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By engaging in green financing, SKF’s funding strategy will become more aligned with the Group’s climate objectives, to reduce carbon emissions from its own manufacturing and supply chain operations, as well as supporting customers to reduce their emissions.
Within the Green Finance Framework, SKF intends to finance investments that support the transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient growth and lower environmental impact.
CFO Niclas Rosenlew says: “Sustainability is integrated into our strategy and business models. Our products help to reduce friction, energy and water consumption. Our offerings have always had an impact in these areas and by making sure our financing structure also contributes to a more sustainable world, we are taking the next step in our sustainability strategy.”
From the editor's desk: AI is manufacturing’s new companion April 2020, Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not new. In fact, the ideas have been around since the 1950s when Enigma code breaker, Alan Turing, discussed the building of intelligent machines in a scientific paper ...
Read more...Automotive products for race winning performance April 2020, SKF South Africa
SKF is a passionate sponsor of global motorsport. Through its Racing Division, the company is involved in all aspects of technical assistance, design and manufacture for motorsport applications. In the ...
Read more...SKF technology for tidal turbine April 2020, SKF South Africa
SKF has developed a power-train for the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, capable of generating 2 MW. SKF has been supplying bearings and components to Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power since 2011 ...
Read more...EM launches 2020 catalogue with 450 new products April 2020, ElectroMechanica
ElectroMechanica has launched the latest edition of its biannual product catalogue. The catalogue covers a broad range of new developments across each of the various categories. “We place the same emphasis ...
Read more...Africa Automation Technology Fair 2021 April 2020
Positioned as the heartbeat of the industry in Africa, Africa Automation Fair has evolved and transformed to meet the needs of industry and is now named the Africa Automation Technology Fair.
Read more...Legrand and EDS-UPS partnership April 2020, Legrand
Legrand has appointed Engineering Data Systems SA (EDS UPS) as official Legrand uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems partners. EDS UPS, with strong technical capabilities in servicing and supporting ...
Read more...Actum merges its brands April 2020, Actum Group
Over the years, Actum Group has been built through partnerships, collaborations and acquisitions of leading companies with a long history and rich legacy in the industry. These companies include Actum ...
Read more...WearCheck expands in West Africa April 2020, Wearcheck Africa
Condition monitoring specialist, WearCheck, has upgraded its laboratory in Tarkwa, Ghana to a state-of-the-art testing centre which can now analyse transformer oil, coolant and fuel – amongst a host of ...


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Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus announced that it will launch the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G model on April 4.
On March 22, consumer tech brand Nothing, founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, launched the Ear (2) wireless earbuds. Although the design of these earbuds is similar to the Ear (1), the sound quality has been significantly improved.
Chinese tech giant Huawei will soon launch a smartwatch with a flip design called "Watch Buds."
London-based consumer tech startup Nothing unveiled its newest wireless headphones on October 26, dubbed the "Ear (stick)."
Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing and Co-Founder of OnePlus, announced on October 18 that the price of the Ear (1) wireless headphones under the Nothing brand will be increased from $99 to $149 from October 26 due to rising costs.
Huawei's Executive Director and CEO of its Consumer BG, Richard Yu, on August 19 revealed through personal social media an audio laboratory in Shanghai, which is the firm's largest of its kind so far.
The realme 9i 5G smartphone and realme TechLife Buds T100 true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds were launched in India on August 18.
On August 10, OPPO held a launch event to unveil the Watch 3 series, Band 2, Enco Air2i, Pad Air, as well as several new IoT products, covering four family scenes: home security, efficient cleaning, intelligent lighting and daily health.
At 7:00 pm on August 11, Lei Jun, the co-founder and CEO of Beijing-based tech giant Xiaomi, will hold his annual speech, and many new products will also be released. Xiaomi has begun to generate anticipation for these products.
Chinese smartphone brand OnePlus launched its Nord Buds wireless headphones in April this year. On August 1, the company finally released the Nord Buds CE wireless headphone in India.
Chinese tech giant Huawei officially released its HarmonyOS 3, MatePad Pro, MateBook X Pro, FreeBuds Pro 2 and many other new products on the evening of July 27.
Chinese tech firm Honor launched a variety of new devices on July 21, such as the MagicBook 14 AMD Ryzen Edition, Pad 8, X40i, Smart Screen X3, and Earbuds X3.
Chinese consumer electronics firm Honor officially announced on July 14 that a new product launch event will be held on July 21.
Huawei held a launch event on July 4 for its nova 10 series of smartphones, the Watch Fit 2 smartwatch and more. According to tips by a Chinese tech industry blogger on July 5, Huawei will hold another launch event on July 27 to release more new products.
According to the news obtained by digital tipster Mukul Sharma on Thursday, the Nothing Ear (1) Stick headset of technology brand Nothing will be released.
On Thursday, OPPO officially launched some new products, including the Reno7 series, the OPPO Smart TV R1 Enjoy Edition and the OPPO Enco Free2i TWS headphones.
Nothing, a London-based consumer technology company, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $50 million in a Series A+ round of financing recently and has reached various cooperation agreements with Qualcomm Technologies.
Baidu on Oct. 29 held the 2020 Xiaodu Fall New Product Launch in Beijing where the tech giant unveiled the new flagship Xiaodu Smart Display X10.
Xiaomi on Wednesday announced five new lifestyle products including a fitness band, electric scooter, TV stick, curved gaming monitor and wireless earphones.

