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A fake anti-virus app has re-emerged on Android devices, according to security researchers.
According to a blog post by Nathan Collier, senior malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes, the app, called Andriod's Antivirus, appeared. He said it was “clearly a repackaged variant of Armor for Android”.
Collier said that when Armor of Android first came out in 2013, he discovered it while playing a free game downloaded from Google Play. The app was free but had ads, one of which claimed the smartphone was infected with a virus.
He decided to investigate it and clicked Download & Scan FREE Now, and it started to download a file named Scan-For-Viruses-Now.apk.
“After the download, I landed on a known Armor for Android web page that instructs you to allow unknown sources and again to download and install an app,” he said.
He added that it was very odd for a legitimate AV company to instruct mobile users to download directly from their website rather than pointing them to Google Play.
This particular app insisted on a payment of US$ 1.99 (£1.47) to scan the device and this was a per weekly payment.
“Fake AVs like the one described above have been around for a long time and come in many different forms. Some can be extremely dangerous. For legitimate antivirus/anti-malware programs to do their jobs, special permissions must be given,” he said.
He said that legitimate antivirus apps use device administration as required to remediate ransomware, but because of the elevated permissions needed, consumers need to take extra caution when choosing antivirus apps on smart devices. “Give those same rights to a malicious Fake AV app, and you could be in trouble.”
“Unfortunately, it's often hard to tell what is a Fake AV versus a legitimate antivirus/anti-malware mobile app—especially when Fake AVs creep into Google Play and take time to create a convincing website,” he said.
He added that consumers should do their research to pick apps from respectable software companies.
Santiago Torres, senior mobility specialist at Wandera, told SC Media UK that the extensive scanning permissions that AV apps are granted, make them an appealing target for hackers.
“Once installed onto the device, the software acts as the perfect middle agent - as the attacker can compromise the software - while letting it seamlessly run in the background. It's a double whammy. The user feels safe in knowing they've taken the appropriate measures to protect their device, and the hacker is able to conceal their work within a seemingly reputable source,” he said.
Winston Bond, technical director EMEA at Arxan Technologies, told SC Media UK that organisations must make that their employees have access to legitimate AV software, and all the other apps they need, direct from the company. “That can easily be done, even in a real BYOD environment, by using a mobile application management platform,” he said.
Valentin Konev, security analyst at RiskIQ, told SC Media UK that malware can be persistent, especially when working with escalated privileges.
“However, this was not reported to be the case in this situation. As with any other application, it can be uninstalled. As a best practice, users can install free trials of commercial variants of reputable AV Vendors and run scans on their devices. This application already has signatures and hence it will be flagged by reputable vendors,” he said.
Paul Ducklin, senior technologist at Sophos, told SC Media UK that Google Play is far from perfect, and crooks are prepared to put the effort into sneaking their 'appstortion' products past Google's safety check.
“Using a third-party anti-virus or mobile control solution can help you spot and remove rogue apps wherever they come from, even if they have Google's implicit approval. Nevertheless, I'd recommend sticking to Google Play and not opening up your phone to any old online marketplace, given that some of them little more than a free-for-all,” he said.
Is Zero Trust really achievable given the complexity in finance service organisations?
Brought to you in partnership with Forescout


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Pets fuel market for premium pet food in Taiwan
As pet ownership in Taiwan continues to grow, new markets and opportunities are emerging for the global pet food industry.
Pets are symbols of affluence in Taiwan. In this island nation of 24 million people, almost every household owns one pet on average, which, based on government data, collectively fuels an NT$20 billion (US$649 million) annual production value in pet-related products and services.
Taiwan’s pet ownership trends

domain: news


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In 2002, Boingo “launched” at DEMO, the Silicon Valley launchpad for new cutting-edge technologies and innovative products. At the time, Boingo was the industry’s first Wi-Fi aggregator with 400 hotspots and some big ideas.
What a difference a decade makes.
In ’02, the laptop was king, the iPhone wasn’t yet on the drawing board at Apple, Friendster was the social network du jour, and “Google” had just been named the most useful word of 2002 by the American Dialect Society. Calling the cultural and technological shift to today’s reality of constant connection via powerful mobile devices seismic is an understatement.
Since its own DEMO launch, Boingo has evolved with the industry and gone from start-up to publicly traded company, offering access to more than 500,000 hotspots worldwide and partnering with the world’s leading airports, quick service restaurants, shopping malls and stadium owners to hook today’s mobile consumers up with the connectivity they crave.
As leader of a successful DEMO alumni company, our CEO Dave Hagan will be sharing his advice on how to navigate the waters from incubator to IPO as a DEMO “Sage” panelist. If you’ll be attending DEMO, you can hear Dave’s advice to up-and-coming media and entertainment start-ups on Tuesday, Oct. 2 from 8:30-10 a.m.
Boingo is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its DEMO launch by returning to the show as an alumni company, and will be showcasing our latest innovations on Oct. 2-3. If you’ll be attending, come by booth S35 to meet up with us.


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Makes sense. The push is part of SoftBank’s aforementioned program to invest in e-commerce businesses in emerging markets. It put $100 million into Indonesia’s Tokopedia last year, for example, and it has also backed Snapdeal (via a $627 million round) and Housing.com in India.
Month: January 2015
Scottish startup PureLiFi raises $2M to create wireless networks from light bulbs | VentureBeat | Business | by Paul Sawers
Scottish startup PureLiFi has announced a £1.5 million ($2.25 million) funding round — valuing the company at £14 million ($21 million) — as it looks to introduce Internet connectivity via light bulbs around the world.
Founded in 2012, PureLiFi — previously known as PureVLC — is a spin-out from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland’s capital, and is led by Professor Harald Haas. During a TED talk he gave back in 2011, Haas popularized the term “Li-Fi” to describe networked, bi-directional, wireless communication that uses visible light instead of traditional radio frequencies. You can watch that talk here:
Ship Your Enemies Glitter
There are others of us out there? Others who hate…no…fear glitter? What a terribly great business.
The service is simple. For a mere $9.99 you can ship someone you (presumably) hate a heaping pile of glitter in an unmarked, anonymous envelope.
How the Next Five Years Will Revolutionize Business
Any interview with Peter Diamandis is worthy of your time. This is no exception.
The best way to become a billionaire is to help a billion people. Identify a product or service that can impact a billion people, begin with a near-term revenue stream and grow it using scalable, exponential technologies, gamification, crowd and community—all the tools that enable you to take big swings at the problem without having to scale a huge number of people. If you’re passionate about solving a problem, you literally can be a guy or gal in a garage using the internet and exponential tools and technologies to take on any problem at scale. An individual has the potential to impact the lives of a billion people in a decade.
List of Mavericks: My Annual CES 2015 Wrap-up
Text. Email. LinkedIn. Facebook. Voicemail. All of the above were flooded Friday of last week as I returned from the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Every message or conversation started … Continue reading List of Mavericks: My Annual CES 2015 Wrap-up
A dear friend’s tale of life and death on Catalina
The following account is from a long-time friend and former professor, Lynn Nelson. Lynn and her husband were caught in a terrible storm this last New Years Eve. Are summary is … Continue reading A dear friend’s tale of life and death on Catalina
The Internet of Things Now Belongs to the Product Managers
So for me, CES demonstrated a very promising trend. The way that we talk about IoT is changing. We will probably still be barraged with talk about the Internet of Everything, and marketing around 50 billion connected devices (or is trillion?). But beyond that high level marketing, the real business of building ecosystems is beginning. It will not be one ‘industry’ but new products and features in many industries.
I think this was best on display at the Lowe’s booth. Lowe’s is giant hardware retailer, and I only stopped in their booth by accident, a friend of mine had just bought some locks for his home and saw a new model on display. Lowe’s was promoting its Iris ecosystem of connected devices. Beyond locks, this also included thermostats, sprinklers, windows, alarms and a whole range of other products you could expect to see on their shelves. I do not know much about Iris. It is a freemium service that sends sensor alerts for free and charges a monthly subscription of $10 if you want to apply more detailed rules to that (e.g. alerts when a window opens after 10pm). But they had a whole booth filled with partners. They are not relying on Nest or Apple or AT&T, but Schlage, Pella and other hardware suppliers. Traditional tech industry wisdom holds that eventually there will be one common platform that dominates. That is the economics of software. I think this may not happen in the home IoT segment. The market is just too big, with too many players. We could very well see multiple ecosystems thriving.
Platforms Are Becoming The ‘Bundles’ Of The Digital Age
Platforms Are Becoming The ‘Bundles’ Of The Digital Age. This is a great take on another transformation.
Article: Capital One Acquires Budgeting App Level Money
Capital One Acquires Budgeting App Level Money. Fintech is hot and get to hotter.
Why AMD is staying out of the Internet of Things chip market
AMD isn’t doing much in the Internet of Things (IoT), which is Intel’s major expansion area. But Byrne notes that the PC chip market is still a $40-billion-a-year opportunity. He said that AMD has to execute on its upcoming Carrizo family of accelerated processing units (APUs), which will be focused on the mobile-computing market. About 300 million PC processors and 90 million graphics chips are sold each year, and Byrne wants AMD to get its fair share of those sales.
“I’m not in the business to lose money,” Byrne said, in reference to whether AMD will go into the Internet of Things chip market.
But Byrne does believe that virtual reality is just the beginning of a whole new wave of demand for computing products in the future.
We caught up with Byrne this week at the 2015 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas. Here’s an edited transcript of our interview with Byrne.


