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09 10 11 Honda Fit Radio Cd Mp3 Player & Theft Code 39100-tk6-a012 St36 on 2040-parts.com
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Manufacturer Part Number:39100-TK6-A012
Placement on Vehicle:Front
Faceplate Replacements for Sale
It looks like Bentley has come up with a name for its SUV – Bentley Falcon - and, as expected, it will get a complete redesign before it arrives. But it now seems that VW has bitten the bullet on the Bentley SUV and signed it off for production, when it will apparently come complete with a new Bentley name – Bentley Falcon. The news of a name for Bentley’s luxury off-roader comes from Georg Kacher writing in Automobile Magazine and, although it perhaps doesn’t resonate particularly in the UK, it will probably have more impact on the target market for the SUV – the Middle East – where the Falcon is a big deal.
One Lap of the Web: Aston Martin Works, 'Gran Turismo' movie and the Mercedes-Benz S-class build processWed, 24 Jul 2013
We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- Along with the “Need for Speed” franchise, the “Gran Turismo” series may be the latest in line to make the leap to the big screen.Mon, 31 Aug 2009
Fiat has revised the Grande Punto and given it a new name - The Fiat Punto Evo I’m not sure that a facelift – which is essentially what this is – calls for a new name, but Fiat say the Evo is different enough from the Grand Punto to make a new name sensible. Hmm. The nose of the Evo looks different from the Grand Punto, with new bumpers and lights, and Fiat say the interior is completely revised, and will include the option of Blue&Me-Tom-Tom – which manages telephone, SatNav and info systems through a colour touch screen.


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Just a week ago, details began to leak out that Comcast — a company which has previously said it has no interest in delivering streaming TV — was in fact considering launching a streaming TV service similar to Sling TV. Now it seems that another major company — Verizon — is considering a streaming service of its own, Bloomberg reports.
While Comcast’s interest in streaming seems to be purely a backup plan, offered only to customers outside of the areas in which it offers cable service, Verizon appears to have much more immediate action in mind. According to Bloomberg’s anonymous sources, Verizon could launch its service as soon as this summer.
Adding some confusion to this news is that Verizon offers several products that, while not similar to live TV streaming services like Sling TV or PlayStation Vue, aren’t entirely dissimilar either. The company offers go90 — a YouTube-like streaming service with content aimed at teens — as well as FiOS TV for its fiber internet customers. This streaming service wouldn’t be part of either of the above services, nor would it replace them.
Because Verizon has yet to confirm whether it plans to launch the rumored service, details are scarce as to what it might offer in terms of pricing or available channels. When CBS recently announced that it had extended its contract with the company, the deal was said to include rights for “future digital platforms, with specifics to be released at a later date,” so it seems likely that CBS-owned channels could be part of Verizon’s offering.
Despite having the budget to throw at this type of service, Verizon may have slightly more trouble than its competitors in securing deals. When the company launched its Custom TV service in 2015, it faced backlash from some providers, meaning it launched without channels like ESPN. How this, as well as upcoming live TV streaming products from Hulu and YouTube, will affect Verizon’s planned launch remains to be seen, but as far as viewers are concerned, more options are certainly better than fewer options.
- Beyond rainbows: 5 tech companies that did more for Pride in 2022
- How does Hulu work? Pricing, plans, channels, and how to get it
- New Siri remote for Apple TV could be easier to find with an embedded AirTag
- YouTube TV now available in 5.1 surround sound on Amazon Fire TV devices
- Netflix is definitely adding a cheaper, ad-supported tier and the suspense is killing us

domain: news


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People looting the fruits of other folks’ labour in community gardens in Richmond is, unfortunately, all too common.
However, a recent rash of thefts from a large plot near City Centre is particularly disturbing as it’s depriving people living in BC Housing-supported accommodation of rare helpings of fresh vegetables.
Many of the residents who grow produce such as carrots, peas and potatoes are disabled, seniors and people on welfare.
One of them, Leah Tee, has appealed to whoever is ransacking their gardens to stop and think about whom they are stealing from.
“Many community gardeners in Richmond do what they do because they live in expensive condos with no green space,” said Tee, who asked the News not to name the garden’s location in case even more thieves are attracted.
“We do it for food, because we can’t afford the price of fresh produce. We do it to eat properly; the food bank doesn’t provide a lot of fresh stuff. My garden was supposed to feed me for the whole summer.
“I’ve lived here for 13 years and this is the first time I’ve experienced this.”
In the most recent incident, the thief realized after they’d hauled up the carrots that they were not ready for eating and simply tossed them aside. “If you’re going to steal my vegetables, at least eat them,” added Tee.
A neighbour of Tee’s also spotted a pair of thieves on CCTV footage last week, helping themselves to five shopping bags worth.
“Community garden does not mean it’s there for anyone to ‘shop’ in,” said Tee.
“This has been an ongoing trend in Richmond and it has to stop. If you want vegetables, go buy them or make your own garden.
“Something has to be done. We should not have to surround gardens with chain-link fences, barbed wire, security cameras and guard dogs.”


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Japanese mobile social gaming firm DeNA has announced a strategic alliance with Baidu that will see its Mobage games platform get its own dedicated section on the mobile app store for Baidu-powered smartphones.
The link-up will see Mobage titles available on the Yi Store, which comes preloaded on devices than run the Chinese search giant’s Baidu Yi operating system (OS). According to the firm, owners of Baidu Yi-based devices will be able to access the full catalogue of supported Android titles in China with just two taps from their home screen.
Writing on its Beat blog, Baidu described the addition of Mobage as a sweetener and perk that incentives the purchase of the Dell Streak Pro D43, which became the first Baidu Yi device to launch when it went on sale last month.
Baidu launched the Yi Store in September with an announcement that also laid out plans for the release of its own OS, which had been expected since March when company CEO Robin Li called it the first step in its “box computing” strategy.
Baidu Yi is a highly customised version of Android, in which all of Google’s services are replaced by Baidu’s own with access to books, maps and music services. The OS is heavily cloud-focused, with cloud-based backup, sharing and storage features built in.
The tie-up represents another step that DeNA has taken to increase its presence in China, as it looks to gain traction in the world’s largest mobile market. DeNA first launched Mobage in China for Android in July before adding support for iOS devices in November.


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Sagami, a true japanese around Italy
Canali&C wins the budget for the launch of the new restaurant chain
Sagami is an international catering giant.
With 270 stores in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brazil, it is a leader in the healthy-ethnic food segment. Entering a Sagami restaurant is like entering an authentic Japanese trattoria: traditional recipes, healthy food, accurate preparations.
After the success achieved in the East, the chain now lands in Italy: the first restaurant will open in Milan, in Piazza Duca d’Aosta, in November.
The communication project has been assigned to Canali&C.
The launch campaign includes billboards, urban dynamics, metro, radio, unconventional and street marketing. The digital budget includes the use of social media, web advertising, SEO, influencer and the putting online of a site optimized for mobile, which offers the possibility to book online your table.
These media will be joined by PR and press office work that will aim to increase the brand reputation at the national level.
The protagonist of the creativity is a Japanese gentleman, who poses amusedly using the soba noodles as two long moustaches.
“We chose an ironic approach for this launch,” says Ermanno Canali, President of the agency. “We wanted to create a warm, empathetic communication, in line with the experience of living in a Sagami restaurant. The ‘real Japanese’ we depicted is a real person, who embodies the values of hospitality and tradition”.
The opening of the Milanese restaurant is just the first step in an ambitious business strategy. The company plans to open another 5 restaurants in Italy in 2019, followed by further openings. The communication format used in Milan will be replicated in all cities, creating a strong brand awareness.
The healthy food segment is particularly interesting for the Italian market. It is aimed at a medium-high target, with a focus on men and women of 35 years. This distinctive positioning will allow Sagami to differentiate itself decisively from the classic sushi restaurants, thus creating an exclusive identity.
With the acquisition of the Sagami budget, Canali&C continues its process of expansion in the food sector, thanks to the experience gained in the new generation of food courts in Shopping Centres and in emotional food issues.


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Marc Jacobs is worried he will not have everything he needs for his show. Jacobs is currently missing bags, shoes and two fabrics due to delivery delays caused by the snowstorm.
Jacobs and Marc Jacobs International president, Robert Duffy, released a statement that they have decided to postpone Jacobs show from Feb. 11 to Feb. 14.
Currently Jacobs is the only designer to postpone his show at this time, but it is very possible that there will be more designers who will decide to postpone their shows as well.
The other designers who are present for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, are concerned about transportation delays and delivery delays as well. There is also the concern that models will not be able to make it to the show. Stay posted for other possible postponed shows.


text: Weight loss is a journey that takes time, patience and dedication to achieve. When it comes to weight loss, there is no single approach that fits everyone. Sometimes, even with a diet and exercise, it can be quite tough to shed kilos while at other times results can come much faster. Further, there is so much advice and tips being shared online that claim to help lose weight faster. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar has recently shared some common weight loss mistakes that we may be making. She posted a three-part video series that she observed from personal experience.


