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Ford has announced five separate recalls, affecting 202,000 vehicles built between 2005 and 2014.
Lincoln Town Car
Judging by the success that many luxury automakers are currently experiencing in China, it's no surprise that Lincoln plans to take advantage of the situation by peddling its wares across the Pacific. Lincoln will open its first Chinese dealership next year, but potential buyers there won't be mucking through the same alphabet soup of car names found in American showrooms. USA Today reports that Ford's luxury car division could revert back to legacy names (like Continental and Zephyr) in China w
The Detroit News is reporting that Ford will recall some 370,000 Crown Victoria (pictured), Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car vehicles from model years 2005 through 2011, for an issue regarding the lower intermediate steering shaft. 355,000 of the vehicles in question were sold in the US, with the other 15,000 sold in Canada.
A total of 20 Ford customers are suing the automaker in a class-action lawsuit for selling vehicles "vulnerable to unintended acceleration." According to Reuters, the suit names 30 models built between 2002 and 2010 with electronic throttle control systems but without a brake override system. Those include the 2004-2012 F-Series pickups and the 2005-2009 Lincoln Town Car. Adam Levitt, a partner with the law firm of Grant & Eisenhofer says the plaintiffs in the case want "to be compensated fo
The former CEO of Think Global has moved over to XL Hybrids. Richard Canny, who sometimes writes for AutoblogGreen, joined the XL Hybrids board of directors this past week and said in a statement that he is ready to promote the company's aftermarket hybrid powertrain system that is supposed to improve fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent. Canny said in a statement that, "XL Hybrids has a unique and proprietary technology system that offers a hybrid drive solution to fleets at a fraction of the in
Lincoln Town Car turned Rolls-Royce Hearse – Click above for high-res image gallery
While most of us haven't even thought about the big rear-drive Ford sedans much lately (unless one was wearing taxi or limo livery), those cars have received a lot of attention internally at Ford. The Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis and Ford Crown Victoria have moved from active duty to scheduled for deletion to back into semi-production over the past year or so. The antiquated Panther platform was actually in production throughout 2007, but most people probably hadn't noticed. For 2008,
OK, Bonhams and Goodman in Australia is now near the top of our list of favorite auction companies. They just posted a catalogue of 150 cars from a private collection that will be up for sale next week. The best part about this offering is that these are all one man's cars and many of them aren't particularly well known. There are lots of fun and odd lots in this collection, and many enthusiasts will recognize the names or shapes, but they are generally unheralded cars from the craptacular '70s
The importance of quality parts and strong supplier relations was laid bare for the Ford Motor Company Thursday, as it was forced to hit the red button on five assembly plants (and partially close a sixth) after it learned that of a defective clutch mechanism employed in certain 4-speed automatic transmissions. The costly shutdown idles plants producing F-Series pickups, E-Series vans, Expeditions, and the Lincoln Town Car. 15,000 workers are affected.


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CraftBot has added the new CraftBot 3 to its expansive range of 3D printers. This professional-grade desktop machine offers dual extrusion printing, an advance filament monitoring system, and a 374 x 250 x 250mm build volume.
Discover why using industrial 3D scanners for 3D printer projects is critical for any product development process or industrial applications.
In an effort to raise standards whilst lowering the barrier of entry for multi-tooling your 3D printer, Endurance pushes things further with its 10W & 10W+ laser attachments. Here's the skinny on diode lasers, and a special offer for All3DP readers.
Got an idea for a part or project but stuck on how to turn it into a printable 3D model? Well, a new strategic partnership between All3DP's 3D Printing Price Comparison Service and online design studio Volumatik means that not only can you get it printed with All3DP, you can now also get it designed too.
Endurance laser modules are the affordable 3D printer and CNC machine add-on to laser cut and engrave wood, metal, glass, plastics and fabrics. For a limited time, get 35% off your Endurance laser order.
We're excited to announce that All3DP is partnering up with the popular 3D model marketplace Cults to integrate our price comparison engine into their platform, bringing affordable and professional 3D printing to users across the globe.
3D printing solutions provider and reseller Dynamism has added the new Ultimaker S5 3D printer to its product range. The company will provide customers with pre-order advice, on-site or web-based installation and training, and quality-assurance for Ultimaker's new 3D printer.
Raise3D is striving to offer "Pathfinding for Flexible Manufacturing" through customized 3D printing solutions for vertical markets. To jumpstart the campaign, the new company has recently unveiled the Pro2 Series, a new series of desktop 3D printers made with industrial-grade components.
The Zortrax Inventure is a new dual extrusion 3D printer that is both intelligent and accessible. This Polish 3D printer includes a Dissolvable Support System Station and a completely enclosed and stable heated print chamber.
Zortrax releases three new materials for the Inventure 3D printer – durable Z-ULTRAT Plus, Z-SEMIFLEX, and Z-SUPPORT Plus.
Kodak is offering its first 500 Portrait 3D printers for a 35 percent discount, cutting the price of this dual-extrusion printer to $1819.

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News By Tag
* Battle Rotary club
* Clive Collins
* Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm
* Christmas Tree
* Phil Reynolds
* More Tags...
News By Location
Christmas tree farmer to give talk to Battle Rotary club
A Catsfield Christmas tree farmer will be giving a talk to his local Rotary Club this month.
He will discuss the methods and processes involved in growing and maturing the trees throughout the six years it takes them to reach their ideal size.
A former forester, Clive has realised his dream to run a Christmas tree farm despite being in a wheelchair. Christmas trees need to be cared for all year round and Clive is able to do a lot of the farm work himself, thanks to specially adapted equipment and a team of local people who help him with any work he can’t do.
Clive has now been growing and supplying Christmas trees to retail and commercial customers for over 20 years and has an on-line shop that sees him supplying trees to customers as far away as Scotland and Wales. Last year he began to sell decorations and sold wreathes in aid of the Spinal Injuries Association. This year, he launched a lay-away service which means customers can start paying for their festive firs in the summer and spread the cost of their tree.
Clive sells his trees to wholesale customers and to retail customers from his shop on the farm. His on-line business means anyone in mainland UK can order a Sussex tree and have it delivered. Clive also started selling Christmas decorations last year from his shop and via the website.
Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm www.catsfieldchristmastreefarm.com is a long-established grower and retailer based in Catsfield, East Sussex. It has been a member of the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association since 1994 and has been growing and supplying Christmas trees for over 20 years.
Trees from Catsfield Christmas Tree Farm are cut as late as possible to keep them fresh. The business also uses sustainable, environmentally friendly methods to farm its trees. This includes a recycling service so that, after the festive season, the branches and trunks of trees can be used as mulch and homes for 'good' insects.
For further information contact: Suzi Christie PR Consultant on 01435 830031 or at suzi@blueberry-


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The Saints open the season Sunday at the Superdome and fans are unveiling the latest in Black and Gold fashion.
The Who Dat Nation has broken out their gear today at work, at school and everywhere else around the Crescent City, and women especially continue to be even more creative as local retailers offer every way imaginable to display your Saints pride.
As I spoke to fans in the CBD, a woman told me about a store that makes Saints bikinis which is now getting into blinging out clear purses to comply with new NFL stadium rules. "They they have a gold chain on them with a fleur de lis and another has black fringe."
These women are getting more and more creative with their outfits, whether they're going to the game or not. "I have earrings, I have pins, I fleur de lis sunglasses of course, anything Saints related," as one fan explained.
Even though they're starting to flaunt some of the fashions today, many save the really extraordinary items for game day, like flashy headbands featuring lots of bling, feathers and fleurs de lis.
Another woman says, "I have about 20 T-shirts to choose from and jerseys and hats and jewelry and shoes. Those are homemade shoes painted up with fleur dis lis everywhere and all they're numbers. They're ridiculous!"
Guys on the other hand tend to stick with the same old T-shirts, jerseys and jackets to display their Saints pride.


