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It’s September, which means it’s time for Apple to announce new stuff. The company has finally announced its 2023 range of iPhones, the iPhone 15 series, and we also have our first official look at this year’s iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Many of the rumored improvements are present, but there are also a few surprises.
The iPhone 14 Pro last year was a radical change, and the regular iPhone 15 inherited several of the changes included in that older phone. It’s the iPhone 15 Pro’s turn, then, to innovate, and while it’s arguably a more sensible upgrade compared to what the iPhone 14 Pro represented, there’s still a lot to talk about. For starters, it has a new ultra-resistant brushed grade 5 titanium frame. Apple says that it’s the most premium material it has used to date, and it allows for the phones to be lighter and, at the same time, way more durable. Aluminum is still used inside, but Apple says that this is a good thing, helping with thermals and further decreasing weight. It also has incredibly reduced screen edges, as well as an improved ceramic shield screen.
The smartphone comes with the new A17 Pro SoC, which Apple says is a big step-up on the iPhone range. The 3nm chip comes with a new redesigned “pro-class” 6-core GPU with features such as mesh shading and hardware-accelerated ray tracing a la NVIDIA RTX — something that should make for a significant improvement in mobile gaming. The chip’s neural engine will also work in hand with the GPU to optimize games. We also have a 6-core CPU with faster performance and efficiency cores, and 19 billion transistors, as well as a new dedicated AV1 decoder.
The phone also comes with all the same general improvements that came with the iPhone 15. This means that the proprietary Lightning port is going away, and is being replaced with a good old USB-C port — a long-overdue change that means iPhones and Android phones can finally use the same chargers. Apple had moved away from Lightning on its iPad lineup, and it looks like it’s finally doing the same thing with its remaining Lightning devices. Standardization is always good news.
The phone comes with a dedicated USB controller with USB 3.0 support, which can be used for recording directly to external storage, faster local device backups, and more. We also have a new customizable action button that’s replacing the long-standing Mute switch — it can still mute your phone by default, but you can remap them to other things, such as quickly recording voice memos, fire up the camera, or pretty much anything.
As usual, there are some improvements to the cameras. The 48MP sensor is larger than the one in the iPhone 15, which allows for a lot of improvements, capturing a lot more detail and light. And Apple is also adding a lot of new additions that will be useful if you actually care about quality mobile photography, like 48MP HEIF shooting. There’s also a 12MP 5x telephoto camera with a 120mm focal length and a 12MP ultra-wide camera with support for macrophotography. In total, we have, according to Apple, the equivalent of seven camera lenses and 24, 28, and 35mm lenses. 4K recording is also getting a bump to 60fps. There’s also an OIS system that can move in three directions and can provide up to 10,000 micro-adjustments per second.
The iPhone 15 Pro is going on sale starting at $999 for the regular size, and $1199 for the Pro Max model. It will be sold in Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium. You can pre-order yours starting this Friday from the Apple Store, and it will be available starting on September 22nd.


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Online retailer Amazon kicked off their week of Amazon Black Friday deals in the UK this morning (Monday), offering sizeable discounts on a range of products.
Black Friday is an American tradition that has been spreading around Europe over the last few years. Essentially, it refers to the day after the US national holiday Thanksgiving and is recognised as the start of the Christmas shopping season. Large retailers across America offer huge discounts on products to attract shoppers to their stores.
Rather than getting battered and bruised on the US high street, not to mention cold queuing for hours, retailers began to take the Black Friday discounts online and even UK websites, such as Amazon.co.uk, began offering Black Friday deals.
This has now stretched to a week-long series of ‘lightning deals’, and it all started with a 69% discount on Nespresso coffee machines at 8am this morning.
With new deals coming online every 15 minutes and only a small number of each product available, it’s fast-paced action.
Get over to Amazon to join in the fun and bag a bargain.

domain: news


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Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast has broken the internet yet again, courtesy of his highly anticipated YouTube Rewind 2020.
The 22-year old YouTuber's ode to the year gone by has been one of the most anticipated videos ever since it was announced back in November.
With 2021 officially here, he finally announced the release of his take on the popular YouTube Rewind, amid much fanfare:
Just when it seemed like the world would miss out on an annual tradition, MrBeast came to the rescue with a wholesome look at all that has transpired in the world in 2020.
By the looks of initial reactions online, MrBeast has certainly not disappointed, as Twitter continues to go absolutely gaga over what is being deemed as "the greatest YouTube Rewind yet."
Twitter reacts to MrBeast Rewind 2020
Considering the fact that his Rewind is roughly only six minutes long, the amount of content that MrBeast manages to fit in is certainly commendable, with a host of familiar faces flashing across the screen.
From various trends and memes involving Karens and Coffin dances, to breakout stars, as well as a moving "In Memoriam" section featuring the likes of Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman and more, MrBeast leaves no stone unturned in paying tribute to one of the most unforgettable years in human history.
The likes of Ninja, PewDiePie, Logan Paul, Pokimane, Jacksepticeye, Markiplier and several more feature, as a barrage of stars are honoured for their contributions to another year in streaming gone by.
Faceless YouTubers Dream and Corpse Husband get a good amount of screen time, with other popular YouTubers cropping up to share their views on the star duo. Speaking about the former, in what constitutes one of the most anticipated segments of the video, the Dream face reveal turns out to be quite a hilarious troll on his part.
After creating a good amount of suspense, Dream does take off his mask in the video, only to reveal another, identical one below!
In light of MrBeast creating a joyous six minutes of quality content, several from the online community took to Twitter to gush about the same:
With fans already declaring his version of YouTube Rewind the best yet, it seems like MrBeast has delivered an absolute winner, replete with tons of memorable content.
With a perfect mix of nostalgia, sentimentality, humour and memories, fans can't get seem to get enough of his 6-minute masterpiece which exceeded expectations in terms of technical prowess, as well as quality content.
As Twitter continues to gush over the wholesomeness of the video, fans have already started petitioning for MrBeast to take over the reigns of YouTube Rewind on a yearly basis.
Having said that, it seems like 2021 could not have possibly gotten off to a better start, all thanks to a certain MrBeast.
Published 02 Jan 2021, 03:33 IST


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The euro touched a 10-week high against the dollar, boosted by confidence in the global economy and the Greek debt-restructuring deal.
The common currency hit $1.3379 in intraday trading on Thursday, its highest point since Dec. 12, after a German indicator of business confidence came in higher than expected. The report counteracted a European Union forecast on Thursday that said the 17-nation euro zone will slip into recession in 2012, as well as euro-zone manufacturing data earlier in the week pointing to contraction.
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In an apocalyptic twist for Whovians everywhere, particularly those that, say, run a Doctor Who podcast, it appears that all of the Doctor’s adventures have effectively been pulled from streaming services.
To be fair, a lot has been going on behind the scenes of the cherished property. Amazon was the first to experience Who-related exclusivity problems this past year. Also in 2015, Netflix extended contracts for Doctor Who and Luther, among many other BBC properties, bringing them to legions of American fans. Then, late last week, the BBC suddenly announced that it was pulling Who from all streaming services, including Netflix and Hulu.
This comes as a major hit to fans, particularly those who have gotten into the series via Netflix. Still, Hulu unquestionably suffered the biggest hit from this sudden embargo. The streaming service had become the center of all things Whovian by hosting not only the modern series, but also 50 years of classic episodes, the Torchwood spin-off, a series of specials, and documentaries. This even included the YA series The Sarah Jane Adventures!
Many predict that the BBC is probably about to announce their own paid streaming service, but whether or not it will be available in the United States and how much of the Who-catalog will be available is still up in the air.
This all comes on the heels of show-runner Steven Moffat announcing his departure. The entire series getting pushed back a year due to the Olympics, too, and the rumors that the current Doctor, Peter Capaldi, may be forced out. All in all, it has been a rough January for the Doctor, which does little to makeup for the abysmal Christmas special.
If we’ve ruined your day, take comfort in this Corgi dressed as all 13 Doctors.


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The trend of female celebrities posting photos of themselves online sans face paint continues today, and the latest star to hop on the no makeup train might be the most unexpected yet.
Yes, that’s Snooki and yes, she looks pretty good without an entire cosmetics store on her face. But of course, this is not a look she plans to keep. “My clean canvas before I get artistic,” the pregnant Jersey Shore store wrote on Twitter.
The mom-to-be joins stars like Katy Perry and AnnaLynne McCord who recently showed off their own naked faces, but perhaps no star on earth spends more time in front of the bathroom mirror than Snooki and a guido without chemical enhancements is like a day without sunshine, so don’t expect to see this look again.


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Insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor says it is seeing increased demand for its services in Liverpool as the COVID-19 crisis continues to wreak havoc on the economy. Tony McDonough reports
Insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor has renewed its lease at its Liverpool city centre office in ‘multi-year’ agreement.
Begbies Liverpool team occupies space at Downing’s No 1 Old Hall Street. It says its rescue and recovery services are in demand as business owners across all sectors face continued challenges in responding to the pandemic.
In its latest Red Flag survey, the firm revealed that more 8,000 firms across Merseyside are in ‘significant financial distress’, up 17% from the same time last year. It said bars and restaurants had been hit hard and estimated almost 200 gyms are on the verge of going bust.
Keith Tully, partner in the Liverpool office of Begbies Traynor, said: “This year has presented huge challenges to businesses in all sectors across our region and many business owners are facing acute financial distress and growing pressure.
“We have extended the lease on our premises at a time where many companies may be tempted to pull out because we believe it’s a practical measure to support our staff who want a blend of office life and home-working.
“It also helps our clients and professional contacts and it’s a visible symbol that confirms this is a great city to work and base your business.”
Jason Greenhalgh, partner at Begbies Traynor in Liverpool, added: “We are have already seen many businesses restructure their operations and finances and we expect to see more in the weeks and months ahead. Times are certainly challenging but company directors must tackle the issues they face and seek professional advice to explore all their options.”