domain: news


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Coffee may be more beneficial than we think. Though it’s a controversial beverage among nutritional experts, a cup of joe does have a few proven perks. With National Coffee Day on Sept. 29th, it may be time to celebrate. Consider these tips on why drinking coffee may be good for you.
It improves cardiovascular health
Researchers from Harvard’s School of Public Health conducted a study on coffee and mortality. They discovered that participants with cardiovascular disease who drank coffee had a lower risk of mortality than patients who didn’t drink the beverage. This may be positive among senior communities, as older adults have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease. A report from the American Heart Association in 2013 stated that 42.2 million adults 60 and older in America have a type of the disease.
Smelling coffee may lessen stress
Apparently, even the smell of coffee has benefits. Researchers from Seoul National University studied the brains of rats who were agitated from sleep deprivation. They discovered that the rats who smelled coffee aromas had changes in brain proteins associated to the stress. Be mindful that this study proved stress related to sleep lessened – not stress in general.
Coffee can alleviate Parkinson’s Disease symptoms
Coffee may help with senior care for those with Parkinson’s. A 2012 study from McGill University found that caffeine can help control movements of people with Parkinson’s. The researchers noted that, while studies in the past have proven that caffeine ingestion can prevent getting Parkinson’s, their study was the first to find benefits after developing the disease.
It contains antioxidants
Though it’s an unseen source, coffee contains more antioxidants than anything else. Several studies have proven that coffee has more antioxidants than any type of fruit or vegetable on the market. Antioxidants have many beneficial effects for people, such as promoting good cardiovascular health and protecting cells.
Coffee lessens the risk of Type 2 diabetes
Researchers also found that coffee may prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes in avid coffee drinkers. A 2012 study found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee per day are 50 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. The coffee contains two compounds that block a substance known to cause the condition.
Well coffee drinkers, you may be in luck. Grab a K-cup or the coffee grinder and test out these health benefits for yourself.


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U.S. inflation rises at the fastest pace in almost 13 years as the Federal Reserve looks to raise rates
Inflation concerns have spread around the world after soaring living costs in the United States last month.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer prices across the pond were 5% higher in May than they were a year ago. This is the fastest inflation rate in almost 13 years.
There are deep concerns now that the US economy is “enthusiastic” and that the Federal Reserve Board’s interest rate setting committee will intervene next week.
Warning: US Treasury Secretary and former Fed Chair Janet Yellen (pictured) said interest rates may need to be raised to stop the overheating of the U.S. economy.
Numbers from the world’s largest economy came a few days after data from China also showed rising inflation.
Today, the Fed’s Open Market Committee needs to cut money printing programs and raise interest rates.
“This is the most dangerous moment for monetary policy since the introduction of the inflation target in the UK in 1992,” warned Andy Hulldan, chief economist at the Bank of England, this week.
And the outlook for rising interest rates will be a hot topic among world leaders at the G7 Summit starting today.
Robert Alster, Chief Investment Officer of Close Brothers Asset Management, said:
The Federal Reserve Board has already stated that it is ready to push inflation above its target of 2% as it seeks to drive a strong recovery from the pandemic.
However, rising prices raise concerns that global inflation could rise and boost living costs in other countries. Danni Hewson, financial analyst at AJ Bell, said: The Federal Reserve Board consistently says it’s ready to heat things up, but how hot is it? “
Some economists remain optimistic. Daniele Antonucci, Chief Economist at Quintet Private Bank, said:
Rising energy prices are also pushing up inflation. And as manufacturing activity became more active, the cost of raw materials soared. In the UK, inflation reached 1.5% in April, more than doubling from 0.7% in March.
Halden is concerned that inflation could skyrocket unless the Bank of England cuts its money printing program and raises interest rates.
Janet Yellen, US Treasury Secretary and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, said at an event hosted by The Atlantic earlier this month: .. “
She repeatedly says that higher inflation will be temporary.
U.S. inflation heats up as the Federal Reserve looks to raise interest rates
Source link U.S. inflation heats up as the Federal Reserve looks to raise interest rates