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- Acquisition of Singer boosts revenue along with strong growth from transportation and logistics
- 1Q turnover from 16 sectors up 74% to cross Rs. 50 b mark; pre-tax profit up 96%, though loss at bottom line level
- Already a global leader in several key products, Hayleys aims for number one position in other core sectors
- Finance cost rises but management not overly worried though action being taken to reduce debt
The most diversified export cum manufacturing rich blue chip, Hayleys Plc, which marks 140 years this year, is optimistic of greater progress moving forward, with first quarter results showing strong growth.
“Despite challenging times we have achieved our best quarter results. Hayleys has survived and grown for the past 140 years and we will be aggressive to be number one in the sectors we operate,” Hayleys Chairman Mohan Pandithage told the media on Friday.
The Hayleys Group saw its FY19Q1 turnover gain by 74% to top the Rs. 50 billion mark with the inclusion of its biggest ever acquisition late last year of Singer Sri Lanka (consumer and retail segment contributing Rs. 16.6 billion) and the transportation and logistics sector delivering strong growth with revenue of Rs. 10.6 billion, up from Rs. 7.2 billion a year earlier.
Last financial year Hayleys became the first listed company to achieve $ 1 billion turnover whilst its exports account for 3.3% of Sri Lanka’s total earnings.
Gross profit was up 96% to Rs. 11.5 billion and results from operating activities more than doubled to Rs. 3.1 billion.
All 16 sectors of Hayleys except plantations have posted impressive gains in pre-tax profit. Apart from retail and logistics, Hayleys’ traditional sectors of hand protection (accounting for 5% of global market share), purification products (accounting for 16% of the global market share of activated carbon) and agriculture (Sri Lanka’s biggest processed fruits and vegetables with 45% market share) reported sharp gains as well.
Consolidated pre-tax profit was up 96% to Rs. 798 million and post-tax was at Rs. 260 million, up from Rs. 61.4 million.
However, Hayleys’ bottom line was a loss of Rs. 261 million, up from a Rs. 150 million loss a year earlier.
Highly geared Hayleys saw its net finance cost increase from Rs. 875.6 million to Rs. 2.4 billion in the 1Q of FY19. The Hayleys Group’s interest bearing short-term and long-term borrowings are Rs. 78 billion but last week the senior management said the company was not overly worried though steps to reduce debt were ongoing.
“Yes we are overleveraged but we are not overly worried. Our debt to EBITA of not more than three times. We have been implementing identified actions to address this,” Director Sarath Ganegoda said, adding that some of Hayleys’ assets did not reflect their true value.
He said there was an aggressive Group-wide strategy to enhance return of investments and assets in sectors which were lagging and if there was no considerable progress the management may consider divesting.
“Our 2020 target was to cross the $ 1 billion figure in turnover. However, we achieved this in FY2018,” he added. He said that within the traditional sectors of Hayleys there was ample scope to enhance revenue and earnings.
Chairman Pandithage said the future high-growth sectors would continue to be transportation and logistics, retail, leisure, renewable energy and aluminium.
He also expressed confidence that Hayleys’ export businesses would continue to grow. Before the Singer acquisition, exports accounted for over 60% of Hayleys’ turnover.
Pandithage said Hayleys was the biggest value-added exporter in Sri Lanka and prospects remained good. However, he said a shortage of raw material and labour were key challenges.
“Our continuing success has been a result of a concerted focus on consistent operational excellence, long relationships with our principals and business associates, strategic investments into fresh growth opportunities and an unwavering commitment to the delivery of economic and export development in alignment with the needs of Sri Lanka as a nation,” the Hayleys Chairman recalled.
“Throughout our history, a theme that consistently recurs across all of our businesses is one of localised value addition, to capture increasingly globalised markets. Our organisation is geared towards seeking out new methods to sustainably harness this nation’s potential and transform it into lasting value that will lend vital support to the aspirations of our country and all of our fellow Sri Lankans from every walk of life,” Pandithage added.
The Hayleys Group provides direct employment to 32,000 Sri Lankans, in addition to providing indirect employment to over 20,000 people. The Group collectively accounts for 3.8% and 3.4% of Sri Lanka’s tea and rubber production. The Group is also the biggest logistics provider in Sri Lanka, a leading aluminium extrusion manufacturer and possesses Sri Lanka’s single largest solar power facility in Welikanda as well as contributing 2% to Sri Lanka’s renewable energy. Hayleys caters to over 7.6 million customers worldwide. See full story on Page 9


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Honda Cars India has registered an overall growth of 3.5 per cent in the first half of the financial year 2018-19. April to September sales figures of 94,419 units in 2018 have grown from 91,269 units in the year 2017. In terms of monthly sales, the sales are down from over 17,000 units in August to 14,820 units last month.
Compared to September 2017, the growth in sales is marginal as Honda managed to sell about 14,250 units last year. The first half of FY 2018-19 has been a dream run for Honda with the Amaze becoming the first ever car from the stable to get to 10,000 units a month, contributing to a large chunk of sales.
The Honda City and the WR-V have been steady performers for the Japanese brand while the Jazz, in spite of the facelift, has not been able to set the sales registers running. The all-new Honda CR-V will be launching this month in October


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BlackBerry: the crash that launched 1,000 startups
Tech startups in BlackBerry's hometown of Waterloo, Ontario, are tapping talent from the struggling smartphone company and filling the void left in the region by its meltdown. Reuters correspondent Euan Rocha visits the region that could become Canada's Silicon Valley.
MSN's Emma Roberts speaks to the winners of the first ever Captial One MSN Exclusives competition to find out what they thought about being the first in the country to see Robert Pattinson's new film Bel Ami.
Bel Ami is released in UK cinemas on the 9th of March.


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LONDON: The UK's publicly funded broadcaster, the BBC, has inked a deal with Google-owned YouTube to launch three branded channels on the latter's video sharing website. They will feature clips from the corporation's award winning programmes, some specially created content and advertising-funded news, which will be available only to overseas viewers.
The agreement allows users to comment on clips, rate them, recommend them to friends and post their own video responses; also to communicate with other viewers and the BBC. Additionally, the site will act as a shop window enabling users to link to the BBC's interactive media player for on-demand content.
The move is one of a number of BBC initiatives to make its content accessible to the maximum number of users across all digital platforms.
Declares BBC director-general Mark Thompson: "This ground-breaking partnership ... is fantastic news for our audiences. YouTube is a key gateway through which to engage new audiences in the UK and abroad."
YouTube ceo and co-founder Chad Hurley avers: "The BBC is a premier source for quality programming, and we're excited that they are leading the way in enabling two-way dialogue and real engagement with an entirely new audience."
The unit's ceo, John Smith, wants to increase revenues from English-speaking countries and digital businesses, including a controversial plan to carry ads on the BBC's international websites [WARC News: 26-Feb-07].
Such moves bring cries of complaint from commercial rivals, concerned about unfair competition. But Smith ripostes: "After the review of the business three years ago, the main complaints were coming from politicians who were saying: 'You've got this great brand, you're just lousy'."
He added: "Depending on the climate of the day, you're either doing well and competitors don't like that or you're doing badly and competitors love that and politicians hate it."
Data sourced from Brand Republic (UK); and Financial Times Online; additional content by WARC staff


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The Benelli TNT 600i, arguably the most popular model in the Italian sportsbike brand’s stable, is now available with optional ABS. The new variant is priced at INR 5.73 lakh (ex-Delhi).
Save for the addition of ABS, the specifications of the 600i stay intact. Given that the TNT 600i is a four-cylinder sportsbike with serious performance credentials, the availability of ABS is set to enhance its appeal.
The mid-weight naked street fighter is powered by a 600 cc inline four-cylinder engine which is mated to a 6-speed transmission. The motorcycle is capable of belting out 84 hp at 11,500 rpm and 54.6 Nm of torque at 10,500 rpm.
The motorcycle is being locally assembled out of CKD kits at DSK Motowheels’ facility at Wai, near Pune. The ABS equipped variant is reported to be ready to hit the showrooms towards the end of this week.
The company would be launching ABS equipped variants of other models in a phased manner. In a year’s time, we expect the entire DSK Benelli range in India to offer ABS as an option.
Also read – Benelli 750 cc naked bike spied
The Indo-Italian entity has been going pretty well in the country’s burgeoning sports bike market. A comprehensive pipeline of products have been lined up for the near future.


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These days, most advances in car safety come from newly minted technology: Cameras, sensors, radars, and computers let cars warn us of danger and even discuss it amongst themselves.
These new technologies are good for automakers. They make driving safer, justify higher prices, and allow brands to distinguish themselves from the competition.
Still, it’s refreshing to hear that Honda is taking a different approach.
Rather than bolt a potentially expensive blind spot detection system to its new cars, it just made the side view mirror better.
The result is the Expanded-View Driver’s Mirror, with a convex outer edge that provides a wider view. Consider the blind spot a thing of the past.
Honda didn’t invent this idea; it’s not ground-breaking. What’s new is that in the past two years, the automaker has made the improved mirror a standard feature on most cars in its lineup, including all Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, and CR-Z models. It will be included on the all-new 2015 Fit.
For Honda buyers who insist on shelling out more cash for high-tech features, there’s still hope. The LaneWatch system uses a camera in the passenger side door to show the view of the right side of the car in the center display. It’s a standard feature, but only on fancier Civic models, starting with the EX trim level (base price is $24,880).
Here’s the 2014 Civic Hybrid, which comes with the Extended-View Driver’s Mirror, and starts for $24,635:
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings


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This year, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy has entrusted "Aglio D'Alessandro" with the safeguarding of the purity of Aglio Rosso di Sulmona. It is the only company in the area with this title.
"We are very pleased. We have always used certified seeds for our production and now the Minister has entrusted us with the safeguarding of the purity of red garlic from Sulmona. What is more, we are the only local business that owns CREA-certified seeds," explains Vittorio D'Alessandro.
Sowing is currently being carried out on 30-40 hectares in Abruzzo (Pratola Peligna and Sulmona). "In order to improve the quality, we will increase the area to be sown by hand."
The peculiarities of red garlic from Sulmona are well known and easily recognizable: the aroma is unique, just as is the color and type of cultivation. Thanks to the Peligna valley mircoclimate, this garlic is very different from any other type of bulb.
In 2018, the whole production was sold in just a few weeks and the company is already collecting orders for 2019. Its client base has increased over the past few years and retailers have also discovered the product's high-quality.
Rosso di Sulmona is one of the most prestigious and characteristic eco-types in Italy. The garlic is available in nets with three/four/five heads, braids, jute sacks and larger nets.


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TheNewsMarket Study Reveals Journalists’ Increasing Dependence on Multimedia Content & Online Newsrooms
A recent study of 248 journalists has revealed it is now essential for brands to offer content in multimedia formats, with three quarters stating press release distribution services alone were not sufficient as a source for stories. Furthermore, the study shows that online newsrooms are fast becoming an essential resource for journalists; with 66% stating they visit an online newsroom once a week and a third of them visiting daily.
The study was based on responses of journalists from outlets such as ABC, ITN and Sky. Based on this research, TheNewsMarket have produced a White Paper designed to help brands and PR professionals better engage journalists and distribute their content more effectively to a wider media audience.
The paper leaves little doubt over the importance of supplementing stories with multimedia assets. Respondents rated images and videos as the most useful forms of content, with 85% agreeing online newsrooms were a useful source.
Matthew Thomson, the Managing Director of TheNewsMarket, commented: “Journalists are often short on time and have a tough job to hit the 24/7 deadlines of today’s news cycle. Our study highlights their appetite to engage with useful tools such as online news sites. Communications and PR professionals can use our paper to justify the investment in valuable communication tools to help get their business the coverage they desire in the press.”