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Chinese giant Huawei has today announced that it has started rolling out a new update to its popular smartphones which brings GPU Turbo 3.0 for enhancing the smartphone experience. The update is being rolled out to devices such as Huawei P30 Lite, Huawei P20 Lite, Huawei Nova3i, Huawei Y9 among others.
The GPU Turbo 3.0 feature energizes gaming performance without exorbitantly snacking on the battery, says the company. The benefits include a smooth and seamless experience and improved battery performance while gaming.
The latest version of GPU Turbo is exclusively available on the Huawei P30 Pro as of now. It cuts down on SoC power consumption by 10 percent and optimizes the performance of the underlying system to provide a seamless gaming experience.
Besides faster touch response and lower energy consumption, the new GPU Turbo also reduces frame drops and results in a higher average frame rate compared to when the feature is switched off.
Interestingly, the feature is no longer limited to Huawei’s flagship devices and the Chinese company is now pushing it to the budget devices as well.
Furthermore, GPU Turbo 3.0 supports a number of Android games which are optimized for it. The list of games include Fortnite, Knives Out, Battle Bay, Crazy Taxi, Real Racing 3, Into the Dead 2, NBA 2K19, Dragon Nest M, Duel Links, PES2019, DRAGON BALL LEGENDS, FIFA Mobile, Free Fire, Minecraft, Helix, Plants vs. Zombie Heroes, Subway Surfers, Brawl Stars, Speed Drifters, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Vainglory, Arena of Valor, Rules of Survival, and NBA 2K18.
Also Read: Huawei’s EMUI 10 is all set to get unveiled on 9th August
The company has also announced the rollout of EMUI 8.1 update for P20 Lite users in India. Huawei Y9 2019, Huawei Nova 3i, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Huawei Nova 3 will receive the update in the second phase, next week, beginning 24th July.


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What’s Behind Adidas’s Profit Growth?
Adidas AG, the German sport-shoe maker, forecast up to 12 percent increases in sales and earnings this year as consumers spend more ahead of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Net income from continuing operations will rise at least 10 percent excluding goodwill impairment, Adidas said in a statement Thursday. Bloomberg’s Andrea Felsted takes a closer look at the company with Principal Global Investors CEO Jim McCaughan. They joined Manus Cranny and Anna Edwards on “Countdown.”
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Yruma Says Compelling Physical Retail Will Succeed
44:50 - Edward Yruma, equity research analyst at KeyBanc Capital, discusses earnings season and the outlook for the retail sector. He speaks with Bloomberg's Vonnie Quinn and Nejra Cehic on "Bloomberg Markets." (Source: Bloomberg)


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Charlotte , North Carolina, July 26, 2010 – AT&T* today announced it has created an AT&T Wi-Fi hotzone in downtown Charlotte, N.C. to enhance the mobile broadband experience for AT&T customers. The large outdoor Wi-Fi hotzone provides coverage along South Brevard Street from the area around the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza to East Trade Street, and for AT&T customers waiting to use the nearby Lynx light rail.
The Charlotte, N.C., AT&T Wi-Fi hotzone is the second to be deployed as part of a pilot project to explore using Wi-Fi to supplement AT&T’s mobile broadband coverage in areas with consistently high 3G traffic and mobile data use. AT&T launched its first pilot Wi-Fi hotzone in New York City’s Times Square in May, and customer usage has been better than expected. AT&T plans to further expand the pilot project with the launch of a third AT&T Wi-Fi hotzone in Chicago in the coming weeks.
“Our first AT&T Wi-Fi hotzone in New York City has received praise from our customers, and we’re excited to introduce this Wi-Fi solution in Charlotte,” said Angie Wiskocil, senior vice president, AT&T Wi-Fi Services. “Wi-Fi plays a key role in our strategy to mobilize everything that’s important to our customers – including entertainment, news, social networks and business apps. With these pilot AT&T Wi-Fi hotzones, we’re examining new ways to use a combination of our Wi-Fi and 3G networks to deliver the best possible mobile broadband experience.”
The expanded pilot program will allow AT&T to gather more information and customer feedback in order to continue to evaluate the benefits of Wi-Fi hotzones to provide another mobile broadband option for customers. More and more people are choosing to access AT&T’s Wi-Fi network with their Wi-Fi enabled smartphones, laptops, netbooks and other devices.
“This is further evidence of our continuing commitment to invest in North Carolina and bring the latest communications technology to this state,” said Cynthia Marshall, president, AT&T North Carolina. “Whether you’re a local business person or a visitor to beautiful downtown Charlotte, AT&T customers can benefit from this fast mobile broadband connection.”
The popularity of Wi-Fi service — particularly on mobile phones — has grown tremendously. In the second quarter 2010, AT&T handled 68.1 million Wi-Fi connections on its network, compared to just 15 million in the same quarter last year. Many of the most popular AT&T smartphones support auto-authentication at AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, making it automatic and convenient for customers to connect. Customers can log onto AT&T Wi-Fi hotzones and more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide without it counting toward their monthly smartphone data usage.
AT&T’s Wi-Fi network complements its wired broadband and wireless 3G networks, offering Wi-Fi connectivity at popular locations like retail stores, restaurants and coffee shops from coast-to-coast.For more information on AT&T Wi-Fi and how to connect, visit www.att.com/wifiaccess.


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The Boca Raton Police Department has created a couple of light-hearted videos to remind shoppers of the importance of staying safe this holiday season.
BOCA RATON, Fla. - The holiday shopping season is about to get underway, and the Boca Raton Police Department is warning shoppers to be careful in the malls and parking lots.
Officers said they will have extra patrols out during the period from Black Friday through mid January.
The Boca Raton Police have released two videos about staying safe during holiday shopping:
The first video uses the holiday classic "Sleigh Bells" with lyrics focused on keeping your belongings safe.
The second video was created and produced by the Digital Media Arts College in Boca Raton.


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It’s always a big deal when a new Apple retail outlet opens, but the store coming to Houston could have a special first-day surprise—the debut of the iPad 3.
The Highland Village store was originally scheduled to open its doors on March 17, but according to the Houston Chronicle, the date has been pushed up to March 16. While the explanation could be that March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, the fact that potential customers are planning to go out drinking that night wouldn’t prevent them from hitting the Apple store during the day. A more interesting theory is that this is the date the iPad 3 will go on sale.
The timeline fits, because in 2011, the iPad 2 was introduced on March 2, then went on sale March 11. Apple is expected to announce the iPad 3 at its media event this Wednesday, March 7, so an on-sale date of Friday, March 16 would make sense. The opening of the new store has been anticipated for months, and will be the fourth Apple retail outlet in the metropolitan Houston area, bringing the total number of stores in the area to seven.
The store has an air of mystery that is enhanced by the black cloth that has been shrouding it from prying eyes for months. The Chronicle’s Dwight Silverman stated, “The black cloth now covers what appears to be a glass back, front and curved roof. It looks like a smaller version of a store opened in New York City last year.”
The opening of a brand new Apple store is sure to be an event, but throwing open the doors on the same day that the new iPads become available would guarantee major media attention. It could also turn into a logistical nightmare, since last year’s on-sale debut of the iPad 2 caused long lines and packed parking lots at all Apple stores, and a stock shortage led to waits of days or weeks for the faithful who wanted their new tablet ASAP. Hopefully, Apple has learned from its mistakes and things will run more smoothly this time around.


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Several phone makers have smartphones in the pipeline with next-generation under-display cameras.
Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, vivo, ZTE and Meizu are all expected to show phones with new under-display cameras in the second half of the year.
According to well-known insider Ice universe, Samsung’s and Oppo’s devices to use an under-display camera will be foldables, while Xiaomi’s will be the Mi Mix 4.
We’ve already heard that vivo’s NEX 5 is expected to bring an improved under-display camera in the second half of the year. ZTE first showed a mass-market under-display camera solution in the Axon 20 5G (review here), but the quality of the camera was lacking to say the least. Now the company has confirmed it’s Axon 30 which will bring the next generation of the camera, but it’s yet to release more details about it.
Stay tuned for latest updates.


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CONFECTIONERY giant Ferrero is aiming to offer something for everyone this Christmas, investing £8.2m in media while launching new products across its brands, including advent calendars and new boxed chocolate products.
Among the new seasonal treats aimed at children is a Kinder Chocolate Santa Letter (RRP £3.50). Consisting of two 100g Kinder Chocolate bars, an envelope, paper and stickers, each sent letter will be replied to by the Royal Mail.
Plus, following sales of £2.3m in 2016 (according to Nielsen), Kinder Joy will return with new collectable winter eggs. Available in three colours and four different designs, the range will include eight toys that can be placed on the tree.
Meanwhile, with the premium advent segment experiencing strong growth of 41%, Ferrero says there has been increased choice in chocolate and non-chocolate advents for both adults and children. It will introduce the Kinder Mix Advent Calendar (RRP £5), containing Kinder Chocolate Minis and Kinder Chocolate with Cereals Minis. And Thorntons will be adding to its existing licence for The Snowman with the introduction of The Snowman and The Snowdog Advent Calendar, containing milk chocolate with a 60g white chocolate Snowdog for Christmas Day.
In addition, Kinder is launching a social media campaign, inviting children to share their magical Christmas wishes and moments. One family will win the chance to have their Christmas wishes come true, delivered to their door by Kinder.
While Christmas is a special time for children, the grown-ups have not been left out. With a £4.1m investment across Ferrero Rocher and Raffaello, Ferrero Rocher will get a new TV ad in the lead up to Christmas, ‘Make Your Moments Golden’.
Ferrero Golden Gallery will feature two new flavours in time for Christmas, while Thorntons will continue to ‘Pass the Love On’ this with a £3m support plan across TV, VOD, social, press and in-store activations.
Thorntons Continental, which recorded triple-digit growth in 2016, will receive a premium Dark variant. Thorntons will also introduce two new boxed products – Thorntons Seasonal Selection and Thorntons Christmas Selection.
Customer development director at Ferrero, Levi Boorer, said: “By investing in heavyweight media campaigns and NPD, we believe we can provide retailers with the perfect gift this Christmas – fantastic sales.”


