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MTN has come out top of the Ask Africa Orange Index Survey for customer service quality in the mobile industry in South Africa.
MTN, South Africa’s leading mobile network operator, recorded an index score of 62.3 per cent, while Vodacom was second with 61.73 per cent and Telkom Mobile came third with 61.15 per cent. Telkom Mobile’s index score rose from 50.76 per cent the year before.
Ask Africa has been recording service levels in South Africa since 2001 and Farhad Essop, executive of Telkom Mobile customer services, said: “It is heartening that Telkom Mobile performed better on the aspects relating to the customer interaction, but we still need to improve on the meaningfulness of engagements with the customer by building stronger relationships.
“This will require an even greater focus on developing empathy and trust among customers, corporate social responsibility and first call resolution.”
The survey concerned 109 brands across 22 industries and interviewed 9,620 customers between February and July 2013.
Overall service levels across brands increased in 2013 and there was a four per cent reduction in dissatisfaction.


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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would take a big hit if President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on cars exported to the U.S. from global markets.
A 25% tariff on imports would reduce Fiat Chrysler's profits by up to €743m annually, according to analysts Evercore ISI.
This figure is the worst-case scenario following Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on vehicle imports on national security grounds.
A 20% tariff on cars built in the European Union, which was also suggested by Trump, would see FCA profits decline by up to €526m, according to calculations by Evercore and Automotive News Europe.
Last year, FCA exported to the US 158,553 cars and trucks from outside of the NAFTA area, up 3.7% from 2016, according to the Automotive News sales database. Sales rose by 2.8% to 66,735 in the first five months compared with the same period in 2017.
Deliveries of Jeep Renegade small SUVs built in Melfi, Italy, account for nearly two-thirds of the total—103,434 in 2017.
All Alfa Romeo and Maserati nameplates sold in the US are also made in Italy, as is the Fiat 500X crossover, which is built in the same plant as the Renegade.
If a high tariff is imposed on Renegades, “FCA will be examining a variety of options,” said George Galliers, an Evercore analyst. “These could include a push to upsell consumers into NAFTA-sourced vehicles, including the Compass and Cherokee models; keeping the European-sourced Renegade in the market but focusing on higher-specification versions; and looking to source Renegades for the US market from Brazil, where it is also produced, or potentially localizing it in the US”
In 2017, FCA exported 136,827 vehicles to the US from the EU — all from Italy — up 4.2% from 2016.
According to figures from the US Commerce Department, last year the U.S. imported $4.8 billion worth of passenger vehicles from Italy. That nation was the third-biggest EU exporter of cars to the US after Germany and the UK.
FCA also exports vehicles to the US from non-EU markets. These are the 500L minivan built in Serbia, the Ram Promaster City small van produced in Turkey and the Fiat 124 Spider roadster from Japan, where it is built by Mazda alongside the Mazda Mx-5.
About 9% of FCA’s unit sales in the US are vehicles imported into the U.S. from outside of the NAFTA area, according to Evercore ISI, a higher figure than 6% for General Motors and 4% for Ford. With an estimated average revenue per vehicle of €22,000, FCA imports generate €3.3bn, Evercore ISI said, with a profit margin of 3.5% and €116m earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT).
Assuming the same revenue per vehicle of €22,000, revenues from FCA vehicles imported from the EU were €3bn in 2017; according to Automotive News Europe calculations. If the U.S. government raises import tariffs on cars imported from the EU to 20% from the current 2.5%, this would reduce the automaker’s EBIT by €526m.
These calculations assume sales prices remain unchanged. FCA, like all competitors, could decide to raise prices and have the customers shoulder part of the burden. This option likely would lead to a large decline in vehicle sales.
FCA’s smaller vehicles are most exposed to the tariffs. Jeep Renegade prices in the US start at $18,445 before sales tax, according to the company’s US website. The additional tariff would have an impact of more than $3,000, pushing the crossover’s price above that of the Mexico-produced Jeep Compass, which starts at $21,095 in the US.

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As the tit-for-tat between the Government and the Opposition over tax exemptions for the purchase of luxury vehicles continues, Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal says there is nothing wrong with Opposition members using the exemption during the pandemic.
Last week, Moonilal heaped criticism on Energy Minister Stuart Young and Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh for their purchases of luxury vehicles in March and June respectively.
Moonilal said the purchases were insensitive and ill-timed.
As the issue continued to be ventilated over the last week, documents surfaced from the purchases of two more luxury vehicles- both in late April- but this time by two Opposition MPs.
The first, dated April 26, 2021, was from the Ministry of Finance to the Comptroller of Customs, advising that exemptions totalling $356,967.68 had been granted to Couva North MP Ravi Ratiram.
Ratiram was exempted from paying $75,056.37 in VAT, $90,787.50 in motor vehicle tax and $191,123.81 in Customs duty on the purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado valued at $600,450.99
The second document detailed the exemptions granted to San Juan/Barataria MP Saddam Hosein in his purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Hosein’s vehicle was valued at $742,841.32.
He was exempted from paying $92,855.17 in VAT, $121,050 in motor vehicle tax and $181,791.32 in Customs duty- a total of $395,696.49.
That document was dated April 30, 2021.
A third document, also to the Comptroller of Customs and dated May 23, 2019, showed MP for Pointe-a-Pierre, David Lee, being granted exemptions in the sum of $1,416,292.65 for the purchase of a Mercedes Benz AMG G63 valued at $2,344,752.16.
That exemption included $293,094.02 in VAT, $298,650 in Motor Vehicle tax and $824,548.63 in Customs duty.
Questions and copies of all three documents were sent to Ratiram, Hosein and Lee via WhatsApp.
There were no responses from any of the three up until press time.
Guardian Media Limited contacted Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, who last week heavily chastised Ministers Young and Deyalsingh for their purchases of luxury vehicles during a pandemic.
But yesterday, when he was asked whether Ratiram and Hosein’s purchases could be seen as insensitive and ill-timed, he said, “Well let’s put it this way, the Government did not lose and the Government did not gain because when you don’t purchase a vehicle, the Government doesn’t gain and when you purchase a vehicle, the Government does not lose in a sense because they get nothing from the purchase. But the further point I want to stress is that the Opposition members are buying vehicles, as I intend to now, because the Government has taken a position that they don’t damn care and they are in leadership, they must demonstrate sacrifice.”
Moonilal said there would be more documents from exemptions for Opposition MPs but the public should focus on the Prime Minister’s refusal to issue a moratorium on the purchase of luxury vehicles during the pandemic.
In the absence of that, Moonilal said he intends to purchase whatever vehicle the Prime Minister bought as soon as he is able to access his exemption again.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said he too had used his exemption to purchase a luxury vehicle.
In the past four years, Moonilal has accessed the exemptions twice- on April 26, 2017, for the purchase of a Jaguar F-Pace and again on November 6, 2019, for the purchase of a Mercedes Benz GLE 450 4M. The exemptions for both vehicles totalled $799,583.40
He will be eligible for another exemption on November 7, 2021.
Yesterday, he said he intends to use it as soon as it becomes available.
“On the 8th (November) I intend to purchase the exact vehicle purchased by the Prime Minister,” Moonilal said.
Asked about whether he is concerned about public perception, Moonilal said, “The ordinary citizen will look on and say the Government is showing absolutely no leadership, the buck stops with the Government, there is a propaganda law in Trinidad which suggests that the Opposition should lead. The Opposition is not leading and it cannot lead by law so let the Government take a decision on a moratorium, why is it so hard to do that? And why do they have to look at Saddam Hosein and Ravi Ratiram and whoever? They can behave properly if they want to, their complaint is looking everybody buying so we buying too.”


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- Media personality Zodwa Wabantu’s latest egg business marketing gimmick has many of her fans on social media cracking up
- The dancer-turned-businesswoman is running a hilarious competition to boost the sales for her already booming egg business
- Zodwa’s fans stand a chance to have breakfast with their fave if they buy three or more trays of eggs from her
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed!
Zodwa Wabantu is running a hilarious competition to boost sales for her egg business. The media personality’s latest marketing gimmick has some of her stans laughing out loud.
Zodwa Wabantu’s latest egg business marketing gimmick has her fans cracking up. Image: @zodwalibram
The exotic dancer took to Instagram on Wednesday, 30 June to share the poster of the competition she’s currently running. According to the poster, customers stand a chance to welcome Zodwa into their homes for breakfast if they buy three or more trays of her eggs.
Woman gushes after becoming a qualified CA, Mzansi feeling inspired
Instagram and Twitter users shared hilarious reactions to Zodwa’s post. While some applauded her business moves, many questioned why they have to pay for breakfast on top of the money they spent on the eggs.
Check out some of the comments below:
“This is on the fence between brilliance and WTF. Either way, I have to stan a focused queen.”
“Her presence is a present.”
“My queen andisamthandi. Zodwa is a very busy woman. She’s gonna drive to where you are, take time off her busy schedule to come see you and she might have to organise security just so she eats two eggs at your comfort of your home. It makes sense kodwa.”
“Manake, leyo breakfast izokhokhelwa ubani (hold on, who’s paying for the breakfast)?”
“A hustling queen.”
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Manaka Ranaka struggles to move on after losing dear friend: “I weep endlessly”
Zodwa Wabantu shows off her chicken stock, stans are proud of her hustle
In related news, Briefly News reported that Zodwa Wabantu is becoming a force in the poultry farming industry. The media personality successfully launched her eggs business and has been delivering her stock countrywide. Zodwa recently took to social media to show off her chickens.
The dancer has a lot of them! Sharing a video of the poultry on social media, Zodwa made it clear that she was a hustler of note, and all this was through hard work.
Briefly News previously reported that Zodwa Wabantu is all about expressing gratitude and showing love to all those who support her. The businesswoman recently showed that money has not changed her by accepting payment from a client while on her knees.
Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY’s news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!