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The big players
Keeping up with the competition, Snapchat has now added GIF stickers from the Giphy library to allow users to add them to their posts. The company launched the feature just a few weeks after Instagram rolled out similar features to Stories.
Instagram is pulling yet more features from Snapchat, but this time it has made them even better. In a move to boost usage of its Direct feature, Instagram Direct lets users send photo and users decide if recipients can view it once, temporarily or permanently.
Following the launch of 3D posts, Facebook has added support for the gIFT 2.0 file format. This lets interactive 3D page post creators add additional creative features to their posts. Creatives will get to create their own 3D modelling apps, websites and 3D cameras to share to the News Feed.
Music streaming platform Pandora has launched a premium marketplace that lets advertisers buy audio inventory programmatically for both mobile and desktop. The company is launching a pilot programme with car maker Volkswagen and more partners are to be added over the coming months.
Google Chrome’s ad blocker extension may have delighted users, but caused outrage among advertisers. Chrome is now the most used web browser on both mobile and desktop devices. Its overall usage has been predicted to be 56.31% in market share.
New research has unveiled that a majority of marketers would prefer a code of ethics for the advertising technology industry. A whopping 89% of respondents told media buying platform Iotec that a code of ethics would be useful to address issues surrounding media buying transparency.
Online shopping habits vary widely by age and gender despite reaching 96% of the adult online population, according to a new report from audience measurement company Verto Analytics.
Mobile ads grew strongly in Southeast Asia in 2017, according to the latest Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings Benchmark report. 93% of digital ad campaigns used mobile formats and overall, mobile reached higher or equal benchmarks compared to desktop and digital apart from within the age category.
More travelers are now using mobile devices to seek travel tips and inspirations than ever before, according to a survey by marketing personalization tech company Qubit.
According to the 2018 Travel Survey, 42% of travelers aged under 35 years are seeking out travel inspirations using their mobile devices. 36% use their mobile devices to also book trips.
The volume of monetised impressions across mobile private marketplaces (PMPs) grew 37% the year-over in Q4 2017, according to new research from publisher-focused sell-side platform PubMatic.
At least a quarter (25%) of customer service operations are looking to use virtual customer assistants (VCA) or chatbots to engage with their customers by 2020, according to new research from Gartner.
Weve, the mobile audience data company owned by telecoms firm O2, has just launched a new location verification technology for the UK. Weve Locate compares the GPS signals from app publishers against the O2 cellular network to allow advertisers to improve their reach of target audiences.
Fyber, the app monetization tech company, has launched Fyber FairBid, which addresses the inequality in header bidding for in-app ads. In order to develop the product, the company partnered with mobile ad platforms AdColony and Tapjoy.
On February 29th in Barcelona, Spain will greet hundreds and thousands mobile advertising professionals from all corners of the world at Mobile World Congress 2018. We want to help you to make the most of your visit and did a heavy lifting of gathering contact information about all mobile advertising companies that will be there for you to meet with.


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10 December 2019
This week, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Northstar California Resort will continue to open additional terrain prior to the weekend. Each resort has received more than 4-feet of snow in December alone, with Kirkwood receiving more than 6-feet of snow this month. Heavenly will open the California side of the resort on Wednesday, Kirkwood plans to open 100% of skiable terrain beginning Friday, and Northstar plans to add additional terrain on Mt. Pluto.


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Items tagged with supply chain
More than 1,500 garment workers died and more than 1,000 were seriously injured in three recent highly publicized tragedies in Bangladesh, the collapse of the Rana Plaza and a sweater factory fire in Dhaka in 2013 and the 2012 fire in the Tazreen garment factory. People in these factories work deep within the supply chain of large apparel makers and retailers. Global companies that source their products from Bangladesh have been under extreme pressure to take action that will help avoid such accidents in the future.
I recently interviewed Kurt Kuehn, CFO of UPS for my forthcoming book, “The New Corporate Facts of Life” (AMACOM 2013). Kurt described how globalization has impacted the 105 year-old company, and continues to be a key strategic driver for the future. UPS went through a phase of building a global footprint, followed by a phase of adding broader capabilities.
Build the Global Brown Footprint
"Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is, everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you ... the minute that you understand that you can poke life ... that you can change it, you can mold it ... that's maybe the most important thing."
- Steve Jobs (Just before he died, in the documentary “One Last Thing”)
Can a drink build a better planet and inspire others? Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) thinks so. Last week CCE brought together internal and external stakeholders to give a taste of the company’s endeavor to “deliver for today and inspire for tomorrow. ”
NIKE announced last week an “unwavering” commitment to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from its supply chain by 2020. Achieving this goal requires working with brands, material suppliers, the chemical industry, NGOs and others to find innovative solutions.
Tantalum  is a rare refractory metal used in many electronic devices such as cell phones, Blackberries, laptops and i-phones. While most tantalum mining occurs in Australia, about 20% of the world’s supply is in the Congo.
Have you integrated sustainability into the organization’s strategy? Do you have a culture characterized by innovation, engagement, responsibility and leadership? Sustainability is believed to be the greatest business opportunity of our time. Early adopters of sustainable development are changing the rules of the game in business, education and communities. Examples are scattered across this website and in our blogs.
On the same day I posted the blog on “Deforestation and Your Supply Chain”, Earthkeepers posted a statement from Jeffrey Swartz, Timberland’s CEO in an Update From the Amazon. The deforestation referred to by Greenpeace is caused by cattle ranchers who cut down the rain forest to raise livestock primarily for food. Less than 10% of the proceeds of the cow are for the leather sold as raw materials to suppliers who turn the hides into products such as footwear.


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Fabindia appoints Aditya Ghosh to board of directors
Fabindia, which operates a chain of stores selling a range of artisans products, on Wednesday said former Indigo airlines president Aditya Ghosh has been appointed as a member of its board of directors.PTI | New Delhi | Updated: 01-07-2020 15:05 IST | Created: 01-07-2020 15:05 IST
Fabindia, which operates a chain of stores selling a range of artisans products, on Wednesday said former Indigo airlines president Aditya Ghosh has been appointed as a member of its board of directors. Ghosh will be guiding the management teams with strategy and new initiatives, the company said in a statement.
"Fabindia believes that the post-Covid period will bring about transformational change in consumer behaviour and brands with purpose, sustainability initiatives and earth-friendly commerce will become increasingly important...As we evolve towards a new normal, we are excited to have Aditya on board helping with strategy and growth," the company said. Ghosh is a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience and has had multiple roles including leading IndiGo and also OYO Hotels & Homes.
On his joining the board of Fabindia, Ghosh said, "I am looking forward to engaging with a sense of purpose where we continue to build on the tremendous trust that the Fabindia family of brands enjoy and create a socially conscious business that makes a deep positive impact towards a healthier and more equal planet." Fabindia operates 327 stores across 118 cities in India and 14 international stores selling a wide range of products produced by artisans living largely in rural areas..


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Talking right this moment on the Bitcoin 2022 convention in Miami, Robinhood Chief Product Officer Aparna Chennapragada delighted the gang by saying that bitcoin is the highest recurring purchase asset for the corporate thus far this yr. Precise numbers weren’t given.
For the up and coming brokerage agency that revolutionized zero-commission trades, and whose buyer base is made up of fifty% new buyers, this commentary is a robust market sign that new buyers are inserting a large amount of religion, and their funds, right into a crypto future.
However that isn’t all. Though it went unsaid throughout her remarks on the bitcoin-centric occasion, ether, the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, was the third largest recurring purchase.
SPECIAL OFFER: For skilled insights into the newest crypto and blockchain developments, crypto and fairness mannequin portfolios, and unique interviews subscribe right this moment to our premium analysis service, Forbes CryptoAsset and Blockchain Advisor.
Additionally within the high 10 was the meme-coin dogecoin, which briefly surged over 30% earlier this week following information that long-time advocate and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken a 9.2% stake in Twitter, the crypto trade’s unofficial city sq., and is planning to take a board seat.
Chennapragada included a few different notable bulletins in her presentation fr crypto natives.
First, as of right this moment the +2 million shoppers on the Robinhood waitlist for exterior crypto transfers have been given full performance. Whereas this function could not resonate with novice buyers that aren’t involved with sending and receiving bitcoin from exterior wallets, it has been a long-sought function for crypto purists that oppose the walled backyard method taken by different fintechs comparable to PayPal almost about their crypto brokerage actions.
Lastly, she additionally famous plans for Robinhood to combine the Bitcoin Lightning Community into its know-how stack. Lightning is a decentralized layer that sits on high of the bitcoin mainnet, which can be utilized to facilitate low-cost and instantaneous funds. Though adoption stays restricted, Lightning has been gathering supporters as of late with firms comparable to Money App, the fee processor BitPay, and main crypto alternate Kraken. It is usually used to facilitate bitcoin funds in El Salvador, which final yr turned the primary nation to just accept bitcoin as authorized tender.