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Approximately two years after construction started on the District 1860 multi-use development in Lincolnwood, residents have started moving in, one restaurant has opened and plans are continuing for two hotels. However, the opening of a proposed Amazon Fresh grocery store is uncertain.
Nearly 10 years to the day since the August 2013 demolition of the storied Purple Hotel at the northwest corner of Lincoln and Touhy Avenues, residential and commercial opportunities are underway at the site, re-branded as District 1860.
A mixed-used building is set to eventually have 299 rental apartments ranging from studios to three bedrooms. Richard Tucker, the CEO of deveoper Tucker Development, said 50 of the apartments are now occupied and leases have been signed at another 30. He anticipated the rest of the apartments will be fully occupied by the end of next year.
“We are moving along at a nice clip; it has been very well received,” Tucker said.
Tucker said the building would feature many amenities including a pool, a fireplace, bocce ball and barbecues.
On the commercial side, the first of three projected restaurants for District 1860 opened this month with the August 4 debut of Fat Rosie’s Mexican restaurant and tequila bar.
“We are very excited to open in Lincolnwood to provide a world-class Mexican dining experience and establishment, and are thrilled to give residents a great option close to home,” wrote Sophia Mazis, marketing director of Scott Harris Hospitality, which includes Fat Rosie’s.
Mazis wrote Fat Rosie’s has a seating capacity for up to 270 people and opens each day at 4 p.m., but plans are in place to offer brunch and lunch soon.
Other businesses set to open within the building include two other restaurants, Davanti Enoteca and Fatpour Tap Works. In addition, there will also be a Lee Nails and LensCrafters.
Lincolnwood Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura wrote that interior construction is underway for Davanti Enoteca and Lee Nails and the plans for Fatpour Tap Works and Lens Crafters have both been approved by the village.
Tucker said those four businesses are set to open by the end of the year, leaving another 15 to 20 percent of the overall commercial space available. He said he believes the rest of the commercial site will be occupied by the end of next year.
The District 1860 site also features an approximately 38,000-square-foot building which officials announced in July 2021 would be an Amazon Fresh grocery store.
Tucker said construction has been completed. Assistant Village Manager Charles Meyer said a building permit for the interior buildout was approved by the village, but it has yet to be issued and work on the inside has yet to start.
This development comes amid reports the Amazon Fresh grocery stores have been struggling and have laid off employees.Amazon Fresh groceries use technology to calculate what shoppers have purchased and then take payment, so shoppers need not go through a checkout line.
Amazon spokeswoman Jessica Martin wrote in an e-mail she did not have any specifics to share at this time about store openings. She added there are currently 44 Amazon Fresh stores in the U.S., with nine in Illinois. The closest one is in Morton Grove.
In the third part of the District 1860 development, planning is continuing for a Residence Inn and Springhill Suites, which are both Marriott brands, in one five-story building with shared amenities, according to Karim Lakhani, the Chief Development Officer of Lakhani Hospitality. Shamim LLC, a subsidiary of Lakhani Hospitality, is the developer of the hotels.
Lakhani said the company is in the process of getting the permits from the village and is planning a fall groundbreaking and for the hotels to open in the summer of 2025. Lakhani said there would be 152 rooms altogether, with 76 of each brand.
Charles Meyer, Lincolnwood’s assistant village manager, said the village received a building permit application late last week with design plans for the proposed hotel at the District 1860 site, and that the village has started the review process to look at zoning, building, engineering and health compliance.
Tucker noted there were some issues that arose over the last two years, which he said was typical in large construction projects.
“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” he said.
Overall, he said the project is moving along and is excited for what it will mean for the village.
“We are very proud of the development,” Tucker said.
Tucker added an opening ceremony would be held in the “near future.”