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Stein World Coming to AtlantaNovember 15, 2012
Accent furniture vendor Stein World will debut in a new showroom at the January Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market.
The 5,800-square-foot permanent showroom is on the 11th floor of Building 1 in spaces A8-A10 of AmericasMart Atlanta and will be used to display the company’s accent furniture, mirrors, chairs, lighting, occasional tables, vanity sinks, media consoles and casual dining sets.
“We’re very excited to become a part of the Atlanta furniture market,” said Jack Johnson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Memphis, Tenn.-based Stein World. “We think it’s an important event and we have a strong customer base that attends this market—so it’s a great fit for us.”
The home accents vendor also shows at the High Point Furniture Market in space 447 of the International Home Furnishings Center's Wrenn wing; and at Las Vegas Furniture Market in space 344, World Market Center.


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Americans have met an average of 10 new people online during their time in self-isolation, according to new research.
The survey asked 2,000 Americans about their digital communication habits while they’ve been sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Forty-four percent of respondents shared they’ve webcammed with a stranger for the first time during COVID-19.
And of those surveyed who have visited a webcamming site, 45% do so for just that reason – just to meet new people.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Jasmin, the survey also found that 73% of respondents shared they crave emotional intimacy more than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another 67% of those surveyed shared they’ve struggled to socialize and communicate during their time in self-isolation.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents also shared they’ve felt increased feelings of loneliness and anxiety.
Common ways respondents are combatting their feelings of loneliness during lockdown included cleaning their homes, cooking and baking, meditating and binge-watching a TV show.
But of all modes of digital communication, 61% of respondents also shared that they prefer video calls because they’re more intimate.
Video calls can get dicey, however, as respondents shared they’ve experienced their fair share of embarrassing moments.
One in five respondents shared they’ve had someone walk in the background of a video call naked.
Another 15% of those surveyed have either been caught talking to their pets or yelling at their children while on a video call.
Eleven percent of respondents have even been caught day drinking and 18% of respondents shared they’ve been caught on a video call not wearing pants.
Other ways respondents are trying to stay positive during lockdown included cleaning their homes, cooking and baking, meditating and binge-watching a TV show.
Twenty-two percent of those surveyed said they’re also connecting with people on social media to feel less lonely.
Another two in 10 respondents said they’ve visited or watched a live streaming site to boost their moods.
TOP EMBARRASSING THINGS TO HAPPEN WHILE ON A VIDEO CALL
- Talked for a while before realizing I was on mute 31%
- Forgot to mute myself and said something embarrassing 29%
- Had someone enter the room and interrupt the video call 27%
- Forgot my camera was still on when I went to the bathroom 22%
- Had someone walk in the background nude 20%
- Wasn’t wearing pants and didn’t realize everyone could see 18%
- Had someone do something embarrassing in the background 18%
- Forgot to mute myself before taking a screenshot of the call 16%
- Got caught talking to my pets 15%
- Yelled at my children without muting myself 15%
- Forgot to change the background image 13%
- Got caught day drinking 11%
- Fell asleep 9%
TOP 20 WAYS TO COPE WITH LONELINESS DURING COVID-19
- Exercise 51%
- Watch movies 41%
- Text friends/family 36%
- Call friends/family over the phone 34%
- Clean my home 34%
- Cook/bake 34%
- Meditate 32%
- Binge-watch a TV show 31%
- Video call friends/family 30%
- Have sex 28%
- Read 28%
- Learn a new skill 28%
- Reorganize my home 25%
- Masturbate 23%
- Connect with people through social media 22%
- Have an alcoholic beverage 21%
- Watch online webcamming/live streaming sites 21%
- Utilize online webcamming/live streaming sites to meet people 18%
- Attend a virtual event 16%
- Host a live streaming event


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Squarespace has teamed up with WePresent to launch a new content series focused on black women entrepreneurs, and how they utilize Squarespace to reach out to their communities.
The four-episode series features Liv Little, CEO, and founder, Gal-dem, Sharmadean Reid MBE, CEO, BeautyStack and founder, WAH Nails and founder, Future Girl Corp, Jade Purple Brown, freelance visual artist, and Holley M. Kholi-Murchison, founder and CEO of Oratory Glory.
You can read more about these four powerful women here.
Squarespace intends for the stories told in each episode to make space for the black female voice, and inspire future entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps.
The underrepresentation of women in this space is particularly surprising since "black women entrepreneurs are the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs in the United States," according to Squarespace.
"We’re proud to partner with WePresent for the ‘Make It Real’ series to uplift the stories of four woman-identifying Black Squarespace customers who are using their platform to build community and showcase their work with the world," said Kinjil Mathur, chief marketing officer of Squarespace.


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At a time when all eyes are on Apple with its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicks off at 10 a.m. PT Monday at Moscone West center in San Francisco, a latest report said, citing an industry analyst, that Apple would unveil the iOS 6 Golden Master in early September, which would be followed by the next-generation iPhone later in the same month.
Rumors are rife that the upcoming version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 6, is going to be the main focus of the keynote at the WWDC 2012. Adding more spice to the rumor-mill, an intriguing post at the Chinese forum WeiPhone made much buzz around the tech world Sunday, claiming to have a list of links to beta builds of iOS 6 (10A5316k) and Safari 6 Developer Preview for OS X Lion.
KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that with beta releases of the iOS 6 expected to be made available to developers after the unveiling Monday, the final release of the latest iOS version could be ready in another three months.
We expect Apple to unveil iOS 6 GM (Golden Master) in early September, Kuo said in a note obtained by AppleInsider. Based on the release schedule for iOS 6 GM, there is a very good chance iPhone 5 will start shipping also in early September.
As noted by AppleInsider, a September release of both the iOS 6 and iPhone 5 would give Apple the opportunity to rack up sales of the device before the end of its 2012 fiscal year. The October release of the iPhone 4S last year resulted in a slower September quarter that surprised the Wall Street, said the report.
Kuo has mentioned in his note that iOS 6 is expected to come with major modifications that include greater integration with iCloud and Facebook, integration with iTunes Store and App Store, improved Spotlight capabilities, updated user interfaces and an Apple map service replacing Google Maps.
According to Kuo, the sixth generation iPhone will come with the company's first change to the size of the device's screen. He expects the device to feature a taller 4-inch screen with a ratio of 16:9. He also believes that the handset would be much thinner and it would sport an HD-resolution front-facing camera.
Last week, Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White was also reported as saying that he had been told by people in the Taiwanese supply chain that the sixth-gen iPhone could be released as early as September rather than October. On top of that, the device could well be accompanied by a smaller iPad mini.
The sources in the Taiwanese supply chain also told White that they thought the next iPhone would feature a unibody aluminum casing manufactured by Foxconn. White said that his industry contact was skeptical about the prospect of Apple using amorphous Liquidmetal alloy for the handset's body.
As iDownloadBlog has pointed out, Apple has exclusive rights to use Liquidmetal technology in consumer electronics products. However, both the manufacturing facilities and the alloy itself are not ready for production as of now.
The features that are most likely to be incorporated in the upcoming iPhone model include a 4-inch Retina display, an A5X Variant chip, 1GB RAM, iOS 6, 4G LTE technology, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, improved Siri, liquidmetal casing, an 8 megapixel (or even higher) rear camera, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting and a much-improved battery life.
Meanwhile, the world has been set on fire by rumors about the most anticipated announcements at this year's Worldwide Developer Conference. Apple enthusiasts around the world are going crazy about a number of products and services such as the upcoming version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 6, new MacBook Pros and Mac OS X Mountain Lion.
We have a great WWDC planned this year and can't wait to share the latest news about iOS and OS X Mountain Lion with developers, said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement.
For more information on WWDC 2012, click here.


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Nvidia has released an official statement refuting the recent Digitimes story claiming that the company is planning to quit its chipset business. Michael Jong, senior director of corporate marketing for Nvidia indicated that Nvidia has no intention of getting out of the chipset business and that the report is completely groundless.
More here at Digitimes.
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Home Tags JCPenney
JCPenney is opening at 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and will stay open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday.
JCPenney is enticing workers with free vacations to New York and Miami as retail’s ‘war for talent’ heats up
JCPenney is on the hunt for 39,000 seasonal workers this year. To aid in its search, it hosted a nationwide hiring day where applicants were invited to come in to their local store and interview for jobs.
Sears has filed for bankruptcy and announced it would close more than 140 stores, but it isn’t the only department store that has struggled rece...
Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday, announcing it would be closing 142 Sears and Kmart stores and beginning liquidation sales at those locations immediately. Sears isn't the only department store that has struggled recently.
These haunting photos of the retail apocalypse reveal a new normal in America as Sears reportedly prepares for bankruptcy
A retail apocalypse is ripping through America, leaving clearance sales and empty malls in its wake. More than 3,800 stores are set to close across the US in 2018, leaving malls emptier than they have been since 2012.
JCPenney’s new CEO is a good choice because the department store needs a woman in charge after years of ‘inability to connect with women s...
JCPenney just appointed its first female CEO, and at least one analyst says that's cause for celebration. Jill Soltau, who was formerly CEO of craft and textile retailer Joann Stores, will be taking the position effective October 15.
JCPenney stole the CEO of Joann Stores as she was in the midst of mounting a furious campaign against Trump’s tariffs
JCPenney announced on Tuesday that Jill Soltau, most recently the CEO of Joann Stores, would be taking over as chief executive. As Joann's CEO, Soltau has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, telling Business Insider that they act as a "made in America tax."
JCPenney has hired a new CEO, Jill Soltau. The struggling department store has been without a leader since May, when its former CEO, Marvin Ellison, resigned to take up a new role as the head of Lowe's.
Dead Macy’s, Sears, and JCPenney stores are giving way to a new trend in shopping — here’s what’s replacing them
Closing Sears, JCPenney, and Macy's stores are increasingly being replaced by gyms, grocery stores, and off-price retailers. Companies moving into dead department stores include Whole Foods, Planet Fitness, Target, and Burlington Coat Factory, according to a JLL report.
JCPenney's counsel is predicting that the Trump administration's tariffs on Chinese goods will adversely impact the chain's middle class shoppers — and hasten the retail apocalypse.
Major retailers like Walmart and Target are doing whatever it takes to convince people to work there
Walmart is reportedly surveying workers on what perks they want the most, Target is highlighting its higher starting pay, and Kohl's is offering workers "unprecedented" discounts.


