, which they said is “comparable to some of the world’s most beloved brands.”
2. Cloud Computing Isn’t Going Anywhere — And Neither is DigitalOcean
Based on the S-1 filing, DigitalOcean said the market opportunity for cloud computing will be $116 billion in 2024, and they think they can take an even bigger bite out of that market. But, DigitalOcean has a ways to go.
Annual recurring revenue (ARR) is a solid indicator for software-as-a-service (SaaS) to track how much business a digital company is generating and retaining. According to DigitalOcean, they’ve generated $357 million in ARR as of December 2020. They’re also generating this recurring revenue from 573,000 users (with an average revenue per user of approximately $48).
One thing that sticks out among all of these numbers (and there are a lot) is that the company’s year-over-year growth in revenue was 25% in 2019 and 2020. That kind of growth mimics a company like Dropbox in 2019 and Zoom in 2020. However, there is a cautionary tale in subscription-based SaaS companies: you only need so many people to have a storage or video subscription. How many people will need a cloud computing service for their web apps? Probably more than a few, but those few might spend a mint on services. So in that sense, DigitalOcean’s opportunity is massive.
3. DigitalOcean is Reaching an International Audience
DigitalOcean said their customers are spread “across over 185 countries,” and that two-thirds of their revenue is coming from outside the U.S. In 2020, 38% of the company’s revenue came from North America, 30% from Europe, 22% from Asia and 10% from other geographies.
The size of the “Asia and other” markets is particularly interesting, seeing as though digital businesses are cropping up in emerging markets at breakneck pace. If startup and mid-sized companies in emerging markets are using DigitalOcean, this could be potentially very bullish for their long-term revenue growth.
4. The Company is Losing Money
The S-1 report includes financial information from 2018 through 2020. In all three years, the company has reported accelerating losses because of debt and other income expenses. Despite this, the company’s losses from research, development, marketing and administrative costs slowed tremendously in 2020. DigitalOcean could start generating a profit for shareholders if they continue to grow their revenue, taper their spend on operating expenses and defuse their dependence on borrowing and other costs. However, DigitalOcean’s stock price will likely suffer post-IPO if they fail to show evidence of progress.


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Greggs set to open new store in popular Merseyside town
and live on Freeview channel 276
Greggs are launching a new venue in Merseyside as part of the popular bakery chain’s plans to open 150 stores across the UK in the next year. Last month, the company revealed the locations of twelve future stores, however, this one wasn’t on the list.
The sausage roll and steak bake provider is set to open the new outlet in the heart of New Brighton, at the popular Marine Point shopping centre.
Announcing the news on Facebook, a spokesperson for Marine Point said: “We are delighted to announce that Greggs is coming to Marine Point. What’s your favourite snack?”
Although the exact opening date has not yet been revealed, we do know that the new venue will be located in the old Harry Ramsden’s unit, between Subway and Starbucks, and will open later this year.


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As the Philippines economy continues to expand next year, the growth outlook has been lowered due to reduced government spending, higher inflation, and monetary tightening. The Philippine Star explains that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) has been forecast to 6.2 percent this year instead of its previously forecast percentage of 6.4 percent, and the economy is seen to grow 6.4 percent instead of its previous prediction of 6.7 percent.
For the first half of 2014, the economy increased by six percent due to export recovery and private consumption and investment expansion. Richard Bolt, ADB country director for the Philippines says, “Consumption and investment remain strong, and exports are recovering…Accelerating infrastructure projects, taking measures to strengthen competition, and increasing access to finance can boost growth and create jobs.” But despite strong GDP growth of around 6.3 percent every year since 2010, jobs are not at a satisfactory generation rate.
Reports note that, other than Malaysia, “aggregate growth is moderating in 2014, slowed by stabilization policy and weaker commodity export prices in Indonesia, political disruption in Thailand, a government spending slowdown in the Philippines, and soft domestic demand in Vietnam.”
You can read the full article here: http://www.philstar.com/business-usual/2014/09/29/1374238/phl-growth-forecast-highest-among-asean-members


