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Quiqup gets US $12.9m to expand same-day delivery in UAE and wider GCC
Quiqup has announced a strategic funding round of US $12.9-million to drive expansion across the MENA region, with plans to set up operations in Beirut and one other GCC city.
Quiqup is a tech scale-up building a decentralised, AI powered last-mile logistics infrastructure to power same-day delivery services for retailers and restaurants.
The funding round is being led by existing investor JOBI Capital, with participation from strategic investor Cedar Mundi Ventures, the Beirut based VC firm part of Kuwait Holding group.
To support its regional expansion, Quiqup will set up its regional tech hub in Beirut with a development team drawing on the existing local tech-savvy and cost-efficient talents.
Dani El-Zein, general manager of Quiqup UAE
“The tremendous growth that we have seen in Dubai proves that the GCC region, and MENA more broadly, are exceptional opportunities for Quiqup,” says Dani El-Zein, general manager of Quiqup UAE. “We are looking forward to building on the success that we are having in Dubai as we expand across the region.”
Quiqup’s services were launched in the region in September 2017, with its expansion into Dubai seeing tremendous success and levels of growth delivered well ahead of expectations.
The company continues to see double digit growth there, with a long list of over 125 clients including some of the region, and the world’s, best known brands.
Bassel El Koussa, CEO and co-founder of Quiqup
“Quiqup’s DNA is built around operating a decentralised, AI powered logistics infrastructure that allows it to deliver all types of last-mile services, from instant to same-day delivery,” said Bassel El Koussa, CEO and co-founder of Quiqup. “The opportunity in the MENA region is like nothing we see elsewhere. Just as in many parts of the world, mobile leapfrogged wired telephony or desktop computers, we see the same potential for game-changing innovation in the GCC and beyond.”
There are a number of factors that make expansion into the region very attractive for Quiqup.
E-commerce in the region is in its early stages compared with the rest of the world, and growth rates of e-commerce here are among the highest in the world.
Delivery will be fundamental to the growth of this sector, providing attractive market conditions for the expansion.
Consumer expectations around service and convenient delivery are also advanced compared with the rest of the world, with a strong service culture and a spirit of innovation, driving customer and business adoption of tech-enabled, same-day delivery services.
The lack of legacy delivery infrastructure also makes the region a very attractive opportunity for a tech-enabled scale-up building a decentralised, AI powered last-mile logistics infrastructure.
The presence of legacy infrastructure in Europe and the United States limits and slows innovation adoption.
The MENA region is very open to adopting new technologies from scratch, which provides an opportunity to build a last-mile logistics infrastructure that is absolutely cutting edge.
This is likely fuelling quicker adoption of Quiqup services in the region.


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Posted: 30/11/17 by Simon Cox Marketing Solutions Limited
SCMS director Simon Cox will be on BBC Radio Northampton this Saturday talking about Small Business Saturday ahead of the national campaign this Saturday.
Having represented the Northamptonshire business community at the #bluetie event in October, Simon has been working with Kettering Borough Council to promote the day which also includes the Teenage Market in Kettering - a market which encourages young entrepreneurs to take to the streets and learn about business on the high street.
You’ll be able to follow Small Business Saturday online by following the #smallbizsatUK hashtag on Twitter.
Small Business Saturday is a grassroots not for profit campaign originally founded by America Express in the U.S. in 2010, which remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small. The campaign also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation.
Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small business.
Simon said: “I’m proud to be a small business. Many of us small businesses are often overlooked by the public or consumers when they look online for a product or service. Small Business Saturday helps raise awareness of small businesses across the UK and we should all join in the campaign. We are the backbone of the UK business economy and we should be proud of what we achieve.
“Running a small business can be challenging as we don’t have the budgets for marketing that larger businesses have or even the resources available, but, as small business owners, we are able to make a quick decision and can supply a service with a personal touch. I would encourage consumers to work with small local businesses where possible.”

domain: news


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Samsung’s Galaxy S23 passes through certification with 25W fast charging
It’s easy to get excited heading into fall as we arrive at one of the busiest times of the year when it comes to consumer technology, with a variety of companies holding events showcasing the best of what they have to offer. But when it comes to leaks, it’s never too early to start, and it looks like we are getting a small tidbit of information today with regard to the unannounced Samsung Galaxy S23. Apparently, the device has passed through network certification, and it appears that the phone is being tested with and could still rely on 25W fast charging.
While a 25W charging speed isn’t necessarily a bad thing, many manufacturers producing Android smartphones have long moved on from sub-30W charging speeds. They have opted for higher charging speeds, especially when it comes to the high-tier line of products. Although there is no right or wrong in this scenario, customers have come to expect faster-charging times, which means their devices spend less time on the charger and more time in their hands. While charging speeds can range depending on the company, some have pushed above the 100W mark, which can effectively charge a phone from zero to full in around 20 minutes. Of course, this isn’t the norm, and others will take a more modest approach, offering charging speeds that hover anywhere between 30W to 80W.
Now, one thing to note, the 25W charging speed found in the certification is just for the Galaxy S23. There is always the chance that the higher-end model in the line will offer improved charging speeds. Currently, the Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S22 Ultra support 45-watt fast charging. Let’s hope that Samsung doesn’t opt to match the same charging speed and will instead push things a little further next year. As far as other details about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S23 line, there is a good chance that the new line will arrive with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor.
In previous years, Samsung opted to split its inventory, with some units utilizing Samsung’s own Exynos processor while others were outfitted with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon SoC. Many criticized this process, especially as benchmarks found that Qualcomm’s offerings were superior to Samsung’s Exynos. That’s not even diving into the overheating and throttling issues. Naturally, we have quite a bit of time until the Galaxy S23 reveal, which is expected to occur sometime during the first part of 2023.
Source: Ice universe (Twitter)


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Tanzania’s largest telecommunications operator, Vodacom Tanzania, warned that a government directive for the registration of all SIM card owners before the end of the year could affect its operations negatively.
The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority told operators it would not extend the deadline even with only 12% of the East African nation’s subscribers currently registered, according to Vodacom. The company has listed only 2 million of its 14 million users.
“This directive has significant implications for costs and could potentially lower our customer base growth next year,” Vodacom Managing Director Hisham Hendi said in an emailed statement. “It’s a big challenge for us.”
Vodacom has 33% market share, followed by Millicom International Cellular SA’s Tigo brand and Bharti Airtel Ltd.’s unit.
© 2019 Bloomberg L.P.


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Sony showed off its latest ultrabook Windows 8 operating system, Vaio T13 “Touch Screen”, Indocomtech exhibition in 2012 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).
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DPD Ireland has reached the milestone of 1 million sustainable deliveries, with the millionth parcel delivered to An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar.
The parcel-delivery company is currently delivering more than 4,000 parcels per day by electric vehicle and estimates to have saved 72.65 tons of CO2 emissions in 2021.
The company has also begun testing the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) instead of diesel on its line-haul fleet, in a bid to further reduce emissions. The use of HVO fuel, which is a completely renewable diesel alternative based on waste grease and vegetable oils, offers a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per trip.
DPD Ireland last year announced it was investing a further €2 million decarbonising its Irish fleet, with the addition of 100 new electric vehicles by the end of 2022. The company has already invested €3.2 million since 2019 in electric vans and infrastructure.
The company aims to electrify 25% of its total fleet by 2025, which means having 400 electric vehicles on the road in just 3 years.
It currently has 51 electric vehicles on the road in Ireland, and has ordered a further 110 electric vans, the largest order reported by FORD Ireland this year. The first batch are due to arrive in the Autumn, bringing the total number of electric vehicles used by DPD Ireland to over 100 by the end of this year.
The new electric vehicles are Ford E-Transits which will provide more range and cubic capacity than any electric van to date.
An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mr. Varadkar said, “We must do what we can to leave our planet in a better condition than we inherited it. Enterprise has a really important role to play and it’s great to see DPD Ireland take the lead, investing over €5m to make the business more sustainable. Congratulations to the team on reaching 1 million deliveries by electric vehicle. It’s is a really significant milestone and it was great to be the lucky recipient of the 1 millionth parcel! I know the company is only getting started and is doing a lot more to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. The very best of luck to the team with their plans.”
DPD Ireland sustainability manager James Atkinson said the delivery firm places huge emphasis on sustainability and is determined to decarbonise its fleet by 2030.
“As well as lowering emissions on journeys, we are heavily focussed on reducing journeys in the first place. Our flagship route optimisation project will enable depots to deliver more parcels with the same number of vans, meaning no additional emissions, while growing the business,” he said.
Mr. Atkinson said the challenge with electric vans is its range. The company expects the Ford E Transit to do 250km on a single charge, adding that 20-25% of DPD Ireland delivery routes are over 200km.
“These hard-to-electrify routes will be supplied with a biofuel, HVO, which offers up to 90% emissions reduction versus diesel. We have already purchased our first tank of HVO and are currently trialling it on line haul trucks between Dublin and our central sortation facility in Athlone.”
DPD Ireland is part of the DPD Group, the second largest international parcel delivery network in Europe. The group delivers 7.5 million parcels each day – 1.9 billion parcels per year.