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A rise in Merino fleece prices was counteracted by a dip in crossbred and carding returns this week, with the wool market holding fairly firm.
The Eastern Market Indicator did rise four cents a kilogram week-on-week to 1927c/kg, but Australian Wool Innovation put that down predominately to a falling Australian dollar, rather than a rising market.
“In general, Merino types were anything from unchanged to 15c/kg dearer, crossbreds 10 to 30c/kg lower and cardings recorded a 15c/kg loss,” AWI’s weekly market report said.
In the south, the 22 micron and finer price indicators showed little movement, varying between losing 3c/kg (19 micron) and gaining 14c/kg (16.5 micron).
The broader wools were more variable at the Melbourne sale, with the 26 micron indicator dropping 34c/kg and the 30 micron guide climbing 22c/kg.
Nationally a lower volume of 41,757 bales were offered, with 9.6 per cent passed in.
Buyer demand was solid for Merino fleece lots with high strength, while the large selection of tender wool with high midbreaks was discounted, and crossbred lots eased.
According to the Australian Wool Industries Secretariat, the EMI now sits 65c/kg above the final sale of 2018, and 126c/kg above the same sale week last year.
“The strong demand seen for the fine and medium crossbreds over the two previous sales eased on both Wednesday and Thursday,” AWIS reported.
“Oddments eased on both days, with the average AWEX Merino Cardings Price Guide finishing 27c/kg less than in the previous week, to close at 1153c/kg. Buyers for China were dominant, with support from buyers for India and Europe.
“Looking ahead, offerings for the coming three sales are expected to range from 37,575 bales to 40,629 bales and to be 4.3pc less than in the same period last year.”
The season total value of wool sold is now at $1.815 billion, equating to $2219 per bale. While prices had come off the record highs it achieved last year, Rabobank analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said the supply side of the equation should keep them firm.
“We obviously have a shorter supply then we have ever seen before, and we would expect it to contract again in the coming 12 months given the season,” he said.
He added the impact of China’s economic slowdown would have on their demand for Australian wool would be the other impacting factor.
“There is a bit of uncertain commentary coming from economists that China is slowing…but we are not sure on how dramatic the downturn will be,” Mr Gidley-Baird said.
“We can expect the fibre production to shift with the higher production of finer wools because of drier conditions, and premiums for those wools returning to more normal levels as we rebalance the equation on the micron spectrum.”


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IRONWOOD - You probably recognize the name "Stormy Kromer".
You probably also know what the recognizable hats look like from seeing them around the Northwoods.
But do you know where and how they're made?
George "Stormy" Kromer was a semi-pro baseball player and railroad worker in Kaukauna in the early 1900s.
But old Stormy had a problem.
"He worked on the Chicago-Northwestern line for a long time, and he kept losing his hats in the wind, riding the trains. He brought a baseball hat home and asked Ida to sew a band around the hat, and the Stormy Kromer was born," says Gina Thorsen, the Stormy Kromer Vice President.
Before long, they took off, and were being mass produced in Milwaukee.
But that business was about to die in the early 2000s.
To save it, an Upper Peninsula family bought the brand and moved the production to Ironwood.
"We find that people who have hats almost think of it as a special club. When you see someone else wearing a hat, you might walk by and say, 'nice hat'," Thorsen says.
Since the hats started being made in Ironwood, they've gained even more popularity.
That's allowed the company to branch out into womens' Stormy Kromers, as well as other cold weather apparel.
That success has made it a staple of the community's economy.
"Here in Ironwood, it's a small town. Industries have left. Businesses have closed. To us it's really important to be able to provide jobs here with benefits and to treat them well and to provide them a place where they can spend their career," Thorsen says.
About 150 people work for the company in Ironwood.
They make hats that have become a symbol for people in the Northwoods and U.P.
RHINELANDER - The Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce group held a seminar at Nicolet College in Rhinelander Tuesday, to plan how to make Wisconsin more attractive to skilled workers and manufacturing businesses.
WMC's president believes the shortage in younger people in the industry has to do with two big misconceptions about manufacturing.
"The younger kids, as do their parents, have a perception on what manufacturing looks like and it's about 40 years out of date. If you're in an advanced manufacturing facility now, it's clean, it's high-tech, the engineers and technicians are working together," said Jim Morgan."We have a perception problem. I think we still have a definition of success that's says unless you have a four-year degree, you're not successful."
Morgan says groups like WMC work to change that perception. He believes workers with a two-year degree are just as successful in the industry.
So far, WMC held seminars at nine other technical colleges. For Rhinelander, more manufacturers could mean more economic independence.
"The Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce is looking to see how it can help and partner with local manufacturers to make the Rhinelander area a more favorable place for them to locate their businesses, as well as to attract and retain skilled workers to make those businesses successful," said Dana DeMet, Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce director.
Over the next six months, WMC will continue to look for ways to attract more workers and businesses to the state.
In December, it hopes to have 1000 representatives for a meeting in Milwaukee focusing on how manufacturing will benefit the state.
WMC also works with the University of Wisconsin system and the Wisconsin Technical Colleges.
LAC DU FLAMBEAU - Ruby's pantry opened their doors Tuesday in Lac du Flambeau. This is the first time the Ruby's pantry has set up shop there. They decided to come to Lac du Flambeau because of the good turnout in Rhinelander. The food pantry asks that people give a $20 donation.
“It's not your typical food pantry,” says Gloria Cobb, Ruby's Pantry Lac du Flambeau Lead Coordinator. “This is an opportunity to give people dignity, to serve with dignity, and it's a donation base.”
“I mean look at the hustle and bustle going on we've got the community coming together not only Lac du Flambeau but the surrounding community coming together to meet a very basic need and that's to help with hunger,” says Cobb.
The pantry offered items like strawberries, cake mix, and toilet paper. More than 400 people were expected to show up.
“A participant will go through the line with a laundry basket and or box and they will be offered items,” says Cobb. “They can refuse them however we will encourage them to take the item because somebody else that they may know may have a need.”
“They get a certain amount of each item and they go through the line like an assembly line,” says Cobb.
The pantry had more than 21,000 pounds of food to give away.
Disclaimer: All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Rockfleet Broadcasting / Northland Television, Inc. and By Request Web Designs shall not be held responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, or misprints.