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Showing 1108 - 1116 of 1564 results
Five new short videos are released in international celebration.
Thirteen of the world's most renowned clothing and textile companies today signed up to a sustainable cotton communiqué, through which they pledge to use 100% sustainable cotton by 2025.
Today, 12 May, the Fairtrade Foundation welcomed efforts to close the global agricultural gender divide, as it announced two UK businesses - Co-op and the Compass Group UK & Ireland - have committed £100,000 in funding for an innovative new programme to improve women’s opportunities in cocoa communities in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
We told Sainsbury’s loud and clear: “Your model will bring about disempowerment”.
Leading international brands and retailers, cotton standards, existing industry initiatives and other stakeholders across the supply chain have come together to form Cotton 2040. Convened by sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future, with support from the C&A Foundation, this unique cross-industry initiative is driving change by taking collaborative action to scale up and overcome barriers to sustainable cotton uptake across multiple standards, so that more sustainable cotton becomes a mainstream commodity.
Public call for Asda and Tesco to switch their bananas to Fairtrade
Fairtrade says it is time to stop pitting farmers and shoppers against each other and address the imbalance of power in supply chains
Despite deflation in the grocery sector, early estimates based on the first three-quarters of the year suggest Fairtrade sales held steady in 2014
Fairtrade Fortnight 2015, 23 February – 8 March, will celebrate the power of everyday choices by telling the other half of a product’s story – the producer’s – to show the difference Fairtrade makes.
Find answers to some of the questions that are frequently asked about Fairtrade.
Ever wondered how many farmers and workers are involved with Fairtrade? Or how the Fairtrade Premium is used? Here's a snapshot from our latest data.
Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.
With Fairtrade you have the power to change the world every day. With simple shopping choices you can get farmers a better deal. And that means they can make their own decisions, control their future and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.


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The Army & Air Force Exchange, Navy Exchange, Marine Corps Exchange and Coast Guard Exchange are partnering with RangeMe to source American-made products for their shelves. The effort is part of an ongoing commitment from the exchanges to bring more American-made products into their retail stores while enhancing categories including pet supplies, PPE, housewares and toys.
The exchanges will utilize RangeMe to sift through more than 175,000 suppliers to discover products that are both made in America and meet their customers’ needs. RangeMe’s brands have nearly 1 million items that can meet the necessary criteria.
“RangeMe has established strong partnerships with the U.S. military exchanges, and we are thrilled to take this next step with them,” said Nicky Jackson, CEO and Founder of RangeMe in a statement. “This enhanced commitment to sourcing American-made products will help further their dedication to providing innovative, quality products to the men and women of the Armed Forces.”


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Findables closed temporarily in March due to COVID-19 restrictions but reopened June 18. The store accepts donated furniture and household items in decent condition. The same items are also accepted on consignment; the profit on consignment items is split 50/50 between Findables and the customer if an item is sold.
The chapter recently began advertising items for sale at Findables on Facebook marketplace, which has proven particularly effective. Barsalou shared, “The furniture is going out faster than I’ve ever seen.” Items are sold on a first come, first served basis and can only be paid for over the phone if the customer views the item in-person first.
Members of the public are encouraged to wear masks while shopping. Masks and hand sanitizer are available in the store, and a piece of plexiglass is set up at the checkout counter.
Assistance League of Klamath Basin has been serving the area’s youth since 1986. It runs three philanthropic programs — Families in Crisis, Project USA and Operation School Bell® — each with a unique purpose.
Assistance League of Klamath Basin programs
Through Families in Crisis, the chapter has become involved with Exodus House, a temporary shelter for homeless and runaway youth established by Integral Youth Services. Over the past year, Assistance League of Klamath Basin has provided books and clothing to Exodus House. Chapter members also donate hygiene and laundry items which are delivered monthly.
Project USA has allowed multiple local elementary schools to benefit from a map of the United States being painted on their school’s playground. The chapter donates the paint as well as brushes and rollers, and loans the map stencil to the school so the map can be completed. Two stencils are used to make the map, each of which weighs approximately 70 pounds. The map is a great educational tool and teachers have reported that their students love using it.
For children in the Basin in need of new clothes and shoes, Assistance League of Klamath Basin offers Operation School Bell, which volunteers noted is the chapter’s biggest project by far. Typically, the program involves in-store shopping events for youth. Due to restrictions this year, however, students will be given gift certificates to shop on their own time rather than participating in big group shopping events.
Operation School Bell begins in September and ends in March. The program served 930 students last year; the chapter expects this year Operation School Bell will benefit over 1,000 local youth.
Money to fund Operation School Bell is raised through events, including Christmas Jubilee, as well as through Findables, donations and grants. The Christmas Jubilee is the nonprofit’s largest fundraising event; it also had to be canceled this year due to COVID-19. The chapter is planning to hold a different event in its place, the details of which are still being determined.
Assistance League of Klamath Basin also accepts donations from the public for Operation School Bell. It costs approximately $125 to clothe one child. The program supports children in approximately 20 elementary, middle and high schools all over the Klamath Basin.
In recent years, the nonprofit added another segment to Operation School Bell involving Stearns Elementary School’s “Active Shoes = Active Bodies” program. Established by Stearns physical education teacher Brandon Powell, the goal of the program is to provide quality athletic shoes for Stearns students to improve their participation during PE, increase the amount of physical activity they engage in, and boost their self-worth.
Teachers work with students to write down attainable goals to “earn” a $40 shoe certificate. The chapter raises money to pay for the certificates which are used at Big 5. The store makes sure students get quality shoes at a low price.


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Kevin Eve's '18 Uproot Named Entrepreneur Track Overall Winner
A mechanical engineer who has developed a space-efficient dispenser of non-dairy milks for use in cafeterias and other commercial food service operations has been named the top winner in the 2019 Rhode Island Business Competition, which awarded prizes valued at $225,000 to six competitors. Kevin Eve '18 (A.B., engineering), of Providence, whose business, Uproot, was declared the top winner, took home $83,975 in winnings – $40,000 in cash and $43,975 in professional and consulting services as the Entrepreneur Track winner. Winners were announced at a public ceremony at the New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC) in Providence.
Eve and his co-founder, Philip Mathieu '17 (physics), will automatically be eligible to enter the $50,000 Cox Business Get Started Rhode Island pitch contest, to be held Oct. 2 in Providence, as semi-finalists. The duo were named 2019 Brown Venture Founders in March, an award that motivates recent Brown graduates and young alumni entrepreneurs to launch and grow their startups in Rhode Island.
Eve said Uproot, which serves four varieties of plant-based milk and creates 56% less packaging waste than milk served from cartons, offers more variety in less space than current competitors. The service is already selling to universities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Uproot currently produces its milks at Hope & Main, a shared-use commercial kitchen in Warren, R.I., and plans to team with a contract manufacturer in the region later this year to scale up production to support significant expansion efforts.
Winning the Student Track was H2Ok Innovations, led by David Lu, a Brown University undergraduate studying chemistry and computer science. H2OK Innovations, which uses artificial intelligence data analytics to map sources of contamination in underground drinking water pipes that are targeted for replacement, received $15,000 in cash plus $43,975 in professional and consulting services. A group of students enrolled in Brown's master's degree Program in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship were among the finalists in the student track for their startup eBuoy. Each Student Track finalist received $5,000 in cash and services valued at $14,350. eBuoy is developing a product to detect harmful bacteria in freshwater/marine environments to ensure community safety. Team members include Kayla Colson, Isabella Lawandy, Aiden Kravitz '18 (chemical and biochemical engineering), Johnathan Lovett, and Jason Papalexopoulos '18 (economics).
Anthony Mangiarelli, Competition co-chair and partner with the KLR accounting firm in Providence, said, "We congratulate this year's winners and finalists, who are all developing promising businesses. We, along with the local organizations that will provide them with business and professional services, look forward to working with them."
More than 50 previous Rhode Island Business Competition participants are currently operating, having created more than 500 jobs, and buying services and supplies from Rhode Island companies. The competition, which has provided capital and services to very early stage businesses in Rhode Island for nearly two decades, was supported by 54 sponsors and partners this year.