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InMode, a medical aesthetics company, announced better-than expected first-quarter profits and sales on Wednesday. This pushed INMD stock towards a breakout.
InMode anticipates that sales for the three-month period ending March 31 will be between $105.7 and $105.9 millions. In a client note, Needham analyst Mike Matson stated that this was above the forecast of $100.3 million. This implies that sales increased by about 23% over the past year.
He said that the company was also expecting adjusted earnings between 50 and 51 cents per share. This is above analyst expectations of 46 cents. He said earnings grew by 26% to 29%.
INMD's share price rose 5.1% today to 36.90. MarketSmith.com reports that shares are close to a buying point of 41.94 from a flat basis.
InMode offers radio frequency tools to help remodel the way your body stores fat. The company offers skin tightening procedures, and has expanded into gynecological service.
Matson points out that InMode has not updated its outlook for the full year. The company had previously projected sales of $525-$530 million and earnings adjusted to $2.58-2.60 per share. Sales would increase by 16%-17%, while earnings would rise 6%-7%. Both guidances exceeded INMD analysts' consensus expectations.
He expects InMode will increase its guidance for the full year on May 2's earnings call.
Matson maintained his Hold rating on INMD.
He said that, despite the positive first-quarter results of InMode, he was concerned about a slowing economic environment which would reduce the demand for expensive aesthetic procedures. This could also slow down InMode’s revenue growth.
InMode's shares are still highly rated. INMD has a Composite rating of 97 which places it in the top 3% when it comes down to technical and fundamental measures.
The stock's EPS rating, which is a measure for profitability on a scale of 1 to 99, is a score of 98. The Relative strength rating of the shares is 80. IBD Digital says that this still places INMD in the top one-fifth in terms of performance over a 12-month period.
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Investor's Business Daily published the article InMode Soars on Bullish Pre Announcement -- but There's a Slight Caveat first.


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The Grim Reasons Pork Is Off The Menu At Hundreds Of Chipotle Restaurants
The causes of Chipotle's pork problem have been revealed.
Last week the restaurant chain announced that pork items would be off the menu at one-third of its locations, citing concerns of animal mistreatment by one of its main meat suppliers. Now an industry insider has revealed to NPR's All Things Considered that the farm in question violated company standards by using farrowing crates and slatted floors - technologies that make life easier for farmers and hell for pigs.
Chipotle has not publicly disclosed what violations led the company to ditch the supplier, but here's what we know about these two widely-used cruelties of factory farming.
Farrowing crates, like controversial gestation crates used to keep pregnant sows contained, are stark metal cages intended to limit the movement of pigs - in this case, those who are nursing their newborns. For weeks at a time, female pigs are held in close confinement, unable to roll over or stretch their legs while their offspring feed.
Although these crates are seen as a way to limit accidental injury and death to fragile piglets by their mothers (in turn increasing farm production), animal welfare supporters say that problem can be avoided by simply giving the pigs more space.
Flooring might not be the first thing to come to mind when considering the mistreatment pigs raised for meat are forced to endure, but activists say it can be a major source of suffering.
Slatted floors, designed with openings to allow animal waste to fall through to container bins below, are commonly used on factory farms. While this infrastructure makes cleaning up less of a chore for farmers, the hard surface is both uncomfortable for pigs and potentially dangerous for piglets whose small legs can become trapped between the slats.
Chipotle has been praised for its animal welfare standards and requires pork suppliers to provide "deeply bedded pens" as well as "access to the outdoors." These basic amenities might sound like needless luxuries to many factory farmers, but the restaurant chain says it has had little difficulty finding farmers willing to comply.
As for the pork supplier in question, Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold tells NPR the company encourages them to change their practices for the sake of pigs:
"We believe that these are good people who are trying to do the right thing, and if they bring their protocols into [compliance] with our standards, we'd certainly consider having them back as part of our supply network."
Meanwhile, Chipotle is making the most of its self-imposed pork shortfall. The company is launching a promotion later this month offering free food with the purchase of Sofritas - a burrito made with tofu.


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Farmstead Moving Into Miami
The expansion of Farmstead continues apace: The e-grocer has opened the waitlist for service in its latest market, Miami. Waitlist signups will be limited to the first 1,000 customers, with service slated to begin late in the first quarter of 2021.
Miami will be Farmstead’s fifth market. The Burlingame, California-based company started out in the San Francisco Bay area, and now also serves Charlotte, North Carolina. It has also opened waitlists for service in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee. Service in both of those markets will roll out in the first quarter of 2021.
"Miami is excited to see yet another company realize and take advantage of the opportunities that our city presents,” said Mayor Francis Suarez. “We welcome anyone who wants to bring their ideas and their talents to the ‘3-0-5,’ especially a company like Farmstead that is so committed to the community they serve."
“There are many reasons why Miami is a great fit for Farmstead,” noted Michael A. Finney, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, the county’s official economic development organization, which is working closely with Farmstead to facilitate its expansion to Miami. “A network of local farmers and food producers offer a variety of high-quality local goods. Expertise in cold-chain logistics ensures a deep bench of diverse talent and established partners, while our vibrant tech ecosystem supports Farmstead’s continued innovation and growth.”
According to Farmstead, its “dark” warehouses, built for delivery only, enable it to expand more easily into new markets, reduce food waste by three to four times, and help eliminate food deserts by making fast, low-cost delivery available with an agile new model. In Miami, the company will provide, from one place, local brands such as Floribbean, Jennifer’s Homemade and Zak the Baker; national brands like Kraft and Nabisco; international/Latino brands; and fresh meats, dairy and produce.
Farmstead uses proprietary AI-based software, tied to the smaller-format dark warehouses, to determine optimal inventory levels; ensure efficient order picking, packing and/delivery and reduce food waste. These efficiencies enable the company to offer free delivery while keeping prices lower than those of local supermarkets and making fresh, high-quality groceries more widely available.
“We are thrilled to bring Farmstead from the Bay Area to Miami,” said Pradeep Elankumaran, the company’s co-founder and CEO. “Miami is a vibrant, modern city with a growing tech scene, the perfect profile for Farmstead’s online grocery service. We're excited to improve access to high-quality food, delivered right to their doorsteps, to every resident in Miami.”


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U.S. flower farms once produced nearly 65 percent of the nation's cut flowers, but over the past two decades, imports from South America have caused that figure to shrink.
Most imported flowers are flown into Miami from Colombia then trucked for three to four days in refrigerated containers. They can take four days to reach the Pacific Northwest.
To put the spotlight on local growers, Kasey Cronquist of the California Cut Flower Commission organized a Field to Vase dinner in Portland in 2013. He was aided by the volunteer-led American Grown Certification program, which connects retailers with flower farmers in the United States who are sustainable and local.
The Field to Vase gathering took place at the Leach Botanical Garden in Southeast Portland, where a local caterer served a local menu to about 40 flower farmers, floral retailers and wholesalers, and designers.
Part flower summit, part floral showcase, the event brought together people who might otherwise view themselves as competitors, according to Debra Prinzing, a Seattle-based design writer, author and creator of Slow Flowers, a new, free online directory to help consumers find florists who use American-grown flowers.
On Oct. 3, there will be a Field to Vase dinner at wholesale flower farm Oregon Flowers in Aurora.
"We are excited to host a Field to Vase dinner with the idea to create awareness of domestically grown flowers," says Tyler Meskers of Oregon Flowers, who grows hyacinth, tulips and lilies.
In addition to farm-fresh feasts, diners will enjoy centerpieces where every petal, stem, foliage, vine, bud and berry was grown on U.S. soil.
If you want to receive home and garden tips, sign up for the free OregonLive.com's newsletter.


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The government’s ongoing efforts to better share cyber threat intelligence with agencies and the private sector have been dealt a blow today in the findings of an Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) survey.
- Will Facebook’s $US5b punishment finally prompt other companies to act on privacy?
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- The week in security: After major GDPR violations, everything is fine
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It was just a few days back when OnePlus had confirmed that it will be ditching the headphone jack in OnePlus 6T, and now the company has released its first OnePlus 6T teaser video. The video features legendary Bollywood (Indian Cinema) actor Amitabh Bachchan (who is the brand ambassador of the company) holding the phone in his hands and teasing the under-display fingerprint sensor of this upcoming flagship device. Mr. Bachchan can be heard saying in the video:
“What if I told you, there’s a cooler way to unlock your phone? The new OnePlus 6T is coming. Suna hai bahot tez hai (I’ve heard it’s too fast).”
In addition to that, the video also includes words “Touch the innovation”, which is a clear reference to the in-display fingerprint sensor. You can watch the video below:
This OnePlus 6T teaser video was planned to be aired during the recent cricket match of Asia Cup 2018 between India and Pakistan. Other major specs of the device have already leaked in past, including its 16mp+20mp dual-lens primary camera, a slightly larger 6.4-inch Optic AMOLED display having 1,080 x 2,340 px resolution, Snapdragon 845 processor and teardrop notch. The phone is likely to be launched on 17th of October, and it will be an Amazon exclusive like the majority of other OnePlus smartphones.
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This article is more than 1 year old
Brussels paws Android map apps to see if they displace Euro rivals – report
Hey, Alphabet! How do you get from A to B?
The European Commission has reportedly widened the scope of its investigation into Google's alleged anti-competitive Android operating system tactics in the 28-member-state bloc.
According to Bloomberg, officials at the antitrust wing of the European Commission have fired off missives to companies seeking their views on whether Google Maps has superseded navigation services, such as TomTom and Nokia Oyj's HERE product.
Google and the EC competition chief Margrethe Vestager's office both declined to comment on this story when approached by The Register.
Last month, Vestager warned Google's freshly unzipped parent company Alphabet that it could face more competition charges in Brussels.
At the time, she told the Wall Street Journal that the Android case was "a different creature" to the lengthy probe into Google's search business, in part because consumers don't stop and think about the operating system powering their devices.
"But those who produce phones or sell phones or develop applications, they are very preoccupied with the operating system. So we give that a high priority," she said.
Back in 2013, UK-based Streetmap – in a separate complaint – launched a sueball at the ad giant, complaining to the High Court that its website had been popular in Blighty prior to what it alleged to be Google's "anti-competitive conduct".
Streetmap had previously claimed innovation was stifled by Google's alleged tactics, pushing its service down the search rankings and making it difficult for the firm to deal with its suppliers.
That case is currently being heard in London's High Court. ®