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For Immediate Release
Columbus, Ohio, December 29, 2017 – Today, the American Catalog Mailers Association, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Department of Taxation, seeking to declare unconstitutional a new state law that improperly expands the Department’s jurisdiction beyond the state’s borders in clear violation of existing U.S. Supreme Court precedent. The ACMA intends to demonstrate that Ohio’s software “cookie” nexus standard for sales/use tax is in direct contravention of the extraterritorial limits on state tax authority under Quill v. North Dakota.
The state is claiming that the mere presence of electrons placed on an Ohio computer pierces the longstanding “physical presence” test under Quill and subjects remote sellers to sales tax collection and other compliance obligations.
“This is an egregious assault on out of state companies seeking to sell to Ohio residents and effectively presents a barrier to interstate commerce that cannot be left unchallenged,” said ACMA President Hamilton Davison. “We have no doubt the Ohio judiciary, in light of the well-established national precedent created by the highest court in the land, will overturn this illegal new law.”
ACMA has filed this action just before the law’s January 1, 2018 effective date.
What This Means for Ohio Consumers
Were this law left unchallenged, Ohio consumers would be offered fewer products and not have the benefits of remote shopping available elsewhere in the country from online sellers who avoid doing business in Ohio as a result of its egregious and excessive assertion of regulatory and tax authority. Rural Ohioans, shut-ins and elderly citizens would be especially affected. All Ohio residents would have fewer choices and less shopping options. Ohio companies would also be impacted when other states place similar burdens on their out of Ohio sales.
Why the ACMA Is Suing Ohio
Part of the ACMA’s mission is to protect its members from overreaching state laws that burden interstate commerce. Individual companies, if they are audited and assessed, will be left to bear alone the cost of appealing the assessment and disputing the law. The ACMA is stepping forward on their behalf to challenge this untenable action by the State.
What the Alternatives Are for Catalogers
If Ohio can get away with ignoring Supreme Court limitations on the scope of its taxing authority, then we can expect many other states and local tax jurisdictions throughout the country to follow suit. Capitulation (i.e., commencing tax collection), of course, is always an available alternative. However, for many small and mid-size companies, the burden and unfairness of having to collect and remit taxes for thousands of jurisdictions, and be exposed to endless audits, is worth fighting over.
An appeal of a tax assessment by an individual company would require that company to wade first through a lengthy administrative appeal process before obtaining judicial review. We believe that prompt consideration by the courts is a far preferable course of action.
How This Will Impact ACMA’s Federal Tax Battle
Such state-aimed lawsuits are not in isolation from the overarching, national, Quill-preserving or updating strategy. The ACMA’s ultimate goal is obtain reasonable federal legislation, which will enable catalogers and other remote sellers to collect sales tax on a more simplified basis, without unduly burdening them compared to other retailers. If successful, such federal legislation would set the terms for sales tax collection by remote sellers for decades to come.
The ACMA is committed to achieving a long term nationwide solution that is fair to all parties concerned, which includes consumers, states, and merchants. In the meantime, state revenue departments should not be permitted to force catalog and e-commerce companies into compliance with the current crazy quilt of complex, confusing, and wildly differing sales tax regimes by adopting over-reaching new tax laws. Instead, state and local governments should join the ACMA and other industry organizations at the bargaining table to produce a more reasonable and simplified system of sales tax collection.
“This,” Davison said, “is a long-term process in which we are engaged. Unchecked, illegal actions, such as the one Ohio is pursuing, will damage significantly companies that have no political standing in Ohio and will add tens and hundreds of thousands in extra costs on small- and medium-sized businesses ill-equipped to bear this burden. Industry support for this strategy is critical.”
About American Catalog Mailers Association
ACMA is a Washington-based not-for-profit organization specifically created to advocate for the unique collective interests of catalog mailers in regulatory, public and administrative matters where the shared impact transcends individual company interests. The only catalog owned and controlled trade group focused solely on the business interests of catalogers and their supply chain, ACMA participates in rulemaking and other proceedings of significance where a single collective voice increases influence and effectiveness. Membership is open to any party with direct interests in the catalog industry. More information can be found at www.catalogmailers.org.
© 2017 American Catalog Mailers Association, Inc.


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Exhibitors at the recent Fort Lauderdale Boat Show have reported strong sales. Show organisers reported that gate attendance for the entire show was up 28 per cent from the prior year pushed up by five days of sunshine.
The gate was the highest since the show in 2006, and exhibition space at this years show was the largest it has ever been, with returning exhibitors expanding their show presence over that of last year.
Efrem Zimbalist III, CEO of Show Management, the company that manages and produces the show said “Commitments made by owners and organisers to bring enhancements to our exhibitors and guests, coupled with fantastic weather and confident buyers, made for a very successful weekend.”
Pietro Goglia of the Italian Trade Commission, representing 12 exhibitors in the Yachting Pavilion, reported a strong show from all participating companies. He said, “Interest from the American market in our Italian-made products and services was strong, and many of us returned to Italy with leads and contracts.”
Italy was one of more than 20 countries represented at this year’s show. The largest in-water boat show in the world, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show attracts an international audience of more than 100,000 marine professionals and enthusiasts, spanning more than 3 million square feet of space over six locations.
This was a very successful boat show for the Ferretti Group America, who had more than 20 new yachts on display the largest number of new yachts in the show from one manufacturer. They claim to have placed nine yachts under contract during the show.
Cheoy Lee, exhibiting a 46 metre expedition yacht said, “It was our best boat show to date.”
The boat show is seen by many as a barometer of the local and national economy, and this year saw a strong increase in sales, an increase in attendees, and 10-to-15 per cent increase in food and beverage consumption over the past few years.
Perhaps this is what is meant by a Beer Market!


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§ Mr. Torney
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the sale of Common Market butter to the USSR at a giveaway price, and the subsequent resale of the product in the EEC via Italy, thus creating considerable profits.
§ Mr. Bishop
I am aware of newspaper reports on this matter and I welcome the inquiry which the European Commissioner is now making. We have made it clear that our basic aim is to avoid the creation of surpluses which have given rise to such sales; but where surpluses do occur, we have stressed that Community consumers should have priority in their disposal.


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Back in 1989, the TC by Maserati was released and was supposed to be Lee Iacocca’s triumphant model for Chrysler. Instead, the Italian-designed two-seat convertible only sold 7,300 units before it got the axe a mere two years later.
The original TC by Maserati was based on the economy K-Car platform by Chrysler and most automotive enthusiasts have opted to not even mention it since it disappeared. But now reports are coming in that the TC by Maserati could be making a (hopefully) triumphant return now that Fiat-Chrysler is one company and Maserati is its corporate cousin.
The story will be published in the upcoming April issue of Car and Driver with the magazine reporting that it’ll be making a debut in 2014. According to the report, the new TC by Maserati will based on the 2013 Dodge Dart, which itself is based on an Alfa Romeo. It appears that it’ll be powered by a 0.9L two-cylinder, turbocharged engine from Fiat with 87-hp. This will be the first American car sporting the small powerplant.
However, with an estimated price of $35,000, we feel that this new TC by Maserati could share the same fate as its predecessor. The publication has the new TC by Maserati as one of its “25 Cars Worth Waiting For”, but with a price tag over $30,000 and so little performance, we’re not sure if it has a place in the American market.
But with all rumors, we’ll take it with a grain of salt until official news breaks from Chrysler.
[Source: Fox News]