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LOCOG puts brands on alert over 'ambush' ads
By John Reynolds, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Tuesday, 21 June 2011 08:30AM
London 2012 organiser Locog is to launch a major campaign to inform brands how it will clamp down on ambush marketing in the build-up to the Olympic Games.
It will begin the activity in September, in a drive to avoid a repeat of the guerrilla marketing tactics seen at the last FIFA World Cup.
Some experts believe that ambush marketing will hit unprecedented levels during the Games, as rivals of sponsors try to benefit from the event.
Sources have told Marketing the activity is likely to run across print, online, direct and outdoor.
Central to the campaign will be educating stakeholders and the wider business community on the new rules on ambush marketing, which will soon become law. Brands that break the rules could face court.
It is thought LOCOG, with law firm Freshfields, has briefed brands and sponsorship agencies on the subject.
Tier one - Adidas, BMW, BP, British Airways, BT, EDF, Lloyds TSB
Tier two - Adecco, ArcelorMittal, Cadbury, Cisco, Deloitte, Thomas Cook, UPS
Tier three - Aggreko, Airwave, Atkins, The Boston Consulting Group, CBS Outdoor, Crystal CG, Eurostar, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, G4S, GlaxoSmith-Kline, Gymnova, Heineken UK, Holiday Inn, John Lewis, McCann Worldgroup, Mondo, Next, The Nielsen Company, Populous, Rapiscan Systems, Rio Tinto, Technogym, Thames Water, Ticketmaster, Trebor
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
- UI Developer Haymarket Media Group £30k - £34k, Teddington (Locality), London (Greater)
- Artworker Purple Consultancy Ã‚£28000 - Ã‚£33000 per annum, Birmingham
- Senior Brochure Artworker Purple Consultancy Ã‚£30000 - Ã‚£35000 per annum, London
- Marketing Associate - London - Ã‚£45K-Ã‚£50K Adam Recruitment Ã‚£45000 - Ã‚£55000 per annum, City of London
- Media Planning Manager - Luxury Automotive Client Lipton Fleming Ã‚£38000 per annum + excellent benefits package, London
- Freeview launches singing toys campaign
- King backs new Candy Crush game with global ad push
- 7Up kicks off global campaign with urban knitting ad
- Campaign Viral Chart: Sainsbury's Christmas ad tops the table
- Sainsbury's calls £60 million media review
- Brands use social media to congratulate F1 champion Lewis Hamilton