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Google Cloud’s helping Indonesian SMEs digitalize
Following the opening of its data centers in Indonesia last year, Google Cloud continues to build its presence in the fourth most populous country in the world.
The Indonesian digital economy promises immense opportunities for businesses there. In fact, Google’s latest eConomy Southeast Asia report shows the digital economy reaching US$174 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) by the end of 2021. And this is set to hit US$363 billion by 2025, well above last year’s estimate of US$300 billion.
Google also projects that Southeast Asia’s digital economy could reach a value of US$1 trillion by the end of the decade, establishing Southeast Asia as the region that will help define the future of technology globally.
“The internet has been critical in helping Southeast Asia’s small businesses get through the pandemic and plan for the future. Today, 90% of these merchants accept digital payments and one in three believe they wouldn’t have survived the pandemic without going online. Over the next five years, eight out of 10 merchants anticipate that more than half their sales will come from online sources,” said Stephanie Davis, Vice President, Southeast Asia, Google.
In Indonesia, Google is hoping to accelerate digital transformation for these businesses — and the best way to do this is with a local partner. As such, Google Cloud and Indosat Ooredoo announced a strategic partnership whereby both companies hope to speed up transformation across consumer and enterprise segments in Indonesia.
The partnership is in line with the government’s digital economy development program goals. Indonesia’s SMEs will be a priority target segment with many areas that are core to the capabilities of both organizations.
Google has been in Indonesia for several years and continues to play an important role in the development of the nation. According to Randy Jusuf, Managing Director at Google Indonesia, for many Indonesian business owners, the priority continues to be funding their operations through the downturn, so they can rebuild.
Since 2020, more than 200,000 Indonesian small businesses have completed Grow with Google skills courses online, taking the total number to 1.7 million since 2015. Google Cloud has also held 150,000 training labs to help Indonesians get cloud-related skills, complementing the opening of the Jakarta cloud region.
Google Indonesia is on a mission
In the World Bank’s Harnessing Digital Technologies for Inclusion in Indonesia report, digitally engaged Indonesians are now experiencing how technologies reshape their lives and commercial activities contributing to the better consumer experience. However, the opportunities are often limited to a particular demographic group with a relatively higher level of skills.
For Ahmad Al-Neama, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo, by understanding the significant impact the pandemic made on the nation’s SMB community, the partnership will deliver new and outstanding digital products and services that these businesses need to thrive.
“Through this partnership, Indosat Ooredoo will offer SMBs new cloud-based, and 5G enabled digital solutions designed that will empower new business models and enable them to tap new markets and opportunities that would not have been possible before. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Google that will accelerate digitalization among SMBs and Indonesia’s transformation into a digital society,” added Ahmad.
The pillars of the strategic partnership will see the two organizations working jointly to:
- Digitally transform Indonesia’s SMBs across their business lifecycles ‒ Indosat and Google will create a marketplace of tailored software-as-a-service offerings to fully digitize SMBs. This may include building an online presence with Google My Business, boosting their productivity with Google Workspace, expanding and automating their businesses with AI/ML, delivering better customer service with smart data analytics in the Cloud, and much more.
- Digitally transform enterprises and communities with the power of 5G ‒ Both organizations will build a portfolio of 5G edge computing solutions that bring together Indosat’s network, Google’s leading technologies, and edge computing to help enterprises address real business challenges across industries. By bringing Google Cloud compute and capabilities to the edge, businesses can move infrastructure from centralized locations to these edges and run applications closer to end-users, and build industry-changing experiences in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, entertainment, and more. Another key aspect to this pillar of the partnership sees Indosat and Google exploring the development of B2B security managed services to advance their resilience and protect companies from cybersecurity risks.
- Digitally transform Indosat Ooredoo’s operations ‒ Indosat will modernize its infrastructure and applications on Google Cloud, by defining a clear roadmap for advanced data analytics modernization and AI/ML adoption that will not only enable the telecommunications leader to improve its core operations, costs, and customer experiences, but also help the company advance its position in the telecommunications ecosystem and enable it to identify and maximize new business model opportunities in future.
“The key to delivering next-generation applications and creating new customer experiences with Indosat Ooredoo is our shared culture of innovation. We’re excited to work with Indosat Ooredoo to help digitize businesses of all sizes in Indonesia and help the company create new engines for long-term innovation and growth,” said Rob Enslin, President, Google Cloud.
Indosat is Indonesia’s leading digital telco, enabling access and greater connectivity for consumers and business. The company reported 62.3 million mobile customers as of September 2021 and operates 70,109 4G BTS that covers nearly 90% of the population.
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Yahoo Performance Expert To Perform At Google
YSlow plug-in creator and Chief Performance Yahoo Steve Souders has ditched his Sunnyvale gig in favor of the greener pastures around the Googleplex.
We have observed plenty of departures on the VP level from Yahoo through 2007. Since the portal company has a few hundred of those positions, some winnowing probably had to take place anyway.
It’s one thing to lose sales and marketing pros, but Souders’ departure means watching a respected geek type decamp for a competitor. That’s not a great development at Yahoo.
Ajaxian founder and Google coder Dion Almaer can’t wait for his new co-worker to report for duty next week. “Lunch is on me on the 7th, Steve,” Almaer wrote.
Souders’ announcement, placed atop his blog, showed he’s embraced the model with which Google discusses its internal business: “I’m at Google as of January 7, 2008.”
We kid, we kid. But if Souders was at least partially responsible for speeding up Yahoo’s new mail client, he’s going to be missed by his former co-workers.


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Elise Estrada, the Canadian singer/actress has posted up a new song on her myspace entitled ‘A Christmas Wish’. It’s similar in style and sound to other christmas pop singers released over the years, especially Mariah Carey’s immensely popular album from the 90’s. That being said, it may not be avant garde but it is pretty darn catchy, if not feel good music. The young singer definitely has a sweet voice for this type of song.
It’s available as a free DL in case you’re interested in expanding your holiday playlist.


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15 Dec Adidas Expands North American Headquarters
Adidas announced the expansion of its North American headquarters with the purchase of a building next to its existing campus in North Portland.
“We are growing,” said Adidas Group North America President Mark King. “Our business is up, we’re seizing opportunity and we’re expanding our visibility in America. Our rapid growth is driven by our aspiration to be the face of sports culture in America. Every day, our team comes to work to create and bring to life the best shoes, apparel and equipment for athletes. We are creating what’s new, creating what consumers want next. We are making the most innovative products for athletes and we are doing it with an inspired approach that includes collaborators of all kind. We are inviting those with a creative mindset to be part of our brand. People are joining us because they want to be part of what’s next.”
The Adidas brand reported an 11 percent growth in North America in the third quarter and was up 8 percent for the first 9 months. The Portland office is now home to nearly 1,200 employees, up from approximately 850 last year. There is growth across nearly every department, including design, marketing and operations. There are currently more than 100 job openings at the Portland location.
“Our people are helping to lead change for our industry,” said King. “Our strategy in America is not to simply get incrementally better year over year. We want to move mountains. To do that, we are creating an internal culture of innovation to drive large-scale change. Innovation has always been at the heart of Adidas – focused on product. Today, our employees in North America are taking that innovative direction and applying it across the business. Our employees are ideating, innovating and going after big ideas. Everyone has shared ownership of our company’s future.”
The new space located on the west side of Greeley Avenue just north of the Adidas Village is 25,000 square feet and will house approximately 150 employees. The Adidas Village, which currently comprises five buildings on 11 acres, will expand to six buildings on more than 14 acres.
“To evolve a culture, you have to look at what effects your people. We want to give our employees a great place to work and right now that means we need more room. We’re also in the midst of updating the interiors of our current buildings to create better common spaces and social work areas for employees to gather and have some fun.”
Adidas North America has called Portland home for more than 20 years, establishing its U.S. operations in the city in 1993. Adidas moved to its current Portland location in 2001.
“It’s good to be growing,” said King. “We’ve got a ways to go, but we’re making great strides. And this is just the beginning. The best is yet to come.”


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Shipments of major household appliances in the U.S. were nearly flat in October, as consumers appeared to delay purchases in anticipation of price discounts during holiday shopping season.
Shipments of what are known as the Big Six appliance categories--washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, ranges and ovens--slipped 0.8%, to 2.93 million units during the four weeks ended Oct. 29 from 2.96 million units in October 2010, according to figures released Tuesday by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, an appliance-industry trade group. October shipments fell 21.3% from September, when shipments rose 1.2% from a year earlier.
Manufacturer shipments of all appliance categories, which include items such as microwave ovens, garbage disposals and room air conditioners, rose 0.6% from a year-earlier to 4.3 million units.
Appliance shipment volumes are closely watched as a gauge of future sales activity for appliance manufacturers Whirlpool Corp.
Last year, appliance retailers slashed prices well in advance of Black Friday to jumpstart demand for appliances held down by high unemployment and anemic consumer confidence. A year later demand for appliances remains weak, but appliance manufacturers appear reluctant to engage in another extended round of discounts.
Whirlpool said last month its plans slash the length of its holiday price promotions in half this year from 2010, citing the need to preserve profit margins on appliances in the wake of rising costs for materials and copper.
Whirlpool and Electrolux raised their prices twice this year and Whirlpool revealed recently that it will increase its prices again in January. On top of that, Whirlpool plans to trim its production capacity in the U.S. and Europe by about 10%, trim its work force by 5,000 jobs and close assembly plants in Germany and Arkansas. The moves are expected to lower the Benton Harbor, Mich., company's annual expenses by about $400 million.
Electrolux said Tuesday it will cut its costs by about $760 million a year (5.1 billion Swedish kronor)in response to slumping demand in mature markets.
The Swedish company aims to move more production to emerging markets and have 70% of its manufacturing in low-cost areas by 2015.
"We will take underutilized plants in high-cost countries and, where appropriate, curtail or shut down those plants and move that volume to more productive assets in lower-cost countries," Chief Executive Keith McLoughlin said.
McLoughlin added that he doesn't expect appliance demand in Europe and North America to recover in 2012.


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Google Inc. is expanding its restructuring efforts at Motorola Mobility and incurring a larger charge for job cuts at the smartphone maker than previously expected, the search giant said Thursday.
Motorola Mobility officials could not immediately say whether the changes would include more layoffs beyond the 20 percent global headcount reduction that Google announced in August. Two-thirds of those layoffs -- which eliminated 4,000 of 20,000 jobs -- took place outside of the U.S. Locally, the company cut 700 of 3,000 jobs in Libertyville and Chicago, representing about a 23 percent reduction.
The announcement came less than a month after Motorola Mobility said it was moving its headquarters from Libertyville to the Merchandise Mart in 2013.
Google, which acquired Motorola Mobility in May, disclosed in a Thursday regulatory filing that it expects to expand "planned restructuring actions ... to include additional geographic regions outside of the U.S." Google said it expects its severance-related charges to rise to about $300 million from the $275 million stated in August.
These charges will be recognized in the third quarter and accompanied by $90 million in charges related to closing down facilities and exiting certain markets.
The restructuring is aimed at restoring the profitability of Motorola Mobility's mobile devices unit. The changes also include closing or consolidating about one-third of the company's 90 facilities around the world.
The summer layoffs disqualified Motorola Mobility from collecting incentives under a 2011 agreement with Illinois, which extended tax credits of more than $10 million a year for 10 years in exchange for the company retaining a local workforce of 2,500 and making $600 million in investments. The incentives will be suspended until the company gets back to a headcount of 2,500 employees.
Google closed 0.7 percent higher at $768.05 on Thursday.
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10:50 | 02/10/2015 Society
The retail sector of the southeast province of Dong Nai has grown at an increasingly rapid pace in the past five years, fuelled by the availability and convenience of shopping facilities.
Customers go shopping at Vincom Bien Hoa (Photo: baodongnai)
According to Dong Nai’s Department of Industry and Trade, the province’s retail sector increased by an average 17 percent per year from 2011-2015, during which 166 markets were newly built or upgraded and many modern shopping malls were opened.
Dong Nai’s retail sales in September alone are estimated to reach 10.4 trillion VND (473 million USD), up 0.75 percent from August and bringing the retail sales for the first nine months of this year to 91 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD), up 11.38 percent.
The total retail sales for 2015 are estimated to reach 122 trillion VND (5.55 billion USD), up 12.05 percent from last year.
The network of current shopping facilities – which includes big names such as Big C, Co.op Mart, Lotte Mart, Vincom and Metro – investors from the US, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Italy have plans to open business in Dong Nai./.