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RadioShack Makes Exclusive Deal with CA
RadioShack announced a deal Monday in which CA will be the sole provider of their in-store utility software products (they already sell other software online). CA’s eTrust Internet Security Suite, eTrust Antivirus and Desktop DNA Migrator will be available in RadioShack stores and online at www.radioshack.com Says Douglas Lane, vice president-merchandising for RadioShack, “Customers who have long relied on RadioShack as their trusted consumer electronics advisor now have access to a trio of CA’s top utility software titles.”
David Thomas, CEO at Evident, is an accomplished cybersecurity entrepreneur. He has a history of introducing innovative technologies, establishing them in the market, and driving growth – with each early-stage company emerging as the market leader.


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The Florida Keys remains closed to visitors due to the global COVID-19 crisis, but its tourism council has launched a new social media contest for travelers.
Visitors can recreate their favorite Keys memories in video form while staying safe at home and sharing with the hashtag #FLKeysAtHomeChallenge on Instagram.
Through May 25, 2020, U.S. residents can share their videos for the opportunity to win a visit to the Keys that can be enjoyed after the destination reopens.
The video challenge is part of the Florida Keys Tourism Council’s “[email protected]” initiative designed to promote “stay-at-home” directives and maintain consumer awareness of the islands.
Travelers who want to upload a video for the contest can post a self-made video to their Instagram feed that recreates experiences or activities unique to the Keys in the seclusion of their home or yard. Videos can be up to one minute long and should use the hashtag #FLKeysAtHomeChallenge with the tag @thefloridakeys.
The prize is a four-night vacation in the Keys, with travel to be scheduled after officials deem the destination can begin welcoming visitors again. Elements include complimentary accommodations, special meals and gift cards toward airfare and car rental. Entrants must be age 21 or older and legal residents of the U.S.
Source: Read Full Article


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A Chinese tech company has announced an app that can make any woman look like a supermodel by tightening their waists, lengthening their legs, and augmenting their breasts in pictures without altering the background.
A currently unnamed app by Beijing company called SenseTime allows female users to alter their height and width without affecting the background. The app uses augmented reality technology in order to create such shocking results, according to the Daily Mail Tuesday.
The promotional video for this controversial app appeared on the Chinese social media site Weibo. The video shows a girl dancing as a user makes her body appear slimmer and taller. Weibo has more than 340 million users, and the video had 145 million plays as of April 28.
SenseTime features other products that use augmented reality technology. The products are available for a mobile app to allow for users to beautify their images for social media accounts. Facial alignment technology allows for the app to locate the user’s face and alter the images.
SenseTime provides other features for Weibo users such as beautifying photos and different effects.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact email@example.com.


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McLaren 570S Spider will be introduced in 2017. But also next year an unknown Sports Series body style will be introduced and according to the latest reports, it could prove to be a Shooting Brake derivative.
Previously, it has been reported that McLaren would offer the 570S in a more practical body style better suited to cruising and complete with additional luggage space. According to some specialists such a new body could be a Shooting Brake.
And as at at McLaren "Nothing is impossible", there are no limits in adopting the Shooting Brake body style with a mid-engined car. It will be beautiful, it will be a different kind of car for the client to aspire to. So the 570S will attract one type of client and the 570-‘Blank’ will attract a different sort of buyer. There is not so long time left until we'll have the possibility to see this.


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TechNexion gears up for embedded world 2020
Jan 8, 2020
TechNexion, one of the fastest growing embedded systems solution providers, will participate in embedded world exhibition and conference 2020, underscoring its commitment to helping companies of all sizes as they take their technology innovations from idea to design to production.
TechNexion will showcase its broad portfolio of system on modules, communication and IoT modules, embedded and panel computing devices along with other solutions at the annual embedded world exhibition and conference to be held February 25 to 27, in Nürnberg, Germany. This year, TechNexion expanded booth will be located at Hall 1, Stand 1-307. To book a meeting mail us at email@example.com
About embedded world Exhibition & Conference
At Exhibition Centre Nuremberg in February 2020, embedded systems will once again be the focus of embedded world Exhibition & Conference, the leading international fair for the sector. Embedded experts from around the world gather in Nürnberg to network and showcase their innovative solutions to meet the challenges of the future. The exhibition takes place in Nürnberg, Germany every year in February or March.
TechNexion offers a wide range of embedded modular solutions to leading OEM/ODM companies in the multimedia, communication, security, automation and process control industries. TechNexion continuous investment in production technology and state-of-the-art equipment upgrades make it possible to meet technically increasingly complex customer demand. TechNexion products range from System on Modules, Connectivity Modules, Sensors, Embedded and Panel Computing Devices to IIoT Devices. All products and solutions are backed up with unmatched longevity, open hardware documentation and open source software.
TechNexion is a ISO-9001 and ISO-14001 certified company and is a founding member of the EDM (Embedded Design Modules) Standard.
For more information, visit www.technexion.com.


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Poorly planned affinity marketing campaigns are nothing much more than exercises in carpet-bombing, according to the author of a new report released today by Experian, the global information services company.
Nick McCarthy, Director of Decision Management for Experian’s Integrated Marketing division believes that brands view affinity marketing as the customer acquisition equivalent of a ‘get rich, quick’ scheme.
In the report entitled ‘Everybody is Somebody’s Customer’, he argues that companies are failing to apply marketing common sense to affinity programmes. More often than not, brands enter into affinity marketing relationships without a long-term strategy or clear objectives.
From a lack of segmentation through to little or no shared insight, most affinity marketing projects are plagued by mediocrity, according to McCarthy.
Some of the affinity marketing pitfalls he cites, include, not choosing the right partner – from not understanding whether each other’s marketing strategies are complementary, through to having wildly different cultures and customer bases.
He also point to neglecting to assess the commercial opportunity – for example, not running detailed headroom analysis to identify customer overlaps or even having unrealistic shared goals for the programme.
Not creating a closed-loop marketing process by failing to produce MI (management information) reporting on the campaign, or taking further actions on the results within the partnership, is another concern.
McCarthy said, “The smart brands are the ones that do their homework – they know which brand’s customers will be receptive to their offers and vice versa and invest in a carefully mapped out long-term strategy to deliver sustainable growth.
“However, for every brand getting it right, there are dozens failing miserably. They find themselves executing on plans without any real insight only to find themselves resorting to sending blanket offers to each other’s entire customer base.
He concluded, “It’s a false economy and for the consumer on the receiving end, it’s just more unwanted junk mail. It’s time brands realised they need to drive affinity marketing from within their marketing department and align it with a set of common business objectives and our report gives them real guidance on how to get it right, the first time.”
Check out 12ahead, our brand new platform
covering the latest in cutting-edge digital marketing and creative technology from around the globe.
12ahead identifies emerging trends and helps
you to understand how they can apply to modern-day companies.
We believe 12ahead can put you and your
business 12 months ahead of the competition. Sign up for a free trial today.


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July 12/Honolulu/PRNewswire-USNewswire -- Results of a new study found people age 65 or older who drank tea regularly had 17-37% less cognitive decline compared with people who did not drink tea. The new findings were presented at the Alzheimer's Association's International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease 2010 (ICAD 2010).
The population-based study followed more than 4,800 Americans (age greater than or equal to 65) for up to 14 years examining the relationship between consumption of tea, coffee, and change in cognitive function over time. Tea and coffee consumption were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE). Results showed that cognitive decline was statistically significantly lower (17-37%) among regular tea drinkers, even after adjusting for confounding factors that may affect cognitive function, such as age, education, smoking status and medical history.
In this study, 25% of people reported that they drank tea daily; 43% said they drank coffee. Overall, the average annual decline in 3MSE scores was 17%, 32%, 37% and 26% lower among people who drank tea 5-10 times per year, 1-3 times per month, 1-4 times per week, and 5 or more times each week, respectively, versus non-tea drinkers. On the other hand, drinking coffee regularly showed no effect on cognitive decline, except at the very highest level of consumption which was associated with a decreased decline of 20%.
Dr. Lenore Arab, PhD, professor, Department of Medicine and Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who led the research program said, "This study suggests a potential neuroprotective effect of tea consumption against cognitive decline. This neuroprotective effect of tea is unlikely related to caffeine since coffee, which has two to three times more caffeine than tea, did not have the same effect. The effect may be related to some other component in tea, such as flavonoids or perhaps theanine, however more research is required before a link can be confirmed."
This research was supported by the Lipton Institute of Tea and conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in collaboration with the University of Washington. The Lipton Institute of Tea aims to support research that examines the mental and physical health effects of tea consumption, including hydration, heart health and cognitive performance.
"In recent years, a body of scientific evidence has shown that regular tea drinking may have an important role in health and wellness," says Douglas Balentine, PhD from the Lipton Institute of Tea and Director of Nutrition Sciences for Unilever North America. "This new study provides further support that regular tea drinking may be an important actionable change a consumer can make as part of a healthy lifestyle."
From the July 19, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition