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While cable companies were greedily counting their gains and increasing prices year after year, technology leapfrogged the entire industry with a product tailored to users’ needs at a fraction of the cost. Enter Netflix: the streaming service the world had been waiting for.
Cable companies scrambled, frantically adding value (and cost) to their media offerings with internet, phone and even home protection services as they tried to protect their established market shares and revenue.
Meanwhile, online subscription providers like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon took the media landscape by storm. And who wouldn’t want to cut their monthly television fees by half? We’re calling it here and now—Netflix has killed the daytime TV star, and we can all start planning the funeral. Here’s why cable networks suck:
1. Consumers No Longer Want Bundles
Cable networks are frantically looking for ways to hold on to their customers in the face of rising online competitors. With the new à-la-carte competition, super-sized program bundles aren’t cutting it anymore—on average, viewers only watch 17 out of the 197 channels available to them. And companies that bundle TV, internet and phone plans have increased their astronomical fees to $200 a month or more. Inadvertently, cable companies are actually helping their new competition by making the streaming and custom program packages seem more and more enticing by comparison.
2. Too Many New Kids on the Block
Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Sony PlayStation Vue and Google have already made a dent in the media landscape. Their business model is simple: low-cost, on-demand television available wherever and whenever. You have to give it up for Netflix, who successfully evolved from DVD rentals to streaming and now offers a blend of original programming as well as critically acclaimed in-house produced series like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. Contrary to cable networks, Netflix and co. thrive on subscription fees alone. Advertisements are limited, monthly fees are manageable—as long as you have an internet connection and a streaming device, you’re good to go! If you’re not convinced, head on over to this cord-cutting cost calculator.
3. Cable Networks are Cornered
The cable industry has been in a consolidation spiral for some time now. Last year, AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner further perpetuated the trend. This colossal merger can be seen as a reflection of the ways we now consume media—AT&T will be able to distribute content that is formatted and curated for mobile devices. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said it best: “The world of distribution and content is converging, and we need to move fast”. But now, the industry has fewer players than ever, so the time of big mergers and acquisitions may also be coming to a brutal end. Either way, with more and more content being geared to our mobile devices, there is less demand for cable programming to fill our leisure hours.
4. Millennials are “Cord-Nevers”
American households are increasingly cutting the cord, but there’s an entire group of individuals who never even subscribed to cable in the first place, aptly dubbed “cord-nevers“. It should come as no surprise that millennials make up a substantial chunk of this demographic. After all, the millennial generation shares an intimate relationship with technology. As online services proliferate, a loyal millennial fanbase follows, leaving cable networks with an ageing group of die-hards and nowhere to turn for new revenue.
Let’s face it: cable companies suck. Their original value—providing viewers with a diversity of channels and premium content—is overshadowed by the beautiful versatility of the cloud. Gone are the days of cable boxes and the TV as a focal point in the living room. Americans can be found streaming on their phones, tablets, computers and smart TVs. Programming models are changing too, as more companies permeate the market like Red Bull, GoPro and Yahoo.
Cable companies won’t completely disappear overnight, but cable as you know it is dying a drawn-out death. Networks will need to revamp their programming models, slash their subscription prices, produce amazing content and make their products ultra-accessible to viewers if they want to stand a chance in the media landscape.
If you also think cable networks are the worst, tell the world about it with cabletv.sucks, cableprogramming.sucks or even timewarner.sucks.
Nostalgic for the days of good ol’ daytime programming? Find that there’s nothing good to watch on Netflix? There’s a place on .SUCKS for you too. Push back against the trend with cordcutting.sucks, netflix.sucks or subscriptiontv.sucks.
No matter where you stand, you can join the conversation with a .SUCKS domain today.


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Cryptopunk Sales Top Monthly Charts As Other Blue-Chip NFT Collections Slump
Despite the general decline in the NFT market, CryptoPunks has witnessed a large boost in sales volume over the last month.
DappRadar, CryptoPunks has recorded over USD 63 million in overall sales over the last 30 days, an increase of around 112 percent. This collection's floor price and market value have both increased by around 192 percent and 96 percent, respectively.
The growing interest in CryptoPunks is due to the collection's success with huge sales. Last week, one NFT in this category sold for ETH 2,500, which is now worth USD 3.78 million, while another sold for ETH 2,691 (USD 4 million), making it the highest NFT sale in the marketplace in the last 30 days. Meanwhile, other high-profile NFT collections have not fared as well as CryptoPunks.
Yuga Labs' Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Otherdeed, and Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) have suffered substantial declines in sales volumes during the previous month of roughly 33%, 37%, and 36%, accordingly. Furthermore, the wholesale price of all of these collections has increased by around 81 percent, 111 percent, and 74%, respectively.
The total NFT sales volume has continued its downward trend over the last month, with the number of sales falling by almost 63 percent to 9,000 and the sales volume in USD falling by more than 87 percent. There has been a 40 to 88% decline in main and secondary market transactions and active market players.
The present NFT decline also harmed key markets. OpenSea's daily trade volume had decreased to roughly USD 837,000 on June 25, the lowest level in more than a year. Since then, the biggest marketplace's trade volume has climbed somewhat, hitting USD 14.5m in the last 24 hours.
However, since many NFTs are priced in ETH, rising ether prices may enhance total NFT trading volume. ETH is up 2.2% in a day and 38% in a week, making it the best weekly performance among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market value.
If you want to exchange Bitcoin for Perfect Money, press the button below!