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Apple Pay isn’t even here yet and, arguably, it’s already winning the war against bitcoin.
Like the digital currency, Apple is disrupting the payments system, but people will probably use it more than they use bitcoin.
Cupertino has carefully focused on three areas to make sure that happens: front-end experience, financial institutions, and merchants.
So what is the cryptocurrency community going to do about it?
Apple Pay’s holy trinity
Apple nailed the customer experience side. For starters, it rolled out the system with the new iPhone, and with the announcement of the Apple Watch, both of which garnered unprecedented attention from the tech industry.
It sold 10 million iPhone 6 models in the first weekend. The watch is going to sell in droves. Not all of these customers will use Apple Pay, of course. But many will. And far fewer people own bitcoin.
Then, there are the merchants. Apple snagged deals with major brands before Apple Pay was even announced. Retailers including Whole Foods, Bloomingdales, Staples, Walgreens and Subway are already signed up.
The firm has also timed the system’s launch expertly: point-of-sale (POS) systems need Near Field Communication (NFC) capability to work, and POS systems that support these can be expensive.
However, many retailers will be mulling upgrades to their existing POS terminals anyway, thanks to a critical deadline next October, when US retailers will be required to use the chip-and-pin technology already available in major credit cards, as an added security measure.
If they don’t, then they could be liable for card fraud, rather than the card providers, who shoulder the responsibility today. If they are upgrading their POS systems anyway, NFC will seem like an easier decision.
On the financial side, Apple has secured Visa, MasterCard, and Amex, along with several major US banks.
Users will be drawn to the better security within Apple Pay, which prevents credit card details from having to travel through merchant networks. Apple Pay uses a token instead, to represent the card, along with a one-time dynamic number designed to help authenticate transactions securely.
Thumbs up for security
Then, of course, there’s the iTouch biometric system, which will be used to authenticate the user. iTouch may have its detractors, but is a lot better than the current paper signature system in the US (which retail clerks won’t necessarily even check), and will likely be better than PIN verification too, which as security guru Brian Krebs points out are easily skimmable.
With conventional swipe-and-sign credit card systems as used across the US today, the card vendor is responsible for the data on the card’s magstripe. With Apple Pay, the merchant POS systems needn’t see the credit card at all.
New tricks, same old dog
All of this will be sweet music to banks, merchants and retail customers alike. It’s like nails on a chalkboard for the bitcoin community.
For starters, as some have already said, Apple’s partnership with the banks and payment processors still puts the incumbent system firmly in control. The only thing that really changes is the payment channel.
Apple Pay is therefore still anathema to bitcoin’s mission, which involves disrupting centralized control in the financial industry and returning real financial control to the user.
Second, Apple is beating bitcoin in terms of the customer experience. Its ecosystem is exceedingly user friendly and customer focused.
The company has spent years perfecting a design and user experience language that is second to none in the tech business, and, whenever it turns its attention to an existing business model, it brings these tools to bear, recrafting entire industries in its own image.
People understand Apple phones, and thanks to Jony Ive’s team, they will quickly understand the Apple Watch. Moreover, they will crave these devices.
By its very nature, bitcoin is a grassroots movement. It doesn’t enjoy the same top-down organisation that Apple does. That means that design, user experience, and security are inconsistent across its many implementations. That makes it hard for mainstream users to understand.
A craving for control
Apple’s ability to control every detail of the user experience is also the source of one of its biggest threats: it is an inherently fascistic company. A penchant for total control is a dangerous thing in a company that likes to reinvent entire industries.
Ever since the early 2000s, if not before, Apple has thrived on locking people into its ecosystem, and it excels at cementing this structure up and down the supply chain. We saw this with the launch of the iTunes store, which Apple integrated with the iPod and iTunes products upon its launch in 2003, signing deals with the major labels.
Jobs admitted this fact not long before his death, explaining in an internal 2010 email that he wanted to “explicitly lock customers in Apple’s ecosystem”.
Apple has used its hardware and software innovations to strongarm companies – and customers – into deals. In 2010, shortly after the launch of the iPad, it made magazine and newspaper publishers wanting to sell subscriptions via iPad apps subscribe to an agency model, in which it kept all of their subscriber and credit card information. Even Rupert Murdoch had to capitulate.
Apple also agreed to pay $450m to settle a civil action lawsuit, after it was shown to have engineered retail prices on ebooks in collaboration with several top publishers, using the power of the iPad.
Since its App Store emerged, Apple has been infamous for the strong and often ambiguous control that it exerts over its ecosystem.
The struggle ahead
So, Apple Pay will probably succeed, as customers flock to it, unaware of the control that they are giving up, and of the benefits that bitcoin could offer. History has shown repeatedly that the majority will trade control for convenience. If you have any doubts, just look at Facebook.
There are positive upsides, perhaps, if you squint. Yes, perhaps Apple Pay will drive NFC into the ecosystem so that bitcoin can use it. But then, by the time that happens, Apple Pay will already be there.
Apple Pay won’t obliterate bitcoin, of course, but it is going to shine very bright as a payment channel. It will attract large numbers of users with the convenience of instant mobile payments just as bitcoin faces its next major challenge: to move from being a largely speculative asset into a true currency, used every day by millions of users around the world.
Bitcoin needs to continue that transition, to introduce more liquidity into the market and to meet its real potential.
So if the bitcoin industry really wants to take on Apple Pay, it has to reinvent itself. Make itself friendly. Market itself to people so technologically ignorant that they’re one step away from microwaving their iPhones. That’s a difficult task to pull off.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, CoinDesk.
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk offers all employees above a certain salary threshold, including journalists, stock options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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A steady stream of new startups pitch their ideas, concepts, products and services on a daily basis to TechCrunch reporters: Startups that claim to predict when employees might want to leave for a new job; that think they can detect depression using someone's voice; that experiment by using chatbots on patients with depression; that scrape the internet for faces to allow police to carry out facial recognition surveillance.
And more than most of these startups terrify me.
Much of the focus today is on TikTok, the viral video-sharing app owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, which faces bans over fears that the data it collects will end up in the hands of the Chinese government.
It's not an unreasonable fear, especially with over a billion users worldwide using the app. But TikTok isn't the only company capable of sharing data with China. Thousands of American apps and companies share our information with advertisers and data brokers, which also expose that data to China, in large part because nothing exists to curb the sharing or selling of data to anyone who wants it, from startups to authoritarian regimes.
But while lawmakers and the government endlessly fixate about TikTok and China, they continue to neglect the larger problem, and that's at home. The scary calls are coming from inside America's house.
All startups vie to be the next generation of Amazons, Ubers, Facebooks and Googles, and look up to these American tech giants with dollar signs in their eyes. But if money is the metric to go by, it's worth looking at how the Amazons, Ubers, Facebooks and Googles got here. It's through our data that so many tech giants (though not all) made their billions. Some call it innovation and disruption; others see it as exploitation.
Just look at the mess that the first-generation of tech titans have made. We've seen how our data is used by companies to consolidate power, like market or user share, to make money. When Amazon isn't oppressing its workers by meticulously tracking their toilet habits, it's using data to push out competitors and small businesses to favor its own sales. Uber played fast and loose with its security and privacy practices for years, then tried to cover up a massive data breach. Facebook was used to incite a literal genocide that in part led to a whole corporate rebrand. And Google's data practices pretty much keeps the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division in business.
These data-hungry tech companies have compromised our security, eroded our privacy, tracked us, sold our data, lost our data, monopolized the competition, driven out small businesses and put entire populations at risk.
A paucity of legislation and regulation have allowed American tech companies to thrive and grow, enriched by our personal information and data we created, including anything from where we go to what we buy, to the people we communicate with to the content we consume. If the adage that data is the new currency is true, it's no wonder why tech companies keep getting richer. There are few rules for what companies can do with our information, but plenty of profit-making playbooks to work from. Every day a new tranche of startups have our data in their sights, but as consumers facing today's technology, what hope do we have when the conditions for our security and privacy are worse?
As unlikely as it is, a national TikTok ban would not stop Americans' data from ending up in China. The data has to be stemmed at the source — by not allowing American tech companies to collect gobs of data from people's devices to begin with.
America stands alone as one of the few superpowers without a data protection or privacy law. It is this uncontrolled and unregulated environment that allows Americans' data to end up in the hands of China or anyone who will pay for it. Creating a federal privacy law that spans the entire country and getting it to actually work isn't easy. It's why each state legislates differently.
California was the first state to offer strong consumer and data protections to its residents, granting Californians the rights to access, modify and delete the data that companies collect on them. California's consumer privacy law is regarded as one of the strongest in the country — because it worked. Companies in the state, home to Silicon Valley and its tech titans, had to comply and carve out deep exceptions to millions of Californians of their data collection practices. But that still leaves the millions of remaining Americans with no privacy protections.
Only a handful of states have followed in California's steps, but few new laws have reached the same bar, thanks to the corrupt (or lazy) lawmakers that watered down the draft bills in their states to serve the interests of the lobbying companies. Meanwhile, the tech lobby is fervently backing a federal law with the aim of creating a weaker set of rules across the U.S. to replace the patchwork of state laws, including California's.
Startups today should scare you because of their near-unfettered and unbridled ability to do almost anything with our information and face little to no repercussions. Even where tech giants have historically flouted their own security and privacy promises, regulators are under-resourced and massively outnumbered, and don't have the enforcement powers to meaningfully hold repeat offenders accountable.
Without guardrails in place to protect our data, the startups of today and tomorrow are doomed to make the same mistakes of yesteryear.


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In its ongoing quest to alert consumers that the cranberry is a fruit for all seasons, Ocean Spray is suggesting that thoughtful lovers shouldn’t overlook its product line when it comes to expressing Valentine’s Day sentiments.
“Whether it’s a love note in their lunch, serving their favorite meal, or whipping up an extra special treat, Ocean Spray’s here to help capture your Valentine’s heart,” said the agricultural cooperative with a headquarters campus that straddles the border of Lakeville and Middleborough.
On the special treat front, Ocean Spray might recommend the Lava Lamp cocktail. Adding a teaspoon of Ocean Spray Craisins to six ounces of chilled Champagne will create a lava lamp effect in the appropriate glassware, the cooperative says.
And for those seeking incandescence in the name of romance, there’s the Love Potion. Ingredients include sweetened lime juice, grenadine, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail, and Absolut Raspberri vodka. (When it comes to flavored vodka, “sometimes Y” doesn’t make it as a vowel. It’s Raspberri, not Raspberry.)
And for those who prefer the dessert trolley to the lounging bar, Valentine’s Day sweets can take the form of Cranberry Chocolate Truffles, Outrageous Chocolate Cranberry Fudge Cake, and Rustic Cherry Berry Pie Pops, Ocean Spray said in a press release.
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as 35 Florida grapefruit growers.
Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2012 gross sales of $2.2 billion and net proceeds of $338 million.Chris Reidy can be reached at email@example.com.