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In the business world, there’s a term to describe an event that completely changes an existing industry or market. It’s called a disruptor, and it changes how we think, work, and do business.
It can be argued that agriculture has gone through three major disruptions in the last century: the mechanization of farming; the arrival of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; and the genetics revolution which introduced new varieties, new breeding tools, and genetic engineering.
Innovations in each of these fields changed the way we farm, and each resulted in increased productivity and efficiency.
We are now on the cusp of the fourth major disruptor: biology. More specifically, advances in microbiology are opening the eyes of farmers, scientists, those in ag industry, and even venture capitalists to the world beneath the soil surface. And what they are finding down there is truly amazing
In 2012, the American Academy of Microbiology produced a report entitled “How Microbes Can Help Feed the World.” That report claimed that attention to microbiology could “increase the productivity of any crop, in any environment, in an economically viable and ecologically responsible manner.”
More than just a medium that anchors and feeds the crop, soils are teeming with life. Pick up a handful of healthy fertile soil and you will be holding billions of living organisms in your hand (see chart).
In fact, an acre of healthy soil can contain from a few hundred to thousands of pounds of microbial biomass.
And that isn’t all. According to Dr. Mathew Wallenstein, associate professor at Colorado State University, this handful of soil will have tens of thousands of different microbes. “Any soil will have as much microbial diversity as the diversity of life you would find in a tropical rain forest,” says Wallenstein.
Science reveals that these tiny organisms play a huge role in the growth of plants. Some convert organic matter into nutrient forms that a plant is able to utilize. Others help protect the plant from disease and pests, and some microbes even communicate with plants, enabling the plant to deal with environmental stresses and reduce the impact of drought, for example.
“Microbes are critical to sustainable agriculture,” Wallenstein says.
It is the discovery of such symbiotic and complementary relationships that is leading scientists to turn their focus from plant health to soil health. For example, instead of just feeding the plant, farmers are being encouraged to feed the microbes necessary for the conversion of chemical fertilizers into nutrients which the plant can take up.
Scientists are also trying to isolate microbes which enable a plant to resist pests, and then develop a process for growing these desired agricultural biologicals, packaging them, and devising a process which farmers can use to introduce these organisms into their cropping system.
In many ways, this idea is not new. We have known for decades about the value of nodulation for legumes to fix their own nitrogen. Farmers inoculate crops such as alfalfa, soybeans, peas, and lentils to ensure maximized N fixation.
But it is only recently that science has learned the impacts that so many other organisms have on plant growth. And, in spite of such advances in the study of soil microbes, scientists are still only able to grow about one per cent of known soil organisms in a lab setting.
Biological products have been sold for many decades. Unfortunately, many of the early biologicals were marketed as miracle products that could do everything from increasing yields to preventing disease and pests to even improving soils. They were often unregulated, and there was no review of their efficacy, which led to a feeling among farmers that all biological products were “snake oil.”
Wallenstein points out that the biological products on the market today are targeted for their activity. Science defines how they work and farmers know what to expect when using the product. In the U.S., all biologicals are regulated at the state level for efficacy, content, and analysis.
Wallenstein says the addition of the right microbes will benefit any farm by enhancing productivity. Under optimal environmental and fertility conditions, the addition of a biological will enable a plant to produce more than its genetic potential suggests is possible.
Wallenstein even launched his own company a few years ago named Growcentia, which is marketing Mammoth P, a microbial product designed to increase the availability of phosphorus to plants.
Phil de Vries, meanwhile, is the soil and plant health adviser with Agriculture Solutions, a full service soil nutrient retailer in Elora, Ont. This company supplies farmers with a wide range of soil fertility products including biological fertilizers, soil conditioners, bio-stimulants, soil amendments, and seed treatments.
“Microbes are essential for both plant growth and healthy soil,” de Vries says.
For this reason, Agriculture Solutions has developed a suite of biological products to address fertility and pH problems in soils. They can feed native microbes already in the soil, and even introduce microbes which work symbiotically with plants to better utilize fertilizers and soil minerals.
Agricultural Solutions also sell biologicals designed to reduce stress in plants due to environmental conditions, nutritional deficiencies, and pests.
Likely the biggest question farmers would have about this kind of product list is how to tell if such products are needed on their farms in the first place. De Vries points out there are scientific tests which can assess the amount of soil life by measuring the amount of nitrogen mineralization or the amount of microbial respiration. However, these tests are expensive, so he suggests a quick and easy test that farmers can do themselves is to look for earthworms. Earthworms are at the top of the soil life food chain and the presence of large numbers of earthworms is an indicator of high microbe numbers.
While most of Agriculture Solutions’ sales are in southern Ontario, the company does have customers across Canada and the U.S., and de Vries notes they held a meeting this past winter in Regina for the first time with a very large turnout of prairie growers interested in soil biology and microbial products.
On the other hand
The research and development of new biological products will add a significant cost to farmers. Markets and Markets, a global market research organization, has estimated the agricultural microbial market was already worth US$2.17 billion in 2015. They estimate the market for microbials by 2021 should double to US$5.07 billion.
With growth like this, it is no wonder there has been a rush by ag industry to capture some of this market. In the January 6, 2016 issue of Scientific American, Thomas Schafer, vice-president of bio-ag research at Novozymes stated: “Companies like Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta and BASF are working on microbes because they believe (the technology) has the potential to reduce chemistry and allow us to live more sustainably.”
In fact, Novozymes and Monsanto are actively co-operating in this area, with Novozymes focusing on finding, identifying and growing beneficial biologicals, while Monsanto concentrates on field testing these new products. In 2015, BioAg (as their joint venture is named) tested over 2,000 microbial coatings in over half a million plots in the U.S. Midwest. The five top biologicals increased corn yields more than four bushels per acre, and BioAg hopes to have a new microbial product available in the U.S. in 2017.
Success like this has led to predictions that biological products will be used on half the cropland in the U.S. by 2025.
Before you commit to using biologicals across your entire farm, however, here are a few things to consider. First, would the microbial product be registered by CFIA or PMRA? Fertility products require CFIA approval. If the product is listed as a pest control agent it has to be approved by PMRA.
Second, read the label and follow the directions carefully. Some biological products will require multiple applications to be effective. In an excellent paper, “Microbial Amendments and Microbe-friendly Additives,” author Tony Pattison, soil health team leader, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries wrote: “Each microbial agent has specific temperature, moisture and pH requirements for growth and colonisation of the soil. It is very difficult to generalise about the requirements that favour the proliferation of microbial agents. There are few studies that track the survival of microbial inoculants. However, one study investigated the addition of bacteria to the soil and found a tenfold reduction in the population of that bacteria in the soil after four days, 100,000-fold reduction after 50 days, and after 90 days the bacteria was undetectable in the soil.” (Esnard et al, 1998)
Pattison’s paper provides an excellent, easy-to-read overview of soil life and the effect microbes have on plant life. You can view it here as a PDF on the Queensland Government website.
Finally, whenever you use a biological product, leave an untreated control strip to see if the product is actually making a difference in your operation and to enable you to determine the return on your investment from that product.
Support soil microbes with good farming practices
Many farmers are likely hesitant to purchase new, relatively unproven biological products, especially given current low grain prices. However, all farmers can benefit from the research into soil biology without even purchasing novel soil amendments.
Dr. Bobbi Helgason, soil microbiologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has studied the impact of farming on soil health and the microbial community. She says farmers who have adopted modern, sustainable farming practices benefit from increased microbe populations and healthier soils.
“No-till farming has had a huge impact on soil health,” Helgason says. “It has increased the organic matter in the soils, which means more food for microbes.”
Helgason also points out that farmers who use cover crops also increase food supply for microbes.
Also, today’s farmers have introduced a wider diversity of crops into their rotations which encourages diversity in the microbial population.
Helgason points out that all soils contain a huge number of diverse microbes, so the addition of a jug of a biological product is merely a drop in a very large bucket. It is just as important to feed the native microbes in your soils as adding a few more. The first step toward increasing soil health and the microbe populations is to learn more about the importance of microbes to the soil and plants. Then, follow a sustainable farming system that supports microbes.


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Byju's and its CEO Byju Raveendran did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Pai, chairman and co-founder of Aarin Capital and one of India's most prominent business figures who once worked at IT giant Infosys, was Byju's early investor. Byju's website says Pai was among those who "have backed us and guided us" and "always believed in our vision."
"Byju has not paid enough attention to governance and releasing financial figures in time. If you take money from any investor, you are accountable," Pai told Reuters.
Byju's offers online tutorials for school students. It was once a darling of investors that valued it at $22 billion last year, but it has been embroiled in legal spats with lenders and sacked many employees amid a broader slowdown. This week's resignation of Deloitte and the three board members has put a spotlight on its financial management.
"Even if you are a private company, you are still accountable," Pai added.
Byju's global investors include General Atlantic, BlackRock and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, but none of them have so far commented on the recent developments.
Demand for Byju's tutorials boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday, 01 Dec, 2023
- Surprise Boost: Economy Grows 7.6% in Q2, Beating Estimates
India's economy expanded 7.6% in the September quarter from a year earlier, exceeding expectations as manufacturing posted strong growth and investments gathered pace. Private consumption was tepid while a patchy monsoon dented farm growth, according to government data released on Thursday.JSW, SAIC Ink JV to Run MG Motor Operations in India
The Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW Group and SAIC Motor announced an India joint venture aimed at expanding the operations of MG Motor, owned by the Chinese company, in the country. JSW will hold a 35% stake in the joint venture, they announced on Thursday.UltraTech to Buy Kesoram’s Cement Unit
Aditya Birla Group’s UltraTech will acquire the cement business of the BK Birla Group’s Kesoram Industries in an all-stock deal at an estimated enterprise value of around ₹7,600 crore, which includes debt.