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The Factory at Franklin shares renderings of future community hotspot
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) - Holladay Properties released plans for Franklin’s upcoming Grand Hall renovation.
The Factory at Franklin, purchased in 2021 by Holladay Properties, will showcase a reimagination of the existing space with a new Factory bar as the focal point. The bar’s glass design, while the greenery and modern furnishings make the room warm and inviting along with food, beverage, and retail options, is expected to make the Grand Hall a gathering space for the community with offerings for everyone.
“From major employer to shopping destination and busy event space, The Factory has been a fixture of Franklin for more than 90 years, and we are honored to shepherd the next era of this magnificent and rare place,” said Allen Arender, partner & senior vice president of development for Holladay Properties. “This Grand Hall renovation – on which construction will begin in the coming weeks – is the kick-off of a transformation of The Factory to a new level of creativity, community, and fun.”
Holladay Properties officials said the overall renovation of the 10-building campus would begin in a few weeks.
“We imagine the Grand Hall as a place of welcome and wonder,” Wenzler said. “By opening up this truly reimagined grand space, making it easy to move and meet, linger or focus, we’ll be test-driving our vision for the new Factory as an immersive and exciting yet comfortable experience. We believe we are offering a vision with responsibility to The Factory’s past paired with a curated, creative response that captures the currency of now. I look forward to seeing this vision unfold soon.”
Developers said work on the Grand Hall portion of The Factory renovation will begin in June and is expected to be complete in early 2023.
“Central to all our efforts in making the most of what the community tells us has made The Factory successful. We intend to build on the wonder that already exists and also transform areas that hold greater potential to delight our visitors. To that end, we have signed several of the long-time, much-beloved shops, and restaurants at The Factory to new long-term leases. We are also working on a new farmer’s market layout that will improve the guest experience and improve visibility for all merchants. This new layout will also capitalize on a new park area under the water tower that the entire community will be able to enjoy. We’ll be announcing the details of these enhancements, and new tenants, in the coming weeks and months. The promise of this amazing facility is enormous, and we are excited about seeing it unfold.”
Copyright 2022 WSMV. All rights reserved.


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Imports share fell to record levels in Russia
UFA, 20 September 2017. /Bashinform News Agency, Galiya Nabieva/.
The share of imported consumer goods in Russian stores in the second quarter of 2017 was 33%, food products of foreign production — 21%. According to Rosstat, this is a record low share of imports since 2005, Izvestia reports.
Last time, Rosstat recorded a record low share of imported goods in the first quarter of 2017 — then it was 36%. The Ministry for Industry and Trade representatives explain this trend by several reasons.
"An important factor is that international corporations invest in production in Russia. Thus, the goods of the concerns are transferred from the category of imports into the category locally produced. This is beneficial both for the economy of the country and for producers", the ministry informs.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced the successful replacement of imported vegetables. According to the department, in 2015-2016, 326 hectares of new greenhouses were built and more than 40 hectares were modernized. The harvest of greenhouse vegetables in 2016 was 814 thousand tons, which is 18% more than in 2014.
According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia, the import of vegetables in Russia has declined more than two-fold. The decrease in the share of foreign goods on domestic shelves is also confirmed by retailers.


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The website features the 2011 list of winners, information about the Academy, the methodology and our plans for the World’s 50 Best Bars 2012 awards ceremony. The event is scheduled to take place during London Cocktail Week and we are pleased to introduce our sponsors: Asahi beer, Botran rum, Nikka whisky and Voss water.
Drinks International launches World's 50 Best Bars website
20 April, 2012
Drinks International is pleased to announce the launch of worlds50bestbars.com.


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Thursday, October 3, 2013
Benchmark Electronics Buys Electronics Manufacturing Firm
Angleton, Texas-based Benchmark Electronics announced this morning that it has acquired the electronics manufacturing segment of CTS Corporation, a provider of complex manufacturing in the industrial, aerospace, defense, medical, and communications markets. Benchmark said it is paying $75M for the business, and will also gain five locations and approximately 1,000 employees in the buy. Benchmark Electronics said the CTS unit is expected to generate annual revenues in excess of $200M for the company in 2014.


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The ecommerce delivery battleground is increasingly focused on who can best meet growing consumer expectations for shopping experiences that are simple, fast, reliable and – above all – convenient.
It comes as no surprise, then, that customer-centric ecommerce delivery now represents a key differentiation point for retailers looking to win the biggest share of consumer spend. MetaPack recently surveyed more than 1,000 consumers in the U.S. and Canada to uncover their delivery preferences, and how the options they are offered influence their purchasing decisions.
So how can retailers best satisfy consumers delivery wants? The following are key insights gleaned from the research that retailers can use to drive a positive delivery experience:
Free is Key But They’ll Still Pay for Convenience
Most consumers now expect free delivery for their everyday purchases. 61% of U.S. shoppers and 68% in Canada said it’s the top consideration for the majority of their purchases. However, many are prepared to pay to expedited fees for faster delivery or take advantage of a more convenient delivery option: 81% in the U.S. and 69% in Canada expect to pay extra for a one-hour, same day, next day or Sunday delivery.
Flexibility Drives Satisfaction as Well
Because of shifting life priorities, more consumers desire the freedom to change delivery dates or re-route their ecommerce order. 37% of U.S. consumers and 24% in Canada said they changed delivery preferences “on the fly” after placing their order. Also, 51% in the U.S. and 40% in Canada said they would have taken advantage of this option had it been available.
New Delivery Options are Appealing
Expediency-seeking shoppers are tempted to try out new ecommerce delivery methods. In Canada, 40% of shoppers said they plan to take advantage of a local pickup point, to be able to keep to their daily routine and avoid missing deliveries. Similarly, delivery to a secure box outside their home held a strong appeal for 35% of U.S. respondents, while 30% said they’d be willing to try out emerging technologies like drone, robot and autonomous vehicle deliveries.
Shoppers Care About the Environment
Consumer desire an eco-friendly delivery, with 78% of U.S. consumers and 68% in Canada saying they were conscious of the environmental impact of their ecommerce deliveries. More than half of consumers in both markets said they would always choose a consolidated delivery over multiple individual deliveries from different sellers because it was either more convenient for them and/or greener.
Loyalty Programs Show Strong Appeal
Amazon Prime has proved a powerful engine for sales growth, setting the bar in consumers’ minds in terms of what a great subscription service should deliver. In fact, 82% of U.S. consumers and 72% of those in Canada said they would like ecommerce sellers they use regularly to provide a loyalty program. In addition, 65% in the U.S. and 50% in Canada said they would choose an ecommerce seller offering a loyalty program with preferential member services over one that didn’t. Also, 74% of U.S. consumers and 66% of those in Canada said they’d be interested in a delivery loyalty program where multiple retailers and brands work together to offer a premium service.
Consumers Desire the Power to Choose
The ability to select a carrier for an ecommerce delivery is becoming a top priority for many North American consumers, with 51% in the U.S. and 45% of Canadian shoppers saying it was either somewhat or very important.
The research demonstrates that consumers expect to encounter a range of delivery options for ecommerce fulfillment, including selecting the time, place and delivery mode that best meets their needs. They desire flexibility, convenience and choice, as well as new and preferential services.
With consumer loyalty increasingly hard to come by and online shopping expectations evolving rapidly, retailers that fail to get the end-to-end ecommerce delivery experience right will have to fight even harder for the loyalty of these well-practiced digital shoppers.
Bruce Fair is Chief Revenue Officer of MetaPack


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Amazon’s 14-month competition for the prize of its second headquarters wrapped up this week. Winners: Long Island City in Queens and Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia.
In September 2017 the Seattle-based ecommerce giant said it would select a metropolitan area in North America to be the site of its HQ2, bringing 50,000 high-paying jobs and $5 billion of investment over 17 years to the lucky winner.
Panting public officials drew up proposals packed with incentives, subsidies and non-public information about development plans, infrastructure, education, transit, airports and real estate. In all, 238 cities submitted their best offers to attract the project.
Now Amazon knows more about these cities than the people who live in them.
In Pittsburgh, TV station WTAE and reporter Paul Van Osdol filed a public records request under Pennsylvania’s right-to-know law to get a copy of the proposal submitted to Amazon by the city and Allegheny County. But the governments refused, arguing that making the bid public would create a competitive disadvantage with other U.S. cities competing for the headquarters.
The state’s Office of Open Records ruled in favor of the news organization, finding that the proposal was a public record not covered by any exemption. The city and county appealed.
In late October, Judge W. Terrence O’Brien ordered the release of the 300-page document. The judge rejected the argument by Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials that the bid contains trade secrets and confidential proprietary information from the economic development organization set up to create the proposal. Two members of that organization’s board, the judge observed, were the chiefs of staff of the mayor of Pittsburgh and the top county executive.
Pennsylvania is also fighting in court to preserve secrecy about the incentives it offered to Amazon, which some observers guess to be worth about $1 billion.
Of the 20 cities that were finalists in Amazon’s HQ2 contest, only eight had publicly released all or part of their bids as of mid-October.
Now the company will have three headquarters.
But it will also have a goldmine of data on 236 other cities, including non-public plans for development, housing, transportation and other infrastructure. Amazon will know where the real estate is about to become more valuable and what the local government is willing and able to offer in subsidies, incentives and tax breaks.
Amazon acquired this information for the cost of a press release. The company simply made up a contest with jobs and investment as the prize, and government officials handed over the valuable data for free.
It’s possible that Amazon ran the whole show for the sole purpose of negotiating the best deal with the cities the company intended all along to choose for its new headquarters. Or Amazon may have wanted to see the development plans of 238 cities for the purpose of future expansion. Amazon has 16 subsidiary companies, including Whole Foods Market.
Local businesses may find that when an Amazon-owned company expands in their city, it always seems to have the inside track on securing the best locations and other benefits. They can thank their local elected officials for giving away home field advantage.