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Hilo Hattie fires 31; 2 firms to close
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More than 120 Hawaii workers will lose the jobs over the next several weeks as two companies close and a third tries to stay in business.
Hawaiian-themed retailer Hilo Hattie will lay off 31 employees as the company struggles to stay alive.
It is the latest setback for Hilo Hattie, which was sold to a group of California investors in July, who then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October.
“Regrettably, we have today laid off 31 staff at our Hilo Hattie headquarters office on Nimitz Highway as a result of a precipitous drop in sales due to the increasingly harsh recession and in particular the decline in visitors to Hawaii,” said Hilo Hattie President John Scott in prepared statements issued through a spokeswoman on Monday.
Hilo Hattie now has a total of 227 employees at seven stores in Hawaii and one store in California.
It still plans to relocate its Nimitz Highway flagship store to a new location at the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki next year.
Two other Honolulu companies announced they would shut down operations next year.
Unitek Contracting Group notified the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations that it will close Unitek Technical Services, one of its four divisions, on Feb. 13 and lay off 33 employees.
Unitek is a subsidiary of Pacific Marine & Supply Co. Inc., which also owns Navatek Ltd.
Accutron Co., which sells thermal insulation and fire-stopping equipment, notified the state Labor Department that it will close on Feb. 13 and lay off 59 employees.
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Every year, headlines proclaim that this year will mark the coldest winter ever. And every year, most people take no notice whatsoever. But what if 2019 really did bring the coldest season in UK history? There's one way to prepare for such an eventuality, and that is with some stylish thermal designs. So stylish, in fact, that you won't want to cover them up at all.
"Britain faces coldest winter in decades," read a Daily Express headline from early October. With widespread snow and sub-zero temperatures reportedly expected, a flimsy t-shirt and coat won't do. You need a contemporary thermal. Gone are the days when heat-retaining fashion meant ugly underwear and vests. Now, you have a real choice. Now, printed designs meant to show off actually exist. Now, thermal denim is a thing.
You don't have to wear a million layers to stay toasty; the following items will keep you warm indoors on their own. And when you do need to step outside, a simple coat on top should do the trick.
From animal print turtle necks to super sleek bodysuits longing to hit up a Christmas party or two, here are some thermal pieces you never knew you were missing.


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More people checking out the library to save on books, DVDs
On a recent morning, television journalist Heather Downie was carrying so many books, CDs and DVDs that it looked as if she’d need a shopping bag to get them to her car.
But she wasn’t at Borders or Blockbuster. She was perusing the aisles of the Los Feliz branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, a place she’s been visiting a lot more lately to save money.
Downie, 25, recently canceled her $16 monthly Netflix subscription and is trying to resist the temptation to buy books, instead checking out movies and books from the library.
“It’s a great way to cut costs without having to sacrifice anything,” she said.
Stores may be quiet these days, but libraries are hopping as people look for ways to save money.
The Los Angeles Public Library is “experiencing record use,” said spokesman Peter Persic, with 12% more visitors during fiscal 2008, which ended June 30, than the previous year. Patrons checked out 17.2 million books, DVDs, CDs and other items during that period, a 10% increase. Some branches report even bigger increases recently; in October, for example, the Palms branch saw a 27% increase.
“Traditionally, in tough economic times, public libraries experience an upswing in use,” Persic said.
At the San Francisco Public Library, about 12% more items were checked out in October than a year earlier. Chicago’s public library system experienced a 35% increase in circulation. The New York Public Library saw 11% more print items checked out (a spokesman said that could be partly explained by extended hours).
“I haven’t bought anything from Borders in quite a while,” said Christopher Lutz, a freelance makeup artist who was browsing the Los Feliz branch for DVDs and books. With the writers’ strike and potential actors’ strike, he said, he’s being especially careful about where he spends his money.
Websites such as PaperBackSwap.com that enable readers to exchange books for free are also becoming more popular. PaperBackSwap founder Richard Pickering said the site had seen a 25% increase in traffic in the last three months as people trade, rather than buy, books in an effort to save money.
As one of the few places with free Internet access and public computers, libraries also see an upswing in traffic from job hunters when unemployment starts to rise, said Camila Alire, president-elect of the American Library Assn. Last year, only 44 of the top 100 U.S. retailers accepted paper applications filled out in stores, she said, which means that applicants need the Internet.
Since they’re not selling anything, libraries don’t profit directly from the increased traffic. Like many things funded by taxpayer dollars, libraries take a hit when the economy does.
A public library in Georgia recently considered closing most of its branches because of funding issues, Alire said, and school libraries in Maryland have been hit particularly hard by budget cuts. Closer to home, the main library in Long Beach was in danger of being closed to save money, although the City Council voted down the proposal after widespread opposition.
Without a library, Crystal Fu wouldn’t have anywhere to sit in comfy chairs and read newspapers and tabloid magazines that she says she “wouldn’t be caught dead buying.”
Fu, a lawyer who recently returned from a four-month sabbatical in India and is searching for a job in public interest law, said she loved reading but didn’t want to spend on books until she found work.
“I’ve got to be a little frugal these days,” she said.
The shift from buying books to borrowing them is hurting bookstores and publishing houses.
Barnes & Noble Inc. last week reported a third-quarter loss of $18.4 million, which Chief Executive Steve Riggio attributed to “a significant drop-off in customer traffic and consumer spending.” In late October, Amazon.com Inc. cut its sales forecast for the holiday season.
“October was probably one of the toughest, slowest retail months that many of our members have had since their stores were in business,” said Oren Teicher, chief operating officer of the American Booksellers Assn.
Many bookstores won’t let their bookworms wriggle away without a fight.
Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena is planning special holiday events and promotions this year to boost sales in a slow season, including a partnership with the Pasadena Symphony and holiday bingo, said Allison Hill, the shop’s president.
Skylight Books on Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz is publishing a more sophisticated holiday guide than it has any other year, said Kerry Slattery, general manager and co-owner. It’s also returning unsold books to publishers to keep up cash flow, she said.
But that approach passes the pain on to publishers. Scholastic Corp. reported sluggish sales in the last quarter, which President Richard Robinson blamed on a “challenging” market. Random House Inc. froze the pensions of current employees and did away with them for recent hires. Other publishers have laid off employees.
Still, bookstores and publishers alike should be thankful that there are still people such as Laura DePalma, a 27-year-old English teacher who was taking her students to the Central Library on a recent Friday. She said she never checked out books from the library for herself; she only bought them, even though money was tight.
“I’m really broke. I can’t go out on weekends anymore,” said DePalma, who was holding “The Crying of Lot 49,” which she’d bought that morning, between two sheets of paper so she wouldn’t get fingerprints on it.
She estimates she has five bookstores’ worth of books at home because she’s been buying dozens a month since she was in high school.
Despite the economy, she said, this year isn’t any different.
“My parents don’t want to do gifts this year to save money,” she said. “But all I want for Christmas is one book.”
Penny Wise is a street-level
look at how Southern Californians are stretching their dollars in a sputtering economy.


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Those of you who are familiar with jailbreaking, rooting or unlocking their smartphone will know that the tools that apply these modifications use an exploit - either in your device’s software or hardware - to get system-level access and allow other applications to do the same.
Most of the attention of the technology loving world has been lavished on Apple and Samsung over the last two weeks, partly because they are the two largest smartphone vendors in the world and are currently actively competing against each for the top spot, but also due to the fact that they are currently locked in a fairly bitter legal dispute in California to resolve whether or not Samsung did indeed "slavishly" copy the design of the iPhone. As entertaining as the court case is, and as enjoyable as the information that it is unearthing, we should really try to step away from the fact that two of the industry’s largest names have had to go down this route and instead concentrate on the wonderful products they both offer.
Although plenty of successful inroads and developments have been made over the years in the modding and jailbreaking of the popular games consoles (most notably Geohot and his famous PS3 jailbreak), they can often take a while to arise due to the tight-belted nature of the console vendors, most of whom tend not to be accommodating.
For all of its strengths, one drawback of owning an Android device is the increasing number of threats from malware. While Windows Phone and iOS are largely considered to be safe from attack, there are scores of fake .apk files and other non-niceties lurking about aimed at those using Google's market-leading mobile operating system.
The good people at Google have been getting their heads down, with their Director and Managing Counsel of Telecoms and Media, Richard Whitt filing a 'special temporary authority' application to the Federal Communications Commission which will let them test their new next-generation personal communication device outside of a laboratory environment. It all sounds very technical, but just what is a 'next generation personal communication device'?
For any consumer who may be taking the time to consider purchasing a new mobile phone, or a tablet computer, they will more than likely begin by considering either an Apple iPhone or iPad as their purchase of choice. With over a quarter of a billion iOS devices sold around the world, the iPhone and iPad are insanely popular, and considered by many to be the leading products in the mobile computing sector.