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Hyundai had a 21.2% share of India’s car market in the year’s first three months, but its lack of light trucks left its share of total light-vehicle sales at 13.7%. New utility vehicles are meant to raise overall market share to 20% by 2020....More
Alibaba's automotive-business unit includes car-marketing services based on its big data-analysis capabilities, and e-commerce company has partnered with automaker SAIC to invest in development of Internet-connected cars....More
eBay Motors’ Brian Murphy has a simple message for car dealers when it comes to posting models for sale on the e-commerce site: “If you’re going to list one, list them all. Put them up there, because we have more buyers than vehicles.”...More
The survey revealed just 24% of desktop users, 18% of tablet searchers and 36% of smartphone users say they are most likely to search between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. when dealers’ doors typically are open....More
We call out vehicles with problematic fit-and-finish, materials, ergonomics or unfortunate design choices. Each of these items resulted in points deducted as WardsAuto editors selected the 2016 Wards 10 Best Interiors.


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The fast-food cost fight is about to get even some-more intense.
McDonald’s Corp., a world’s largest grill chain, denounced a new value-priced menu on Monday, aiming to keep a lead in an courtesy that’s increasingly racing for a bottom. The lineup, set to go live on Jan. 4, includes equipment such as duck tenders, Happy Meals, sodas, triple cheeseburgers and a Egg McMuffin.
With visits to U.S. fast-food restaurants seen remaining prosaic subsequent year, a vital bondage are jockeying for position and announcing discounts to keep diners’ attention. Taco Bell, a Mexican-themed sequence owned by Yum Brands, is responding with what it calls a “biggest value pull in association history.”
The new charity during McDonald’s, that will run alongside a unchanging menu during restaurants, is a balancing act for a Golden Arches. If equipment are labelled too high, business feel like they’re removing ripped off and conduct to competitors. But if a prices are too low, McDonald’s possess franchisees will do a grousing.
That was a box with a company’s Dollar Menu, that was phased out in 2013. McDonald’s operators suspicion it weighed too heavily on distinction margins, yet a menu was renouned with customers. And a deficiency was felt. The passing of a Dollar Menu was seen as a writer to a sales unemployment that lasted dual years.
This time around, McDonald’s thinks it has a regulation that can keep franchisees happy. More than 90 percent of grill owners have sealed adult to attend in a program, according to Chris Kempczinski, who runs a company’s U.S operations.
“You have to make certain it’s something we can sustain,” he pronounced in an interview.
Andy Barish, an researcher during Jefferies, upgraded a batch to “buy” on Tuesday and lifted his cost aim to $200, in partial since a new value menu will assistance a sequence continue to benefit customers.
McDonald’s shares climbed as most as 2 percent to $174 in New York Tuesday, in a biggest intraday benefit in some-more than dual months. The batch had already climbed 40 percent this year by Monday.
McDonald’s announced in Oct that it was formulation a menu, yet it didn’t give sum until Monday. The thought is to seaside adult a quip built on a success of all-day breakfast and some-more targeted discounts like McPick 2 for $5.
When a new menu hits subsequent month, business will be means to get a handful of options for $1, $2 or $3. The cheapest equipment embody sodas, McChicken sandwiches, a sausage burrito and cheeseburgers. The sausage McMuffin with egg is on a menu for $3, alongside a new duck sandwich. And a company’s buttermilk duck tenders, that sole out final month after a brief run, are returning to a menu — with an sequence of dual costing $2.
One renouned object that’s absent is french fries. Kempczinski pronounced a association spent months perplexing to figure out a best approach to erect a new menu and eventually motionless it was constrained though fries.
“We didn’t need fries to make it attractive,” he said.
Taco Bell, meanwhile, is seeking to sojourn in a brew as McDonald’s and a burger rivals during Wendy’s and Burger King increasingly demeanour for ways to interest to a core fast-food business looking for ignored fare.
Shares of owners Yum were small altered Monday during $83.32.
Taco Bell is reminding business that it has a $1 menu with 20 items, and this lineup will be increased by 20 some-more limited-time offerings in 2018. The menu will embody nacho French fries and a new “stacker” quesadilla — beef and cheese in a folded flour tortilla.
“I consider a lot of places begrudgingly try to figure out what food to offer during these cost points,” Brian Niccol, a chain’s arch executive officer, pronounced in an interview. “We select to gaunt into it.”


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Mario Juarez, product manager of security at Microsoft, said Tuesday at Microsoft's TechEd conference in Amsterdam that only one in three people usingin the United States has downloaded , which tightens security on the operating system. "We know that the percentage of people using Windows XP SP 2 is lower than we would like it to be," Juarez said. "One in three machines that run Windows XP is running SP 2. Customers are still reluctant to upgrade."
In general, however, people are being more vigilant about online threats, Detlef Eckert, chief security advisor at Microsoft, said. He also noted that attacks are becoming more targeted and are motivated by financial gain.
Dan Ilett of Silicon.com reported from London. For the full story, click here.


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The Securities and Exchange Commission approved the P4.5-billion initial public offering of North Star Meat Merchants Inc., a leading frozen and fresh meat supplier in the country.
The SEC cleared North Star’s public offering of up to 360 million common shares at up to P10 per share.
It said the offering would also include 32 million shares to be sold by shareholder Golden MJTF Holdings Inc., plus an over-allotment option for another 58 million common shares also priced at up to P10 each.
The shares will be listed and traded on the main board of the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Net proceeds from the offering of the primary shares will use for capital expenditures to expand the company’s cold chain facility in Bulacan and open a cold storage plant in Cebu, which will increase the company’s maximum storage capacity to 8 million kilograms from 2.1 million kg.
The company is also looking to expand its financial position to keep up with the growth of key retail partners SM Markets and Waltermart Group and prepare for future potential retail partners.
About 90 percent of the company’s business are with SM supermarkets and affiliate stores including Alfamart and Savemore.
North Star Meat Merchants is a meat vendor and supplier that operates 360 meat concessions nationwide. It can deliver up to 120,000 kg. of meat daily.
North Star recorded sales of P9.28 billion in 2021 and registered a compounded annual growth rate of 39.7 percent since 2019.
The IPO will run from May 30 to June 3, with listing on the PSE scheduled on June 10, according to the latest timetable submitted to the SEC.
Jenniffer B. Austria
The company tapped BDO Capital and Investment Corp. as the sole issue manager, which will be joined by China Bank Capital Corp. as joint lead underwriters and joint bookrunners. PNB Capital Investment Corp. and SB Capital Corp. will also serve as co-lead underwriters.


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AngioDynamics posted second-quarter earnings on Friday, Jan. 4. before trading hours. Net sales for the period inched 5.5% to $91.5 million, with diluted net profit jumping to $0.06 per share — growing six-fold from last year’s $0.01 per share. Net income soared to $2.14 million, up from $249,000.
The market expected earnings of $0.20 per share on revenue of $88.90 million. Both top line and bottom line exceeded the consensus.
Gross margin for the quarter soared 440 basis points year over year to 53.7%, while cash provided by operations was $13.0 million. Capital expenditures was $0.7 million for the period.
US net sales in the quarter rose 5.2% to $71.9 million while International net sales grow 6.6% to $19.6 million.
Back in September, AngioDynamics announced that it would acquire privately held medical diagnostic and device company RadiaDyne. The latter designs and develops patient dose monitoring technology to improve cancer treatment outcomes.
This deal added to AngioDynamics’ portfolio RadiaDyne’s early-stage, proprietary real-time radiation dose monitoring platform and other market-leading oncology solutions.
“The acquisition of RadiaDyne, combined with our recent BioSentry asset purchase, delivers on our commitment to build a world-class oncology portfolio,” said CEO Jim Clemmer.
In September of 2018, RadiaDyne’s trailing 12-months revenues exceeded $6 million. The acquisition was then expected to be neutral to earnings on an adjusted basis.
In the previously reported first-quarter, AngioDynamics missed analyst estimates with earnings of $0.16 per share, sending shares down then. The company had reported flat revenues of $85.3 million over last year, hurt by 6% slump in oncology product sales. it also had a one-time impact in the quarter due to its transition from Acculis to Solero product line.
AngioDynamics has been seeing US sales dipping in the past two quarters, despite international sales picking up. Last quarter, it even had to pay $12.7 million due to the legal allegations faced with the Justice Department.
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When Warren Buffett dumped airline stocks suffering massive losses three weeks ago, he probably overlooked one key aspect about the industry – that no amount of restrictions will kill people’s
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) is striving to regain strength after falling sharply last week, ahead of fourth-quarter earnings. The positive results failed to impress stakeholders as market sentiment
The US is now back in the ring with its nemesis China for the second round. This time, the US administration has wasted no time in delivering a massive blow,