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Police blotter: Man admits to 13 burglaries, attempts
Petit larceny: Between 7 and 11:18 p.m. July 10, someone stole the front tire from a bicycle on Conant Road.
Scam: At 2:29 p.m. July 7, someone called a resident of North Landing Road and stated that the person owed thousands of dollars to the IRS.
Identity theft: On June 25 and 26, someone opened credit card accounts using the personal information of a resident on Rhinecliff Drive.
Vehicle larceny: Someone broke into a locked car at Farmstead Court between July 5 and 6 and stole a pair of Michael Kors sunglasses. Someone entered another car and stole a golf bag and clubs and a pair of oversized sunglasses in the same complex.
Larceny: On July 7, someone made a purchase with a $100 bill at Wendy's on Chili Avenue. The clerk gave him change and left the $100 bill on the counter while retrieving his order. He took the bill from the counter, then got his food, and left the restaurant on foot.
Vehicle larceny: Between July 5 and 6, someone rummaged through an unlocked vehicle on Rio Grande Drive and stole some items.
Petit larceny: A Rochester woman was charged after she allegedly stole an iPhone from a patron at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack on July 8.
Criminal mischief: A Victor resident was charged after he allegedly hit a slot machine at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack on July 13, causing the glass to break.
Burglary: A witness saw a man around an apartment complex on Victor Lane on July 11 and reported it. He was seen inside an apartment, looking through drawers. He came out and was confronted. He was arrested and admitted to 13 burglaries and attempted burglaries.
Attempted burglary: Between July 5 and 7, someone tried to enter a home through a bedroom window on Nevins Road. The home backs up to the Lehigh Valley Trail.
Petit larceny: On July 5 or 6, someone stole a multi-colored pig statue from the Wat Pa Lao Buddhadham Temple on Marlin Road. The vice president of the temple said that a chicken statue was stolen about a year ago. At that same time, another statue was damaged.
Grand larceny: On June 24 at CarMax on West Henrietta Road, someone tried to sell a stolen Volkswagen CC. The car was reported stolen in Miami in December 2015. While being interviewed, the customer said he purchased the car from a neighbor in Miami. The vehicle's registration wasn't valid, but the customer produced two titles showing his ownership. The car was secured by deputies, and the customer was released due to his apparently legitimate paperwork.
Grand larceny: On July 6, someone stole a Weather Guard toolbox from a Ford F-350 pickup truck parked at Rochester Auto Exchange on West Henrietta Road. There was no damage to the truck.
Burglary: During the overnight hours of July 7, someone broke through the glass on the front door on the Bombay Chaat House restaurant on East Henrietta Road and stole $40 cash.
Larceny: On July 12, someone stole an iPod and cash from an unlocked vehicle on Owaissa Drive.
Burglary: On July 14, someone broke into a house on Bouckhart Avenue when no one was home and stole things from inside.
Garage burglary: On July 13, someone broke into a garage on Simpson Road and stole bicycles from inside.
Criminal trespass: Between July 2 and 7, someone tried to enter the side walk-in door of a garage on Lanning Road. The attempt was unsuccessful.
Criminal mischief: Someone damaged a fence on Village Hill Drive on July 7.
Petit larceny: Someone stole a garage door remote and a phone charger from an unlocked car on Village Trail on July 7. Someone reported a GPS stolen from an unlocked car 12 minutes later on Village Trail. Less than 20 minutes later, someone reported that his vehicle was rummaged through. Nothing was stolen. At least eight more cars in the area were broken into that night. Many of them were unlocked.
Criminal mischief: Someone threw eggs and fruit at a house on Windsorshire Drive on July 9.
Criminal mischief: Someone keyed a vehicle on Hillcrest Drive on July 10.
Larceny: A man stole merchandise from Wegmans on Penfield Road earlier this month and fled in a dark blue vehicle.
Vehicle larceny: On June 5 (but not reported until July 8), someone stole cash from a purse on the seat of a car parked at Browncroft Community Church on Browncroft Boulevard. The car window was open at the time for a dog in the car.
Criminal mischief: Between June 1 and 7 (but not reported until June 30), someone poured cement into the victim's gas tank while it was parked in a driveway on Nettlecreek Road.
Vehicle larceny: On July 5, someone smashed a car window at Powder Mills Park and stole a pair of glasses.
Larceny: Someone stole a delivered Walmart package from a common area at an apartment building on Black Watch Trail last week.
Grand larceny: A store manager at a Ridge Road AT&T store reported that a suspicious person hung around the store and then allegedly stole two display phones on June 21.
Petit larceny: Someone left a backpack outside the Country Store on Lake Road on June 21 and it was stolen.


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SAN JOSE, Calif. — LELO is now offering the TUX penis tuxedo, a luxury male intimate apparel concept inspired by classic tuxedos and Scotland's penis fashion scene.
Tailoring garments for the penis is not a new phenomenon, says LELO, but they point out that while the ‘Willy Warmer’ is widely sold in Scotland and the U.K., it is relatively unknown elsewhere.
LELO explains the Willy Warmer's origins date as far back as the twelfth century, when shepherds wore a knitted cover to protect their personal assets in freezing temperatures, with historical records showing use across mainland Europe and the fjords of Norway and Sweden.
“Why should the Scots have all the fun?" asked Steve Thomson, chief marketing officer at LELO. "We wanted to bring this concept to a global audience, while updating it with a stylish and modern twist.
"It was actually much more complicated than it sounds, from selecting the materials to finalizing the cut, and TUX went through multiple design iterations before the finished product," Thomson said. "In 2016, it really is incredible the concept of male intimate apparel has not been explored further.”
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, LELO predicts a surge in female lingerie sales, whereas TUX highlights the gulf between the way women and men express themselves sexually. LELO observes that the women’s lingerie market is forecasted to become a $30 billion industry by 2020, but there remains a lack of brands in the male intimate apparel category.
Sex and relationship expert Tristan Taormino is hopeful TUX will instigate some "playful fun in the bedroom" this Valentine’s Day. “There is all this emphasis on women dressing up in lingerie, sexy undies or roleplay costumes to entice their partners or revive a spark, but I say it's equally important for men!" Taormino said. "Women love to be seduced by their partners. Knowing that a man has made extra effort to dress for sex is a real turn-on.”
LELO reports that early product testers have responded with enthusiasm, if not a little surprise, particularly in the U.S. where couples were interviewed about TUX and the overall concept of penis fashion.
“Valentine’s Day can become a routine within a routine for many, and at LELO with both our awarding-winning pleasure objects and now TUX, we stand for adding a burst of excitement," Thomson said. "We believe our customers will embrace TUX as a way of keeping fantasy, exploration and humor central to their relationships."
TUX retails for $29.95 and is a slip-on one-piece, accessorized with a black bowtie and red rose. Presented as one-size-fits-most, with a stretchy cord that slips comfortably around the male undercarriage, it arrives in a "luxurious gift box" with instructions for wear included.
Retailers interested in stocking LELO products can contact firstname.lastname@example.org.


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THE SHIFT OF ECONOMIC POWER away from the western nations will have profound effects on business travel over the next few years, a leading consultant has warned.
John Willman, business editor of the Financial Times, said the BRIC nations - Brazil, Russia, India and China - would be responsible for more than half the global domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
"Economic power is moving from Europe, North America and Japan," he said, adding that these nations currently produced around 35 per cent of GDP, with the BRIC countries at 29 per cent and catching up fast. Business travel growth is not going to be within Europe or between Europe and North America - increasingly, it is going to be between us and Latin America or Asia, and there will be more travel within Asia."
More direct routes will emerge between the growth areas, such as between China and Latin America, especially to the 'rust belt' industrial cities in China.
"China is growing so fast it is dragging up Latin America, because it makes the food-stuffs and other things that China wants," Willman said.