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Filipino consumers are 3rd most confident consumers in the world in Q3 2015
The Philippines ranks third globally as home to the world’s most confident consumers in the third quarter of 2015, despite posting a quarter-on-quarter decline of five points to a Consumer Confidence Index score of 117. The year-on-year trend for the Philippines was up two points, however.
While consumer confidence across a number of Southeast Asia markets has taken dips in Q3 2015, the other countries in the region which remained as the world’s top 10 most optimistic are Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
After the Philippines, Indonesia closely follows as the market with the fourth most confident consumers, with a score of 116, dropping four points from Q2 2015 and down nine points year-on-year, while Thailand (ranked 5th globally) is flat quarter-on-quarter with 111 and down marginally (2 points) compared to the same quarter a year ago. Vietnam ranked 10th globally with a Consumer Confidence Index score of 105, up one point quarter-on-quarter and up three points year-on-year.
Meanwhile Malaysia, which posted the region’s lowest Consumer Confidence Index (78) also posted the region’s steepest decline, down 11 points quarter-on-quarter and 21 points year-on-year, largely driven by consumers’ concern around currency devaluation and rising food prices. Globally, consumer confidence rose slightly to 99 in Q3 2015, up three points compared to Q2 2015.
The survey further revealed that recessionary sentiment among Filipino consumers is down by one percentage point along with Singaporeans (-5pp) and Vietnamese (-3 pp). In contrast, recessionary sentiment is rising in Malaysia (+16pp), Indonesia (+10pp) and Thailand (+8pp).
In this round of the global survey, job security, work/life balance and health feature prominently in the Filipino consumers’ list of key concerns.
SAVING IS A TOP PRIORITY
Similar with the consumers in Southeast Asia, Filipino consumers continue to give financial security top priority. Close to seven in 10 respondents in the Philippines (67%) put their spare cash into savings, while 30% invest in shares of stock or mutual fund. Discretionary purchase intentions high on the priority shopping list of consumers in the Philippines include spending on new clothes, and holidays/vacations.
Confidence Increased In 29 of 60 Global Markets
In the latest online survey, conducted Aug 10 – Sept. 4, 2015, consumer confidence increased in 29 of 60 markets measured by Nielsen (48%). India’s score of 131 was the highest level among 61 markets, followed by the U.S. (119), the Philippines (117) and Indonesia (116). The U.S. showed the biggest quarterly improvement of 18 points, and Taiwan showed the biggest quarterly decline of 12 points from the second quarter. South Korea reported the lowest score of 49, an increase of four points from the second quarter.


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Its eighth edition, this year’s show at the Carrousel du Louvre on 22 & 23 June is set to welcome over 160 exhibitors across the supply chain of makeup and skin care subcontractors.
We take a look at the workshop programme and pull out some highlights.
Forecasting and trends
BASF has teamed up with a leading colour authority, Pantone, and will be presenting their ‘most innovative trends for colour cosmetics formulations’. The BASF Spring/Summer 2019 trend forecasts, "Haven and Masterpiece", will provide colour palettes, textures, concepts, and formulations for inspiration, the ingredients manufacturer says.
Similarly, PeclersParis will be presenting its key beauty trends for 2018-2019 in a workshop, offering creative concepts, textures and ingredients for the winter season in a combination of macro trends, lifestyles and product concepts.
One workshop, organized by one of the leading European cardboard producers, the Finnish Group Metsä Board, will be aimed at showing participants all the advantages of a material whose production is fully driven by this notion of sustainable development.
“Complying as much as possible with environmental constraints is a daily challenge for brands. Content and container are inseparable. Everyone is accountable for his choice of ingredients, formulas, packaging and secondary packagings,” show organisers say.
This workshop will be hosted by Christophe Baudry, Commercial Director, Beautycare & Healthcare, Metsä Board and Anne Uusitalo, Sustainability Manager, Metsä Board.
Cardboard is in focus in one key packaging workshop, led by Nordic paper Group Stora Enso. In this session, four converters specialized in the manufacture of boxes and set boxes will give their insights on ‘one of the biggest trends in recent months’, say organisers.
“Make-up products increasingly benefit from the technical, visual and marketing performance of cardboard-based over packagings to attract consumers. Some countries such as Korea and Japan are leading the way in this area.” More information on the full programme of workshops cant be found here.


text:
The EU considers banning Russian…
Big Oil is using its…
Europe's businesses are concerned that proposed emergency market rules would be an intrusive over-reach from the European Union, which is looking to secure critical supply chains amid the worsening energy crisis.
The European Commission proposed on Monday a Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI)—a crisis governance framework that aims to preserve the free movement of goods, services, and persons and the availability of essential goods and services in the event of future emergencies.
The proposed instrument will allow "last-resort measures in an emergency," which means that "the Commission may issue targeted information requests to economic operators, which can be made binding."
The Commission may also ask businesses to accept priority-rated orders for crisis-relevant products, in response to which firms must either comply or explain the grave reasons justifying refusal.
The proposals will now be discussed by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union.
Businesses are concerned that the proposed instrument could intervene with the free market and look like a "planned economy" measure.
"We still need to ensure that the Single Market Emergency Instrument #SMEI is a helping hand for businesses to navigate crises, not a planned economy fist as some SMEI provisions look like," BusinessEurope, the biggest organization representing European companies of all sizes and all sectors, said on Monday after the Commission unveiled its proposal.
Separately, several European industry associations said that last week's proposals from the Commission to reduce soaring energy prices and help households and businesses through the crisis were not enough.
The Commission plans to propose a revenue cap for companies producing electricity at a low cost and a "crisis contribution" from the extra profits of fossil fuel companies in a plan to raise $140 billion (140 billion euros) to cushion the energy crisis blow to European citizens and economy.
"These measures are not enough and will not save the energy-intensive aluminium industry from further production cuts, job losses, and possibly a complete breakdown," European Aluminium, the association of the aluminum industry in Europe, said.
By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Josh Owens is the Content Director at Oilprice.com. An International Relations and Politics graduate from the University of Edinburgh, Josh specialized in Middle East and…


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The Samsung Galaxy S5 was quite possibly the biggest smartphone launch of the year so far, yet according to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech it was only the third highest selling handset in Britain during May, which was its first full month on sale.
It wasn’t even other new handsets that it trailed behind. Rather, it was outsold by the iPhone 5S, which enjoyed the most sales of the month, and the iPhone 5C, which was the second most successful phone in May.
Both those handsets came out last year, so while the Galaxy S5 can claim to be the most popular Android handset it just goes to show how popular iOS is compared to any single Android phone. Android as a whole enjoys 73.3% market share across Europe, while iOS only has 16.6%, but then at any given time there are only really a few iPhone’s on sale, while there are dozens if not hundreds of Android handsets.
Of course the small number of Apple devices available could in some ways boost their popularity, as Apple fans have few phones to choose from, whereas Android or even Samsung fans could buy any number of handsets. Looked at like that it’s easier to see why the Samsung Galaxy S5 was outsold by two aging phones, especially as while they’re getting on a bit they’re still the two latest Apple handsets, at least until the iPhone 6 emerges later this year.
It’s also worth noting that while 58% of Galaxy S5 buyers already owned a Samsung handset, 17% switched over from an iPhone. Surprisingly the Galaxy S5 also did slightly better against Apple in America, where it was second only to the iPhone 5S in May, while Samsung as a whole sold more phones than any other maker over the last three months in the US, with a 36.8% market share, compared to Apple’s 32.5%.
Though of course that’s likely down to the fact that Samsung has more available phones and in fact only 8% of American Galaxy S5 owners were former iPhone buyers.
Have you seen our Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple iPhone 5S reviews?
©Copyright 2017 www.3G.co.uk - All Rights Reserved


text: German ISP United Internet (1&1) has announced its results for the first quarter of 2009, posting a 5.3% increase in revenues to EUR423.4 million (USD552.5 million), compared to EUR402 million in the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, Q1 earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were up 0.4% year-on-year at EUR83.5 million. The company recorded a rise in the number of paying customer contracts during the first quarter of 2009 to 8.24 million, up from 7.38 million as at 31 March 2008 due in part to the initial consolidation of united-domains in March 2009. However, United Internet’s DSL customer base was unchanged from the end of Q4 2008, totalling 2.82 million at 31 March 2009, compared to 2.78 million in Q1 2008. CEO of United Internet, Ralph Dommermuth, commented: ‘Against the backdrop of our successful start to fiscal year 2009, we confirm our current forecasts. We expect a slight increase in sales for the Group as a whole. We also aim to maintain the record EBITDA and EBIT figures we achieved in fiscal year 2008 despite the expected ongoing weakness of the online advertising sector in 2009.’ The company will publish full first quarter results on 13 May.