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This afternoon, Apple sent out its exclusive invites for the company's Sept. 10 event, in which the company is expected to reveal its next-generation iPhones. Yet unlike other high-profile iPhone unveilings, Apple's main event isn't likely to unfold next week on stage, in front of a sea of eager tech journalists.
Instead, the company's big moment will play out almost immediately after the staged one, in the App Stores and settings screens of its millions of iOS users, as they download, relearn, and come to terms with the drastically remodeled iO7 operating system and the thousands of apps updated for it.
As always, there's not a ton to glean from today's invite, which possibly hints at a much-speculated-about new line of colorful iPhones. Notable, however, is Apple's choice to hold the event at a town hall meeting at Apple headquarters, instead of the large Moscone Center, the site of most of Apple's bigger productions. The choice of venue seems to suggest the event will be smaller, shifting the focus to iOS 7. Think iPhone 5S, not iPhone 6 — at least in terms of actual changes.
Unlike the new iPhones, which are rumored to look and feel similar to the iPhone 5, iOS 7 is a major leap, and will require most every app to undergo a drastic redesign, which will mean a completely new experience for the millions of iOS users across the world, including those who've had beta access since last June.
In many ways, this is the real test for Apple, which has left its now-iconic operating system largely untouched since its debut in 2007. Historically, there's always been a desire for the latest incarnation of iPhone, and there's little to suggest given the rash of leaks over the past few months that next week's announcement will contain any huge hardware bombshells. iOS 7, on the other hand, stands to be the most consequential Apple software update in recent memory. Users will not only be faced with an unfamiliar interface, but unfamiliar versions of their favorite apps — an experience akin to trying them out on Android or Windows Phone.
Next week, millions of contract-bound users will head to the App Store to download what is effectively a whole new phone.
It stands to reason that the iPhone unveiling itself will be a more subdued affair. The iPhone is a time-tested piece of hardware undergoing a small facelift; iOS 7, on the other hand, has seen a dramatic, full-scale reconstruction, meaning that Apple's pivotal moment won't take place during a well-choreographed Tim Cook keynote, but later, without fanfare but with very real consequences.
Charlie Warzel is a Senior Technology Writer for BuzzFeed News and is based in Missoula, Montana
Contact Charlie Warzel at email@example.com.
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Arguably the biggest title on the way to both the Oculus Rift and Gear VR virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) right now is Minecraft. Oculus VR finally confirmed that the smash hit success would be coming to its platforms at the 2015 Oculus Connect 2 developer conference, following a long road that saw company CTO John Carmack fight hard to bring it to VR. But what about potential support for the other major PC-based HMD, the HTC Vive? According to developer Mojang, integration with that kit could ‘definitely’ happen later down the line.
The team’s Tommaso Checchi recently confirmed as much over on Reddit. When asked about the possibility of HTC Vive support, the developer replied: “Well, we can definitely do a Vive port in the future, but right now we have to get Oculus out of the door as good as we can…”
Checchi also noted that he didn’t think Minecraft would be a good fit for the HTC Vive’s user-tracking, though was quickly met with responses about how it could still be a seated VR experience as with the other versions. On top of that, the developer confirmed that Mojang did not have a deal with Oculus VR in place, and it was simply working on that platform because it was the first VR tech to become available to it.
Minecraft‘s VR support should prove to be a big deal for HMDs. Obviously, a large part of that is down to the sheer popularity of the videogame, which continues to top charts on the various platforms it’s now available for. But it’s also to do with the history Minecraft has with the Oculus Rift, with original creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson infamously cancelling original plans for a VR port when Oculus VR was purchased by social networking giant Facebook in 2014. A new version of the title is also in development for Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality (MR) HMD.
That just leaves PlayStation VR as a potential candidate for Minecraft VR.
Stay tuned to VRFocus for the latest on Minecraft’s VR support.
The post Mojang: Minecraft Could ‘definitely’ Come to Vive in the Future appeared first on VRFocus.


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We've had quite a few retail stocks plunging lower in early 2014. $BBY dropped over 30% in one trading session recently. $TGT continues to fall on the heels of its data breech, in which over 70 million of its customers have had their information stolen. While $BBY and $TGT may continue to see their stocks fall, I have two retail stocks that are poised to reverse course in early 2014:
$BIG and $FIVE.
$FIVE has dropped almost $20 from its all-time high two months ago, and now trades at $36.54 a share. The stock currently sits at significant trend line support. I'm also looking for a move back over $40 in the near term.
Why is $FIVE down some 35% since November? Just a few weeks ago they lowered their outlook.
Five Below gave Q4 adjusted EPS guidance of 44c-46c and Q4 revenue guidance of $208M-$210M, while consensus estimates were 51c and $217.6M, respectively. Additionally, the company said it saw Q4 comparable store sales down 0.5% to down 1.5%. Thomas Vellios, co-founder and CEO, stated: "We did not meet our sales expectations for the holiday season as adverse weather negatively impacted traffic to our stores, which are heavily concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest regions. This was exacerbated by the shortened holiday season during which we simply did not make up the weather-driven sales shortfall, especially in those key shopping days just prior to Christmas. In addition, we see room for improvement within certain merchandise categories that underperformed against our expectations. While clearly disappointed with our holiday comparable store sales performance, we continue to be pleased with the performance of our new stores, in particular the performance of the new Texas market."
I'm looking to purchase the February $40 CALLS for $.40, as I think the stock will recover over that level in the next few weeks.
Another retailer that I think has upside in the weeks ahead: Big Lots ($BIG). The stock has been in a tailspin but, like $FIVE, the stock sits at multi-year support.
$BIG plunged to fresh 52-week lows this week and looks vulnerable to further downside. However, from a valuation and technical perspective $BIG looks to have bottomed here. I'm willing to take the risk on some February calls in anticipation of a price recovery off the recent lows.
I will be a buyer of the February $30 calls at $.30.


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German car company BMW has allegedly partnered with blockchain gaming platform Enjin. The upcoming BMW Vantage app has the ENJ token integrated according to a South Korean tech blog. Users will be able to earn BMW Coin as a reward for all kinds of tasks, and this coin can then be exchanged for Enjin.
Consumers don’t need to own a BMW car to use the app, even though car ownership will come with some benefits. For example, users will be able to use BMW Coin to pay for gas or parking fees. Comparable with airmiles there are also all kinds of rewards for dining and shopping.
The BMW Vantage app is currently in a testing phase. According to Gamers.io car dealers and employees have already downloaded the app. Whether there will be actual utility for Enjin inside the BMW app or merely a way to cash out, isn’t very clear.
Enjin could use some good news
Even though Enjin has recently organized a cool treasure hunt across different games in their ecosystem, the blockchain gaming project has some problems. Recent gas prices on the Ethereum blockchain make it difficult to play games properly. Dissolution moved away from Enjin and announced their own layer-2 solution, while The Six Dragons came up with another solution involving off-chain gameplay.
Thankfully there’s also some positive news coming from their headquarters. First of all the platform recently announced the first NFT Awards. In addition games like Age of Rust, Space Misfits, 9Lives Arena and Lost Relics are still under development. At the same time Enjin itself is working on a scaling solution called Efinity.
Explanation about the Enjin Multiverse
Enjin is a platform on top of the Ethereum blockchain. It promotes interoperability between games, and that way it’s creating a metaverse. Games that use the Enjin Platform often support each others in-game assets. For example, gamers can use a certain weapon in multiple games.
This doesn’t only serve as a benefit for gamers. This technology also becomes a marketing tool for developers. By using assets from a certain game, they can appeal to a certain community. A creator making a role playing game, could use assets from games like The Six Dragons to appeal to a bigger audience.
Every player logs in to a game using their own Enjin wallet. This cryptographic passport stores the player’s items, which in turn are used by different games to identify the player. Players can obtain special outfits, exclusive access and more when they have certain digital assets in their wallets.


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During the busy tourist season, the US travel market is increasing positively, while Spain is still below its pre-pandemic levels. In June of this year, 1.8 million American tourists visited Spain, a significant increase of 17.4% from last year when COVID-19 restrictions were still in place.These findings are from data analysis courtesy of the National Statistics Institute (INE).
While the United States doesn’t claim the top spot as the leading source of visitors to Spain—currently resting in the sixth position behind countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—June alone saw an influx of 546,093 American citizens. This impressive number is the highest recorded figure since 2015 when the INE initiated its tracking of this essential metric.
The favoured regions for US travellers are Catalonia, capturing the preference of 41%, and Madrid, drawing 27% of tourists to its cultural attractions.
It’s important to mention that Spain isn’t the top pick for American visitors when it comes to European Union nations. The preferred choices for Americans seeking European adventures are the UK, France, and Italy. However, Spain’s tourism industry greatly benefits from the large US market and its potential for growth. In 2022, the number of US tourists visiting Spain increased by 249.5%, resulting in a 250.8% increase in spending and a 239.6% increase in overnight stays.
The entirety of 2022 saw a gradual yet steadfast revival in American expenditure within Spain, ultimately surpassing 2019 figures. The average per-person spending during a trip tallied up to €1,874, with daily expenses averaging at €266.
Moreover, the ratio of American tourists among the total European visitor numbers continues its upward trajectory. From January to March, 2,947,720 American explorers touched on European soil, granting the continent a 14.5% slice of their overseas travel pie. The outset of 2022 was marred by low visitor figures, primarily due to the constraints inflicted by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. These constraints encompassed mandatory negative COVID-19 tests for travel, obligatory vaccination certificates, and even self-imposed quarantines for those willing. Spain upheld stringent border controls and insisted on negative COVID-19 tests for travellers from regions beyond the European Union until October 2022.
The Preferred Holiday Spots
For 54.5% of Americans, travel is among their foremost budget priorities. Among the subset that chooses Spain as their holiday haven, 86% cite leisure as their prime motivation.
Activities embraced by these travellers primarily included urban explorations (65%), immersive cultural outings (62%), and indulgent shopping excursions (55%), as meticulously outlined by Turespaña, the authoritative agency charged with promoting Spain to the world.
Regarding lodging, a solid 80% nestled within the comforting confines of hotels, while a modest 10% opted for apartment rentals. Intriguingly, a mere 16% of American visitors sought tour packages, instead preferring to craft their itineraries—a testament to their independent spirit.