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Avis Budget Group has unveiled its new creative for its Apex Car Rentals brand, with a launch campaign via agency partner Host/Havas.
Celebrating Apex’s platform positioning of ‘Making Extra Ordinary’, the campaign focuses on turning all those hidden extras you normally have to pay for into an ordinary and upfront part of its offering – such as no additional charges for drivers aged under 25 years, and no one way fees, extra driver fees or booking fees.
Running across BVOD, YouTube, programmatic outdoor, social video, TikTok and digital display, the new campaign further cements Apex Car Rentals as a leading brand providing value for money for its customers in New Zealand and Australia.
“From launching in one location at Christchurch airport 30 years ago, to having 15 locations across the country, Apex Car Rentals is at the forefront of providing value for money for our customers,” says Avis Budget Group Head of Marketing, Product and PR, Pacific, Vanessa Wolczak.
“Apex Car Rental customers choose us as they know that when they book their vehicle, there are no hidden costs. This campaign really cements the messaging of simple, transparent pricing, where extras come as standard.”
Host/Havas Senior Creative, Pete Sherrah says the agency team have enjoyed working with Apex to “cut through a cluttered market”.
“There’s nothing worse than not knowing what you’re going to end up paying when renting a car. Apex is a trusted brand in the New Zealand car rental market because they give you everything you need and nothing you don’t. Much like our awesome client partners.”
The film can be viewed here
Client: Apex Car Rentals
Creative Agency: Host/Havas
Production Co: Playtime
Director: Imogen Grist
Audio: Song Zu
Media: Havas Media


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Not out of the woods
The world will have to learn to live with the reluctant American spender.india Updated: Nov 01, 2009 22:22 IST
The United States’ economy has returned to growth after a year of declines. The 3.5 per cent expansion of a quarter of the world’s output in July-September of this year signals the US economy is off its deepest point, but it also begs the question: will the recovery sustain? On current indications, no. A cash-for-clunkers scheme to spur automobile sales and a tax credit for home-owners that caused the growth spike are time-bound; the first ended in August, the second closes this month. Excluding automobiles, the US economy grew 1.9 per cent last quarter, and the rebound in construction is reckoned to have added half a percentage point to growth. The Obama administration’s fiscal intervention has worked, but consumer spending, which accounts for 70 per cent of demand in the US, does not show signs of reviving.
In fact, Americans cut spending by 0.5 per cent in September after a 1.4 per cent rise in August, signaling consumers are unlikely to make a full-fledged contribution to the recovery without handouts. Blame it on a jobless recovery. Profits at about 85 per cent of the companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index beat expectations, according to Bloomberg. Yet the unemployment rate is nudging 10 per cent, highest in a generation. Lean factory stockpiles will drive US growth in coming quarters; the output gains are not expected to ramp up hiring. Jobs must be created and household savings repaired before the US consumer starts spending again. Neither precondition looks imminent.
The US is in for protracted adjustments and the rest of the world will have to adapt to this new reality of the reluctant American spender. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates potential growth in the US will remain below 2 per cent for a considerable time on permanent output losses relative to pre-crisis trends. A key challenge facing Asia will be to devise a way to return to sustained, rapid growth in a new global environment of softer G-7 demand. The structural shift requires wider social security to discourage precautionary Asian savings, more robust financial markets to lessen the dependence on foreign capital and flexible exchange rates to restore the global trade balance. “In this ‘new world,’ Asia’s longer-term growth prospects may be determined by its ability to recalibrate the drivers of growth to allow domestic sources to play a more dynamic role,” says the IMF.


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It appears that the next Call of Duty game, that is being developed by Sledgehammer Games, will be called Call of Duty: WWII. From what we know, Sledgehammer will Call of Duty back to its roots, and it appears that its first artworks have been leaked online.
It’s worth noting that the source behind this leak is the same one that also leaked Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare a year ago. Not only that, but the title font appears to be similar to what Activision has been using, so this seems like the real deal.
As always, we strongly suggest taking these artworks with a grain of salt as Activision has not confirmed anything yet.
As the title – and the artworks – suggests, this new Call of Duty game will take place during the World War II era.
Enjoy the artworks and stay tuned for more!


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Business leaders have suffered a record drop in confidence during the pandemic and fear the economic recovery will be slow (The Daily Mail). Executives are braced for coronavirus to knock corporate revenues by more than a fifth this year, dashing hopes of a swift economic recovery after the end of the national lockdown (The Times £)
Applications for Bounce Back Loans, to help small businesses navigate the coronavirus crisis, open on Monday morning (Sky News).
Ahead of the BBLS launch, Treasury officials and bank bosses are locked in discussions over the final details, with lenders unwilling to go through the chaos of CBILS again. Bank bosses have raised the concern that allowing businesses to self-certify their viability will open the system to fraud. Senior executives also fear they will be held personally liable for failing to lend responsibly, which could lead to criminal prosecutions. (The Times £)
The government will provide up to £617m to fund grants for small business owners who had been overlooked by emergency help for companies caught up in the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic (The Times £).
Businesses are fearing a rash of insolvencies and the Government could publish and ram emergency legislation through Parliament as soon as this week to make insolvency rules fit for purpose in the current crisis, according to industry sources. (The Telegraph)
Taxpayers could subsidise the rent bills for “furloughed” shops and restaurants in the pandemic recession under plans being “seriously considered” by ministers as tensions mount between landlords and troubled businesses. (The Telegraph)
McDonald’s has said it is hoping to reduce the rent it pays to landlords as it slowly begins reopening its branches (Sky News). McDonald’s is in talks with some of its landlords in the UK about cutting rent payments as the fast food chain prepares to reopen some of its sites (The BBC).
Ocado faces a row over boardroom pay at its annual meeting on Wednesday after awarding a £59m long-term shares bonus to chief executive Tim Steiner. (The Times £)
City analysts didn’t mince their words yesterday as they cut Greggs, the high street bakery and stock market darling, down to “sell”. “The coronavirus crisis is a disaster for Greggs,” Clive Black, at Shore Capital, said. (The Times £)
The owners of burger restaurant chain Byron will launch an auction next week as the coronavirus pandemic threatens hundreds of thousands of jobs in the casual dining sector. (Sky News)
Zizzi and Ask Italian’s owner has become the latest casual dining chain to hire restructuring experts. (The Times £)
The Guardian looks at how How Tesco’s ‘doomsday exercise’ helped it cope with the coronavirus. The supermarket’s boss Dave Lewis details how remote working tools were in place and supply systems readied for an emergency. (The Guardian)
Drinks giants Diageo and Pernod Ricard are facing sales falls of up to 15% this year as the closure of bars and restaurants around the world dampens demand for spirits. (The Telegraph)
If any company can weather coronavirus well, it should be Deliveroo. The early days of lockdown saw demand surge for the service delivering food from restaurants and takeaways. However, Deliveroo’s real business model has almost nothing to do with making money from delivering food. Deliveroo loses money on every single delivery it makes… What these companies rely on is telling a story – largely to people who will invest in them. (The Guardian)
Superdrug, the UK high-street health and beauty chain owned by one of Asia’s richest tycoons, has slashed its rent payments despite keeping a number of its stores open during the coronavirus crisis. (The Financial Times £)
Unilever has become the latest FTSE 100 company to throw its weight behind a campaign to provide essential items to health service staff. (The Times £)
The FT looks at how the coronavirus will change British retail. The British Retail Consortium has painted a picture of queues outside stores, guards on doors to monitor entry and fitting rooms unavailable as shops gradually reopen with strict social distancing rules. (The Financial Times £)
Costa is setting out to break America and challenge Starbucks with self-service espresso machines and branded coffee products. (The Times £)


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In a virtual appearance on Monday, the Duchess wore a dress that resembled a gown worn by Princess Diana in the eighties. Kate recorded a minute-long message to deliver an important message about mental health, telling listeners that it it “okay to ask” how loved ones are feeling during the coronavirus pandemic.
For the occasion, she wore a £550 red floral gown by Beulah London. The piece features a bold white collar.
Members of the audience pointed out the gown’s resemblance to one Princess Diana donned in November 1986 during a trip to Oman.
The rose red Calla shirt gown from the British brand is depicted online as evoking a “classic mood.”
The dress is made from silk crepe de chine and features cuffed ballon sleeves.
Kate Middleton paid tribute to Princess Diana during video message
But the white cotton broderie lace collar is the centrepiece of the dress, contrasting sharply with its bright print.
The dress which is still available online and comes in sizes through 6-16, retails at £550.
To complete her look, Kate let her hair fall naturally over her shoulders.
The brand also contributes 10 percent of profits from all sales of the dress towards ending modern day slavery.
Kate has become a regular customer of Beulah London, co-founded by Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan in 2010.
The Duchess has stepped out wearing the designers’ pieces in several occasions.
Royal fan Instagram account @PrincessDianaIconic pointed out the similarities between the outfit with one of Princess Diana's looks.
The user posted: “Today the Duchess of Cambridge used a look very similar to the one worn by her mother-in-law The Princess of Wales.”
Coronavirus latest: UK recovery rates to be published daily [INSIGHT]
MPs demand answers from government over testing strategy [UPDATES]
Coronavirus map LIVE: UK deaths rise by 545 but ONS stats far higher [REVEALED]
Princess Diana wore her gown during the royal tour of Oman in November 1986.
She travelled to the country with Prince Charles and wore the dress as she watched him play in a polo match.
Kate wore the dress during a virtual event, The Mental Health Minute, where she spoke about mental health and the importance of checking on loved ones during the pandemic crisis.
The Mental Health Minute, which was broadcast on Monday across all UK stations at 10.59am.
The program also featured celebrities from all walks of life such as boxer Anthony Joshua, footballer Harry Kane, pop star Dua Lipa and actor David Tennant.
It is the first time all commercial, community, and all BBC stations - including national and local - have aired the same message at the exact same time.
During the broadcast, the Duchess said: “If you're struggling, it's important to talk about it.
“Or if someone you know is acting differently, it's OK to ask how they are. Use this moment to send a message.”
Siobhan Kenny, chief executive of Radiocentre, said: "It is so apt in this most extraordinary of times that the entire radio industry is uniting behind the 'Mental health minute'.
“We are delighted to be able to use the unique power of radio to highlight this important message to millions of listeners and to continue our support for Heads Together.”