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SEATTLE, Wa. (Oct. 12, 2017) – Amazon today announced it is creating more than 120,000 positions this season across its U.S. network of fulfillment centers, sortation centers and customer service sites. Last year, thousands of holiday positions were transitioned to regular, full-time roles after the holidays and the company expects to continue that trend this year.
“We prepare year round for the holidays and we’re excited to hire for over 120,000 positions this season to help delight our customers,” said Dave Clark, Amazon Senior Vice President of Global Customer Fulfillment. “We look forward to welcoming back holiday employees who return year-after-year to Amazon and welcome new faces to the team, many of whom will continue on with regular, full-time roles with the company after the holidays.”
Amazon positions are available in 33 states including Kentucky.
In addition to highly competitive wages, Amazon provides employees with highly competitive pay, health insurance, disability insurance, retirement savings plans and company stock. The company also offers up to 20 weeks of paid leave and innovative benefits such as leave share and ramp back, which give new parents flexibility with their growing families. Leave share lets employees share their Amazon paid leave with their spouse or domestic partner if their spouse’s employer does not offer paid leave. Ramp back gives new moms additional control over the pace at which they return to work. Just as with Amazon’s health care plan, these benefits are egalitarian – they are the same for fulfillment center and customer service employees as they are for Amazon’s most senior executives. In addition, our hourly fulfillment center employees are eligible for Amazon’s innovative career choice program that pre-pays 95 percent of the cost of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether those skills are related to jobs at Amazon. To date, more than 10,000 employees have taken the next step in pursuing their passion with career re-training through the career choice program.
Candidates interested in available positions can learn more and apply online at www.amazon.com/peakjobs.


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The Jeep Compass has been a reliable seller for the American brand, but has been outshone by newer rivals. To counter this, Jeep has revealed the 2021 facelifted Compass ahead of its launch.
After numerous spy shots and waiting for almost a year, Jeep has finally revealed the facelifted Compass in India. The 2021 Jeep Compasscomes with a revised facelifted which gives it a more mature look than before. More importantly, the interior has been thoroughly updated with a new dashboard and additions of new features, though mechanically it remains the same. Test drives and bookings will commence from the end of January 2021 before its official launch sometime in February. Upon launch, the updated compass will compete against the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Citroen C5 Aircross, and the Skoda Karoq.
Most of the exterior styling updates on the facelifted Jeep Compass are on the front-end, though it is nothing drastic. The new headlamps have a sleeker profile than before with new inserts and also gets a more angular lower end. The grille remains similar in dimensions but now gets a new honeycomb design. There’s a new lower grille with a contrasting black trim that runs the full width of the front end between the fog lamps. A new set of alloy wheels complete the update, which is very minor but expected as it is only a mid-life refresh.
Over to the interior, the new Jeep Compass gets a thorough overhaul with a new design. The centre-console now gets a larger 10.1-inch infotainment system with Jeep’s new Uconnect5 connected car tech. The new system will also receive OTA updates and also gets integrated Amazon Alexa support. The AC vents and the HVAC controls have been also redesigned, with the former now getting a better design. The overall quality of the interiors has also received a noticeable upgrade, with new faux brushed-aluminium trim and double-stitched leather inserts on the dashboard giving the interior a more premium feel. Interior updates are rounded off by an all-new digital instrument cluster, and a new three-spoke steering wheel.
Prices for the updated Jeep Compass will be a bit higher than the current model’s price range of Rs 16.49 lakh – Rs 24.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The Compass will also carry over the existing model’s powertrain options of 1 diesel and 1 petrol. The 2-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel churns out peak power and torque figures of 170 PS/350 Nm and it can be optioned with either a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed auto, or a newer 9-speed auto transmission. The petrol engine option is a 1.4-litre 4-pot turbo unit which makes 161 PS/250 Nm of peak power and torque which is paired to a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic.


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Barnard Griffin 2014 Chardonnay awarded:
94 Points and Double Gold
2016 San Francisco International Wine Competition
Barnard Griffin 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon wins Gold
in the 2016 Sunset International Wine Competition
Barnard Griffin 2014 Rob's Red Blend wins Double Gold
in the Cascadia Wine Competition
Barnard Griffin Rose Of Sangiovese Wins
For 10th Time in San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
Well, Rob Griffin has done it again!
Barnard Griffin 2015 Rosé of Sangiovese has won the SWEEPSTAKE Award for Best Rosé at the
2016 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition!
This is the 10th time Barnard Griffin Rose has won Gold or Better in this competition
and this is the largest American wine competition in the world
© 2016 Barnard Griffin Winery™, Richland, WA 99352


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Times Internet, in association with DMAasia, today released a report titled “The State of Indian Digital Marketing- a CMO Perspective 2017-18.” The second edition of the comprehensive online study was conducted by surveying a group of over 150 marketers from leading brands across verticals including real estate, pharma, FMCG, auto and retail. The report underscores their learning for the year gone by and highlights their priorities and predictions for the year to come.
Content marketing displaced social media marketing and emerged as the top strategy for marketers in 2017, as per 57% respondents
Social media marketing saw a 30% decline over the previous year as only 36% of surveyed marketers cited it as a strategy that worked well for them in 2017
Over 42% of the surveyed marketers allocated more than 25% of their total marketing spends on digital marketing in 2017
Securing enough budgets for digital marketing and measuring ROI remained the two of the greatest challenges faced by marketers in 2017 at 32% and 27% respectively
With regard to the frequency of measuring ROI on digital marketing, weekly and monthly measurement remained the most chosen options at 38% each
Almost 30% of the marketers said consolidating their content marketing strategy would be their key focus for 2018, closely followed by measuring ROI at 27%
Commenting on the findings of the report, Gautam Sinha, CEO, Times Internet Limited said, “As we move forward at full throttle toward a more digitally inclined audience, marketers need to have a keen ear to the ground, to identify the trends and evolved mediums that their customers prefer. Our report goes on to capture the finer nuances that have been shaping how this environment is changing. We hope that our intensive research, in collaboration with DMAasia, culminated in this report, helps marketers in India stay ahead of the game and align their strategies and budgets accordingly”
“We are delighted to launch the second edition of the “The State of Indian Digital Marketing- a CMO Perspective 2017-18”, an exhaustive and in-depth study unveiling insights from over 150 CMOs across 15 verticals. The report, which has been curated in partnership with Times Internet, serves as a guide for marketers to prioritize efficiently to ensure growth and enhance customer experience. As revealed in the report, content marketing has taken centre stage, promising exciting times ahead.” said, Vatsal Asher, CEO, DMAasia.


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#CathieWood #paymentfororder #Robinhood
Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi spoke with Ark Invests founder, CEO and CIO Cathie Wood about Robin Hood and payment for order flow.
Widely followed investor Cathie Wood remains a holder of Robinhood (HOOD) even as the threat of a clampdown on payment for order flow by regulators looms as a key risk.
The founder, CEO and CIO of Ark Invest said in an exclusive interview on Yahoo Finance Live that Robinhood is currently a 1% holding for her firm.
Wood sent the market for Robinhood’s stock into a tizzy in early August after she revealed purchases of the trading platform’s stock after a disappointing IPO in late July. Shares quickly skyrocketed to an intraday high of $85 on Aug. 4, according to Yahoo Finance Plus data as traders that hand-on every call from Wood’s firm embraced the purchase.
"We’re looking at the payment for order flow controversy. We know that chairman [Gary] Gensler at the SEC is looking at that. That’s a large percentage of Robinhood’s revenues. But we actually think that not much is going to change there because the system has been so good from an execution point of view for the end investor. So we would be surprised to see a lot of change on that front. But again, we are in a situation where we have to listen to what the SEC is saying," Wood told Yahoo Finance Live.
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Event News E3
Date 4th June 2012
With E3 just around the corner Ubisoft have announced that they will kick things off this year with a bumper showcase that will show off their upcoming franchise hits including games for the new Nintendo Wii U as well as digital titles and a few surprise announcements.
The invite only press conference will take place at the Los Angeles Theater at 3pm PDT, but if liek most you can’t make it to LA then you will be able to stream the conference live on Ubisoft’s Youtube cannel <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKRWubusKBU> as well as getting loads of extra behind the scenes content on Uplay http://uplay.com/e3.
After the press conference, E3 attendees will be let loose on the Ubisoft booth located at booth number 1023 which can be found in the South Hall of the LA convention center. Visitors will be able to play upcoming titles like Assassin’s Creed 3, Far Cry 3, Rayman Legends and Rocksmith
“This year’s E3 promises to be one of our biggest and best yet,” said Yves Guillemot, Founder and CEO of Ubisoft. “We’re showcasing the strongest, most competitive collection of core titles we’ve had in years, innovative new games for new platforms and a broad lineup that has something for everyone.”
In a first, Ubisoft is inviting gamers to ask questions to its teams onUplay(r), Ubisoft’s online service dedicated to enhancing the experience of players across games and platforms. The best questions will be selected by one of the guest hosts and asked live during the press conference. Ubisoft also is sending eight select Uplay members to E3, where they will interview teams backstage, preview fans’ favourite games and provide video reports from the show floor. Finally, the Assassin’s Creed III(r) and Far Cry(r) 3 teams released two Road To E3 videos<http://www.youtube.com/ubisoft> showcasing their preparation for the event, and are inviting fans to post
their questions on their respective Facebook pages.