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The CNN show “Erin Burnett OutFront” spent much of its time on Friday focused, like many other news programs, on the coronavirus outbreak and the thousands of people isolated on the Grand Princess cruise ship near California.
During the commercial break, one spot stood out: an upbeat ad for Norwegian Cruise Line, a competitor.
It was one of many awkward ad placements as companies try to reach skittish customers while protecting their brands from becoming collateral damage in the growing coronavirus outbreak.
Norwegian, which declined to comment, has paid nearly $10 million for digital ads so far this year on Facebook, Wayfair, Expedia and other sites, compared with $2.4 million at the same time last year. Competitors like Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Viking Cruises have also increased their spending on advertising, according to the advertising analytics platform Pathmatics.
Read Full Article Here.


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Subscribe and receive the latest updates on trends, data, events and more.
Join 57,000+ members of the natural products community.
A deep dive into the opportunities and insights driving innovation and growth of the plant-based meat category.
June 14, 2019
Date: Aug 12, 2023
Sponsored by Suzy
Buzz around innovations in plant-based meat is ubiquitous—from the grocery aisles to the latest media headlines and stock listings. There’s no doubt about it: Consumer purchasing and eating habits are changing, particularly when it comes to meat consumption, fueling new energy around a promising and innovative category. According to a Suzy study, While 84% of shoppers report that they have purchased meat in the past 3 months, 67% of consumers are open to trying meat alternatives. The future of plant-based meats could even follow the trajectory of the explosive plant-based milks category, becoming a preferred option for many consumers (according to New Hope Network, an astounding 36 percent of consumers prefer plant-based milks today).
As a result, brands are innovating to bring delicious, nutrient-dense options to the market, investors are eating it up and more retailers are integrating plant-based items into the meat department. During our hour-long webinar, New Hope Network, Suzy and the Good Food Institute will take a deep dive into what’s shaping consumer preferences, data-backed trends and opportunities and what the future holds for this promising category. Do you want to ask consumers any specific questions about plant-based meat? Have them ready at the beginning of the webinar, as we’ll be fielding questions on Suzy’s on-demand consumer insights platform during the webinar and revealing responses at the end.
Avi Savar, President, Suzy
Sari Levy, Market Research Manager, New Hope Network
Zak Weston, Industry Analyst, The Good Food Institute
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Last month, reports surfaced that search engine giant Google would un-verify inactive local business pages on Google+. Now it looks like Google will be removing these unverified pages, too, leaving only verified local business pages on its Google+ platform.
A report on Search Engine Roundtable suggests that Google is removing unverified pages starting on July 28, 2015.
(Is your local business page on Google+ not active / verified? Here’s how you can use Google My Business to restore the verified status of your page.)
The report cites an E-mail that’s apparently being sent by Google to a number of business owners. The E-mail reads:
In the past few months, you may have seen some changes in the look of Google+ pages that have been associated with Google My Business (GMB) accounts. These changes, including how we treat business pages without owners, are part of Google’s ongoing effort to simplify people’s experience with our tools. We are constantly working to provide only valuable and rich content to our users. On July 28th, Google will begin shutting down those GMB–associated Google+ pages that have not been associated with user accounts and are also not verified. You may find that some of your Business View tours also sit on such pages, but note that after their removal of unverified Google+ pages, the Business View tours will still remain available on Google Maps and Google Search.
What happens when the unverified Google+ pages of local businesses have been removed? Well, according to local search expert Mike Blumenthal, it appears that their (businesses’) main presence will be through either Google’s search engine results pages or Google Maps.
“Clearly this is a final step in separating local from (Google+),” wrote Blumenthal. “Whether local will stay “debranded” or possibly take on a Local Finder essence beyond basic search and Map results isn’t clear. What is clear is that G+ and Google Local are no longer going to be bed partners.”
Are you using Google My Business? Let us know in the comments section below how Google’s recent changes have affected your marketing and SEO efforts.


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The Galaxy S21 series is almost upon us, but Samsung's 2020 lineup is still an excellent buy, especially with Android 11 now rolling out. Now you can get the Galaxy S20 Ultra for $1,050, a savings of $150 from the usual price, and $350 lower than the original MSRP.
Mobile gaming is more popular than ever before, and Samsung's flagship phones are perfectly suited to the task. Big high-refresh-rate displays, large batteries, and top-of-the-range processors means that these device can handle any game you throw at them. For an extra boost to gaming performance, Samsung is releasing its GameDriver software on the Play Store, letting it update GPU drivers without the need for full system updates.
Ahead of tomorrow's expected release, Verizon has pushed out the long-anticipated Android 11-based One UI 3.0 update for its Galaxy S20-series phones. Reports indicate this stable update has started to roll out for the S20 5G UW, S20+ 5G, and S20 Ultra 5G over at big red, delivering the latest Android 11 features together with Samsung's own software tweaks.
Samsung has been hard at work preparing the next One UI release based on Android 11. We got a taste of what's in store thanks to a changelog seen earlier this month, and yesterday, the public beta began rolling out to S20 devices in South Korea. Now it looks like users from other areas are getting in on the fun — and here's how you can too.
Last December, Google released its first feature drop for Pixel devices, kicking off a routine of bringing new capabilities to the phones each quarter. Included in the first drop was something called auto-framing for Google Duo. With auto-framing enabled, you can walk further away from your device, and Duo will zoom in to keep you focused and even follow you around the room so long as you stay within the shot. This feature had always been exclusive to Pixel 4, but it's now available on Samsung's Galaxy S20 range.
There was a lot to love about the new Galaxy series when Samsung dropped its S20 trio earlier this year: Gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED displays, long-lasting batteries, and sophisticated camera systems to please all levels of photographers. With today's special deal, you can now save $200 on a brand new factory unlocked Galaxy S20, S20+, and even the exorbitant S20 Ultra at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo.
Samsung unveiled the S20 Ultra earlier this year as the most premium offering in its S range of devices. Despite boasting big specs, it was tough to recommend at the MSRP of $1,400. We initially gave the S20 Ultra a 7/10 rating, but later lowered that to 6/10 due to the cost and mediocre camera performance. It's a lot more attractive right now, thanks to a top-rated eBay seller offering brand new, factory unlocked models for just $829.99.
Samsung's Note20 Ultra is here, and as its name suggests, it shares quite a lot in common with the recent Galaxy S20 Ultra, and that includes a sky-high price tag. So, what did Samsung learn from the Galaxy S20 Ultra, and which should you get?
Samsung makes a lot of phones, but the Galaxy S20 Ultra is right up there at the top. The high-end specifications and design add up to a premium experience, but one that also spells a steep price tag. If you've been itching to get your hands on Samsung's latest and greatest, eBay seller sobeonline1 is currently offering a sizable discount that brings the S20 Ultra down to just about $875 ($515 less than the US single-SIM edition).
The first Galaxy S20 units are already receiving the July security patch in Korea and Europe, but in the US, the slow carrier rollout of the June update continues to arrive on many people's phones. People using a Galaxy S10 device on T-Mobile can look forward to the patch, which is only now starting to roll out to them. Along with the security enhancements, the phones are getting smaller system and performance improvements.


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As IP-based video systems continue to gain widespread popularity in the video surveillance market, one of the benefits is the ability to capture high-resolution images through megapixel video.
May 25, 2011
Basler Vision Technologies of Exton, Pa., releases two 5-megapixel CCD box camera models with CMOS sensors.
SSI Staff · May 03, 2011
In an effort to centralize its legacy analog video surveillance systems, the University of Miami (UM) installed more than 350 IQinVision high definition (HD) megapixel cameras throughout its main campus ...
May 03, 2011
Mobotix of NYC releases its Q24M hemispheric camera, an ultra-compact IP network dome camera with a special hemispheric lens.
SSI Staff · March 08, 2011
The iCVR-HD camera by VideoIQ of Bedford, Mass., delivers full 1,080p resolution and frame rate, zero bandwidth recording and full megapixel analytics, the company says.
SSI Staff · October 26, 2010
Members of the the systems integrator co-op now have access to IQinVision's full line of products and software ...
September 07, 2010
New video surveillance products and solutions are often touted as having a game-changing influence on the market, leaving security integrators and end users to sort out fact from fiction. SSI queried industry experts to highlight several technologies whose time really has come.
By Rodney Bosch · August 31, 2010
More than 50 percent of all network security cameras shipped will be megapixel or HD resolution by 2014, according to a new report by IMS Research ...
August 24, 2010
A question that comes up extremely frequently in my travels is whether or not IP video equipment should travel on the same network as other business systems such as E-mail, Internet, etc.
August 05, 2010
My July editorial, “HDcctv: Dismissible or Disruptive,” discusses how the new kid on the block, HDcctv, is threatening to wrestle market share away from IP megapixel technology in the push toward high definition (HD) video surveillance.
Scott Goldfine · July 06, 2010


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AMN / NEW DELHI
Centre on Wednesday expressed its helplessness in controlling the rising prices of onions, which crossed Rs 60 per kg this week in many parts of the country.
Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the production this year was expected to be lower since the area under onion cultivation had reduced to 1.90 lakh hectares in 2017-18 from 2.65 lakh hectares in 2016-17.
“We have taken several measures, such as procurement by agencies from areas such as Nashik (Maharashtra) and Alwar (Rajasthan) where the cost is lower, as well as import of onions. But it (bringing down prices) is not in our hands,” Paswan told reporters here.
Once the supply from (late) kharif starts, prices may come down, he added.
Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said, the onion is still available between 28 and 35 rupees per kilogram in places like Nasik, Solapur, Alwar and Indore.
He said, the government has also initiated the process of importing onion, and NAFED and other agencies have been directed to take urgent measures to tackle the price rise.
Mr. Paswan asserted that the prices of onion will come down during ten days after the arrival of new kharif crop.
The Minister admitted that sowing has been lesser this year as compared to previous years.