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Techno is the most sold phone in East Africa accounting for 47 percent in the last quarter of 2019. According to data by International Data Corporation (IDC), techno shipments to the region were the largest.
Samsung follows closely at 13 percent of regional shipment, the second most popular phone manufacturer but is closely followed by Infinix at 10 percent, itel at 9 percent and Huawei at six percent all manufactured phone in China.
Brands such Tecno, itel, Infinix, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Huawei dominate the East Africa’s smartphone market, accounting for 85 percent of total shipments in 2019.
The Chinese brands tipped the scales against globally established brands such as South Korea’s Samsung and LG, as well as Finnish brand Nokia, by offering devices with high-end specifications that are cheap.
Transsion, a Chinese manufacturer commands the biggest share of imports at 70.8 per cent with the combined brands of Tecno, itel, Infinix targeting varied consumer segments across the region.


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Labuan Focusing on Tourism Sector to Restore Its Economy
The Labuan Corporation is currently opting to focus on the tourism sector as the main economic driver of the duty-free island to replace its dependency on the fluctuating oil and gas industry.
Its chairman Datuk Seri Amir Hussein said the agency, which comes under the Federal Territories Ministry, is also hoping that the tourism sector could help to quickly restore the economy of Labuan.
He said the first step is to attract more tourists to the island especially tourists from China, as they come Labuan from mainland Sabah.
“Sabah now receives about 280,000 tourists from China every month, so we are now collaborating with the State’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture to channel some of these tourists to Labuan.
“This move has been agreed upon by Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew, who is also the state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, as it is seen as can help alleviate the issue of accommodation in Kota Kinabalu especially when it is too crowded with tourists,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama.
Prior to this, it was reported that despite the recovery in the oil and gas market, it has yet to reach its previous heights in Labuan following the closure of many industry-related companies that caused more than 20,000 workers to lose their jobs in the past five years.
Amir said his office would also attract Chinese tourists to Labuan by providing a Catamaran-type ferry service, which could shorten the travel duration from the Sabah mainland to Labuan to less than two hours, compared to the passenger ferry which takes three hours 45 minutes.
“Recently, the Home Ministry has also approved visa on arrival (VOA) for tourists from China to enter Labuan,” he said.
To support the effort, the Labuan Corporation is also actively beautifying the beaches in the island including some of the focal areas for scuba diving enthusiasts, he added.
“Most of the divers I encountered praised Labuan saying that it has a charming diving area, clear seawater and beautiful marine life, it has coral reefs that match the world-famous dive sites like the Maldives.
“We also have several old shipwreck sites that have the potential to attract more dive enthusiasts to Labuan,” he said.
He noted that the duty-free island will also transform its duty-free shopping malls scattered around downtown by relocating them to one area to facilitate tourists to buy their favourite items or souvenirs.
“Other than that, we will try to offer more goods that are usually sold in premium outlets in other parts of the country at lower prices, as we do not want the tourists to only shop for liquor or cigarettes in Labuan to bring home,” he said.
According to Amir, his office is also in talks with the low-cost airline, Air Asia to make Labuan a flying hub for the Borneo archipelago, making it the main route for entry of tourists from abroad, especially from China to Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and other destinations in Borneo.
“In terms of the improving the telecommunications networks, we have met with the Minister of Communication and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to make Labuan a testbed for 5G technology because we do have the capability in terms of infrastructure which is enough but not fully utilised.
“Hence, I have recommended to the MCMC and Telekom Malaysia to perform a test bed in Labuan because we have a strong financial sector, there are offshore banks and insurance companies all of which are of international status,” he said.


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by Miranda Vega Rector of the CUJ
MISSION – When everything shut down in 2020, including day cares and schools, parents like Adrienne Berry and Christopher Sampson, parents of five, were put in a difficult situation – who watches the kids?
With not many options available, Berry chose to resign from her five year career as the Community Gardener of Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center to care for her children and juggle the duties of motherhood, hybrid school, summer camps and outdoor activities.
In a time where there were many unknowns and social distancing was in full effect, Berry needed a way to supplement their income. With the help of her long-time best friend Colleen Sanders, she took her years of gardening experience, passion for herbs and started Waterlilly Botanicals LLC. Sampson had also been a big support to her and encouraged her to follow her dreams.
By using a private garden, foraging herbs and plants based on the seasons, and also ordering high quality products in bulk, Waterlilly Botanicals LLC offers natural and safe skin care products, herbal preparations, holistic consultations, and workshops.
Berry, who is Navajo, lives on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and runs the majority of the business online through www.WaterlillyBotanicals.com, as well as through Facebook and Instagram. Sanders is more of a silent partner, who initially funded the business and contributes to creating and packaging the products which they both do in Dayton, Wash. in a certified kitchen every month.
“Through caring for young children to teenagers I have managed to get our business off the ground,” said Berry. “The kids are now supportive and love to help out where they can.”
Currently, Waterlilly Botanicals LLC offers anywhere from 10-14 different products, depending on the season, which includes moisturizers, body butters, lip balm, salve, ointments, tea blends, and elderberry syrup kits. They have products available in store at “A Piece of Pendleton” and “Temple Massage Therapy” and can also be found at the Pendleton Farmers Market through October.
“Sales had been going down so we decided to do our first farmers market and it was a success,” said Berry. “So we will continue doing that until October. Everything we make goes back into the business to help it grow bigger. Next year we are hoping to have our herbal farm so we don’t have to outsource as much.”
The herbal farm Berry is referring to is 2,352 square feet of land located outside of Gibbon, Ore. She is currently applying for a $5,000 grant in hopes to outfit the land with posts, fencing and compost. Waterlilly Botanicals is also in the running for an award through Pow Wow Pitch, an organization that provide platforms, programs and resources to support Indigenous entrepreneurs to start and grow thriving and sustainable businesses that make a difference, according to their website.
Pow Wow Pitch has an award for People’s Choice Voting where the community can show their support for Waterlilly Botanicals LLC by voting for them at https://forms.gle/WcGmYaPUFhvZnUCk9. Here she could win $500 and go straight to the finals competition where they would have the opportunity to win $25,0000.
“We are wanting to upscale our business and be more efficient at offering herbs to people,” said Berry. “The Pow Pitch will help with upscaling and the Mountain Rose Herbs grant will help us reach our goals faster.”


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Shrujan exhibition, a platform for Kutch embroidery
A new exhibition, starting here Tuesday, will showcase products designed by 3,500 craftswomen living in more than 100 remote villages of Kutch.
Shrujan, a 44-year old organisation which works for the uplifment of Kutch hand embroidery techniques, is behind the exhibition.
The five-day event will showcase original hand embroidery fashioned into high-quality products including saris, accessories, bags and home furnishings, said a statement.
Shrujan enables nine communities that practice 16 styles of hand embroidery from Kutch. Craftswomen, who are part of the Shrujan family, work from home.
The organisation's production team reaches the threads and fabrics to the craftswomen even in remote villages. The women do not have to pay for these materials, but they are paid for their skill and their time.
(Posted on 02-09-2013)


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Ahead of a next-generation Apple TV anticipated to get a main unveiling at Apple’s press event next week, this concept from Andrew Ambrosino pictures a revamped interface for the device.
We’ve reported extensively on the yet-to-be-announced, next-generation Apple TELEVISION and much of the principle from Ambrosino takes into consideration our reports regarding new functions for the device.
Most significantly, we reported that Apple is currently planning Siri assistance, a brand-new devoted remote control, App Store access, and iOS 9’s enhanced Proactive search functions.
The idea thinks about many of these features for the new Apple TELEVISION that will inevitably consist of a new UI to accommodate new capability and navigation. Nevertheless, with that in mind, we reported earlier that the general visual of the brand-new Apple TV’s software application will mainly continue to be the same.
Earlier this month we reported that the fourth-generation Apple TELEVISION would arrive for clients in October for under $ 200 while Apple prepares to keep the current, third-generation Apple TV around minus a few of the new functions included with the brand-new hardware.
Apple is presently planning to unveil its next-generation Apple TV together with brand-new iPhone hardware and more at its press occasion set up for September 9th.
More images from Ambrosino’s principle below:


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Jan 24, 2013 / 2:00 pm
Research In Motion will likely wait to see how well its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones sell before considering any partnerships or sale of its assets, an analyst said Thursday.
Just how many consumers and businesses will make the move to BlackBerry 10 won't be clear until after this year's back-to-school and holiday seasons, said telecom analyst Troy Crandall of MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier.
"RIM is basically launching these devices into the dead season," Crandall said, but he did note there will be initial pent-up demand after BB10 is unveiled next Wednesday.
"On the positive side they won't have a lot of competition."
BlackBerry 10 is widely seen as a make-or-break product for Research In Motion (TSX:RIM).
The Waterloo, Ont., smartphone maker has been losing market share to Apple's iPhone and smartphones with the Android operating system.
RIM's board has been reviewing its strategic options and has kept the doors open to everything from a sale of certain assets to various partnerships with other companies.
While there was a report that PC maker Lenovo Group is looking at potential acquisition targets and strategic alliances, including RIM, Crandall said it may be difficult for the Chinese company to get Canadian government approval.
Crandall noted that federal government employees in the United States, Britain and other countries still use RIM smartphones and may have security concerns about a potential Chinese buyer.
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee has said the United States should avoid doing business with Chinese telecom companies Huawei Technologies Ltd. and ZTE Corp. because of concerns over cyber espionage.
Crandall also questioned why Lenovo would have more interest now in RIM considering its share price was much lower several months ago.
Lenovo is said to be on the hunt for a mobile device maker as personal computers face more competition from smaller tablets.
Read more Business News
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The Ultimate Boondoggle?What Happened to Ultimate Electronics?
Workman tried to put a positive face on Ultimate's increasingly bleak financial picture. In November, announcing sales results for the third quarter of fiscal 2005, ended October 31, 2004, Workman stated that "although traffic and execution issues contributed to a weak start to the quarter, our comparable store sales declines significantly improved in September and October… [The] turnaround initiatives implemented earlier this year are beginning to generate results, and we look forward to continued improvement as we gear up for a successful holiday selling season."
The "improvements" cited by Workman were more "less bad" than good. Sales, at about $157 million, were down 1.6 percent from the same period in fiscal 2004; same-store sales fell about eight percent.
In late November, Ultimate's stock price shot up briefly when it announced contracts with eight home builders, bringing its total of builder partners to over 25. Ultimate provides home theater, networking, structured wiring, security, and central vacuum equipment and installation services to builders in numerous markets. Such partnerships provide additional revenue streams outside of straight retail. However, the resulting 33 percent surge in Ultimate's stock price to $3.06 a share was a far cry from when its shares briefly traded for ten times that or more at the beginning of the decade.


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Timing isn't everything when it comes to making a big-ticket purchase—but it can certainly save you cash.
Experts say there's often a best time to buy, based on market trends. Gym membership prices, for example, often hit lows during the summer slump, while the week before the Super Bowl can be the best time to hunt for a high-end, super-sized flat screen.
Of course, it's not smart to rely on timing alone. There are other factors to getting a good price and making sure that big purchase is the right fit for your needs. "The best time to buy is when you have done your research," said Jack Nerad, executive editorial director for Kelley Blue Book.


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Ben Grubb Google+
Ben Grubb is the deputy technology editor of smh.com.au, theage.com.au, brisbanetimes.com.au and watoday.com.au
Ben Grubb Vodafone CEO Bill Morrow says Australian mobile telecommunications companies are ripping off customers by making use of a trick which allows them to round up mobile data "sessions" to make data...
Ben Grubb IT experts are resorting to some simple techniques to secure their webcams.
Ben Grubb At just 17 Nick D'Aloisio is one of the world's youngest self-made multimillionaires after technology giant Yahoo! agreed to acquire his company for $28 million.
Ben Grubb At just 17, former Perth and Melbourne resident Nick D'Aloisio is now one of the world's youngest self-made multimillionaires, after tech giant Yahoo acquired his firm for a reported $28.7 million.
Ben Grubb A prominent Australian telco lawyer has labelled as "plainly illegal" Kogan Mobile's acceptable-use policy, which the company has been using to disconnect heavy-use mobile customers.
Ben Grubb It just got easier to make a complaint about mobile coverage.
Ben Grubb Outspoken technology entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan is under fire over his new mobile plans after disconnecting customers for sending too many texts or making too many calls on supposedly "unlimited"...
Ben Grubb Following the launch of Google's indoor maps this week at 200+ locations around Australia, Ben Grubb took it for a test drive to see if it was any good. Here are his findings.
Ben Grubb First there were Google glasses - now the tech giant has shown off a talking shoe.
Ben Grubb Facebook has been overhauled and the lead designer behind it, Australian man Robyn Morris, believes it will de-clutter our feeds and be better for users who want to quickly consume content.
Ben Grubb Sending an email to the wrong person or group can be embarrassing. Fortunately, there are ways you can prevent such disasters.
Ben Grubb Increased charges for international calls on Virgin Mobile plans have angered customers.
Ben Grubb Students and staff at the University of Western Sydney were hit with a "deluge of junk email" this week after a student appeared to protest the idea of the university spending $35 million on 13,000...
Ben Grubb Australian telcos are using a trick that enables them to make pre-paid mobile phone customers' data vanish quicker than a user might expect.
Ben Grubb Australia's first ever R18+ video game will soon go on sale after it was given the new adults-only rating which came into effect across the nation on January 1.
Ben Grubb Some of Vodafone's customers will start to notice their data quota vanish quicker than usual after the telco announced changes to take effect on February 13.
Ben Grubb Could this be the new way of answering a phone call on your smartphone this winter?
Ben Grubb Snapchat has been exposing users' email addresses since at least mid-December. It comes as experts find a way to store content sent using it that is meant to self-destruct after a set period of time.
Ben Grubb NSW Police are warning that a Facebook post shared almost 10,000 times that claims criminals around Australia are placing GPS trackers on cars at shopping centres and later ransacking their owner's...
Ben Grubb Australian telcos are overcharging customers for data they haven't used due to a "technical inability" to distinguish if the data sent to a customer has actually been received.


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Dallas Total Home & Gift Market welcomed more businesses from key states as well as businesses attending for the first time at the show in June. Many exhibitors reported larger average orders, and a total sales increase of up to thirty percent, especially among exhibitors with new products, new showrooms, and/or special promotions. The result was consistent, deep order writing across the show, according to a press release.
The International Casual Furnishings Association has announced the finalists for the 2018 Apollo Awards. The program recognizes retail excellence in the sales and marketing of outdoor furnishings.
Pottery Barn kids and PB teen has partnered with Liberty London Fabrics, a renowned British print design and textile house, to unveil kids, nursery and teen home décor collections. The collections will feature a total of seven hand-drawn Liberty prints used for the first time on furniture, bedding, decorative accessories, wall art, nursery essentials and gear.
Nick May, an internationally recognized expert on the ins and outs of product design will moderate an afternoon panel at DesignEDGE, presented by the Educational Foundation of the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) on the opening day of the Las Vegas Summer Market, July 29-Aug 2.
Las Vegas Design Center (LVDC) has announced 10 winners of the fourth annual ANDYZ design awards, a program created in partnership with the California Central/Nevada Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) to spotlight the year’s best from western-based interior designers, architects and design students.
Founded in 2016, Dusk Motion a revolutionary objects of lighting company, has announced their highly anticipated entrance into the home automation market with the introduction of their first product, Dusk One. Embedding cutting edge Artificial Intelligence technology into their products, Dusk Motion’s lamps offer a luxurious twist on smart home living.
Architectural Digest Magazine recognizes NGD Interiors project, the Cape May Designer Show House, as a project with "a ton of great design to be seen.” Nina Green, principal interior designer at NGD Interiors, a Bucks County, Pa. interior design firm, designed two bathrooms and a bedroom in the Cape May Designer Show House.


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News that Apple is working on a self-driving car isn’t all that new. It’s been known in the past that the company has been kicking around the idea of a self-driving car of their own. However, it wasn’t clear just how far along the company is compared to Google who has been working with their self-driving cars for years now with road tests going back to 2012. Now it seems that Apple is a bit further than most would have anticipated which could mean that they are racing against Google to bring out a self-driving car to the general public first.
There are all kinds of factors that could play into this possible race although one thing is for sure, Apple is steadily moving forward with their development right behind Google. Apple is already working on testing locations where it seems that Apple’s “Project Titan” team has already worked with GoMentum Station which is a now-defunct naval base. This particular area will be used for Apple to further test their driverless cars as they prep them for trials out on public roads.
It is not completely clear just how far away Apple is with Google and it’s likely it won’t be know for some time. Apple is one company that keeps their developments incredibly secretive whereas Google has been more open with the development of their driverless car. Additionally, Google has already started testing their vehicles on public roads across the streets of both California and Texas. Again, there is currently no indicators of just how long it will take Apple before they start doing trials on public roads.
The big question that might be on minds of consumers is just which company will be able to break into the general public market first. Obviously we’re still some time before that race comes to an end, as this is a sensitive product going out into the market. Not only will it have to operate perfectly for those within the car but also maneuver safely around vehicles being operated by individuals. For now we’ll have to wait and see how well Apple’s driverless vehicle will handle their initial tests at the GoMentum Station.