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Shopping in early spring, the only local foods that Patrick Crouch, field and greenhouse coordinator for Earth Works, can find at Eastern Market are rhubarb, local eggs, some meat and remnants of last year's harvest that people have held over the winter — cabbage, potatoes, apples. Spring rhubarb and asparagus won't arrive for another month, and Crouch will have to wait until late summer for the real Michigan bounty — strawberries, green beans, onions, apples and berries.
Even when Eastern Market disappoints him, in the five years he's been in Detroit, Crouch has seen fresh food options expand. "It's a serious improvement," he says, referring to the growing number of farmer's markets and farmers' who are interested in selling in Detroit, "but it's far from enough."
A lingering 'food desert'
The 2007 LaSalle Bank study, "Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Detroit" (aka the "Food Desert Study"), found what residents of Detroit already knew — it's hard to eat fresh in the city. "There are certain quadrants of the city that have food deserts," says Augie Fernandes, president of the Gleaners Community Food Bank. "Our neighbors in that area just don't have access to good fresh food."
Most of the 1,073 food stores in Detroit are "fringe locations" — party stores that sell more lottery tickets and cigarettes than fresh fruits and vegetables. More than 500,000 Detroit residents live in what could be termed "food deserts," and those residents are more likely to "suffer or die prematurely from diet-related disease than residents who live in areas with healthy food options," the report says.
"As a Detroiter," says Ashley Atkinson, with the Greening of Detroit, "you travel farther and pay more. And when you get [to the market], it's disappointing in terms of quality and the seasonality of the food available."
The problem in Detroit is more than huge grocery stores closing their doors, says Crouch, who'd says he'd like to see small, local markets take over from the likes of Kroger and Farmer Jack anyway.
"People are happy to buy salad mix from California, and they think they're doing something right if it's organic," he says. "Not enough people have been educated about the economic benefit to their area [of buying local food]." So, as the market lags behind forward-thinking "locivores" like Crouch, how are residents satisfying their taste for fresh fruits and veggies within city limits?
Finding the freshness
The Northwest Detroit Farmers' Market started in 2006 in the stately, tree-lined Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood. Every Thursday in July through October, residents walk, bike and drive to the market to shop at 12 to 15 vendors set up in the Bushnell Congregational Church parking lot. In season, the smells of fresh berries, crisp tomatoes and bunches of flowers floats through the air. People hover over loaves of freshly baked bread, choosing just the right one. Neighbors greet each other and chat as they pick a bottle of local honey to bring home.
When the Northwest Farmers' Market was started it was meant to be purist. "You have to grow or make whatever you sell at our market," explains Pam Weinstein, special projects coordinator for the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation. Weinstein points out that 80 percent of what's sold at Eastern Market isn't from Michigan. Though shoppers may be able to find oranges, bananas, and coconuts, they're not putting the money back into the local economy or supporting regional farmers.
But at Northwest, every penny spent goes back into Michigan. And, when it comes down to it, if you open up the market to farmers who ship their produce around the country, many local farmers can't compete.
And then there's the flavor — bite into a fresh tomato that was picked that morning and the first thing you'll notice is flavor. Weinstein says, "the locally grown tomato or apple tastes about 100 times better than the thing that's been trucked in.
So far, the Northwest Farmers' Market has been successful at bringing together people from the surrounding neighborhoods and vendors from around the region where it's hard to find local produce. When the farmers' market isn't open, Grandmont-Rosedale residents can shop at the local Metro Food Land, "but that's it," says Weinstein.
Building healthy communities
The 20 volunteers who work with Malik Yakini and the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network spend their time tending to two large gardens in Detroit. They clear debris from the land and make the soil tillable, then they plant, water, harvest and sell fresh fruits and vegetables. But DBCFSN isn't just about gardening; working with Councilperson JoAnn Watson, they recently advocated for a City of Detroit food security policy, which passed in March, and are working to set up a Food Policy Council that will determine exactly what the city needs in terms of food security, equity and accessibility.
Right now, says Yakini, "Detroiters aren't seeing the benefit in the food dollars that they spend." Instead of spending money to buy fresh produce grown within city limits, and seeing that money improve the local economy, Detroiters buy food that's brought in from outside city limits, from sellers who take that economic benefit elsewhere. "The main thing we try to do is change people's consciousness about food," says Yakini, "where it comes from and who controls it." Where most of the people in Detroit consider themselves consumers, Yakini and DBCFSN are working to expand that view with everything from building food co-ops to starting a fleet of mobile produce trucks. Yakini's starting goal is modest. He thinks Detroiters can grow 10 to 25 percent of their food within city limits, though he admits that's not as easy as it looks. "It's not a simple problem, and there are no simple solutions," he says.
From the ground up
Farmers' markets are a good start, but Crouch thinks community gardeners will have the biggest impact on fresh food in the city. Gardens, he insists, will improve access to fresh produce while fostering sustainable communities.
"In a lot of ways, in these blighted communities, people don't know each other anymore. Gardens are a common space where people are out, beautifying the neighborhood and acting as the eyes and ears of the community."
Earth Works, part of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, has a 1.5 acre garden plot that they use in the soup kitchen, and they work with the Garden Resource Program (a collaboration between Earth Works, the Greening of Detroit, Michigan State University, and the Detroit Agriculture Network) to teach people about food deserts and to help residents start community gardens. Right now more than 600 gardeners plant 41 different fruits and vegetables in plots across the city. In 2007, Garden Resource Program gardeners grew 120 tons of food that was eaten by 5,500 people. "Urban agriculture definitely increases access to healthy food," says Ashley Atkinson, with the Greening of Detroit, but "it's not all about food." It's also about people connecting through food.
Once people are out in those gardens, they're talking, connecting and adding nutrition to their dinner plates. Crouch observes, "Gardening is something that crosses socioeconomic barriers that not a lot of other things do."
What's more, Detroit's surplus of ecologically compromised "brownfield" lots could be a new kind of urban asset — gardens just waiting to happen. Detroit could end up ahead of the game.
"We're running out of green fields," says Atkinson, "in the future all food will have to be grown on previously used land."
But there's a way to get farm-fresh produce throughout Michigan's growing season, and it doesn't involve so much as picking up a trowel. Michelle Lutz, farmer at Maple Creek Farm in rural Yale, encourages people to enter into what she calls a "shared-risk relationship" each year. Husband-and-wife team Michelle and Dan Lutz grow produce and deliver it throughout the 20-week growing season to restaurants, grocery stores and individuals. Members of the Lutz's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group pay up-front, which means that they reap the benefits of a good year, or suffer the losses of a bad one. In the years since they opened in 1995, Lutz has seen an increase in membership from 13 to 500.
CSAs have caught on in other states, but are just starting to catch on in Michigan. "We have to stop being so comfortable with global food," says Lutz. "If a vegetable had to get on a plane to get here, how good can it be? And, as the economy continues its decline, if everybody spent $10 on Michigan products each week, we'd put $36 million back into the economy each week."
As the economy continues to suffer, more people are reaching out to Gleaners Community Food Bank, the oldest and largest food bank in Michigan. Gleaners currently distributes 25 million meals through social service agencies, rural food pantries and partners around the city. In all, the food bank feeds more than 450,000 people annually. Most of the food they deliver is pantry-staple food that will last awhile either in the cupboard or freezer. They also distribute local Michigan produce or other vegetables and fruits when they get shipments from local farmers, from the southwest Detroit's produce terminal, and from crops in their own organic garden. "The more we can help sustain ourselves, the better off we are," says Fernandes.
In the long run, Crouch would like to see more local markets carry fresh fruits and vegetables — to see milk, eggs, apples and lettuce on a shelf next to the beer and bologna. And Atkinson adds that you can whip up a good meal without leaving city limits, as her pantry includes fresh baked goods from Avalon International Breads on West Willis, and fruits and vegetables from Eastern Market's R. Hirt and the supermercado in her Mexicantown neighborhood.
And, yes, you can still have some Cabana chips on the side.
The Akwaaba Community Center is at 8045 Second Ave., Detroit. Stop by 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays to sample and buy fresh meals made by raw-food preparers and macrobiotic chefs.
The Northwest Farmers’ Market starts in July and runs 4-8 p.m. Thursday afternoons at Bushnell Congregational Church. See www.grdc.org for more information.


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Kiko TV has announced that it will be adding two new features in its app. The first allows users to shop within the all while consuming video content. The second is the addition of in-app gaming that allows players to play games within the app itself.
Read the complete press release below
KIKO TV, which is India’s first AI-based short video E-Commerce & Entertainment platform, launched recently amidst the pandemic, after the anti-China sentiments has launched two exciting new features.
The interactive entertainment video-based app will now allow users to shop within the app while enjoying the content. While viewing the videos, the users can also like and share the videos, to earn currency to shop within the app. This currency is called COINS and can be redeemed for goodies from the app!
KIKO TV has also launched in-app gaming wherein the users can play games in the app to earn coins. With more and more apps being pulled off the play store, KIKO TV came up with this feature to fill the void in the market.
These features have been open-heartedly welcomed by the public and in the first phase itself, the platform has witnessed a tremendous response. Available on both Android and iOS, the app has crossed 100k downloads, with a daily increase in the active users by 12%. It has signed up more than 50 merchants on the app and grossed annualized GMV of Rs.3.5 crores within a month of launch.
Speaking on the new features, Neeta, CSO at KIKO TV said, “We at KIKO TV are in constant lookout to offer more to our users and provide entertainment. These new features are the first of more to come and we are sure our users would enjoy them.”
Currently, KIKO TV offers more than 75,000 videos of different genres like comedy, workout, travel, food, educational, fashion & makeup, and product reviews.
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Digit caters to the largest community of tech buyers, users and enthusiasts in India. The all new Digit in continues the legacy of Thinkdigit.com as one of the largest portals in India committed to technology users and buyers. Digit is also one of the most trusted names when it comes to technology reviews and buying advice and is home to the Digit Test Lab, India's most proficient center for testing and reviewing technology products.
We are about leadership-the 9.9 kind! Building a leading media company out of India.And,grooming new leaders for this promising industry.


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Hong Kong’s FinTech Ecosystem: Almost 3 years in the making, but what’s next?
Hong Kong FinTech development is almost three years in the making. When Accenture announced its local version of their Innovation Lab (their Application is currently open for the 3rd batch) back in July 2014, what FinTech meant to the public and banks was still unclear. Fast-forward to today and Hong Kong is host to three FinTech Accelerators, the latest of which was recently featured here in Jumpstart Magazine.
This increased activity reflects a combination of private sector developments as well as public sector support. Indeed, Invest HK has been looking for a dedicated FinTech team with new staff covering Asia, Europe, and North-America. The Financial Services Treasury Bureau (FSTB) has published its FinTech report, one year after the creation of its committee. Regulators have established their FinTech Contact point, such as the Securities & Futures Commission (SFC). Academia is also preparing the next generations of graduates to hold the right skill sets, The University of Hong Kong has FinTech courses at an MBA, Certificate level and one of its academic public (co-authored with the University of New South Wales) entitled The Evolution of FinTech, has recently been picked up by the New York Times. Finally, Hong Kong will be hosting its next large-scale FinTech conference on the 30th of May.
The above reflects the fact that Hong Kong is naturally a FinTech hub given its combination of human and financial capital it derives from being Asia’s first financial center. However, there is another element that fuels Hong Kong’s growth. As the FinTech ecosystem matures and information becomes increasingly shared across hubs, the center of gravity of FinTech activity is gradually but surely moving East. The recent Accenture survey exemplifies this with a four-fold increase in investment last year reaching US$3.5 billion. Regionally governments are also stepping up their game; the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is holding a week-long FinTech Festival, and the Australian government has issued its own policy report on FinTech.
The latter is perhaps the most important and interesting read that the region has seen. First of all, the focus is on data. Whilst the definitional problem around FinTech still exists, it seems that there is room to develop a new paradigm in our understanding by talking about TechFin instead. This is not a play on words because, if understood correctly, it fundamentally changes how we expect the future of finance to look and who will be at its core. In that respect, the CEO of DBS recently made it clear that his competition is Alibaba rather than another traditional bank.
This has deep consequences both in terms of human capital and regulation. If we accept that banks are FinTechs (in that they are financial services firm using technology) and that Alibaba is a TechFin (e.g. online e-commerce platform doing financial services) the question is not that the end product they do is the same (e.g. a loan), but how do they create, handle, originate and maintain the product as well as what the experience is for the user. We are moving from a “Know-your-Customer” mindset to a “Know-Your-Data” era. Bank’s wealth is their balance sheet whilst for tech firms it’s their data and IP to extract value from. Data privacy becomes a bigger stake than deposit insurance scheme and this is crucial in a context where the millennial generation is data rich but cash poor.
Hong Kong is going up this learning curve as we speak whilst other jurisdictions like China or India have already leapfrogged the future way of doing finance. Venture capital money, which is so often quoted in headlines of news stories, has created a success story in part, but mainly contributed to turning the entrepreneurial world into a massive Research & Development center led by startups. Founders have explored and evaluated what works or doesn’t, and now they benefit from a solid foundation (e.g. public awareness, staff training, investor sharpness) on which they can build and grow their (next) ventures.
We are at the start of a 20-year cycle in FinTech and we would be fools to say we truly know where this is going. Indeed, Amara’s law says that we tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run, and underestimate the effect in the long run.
Let’s conceptualize this trend instead of focusing on the ability of a product to scale to market. This will provide a better capacity to understand where we are heading instead of being regularly disrupted by the velocity of news and innovation.
by Janos Barberis, founder of Fintech.hk