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James said the Canadian effort was launched in part in response to comments it received from Canadians who came into contact following the US campaign to say that retailers such as Hudson’s Bay and Holt Renfrew can do better.
She said she was optimistic that the Canadians would take over.
“Canada is also, in my view, quick to act when it realizes that there are inequalities. I hope some of these retailers will act on this as quickly, “said James.
The campaign calls on major retailers to “start a conversation” with the organization about fairer shopping by July 1 – Canada Day.
He is looking for 100,000 Canadians to sign the petition calling on retailers to do so.
The campaign website notes that Canada’s population is 5% Aboriginal and 3.5% Black.
“According to the 2016 census, 22.3% of Canadians identify themselves as members of visible minorities. Our petition calls on Canada to apply the 15% commitment to economic equality for Canada’s BIPOC, “said the report.
James said she would particularly like to see Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew and the e-commerce site Essence take the lead on Canadian retailers who are committed to the 15% target.
She said that this work is particularly critical during the pandemic because companies belonging to BIPOC are disproportionately vulnerable to bankruptcy during this period.
A survey by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that businesses belonging to various segments of the population – including women, Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, immigrants and the disabled – 48.92% said they could not stay open for more than three months in the context of physical distancing, compared to a national average of 39.7%.
In the U.S., the 15% promise hit the headlines earlier this month when cosmetic retailer Sephora and online subscription service Rent the Runway committed to ensuring that 15% of the products they sell ‘they carry will come from black designers.
Sephora’s support was a good start for the campaign. The company is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and has more than 400 stores in the United States and 80 in Canada.
James said that less than one percent of store shelves are currently reserved for black-owned businesses in the United States, but “dozens” of businesses are now engaged in a conversation with the campaign on how to remedy the imbalance of the brands they carry.
“They think about it so much and really make sure they set those benchmarks to make sure they can reach 15% in a super sustainable way,” she said.


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The highly anticipated comedy “Dope” will be the world’s first movie to accept bitcoin for its ticket sales through a partnership between Movietickets.com — which supports over 900 cinemas in the U.S.
The integration of GoCoin’s payment gateway will enable users to purchase movie tickets with bitcoin at almost one sixth of the nation’s cinemas.
The integration of bitcoin on Movietickets.com is “an integral part of the movie Dope,” which presents bitcoin as a new world currency and an alternative to cash.
Produced by Pharrell Williams and Forest Whitaker, the movie focuses on a tech geek named Malcolm who is trying to survive in a tough neighborhood in Inglewood, California that’s filled with drug dealers and gang members.
Ultimately, Malcolm discovers his true self in Los Angeles, when he finds bitcoin, an anonymous alternative for purchasing drugs. The character says:
“I just read that money as we know it is dead. Soon the world is only going to buy and sell products using Bitcoins.”
Alex Winter, the director of the documentary “Deep Web,” commented on the digital currency being used to purchase illicit drugs as part of the plot of the movie. He stated:
“That’s actually pretty accurate. There would have been no Bitcoin without the Silk Road. These disruptive technologies often come into the mainstream via contraband or criminality.”
Movietickets.com CEO Joel Cohen commented that the bitcoin integration will help increase the ticket sales of Dope, sayng:
“MovieTickets.com thrives on these types of opportunities. It’s cool, it’s original and we’re going above and beyond the common boundaries to drive ticket sales.”
Advantage over Competitors
Some customers from competitors like Fandango are already shifting to Movietickets.com solely due to the platform’s integration of bitcoin.
“I can confirm that I just bought a ticket at my local Regal theatre for Jurassic World tomorrow, using MovieTickets.com on my laptop,” said one Redditor. “Ended up in a bitcoin payment interface, similar to that of BitPay. Sent the coins, and less than a minute later had the ticket delivered to my phone. Top class service. I am saying ‘Bybye Fandango, hello MovieTickets.com’ from now on.”


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After a record setting year in 2008, InfoComm’s attendance and exhibitor participation dipped in 2009, but the annual show for the audio/visual industry rebounded this year when 32,000 attendees and 925 exhibiting companies descended on the Las Vegas Convention Center June 9-11. Overall exhibit space was estimated at about 475,000.
Held in Orlando, Fla. last year, InfoComm09 attracted 29,000 AV professionals and 832 exhibitors occupying 425,000 square feet. InfoComm08 in Las Vegas recorded 34,687 attendees, 988 exhibitors and 500,000 square feet of exhibit space. InfoComm returns to Orlando for the 2011 edition with the conference June 11-17 and the Exhibition June 15-17.
Exhibit City News host Nikki Caballero conducts an interview with LG about their InfoComm10booth, designed by Trade Show Fabrications.


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NB IT Firms Showcased in Maine
“New Brunswick companies were in the thick of the action,” said Gordon Wilson, General Manager of Silicon East Inc. “Maine business showed serious interest in our products and services and many potential alliances are being formed.”
This was the second gathering of the state’s innovative companies developing cutting-edge products and technologies for the 21st century. MaineTech 2005 was billed as the event that would create opportunities for these companies who are transforming Maine’s economy.
Business pitched their products and ideas and networked with people who can help them realise their vision. The centre of activity was the exhibit floor where companies and service providers displayed their products and ideas while networking to attract investors, sales, strategic partners and media attention.
|Maine business meets NB IT
Silicon East showcased some industry members representing New Brunswick and made numerous contacts.
Represented at the event were CSRIC, FatKat Animations, Atlis Inc., Mighty Community, I Smart Technologies, Taylor Digital Imaging, Enterprise Miramichi, City of Miramichi, and NRC/IRAP.
MaineTech 2005 was hosted by the Maine Technology Consortium including the University of Maine, Applied Technology Development Centers, Maine Technology Institute, Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership, University of Southern Maine, Technology Law Center and Market Development Center.
This marks the third trip as part of Silicon East’s ongoing business-to-business activity within the Atlantica initiative.
Silicon East is a commercial not-for-profit company dedicated to developing and growing the Northern New Brunswick technology industry.


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The thinking behind becoming LFC’s ‘Official Training Food partner’.
Sandwich chain becomes Premier League leaders’ ‘Official Training Food partner’ to supercharge its ‘train hard and eat fresh’ marketing messaging.
Fast food chain to combat lower than expected Q1 profits with a marketing refocus around its core range.
Diageo posts 1.3 per cent third quarter sales dip, hit by a 19 per cent slump in Asia.
Coke has spent just 5 per cent of its $400m additional marketing investment for 2014 in Q1.
Sparkling volumes down double digits in first quarter as Coke changed bottle size from 2l to 1.75l.
Just over half of people don’t understand food labelling, according to CIM research. They want brand owners and retailers rather than government to do more to explain what is in products.
Brands that behave like humans fair better with consumers, according to new research.
Dieting in January often follows Christmas excess but new research shows that technology has transformed losing weight into far more than a New Year’s ritual, while newer slimming plans such as the 5:2 diet are on the up.
Pubs and ‘fast casual’ restaurants have seen a growth in trade from families who are being enticed by clever deals and promotions.
Can the launch of new local TV stations like London Live increase the lure for big brands looking to reach audiences on a local level?


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Panasonic Automotive Systems’ innovation center on the Georgia Tech campus focuses on connected cars and vehicle software development.
Last month, PSA Group chose Atlanta for its North American headquarters as the French automaker prepares to return to the U.S.
Its decision partly reflected the international reach of Atlanta’s airport, which will give PSA’s project team easy access to the Paris headquarters.
But Atlanta also is rapidly emerging as an auto industry hub for engineering and software development — something PSA will need as it unfurls a diverse mobility and ride-sharing U.S. business model over the next few years.
State officials have been offering incentives for investments in Atlanta to help turn it into a southeastern alternative to California’s Silicon Valley or the Detroit engineering epicenter.
Croteau: “Critical mass of talent”
“Atlanta offers a critical mass of talent,” said Tom Croteau, deputy commissioner for global commerce at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “More than 10,000 new engineers graduate every year within a 250-mile radius of Atlanta, and a third of them come out of Georgia Tech.
“Many of the others move to Atlanta for the millennial lifestyle it offers. And that young, fresh thinking is the talent that a lot of companies are looking for.”
It is a different story from the one that has dominated industry news in the South, where states have been attracting vehicle plants and supplier factories for decades.
Read more >


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Look no further than Thursday’s bleak retail numbers. November retail sales fell by the most in nearly a year, with home furnishing and building supplies showing some of the steepest declines from the previous month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Home improvement and furniture companies saw concurrent lifts in business as the housing market tightened during the early pandemic years. Lowe’s Cos. Inc., Home Depot Inc. and previously struggling furnishing companies such as Wayfair saw soaring sales from people cooped up at home with money to spare from stimulus checks. People could no longer ignore their disorganized garages, that one hole in a wall or the cracks in their old bathroom tiles as offices, restaurants and bars closed. Low interest rates helped folks tap their home equity and refinance to tackle larger projects.
Many potential homebuyers, put off by rocketing property prices, turned instead to fixing up their existing homes or rentals with new paint or maybe a DIY garden bed. At nearly every level, people were looking to spruce up their homes in whatever way they could.
But that fast uptick in home spending has fallen off fast, too. Much of the initial pandemic spending has receded, and inflation is driving people to focus on necessary purchases. That pivot favors home improvement over furniture in a tough selling environment.
Already, these shifts are apparent: Home improvement retail sales have grown by about 7% over the year, while home furniture sales have grown just 1%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Lowe’s and Home Depot have been cautiously optimistic about their prospects for next year. There’s still pent-up demand for larger home renovation projects, and the companies anticipate that elevated home prices will encourage people to continue to invest in their homes through DIY projects or replacing broken appliances.
But the likes of Wayfair, Williams-Sonoma and R-H are in for a tough year. R-H’s Chief Executive Officer Gary Friedman put it bluntly when he told investors in September that “anybody [who] thinks we’re not in a recession is crazy.’’ New home sales have fallen most months this year and the outlook for next year is clouded by continuing Federal Reserve interest-rate increases. That means fewer new buyers on the market looking to fill their shiny new homes with furniture and appliances.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Shopping behavior has dramatically changed with the pandemic as phones and laptops became people’s most consistent connection to the world. In that time, retailers discovered that browsing the internet and home-improvement shows on Netflix and the like are an important and valuable demand generator both online and in-store.
Homebuyers, renters and stretched homeowners may not be in a position to spend like they did in 2020, but they are still dreaming about it. For retailers, that amounts to pent-up demand that will be unleashed later down the line. Retailers who recognize this opportunity will come out the other end of a rough economic moment with more loyalty than they had before. And in a competitive market, the better companies can tap into shoppers’ Instagram home-decor dreams, the better they’ll survive.
More From Bloomberg Opinion:
• Waiting for Home Prices to Drop? Bad Strategy: Alexis Leondis
• The American Dream Needs an Extensive Renovation: Editorial
• Homebuilders Buy Time With Huge Pandemic Backlogs: Conor Sen
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Leticia Miranda is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering consumer goods and the retail industry. She was previously a business reporter at NBC News and a retail reporter at BuzzFeed News.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion
- 'Home Improvement' Star Patricia Richardson Just Shared a Super Rare Photo Featuring Tim Allen
- 20 Home Renovations That Will Hurt Your Home’s Value
- Home Improvement Retailers Are Still Winning With Analysts, to an Extent
- Homeowners delay big purchases, improvement projects due to inflation
- What Is The Cabincore Aesthetic? The Home Decor Trend, Explained.