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General Electric Co's fourth-quarter revenue fell short of Wall Street expectations because of slower-than-expected growth in Europe, sending its shares down 2.5 per cent in premarket trading.
The world's biggest maker of jet engines and electric turbines said net income from continuing operations rose 0.6 per cent to $3.93bn (£2.53bn), or 37 cents per share, compared with $3.90bn, or 36 cents per share, a year ago.
Factoring out one-time items, profit came to 39 cents per share, above the 38 cents analysts had forecast.
Total revenue came to $37.97bn, down from $41.23bn and below the $40.03bn analysts had expected. Factoring out the effects of last year's sale of a majority stake in NBC Universal revenue would have been up 4 percent.
City A.M. Reporter


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A new event will take place this July, focused exclusively on covering the whole parcel and e-commerce journey, from order placing to packaging, and from last mile and delivery through to returns.
While many businesses came crashing to a halt in 2020 due to the disruption caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, the parcel fulfillment, logistics and delivery sector went into overdrive, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the world stayed connected. Parcel volumes in the US grew by nearly 40% in 2020, reaching 20 billion, with around 640 parcels shipped every second*. With parcel volumes forecast to double by 2026, the demand for innovative new technologies and solutions has never been greater. (*Pitney Bowes Shipping index)
In response, a brand new B2B expo, Package Fulfillment, Logistics and Delivery Expo, will take place at the Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 13 & 14, 2022. It will focus exclusively on the future technologies, systems and services needed in the package and parcel journey from the supply chain, order picking and packing all the way through to final delivery and returns.
Visitors are expected from across North America and will include decision makers and buyers from e-retailers, fulfillment companies, shippers, 3PLs, CPGs, grocery delivery firms, couriers, home delivery companies and postal services, among many others.
The show, which is completely free to attend, will be closed to the public to ensure a strict focus on business, with a broad range of exhibitors all under one roof to ensure maximum convenience and allow visitors to get round the hall in a day before returning to their offices full of new possibilities. Over 120 exhibitors are expected, including industry leaders such as Purolator (which is also hosting a drinks reception on Day 1), Customs Clearance, Canada Post, Federal Aviation Authority, Cycleon, and RL Liquidators.
There is also a dedicated (paid for) conference, featuring presentations and panel discussions highlighting e-commerce fulfillment and shipping solutions, parcel handling and sorting technology, cutting-edge last-mile delivery and reverse logistics innovation. Held alongside the exhibition, this two-day event will welcome 80+ expert speakers from leading organizations including DHL, National Retail Federation, Postal Regulatory Commission, Reverse Logistics Association, UPS and the US Postal Service.
Visit the Package Fulfillment, Logistics and Delivery Expo website for all the latest information and to register for your FREE entry badge.


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Cash, Trade, Payments, Funding
Financial markets, Operations, Technology
Tax, Compliance, Governance
Moves, Case studies, Corporate strategy
Conference, Webinars, Roundtables
Find out who is the best in the business
285 results found
China: ship fuel reporting regime; Fintechs announce new network; Open API launched in Hong Kong; Singapore: new laws for fintechs
It’s not just governments tracking digital identities across the world. A growing number of companies offering digital authentication services have alerted corporates to the need for real-time digital authentication ...
Goldman Sachs is aiming to target corporate customers by 2020 but treasurers should remember a cash management technology professional’s warning – embrace innovation but don’t get locked in.
Are compliance functions improving despite a rise in expenditure on related technology? McKinsey does not think so.
With digital cybercrime on the rise, a digital forensics expert and a treasurer in Singapore say cybersecurity is no longer just an internal matter
China relaxes rules on corporate bank accounts; China’s has a top year for market fines; China mulls new credit rating rules; China brings in new e-commerce rules
Tata Steel spoke exclusively to CT about how the steel behemoth moved from Excel to a fully automated treasury system within a year
The China Banking Association (CBA) announces launch of China Trade Finance Interbank Trading Blockchain Platform aimed at boosting trade finance
The Singaporean bank has partnered with a Chinese automotive logistics company and a blockchain provider to connect small and medium enterprises
Blockchain? Libor? IFRS 9? What's a treasurer to do? CT takes a look at the best-read stories of 2018 as we wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year


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German Economy Stagnating – Now is the Time to Strengthen Growth: Joint Economic Forecast Autumn 2014
The German economy will grow by 1.3 percent this year and by 1.2 percent in 2015, predict the economic research institutes involved in the Joint Economic Forecast in their autumn report. According to the report, Germany’s economy has cooled down markedly. With economic output falling in the second quarter and stagnating in the third quarter of 2014, the engine for economic growth is proving hard to rev up again. Both domestic and foreign demand is weak: the consumer climate deteriorated recently and companies remain cautious about investment. The moderate pace of growth in the world economy and the low level of economic impetus in the euro area over the forecasting period are also having a negative impact. In this environment the economic research institutes are in favour of strengthening growth and creating more favourable investment conditions. They see financial scope for a more investment-friendly tax system and higher spending on areas that promote growth like physical and human capital.


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Facial and gesture recognition might be included with the iPhone 8. Timothy Arcuri, a Cowen and Company analyst, believes the phone may use a laser sensor and an infrared sensor near the front-camera for facial recognition. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also previously claimed the phone may include those features.For security purposes, facial recognition would offer an alternative to Touch ID or a way to make that system even more secure. Multi-factor authentication could be enabled, for example, by requiring a matching face and fingerprint to get into the device.Gesture recognition may enable a new way of interacting with the iPhone.
Source: iPhone 8 Rumored To Include Facial, Gesture Recognition | NextPowerUp


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Texas Legislature Considering Capacity Markets in Texas- Good or Bad for Consumers?
House Bill 4378, a proposition to incorporate a capacity market in Texas, was introduced and was still pending committee review as of April 22, 2021 by the 87th Texas Legislative Session. Capacity markets can be extremely expensive to consumers and may not solve the ERCOT problem regarding Winter Storm Uri. Consumers in Texas could see a $10 to $15 MWh uplift in
energy prices if this new market is implemented.
Unfortunately, a capacity market would not have helped during Winter Storm Uri as ERCOT had nearly 40% reserves in February, meaning 40% “extra” generation. Therefore, there was plenty of capacity in Texas for the winter event. The February 2021 event was a weatherization issue for the electric generators and natural gas suppliers. As a result, the implementation of a capacity market in Texas would not improve reliability. A capacity market would force Texans to subsidize power generators that already exist.
Concerns for Texans
– Adding a capacity payment to generators does not directly translate to construction of new generation sources
– ERCOT, without a capacity payment, has surpassed PJM (that has a capacity market) in new build generation
– The polar vortex was not a capacity issue, it was a lack of available generation due to winter related outages, including loss of fuel supply. More generation exposed to the same loss of fuel would not have changed the outcome
– Capacity markets will guarantee a revenue stream for generators, today and in the future. However, it will not guarantee availability or new-build generation in the type, location and reliability required
– Capacity markets, like PJM, have a three to four year horizon for contracting electricity and do not offer the same contracting opportunities that exist for ERCOT customers. ERCOT customers can enjoy contracts in the market for up to 10 years. Capacity markets tend to limit the customer’s ability to transact longer term agreements