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The world’s most expensive train
- by admin
A $1bn train that travels up and down the US east coast is being sold for a record $1.1bn, with an estimated 1,000 people on board.
The train, which takes passengers from Baltimore to San Francisco, will leave Baltimore on Monday and depart San Francisco on Thursday.
The journey will take about a month and the train will be loaded with goods from US freight companies.
The first passenger train, a train that had been scheduled to leave the US in March, has now been sold, with the price set at $1,078m.
The sale follows a similar sale last month for a train from London to New York.
Train delays A second train will leave the port city of New Orleans on Monday.
The second train is expected to leave New Orleans in mid-March and be loaded on to a container ship on April 6.
The ship is expected in the Atlantic Ocean, where it will dock.
The trains are expected to travel at least 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) and will run on a diesel engine.
The $1billion train is the first of its kind in the world.
The world record holder was sold by Chinese train company Hong Kong Railway for $1 billion in 2016.
The passenger train is being built by Hong Kong-based Hong Kong International Railway, which has already completed a first stage of the train.
The Hong Kong company is owned by a Chinese company.
The US and Hong Kong have been trying to revive the long-stalled rail trade.
The Chinese government has agreed to open up the market for international freight to boost the local economy, but the freight market is not yet ready for this kind of a high-speed rail project.
The project is the latest in a series of attempts to create a global rail industry.
It is a joint venture between Chinese company CSG Group and American companies including Alstom and Siemens.
China’s railways have been struggling to meet passenger demand.
China has had a low level of rail passenger traffic since the beginning of the Great Leap Forward.
In 2018, the country’s railway network was only 20 per cent of the capacity it was at the beginning.
But the economy has rebounded, and by 2022 China hopes to have more than 70 per cent train capacity.
A $1bn train that travels up and down the US east coast is being sold for a record $1.1bn, with…


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- September 23, 2021 / 6 min readIn this role, Sami will assume global responsibility for driving the brand strategy and performance of KFC.
Yum! Brands yesterday announced the promotion of Sabir Sami, to KFC Division Chief Executive Officer.
Sabir will be reporting to Yum! Brands Chief Executive Officer David Gibbs, effective January 1, 2022.
Sami, a 12-year veteran of the Company, who currently serves as KFC Division Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of KFC Asia, will succeed Tony Lowings, who is stepping down as CEO at the end of 2021 in advance of his retirement in early 2022.
In this role, Sami will assume global responsibility for driving the brand strategy and performance of KFC.
“Sabir is an exceptional leader with deep expertise and knowledge of our business and has a strong, proven track record of growing KFC’s physical and brand presence in markets around the world,” said Gibbs by adding that as a highly-respected strategic brand builder, operations expert and heart-led leader, Sabir is a natural choice to continue successfully executing KFC’s long-term global growth strategies in close partnership with franchisees and further elevate KFC as a relevant, easy and distinctive (R.E.D.) brand.
In addition to overseeing operational strategy for all KFC markets, Sami dually serves as Managing Director of KFC Asia, a high-growth region for the brand representing 17 markets, excluding China, and comprising more than 15 percent of all KFC Division restaurants.
Prior to this, Sami was Managing Director for the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and Turkey markets, where he was instrumental in growing the business and establishing KFC as one of the region’s most R.E.D. brands.
Prior to Yum!, Sami served in various leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, the Coca-Cola Company and Reckitt Benckiser.
“I’m incredibly privileged and excited to continue working with our talented and dedicated KFC leaders and amazing franchise partners around the world to keep strengthening and accelerating the development of our powerful, iconic brand,” said Sami.
Dyke Shipp, 55, who currently serves as KFC Division Chief Development Officer and Chief People Officer, is being promoted to KFC Division President, reporting to Sami, effective January 1, 2022.
Lowings remains KFC Division CEO through the end of 2021 to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. He will remain with the Company in another capacity supporting transition needs into the first quarter of 2022.
KFC is the global leader in the chicken category and Yum!’s largest brand with more than 25,000 restaurants in over 145 countries and territories and more than $26 billion in system sales as of year-end 2020.Trending ArticleDaily UpdatesWhich is the highest format preference of Fun-Seeker?
Search for top Restaurant Suppliers in your city


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The Threats Confronting the IoT Ecosystem may Grow, But here are Answers!
The amount of information being generated and exchanged between the IoT ecosystem continues to grow. With these millions of data points, securing them should be treated with the top priority it deserves.
FREMONT, CA: A recent study by Hewlett Packard revealed that about 90% of devices collect some form of personal information, which indicates that the privacy of people is at risk and the threat intensity will keep growing with the Internet of Things (IoT). Fortunately, with an increase in security awareness, there are plenty of secure development practices being employed. Companies have started to look at protecting their IoT ecosystem for ensuring end-to-end security. Below are proven solutions that firms may implement to increase the security of IoT devices.
• IoT security Analytics
The vulnerabilities associated with IoT devices can be dramatically reduced by implementing security analytics. The process involves collecting, correlating, and analyzing data from multiple sources that can help IoT security providers to detect the potential threat and nip it in the bud. Suspicious activities can be identified by correlating data from a wide range of sources that allows security experts to correct those anomalies.
• Public Key Infrastructure
Public Key Infrastructure is a set of policies, procedures, and software required for the creation, management, distribution of certificates. Being a proven solution to IoT security threats, it ensures the encryption of data through both asymmetric and symmetric encryption processes. The data encryption and decryption ensure that the data privacy is maintained and the chances of data theft are reduced. PKI's security measure also involves using a digital certificate for verifying the identity of all connected devices in an IoT ecosystem.
• Communication Protection
The fundamental of IoT ecosystem works is communication between the connected devices. Hence, whenever communication is compromised, there will be a breakdown that can make the devices useless. To ensure smooth communication, it should be encrypted. This principle applies to communication between connected devices and interfaces.
• Device Authentication
Firms can also reduce their IoT devices vulnerability by carrying out comprehensive device authentication. There are multiple authentication features available for IoT devices, and they ensure that nobody has unauthorized access to those devices. A potential attacker will need personal information to gain access to the tools.
Although the use of IoT devices enhances the overall productivity, their vulnerability to attacks from the cyberspace makes users secure devices and reduce exposure to attacks. When implemented the above-suggested practices, it assures that the IoT devices are well-defended against breach of security.
Check Out : CIOReview | Medium


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TORONTO — BlackBerry’s share price has more than doubled over the last six months as buzz around its new smartphones has boosted investor confidence, but some traders are betting big that talk of a turnaround is over-hyped.
Nasdaq data released on Tuesday shows that short interest in the stock is at record levels and has more than doubled over the course of the last year.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
With BlackBerry due to report quarterly results on Thursday, giving investors their first official clues on demand for its new Z10 touchscreen device, that buildup of bearish bets could send the stock price surging if the company delivers a positive surprise.
BlackBerry, a one-time pioneer in the smartphone market, hopes the device — powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system — and other devices soon to follow will turn its fortunes around and help it to win back market share in an ultra-competitive sector. But many traders are clearly unconvinced.


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Apex Legends Season 18 release date is Tuesday August 8, 2023. Find out the expected release time in your part of the world.
Apex Legends Season 18 release time: The newest Apex Legends season is near at hand and will drop right in the middle of summer, much to the delight of hardcore Apex fans worldwide.
When is the next season of Apex Legends?
Apex Legends Season 18 is expected to launch on Aug 8, 2023.
This is based on the in-game Battle Pass timer, it also falls in line with EA and Respawn's tradition of dropping new updates on a Tuesday. The Thief's Bane in-game event for Loba also conveniently ends on August 8.
The name of the new season has yet to be confirmed. However, EA have confirmed significant changes to Apex Ranked mode to counteract 28% of players reaching Masters rank in Season 17.
What time will Apex Legends Season 18 launch?
The Apex Legends Season 18 release time on August 8 is expected to be as follows:
- 10 a.m. PST - West Coast NA
- 1 p.m. EST - East Coast NA
- 6 p.m. GMT - United Kingdom
- 7 p.m. CET - Germany
- 4 a.m. SGT - Singapore on February 15th (+1 day)
While this has not been confirmed by the developers, they have used the same release times ever since Season 8 of Apex Legends back in February 2021.
What's new this season?
Outside of changes to Ranked Mode, EA have yet to confirm any new upcoming changes. However, expect new information as launch day approaches.
Keep an eye on our Apex Legends Season 18 patch notes article for new changes and leaks and rumours.