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With a population of 1.2 billion, rising living standards and an expanding middle class, India is a market that cannot be ignored.
February 2012 will see the trade shows VIV India and ILDEX India come together to serve this strongly expanding market. VNU Exhibitions Europe and NCC Exhibition Organiser, together with Indian partner Inter Ads, will host India’s largest “Feed to Meat” platform.
Some 150 companies coming from 20 countries are expected to participate in the event at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. Exhibitors will include poultry breeding, slaughtering and processing companies, egg production and processing businesses, feed production and management concerns, animal health businesses and fish farming and aquaculture concerns.
The Feed to Meat concept looks at all stages along the meat production chain. These individual stages have changed as consumer demand has changed in various markets and India is one such market experiencing significant change.
Despite a strong vegetarian heritage, consumption of broiler meat in India has grown by 10% per annum over the last decade and a half. The country is now thought to be the world’s fifth largest producer of broiler meat, with annual production standing at some 2.3 million metric tons.
While there remains variety in scale of production, some growers now have capacities in hundreds of thousands, and some are in the millions. Yet demand is outstripping the industry’s ability to supply, meaning that there is a need for expansion and greater efficiency, and that prices are rising.
Yet India remains one of the world’s lowest cost broiler producers and, over the next five to ten years, the country is expected to become an exporter of poultry meat.
But it is not simply a case that Indian consumers are purchasing more poultry meat, how they buy it is also changing. Annual per capita consumption currently stands at some 2.4 kg – far lower than in the US and Europe – so there is certainly room for further expansion. It remains primarily a wet market, yet over the next 5-10 years, the dressed market is expected to account for 25-30% of the total broiler meat market.
Growth in total output is expected to be in the region of 8-12% over the next five years.
Like broiler production, egg production in India has expanded significantly over the last two decades. The country is now the fourth largest egg producer in the world, producing 48 billion eggs per annum, yet annual per capita consumption stands at only 47 eggs per annum.
Against this background, VIV/ILDEX India 2012 should make for a lively event. Some 10,000 visitors are expected, primarily from India, but also from surrounding countries. Visitor and exhibitor numbers are expected to be 40% higher.
Eggs!, seen at VIV Asia 2009 and VIV Europe in 2010, will be introduced to VIV/ILDEX India 2012. Together with national associations and egg producers, the organizers will hold a series of workshops and conferences.
To position the event as India’s feed hub, the special theme of Feedtech-Croptech will also be introduced at Bangalore.
“We consider it our responsibility to deliver knowledge and technology available worldwide on the effective use of commodities to Indian feed millers,” commented project manager of VIV/ILDEX India 2012 Mr Wara Rujataronjai.


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Evri is being prepared for a £2bn sale, according to reports, with majority shareholder Advent International appointing advisers to explore options for the parcel delivery group.
According to national media reports, US equity giant Advent International, which holds a 75% stake in Evri, is working with Rothschild advisers on its options for the business, which could be valued at around £2bn, including debt.
Evri, which was founded in 1974 as the delivery network of the Grattan catalogue, has around 20,000 self-employed drivers and employs almost 7,700 staff at its head offices and warehouses. The group has experienced exponential growth over the past five years, tripling its size, sometimes at the cost of Yodel.
The impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns, which turbocharged internet shopping, saw Evri sales soar. The courier currently has an 18% share of the UK market, delivering 720 million parcels a year in total. In 2022 it paid out a record £762m dividend to shareholders.
However, the impact of the Ukraine War, combined with the cost of living crisis, rising inflation, an industry skills shortage and a return to high street shopping have all taken their toll.
In the year to 25 February 2023, the parcel delivery giant saw revenue flatline at £1.464m (2022: £1.465m) while pre-tax profit tumbled by 56% to £51m (2022: £117m).
In addition, net debt has risen almost tenfold to £1.3bn under Advent’s ownership, boosted by higher interest costs. It is now six times Evri’s underlying profits.
Like Yodel, Evri has also struggled to deliver on customer service. In 2023, a MoneySavingExpert survey ranked Evri as the worst parcel delivery firm in the UK, ahead of Yodel, despite Evri having delivered 98% of next-day deliveries on time and 99% of standard deliveries on time.
A request for comment from Evri has yet to receive a response.


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Global Takeoff to launch Indian OTT video service
Rebecca Hawkes | 03-12-2013
Hyderabad-based Global Takeoff plans to launch a new over-the-top (OTT) video service across India by the third quarter of 2014.
The OTT service, which will comprise live streaming, movies on demand and catch-up TV, will be provided through Global Takeoff's existing internet television facility YuppTV.com, reports Business Standard.
YuppTV currently provides around six million global viewers with over 150 Indian television channels, 4,500 daily videos and 600 films. The app is available for Samsung Smart TVs, Sony PlayStation3 and PlayStation4, and it will soon be launched on Microsoft's Xbox.
Uday Reddy, chairman and chief executive officer of Global Takeoff, told Business Standard that his company's new OTT service, to be integrated with a set-top box, will be priced on a par with India's direct-to-home (DTH) satellite or cable TV platforms.
Internet speeds will remain a challenge to the new service in India for the first year after launch, though with greater broadband deployment and the introduction of unlimited data plans, OTT video should take off in the country within two years, Reddy added.
Global Takeoff is reportedly also looking to launch OTT video services in West Asia and Trinidad and Tobago.


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The air conditioning transmitted the coronavirus to 10 people sitting near an infected person in a restaurant. This has a huge impact on the service industry.
- A research letter in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases showed that 10 people developed COVID-19 after going to a restaurant, likely because of the restaurant’s air conditioning.
- The authors advised restaurants to increase the space between tables and improve ventilation.
- As restaurants in less infected states look forward to reopening, experts say additional security measures need to be put in place. B. work at half capacity, with waiters wearing masks and a possible time limit on how long the eaters can stay.
- You can find more stories on the Business Insider homepage.
Three seemingly healthy families were hit by COVID-19 in mid-January after eating at neighboring tables in a windowless restaurant in Guangzhou, China.
Neither of them had symptoms, but researchers who investigated the case believe one person had an asymptomatic case, and the restaurant’s air conditioning system blew viral droplets further than they would normally have gone, infecting another nine people.
It’s a scary prospect for people trying to keep a healthy distance from others. However, in a potentially hopeful outcome for the roped-off restaurant industry, no one in the restaurant got sick, despite the fact that it was a full house with 83 guests on five floors and eight servers working around the person with coronavirus. The researchers described in a research letter published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. “To prevent the virus from spreading in restaurants, we recommend increasing the distance between tables and improving ventilation,” the authors write.
For the struggling restaurants who are eager to get back up and running in the coming months, these results are proof that work in restaurants is not only returning to normal after the pandemic, but that there are ways to limit the spread. There will likely be a cap on the time guests can spend eating, restaurants must be half capacity, air conditioning or heating must be off, and waiters may be advised to wear masks.
The source of the infection was a 63-year-old woman in a family of five (Family A) who didn’t show symptoms (fever and cough) until later in the day when she went to a hospital and tested positive for COVID-19.
Within two weeks, four of the female relatives fell ill, which was not surprising given the coexistence. But also five other guests (in family B and family C) who, apart from their time in the restaurant, did not seem to have any other connection to the virus. It surprised researchers because the novel coronavirus is transmitted in droplets (heavy particles that tend not to float more than a meter) rather than aerosols (as is the case with measles, which can float far in the air) . The team investigating the case said it appeared like an air conditioner could blow droplets farther than three feet.
The gastronomy has been hard hit by the pandemic
More than 3 million people have lost restaurant jobs since March 1, and one in five restaurants could shut down permanently due to the pandemic, according to a UBS estimate. The National Restaurant Association asked Congress for $ 240 billion to help the struggling industry.
While most Americans want to wait before going back to their daily routine, opening restaurants means reopening a supply chain for restaurateurs, farmers, salespeople, cooks, and waiters, all of whom have been unemployed for at least a month.
Restaurants will need new rules when they reopen, but they can vary from state to state
The research team that examined the Guangzhou restaurant has not attempted to replicate the phenomenon in a laboratory, and there are no other cases to compare it to. Hence, their results must be absorbed with a grain of salt.
However, William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said the research letter is a good source for understanding what restaurant openings would look like.
“We’ll open up again,” said Schaffner. “But the trick will be to open slowly and gradually. Phases include opening restaurants to half capacity with space between seats.”
It’s unclear whether distance and capacity rules could do the trick, although it’s very likely they’ll apply anyway – and we’ll likely start seeing rural areas not as badly affected by the virus as large cities. Try it out first. Schaffner, who lives in Tennessee, which is not yet badly affected by the virus, said he saw growing pressure for restaurants to open up.
Jennifer Horney, founding director of the University of Delaware’s Epidemiology Program, told Business Insider that she is slowly easing emergency orders on a state or regional basis so restaurants can reopen with some improvements to traditional service. Eating in a relaxed policy state may include the use of touchless payments, one-way meals, and staff wearing face masks and gloves.
Scientists say restaurants should stay at half capacity when they reopen, but it can be a tough rule to enforce
Rather than creating new restrictions like banning air conditioning or eating outside, Horney said it could be easier and just as effective for restaurants to adjust existing rules like room capacity. “Existing regulations like occupancy numbers for fire regulations could be used to set a maximum number of 25% of normal occupancy that can be safely serviced at any time,” said Horney.
However, Schaffner is skeptical about how we can ensure restaurants are running at half capacity.
“Some restaurants will say, listen up, we’re busy. Let’s just open a few more tables,” he said. “The Covid police won’t catch us tonight.” Read the original article on Business Insider
Comments are closed.