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You may think everything you get from your local Halal grocery shop is as Halal to the tee: Islamically slaughtered, pretty fresh, free of germs, etc. But you may be in for a surprise.
Some of the meat sold in smaller Muslim grocery stores may actually be bought from the non-Muslim wholesale market with little connection to Muslim food standards.
Hussain Iftikher is a partner in the company Halal Farms U.S.A., which is marketing products under the name Rehmat Meats in Illinois.
“Most of the people who market Halal products to the mainstream supermarket do not sell Halal products,” he says.
“The [Muslim] store owners would buy 10 to 15 carcasses from me and in most of the cases buy products from American slaughter plants where the cost is a little cheaper,” he explains. “They show the receipt to customers that they are buying [meat certified by] Rehmat Meats but in fact only 10 to 15 percent of the meat is Islamically slaughtered.”
While this is, of course, not the case with all Halal grocery store owners, it does show need for greater scrutiny on the part of Muslim consumers to ensure they are getting Halal, quality meat and food products.
“Muslim consumers should not be complacent,” says Mohammad Mazhar Hussaini, the Muslim halal expert, which is involved with Halal certification in the U.S. and abroad. “It is their right, they should ask their manufacturers, retailers and the certifying bodies about the meeting of Halal standards.”
He advises Muslims to ask five questions if they suspect malpractice or wrongdoing involving Halal meat of food products:
1. Ask at the retail store (Halal grocery store) whether or not a given product or products are Halal.
2. When it comes to meat, if it is Halal, who is the certifying agency. The certification should be by a third-party, not the manufacturer and not the retailer.
3. How do you contact the certifying agency? This information has to be public. Muslim grocers, store owners and meat manufacturers have to be accountable to the public because the certifying agencies are supposed to be protecting the consumers’ rights.
They are not there to make profit. They will make profit to run the organization, but they are accountable to the public because they are the ones who are taking the responsibility for saying the meat or product is Halal or not to the satisfaction of the consumer.
4. When you contact the certifying agency, ask who is slaughtering the meat and what are the procedures.
This must be verified because the Muslim consumer should not shrug away his or her responsibility, saying that the retailer or the certifying agency is saying it is Halal, and therefore they are not responsible.
“This attitude has to go away,” notes Hussaini.
5. This enquiry should be ongoing because every so often a certifying agency may be good today, but then becomes lax for one reason or another. The Muslim consumer should keep inquiring, for example, after every six months
“A vigilant consumer can bring about a respected Halal system and once the system is in place, then we will refine our procedures, we will refine our methods,” says Hussaini. “Until then we must keep inquiring, that way we will keep the certifying agencies on their toes, and they will be cautious, vigilant, and compliant.”


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Along with widespread expectations of a redesign, industry sources speaking to DigiTimes believe that Apple would finally release a 4G capable long term evolution (LTE) iPhone next year.
The report goes onto say that the number of networks offering 4G services would rise from a mere 35 to 100 by the end of 2012, with Sprint expected to rollout LTE services in the middle of 2012.
“The first generation of LTE chip-sets force a lot of design compromises with the handset, and some of those we are just not willing to make”
The design compromise that had to be made in 4G phones were evident in the first 4G capable phone in the U.S. – Verizon’s Thunderbolt (via Forbes):
[the phone] relies on a pair of chips to work. One chip, from Samsung, communicates with Verizon’s 4G networks, allowing the handset to achieve blazing data speeds of between 5 and 20 MBPS. Another chip, from Qualcomm, lets the handset talk to Verizon’s 3G network.
Apple would most likely come out with a 4G iPhone only when unified chips supporting both 3G and 4G would be available. That and of course if the battery life doesn’t take a huge hit.
The current 4G capable phone market in the U.S. is dominated by HTC, which holds a share of 60 percent while Samsung, Motorola and LG account for the remaining 40 percent.
The Sprint-Apple partnership and the rumored $20 billion deal would make a lot of sense if Sprint has Apple on board when launching its 4G LTE network.
Although AT&T claims that the theoretical 14.4 Mbps down on the iPhone 4S makes it 4G capable, Apple has refrained from making any such claim.
So when do you think would Apple take the lid off a truly 4G capable iPhone?


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China is easily located to turn into an international chief within the Business Web of Issues (IIoT) marketplace, as business use of hooked up units eclipses shopper devices.
A up to date article via the Economist mag extolled the virtues of China that positions it to seize a vital proportion of the worldwide IIoT market.
It says China’s present position as the sector’s biggest production energy provides it the root of turning into an international IIoT powerhouse.
Most of the IIoT generation merchandise shall be evolved in China as the rustic makes lots of the planet’s electronics. Those electronics come with sensors and different elements that include IIoT networks and permit business merchandise and manufacturing facility machines to be in contact information.
As neatly, a lot of this China-made IIoT generation will focused on the market to the thousands and thousands of factories within the nation, which space billions of machines. The Economist notes that this syncs up preferably for the Chinese language executive which has proven itself willing to inspire the upgrading of the rustic’s production base.
China lately has extra hooked up units than another country on earth. IDC’s analysis predicts that the total IoT marketplace in China will upward thrust to $361 billion in 2020 from $193 billion in 2015.
Upload to this Accenture’s estimates that China’s IoT similar business may upload as much as $736 billion to the rustic’s GDP via the 12 months 2030.
GE already operating in China IIoT area
The large attainable of the Chinese language IIoT marketplace is attracting important funding to its shores.
The Economist cites Common Electrical’s transfer to open a “virtual foundry” in Shanghai as a primary instance of this shift. GE’s middle will permit Chinese language companies to broaden and commercialize IIoT merchandise,
The GE foundry in China and some other to be introduced in Paris are a part of the corporate’s solution to inspire use of its proprietary Predix tool for IIoT. It has to this point attracted the trade of China Telecom, China Japanese Airways and Chinese language tech massive Huawei.
In the meantime, different gamers having a look to seize segments of the IIoT marketplace come with China Cellular and different offshore giants like Cisco, HP, Honeywell and Siemens.
Then again, the thing cites some pitfalls that might abate China’s IoT attainable. Factories in China aren’t as technologically complex as the ones in Europe or the U.S., which might create difficulties when transitioning to complex new programs that deeply combine IIoT generation. As neatly, this kind of transition might turn out too pricey for plenty of firms which can be affected by each a flagging world financial system and vulnerable native fortunes.
Then again, contemporary information of deficient wearables gross sales hints that the longer term for hooked up units could also be a lot rosier amongst business clientele than shoppers.
IDC reported that smartwatch shipments tumbled 32% in the second one quarter in comparison to the similar length ultimate 12 months. The document claims that Apple Watch gross sales fell to one.6 million in the second one quarter of 2016, a 55% fall from the three.6 million gross sales recorded in the similar quarter ultimate 12 months.


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I also remember watching the news reports on China from that era that always showed images of thousands of commuters on bikes swarming around cars like schools of little fish alongside the odd big fish. Streams of human-propelled, two-wheeled workers on their way to some working paradise. And I used to think, “how do those poor suckers on their bikes not get killed by the cars and trucks streaming alongside them?”
Fast-forward some 30 years and the world has changed so much so that China is packed from end to end with cars while cyclists have become the rarity on many busy Chinese roads with the accompanying traffic jams and eye-watering, lung-sizzling pollution.
And now the opposite is happening in North America.
People here are getting on their bikes and leaving their cars at home, specifically in major and densely populated metropolitan areas. No, they aren’t abandoning their cars en masse, but they are taking bicycles in ever greater numbers. Bike lanes are appearing in more cities than before. Furthermore, I just saw a report about the ever increasing bike-car collisions across Canada and New York City and Boston as people use bikes for transportation, not just recreation.
2012 Ford Mustang equipped with SYNC AppLink
We all know about the deathly outcome of texting and driving, not to mention people who still refuse to get a hands-free system for their phones. However, car companies as well are banking on more electronics and touchscreens and Internet enablement in their cars to make them attractive to Gen X and Y buyers. The things that distract us and lead to collisions are what sell cars nowadays.
My solution: Legislate collision-avoidance systems like Volvo offers to become standard equipment. Heck, the NHTSA is legislating stability control for 2012 on new cars, so why not this? After reading about how effective Volvo’s system is, reducing collisions by up to 25%, why not let the government legislate it in? Better yet, if a car company sells an infotainment system as standard, or even as an option, they should also have to make standard a collision avoidance system.
Cost-prohibitive, you say? When produced in sufficient quantities, the cost will come down to a few hundred bucks per car. Nanny-ism you say? I agree, but we driving apes are not a smart bunch so why not instead use technology to prevent the car-bike collision that will become ever more familiar in North America. Drivers must be responsible for their actions, you say? I totally agree, but that’s wishful thinking and it won’t prevent another pedestrian, cyclist, or other motorist from being killed by the dude fiddling with his Facebook privacy settings from the driver’s seat of his car.
Time for the government to step in do what’s right. Make collision avoidance systems standard equipment.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC, -0.51% said Tuesday its third-quarter net income rose to $302 million, or 86 cents a share, from $291 million or 81 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. The Los Angeles defense contractor and ship manufacturer said its income from continuing operations came to 87 cents a share and includes a 20-cents a share charge for a legal settlement involving parts from the former TRW Inc. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call forecast earnings, on average, of $1.07 a share and revenue of $7.73 billion. Northrop said quarterly sales rose 2% to $7.43 billion from $7.29 billion. Northrop also cuts its 2006 outlook to $30.2 billion in sales from $30.5 billion; earnings are forecast at $4.20 to $4.25 a share, down from $4.35 to $4.45, to include the legal settlement. In 2007, earnings would be $4.65 to $4.90 a share and sales would be $31 billion to $32 billion.
Northrop Grumman net, sales rise


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Smartzer, a London, UK-based shoppable video startup, raised $400k in funding.
Backers included serial entrepreneur Jamie True.
The funding was partially used to launch the product, in partnership with The British Fashion Council, at Vodafone London Fashion Weekend in September 2014.
Founded by Karoline Gross in December 2012, Smartzer allows users to click on items within a streaming video to see further information and make purchases. The company has partnered with high-street fashion brand Whistles to make their Spring / Summer ‘15 Collection interactive.