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Tag Archives: Puzzle & Dragons
Sat, Nov 09, 2013 | 17:10 GMT
Puzzle & Dragons has been downloaded 2 million times in North America, GungHo Online Entertainment has announced. The game has been downloaded over 21 million times combined in Japan and Korea. GungHo plans to release Puzzle & Dragons Z on 3DS in Japan this fall, and there are plans to release it in the west at some point as well. Last week, the firm reported its financials for the quarter, noting a decrease in revenue and profits by 55 and 12%, respectively. Thanks, Siliconera.
Thu, Oct 31, 2013 | 15:27 GMT
Thanks in no small part to mobile phenomenon Puzzles & Dragons, GungHo has a pretty absurd operating profit margin — 57 percent or so this past quarter. But with revenue and profits down 5 percent and 12 percent, respectively, quarter over quarter, the companies price fell sharply this week.
Wed, Sep 18, 2013 | 11:38 BST
Capcom has confirmed that Dragon’s Dogma director Hideki Itsuno will unveil his new title at Tokyo Games Show this week. It’s a collaboration with Puzzle & Dragons developer GungHo Online Entertainment.
Tue, Jul 30, 2013 | 04:53 BST
Grasshopper Manufacture owner GungHo Entertainment is absolutely minting it off mobile favourite Puzzle & Dragons, but signs suggests the phenomenon is starting to fade.
Thu, May 30, 2013 | 21:00 BST
GungHo CEO Kazuki Morishita has told Bloomberg he would like to see the company’s sales top Nintendo’s by the time he retires.
Tue, May 14, 2013 | 08:28 BST
Puzzle & Dragons Z developer GungHo Entertainment has confirmed that the 3DS port of its monstrously successful iOS game is heading West.
Tue, Jul 30, 2013 | 04:24 BST
GungHo Entertainment is making some serious bank, according to its most recent financial report. One game in particular – iOS hit Puzzle & Dragons – is currently earning the firm $3.75 million a day.
Tue, Mar 26, 2013 | 19:01 GMT
GungHo Entertainment has been striking it rich in the past year thanks to the huge success of their mobile gem-matching RPG Puzzle & Dragons. Japanese telecom giant SoftBank, which already had stake in the company, will be picking up an additional 73,400 shares, bringing their interest to 58.5 percent of the company.
Wed, Feb 20, 2013 | 03:09 GMT
A single mobile game is believed to be generating incredible sales figures in Japan.


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In the tablet world right now, there’s the iPad and then there’s everyone else. Sorry, Xoom, despite your hype, you just don’t cut it yet. But a new challenger is just about to take the stage and it comes from a somewhat unlikely player: RIM.
People have been talking about the BlackBerry PlayBook for months now following its buzz-worthy unveiling at CES back in January. But at the time, RIM noted that there was much work still to do before it would be released. And that work is continuing right up to the April 19 launch next week. But the product is complete enough now that RIM felt comfortable giving out review units. We got one of them and have had a chance to use the device extensively over the past week or so. So how is it?


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THE 16-YEAR-OLD Paddock Wood student who is aiming to take on Google, is hoping his search engine can help small businesses.
Since the launch of the search engine, Boogami, James Wildish has sold more than 64,000 pixels depicting companies' logos for £1 each pixel.
The Hugh Christie student has now added a number of innovative features to help small businesses profit from the internet.
James said: "I know how difficult it is for small businesses to establish themselves on the internet and compete with the large companies who have deep pockets and are able to invest heavily in advertising and marketing with the big search engines.
"It means they struggle to be found by surfers; and people using the internet find it difficult to source products and services from small companies that offer a personal service or cheaper product.
"The internet is not a level playing field and I want Boogami to be a search engine that offers all businesses and not just the large companies a fair crack of the whip."
One of the innovations is Boogami Doorways, which enables anyone who can type and click to build web pages that can be optimised for their keywords and found by all the search engines.
James said: "Doorways can be used to launch a new internet business or linked into any existing website that is struggling to be found on other search engines."


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LONDON (Reuters) - British clothing chain Next on Wednesday said warm weather over the Easter holiday drove a 4.5 percent rise in full-price first-quarter sales, beating its own forecasts of a 3.2 percent rise.
Next, which trades from more than 500 stores in Britainand Ireland, about 200 stores in 40 other countries and itsDirectory online business, said full-price sales at stores fell 3.6 percent in the 13 weeks to April 27, while online sales rose 11.8 percent.
The company said the first-quarter outperformance, which amounted to about 10 million pounds of sales, was a relatively small number in the context of annual sales and it was not sufficient to change its view of the full year.
The group maintained the sales and profit guidance for the full 2019-20 year, with full-price sales growth seen up 1.7 percent and a 1.1 percent fall in pretax profit to 715 million pounds ($932.4 million).
Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Kate Holton


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Nintendo's quest to reach every type of gamer continues with the announcement of the pulse-sensing Wii Vitality Sensor, Team Ninja collaboration Metroid: Other M
, Super Mario Galaxy 2
and more in this minute by minute blog of Nintendo's E3 press conference...
9:05: Nintendo of America's EVP of sales and marketing Cammie Dunaway takes the stage to promise new "surprises" from Nintendo.
9:10: Dunaway introduces New Super Mario Bros. Wii
, demoing a four-player multiplayer mode. Due in Holiday 2009.
9:15: Wii Fit Plus
confirmed. The exer game helps you find a "specific workout routine" by allowing you to be your "own personal trainer," Dunaway said. The original Wii Fit has sold 15 million worldwide so far. Wii Fit Plus
will keep track of total calories.
9:16: "This can't be entirely about fitness. What makes this 'Nintendo' is that it's a lot of fun.' Said there will be a slate new balance games. "You can think of this as Brain Age
for your backside."
9:17 Wii Fit Plus
is due this fall as a bundle with Wii Balance Board, also available software only.
9:18: Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime takes the stage, where he boasts about how the Wii Remote and Balance Board have opened up new possibilities for gaming.
9:19: Fils-Aime talks about Wii MotionPlus and "a new sense of realism in gameplay."
9:24: Nintendo's Bill Trinen is demoing a skydying game in the upcoming Wii Sports Resort
in which the skydiver closely follows the Wii Remote's movement using MotionPlus.
9:25: An archery game in Wii Sports Resort takes into account distance, wind, and other factors. "It's not about learning controls, but doing what comes naturally," Trinen said. The game relies on the skill of the user. "It's the kind of challenge that long-time gamers strive for."
9:28: Inject a bit of awkward banter between Trien and Fils-Aime here.
9:30: The two go head-to-head in a three-point basketball shooting contest in Wii Sports Resort
. Fils-Aime wins! Wii Sports Resort
launches in the second half of July.
9:31: Nintendo's term of the day: "Physical Reality". Screw virtual reality.
9:32: EA Sports games such as Grand Slam Tennis
are a sign of strong third-party support, Fils-Aime said. Ubisoft's Red Steel 2
was confirmed as Wii MotionPlus-only. "Third party development is flowing to Nintendo... More third party games were sold on Wii than any platform. DS was second," Fils-Aime said of North American sales.
9:34: Nintendo showed Final Fantasy Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
for Wii and Kindom Hearts
9:35: Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
announced for DS. The 2D RPG is due in fall. Looks fun.
9:39: Golden Sun DS
confirmed, with full 3D graphics for DS. Due in 2010.
9:40: Dunaway is back, showing author James Patterson's Women's Murder Club for DS. It's an adventure mystery game for the masses (or primarily targeting women).
9:41. Dunaway introduces Ubisoft's driving and on-foot shooting game C.O.P.: The Recruit
revolving around an underground street racer. Fully 3D-rendered.
9:43: Style Savvy
for DS will appeal to fashion savvy female gamers, allowing them to dress up avatars.
9:44: Cue video montage of people saying how great Nintendo is.
9:45: Dunaway: "People today don't just consume entertainment: They create it, and then share it."
9:46: She reveals Flipnote Studio
, the simple movie-making game revealed recently in Japan as Moving Memo
, will launch in the U.S. this summer for DSi.
9:48: A new Mario vs. Donkey Kong
is coming to DSi next week as a download on Monday.
9:49: Beginning this summer you'll be able to automatically upload photos from your DSi and shared with friends on your Facebook, Dunaway said. Photos edited with DSi software will make sharing photos more fun, she added.
9:50: "We won't get carried away with user-generated content," Dunaway said. Gamers want stuff made by the pros, such as Zelda Spirit Tracks
for DS, which will be playable on the show floor at E3.
9:51: Nintendo head honcho Satoru Iwata takes the spotlight. "The global gaming population is greatly expanding," he said. "But there are some that believe the expansion [is slowing]." He described three groups of people: People who play games, people who will never play, and people who will maybe play. "Maybes" are Nintendo's target now. "There are already more than 295 million people playing games in the three major gaming territories (Japan, Europe, North America). But "we still have a long way to go in expanding the gaming population," he said. Iwata claimed that the gaming population can expand by 50 percent.
9:55: "Our next goal is to create individual titles that can [please] every type of gamer," he said. Nintendo wants to make games accessible for novice players, and challenging for avid gamers. "If we simply lower the bar, we won't satisfy highly-skilled gamers."
9:56: Iwata reminds the crowd that everyone was a novice gamer at some point. "We were not born expert gamers."
9:57: What's the solution Iwata? "I thought I should give you one potential answer." The new Wii Vitality Sensor is a new peripheral that recognizes your pulse,and slips onto your figure. "Pulse is not just an indication of your heartbeat."
9:59: The Vitality Sensor will let players see the information relating to "the inner world of your body," Iwata said. The device will help people reach "greater relaxation", he said, working as a stress-reliever. "It may not be long before games are used to make people unwind or even make it easier to fall asleep," Iwata said. We're not sure how this relaxation device will bridge the novice to expert gap... Iwata departs.
10:01: Dunaway is back and announces a new full 3D Mario title, the first time two such titles have appeared on a single Nintendo console, she said.
10:02: Footage of Super Mario Galaxy 2
for Wii. Looks quite similar to the original, which isn't a bad thing.
10:05: Fils-Aime says Wii also has games for "hardcore" gamers, such as The Conduit, Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles
and Dead Space: Extraction
-- all previously announced third party games that have been on the radar for some time.
10:09: Third party publishers are drawn to opportunity, and there is no opportunity greater than Nintendo, Reggie said.
10:10: "Could a new, edgier game could be coming from us? The answer is 'absolutely.'" Team Ninja is collaborating with Nintendo on Metroid: Other M
. It's a little darker, seems like there could possibly be some melee mixed in with shooting, but that's not clear. Pretty high-octane trailer.
10:13 "We believe there is a place [in games] for everyone," Fils-Aime said. And that's a wrap.