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Why Toyota pushes hybrid cars at the expense of EVs?
When the world is moving towards electric vehicles, Indus Motor Company, which assembles and manufacture Toyota cars in Pakistan, is betting on hybrid cars. It has planned to invest $100 million to start manufacturing of hybrid cars.
The CEO Ali Asghar Jamali is confident that his company has made a prudent decision considering the challenges faced by electric cars in Pakistan.
“I agree EV (electric vehicle) technology is excellent,” said Jamali while responding to a query put by Samaa Digital. “But keeping the challenges the industry faces in Pakistan, we don’t want to be the first movers.”
“Our inter-city transport mostly depends on people traveling by road in cars. We don’t have proper public transport. We don’t have charging stations. For instance, if you own an electric car and choose to go to Sukkur from Karachi, where will you find a charging station? And even if you find one, would you like to wait for two hours to charge your electric car?” reasoned Jamali.
A hybrid car is a ‘hybrid’ between the combustion engine and electric motor as its name suggest. They are powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, which charge batteries. Such cars cannot be plugged in to charge the battery. The battery in the car is charged by regenerative braking and by the internal combustion engine.
Jamali said that hybrid cars will save up to 50% fuel directly impacting the carbon footprint and carbon emission.
He said that electric cars would reduce the carbon footprints of countries where electricity is produced using solar, hydel or wind energy.
“But in Pakistan, electricity is produced using fossil fuel (such as coal, furnace oil, LNG). So, how would it (electric cars) reduce carbon footprints?” questioned Jamali.
He further said that hybrid cars will help achieve all the government’s macroeconomic and environmental goals.
He said that it is our ideal target that the launch of every new model should have 50% hybrid share in the future.
“To meet the increasing demand, we are striving to increase production capacity by further 20% by April 2022 (apart from hybrid),” said Jamali.
He said that the recently announced $100 million investment is completely for hybrid vehicles' localized production and additional $30 million will be spent on plant expansion.
Talking about the increasing car prices, he said that it is difficult to hold prices as exchange rate, freight charges and raw material cost have increased manifold.
“These factors really affect the prices of cars and they are beyond the control of manufacturers,” said Jamali.
However, he said that they would be holding the decision to increase cars price if the dollar rate remains in the present vicinity of Rs169-Rs170.


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Hydrogen is a promising candidate as the green fuel of the future. It
burns cleanly giving off only water, but is notoriously difficult to
store. Professor Bill David, a senior research fellow at ISIS, is
searching for the ideal combination that can be used for a hydrogen fuel
store that is cheap to make and efficient to use.


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* CEO raises sales growth view to close to 10 pct from 5 pct
* H1 operating profit 1.21 bln SEK vs year-ago loss of 577 mln
* Strong demand in China, Europe offsets U.S. weakness
* H1 revenues 64.8 bln vs 56.4 bln yr earlier (Adds CEO interview, background)
By Niklas Pollard
STOCKHOLM, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Chinese-owned Volvo Car Group raised its outlook for 2014 sales after returning to profit in the first half as strong growth in China and a moderate upturn in Europe more than offset lingering weakness in the United States.
Gothenburg-based Volvo, one of Sweden’s top exporters and employers though a small player in the global autos industry, saw demand gain traction during the end of last year and figures on Wednesday showed momentum had carried into 2014.
After a 9-percent rise in sales for the first seven months of 2014, Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson said he saw sales growing “close to 10 percent” this year compared to a previous forecast of “a good 5 percent”.
Bought by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. from Ford Motor Co. in 2010, Volvo has ambitious sales goals aimed at helping fund investment needed to take on larger rivals.
“We came in at nearly 10 percent in the first half and for the full year we expect growth to continue at that level,” Samuelsson told Reuters, pointing to continued expansion in China.
“We will continue to grow faster than the market (in China) if at a slightly slower pace. We expect to have a volume of a bit more than 80,000 cars in China this year,” he said.
Lifted by China as well as recovering volumes in Europe, Volvo reported operating earnings of 1.21 billion crowns ($176.5 million) for the first half versus a loss of 577 million a year earlier.
Revenues rose 15 percent to 64.8 billion.
The company aims to nearly double annual sales to 800,000 cars by 2020 and make inroads in a premium market dominated by rivals such as Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz and BMW .
Volvo this month is launching its XC90 SUV, the first fully new car developed under its Chinese ownership, and has said it plans to price its new premium cars at the same level as those of its German competitors.
While its Chinese business is taking off, a lack of new models has seen Volvo’s U.S. sales fall to roughly half of what they were a decade ago, totalling only 61,233 cars last year.
“In the U.S. our target is to keep volumes flat (this year). We face large challenges there and they will remain,” Samuelsson said. “I feel there are some initial positive indications there so I would hope that toward the end of the year we will be able to see some first positive signs also in terms of sales.” (1 US dollar = 6.8541 Swedish crown) (Additional reporting by Johannes Hellstrom; editing by Jason Neely)