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Paula Presley Joins Pelmorex Media As SVP Global Ad Sales
Paula Presley has been appointed Senior Vice President of Global Ad Sales at Pelmorex Media, she will be responsible for all sales across the media property. Prior to joining, Paula was Executive Director Sales, Canada at Yahoo between January 2010 and January 2013.
Before that, Paula was Director of National Sales at CBC.
Latest posts by Dave Forde (see all)
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The eID will allow citizens to use their smartphones as digital identification tools, specifically the Samsung Galaxy S20.
Samsung works on the arrival of new devices, such as the series Galaxy Note20 which will be officially presented next August 5 at an online event. However, the South Korean company also keeps track of its past releases, and if you have it in your possession a high-end Samsung Galaxy this novelty you will loveespecially if it’s a Galaxy S20.
Soon the documents and physical identification cards can be converted to digital format for those users of a Samsung Galaxy S20 in some countries, as confirmed by the company itself on its official blog. The electronic identification system (eID) will allow citizens use their smartphones as digital identification tools And the company itself believes that eIDs will reduce the time it takes to verify an identity by creating a bank account or other processes that require authentication. A service that will come soon to the Galaxy S20 and that will only be offered in those countries that issue identification cards with NFC support.
The technology giant has explained that the registration process will be really simple, since users will touch their smartphones with their NFC-enabled cards, and then they must enter a PIN code. In this way, the identification card information is sent to the relevant authorities so that be checked and verified. Once done, the encrypted eID is stored on the mobile phone and at that time users will be able to access the document any time they need it.
It may interest you | The Samsung Galaxy Note20 is completely leaked with a plastic back and flat screen.
The eID will allow citizens to use their smartphones as digital identification tools
In the statement, the Asian company affirms that the use of eID in its terminals derives from the development of a hardware security chip: the integrated secure element (eSE), which was announced last May and is proof of manipulations and generates “Non-cloneable keys” for stronger authentication. On the other hand, Samsung also ensures that it works independently of the security processes of the main chipset.
At the moment it has not been confirmed when the eID will be available, but it is known that the German national electronic identification service will be the first to connect to the system on Galaxy S20 devices later this year. Of course, it is not yet known when this service will be adopted by other countries, so it only remains to wait for the South Korean company itself to offer new information in this regard.
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Sales are down this year, despite prominent books by Dan Brown and Edward M. Kennedy. Wal-Mart and Amazon are locked in a war for e-commerce dominance, creating new worries among publishers and authors about dwindling profits.
But amid the gloom, some sellers and owners of electronic reading devices are making the case that people are reading more because of e-books.
Sony, maker of the Reader family of devices, says that its e-book customers, on average, download about eight books a month from its online library. That is far more than the approximately 6.7 books than the average American book buyer purchased for the entire year in 2008, according to Bowker, a publishing industry tracking firm.
The e-reader market also has a new competitor, the Nook, introduced by Barnes & Noble on Tuesday. It will sell for $259.
The book-buying numbers at Amazon and Sony may not by themselves indicate a new interest in reading. Owners of Kindles may be shifting all their book purchases to Amazon. Owners of e-book devices tend to be among the most passionate book buyers, so their behavior may not be reflective of the overall market.
Even so, fans of the reading devices suggest that the convenience of using these products, which offer a sense of control and customization that consumers have come to expect from all their media gadgets, has created a greater interest in books.
Patti Howard is among the converted. “It’s been a long time since I felt this way about books,” said Ms. Howard, a medical transcriptionist from Birmingham, Ala., who for years confined her book reading to 10 minutes before bed until she got an Amazon Kindle in August.
Ms. Howard now buys books any time she wants. She recently downloaded a fantasy novel at 2:30 a.m., immediately after finishing the previous book in a series. She reads during her snippets of daily downtime, like during the wait to pick up her 9-year-old son from school. Her new reading pace is one novel a week.
Other fans praise the benefits of e-book devices. The Kindle and Sony Reader, with their gray-and-white screens and adjustable type sizes, offer a satisfying experience with few of the distractions of other technologies.


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Weekly news round-up: Your guide to what’s happened this week in the media, entertainment and technology industry.
Apple announced TV+ streaming service
Jennifer Aniston, Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey were among those who took to the stage at Apple’s headquarters to reveal their involvement in TV projects commissioned by the tech giant on Monday. Apple announced it will push into original content for its new TV streaming service expected to launch Autumn this year, reported the BBC. It also announced it will launch a credit card, gaming portal and interactive news app.
- Read more Apple unveils news streaming service
Microsoft CEO revamps business model
Satya Nadella chief executive of Microsoft admitted changing the organisation’s business model and culture is more difficult than its evolving technology changes. According to The Drum, it has shifted its focus from an operating systems model to cloud and software-as-a-service (SaaS) products which saw stock prices triple between 2014 and 2018. Speaking during the Adobe Summit this week in Las Vegas, the brand hit an existential crisis at the end of the 1990s and Nadella said its next mission is to empower every person and organisation.
Indian Premier League draws 219m viewers
Star India has celebrated a rise of 13% of audience ratings for the opening weekend of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 with 219 million TV viewers, according to Rapid TV News. Its growth has been attributed to the regionalisation strategy with over 100 experts from around the globe providing commentary and analysis.
Alibaba acquires VR startup
Israeli startup Infinity Augmented Reality has been acquired by Alibaba to continue its collaboration in AR, computer vision and intelligence projects. According to Tech Crunch, the startup enables AR integration across industries to integrate AR into its apps. Alibaba’s DAMO Academy is investing $15 billion for research and development with the aim of serving two billion customers and creating 100 million jobs by 2036.
EU parliament passes copyright reform
European Parliament members voted on Tuesday to back a “controversial” reform of the EU’s copyright rules, according to the Business Review activists claim it opposes freedom of speech for tech giants including Google News and Facebook. Despite more than five million people signing a petition to oppose the rules to block content, MEPs majority voted in favour and Member States will have two years to implement the rules if formalised.
EU regulators tighten political FB ads
Ahead of the European Union (EU) legislative election this May, Facebook has toughened its rules on political advertising under pressure from regulators. According to Reuters, the social media influence is to be safeguarded to enable local authorised advertisers to run political issued adverts. Facebook is set to roll out the ad transparency regulations globally in June, Facebook announced it is also adding new features and information to its ad archive.
Pay-TV Forum expands for 2019
A global research programme established in 2016 will expand its research this year to explore the challenges facing pay-TV service providers and content owners. Advanced Television reported the partnership between Nagra and MTM will focus on OTT growth, next-generation aggregation, data and analytics within the pay-TV transformation ecosystem. The programme will run from March to September with a final report launched at IBC in September.
Inmarsat confirms takeover rumours
British satellite communications company Inmarsat has confirmed rumours regarding its acquisition with an “offer on the table,” according to Telecoms. It will give shareholders $3.4 billion and take the firm into private equity. The Consortium released a statement: “Our planned ownership will enable this innovative British company to fulfil its ambitions to become a global leader in next-generation satellite communications.”


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Toys ‘R’ Us Canada is in the process of opening 10 new locations across the country in time for the 2023 holiday season, including two standalone Babies ‘R’ Us stores in Edmonton, Alberta. Seven of the stores already have opened, with the remainder scheduled to debut in October.
Both brands will be hosting opening celebrations Oct. 13-15, with activities including face-painting, balloon artists and interactive toy demos plus visits from popular characters like Bluey, Cocomelon, Peppa Pig, Elmo and Care Bears.
“I believe the Canadian consumer is looking to get out and shop in-store again,” said Doug Putman, Founder of Putman Investments in a statement. Toys ‘R’ Us Canada is a subsidiary of Putman Investments. “I see such a strong opportunity to invest in Canadian retail. Our recent lease acquisitions allow us to re-enter markets we were previously in, reach markets where we don’t have a presence or where we see potential to meet a greater demand.”
“Our team has been working hard to bring our customers the best offers on the most sought-after toys and baby goods,” said Nick Muriella, VP of Merchandising and Supply Chain at Toys ‘R’ Us Canada in a statement. “We will be stocked with the must-have top toys of the season, giving our customers an early start on that gift list.”
The new locations are in:
- Halifax, Nova Scotia;
- Lachenaie, Québec;
- Toronto and Nepean, Ontario;
- Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta (two stores in each city); and
- Burnaby and Kamloops, B.C.