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Dan Benjamin has joined Scientific American in the role of VP Product and Technology. Dan will be responsible for overseeing Scientific American’s technology, product and data portfolio strategy which will expand the brand’s audience, build business opportunities and further impact customer experience.
Prior to joining Scientific American, Dan spent 15 years working in media technology. Since 2020, Dan has worked on DBMO.ai, a company he co-founded which provides a platform for media companies to use machine learning to better understand their content, provide rich metadata, and power product features. From 2007-2019, Dan was at SiriusXM in a series of escalating roles, lastly as Vice President + General Manager of Data and AI Product, where he led the team responsible for product personalization, recommendation, targeting, and data collection while also serving as a driver of SiriusXM’s efforts in podcasting.
“For over 177 years, Scientific American has been committed to sharing trustworthy knowledge and enhancing our understanding of the world,” says Kimberly Lau, President of Scientific American. “Dan’s wealth of experience in technology and digital media companies, as well as his vision for the future, makes him the perfect candidate to grow the brand further.”
“I have long been an admirer of Scientific American and I am inspired by the quality science journalism it publishes,” says Dan Benjamin. “I am thrilled to join the team and lead its product and technology strategy so we can reach and inform a broader audience across a variety of mediums and platforms.”


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Auto Club Revolution will let players be part of an online community, completing in single player challenges and allowing them to own, customise and upgrade their own officially licensed cars. The open beta will allow players to begin their permanent collection of cars and different achievements.
Train2Game students can sign up for the open beta by visiting the Auto Club Revolution official website.
The Train2Game Blog published a video interview with Eutechnyx Lead Programmer Dave Hawes in November last year, in which he offers advice on getting into the industry.
Beta testing is an excellent way for Train2Game students, especially those on the Games QA Tester course to practice their bug hunting skills. In a recent interview with The Train2Game Blog, Brawl Busters developers Rock Hippo told us that beta testing is “crucial” to the game development process.
Keep up with the latest Auto Club Revolution news here on The Train2Game Blog.
What are your initial impressions of Auto Club Revolution? Will you be taking part in the open beta?
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.


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You can often tell when there are people that are trying to scam the system, and there are little things that you can look for that are not really all that hard.
For example, there is one scam that some people use where they will use a food stamp card that they do not need to buy cases of soda by the truckload almost and then tell them in stores that they own making nothing but profit off of it.
one is when people will buy cigarettes in a state where they are much lower in price and not have to pay so much in taxes on them. They will then sell them for the amount of money that they would have cost in taxes and it’s free money to them that they are effectively stealing from the state.
A federal grand jury has indicted 35 convenience store owners from the St. Louis area after discovering a sick scheme they were running.
Mainstream media reports refused to make the Muslim connection, but when they released the list of defendants, the truth was obvious.
Nearly every name on the list was a Muslim of Middle Eastern background.
Now, where would people like that get the money to even open a convenience store? I know lots of out-of-work Americans who’d love that kind of opportunity.
Turns out, the federal government, under policies Obama put in place, is just handing out tens of thousands of dollars to immigrants, and then NOT holding the recipients accountable for what they do with it.
100 Percent Fed Up comments: Think about it…A family (see list below) our government imported gets together with others and buys a store with American taxpayer money….Why can’t our government give loans like this to Americans? They don’t even track the money…they’re just giving out our money without any record of how it’s used. Unreal!
What these particular Muslim families were doing was buying and distributing contraband cigarettes and drugs.


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The prices of okra, or ladies’ fingers, and bitter gourd have increased by as much as 50% to Rs 50-75 and Rs 45 a kg, respectively.
It is alleged that in Mayawati's regime in 2002, he was elevated to the post of chief maintenance engineer directly from the post of an engineer.
The commercial vehicle manufacturer displayed the all-new Scania R 580 V8 Truck and Scania P410 Tipper with 20 cum rock body at the CV show in New Delhi
Hawaii's Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, had low temperatures of 30 F (-1 C) to 32 F , said NWS spokeswoman Susan Buchanan.
Supreme Court had in a landmark judgment in 2001 ordered that no goods vehicle would be allowed to enter Delhi unless its destination was this city.
According to local media reports, a tornado touched down in Amite, Louisiana, downing several power lines and trees and tearing the roof off at least one home. .
Dynafleet also enables customers to see in real time the location of their vehicle and vehicles' performance data that are critical to have control on their fleet.
Much of the rise can be traced to Roy Choi, a chef in Los Angeles who started selling Korean barbecue tacos from a truck in 2008.


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Candleholders recalled at Pier 1
Pier 1 Imports has announced a voluntary recall of some candleholders that have been said to cause a fire hazard, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
According to the Commission, the candleholders can heat up and cause the tealights to burn unexpectedly fast and with a higher flame height than normal, posing a fire hazard. The items were manufactured in China.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Pier 1 Imports has received seven reports of high flames. No injuries have been reported.
About 18,000 units were sold at Pier 1 Imports stores nationwide from June 2007 through December 2007 for $6 to $25.
ProBuild acquires truss manufacturers
ProBuild Holdings, continuing to ride a wave of recent acquisitions, has purchased the assets of Northeast Panel & Truss and Collins Truss Systems, manufacturers of roof and floor trusses and wall panels.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Kingston, N.Y.-based Northeast Panel & Truss is a full service manufacturer of truss and wall panels. Founded in 2000, the company has built a distribution network into the Hudson Valley, a market ProBuild currently serves from 10 locations.
“This acquisition allows ProBuild to extend our truss capabilities to national and regional builders in our Hudson Valley markets,” explained Buddy Ables, president of ProBuild’s East region.
“Our people are looking forward to becoming an important extension of the Hudson Valley ProBuild team, an organization that will provide our employees with long-term growth opportunities,” added Ed Collins, owner of Northeast Panel & Truss and Collins Truss Systems.
ProBuild Holdings currently operates more than 560 lumber and building product distribution, manufacturing and assembly centers in 41 states.
BMHC posts $331.3 million loss
Building Materials Holding Corp. (BMHC), the industry’s fourth largest pro dealer, reported a loss of $331.3 million for its fourth fiscal quarter, which ended on Dec. 31, 2007. This compares to net income of $4.5 million for the same quarter a year ago.
Sales for the San Francisco-based company were $419 million for the fourth quarter, a 30 percent decrease from $597 million in the corresponding period of 2006.
Net loss for the year was $312.7 million, compared to net income of $102.1 million for fiscal 2006. Annual sales declined 29 percent, from $3.2 billion in 2006 to $2.3 billion in 2007.
In a prepared statement, the company announced two “major programs” to consolidate and streamline its business. Both divisions of the company, BMC West and SelectBuild, “are under review, and specific market realignment plans are being prepared for execution in the coming weeks and months,” the statement said. “We are proceeding quickly to close unnecessary facilities and eliminate unneeded assets.”
BMHC stopped short of saying that SelectBuild, its construction services division, will be absorbed back into the company. But the announcement’s second realignment program made reference to “flattening SelectBuild’s management structure” and “accelerated centralization and integration of SelectBuild.”
Newly appointed president and COO Stanley Wilson, who served as president and CEO of BMC West, will now oversee both divisions.
Investors had been anxiously awaiting BMHC’s fourth-quarter results, which were released later than usual. The company did not schedule the customary conference call with analysts to discuss its earnings.


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German software company Ashampoo has announced a serious security breach, where customer email addresses and names were stolen. The main danger of the details having been stolen is that email addresses could be used to distribute malware to customers of the company. As CNET reports, personal information and credit card numbers were not affected by the incident.
German law enforcement agencies are investigating the theft of customer details, though it may prove difficult to hunt down those responsible for the cyber-attack. Ashampoo have not yet revealed how many customers the incident could have an effect upon, though Chief Executive Rolf Hilchner posted a message on the company website which can be read here.
According to Ashampoo's post, the information may be used to send fictitious confirmations of orders to the email addresses of accounts found in the database. It may be worth checking if you have recently received any emails from Ashampoo confirming the purchase or order of any of their utility programs. Hichners' post apologises to all parties that have experienced issues, and also recommends anyone with doubts to contact the official company email address for support.
Ashampoo produces software for the Windows operating system, including Burning Studio, WinOptimizer, and their own anti-malware product. This recent loss of information to a group of hackers will doubtlessly damage Ashampoo's public image, or at least the company's perceived quality.