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The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) due to be introduced by EU member states by May 2018 represents a huge threat to business continuity warns Henley Business School.
The way in which organisations collect, use, transfer and store the personal data of millions of EU customers and clients must comply with the GDPR or companies will face punitive files of up to 4% of global turnover or €20m.
One of the key changes brought about by the GDPR is the need for organisations to record how they obtained consent for processing the personal data and fiancial information of EU citizens and for how long that consent remains valid.
In addition, all communication with a customer or client must be age appropriate.
Ardi Kolah, co-programme director of Henley Business School, warns that failure to observe these basic requirements could lead to corrective measures being imposed by the Supervisory Authority (Information Commissioner’s Office) and the Regulator (Financial Conduct Authority), in addition to financial penalties and, in the worst cases, cessation of all personal data processing. He said: “Firms will now face a raft of guidance from the ICO that will be in alignment with these new data protection principles and this will effectively introduce the GDPR ‘through the back door’ well before the deadline of the two-year transition has expired.”
In preparation for the changes, Henley Business School, has launched an online executive education programme to train the next generation of Data Protection Offiers (DPO) required to be appointed under the GDPR. The five-month DPO Programme combines online learning with face-to-face interaction at residential introductory and integration workshops.


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Rbi Rate Cut
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced repo rate (at which RBI lends to banks) by 0.25 per cent to 6.25 per cent, a move that will translate into softening interest rates.
It is only the headline inflation which has come down and there is no room for complacency, says Shah.
The industry felt the move will augur well in the long term as it shows the RBI’s intent to help the sector which has been struggling with the anemic growth since July last year.
Rate cut will help revive sentiment, expect more down the line: Umesh Revankar, Shriram Transport Finance
Liquidity is not a huge challenge now. It has been addressed, says Revankar
It would be the first Monetary Policy Committee meeting under RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, who took charge in December 2018 following sudden exit of Urjit Patel.
According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML), good rains support the case for a 25 bps RBI rate cut on August 2 and June CPI is expected to slip below 2 per cent with food prices still falling.
"We estimate that old series GDP growth, at 4.5-5 per cent, well below our estimated 7 per cent potential/trend. Not surprisingly, core CPI inflation has slipped to 4.2 per cent from 4.8 per cent in October."
The RBI shifted to a neutral stance from accommodative in February and this, in turn, may prompt the central bank to hold rates in the ensuing meet early next month.
"Although the CPI inflation is likely to significantly undershoot the March 2017 target, we do not expect a repo rate cut in the upcoming policy review in April 2017, with the Monetary Policy Committee firmly focused on the medium term target of 4 per cent."
RBI surprised with a status quo on policy, premised on upside risk to January-March quarter inflation and limited transient growth drag owing to demonetisation.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has kept the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.25 per cent.
In a report titled “New RBI dilutes the Old RBI framework,“ Japanese financial services major Nomura said an interest rate reduction from Patel made no economic justification.
The car demand to the extent that buyers are borrowing money from the banks to finance their purchases, the interest rate is a major aspect of their total cost and therefore any lowering of interest rates by the banks, not by the RBI, has an impact on their decision.
"Industry was looking forward for this for a long time. It is a welcome step for the entire auto industry," Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava told.
The decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is consistent with an accommodative stance of monetary policy in consonance with the objective of achieving consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5 per cent by Q4 of 2016-17 and the medium-term target of 4 per cent.
The monetary policy review on October 4 will be the first by the six-member MPC as well as Governor Patel, who as the deputy governor had described the RBI as an owl when it comes to inflation management.
According global financial services major, Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA-ML), the CPI inflation print was broadly in line with its above consensus 6 per cent forecast.