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This was in an aggressive bid to slash its dependence on foreign firms.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released a concept note of a proposal to build out India’s manufacturing supply chain, including polysilicon, wafers/ingots, cells and modules, according to Mercom India.
MNRE is proposing a slew of subsidies and incentives including direct financial support of more than ₹110 billion ($1.7billion) for manufacturers to expand and upgrade, a 12 GW Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) domestic content requirement (DCR) program to create robust domestic demand, an increasing DCR requirement from modules to polysilicon by year, 30 percent central financial assistance, cheaper loans, a custom duty exemption, and cheaper power.
The concept note is open to comments and suggestions until December 31, 2017. The program aims to strengthen the Make in India campaign, reduce the country’s dependence on foreign manufacturers, and make domestic manufacturers competitive with their international counterparts.
Here's more from Mercom India:
The proposal borrows heavily from subsidy programs for solar manufacturers in China that helped the country become the largest solar component manufacturer in the world. However, the scale of India’s proposed subsidies is much smaller than what the Chinese government has used in the past.
Indian solar installations have risen from just 6 MW in 2009 to a cumulative total of approximately 20 GW to date, with another 9.5 -10 GW of installations expected this year alone according to the Mercom India Q3 Market Update. But domestic solar manufacturers have not been able to capitalize on this robust growth as they have not been able to compete on scale or cost with their Chinese counterparts who are supported heavily by the government.
Since the National Solar Mission was implemented in 2009, two anti-dumping cases have been filed by Indian manufacturers against exports from China and other countries. The first case was dismissed in 2014 without the imposition of any protectionist duties. The second case is ongoing and the industry widely expects a duty to be imposed this time around as the government is now on board with plans to help local manufacturers snag a larger piece of the domestic solar market.
The government is planning a three-pronged approach to support local manufacturers that includes: leveling the playing field with the imposition of anti-dumping duty on cells and modules, creating demand through a DCR program, and supporting manufacturers financially by providing multiple subsidies outlined in this policy proposal.
At the moment, the only available incentive is limited to PV manufacturers under the Modified Special Incentive Package Program (M-SIPS). The program provides a 20-25 percent capital subsidy and other tax incentives for companies that manufacture electronic goods, which PV falls under. However, no solar PV applicants seem to have been approved under this program so far.
It is difficult to ascertain the actual solar cell and module manufacturing capacity that currently exists in India.
In the concept note, MNRE pegs current solar cell manufacturing capacity at 3.1 GW per year and module manufacturing capacity at 8.8 GW/year. However, a survey of manufacturers conducted by Mercom for its Mercom Q3 Solar Market Update uncovered a slightly higher self-reported domestic module manufacturing capacity of 9.4 GW/year, and lower solar cell manufacturing capacity of 2.9 GW/year.
But, many manufacturers in our survey actually believe the real capacity is must lower, at around 4 GW/year for modules and approximately 1.5 GW/year for cells. These lower numbers are attributed to obsolete, outdated manufacturing lines that cannot produce quality products at competitive prices.
It is important for the government to understand exactly what India’s true module manufacturing capacity is before setting goals and structuring a subsidy package.
With this proposal, India’s solar sector appears to be on its way to becoming a government-run program complete with central planning - much like the Chinese - and could take away some of the entrepreneurial dynamism from the market.
Do you know more about this story? Contact us anonymously through this link.


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Kichoge’s Vienna run received backing from petrochemical company Ineos in an attempt called the 1:59 Challenge, though the milestone didn’t count as a world record.
During the race, Kipchoge followed behind a car — a condition not allowed under IAAF sanctions — and was assisted by an army of 30 pacemakers.
“It’s good for Nike. On the other hand, it’s business. It’s good for Nike to be far higher than other companies as far as technology is concerned,” he responded when asked if it provided an unfair advantage over other athletes.
Nike was not immediately available for comment, but on its website the apparel manufacturer describes Kipchoge’s time of 1:59:40 in Vienna as an “extraordinary achievement: that was “years in the making.”
“Our premier racing shoe is loaded with new technology and innovation that includes two ultra-responsive Zoom Air pods in the forefoot and additional ZoomX foam in the heel.”
Following a review of leading running shoes earlier this year, World Athletics approved Nike’s Vaporfly range, but banned any shoes with soles thicker than 40mm or with more than one plate to enhance their spring.
However, not all of Nike’s elite sponsored athletes are fans of the Alphafly shoe. Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, who is widely seen as Kipchoge’s chief rival in the London marathon, told reporters he had suffered a series of niggling injuries and will instead be using an older version this weekend.
“Several times I had some minor injuries, like a muscle stretch, because the shoe is not stable underfoot. It’s really unshaped, it’s really soft. The muscle needs to adjust to the movement under it. It’s really difficult. Not anybody can use the shoe.”
A three-time Olympic gold medalist, Bekele posted a time of 2:01:41 at the Berlin marathon in September 2019 — just two seconds short of Kipchoge’s world record.
However, both Kipchoge and Bekele said their training regimes had been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It was really difficult when I had to train on my own because for 17 years I have been training with six, 10 or 20 people all year round. So it was like an electric shock when I had to train on my own,” said Kipchoge.
“It was hard to get fit and up to a high level of training. But lately we have consolidated a bigger team around me and training has been good.”
Bekele added: “My preparation was good but because of Covid-19 sometimes it was not as perfect as I had planned.
“It has been really difficult in Africa so it affected us a lot. We tried our best to prepare well and more or less I have prepared well.”


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Boohoo Group has been putting plenty of support behind Debenhams since it acquired the brand and made it online-only, so it's no surprise that it's now unveiled a major Christmas campaign for the retailer.
There’s speculation that THG founder and CEO Matt Moulding could take the listed company private after he said he regrets listing the firm around a year ago. Its shares rose over 5% in early trading Monday as a result.
The strong results that Versace, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors' owner reported this week were driven by consumers buying into the brands’ glamour positioning and their Signature branding, plus the athleisure offer at Kors.
UK retailers saw a reasonably good October with fashion sales in strongly positive territory, but whether sales will remain elevated as we head into the festive shopping season remains open to question.
Although UK retail footfall isn’t yet back to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, there was a “noticeable improvement” in October, Springboard has revealed. And a much-needed spring in the step last month came from city centres.
John Lewis has released its Christmas 2021 campaign with an ad called ‘Unexpected Guest’. It’s described as “a joyful story of friendship, which celebrates the magic of Christmas moments experienced for the first time”.
Seven Dials has been one of property giant Shaftesbury’s success stories in attracting tenants since retail’s reopening in May. So the Covent Garden location is to celebrate with its own three-day Winter Festival.
The owner of the Ikea furniture brand said on Wednesday it would raise prices due to supply chain challenges far into 2022, after it reported a drop in full-year profit due to higher transport and raw material costs.
Fast-expanding retailer Next delivered a Q3 trading update on Wednesday and brief though it was, it showed how the business continues to be one of the most successful and best-run in the UK fashion sector.