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Britain's big banks have been accused of “scaremongering” about changes designed to boost online competition by predicting it could spark a crime wave.
Fast-growing digital bank Monzo told The Telegraph high street lenders were “digging their heels in” by not embracing so-called “Open Banking” reforms that came into force last weekend.
Under the reforms, customers are given the keys to their own financial data, enabling them to change providers in minutes online with a few clicks.
It also enables consumers to see all their money on one screen and access better budgeting tools. But the changes have raised privacy concerns, with consumer groups Which? And Get Safe Online warning it could increase the risk of customers falling prey to scams.
Big banks including RBS brand NatWest have been communicating with customers in recent weeks about the potential risks of Open Banking.
Natwest warned Open Banking could lead to a sharp rise in criminal activity, including from copycats mimicking bank websites.
RBS chairman Howard Davies ratcheted up the concerns last weekend, saying: “We are not confident that our customers’ data will be protected from hackers and thieves [when it is shared with third parties].
“We cannot refuse to hand over data because that’s what the legislation says, but we will have to try to educate people to understand the vulnerability.”


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Venture philanthropy platform Sparo joins Microsoft for Startups program
Maryland-based early-stage company Sparo has joined the Microsoft for Startups program to scale its trademarked Purchase with a Purpose platform on Microsoft Azure. Microsoft for Startups provides startups with access to powerful technology with a streamlined path to selling alongside Microsoft and its global partner ecosystem.
Rob Sobhani, Founder and CEO, Sparo: "We are honored and delighted to have been chosen by Microsoft to be part of their Startups Program."
Sparo's Purchase with a Purpose platform leverages corporate social responsibility into higher online sales for merchants by marrying e-commerce and charity at the checkout page, thus addressing a major challenge facing online retailers, namely: cart abandonment. Today an average of 67.91% of shopping carts are abandoned.
Kyril Revels, Chief Software Engineer, Sparo: "Sparo's plugin can be embedded onto the checkout page of any merchant anywhere in the world thus creating an impact with every online purchase."
Rama Ayman, Co-founder and CFO, Sparo: "We are very excited to scale Sparo within the Microsoft ecosystem and create the world's most consequential company that delivers value to its shareholders, its corporate clients and the public and become a leading force in the $450 billion philanthropy market and the broader $4 trillion global e-commerce industry."
Tony Shakib, General Manager, IoT Business Acceleration at Microsoft Corp: "Microsoft welcomes Sparo to the Microsoft for Startups program. Sparo's Purchase with a Purpose democratizes charitable giving by empowering shoppers to select their favorite charity at the checkout page."


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Ali “SypherPK” Hassan and Oni Studios CEO (also Hassan’s spouse) Daniela Ali’s 30,000 square foot Cedar Park, Texas-based production facility is set for its grand reveal this Wednesday on SypherPK’s social channels. The facility, which cost the pair $10 million (no outside investment), is currently using 60% of its space, with plans in the works to build out the rest of the 40%. On the day of the reveal, Ali says that the mayor of Cedar Park will be on-site at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. While the building is yet to be completed, the workforce already operates out of the building, handling everything from marketing to animation. While Ali says the brand has been compared to esports teams in the past, it’s nothing like them.
Oni Studios, founded in 2020, was originally envisioned to help Hassan with his marketing efficiency. He was spending lots of time in meetings with potential sponsors and negotiating packages and couldn’t focus on what had made him successful: content. Hassan was one of the biggest winners of the Fortnite craze, his Twitch channel erupted during 2018, the peak of the game’s mainstream popularity.
With Oni Studios tackling the brunt of the negotiations, Hassan claims that he was able to work with 54 brands during 2022, “basically one a week,” he says.
“We saw the success and the doors that started opening for [Hassan] alone in comparison to his peers because of the efficiency of the business and the system that we had build. And [so we said] we should do this for other people,” Ali said.
That service is what Oni Studios is planning to provide to other content creators of local esports teams looking for a high-profile place to compete online from. Ali tells SBJ that she is looking for “ambition” and “grit” in their future clients, as well as multiple years of streaming experience — no one looking to put a toe in the water, but rather the ones willing to dive in.
Oni Studios, whose social media plainly states that it isn’t an “org” (common esports terminology that’s shorthand for “organization”) currently only has one public creator client: “Reckz”, who Ali claims was streaming to less than 100 viewers before partnering with Oni Studios. The “ambitious” creator has seen astronomical growth in the past year, including multiplying his YouTube subscribers by a magnitude of 50. Ali says that “we’re hoping for three [new clients in 2023] but we’ll settle for two.”
The studio features a stream room for Hassan only, a production studio, and a LAN room that Ali says could be utilized for more traditional esports. Creators, and teams, have been flocking to the Central Texas and Austin area over the past several years, enticed by zero state income tax and a low cost of living compared to the West Coast, a traditional bastion of the North American esports industry.
The “a la carte” style offerings that Oni Studios is set to give are “everything [Ali and Hassan] wish we had” as they began the content creator journey, Ali says. For many streamers, just having someone to manage the sponsorship opportunities on their plates will give them time to elevate their brands in the hyper-competitive world of online content creation. For others, the coaching elements of the partnership will help them elevate their content offerings. Either way, it’s likely that brands and clients alike will flock to work with one of the most successful businesses built in the Fortnite hype era.


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World's largest cruise ship operator sees revenue soar after hiking ticket prices 4.5%
Higher ticket prices have boosted revenue at the world’s largest cruise ship operator.
Carnival posted an £820million increase in revenues to £13billion, despite taking a hit from hurricanes in the US stopping some ships from sailing.
Bosses said a 4.5 per cent increase in ticket prices over year had also helped offset higher fuel prices.
Price hikes: Carnival, which owns the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth cruise ships through its Cunard line, posted an £820m increase in revenues to £13bn
US-listed Carnival owns the Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth cruise ships (pictured together on the River Mersey) through its Cunard line.
Its 25-plus ships make 1,500 journeys each year around the Caribbean, Europe and the US each year.
But it struck major disaster in 2012 when the Costa Concordia cruise ship, run by subsidiary Costa Cruises, was wrecked off Italy, killing 32.
Profit for the year ending November 30 was £1.9billion, slightly down on the year before.
Chief executive Arnold Donald, 62, who took the reins in 2014 and is credited with turning the business around, said its strategy of giving guests an exceptional time was delivering results.
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The town of Eclectic is now home to a one-stop shop where customers can get a haircut and their vehicle detailed.
Eclectic native Tyrece Williams opened Skate’s Place about two weeks ago at 655 Main Street. Williams said he’s received positive feedback from customers, but he’s still trying to spread the work about his business and grow his clientele.
Williams, a licensed barber, said he noticed a trend that inspired him to open his business.
“Just from years of being in barber shops and being around people, I’ve noticed that a lot guys leave the barber shop and then go to get their car cleaned,” he said. “I decided to open a business where people can get their car cleaned at the same time they’re getting their hair cut.”
Williams said that he’s always had a desire to own a business in his hometown. He tried his hand entrepreneurship once before, but it didn’t work out. Now he’s ready to try again.
“A lot of people ask me if I can cut white people’s hair and the answer is yes,” Williams said. “All races are welcomed. I can cut all hair types – black, white and Hispanic.”
The business is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Williams said the business is still in the process of hiring barbers and people to provide vehicle cleaning/detailing services.
To inquire about employment, stop by Skate’s Place during its hours of operation or reach out to Williams on the Skate’s Place Facebook page.


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Instagram tagged cities:Jakarta ,Sao Paulo,New York, London and Madrid
California,August9: The world’s most tagged cities are New York, London — and don’t believe it Jakarta?
The capital of Indonesia is having a moment: It’s home to millions of people from across the globe, plus it’s a foodie paradise renowned for its nightlife and architecture.
The top location tags on Instagram stories:
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- São Paulo, Brazil
- New York, NY
- London, UK
- Madrid, Spain
Instagram also revealed the most popular hashtags, 90 per cent of which are in English:
- #BOMDIA (meaning hello or good day in Portuguese)
The most used stickers were revealed to be the vibrant location sticker, digital time sticker, “Like” sticker, hashtag sticker and weather sticker.
So if you really want to be on top of the trends, you’d better head to Jakarta and post an Instagram story with a location sticker and say #goodmorning.