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ROBOT vacuum cleaner company Roomba has unveiled a robot which shaves you while you sleep.
The disc-shaped robot, the size of a bar of hotel soap, glides silently over your face every night between 2am and 4am leaving you fresh for the boardroom without even glancing in the mirror.
A spokesman said: “Coming soon is the Roomba Ladyshave which will roam a woman’s entire body making sure she is pleasingly depilated like the ladies of Xvideos.com.”
But early adopter Roy Hobbs said: “The first time I used it, it decided my arse was my face and eventually I had to download some software to detach it from my scrotum.”
He added: “I’m sticking with the Dyson Hairblade, where I simply stick my face into a whirling cyclone of razor-sharp knives.”


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16 fundings; $400M+ invested in NYC startups in the past week. NYC Tech News for the week ending 5/8 featuring news for Gilgamesh, Timescale, Underdog Fantasy, and much, much more.
The Weekly Notable Startup Funding Report takes us on a trip across various ecosystems in the US, highlighting some of the notable funding activity in the various markets that we track. The notable startup funding rounds for the week ending 5/8/21 featuring funding details for HoneyBook, Genies, Bitski, and twenty-five other rounds that you must know about.
The pandemic has increased the adoption of telehealth services and this is no different for pets. According to the American Pets Product Association, Americans spent $99B on their pets in 2020. Yet 81% of pet owners would not be able to cover an unexpected $5,000 out-of-pocket expense for their furry loved one. Pawp is a digital health clinic and telehealth platform for pet owners and their pets that connects them with vetted veterinary professionals in minutes, without needing an appointment. The company also provides an annual $3,000 emergency safety benefit for emergency vet services that’s included within the $19/mo subscription fee. Pawp covers up to six pets in a single household and the subscription providers coverage regardless of a pet’s age, breed, and pre-existing conditions. AlleyWatch caught up with CEO and Cofounder Marc Atiyeh to learn more about how the pandemic not only drove the demand for telehealth vet service but also pet adoptions, the company’s future strategic plans, and latest round of funding led by Lux Capital.
Over $200M in funding for the day across 7 deals. The latest venture capital, seed, pre-seed, and angel deals for NYC startups for 5/4/2021 featuring funding details for VAST Data, Headway, and much more.
The latest venture capital, seed, pre-seed, and angel deals for NYC startups for 4/21/2021 featuring funding details for Kumospace, Digital Asset, and much more.
The latest venture capital, seed, pre-seed, and angel deals for NYC startups for 11/25/2019 featuring funding details for Frame.io, Pawp, and much more.


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Chilean food tech company, NotCo, will use its proprietary AI technology to construct flavours that evoke feelings like falling in love.
The company, which recently entered the Australian market, produces a range of plant-based food and beverage products using its AI technology, ‘Giuseppe’.
The typical western diet comprises approximately 200 of the world’s 30,000 plants and Giuseppe seeks out unique combinations of these plants to replicate meat’s exact taste, texture, smell and functionality.
Now, the company has announced a new set of patents for its ability to develop scents that conjure human emotions and memories.
It’s long been established that smells are connected to emotion, memory and mood, and NotCo’s Giuseppe technology is the first to be able to create positive associations through plant-based food and beverages. By understanding taste at the molecular level and interpreting the emotion human brains associate with it, NotCo can recreate those experiences through flavour and aromas using plant-based ingredients.
Karim Pichara, co-founder and CTO at NotCo said “Smells and aromas are a critical part of motivating more people to adopt plant-based options long-term.
“These new patents further strengthen the experience by creating plant-based products that taste, function, and smell just like their animal-based counterparts. By matching the nostalgic smells people associate with certain memories and emotions we’re opening a new avenue for them to make the switch to plant-based.”
According to a company statement, the technology has already been used to develop NotCo’s NotChicken and traditional fried chicken recipes, which launched in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile in 2021.
“Today is an exciting milestone as we’re one step closer to fulfilling our promise of transforming the speed and scale of plant-based adoption,” said Matias Muchnick, NotCo’s co-founder and CEO. “Many people don’t realise that when we eat, much of the ‘taste’ is actually coming from smells and aromas. These new patents help get us closer to replicating the true experience of animal-based products but with only plant-based molecules.”
NotCo’s new technology will be applied to all product development moving forward.


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Avalanche Returns, Malware Attacks Soar
The Avalanche gang has re-emerged and phishing attacks have soared, according to Internet Identity, a Tacoma, Wash.-based Internet security specialist.
IID said websites infected with malware increased 89% in the third quarter of 2011 from the second quarter, mostly because of a renewal of activity from the Avalanche phishing gang, which IID blamed for two-thirds of all phishing attacks in the second half of 2009.
Traditional phishing attacks, those using e-mails to trick recipients into logging in and giving up identifying information, are actually down, but malware that infects websites have soared, the company said in its Third Quarter eCrime Report.
The most impersonated organizations, IID said, include the FDIC, Federal Reserve, IRS and NACHA. Malware, once on a victim’s computer, can monitor or control activity, steal data, send spam and commit fraud.
“We knew Avalanche would resurface and it is apparent that they have made a conscious decision to provide their massive botnet as an infrastructure for hire. The most prevalent use of their network is sites that attempt to get victims to install malware on their computers,” said Rod Rasmussen, IID president and CTO.
Once malware is on a victim’s computer, the perpetrator can monitor or control both personal and business computer activity — enabling them to steal data, send spam, and commit fraud.
Criminals lure people in by creating appealing websites, desirable downloads and compelling stories, then trap unsuspecting victims, often through “drive-by” websites where malware automatically installs, Rasmussen said.
Money transfer and e-commerce phishing showed the largest areas of decline while phishing attacks impersonating national banks stayed strong, IID said, citing “significant security steps taken by Facebook, Google, Microsoft and others.”
“Cybercriminals are always trying to adapt to the latest security methods and threat awareness, and as an industry we must stay one step ahead of these increasingly sophisticated cyber gangs,” said Rasmussen, whose reports are drawn from his company’s experts as well as organizations such as ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and APWG (Anti-Phishing Working Group).


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COLORADO — Many people use Craigslist to buy and sell various items, but not everybody may think of these transactions as legally binding agreements.
FOX31’s Emily Allen talked to a Colorado couple who may now be facing a lawsuit following a sale of car parts.
Will and Emery Sidebotham put car brakes up for sale on Craigslist and initially agreed to sell it to one interested buyer for $2,000 after exchanging text messages about the ad. When someone else contacted them offering $2,500 in cash, though, Will sold the parts to the buyer offering more money.
“I have a guy standing in front of me with money in hand, ready to purchase these parts, so obviously that was a motivation to sell right then and there,” said Will.
When he told the first buyer the deal was off, the man threatened to sue, saying Will breached their contract.
“These were just informal text messages on a first name basis. I don’t even know the guy’s last name,” said Emery.
FOX31 crews contacted law professor Tom Russell to see if the messages did, in fact, serve as a binding agreement. The verdict: they did.
“This is just how contracts work actually,” said Russell. “A Craigslist deal is a contract like any other contract, really. In this case, both sides agreed on a price, and even though it’s through informal texts, it’s still an enforceable contract. This is really not very different than how business gets done at much higher levels.”
Now, the buyer could sue Will for damages.
The Sidebothams say this is a lesson for everyone.
“The reality is people need to protect themselves and say the right things and make sure when you’re doing these online transactions with people, that you are really specific in how you word things,” said Emery.
While the Sidebothams sit idle wondering if they’ll have to go to court, they hope others will think carefully before giving a buyer the green-light.
Officials say the best way to avoid this situation is to stay true to what you promise a buyer and set conditions for the agreement. This could include meeting at a specific time and date with a pre-determined amount of money, and agreeing the deal is void if these conditions are not met.