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Jump-starting slow or stagnant sales by offering new car buyers everything under the sun is a tried-and-true method of auto manufacturers the world over. But GeneralMotors (NYS: GM) has pulled out all the stops to get the revenue ball rolling, offering new car buyers between now and Sept. 4 a 60-day, no-questions-asked full refund guarantee. Though not unheard of (in fact, GM did it in 2009), giving customers the option to return their cars and get their money back is an aggressive marketing ploy if ever there was one.
The ups and downs of incentives
Generating revenue in a difficult economic environment is always a challenge. Selling cyclical, big-ticket items when times are tough puts even the best marketing departments to the test. But despite all that, car companies continue to provide shareholders with impressive sales results. And incentives are -- at least in part -- being used to maintain that top-line growth.
In addition to GM's money-back guarantee, customers can also take advantage of the same price cuts GM vendors are offered. And the company is bringing back its no-haggle pricing for a couple of its Chevy cars to get them off showroom floors before new models roll in.
It doesn't take an advanced degree in marketing to see all these incentives should boost sales. The question is the impact these will have on already-thin margins. Driving revenue growth is all well and good, but doing so at the expense of the bottom line is a risky proposition, to say the least.
GM will boost sales, but what about margins?
GM, like most auto manufacturers, has enjoyed a nice increase in sales recently. The 4.76 million cars and trucks sold around the world in 2011 broke long-standing company records. GM followed that up with a record-breaking Q1 with 1.8 million units sold -- that's heady stuff. But here's the rub: First-quarter revenue was only marginally better than Q1 of 2011, and the cost of that revenue jumped more than $1 billion compared to last year.
And all that sales growth? It doesn't stack up to other car companies. The U.S. auto industry as a whole has grown 15% this year, compared to GM's 6.3% for its Chevy line, and only 4.3% in total. Of course, GM's market share was hurt as the Japanese automakers returned to nearly full strength, but increasing sales for GM is still a must, no doubt about it.
When margins are as squeezed as GM's, clearly top-line growth isn't falling to the bottom line. And the margin pressure could become even more troubling when those incentives kick in. The operating margin of 2.59% that GM generated doesn't compare to competitors like Ford's (NYS: F) 5.82% in the same period.
Toyota's (NYS: TM) 4.18% operating margin and Honda's (NYS: HMC) 4.66% are both significantly better than GM's as well. Once these historically well-run companies get a few more quarters behind them, those margins should improve even further, though they are still vulnerable to the strength of the yen.
After a decade of stellar sales results in China, GM will feel the sting as Chinese economic growth slows, but the good news is the Russian market is picking up some of the slack.
The first half of 2012 saw a "mere" 136,400 vehicles sold in Russia, certainly nothing close to the 1.4 million sold in China. But that was was a 21% jump over last year, and that's a trend that will continue. As Tim Lee, the head of international operations, put it: "I would put Russia in the same breath as China."
Along with the Middle East, South Korea, and Australia, GM's International Operations unit (everything outside of North America except Europe and South America) accounted for a full 40% of this year's overall sales. Not bad. And the launch of the Chevy Cruze in India will boost global sales further -- just don't expect much with the current economic conditions.GM has done a lot right lately, and it has the sales results to prove it. Management also recognizes the growth in sales hasn't kept pace with others in the industry, and they've jacked up the incentives to help change that. But keep an eye on those margins if you're considering investing in GM, because higher revenue doesn't always amount to increased profits.
Ford looks like it's learned that lesson. Instead of raising incentives as the Japanese automakers return to full strength, the Blue Oval says that it's comfortable with losing some U.S. market share in 2012 in order to maximize profits. That's probably good news for the company, but it's still struggling with growing losses in Europe. That's one of the main reasons that its stock has slipped below $10 a share. But Ford remains a well-performing company that's making excellent vehicles. Does this dip create a tremendous buying opportunity for Ford, or are there other hidden risks you should be aware of? To answer that, one of our top equity analysts has compiled a premium research report with in-depth analysis on whether Ford is a buy right now, and why. Simply click here to get instant access to this premium report.
The article Is GM Trading Revenue for Profits? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Tim Brugger currently holds no securities positions, including any mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford Motor. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of General Motors and Ford Motor, as well as creating a synthetic long position in Ford Motor. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.
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Sony shuts down online games in wake of PlayStation hack
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- Aislyn Greene
- Contributing Writer
A day after the announcement that Sony's PlayStation Network and Qriocity services will soon be restored, the company has temporarily suspended its Sony Online Entertainment services.
"Dear valued SOE Customers," reads the SOE website. "We have had to take the SOE service down temporarily. In the course of our investigation into the intrusion into our systems we have discovered an issue that warrants enough concern for us to take the service down effective immediately. We will provide an update later today (Monday)."
Sony Online Entertainment, which is independently operated, provides online games such as Everquest, Dungeon Overlord and Free Realms. Last week the company said its SOE services had not been affected by the hack that has shuttered the PlayStation Network for nearly two weeks and affected an estimated 77 million users.
At a press conference yesterday, the company apologized for the hack and said it has beefed up the security of its PlayStation and Qriocity networks. It plans a "phased restoration" of the services throughout the week.
The company has a long way to go to regain the trust of its customers.
Sony laid out a series of security measures designed to better protect its systems against attack and further protect users' data in the case of an intrusion. The measures include additional firewalls, more data encryption and automated software monitoring to defend against new attacks. Sony also moved its system to a new data center and has implemented a forced software update, which will require all PlayStation 3 users to change their account passwords before signing into the service. It also made changes to the way in which users can change passwords and will soon add a Chief Information Security Officer (a new position).
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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Entertainment-savvy Angelenos have spoken. Results from a local "3D TV Challenge" further solidified LG CINEMA 3D's position as the consumer-preferred* 3D TV. In the face-off, designed to educate consumers about 3D TV, LG CINEMA 3D was once again declared the undeniable consumer favorite for overall 3D experience versus conventional 3D TVs using active-shutter 3D glasses.
At the Santa Anita Mall, Sept. 8-11, more than 3,300 people viewed both types of 3D TVs and voted for their favorite 3D experience. By the end of the four-day LA challenge, 78 percent said they prefer LG CINEMA 3D over the competition. While informal, the results of the consumer challenge echo comprehensive, third-party 3D TV tests showing that four out five people choose LG CINEMA 3D over Sony and Samsung*.
"We're not surprised by the results of the 3D consumer challenge," said Jay Vandenbree, senior vice president, home entertainment, LG Electronics USA. "Our goal has always been to give people what they want in a TV: outstanding picture quality, a robust feature set and a compelling, comfortable viewing experience. The message from consumers in Los Angeles is loud and clear, LG CINEMA 3D gives people what they want."
The challenge, which also was conducted in New York and Chicago last month, was designed to educate consumers about the different kinds of 3D TV technology available and collect anecdotal information on consumer preference. In the fun, interactive experience, the TVs and glasses were unbranded and displayed the same 3D video content. Consumers were then asked to vote on which they preferred. The 3D challenge measured real-time consumer choice between 3D technology using battery-operated active-shutter glasses that sync with an emitter on the TV and LG CINEMA 3D that uses passive technology and polarized glasses similar to those used in movie theaters.
All told, out of a total of 9,507 consumers who participated in the 3D Challenge in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, 7,435 registered their preference for LG CINEMA 3D.
Consumers Speak their Minds about 3D TV
"I loved it. The LG [TV] was much brighter and stood out," said Peter Won, San Gabriel, Calif., who participated in the LG CINEMA 3D Challenge at the Santa Anita Mall.
Sammie Giancola, Huntington Park, Calif., said "the LG [TV] seemed much deeper. I could really tell the difference…."
Jan Ruiz, Arcadia, Calif., preferred LG because she felt it was "much deeper and more crisp than the Samsung."
Watching the LG CINEMA 3D TV at the Santa Anita Mall, Luis Hernandez, Pasadena, Calif., noted "the [LG] colors are vibrant and beautifully saturated."
CINEMA 3D Product Line Expanding
LG has expanded the CINEMA 3D series to include 10 models available now: the 55-inch class size (54.6-inch measured diagonally) THX-Display-Certified NANO FULL HD Model 55LW9800; the LW6500 series in 47-, 55- and 65-inch class screen sizes (47.0-, 54.6- and 64.7-inch diagonals, respectively); the LW5600 and the LW5700 series in 47- and 55-inch class screen sizes (47.0- and 54.6-inch diagonals, respectively); and new LW5300 entertainment packages bundled with a 3D Blu-ray player in 47- or 55-inch class screen sizes (47.0- and 54.6-inch diagonals, respectively).
All LG CINEMA 3D models include four pairs of lightweight, 3D glasses and additional sets of glasses are available for affordable purchase.
For more information on LG CINEMA 3D visit http://www.lg.com/us/tv-audio-video/discoverlgtvs/cinema3d/index.jsp.
*Based on LG consumer perception study of LG CINEMA 3D TV vs. Samsung and Sony active 3D TVs in factory default settings, May 2011. LG TV model 47LW5600 with model AG-F200 glasses; Samsung TV model UN46D6420 with model SSG-3100GB glasses; Sony TV model KDL-46EX723 with model TDGBR100/B glasses. Certain claims are based on percentages which have been rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent. The four out of five claim is based on overall 3D experience. Glasses claim is based on weight, comfort and overall preference among all participants surveyed.
About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG's "Life's Good" marketing theme. For more information, please visit www.lg.com.
Designs, features and specifications subject to change without notice.
For a small percentage of the population, the viewing of stereoscopic 3D video may cause discomfort such as dizziness or nausea. If you experience any of these symptoms, discontinue using the 3D functionality and contact your health care provider.
SOURCE LG Electronics USA, Inc.


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Volkswagen Breaks Ground on Battery Engineering Lab
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Volkswagen began another phase of investment in electric vehicle production in Chattanooga on Tuesday (video from Volkswagen of America).
Company officials broke ground for their new Battery Engineering Lab at the Chattanooga Engineering and Planning Center.
The lab will test electric vehicle cells and battery packs.
Right now, batteries are being tested in Germany and China.
“Testing batteries in the U.S. at this world-class lab helps us get vehicles to market faster, at lower cost and better tuned for U.S. customers,” said Dr. Wolfgang Demmelbauer-Ebner, EVP and Chief Engineering Officer, Volkswagen of America.
The batteries will be built by a company in Georgia.
They will be used in the new Volkswagen ID.4 all-electric SUV which will begin production in Chattanooga in 2022.
The lab will include pressure and immersion testers, corrosion chambers, five explosion-rated climate chambers and a custom, two-ton multi-axis shaker table, which is designed to test the integrity of vehicle components in some of the roughest conditions they might face on the road.
“This will be the first lab of its kind that VW will build in the U.S., and it means a great deal that they chose to build it in Tennessee,” said Commissioner Bob Rolfe, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.