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Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will lay foundation stone for the Kakatiya Mega Textiles Park in Warangal on October 20 being set up at a cost of Rs11,000 crore in public private partnership, said Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari.
Kadiam said that the Chief Minister has announced funds for the project that will boost textile production in the State and give employment to about 1.13 lakh people. Those who migrated to other states will get back to the park to eke out their livelihood. The park will have ginning, spinning, weaving, processing and garmenting facilities.
The Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 699 crore for ORR in Warangal and Rs 78 crore for ROB and works will be started soon.
Some Tiruppur-based textile manufacturers have already committed to invest in the textile park.
On the same day, the chief minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Rs 669-crore Warangal outer ring road project, part of a string of infrastructure development projects in the district., according to media reports from the state.
Telangana produces about 60 lakh bales of cotton a year, most of which is sent to adjoining states due to shortage of processing units.
A weekly report covering market and price information on the entire chain of polyester along with online access to daily polyester chain prices.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in individual products including polyester, nylon, acrylic, viscose, and cotton.
One-time reports that are issued annually cover the demand and supply trends in the individual country's natural and manmade fiber/filament industries.
Countries Served Worldwide


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They're a big part of just about everyone's holiday displays, but do you know how much it costs to run your Christmas lights here in Minnesota?
Utility costs have been in the news here Rochester and across Minnesota this year, with the cost of natural gas way more expensive than it was last year. There's also that new extra fee natural gas customers in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are paying thanks to the Texas debacle during the Polar Vortex last February.
However, there's another cost that could add to your electric bill this season-- the cost of keeping all those holiday lights and decorations on and lit. And, according to a new survey from Joybird, an online home furnishings and accessories retailer, that cost is slightly above average here in the North Star State.
The Joybird survey looked at the cost to run a typical amount of both LED and old school incandescent lights for the 34 days between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day in each state, based on the state’s residential electricity rate.
And here in Minnesota, if you're still using those old school incandescent lights, the cost to keep them lit this year is about $21.13. That's not too expensive, however, check out how much cheaper it is if you replace those incandescent lights with newer, LED lights: the cost drops to just $3.13!
That's a decrease of over 85%-- a fairly significant difference, isn't it? Of course, there IS the cost of replacing all your lights with new LED versions, though, if you're a Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) customer, there are rebates available to help offset that cost.
And speaking of holiday lights, do you know where to see the best and brightest, most festive displays here in southeast Minnesota? Keep scrolling to find out!


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Taubman Centers Inc. (TCO), the U.S. luxury-mall owner, is close to announcing its first retail investment in China, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Taubman said.
“The growth of retail, the growth of the consumer, is really on steroids in China,” he said today in an interview at the International Council of Shopping Centers real estate conference in Las Vegas. “We’re getting close to an announcement.”
The company plans to develop retail properties in China as more people move from rural areas to cities and have more disposable income. Its Asia unit bought a 90 percent stake in retail real estate consulting company TCBL Consulting Ltd. for $23.7 million in December, according to a regulatory filing by Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based Taubman Centers.Continue Reading »


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The Thai Feed Mill Association (TFMA) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support and advance sustainable sourcing practices for feed ingredients in Thailand. The MoU aims to establish a sustainable and dependable supply chain for soybean, soybean meal and soy products for the Thai feed milling community.
Thailand ranks as the world’s third largest chicken meat exporter (USDA, 2024), contributing to growth in domestic animal feed production. The total feed demand is also expected to increase by 4.5% from 2024 to 2029, with the growing call for more sustainable sourcing in Thailand.
The MoU, which was signed at a ceremony in Bangkok, will further TFMA’s sustainability initiatives through knowledge sharing on sustainability and services including the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP), which verifies the sustainability of U.S. soy products for feed and animal feed uses. This also includes the sharing of technical expertise and best practices in sustainable agricultural practices, environmental conservation, supply chain transparency, and the latest sustainability advancements, while emphasizing the role of U.S. soy as a source of sustainable protein.
In addition, the MoU will support the adoption and alignment of sustainability metrics and reporting mechanisms with global standards, further bolstering TFMA’s sustainable feed and animal production practices.
Jim Sutter, CEO of USSEC, said that “this year marks 30 years of collaboration between U.S. soy and Thailand, making the signing of this MoU with TFMA even more significant as USSEC continues to develop strong and enduring relationships between the U.S. and Thailand. As the demand for sustainably sourced products continues to grow in Thailand, we look forward to collaborating with TFMA to pave the way for a resilient future in Thailand's agriculture sector.”
“Thailand's animal feed producers are committed to transitioning towards green production and strengthening their operations to deliver environmentally friendly products. This MoU will bolster the sustainable sourcing initiatives of our members, ensuring that Thailand's food exports can compete globally, while overcoming challenges in the traceability of raw materials for animal feed. Through our collaboration with USSEC, we aim to enhance the competitiveness of the Thai feed milling industry while advancing our sustainability goals,” said Pornsil Patchrintanakul, president of TFMA.
“We have developed an incredibly successful and mutually beneficial relationship with the Thai agriculture industry over the past three decades. This MoU with TFMA marks another remarkable milestone in our commitment to promoting sustainable practices while highlighting the environmental advantages of U.S. soy. We look forward to sharing our trade and technical expertise with the Thai feed milling community, facilitating knowledge transfer processes to enhance the local feed industry and align with Thailand’s vision for economic growth,” added Timothy Loh, regional director for SEA & Oceania at USSEC.


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LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - Guy Fieri's eighth Chicken Guy! opens April 1 in Livonia.
It's the first Michigan location for the fast food chain started by TV personality Fieri and restaurateur Robert Earl. Tomey Group plans to open 19 more restaurants in Southeast Michigan over the next few years.
"The people of The Motor City have spoken…I’m bringin’ my real deal chicken tenders, sandwiches, and shakes to Livonia. From shooting DDD to taking part in the Woodward Dream Cruise, the Detroit area has always been a go-to for me, so I’m stoked for everyone to give us a try. See ya there!" Guy Fieri said.
The menu includes signature sandwiches, chicken tender combos, salad bowls, Mac Daddy Mac ‘n Cheese, fried pickles, 22 signature sauces, and more.
Check the full menu here once the location opens.
(Photo: Chicken Guy!)
"We are excited to announce the opening of the first Chicken Guy! in Michigan and partner with one of our favorite chefs and TV personalities, Guy Fieri," said Anthony Tomey, CEO, The Tomey Group. "The food and variety of sauces is made with the expertise from Guy, that you can only imagine how delicious the food is. This is just the first location of many, as we have plans to expand to all over Southeast Michigan."
Chicken Guy! is at 30130 Plymouth Rd.


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Ireland’s first game under returning boss Mick McCarthy is the away trip to Gibraltar in the opening fixture of the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
While that fixture is not until the end of March, it has been the source of much drama regarding ticket sales.
Gibraltar’s venue for the evening, the Victoria Stadium, only holds 2,300 fans. Irish away supporters have been allocated 900 of those, and now a surge in demand from travelling fans has caused the Gibraltar FA (GFA) to take some drastic measures.
The nation’s association has stopped selling tickets online for the tie, and have been forced to apologise over the situation.
While Ireland fans have been given a relatively substantial allocation, the online sales have been halted due to fears that Irish fans would snap up the remaining home tickets.
As a result, in order to purchase home tickets, you must purchase them in person at the GFA’s office in the country, but even this has caused further problems.
— Football Gibraltar ⚽ (@FootballGib) February 4, 2019
Home fans have been forced to queue for up to three hours in order to get their hands on tickets, which the GFA described as ‘entirely unacceptable’.
In a statement, the GFA have said: ‘To protect the interests of the local supporter, and to ensure that as many Gibraltarians as possible had the chance to purchase a ticket, we took the cautious method of removing the online system and selling them from our official shop in Irish Town, and requesting documentation of residence in Gibraltar.
‘This is particularly relevant in the absence in our system of any secure “geo-blocking” technology that would ensure fans living in Gibraltar had priority on tickets at all times.’
Been here 2 hours and only moved 5 meters!😤
— Craig Galliano (@CraigGalliano) February 4, 2019
In an attempt to appease local fans, the GFA have announced that their friendly with Estonia on March 26th would be free of charge.
Gibraltar is the first stop for Ireland in their quest to qualify for Euro 2020, and a home tie with Georgia follows on March 26th.