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What will the Finance Market have in store for Business Owners in 2021?
2020 was a year of surprises. The coronavirus pandemic, and the speed in which it spread, caused a wave of reactions from the lending market. Products disappeared overnight and lender’s criteria changed daily.
As we head into 2021 there are hopes for a recovery. Although, what that will look like and when it will happen remains unclear. Our Head of Engagement, Catherine Lidgley chats to Pilot Fish Managing Director, Richard Jones to find out what he is seeing in the market and what we’re likely to see next.
Business with Richard Jones
Catherine: What do you think the market will look like for SME owners in 2021?
Richard: Trying to forecast market trends is never easy. This is particularly so during a pandemic where lending options are heavily influenced by the Government’s response.
If I had to make a prediction it would be more use of CBILS and Bounce Back Loans. Lenders will offer these facilities for as long as possible to mitigate risk during uncertain times. In addition we will see greater need for asset backed loans. This could be in the form of invoice discounting. Or we may see business owners being asked to put personal property up for security. For some sectors, like retail or hospitality, this may be the only way to secure debt finance.
Catherine: If you could give business owners your ‘top five’ insights or advice for 2021, what would they be?
1. The government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) is still available up until the end of March 2021. The scheme is designed specifically to support SMES hit by COVID and offers business loans of up to £750,000. Borrowers pay no interest or repayments for the first twelve months. If you are eligible it makes sense to apply for this finance early before the rules change.
It’s likely we’ll see a CBILS hybrid offering from the Government to replace the current scheme after March 2021. I suspect it will be a less generous offering to the current scheme.
Interest Only Products
2. Bounce Back Loans and CBILS Loans that were taken early in the pandemic will require capital and interest repayments this year. The timing of this is likely to hit SMEs just as they are in recovery mode. SMEs may wish to consider an interest only product or consolidate their debt to help reduce the monthly repayments.
Business owners should speak to an advisor before taking out a new facility. An advisor will be able to determine the most cost-effective option for your personal circumstances.
Present a Strong Case
3. The pandemic has hit hospitality, leisure, retail and commercial property sectors the hardest. As a result, these are likely to be some of the last businesses to bounce back. Businesses in these sectors are facing a challenge to raise finance. It’s not impossible to raise finance in these sectors, but expect to present a strong case.
Ensure you have up to date financial forecasts and business plans to support your application. Speak to an experienced business advisor who will know where to place your case and will save you time.
Asset Backed Deals
4. Asset backed deals were on the rise in 2020 and we’re likely to see that continue in 2021. Lender nervousness and market volatility has put an end to higher risk lending. The market is expecting higher default rates and is preparing for this with the extension of asset backed deals.
For many business owners using their personal home or investment property as security is a last resort. However, we fully expect this to become more common in 2021. For many it may be the only credible way of raising the finance they need.
5. Finally, with the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic SMEs should allow for more volatility in their budgets. Allow for plenty of flexibility in your cash flow forecasts. If you are expecting drops in cashflow during 2021 act sooner to put a flexible facility in place. Time scales for implementing facilities have increased.
We’re likely to see an increase in the use of invoice discounting lines and revolving credit facilities this year. Businesses are heading into 2021 in recovery mode and we are likely to experience peaks and troughs in cashflow for a few months yet. Flexible facilities will offer a buffer when needed.
Want to find out what 2021 will have in store for the property sector? Read our interview with Director of Property, Alice Williams


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Nothing at all has been decided yet, all options are on the table: The excited speculations about the production of an Apple car continued on Friday. Kia is currently preparing to manufacture an Apple Car at its West Point, Georgia, USA, reported today the WSJ, citing sources familiar with the matter. After that, an investment with a volume of several billion dollars is expected. This fits in with earlier statements that Apple the equivalent of almost three billion euros want to invest in Kia locations in the USA.
100,000 cars in the first year?
Apple could start mass production from 2024, it said. In the first year, up to 100,000 vehicles could be produced. In addition to Hyundai, there are other potential partners in the race: Apple is also currently negotiating with several Japanese car manufacturers.
Honda and Mazda were named in this regard, but both declined to comment on the matter. Mitsubishi said that they had not yet been contacted by Apple and that no further explanations were given.
The Japanese automakers are usually too busy with their core business of sales and brand management to tackle large projects such as a collaboration with Apple, explained Bloomberg’s Tatsuo Yoshida analyst, who is familiar with the Asian auto market. The manufacturers mentioned are currently underutilized and therefore in principle have the capacity for such a large project.


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--Biocon, Pfizer say they have individual priorities for biosimilars businesses
--Biocon to retain "significant part" of $200 million paid upfront by Pfizer
--Biocon to also get unspecified amount from Pfizer due to the deal annulment
(Adds comment from Pfizer spokeswoman, additional background beginning in 10th paragraph)
BANGALORE -(MarketWatch)- Biocon Ltd. (532523.BY) and Pfizer Inc.
The surprise development comes at a time when multinational drug makers are increasingly tying up with Indian drug makers to source cheaper generic products for sale globally even as their own pipelines suffer from blockbuster drugs losing patent protection. It also comes in the backdrop of an ongoing restructuring at Pfizer to focus on its core pharmaceuticals business.
Both companies in a joint statement cited "individual priorities" for their respective businesses of biosimilar products--or copies of existing biotechnology drugs--as the reason for calling off the deal.
Shares of Biocon slumped 11% to hit a 52-week low of INR238 after the news. The shares later pared the losses and traded 6.3% lower at INR250.80 on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The benchmark Sensex was up 1.3%.
Pfizer shares rose 1.8% to $21.93 in recent trading.
Biocon, India's biggest biotechnology company by revenue, is developing biosimilars for treating diseases like diabetes and cancer. It had sold Pfizer exclusive rights to sell recombinant human insulin, glargine, aspart and lispro diabetes-treatment products in some less-regulated emerging markets initially, and then in Europe and later in the U.S.
These rights have now reverted to Biocon.
Biocon Chairman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said the company will retain a "significant part" of the $200 million that Pfizer paid upfront as part of the 2010 deal. It also will receive an additional amount from Pfizer due to the deal annulment, Mazumdar-Shaw said, without elaborating.
Biocon would forfeit up to $150 million of payments linked to regulatory and sales milestones that it could have received from Pfizer over the three to five years starting 2010, she added.
Pfizer spokeswoman Joan Campion said the financial impact of the breakup with Biocon would be immaterial to Pfizer's 2012 results.
Biosimilars present a lucrative opportunity for both companies as a stringent regulatory pathway ensures limited competition. The market for biosimilar insulin and related products is estimated at more than $15 billion, according to Mazumdar-Shaw.
She said Biocon will now try to tap this opportunity through alliances with multiple regional partners instead of having one single global sales ally like Pfizer.
For Pfizer, the partnership was originally intended to advance two strategies: providing high-quality, affordable therapies for diabetes, and expanding its efforts in biosimilars.
When the deal was announced in 2010, Pfizer said it expected limited sales initially but picking up when certain products were expected to became available in Europe and the U.S. between 2013 and 2016.
Pfizer said it will continue to develop biosimilars medicines, including monoclonal antibodies and recombinant proteins, both internally and through collaborations. It also will be active in its own research and business development efforts for diabetes.
--Peter Loftus contributed to this article.


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Jazz apples will hit markets across Asia and the rest of the world with a new look in the upcoming New Zealand season.
The brand refresh, which follows extensive global consumer research, aims to reinforce Jazz’s unique qualities and clearly position the apple as the ‘ideal snack on the go’, according to T&G Global.
“Our research identified that the unique balanced tangy-sweet flavour of Jazz delivers a crispy, juicy and refreshing hit, which is what consumers are looking for between meals,” head of global marketing Rebecca Chapman told Fruitnet.
“Jazz is also a convenient size to be eaten in one sitting, so it’s perfect for snacking.”
The rebrand brings to life the Jazz tagline ‘Always refreshing’ with a new logo, droplet, leaf and vibrant rays, Chapman added.
She said the refreshed look was co-developed with consumers across key markets in Asia, the US and Europe. “We conducted extensive consumer research in 2020, and adopted innovative methodology given restrictions due to Covid. This included Zoom calls, online testing, sensory testing, at home consumption and virtual reality supermarket simulations.”
T&G Global has also developed several packaging formats to support the snacking occasion. “There are new packaging options coming out this New Zealand season across Asia,” said Chapman. “The number of apples and size of apples varies by market, based on consumer insight, and means they have the right-sized Jazz, packaging style and number of apples for any occasion, be it in the lunchbox, at work or on the go.”
Jazz is now grown in ten different countries and some 5.9m cartons were sold last year across more than 45 markets.
In the upcoming March issue of Asiafruit Magazine, T&G Global’s Rebecca Chapman discusses the group’s marketing strategy after the group won Marketing Campaign of the Year at the 2020 Asia Fruit Awards.
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Ukraine: grain transport logistics resumed its work after winter frosts – N.Prysyazhnyuk
In Ukraine grain export shipments became activated, in particular, due to resumption of work of the grain logistics system after winter frost, declared Nikolai Prysyazhnyuk, Acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, on February 7.
According to him, in the first week of February 2014 Ukraine exported over 640 thsd tonnes of grains, which became the high export index.
The severe frosts which occurred in Ukraine in late January 2014, complicated work of the transport infrastructure of the grain market, noted the Acting Minister. Grain shipment rates and its movement significantly slowed down. However, to date the work of domestic grain logistics became restored, and the industry is operating in standard regime.
Generally, since the beginning of 2013/14 MY Ukraine already supplied more than 22 mln tonnes of grains on foreign markets, an increase of 5.5 mln tonnes compared with the same period of the previous season. In addition, there are several vessels in the ports under loading at the level of 1.3 mln tonnes of grains.
In the current marketing year Ukraine will confidently enter the world TOP-3 of grain exporters, said the Acting Minister. He noted that the demand for Ukrainian grains is consistently high.
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After making us wait for quite some, after its preview at Google I/O back in June, Mountain View has finally launched the latest version of its Android OS for general public. Dubbed as Android L at preview, people were trying to guess its name. You no longer need to do that as the latest version will be known as Android Lollipop. Yes, L for Lollipop.
Android Lollipop will be the fifth major version of Google’s smartphone OS with version number at 5.0. As far as the changes are concerned, Android Lollipop brings revamped UI with Google’s new design philosophy known as Material Design. Android Lollipop also brings in tighter privacy controls that let you block people and notifications. Android Lollipop also enables full multi-account and guest user mode. It’ll also come with new battery saver option too which Google claims, will extend battery life by up to 90 minutes.
Obviously, it will have plethora of performance upgrades, so you should just relax. For developers, there are over 5000 new APIs. Google says the latest major version of the OS is made for all different sizes and types of Android devices.
Now here’s the crucial question. Which all devices are going to get this update? Google officially states Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 10 and other Google Play edition devices which run pure Android, as eligible of new Android update. Since Google haven’t specified it, it’s safe to assume that both Nexu 7s (2013 & 2013) will get the update.
As a tradition, Google has also launched three new devices running Android Lollipop. Nexus 6 by Motorola is the phablet running the latest OS while the Nexus 9 which is a tablet, is made by HTC and Player by Asus.