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Most of his counterparts in the self-driving industry chase a moonshot, making enormous efforts to develop systems capable of handling complicated traffic scenarios in an almost-limitless number of areas.
Gautam Narang has no such ambitions.
Instead of building an automated driving system that operates in all conceivable situations, the co-founder and CEO of Gatik, a short-haul autonomous trucking company, aims to build one that works extremely well for a specific use case. The most vexing challenges in the broad AV realm? Leave those for others.
“We don’t care about solving hard problems in the autonomy space,” Narang said. “We don’t care about that. What we care about is introducing all the constraints that we can. Whatever helps us constrain the problem, we do that.”
Since Gatik’s inception in 2017, the Palo Alto, Calif., company has defined that problem as the “middle mile.” Somewhere between long-haul trucking on interstates and customer-facing delivery routes, there will be a need for autonomous vehicles that connect warehouses and microfulfillment centers with retail stores and distribution centers, Narang and his co-founders envision.
“It’s all got legs,” said Richard Bishop, lead for automated driving strategy at Bishop Consulting. If you can do the tech, then the business case is pretty clear.”
Elsewhere, Gatik has vehicles on the road in Palo Alto and Toronto. It says it is working with other Fortune 500 companies and has driven more than 50,000 autonomous, revenue- generating miles, albeit with a human safety driver still aboard. Narang says COVID-19 has brought a surge in orders of 30 to 35 percent and that more partnerships will be signed within a matter of months.
“These aren’t short-term pilot projects,” Narang said. “These are multiyear deals with contract value in the millions.”
Thus far, the company has raised $4.5 million in funding. Backers include Trucks Venture Capital and Fontinalis Partners, which is the venture capital fund established by Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford to focus on next-generation mobility companies.
At the heart of Gatik’s growth is the company’s strategy of focusing on fixed, repeatable delivery routes roughly 10 miles long, though that can expand up to 30 miles. The vehicles use the right lane as often as possible and make as many right turns as possible to maximize safety and efficiency and mostly avoid more complicated maneuvers, such as unprotected left turns.
Those sorts of restrictions might annoy human passengers but are of little consequence in a logistics-only operation.
“We have the luxury and benefit of choosing our own routes, and this is not possible if you have people on board,” said Narang, a former visiting researcher at Honda Research Institute near Tokyo and a Carnegie Mellon University graduate. “We don’t have to worry about lane changes or solving for unprotected left turns. We don’t care, as long as goods get transportation from pickup locations to drop-off sites.”
Because Gatik understands its routes so well — and the potential pitfalls along them — its contingency plans include preprogramming designated spots where the vehicles can pull over in the event of unforeseen problems.
Further, Narang says software engineers can break down the driving task into smaller deep neural networks that handle specific turns or traffic intersections. By designing a system that is learning-focused in bite-sized segments, Narang says, Gatik can achieve a high level of performance with minimal data inputs.
Gatik’s vehicles range in size from Ford Transit Connect small commercial vans to Class 6 trucks, and the vehicles can travel up to 400 miles daily between hubs and stores.
Just as Gatik has partnered with retailers, it expects to partner with automakers so they can build trucks into which Gatik’s self-driving system can be easily integrated, which will likely include hybrid and electric models.
Few expect self-driving technology to be ready for the road without safety drivers anytime soon. In a July report, global technology consulting firm Gartner said automated vehicles were more than 10 years from penetrating 20 percent of the market. But with routes established, vehicles considered and complications constrained, Narang believes Gatik is closer than many realize.
“This is the low-hanging fruit,” he said. “We can target this in the near term and really scale this.”
“You are simplifying your world by not doing B2C,” he said. “Then you have regularity in planning in terms of original and destination points rather than a different doorstep every time. They’re reducing complexity, and that tells me ‘quicker to market.'”
social experiment by Livio Acerbo #greengroundit #thisisnotapost #thisisart


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It's clear from the attendance alone at Guyana’s three-day Agri-Investment Forum and Expo earlier this month that regional leaders believe it’s a do-or-die scenario when it comes to boosting agricultural production amid ongoing global supply uncertainties.
Countries represented at the event included Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
Also a sign of serious intent was the convening of a series of bilateral meetings and events surrounding the forum. One such instance was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on renewed and enhanced co-operation signed by this country's Prime Minister and Guyana’s president Dr Irfaan Ali.
The problem, however, is we’ve seen such grand events and carefully stage-managed ceremonies before.
What has changed now to inspire confidence that this time around real change is going to happen?
The entire region will be looking, in the coming months, for the details of agreements signed and evidence of such agreements being meaningfully implemented.
One place to start might be for each regional actor to secure national consensus across the political spectrum on the issues surrounding trade and agricultural production. Too often, leaders sign documents and pose for photographs, but then there is a change of administration, and the new government must do the same thing again, the same project appears in that year's budget speech, almost as a copy-and-paste, and then we repeat the cycle, while nothing gets done.
Caricom, as a key co-ordinating agency, must play a role in steering us in the right direction. Equally, leaders must supply the political will needed not only to take advantage of areas of co-operation but to also ensure continuity of policy regardless of who is in power.
We are talking about the region’s ability to feed itself, after all.
Attention should also be paid to the barriers that have hindered co-operation in the past.
In welcoming the signing of the MOU between TT and Guyana, the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association noted its belief that “the continued relationship between both governments is promising as we seek to resolve trade barriers.”
Such barriers include those which led the Georgetown Chamber of Industry and Commerce to warn the Guyanese government against signing the MOU, pending the removal of these trade obstacles.
According to the Georgetown Chamber, Guyanese businesses are hindered by non-tariff barriers that impose limitations on how a product may be manufactured, handled or advertised, and quotas of products that may be sold in a market. For example, a 1930s law seemingly limits the transport of honey within one mile of TT and this law was invoked in 2015 in one action brought by customs officials against a freight company, resulting in a US$3,000 fine.
Until such finer issues are ironed out, this month’s proceedings will be grandstanding.
And concomitant with addressing these things is the need for shifts in consumer habits.
Removing trade barriers is important, but so too is getting people to eat local, to change their diets and also to embrace small-scale food production.
With a regional food import bill in excess of US$6 billion, we have little choice.


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Thanks to Mattel, you can now be the proud owner of a Tesla Model S for a mere $1.09. The next generation of Tesla fans can find the Hot Wheels version of the mega-popular car on shelves at Target and Toys R’ Us across the country.
The toy is the product of a collaboration between Tesla and Hot Wheels.Fortune’s Kirsten Korosec writes, “Tesla’s director of product design Javier Verdura came to Hot Wheels headquarters and worked with project designer Ryu Asada, according to Mattel spokesman Bret Ingraham.”
The Hot Wheels Tesla is a 1/64th scale model based on the Model S P85D that comes in silver and red. The attention to the small details — from the red-lined rims to the tiny Tesla insignia — is sure to get future Tesla drivers excited about the top-of-the-line vehicle.
Hot Wheels senior vice president and general manager Chris Down told Bloomberg the Telsa brand is one with very broad appeal that “resonates across a range of consumers, from collectors to kids.”
What do you think about the Hot Wheels Tesla Model S? Comment below or tweet @MNetBridget.


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Natural Grocers is launching a webpage dedicated to click-and-collect preorders for holiday turkeys.
Citing research showing that consumers increasingly research products online before making a purchase, Natural Grocers now allows customers to conduct research at www.naturalgrocers.com/turkeys and, if they choose to do so, reserve a turkey on the spot. The webpage provides resources to help make educated decisions on what kind of non-GMO turkey to buy, recipes for preparing the turkey and side dishes, holiday hosting tips and videos, and more.
"The grocery business is changing, and information and convenience is at the forefront of this new transition," said company Co-President, Kemper Isely. "We've always been innovators in the retail space and now we're also leading the way by providing customers more options and more world-class service online."
Lakewood, Colo.-based Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. operates 126 stores in 19 states and employs more than 3,000 people.


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ASX to climb higher; Netflix plunges; Tesla profits up
Major beverages retailer Endeavor Group said it would accrue $9 million in additional costs in the third quarter of the financial year due to the impact of devastating floods in New South Wales and Queensland.
The company, which operates a number of pubs across the country alongside the businesses of BWS and Dan Murphy, told shareholders on Wednesday that flooding had caused “extensive damage” to its stores in the affected areas.
The total impact of cleanup costs, inventory write-offs and lost profits when stores were unable to open will reduce Endeavor’s earnings before interest and taxes by $9 million for the quarter. The company is currently working on an insurance claim.
Overall, Endeavor’s total sales for the first three months of the year fell 2.1% to $2.72 billion, but that improved slightly to a drop of just 0. 3% after adjusting for Easter, which was later this quarter compared to last year.
All of this decline in sales was fueled by the company’s retail division, with the company’s hotels and pubs seeing a 3.8% rise in sales.
However, chief executive Steve Donohue said COVID continued to hurt the business early in the quarter. “COVID-19 has continued to impact our operations.
This was particularly evident early in the quarter, when consumer hesitancy reduced footfall at our hotels, while team availability was a challenge across both businesses,” he said.
“In light of these challenges, it is encouraging to see the continued strength of our business performance. I want to thank everyone on our team for their incredible efforts and dedication during another volatile period. »


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Various industry sources have reported that South Korean company Hanjin Shipping has filed for receivership after its creditors refused to provide further funding to the indebted firm. Ports from China to Spain have reportedly denied access to the company’s vessels.
Banks led by state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) withdrew backing for the container carrier on August 30, stating that a funding plan by its parent group was inadequate to tackle debt that stood at $5bn at the end of 2015.
The company faces a cash shortage after failing to persuade key lenders to reschedule debt under a new restructuring plan.
Hanjin’s board unanimously agreed to make the court filing at a meeting on August 31, a company spokesman said. The court will now decide whether Hanjin Shipping should remain as a going concern or be dissolved.
Shares of Hanjin remain suspended in Seoul after falling by as much as 29%. The company, which is the world’s seventh-largest container line, has been unprofitable for four of the last five years.
Hyundai Merchant Marine Co Ltd (HMM), the country’s second-largest shipping line, will look to acquire Hanjin’s healthy assets, including profit-making vessels, overseas business networks and key personnel, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission said.
Shares of HMM jumped by as much as 22% after Korea’s financial regulator said the firm may buy some of Hanjin’s assets. However, HMM is also in the process of a voluntary debt restructuring, as South Korea’s shipping and shipbuilding industry has been one of the hardest-hit by a prolonged downturn in global trade.
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