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Digital TV News: Siano Mobile Silicon
Siano launches advanced receiver chip for DVB-T2
Dec 16, 2013 – Siano has announced the launch of a new receiver chip designed exclusively for automotive and mobile consumer electronics applications. The SMS4470 combines an RF tuner with a channel decoding processor, optimized for automotive and mobile devices.
News categories: Siano, Morris Chiao, Thomas Adam, Digital TV, DVB-T2, ICs, In-Car, Mobile, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
BYD to Launch Two Car Models with Mobile Digital TV Powered by Siano
Jan 2, 2013 – Siano has announce a partnership with BYD to integrate Siano-powered entertainment systems into BYD cars. Starting in Q1 2013, BYD's BYD S6 and the Surai compact sedan will be equipped with multimedia/infotainment systems with mobile DTV powered by Siano.
News categories: Siano, BYD, In-Car, Mobile, Semiconductor
BRIC Countries to Drive DTT Receiver Market
Jul 23, 2012 – Global Industry Analysts (GIA) has announced the release of a report on the DTT Receiver market. The active base for DTT Receivers is projected to reach 2.4 billion units by 2018, driven by TV digitization in the BRIC countries.
News categories: Global Industry Analysts, Digital TV, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Terrestrial
Siano and Marvell Enhance CMMB Devices with Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Functionality
May 17, 2012 – Siano has announced a collaboration with Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL) and ZTE (SEHK:0763; Shanghai:000063) aimed at bringing Picture-in-Picture functionality to CMMB users, for example to allow one program to be watched while waiting for another to start.
News categories: Siano, Marvell, ZTE, China, Digital TV, Mobile, Semiconductor, Smartphone
Broadcasters Gear Up for 2012 Commercial Mobile DTV
Apr 13, 2012 – Devices based on the ATSC Mobile DTV Standard are coming to NAB 2012 on a variety of different platforms, including receivers for the car, portable TVs, iPad accessories, and other mobile products designed to bring Mobile DTV to viewers wherever they go.
News categories: Content Distribution, Mobile, NABShow, Semiconductor
Siano Launches New Products for Japanese Mobile DTV Market
Mar 12, 2012 – Siano Mobile Silicon has announced that is also rolling out a family of new receiver chips designed to serve Japan's mobile and portable DTV markets, as well as the ISDB-Tmm market, Japan's new mobile Pay-TV initiative.
News categories: Siano, DoCoMo, Digital TV, ICs, Japan, Mobile, Semiconductor
Siano and LIFIA Team Up to Support Mobile DTV Project in Argentina
Feb 29, 2012 – Siano and LIFIA-UNLP, an IT R&D research group out of Argentina's La Plata University, have announced a combined 'Ginga' DTV solution for Windows and Linux PC applications in mobile devices.
News categories: Siano, LIFIA, Argentina, Middleware, MWC21, Peripherals / Accessories, Portable, SBTVD, Semiconductor, Terrestrial
Belkin & Siano Announce Collaborative Efforts to Promote Mobile Digital TV via New Products
Jan 10, 2012 – Belkin and Siano have announced a collaborative partnership that will enable both companies to design, develop and market high-quality mobile digital TV solutions.
News categories: Siano, Belkin, CES, Mobile, Semiconductor, Smartphone, Tablet, USA
Mobile500 Alliance Demonstrates End-to-End Solution for Monetizing Mobile DTV at CES®
Jan 9, 2012 – The Mobile500 Alliance has unveiled an end-to-end solution that will enable its member broadcasters to build new revenue streams through Mobile DTV. The solution is to be made available to member companies after beta launch and evaluation in Seattle.
News categories: Mobile500 Alliance, CES, Content Distribution, Middleware, Mobile, Semiconductor, USA
- Facebook Watch TV app available for Vewd-enabled devices
- Western Europe to have 234 million SVOD subscriptions in 2026
- SITI Networks launches apps and Android TV STB with Nagra
- FreeWheel addressable technology unifies linear TV and digital video advertising
- Crackle app launches on Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex
- Research suggests CTV ads more effective than linear
- Mowies optimizes cloud streaming workflow with Harmonic
- Mola TV taps Viaccess-Orca to monetize EPL video streaming
- Streamhub enhances video audience analytics with Kantar data
- Eurofins announces NEXTGEN TV test suite for 2022 receivers
- Roku begins Roku OS 10 roll-out
- Roku Express 4K+ and Roku Voice Remote Pro launched in U.S.
- Fraunhofer and Sinclair working to bring Digital Radio Mondiale to ATSC 3.0
- Vodafone España adopts targeted content promotion from TiVo
- 3SS selected by FreeCast for SelectTV multiscreen UX
- LTN Global launches universal signaling for linear addressable TV advertising
- Worldwide semiconductor revenue grew 10.4% in 2020
- Freeview Australia launches integrated HbbTV platform
- ACCESS licenses Ligada iSuite for NetFront Browser BE HbbTV testing
- PubMatic to integrate Samba TV data for CTV audience targeting


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These are challenging times for motorcycle sales and Amazon.com doesn't have anything to do with that. It's a demand issue and demand for Harley-Davidson (HOG 52.00) motorcycles has been weaker than expected. That news came to light in Harley-Davidson's second quarter earnings report and outlook.
The good news is that Harley-Davidson exceeded analysts' average earnings expectation, posting a profit of $1.48 per diluted share. The bad news is that the consensus estimate was depressed relative to the year-ago period when Harley-Davidson reported a profit of $1.55 per diluted share.
Frankly, there just wasn't much growth to be had for Harley-Davidson in the second quarter. Its operating margin rate for motorcycles and related products improved close to 100 basis points, yet that was a product of expense cuts as revenue for motorcycles and related products declined 5.6% to $1.58 billion.
Second quarter consolidated revenue, which includes its financial services business, declined 4.8% to $1.77 billion.
Motorcycle shipments fell 7.2% in the second quarter to 81,807. That was at the low end of the company's guidance range of 80,000 to 85,000. Worldwide unit sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles declined 6.7% to 81,388, led by a 9.3% drop in unit sales in its core U.S. division to 49,668.
The sales difficulties in the U.S. were attributed simply to "weak industry conditions."
Demographics, and specifically the aging population, have been reportedly acting as a sales headwind for Harley-Davidson, which is why Harley-Davidson's long-term strategy is focused on building the next generation of Harley-Davidson riders.
For the near term, though, business conditions will remain challenging. To that point, Harley-Davidson said it expects to ship 39,000 to 44,000 motorcycles in the third quarter, down approximately 10-20% year-over-year. In turn, it is revising its full-year guidance for motorcycle shipments, saying it now expects to ship 241,000 to 246,000 motorcycles to dealers, which is down approximately 6-8% from 2016 and its prior full-year shipment guidance of flat to down modestly.
Shares of HOG aren't down modestly after the latest report. They have dropped nearly 10% in pre-market action, which is making a tough year for HOG shareholders even tougher. At Monday's close, HOG was down 10.9% year-to-date versus an 11.0% gain for the S&P 500 Consumer Discretionary sector.


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Polygon (MATIC) has had a pretty wild month even as bitcoin continues to drop below unexpected levels. The world’s leading cryptocurrency touched a low of $42,207.29 on Monday, falling below ranges that were considered to be areas of support following a tweet from Elon Musk.
Musk seemed to imply that his company, Tesla, would be selling off its bitcoin holdings although he later confirmed that wasn’t the case. The billionaire has indicated that he is keener on a currency that requires a lot less energy to mine than bitcoin, while also claiming that the coin is not as decentralized as its proponents paint it to be.
Tesla Moving Against Bitcoin
Tesla has since suspended the use of bitcoin as payment for the purchase of its electric cars, which has also helped push the price down. Having touched highs of well over $60,000 earlier this year, bitcoin has fallen as low as the figure mentioned above and could continue to move lower.
Meanwhile, Polygon has experienced a 350% surge over the last month. The Proof-of-Stake (PoS) currency was trading at $0.42 exactly a month ago but was pegged to $2.18 at press time, per CoinMarketCap data.
You wouldn’t struggle to find many crypto enthusiasts who don’t admire the Polygon project. Similar to the likes of Polkadot, Cosmos, and Avalanche, Polygon hands developers a flexible and scalable platform that could both build and link networks compatible with Ethereum. Developers could create various chains all while maintaining the security and transparency afforded by the Ethereum blockchain.
PoS Coins Soaring, With Good Reason
It’s no surprise that Proof-of-Stake coins have experienced surges in recent times, more so after Musk’s tweet. Bitcoin has often been criticized for its environmental impact, as has Ethereum, albeit not as widely. Polygon is only one among other digital currencies to climb in price this month – with a market cap of now $10.6 billion, things are looking very good for the project.
Cardano (ADA), another Proof-of-Stake coin, is also on the up despite a drop over the past 24 hours and is now $2.08 after hitting a high of $2.41.
PoS options are greener alternatives to bitcoin’s Proof-of-Work, which pits miners in a race to solve complex mathematical problems that require powerful computers and lots of electricity. The network rewards the miner who completes the job with a newly minted coin.
Proof-of-Stake, on the other hand, makes it so that the ones with the higher number of coins get to validate transactions.
While Musk is a bigger fan of dogecoin, currencies such as Polygon are at an advantage as they already have very real-world uses as opposed to the former, which comes from a joke.


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From WITA: Official Launch of Export Now on 14-Nov-11 12:00 PM. Now is the simplest, least expensive channel for U.S. companies expanding in the booming Chinese market. Export Now’s innovative technology and logistics platform offers a turnkey solution for selling in China. Visit the NEW Export Now Website.
Also from WITA(AP feed): “Missouri reaches $4.4B trade agreement with China”. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Monday the state has reached an agreement to sell $4.4 billion worth of products to China for the next three years starting in 2012. Nixon said the deal between the state Department of Economic Development and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade emphasizes agricultural products and would boost Missouri exports to China by more than $1 billion over three years. The Democratic governor said international trade is important for improving Missouri’s economy.
From ICTSD: China-Africa economic cooperation zones: Political and economic implications. Over the last decade, China’s economic engagement with Africa has grown exponentially. Trade between China and Africa reached $129 billion in 2010. New models of bilateral cooperation have emerged. Among others, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) is supporting the development of six official economic and trade cooperation zones in five African countries. While all of these zones are still at an early stage of development, we provide here an initial analysis of their political and economic implications. Read more.
From EuroMonitor: The Chinese Card Payment Footprint. China is expected to account for over 1/4 of the entire global credit card payment growth! This accompanying video explains further. Three Trends Driving Card Payment Growth in China. Urbanization is one of the major themes underlying card payment growth in the world, states Jonathan Fisher, Head of Consumer Finance Research at Euromonitor. China presents itself differently than other emerging markets, notably that its major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai are actually decreasing in population. China’s consumers also tend to save more than consumers in other emerging markets, converting roughly 57-60% of all income into expenditure and saving the rest.
From Silk Road Intl. Show follow up, next steps in China. People often ask me about service providers in China that they could use once they were back home. The reality is that even if you’re multi-talented (quite possible), flush with cash (doubtful in today’s economy) and have tons of extra time on your hands (not likely) you’re going to need some help from people that have both experience and are on the ground in China.
Also from the Silk Road: Location, location, location and other suggestions for selecting the best supplier. Location counts—Sure the price may be better, but you need to factor in how long people have been doing business both in that factory and in that area (sub suppliers). The rule of thumb is this: the most advanced suppliers are found in HK/Taiwan, then Guandong, then other East Coast cities, then the rest of China.


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Whenever you are heading out of town for a long weekend or going on a vacation during winter months, it is imperative to take precautions against freezing water pipes.
Minnesnowta winters can flip balmy mid-30's temperatures into sub-zero temps overnight. Note the attached article as published online regarding what measures you can take to prevent coming home to a disaster.
Yahoo! HOMES article, Preventing Pipes From Freezing
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