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If you know someone who has Natalie Imbruglia's latest CD, White Lilies Island, or Five's Greatest Hits CD, there's an interesting experiment to be done by sticking either in the nearest Windows PC. You'll find that the CD won't play; it'll probably just whirr round and round, depending on the machine. So far, hundreds of people have complained to shops about the Imbruglia CD, released by the German music group BMG. There is no warning on either the Imbruglia or Five CD to say it won't play in a PC – which has led to buyers taking them back to their shops and complaining. HMV and Virgin are replacing them free of charge, and are said to have made their displeasure known to BMG.
The cause of all the trouble is the copy protection installed on the CD in order to prevent people "ripping" the songs on their computer to MP3 format and either burning copies, or making them available over file-sharing systems such as Gnutella. Called Cactus Data Shield, it is one of a number of anti-piracy measures being introduced by record companies that are trying to rein in the increasing music file-sharing on the Net. The aim of the protection system is simple: to stop people copying the digital files.
But what it actually does is to stop people playing the CDs on PC CD-rom drives. The difference might seem minor – but it also means that the CD won't play on a number of car stereos, the Playstation 2, some DVD players and, of course, Windows PCs. (Apple Macintosh computers, which use a slightly different system to read CDs, apparently mostly ignore the copy protection.) The reason: many of those use the same systems, or, in some cases, the same hardware as PCs.
If your principal CD player is a PC, perhaps in your bedroom – which is the case for many teenagers whom one would expect to be Five fans (and even some Imbruglia buyers) – it means that you've just bought a £15 piece of useless plastic. And a lot of people do listen to CDs on PCs: in August, the research group Gartner found that half of people had done that at some stage. No wonder music shops got complaints. But is that the end of it? "Until very recently, I would have thought that in a couple of years, every music CD in the shops would be sold with protection," said Julian Midgley of the Campaign for Digital Rights, which opposes the use of the copy-protection systems. "But I think this might be a turning point in the other direction because it shows that public pressure to have useful products, rather than broken ones, is sufficient to get shops to say that they won't have them." (The CDR is collecting a list of copy-protected CDs, which is available online.)
One could call such consumers the "collateral damage" in the war between record companies and the folk who make digital copies of CDs. But the war is about to get a lot more intense. The record companies are looking at falling profits (whether due to the recession or to copying), and are about to launch their own online services to offer songs. The notion that there is a hard core of Imbruglia or Five fans with high-speed Net connections who are downloading and burning MP3 versions of the songs doesn't really bear examination – especially given the parlous state of broadband in the UK. But it's likely that there are quite a few teenaged digital pirates making copies of their own or friends' new CDs and handing them out, or selling them, in the playground. And that's the last thing the record companies want.
However, those teenagers are the first thing they have to deal with. Hence Cactus, made by Midbar, and other technologies from companies including Key2Audio and Suncomm have been tested on the quiet in the US, South America and Germany – reckoned to be some of the worst areas for "user piracy". Album sales generally have fallen by 5 per cent; sales of CD-Rs have risen by 80 per cent (though arguably some of that is going to businesses and even home users who are sensibly backing up data from their PCs).
The Natalie Imbruglia CD was the first commercial CD sold in the UK to incorporate such copy protection, according to the Campaign for Digital Rights, which argues that doing so means that the companies are both selling substandard products (because they won't play on every CD-capable machine) and interfering with the music quality even on machines that can play them (because the copy protection can interfere with the player's error correction system, which compensates for scratches on the CD and stops them being audible as clicks or pops).
So why did BMG choose that one? "We had to start somewhere," said a BMG representative. However, it's not clear whether Ms Imbruglia has a huge group of CD-burning fans, nor whether she agreed to being the guinea pig for a new era in CDs. "That's a matter for an artist's manager," said BMG's representative.
BMG regrets the fact that the CD wouldn't play. "The problem is people burning copied CDs," the representative said, "not people playing their CDs in PCs. We have for now suspended issuing copy-protected CDs to the market. But this [lack of playability] will get sorted out. Copy protection is the way forward."
The incident may have gained BMG some unwanted publicity, but the record companies are not retreating. Two years ago, they reckoned that, worldwide, one in every four CDs of new music was actually just a copy; by the end of this year, they forecast, as many CD-Rs will be burnt with music as are bought.
Universal has already said it will move to put copy protection on all of its new releases by next summer (a retreat from its earlier position, which was by the end of the year). EMI has a testing program in place, though it has not apparently released any protected CDs. Sony is examining its options, though copy-protection is a big thing generally at the corporation.
The problem with this war is that it's one the business is effectively fighting with its customers. In the UK especially, people know that CDs cost more in real terms than they do in the US or Europe. In the mid-Nineties, that created resentment; the arrival of copying technology has brought release for that resentment. People are paying exactly what they think the music is worth; and "free" is a hard price to beat.
Beating the technologies used to copy and rip CDs is thus the focus for music companies. One senior record executive has a very direct test for any proposed protection system: he takes sample CDs home to his teenage sons. "I haven't found one yet that they can't beat," he told me.
The unanswered question is whether these copied CDs truly represent lost sales, or whether they mean people are just listening to music that they wouldn't have bought anyway. Napster surveys showed that in areas around colleges, where Napster use was high, CD sales also rose. The record industry replied with figures showing declining profits, increasing piracy, and the proliferation of CD-burning systems. The counter-counter argument was provided, ironically, by one of EMI's biggest groups, Radiohead. All the songs on their latest CD, Amnesiac, were available over the Net before the album was released. The band were delighted to arrive at gigs to play the unreleased songs and find that fans already knew the words. And the album, unprotected and already online, went to number one in the US.
Campaign for Digital Rights 'bad CD' list: http://uk.eurorights.org/issues/cd/bad
'Fat Chuck's' list of copy protected CDs: http://fatchucks.com/corruptcds/Reuse content


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Shaping the future at Universal Arches
Andy Hornigold has joined Universal Arches as general manager. Andy has represented a number of leading industry brands, including Evolution, Sternfenster and Deceunick and most recently was branch manager at Fire Glass in the North-West.
Andy joins at an exciting time for Universal Arches, as the company has invested heavily in state-of-the-art machinery to facilitate the manufacture of bespoke aluminium curves and arches.
Andy said: “Having worked in the fenestration industry for many years, I am delighted to have joined Universal Arches at such an exciting and promising time and am looking forward to offering Universal Arches’ customers a complete package to assist their business growth, whilst focusing on customer service and reliability.
Andy continued: “Over the past six months, we have perfected the bending of aluminium and have spent time training our fabrication and customer service team. We are confident that we can supply shaped aluminium frames in any RAL colour, in just six weeks”.
Universal Arches has been shaping PVC-U for over 35 years. It is said to be the only fabricator of PVC-U and aluminium shaped windows and door frames who can offer an immediate service for a fast turnaround.
Andy said: “We have also developed a bespoke online quoting portal, which is now live. Customers can prepare their own quotes, see a visual of their bespoke frames and place orders for both PVC-U and aluminium shaped frames instantly. 2024 has started very well and optimism at Universal Arches and across the Kaliber Group is high.”


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I-Guard International, a German Shepherd breeder and dog-training service in Otis Orchards, plans to open a pet center this fall in Spokane Valley.
The yet-to-be-named business at 19223 E. Appleway Ave. will include a pet store for dogs and cats; boarding, grooming and training services; a doggy day care; a cat room; and an aquatic center/ underwater treadmill, said Jacqueline Lungu, co-owner with husband Nick.
The couple are re-purposing a 2,000-square-foot former indoor golf facility for the pet store and building a 10,528-square-foot, $1.18 million space for the other functions.
The facility will open in late October. Information: iguardinternational.com
Two new sites for Golden Arches
Associated Construction Inc. of Spokane is finishing work on a new McDonald’s restaurant in Coeur d’Alene and starting another in North Spokane.
The Coeur d’Alene restaurant sits at the Northwest Boulevard entrance to the Riverstone development. Scheduled to open in mid-August, it is owned by North Idaho Food Services Inc.
Work recently began on a new McDonald’s at the Wandermere Shopping Center on U.S. Highway 395. It’s expected to be completed by Oct. 31, said project manager Kyle Smith of Associated Construction.
The Wandermere restaurant is owned by Northern Arches Food Services of Spokane.
Hubworks plans CdA move
Hubworks Interactive LLC, a Coeur d’Alene software developer, will move this fall from the McEuen Tower downtown to space on Northwest Boulevard near Riverstone.
Hubworks launched in 2009 and now has 12 employees. Its software lets customers place restaurant or bar orders and pay their bills using Apple iPads at the table or booth.
The company says its applications also can be used in hotels, sports arenas, theaters, golf courses and cruise ships.
Hubworks will move to Northwest Place, 1450 Northwest Blvd., Suite 202.


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Pretty soon, there will be a street that rains when it's too hot in Dubai. You read that right. Located in The Heart of Europe development, "Raining Street" will emit light rainfall every time the temperature drop below 27 degrees celsius.
Spanning across one kilometer, the project, which forms part of Kleindienst Group's US$5 billion tourist destination, will feature several leisure activities and outlets. These include restaurants, retail outlets, fashion stores, and souvenir shops. It will also host more than 50 European themed festivals per year to further attract tourists from across the globe.
The first phase of the development is set to open later this year.
How The "Raining Street" Will Work
While it seems complicated, the concept is pretty simple. Once temperatures rise above 27 degrees celsius, cold water in the form of rain will fall from the top of the buildings through concealed pipes.
"With the temperature ranging between 40 to 50 degrees celsius during summer, people are not going to walk outside. Therefore, we need a technology to create an outdoor climate-controlled area. So, we contacted engineers and consultants from the European institute who visited Dubai in 2008 to understand the climate here and conduct their research," explains Josef Kleindienst, the chairman of Kleindienst Group.
Who adds: "Fraunhofer engineers asked us if we wanted to reduce the temperature as in any other buildings and malls by using cold air, or we wanted cold water in the form of rain. We opted for rain as we knew people would love it, especially in the summer season." We love it already. Now, please excuse us while we shop for a raincoat and an umbrella.


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An ambitious Cheshire dairy wants to become the first UK company to export ESL fresh milk to China – thanks to help from Reaseheath College.
NEMI Dairy Ltd, based in Audlem, near Nantwich, is in advanced discussions to sell its milk, which has an extended shelf life and is naturally enriched with selenium, in major cities across the country.
Founder and managing director Andrew Henderson wants to see his milk on sale in China by August 1 this year – and if he hits his lofty target, he’ll have the team of experts from Reaseheath College, near Nantwich, to thank for their continued support.
Andrew attended a business masterclass run by the college’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funded SME Business Growth Programme in October.
And Reaseheath’s food production unit also worked with him to test the milk and make sure it could stay fresher for longer.
“The team at Reaseheath has been so supportive of every part of our work,” said Andrew, who launched NEMI Ltd more than three years ago but has been working on the concept for more than ten years.
“Obviously, due to time and distance it takes to cross continents, there is an issue with getting fresh milk to China but we’ve come up with a process that not only has the extended shelf life but makes sure the milk maintains that fresh taste.
“The Reaseheath team have been excellent in the sense that they have done the research and development work for us into the shelf life of the milk.”
Earlier this month Andrew welcomed a Chinese delegation to Reaseheath to view the work that’s going on – and in June, he and his team will travel to Shanghai to see the other end of the chain.
And all the while, the team at NEMI are working with commercial partners to make sure the deal runs smoothly.
Shepton Mallet-based packaging experts Framptons Ltd is one of only three UK processors with the necessary accreditation and licenses to export to China.
And the distribution will be handled by the Shanghai Extend Import and Export Co, who already source and distribute chilled seafood products in China.
“We knew that we couldn’t actually physically import and distribute the milk ourselves but we’re confident in the partners we have identified,” added Andrew.
“Shanghai Extend Import and Export Co’s expertise in air freight, cargo and chilled distribution will be invaluable for us. And their expertise in chilled importing into China and their ever-growing customer base will give us an incredible platform from which to achieve our goals.”
A huge part of NEMI’s unique proposition is the firm’s commitment to its family of dairy farmers, which is spread across Cheshire, Lancashire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.
Andrew added: “If we can make this work, we could make a huge difference to British dairy farmers because we pay our farmers a sustainable price. It’s a huge growth market over there so having that extra revenue will allow us to pay them competitive prices.
“We’re signed up to be a part of a local food producers group, facilitated by Reaseheath, that has come together to support the area and support quality local products and services.
“We’re bringing milk back to what it should be. Our soil, and as a result our milk, has lost some of its nutrients, particularly selenium, so we make sure that ours is naturally enriched.
“We’re finding more and more farmers wanting to be involved in the programme because they believe in what we’re doing and because they want sustainable prices. We’ve had fantastic support from across the industry.”
Janet Nuzum, ERDF Business Advisor at Reaseheath, added: “It has been fantastic to work with Andrew and the team at NEMI to create a unique and potentially ground-breaking product like this.
“It’s great to see a north west business with a real determination to break through in such a challenging market and to support dairy farmers across Cheshire, Lancashire, Shropshire and Staffordshire.”