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Bear Archery Launches New Website and the New 2012 Anarchy Bow
On September 28, 2011, Bear Archery launched its new website. The new website was designed to provide quicker access to their visitors' favorite content and offer more ways to interact with the bow company. Bear Archery has always given its customers and fans a voice in the bows they design. So, Bear wanted a website that made it even easier to listen to what their fans have to say.
And with the launch of their new website comes the first glimpse of their new 2012 bow lineup. Their new flagship bow, the Anarchy, is a direct result of Bear's belief that the customer knows what they want. Bear fans wanted a more forgiving, longer axle-to-axle bow. They asked Bear not to compromise durability while making it lightweight. They demanded a bow that feels like no other from draw to release. Bear listened. There has never been a bow like the Anarchy.
Bear didn't stop with their flagship bow, though. For 2012, they developed an amazing new lineup of bows. The Siren is just one of those new bows. Developed specifically for top-tier female archers, the Siren was field tested and then further refined based on that testing. And because of their dedication to their female bowhunting fanatics, the Siren has become the OFFICIAL bow of Realtree Girl.
Visit beararcheryproducts.com to learn more about the Anarchy, the Siren and the other bows that make up the 2012 Bear bow lineup.
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Tags are a crucial feature of social media platforms, enabling users to easily seek out and connect with content related to specific topics. However, up until now, Threads, the fledgling platform from Meta, has been missing this key functionality. Fortunately, that is set to change in the near future, as the company has announced that tags are now in testing on Threads in Australia, with plans to roll out the feature to more countries soon. In a recent post on his Threads account, Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the development, signaling that the addition of tags is a significant milestone for the platform’s evolution.
The mechanics of using tags on Threads are familiar to users of other social media platforms. To create a tag, simply place a hash symbol (#) before a word, which will then appear in blue text without the hash, similar to how mentions work on Facebook. When it comes to seeking out specific topics, users can simply type a hashtag followed by a keyword into the search field to view a list of relevant posts, mirroring the method used on platforms like Instagram. For the time being, Threads only supports a single tag per post, most likely as a measure to discourage excessive use of hashtags. However, Meta has noted that the feature is still a work in progress, hinting that the current limitations may evolve as the platform continues to develop.
Despite not yet being available in Europe, Threads has exhibited steady growth, amassing nearly 100 million monthly active users, as per Zuckerberg’s recent update. In recent months, the app has introduced several significant features aimed at enhancing the user experience. Notably, users can now delete their Threads profile without negatively impacting their Instagram account, providing more flexibility and control over their online presence. Additionally, users now have the ability to avoid automatically sharing their Threads posts to Facebook and Instagram, giving them greater control over their social media presence. Other recent enhancements include the introduction of pinned posts, a feature that allows users to prominently display important content on their profiles. Furthermore, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has hinted at the potential for direct messages to be managed through Instagram’s inbox, suggesting that further integration with Meta’s other platforms may be on the horizon.
The addition of tags to Threads represents a significant step forward for the platform, bringing it more in line with the standard features offered by other social media platforms. By enabling users to categorize and search for specific content using tags, Threads is poised to become a more robust and user-friendly platform for sharing and discovering content. As it continues to expand its user base and refine its feature set, Threads is likely to become an increasingly important part of Meta’s overall ecosystem, offering users a unique and engaging social media experience.
In conclusion, the introduction of tags to Threads represents a positive development for the platform and its growing user base. With the recent and upcoming feature enhancements, Threads is positioning itself as a more comprehensive and user-friendly social media platform. As it continues to expand to new regions and refine its feature set, Threads is poised to become a key player in the social media landscape, offering users a unique and compelling platform for sharing and discovering content.


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Did Santa deliver you a Sonos or Bose smart speaker? Better check hackers have not compromised it
The security of IoT devices is once again being questioned, after researchers spotted a vulnerability with certain Sonos and Bose speakers.
The flaw could even allow hackers to play sounds or music remotely, according to Trend Micro, if the hackers conducted an online scan for the vulnerable devices.
Sonos has reported reacted quickly and patched the offending systems, but Bose has yet to respond says Trend Micro.
The Bose and Sonos models affected include the Sonos Play:1, the newer Sonos One, and Bose SoundTouch systems.
The researchers in a blog posting revealed how they had found between 2,000 and 5,000 impacted Sonos system and less than 500 Bose speakers, a small number of the total number of these devices sold.
However, the hackers can pinpoint these devices using simple internet scans, and can then accessed them remotely, and command them with sraightforward tricks to play any audio file the attacker chooses.
Some Sonos users for example has previously reported on forums that their speakers were playing unexpected sounds, such a door opening, a baby crying, or glass breaking.
“The unfortunate reality is that these devices assume the network they’re sitting on is trusted, and we all should know better than that at this point,” Mark Nunnikhoven, a Trend Micro research director told Wired. “Anyone can go in and start controlling your speaker sounds,” if you have a compromised devices, or even just a carelessly configured network.”
It seems the Trend Micro researchers were able to utilise scanning tools like NMap and Shodan to spot the exposed speakers. The researchers discovered that the vulnerable models allow any device on the same network to access the APIs they use to interface with apps like Spotify or Pandora without any sort of authentication.
Thus if a hacker were able to gain access to a person’s network, they could simply ask the speakers to play an audio file hosted at any URL they chose, and the speakers would obey.
Although the hack sounds like it would be used mostly for pranks, the implications are potentially more serious, as the researchers found they could use the vulnerable speaker to issue commands to voice assistant devices such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, which often control smart home features such as door locks or lighting.
The discovery of the flaw comes amid a wider debate about the security of IoT connected devices.
In the Autumn, a Vodafone survey downplayed fears about IoT security, claiming just seven percent of organisations with 10,000 or more connecting things are concerned about such threats.
The United States Senate meanwhile has introduced a bill to create a set of minimum security standards for a range of Internet of Thing (IoT) devices purchased by the US government.
In 2016 the security threat posed by IoT was starkly illustrated when researchers at security firm Sucuri uncovered an unusual botnet made up entirely of Internet-connected CCTV cameras.
That incident recalled a similar case in 2015 when a security firm found a botnet made up of 900 CCTV cameras was launching an attack on an unnamed cloud services provider.
What do you know about the Internet of Things? Take our quiz!


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Insomniac said that the latest review of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does not reflect the quality of the final product, after players had doubts about the game’s graphics and character models.
James Stevenson of the American development team, in response to a Twitter follower’s inquiry regarding whether the latest review reflects the quality of the game’s final product, said no with a sarcastic image, indicating that the final product will see greater improvements before it is released to the market.
— James Stevenson (@JamesStevenson) May 27, 2023
in its most recent quarterly financial reportSony confirmed that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is on track for release this fiscal year, and the company said, “We also plan to release a major title, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, in this fiscal year, and we aim to continue creating new titles and bringing our games to PC.” profile and promote the development of live gaming service”.
The fiscal year ends on March 31st next year, but Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will likely be released much earlier, with several reports pointing to September.


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CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. (CBS.MW) -- Music-wear retailer Hot Topic gave Wall Street what it wanted Wednesday with second-quarter earnings of 13 cents a share, revised downward late last month.
The parent of Hot Topic and Torrid stores also lightened modestly its projected percentage decline in same-store sales to the low-to-mid single digits for the third quarter. The earnings forecast for the entire second half remained unchanged.
Shares waded into the red, changing hands recently at $18.27, off 8 cents.
The specialty teen retailer that focuses on music-related clothing and accessories said it made $4.3 million in the quarter, which was about even with last year's 13 cents a share, or $4.2 million. That was the case despite a 29 percent increase in net sales to $92.5 million from $71.9 million.
Dragged down by poor sales in menswear, Hot Topic HOTT said that its same-store sales were flat against last year's 2.6 percent gain. In the men's categories of bottoms, tops and novelty T-shirts, comparable-store sales percentages tumbled into the negative teens.
"Men's tops reached its peak last year during the back-to-school season," said Chief Executive Betsy McLaughlin. "Post back-to-school the men's comparable-store business began to decline.
"We planned for the declines that we were experiencing, but the fall-off in July was much more significant than originally anticipated," she said.
She's hopeful about some new fashions that will make their way to store shelves in the fourth quarter, though she would not detail what they are.
Late last month, Hot Topic warned investors that earnings would come in below the 15 cents a share consensus from Thomson Financial/First Call. The results reflect the 3-for-2 stock split made in February.
By the end of the year, McLaughlin said she will have 70 new Hot Topic stores and 18 Torrid stores.
Torrid is a mall-based specialty apparel retailer of plus-size fashion-forward clothing for young women from 15 to 29 years old. The year-old concept has proved popular, McLaughlin said, and should post a profit by the fourth quarter.
Though she would not even hint at its growth potential -- new store openings range from 20 to 60 -- she assured analysts that next year would include a lot of new Torrid stores.
"We feel very good about Torrid," she said. "We're very pleased with the success, especially in markets where we've had no presence at all.
"From a product standpoint we continue to evolve and walk the line," she noted. "Our customers want the true fashion-forward merchandise and our accessory business continues to grow."