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This year’s SkogsElmia is also a Finnish event. Many exhibitors are from Sweden’s eastern neighbour and some of them have also chosen to hold their world premieres in Jönköping.
Sweden is Finland’s closest export market and SkogsElmia is a fair attended by visitors from the entire Nordic region. This year’s SkogsElmia will be the biggest fair of its type in the area and is therefore also Finland’s biggest forestry fair.
“Sweden is just next door and our countries’ cultures are very similar – the forest is part of our national souls,” explains Rainer Rönnback of Viexpo, which represents Elmia in Finland.
Sweden is also the world’s biggest market for machines and other products developed for the CTL method. The result is that both Finnish exhibitors and visitors come to Jönköping.
“There will be a lot of exciting Finnish innovations at SkogsElmia,” Rainer says. At least one Finnish world premiere will also occur at the fair. Ponsse is presenting its greatly upgraded Gazelle forwarder and a new cab design on its Buffalo forwarder.
Lako Forest, a pioneer in manufacturing harvester heads in the Finnish forest industry, has not had a Swedish representative for a number of years. The company felt the competition in Sweden was so tough that it chose to focus on other markets instead. But at SkogsElmia Lako Forest is returning with a new and competitive range of harvester heads.
As usual, bus trips are being organised from Finland. At least as many visitors as in previous years are also expected to travel to Jönköping independently. As a result, SkogsElmia is also the place where Finnish exhibitors meet Finnish customers.
A number of unexpected innovations are coming to the fair from Finland. One of them is from Syketec, which has developed a harvester head for the do-it-yourselfer. The head is supplied in flatpack form and assembling it at home reduces the price by about 2,700 euro. The head is the Jobo ST75 and it is a stroke harvester that can handle stems up to 30 centimetres at the base.
Finnish manufacturers of various types of firewood machines will as usual be attending, as will companies offering associated equipment like biomass burners and hotwater heaters. Exhibitors in this sector include Agromaster, Ala-Talkari and Farmiforest. Another Finnish exhibitor is Findoor, a manufacturer of large doors for machine halls etc. The companies mentioned here are just a few of the thirty or so exhibitors from Finland at SkogsElmia 2015.


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Dollar Tree (DLTR 0.58%) should be doing better than it is during the coronavirus pandemic. As an essential business allowed to stay open when others have been forced to close, the deep discount chain has seen a substantial lack of interest in its goods by consumers.
As states begin to reopen their economies and businesses are allowed to compete again, Dollar Tree may continue to lag behind its rivals. More importantly, though, where will we find the retailer a year from now?
A rocky start
Dollar Tree's performance leading up to COVID-19 being declared a pandemic was not inspiring, as comparable sales rose an anemic 0.4% in the fourth quarter. After it updated its first-quarter results almost a month later, however, business was slowing down considerably.
Where comps had jumped at both Dollar Tree and its outlet Family Dollar -- and by double-digit rates at the latter -- leading management to say it would hire 25,000 new employees, they ended up tumbling sharply heading into the last week of March, plunging almost 20% at Dollar Tree.
Although management blamed the Easter holiday, it also curiously closed down its e-commerce business, an outlet many retailers have found to be a lifeline during the pandemic to offset store closures. Although the sub-$10 price level for the vast majority of its goods across both chains are not especially suited to the e-commerce channel, at least not profitably for the retailer, it is an important outlet nonetheless during this period.
Dollar Tree subsequently said its business for the rest of the quarter could be hampered by it potentially not being able to restock, and since many of its stores are in states with stay-at-home orders in place, consumers have seemingly been reluctant to visit.
It's possible they could return as restrictions are eased, but they also may have found other outlets to shop at that adequately met their needs.
A tough market...
Dollar Tree isn't going away, regardless of the troubles it's facing. Those woes are not fatal to it and can be rectified over time.
The deep discounter has significant financial resources available to it, having $1.9 billion in cash and investments as of March 30, with $1.3 billion available on its revolving credit facility. While its $3.5 billion in long-term debt is a drag, Dollar Tree remains in good shape otherwise.
The leading dollar store chain hasn't run into the kind of problems that faced Dollar Tree, and not having the burden of trying to turn around an ailing business -- as Dollar Tree has had to with Family Dollar -- has allowed Dollar General to invest in its business more efficiently. It's helped the retailer post 30 consecutive years of positive same-store sales growth.
...but the right business
In Dollar Tree's favor, the discount store model has a long runway for growth, and the treasure hunt nature of its stores remains exceptionally popular with consumers.
With over 15,000 stores and a plan to open more after the pandemic passes, Dollar Tree's broad geographic coverage makes it particularly convenient for cash-strapped consumers. With over 33 million people unemployed, even as they're brought back to work Dollar Tree should be a destination for many of them looking to stretch their paychecks further.
It's likely why it was able to see the big spike in comparable sales in the first weeks of the pandemic, even if that growth surge stalled.
Where will it be in a year?
Dollar Tree's stock is down 35% from its 52-week high, and it trades at a fraction of its sales, a level it hasn't been at in at least a decade.
That suggests there is a lot of upside potential in this retailer. It had been on the path toward repairing the Family Dollar chain before the virus outbreak, and the stores were actually doing better than Dollar Tree's namesake stores afterward. It would be somewhat ironic if Family Dollar led the deep discounter's way forward, but would underscore management's belief it was a business that could be fixed.
Investors should expect to see Dollar Tree at a higher price from here, but there still might be better opportunities than this one.


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DMCA launches smartphone app
The Dubai Maritime City Authority has announced the launch of its first ever maritime solution smartphone application during its participation at this year’s Dubai International Boat Show 2014.
The new app, which falls in line with the Smart Government initiative of the country’s wise leadership, will enable DMCA to offer high-level, round-the-clock services to its customers in a faster and efficient manner.
Amer Ali, Executive Director, DMCA, says the new mobile app serves as a key addition to the Authority’s continuing move towards establishing solid foundations aimed at promoting the local maritime industry on a par with the fast-emerging developments at all levels.
“This step comes in line with efforts aiming to achieve smart government goals. We are glad to participate once again at the Dubai International Boat Show, which offers the industry a high-level interactive platform to discuss timely and strategic maritime issues with key industry leaders, decision makers, businessmen and water sports enthusiasts. The event also serves as an effective tool in raising awareness on maintaining maritime safety and how to prevent human, physical and environmental risks when driving recreational marine crafts,” said Ali.
DMCA’s maritime solution smartphone app offers users an introductory and informative platform to access essential details about the authority and the marine licensing services that they offer, which includes maritime commercial licensing, marine craft crew licensing and the licensing of recreational, commercial, sports, tourism and traditional marine crafts that operate within Dubai’s territorial waters.
A large section of DMCA’s pavilion at the event has been designed to introduce visitors and professionals to all the features of the new app, which can be used across both Android powered and iOS powered smartphone devices.
Mahmoud Ewidah, Senior IT Manager, DMCA, says this new app offers users a variety of features.
“It features ‘My Marina,’ a section that shows directions and marine locations and ‘DMCA Safety,’ which provides information on maritime safety measures and marine crafts driving tests,” Ewidah said.
He says the app has many other features including ‘Maps,’ which shows restricted areas, locations where jet ski use is allowed and coastline resting areas and the ‘Dubai Coast Today’ section, which showcases the traffic of marine vessels in the Emirate’s waters.
It also enables users to look into DMCA’s latest news and photo gallery.
On day one the DMCA’s pavilion at DIBS 2014 has been seeing wide response from trade visitors and water sports enthusiasts who are interested in finding out about the latest developments in the authority’s maritime licensing services and efforts to promote maritime safety measures—particularly across recreational yachts, boats and marine vessels.


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Unlike the smartphone, smart watches are not going through its best. The sale of these gadgets has fallen dramatically in recent months, so much so that hardly has sold half of what was sold in 2015.
Sales of smartwatches have fallen by 51.6%, according to IDC. This decline can mean several things, but none of them seems to point to something good, at least not for the market for smart watches.
The only one that has maintained some stability has been the Apple Watch, although it has also been greatly affected, so much so that some of the Apple Store began to close the section dedicated to these smart watches . Do consumers have noticed something?
Apple and its effect WOW
What we say is not something that is unknown. We all know that once Apple releases a product to market, does not really matter how many they had at that moment with the exact features, the Cupertino always generate a positive momentum in the market we do not know how he gets.
However, Apple did not invent smartwatches far, but it was who put fashion and took some shadow in which seemed to be hidden. Although some members of the competition could have better features, Apple took over the market completely, displacing Samsung at that time was its biggest competitor.
Although sales of smartwatches have fallen exaggerated way, Apple has maintained the kind, managed to sell more than 40% of smart watches that are on the market.