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- BC Games
Liquor sales outlet wanted in the Nass Valley
THE provincial liquor distribution branch is considering an application by the gas station and convenience store in New Aiyansh in the Nass Valley to open a liquor store.
The branch is now sifting through public comments on what would be the only liquor sales outlet in the valley.
Officially called a rural agency store, similar outlets are located within established businesses in smaller and more isolated communities in BC considered too small to support a standard provincial liquor store.
Only one rural agency store is permitted in a community and although the store would have access to all available liquor products, it would not necessarily have the same selection as a provincial outlet due to limited space or other reasons.
There are more than 200 agency stores in BC.
When asked if curbing acknowledged bootlegging issues in the valley was one of the reasons to consider the request, the liquor distribution branch did not comment.
Sgt. Donovan Tait, the officer in charge of the Lisims/Nass Valley RCMP detachment and who has concentrated on bootlegging during his tenure in the Nass Valley, wasn't sure if the illegal trade in alcohol would be dampened.
“It may curb the illegal sale of alcohol in some areas of the [Nisga'a] Nation. Do I think it will stop it all together? One could argue that in the western villages [of the Nass Valley], the residents who sell liquor unlawfully would have less distance to travel,” said Tait.
“Whatever is decided, [the RCMP] look forward to continue working with the villages to keep everyone safe as we move forward. This is an issue that many rural communities struggle with."
Liquor distribution branch officials have already visited the valley and public comment has been gathered.
That included comments from the RCMP.
“The Lisims/Nass Valley RCMP does not have any official position on the liquor store application. We have been approached for input [and] will provide the liquor board with factual information surrounding public safety that may assist them in their process,” said Tait.
Tait, who is being transferred to Nanaimo after two years in the Nass Valley, was instrumental in organizing high-profile seizures of alcohol meant for illegal re-sale.
Seizures took place at residences and at traffic stops.


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Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said that work will be finalized for replacing all the payroll cards of civil servants with Meeza cards by the end of January.
The minister added that the pilot phase of changing the payroll cards to Meeza cards was launched in 2020 and challenges have been overcome before the official launch in February 2021, according to a statement released by the ministry on Thursday 6/1/2022.
By the end of January, 2022 work will be finalized to change about 4.3 million payroll cards of state employees to Meeza cards, he said.
The move will be achieved in cooperation with Banque Misr, the National Bank of Egypt, Housing and Development Bank, Arab African International Bank, Emirates NBD, Banque du Caire, Arab Banking Corporation, the United Bank, and the Commercial International Bank, in addition to Egypt's Post Authority, Maait added.
Maait said the payroll cards will not stop working until Meeza cards are activated
Meeza cards are the world's most modern e-cards that offer many advantages for the state employees who would be able to withdraw, free of charge, up to 30 percent of their salary in advance during the first six months, he said.
The service will be only available for online purchasing and at Point of Sale ( PoS), Maait added.


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An NFC-based mobile wallet that “will work with not just Visa cards from multiple banks, but other cards like American Express,” is set to be introduced in August or September next year, Visa Europe commercial director Steve Perry told delegates at the payments network’s security summit in Frankfurt last week, reports Pocket-Lint.
- Meet NFC World partners at Seamless Middle East
- Goode reports on growth of biometric authentication
- 3.4bn phones will support Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay by year end
- Apple to launch P2P payments and debit card this year?
- Guide introduces how Android Pay works


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The Silver Lining
Salon owners Therese De Vos and Kaci Braunecker accentuate the positive during the pandemic shutdown.
It’s been an unprecedented challenge for all of us. Dealing with this pandemic has tested many relationships, and only the strongest survive. A perfect example of this resilience is the business partnership of Therese De Vos and Kaci Braunecker, owners of 505 Salon in Hermosa Beach.
It was their friendship and like-minded career goals that led Therese and Kaci to open 505 Salon in 2018. They gathered a team of expert stylists, found a terrific location in the heart of Hermosa Beach and opened their doors to great acclaim. Clients flocked to the full-service hair salon to enjoy cuts, color, extensions and Brazilian blowouts.
And then COVID-19 hit, and 505 Salon closed its doors in March, reopened in May and closed again in July as California’s coronavirus cases soared. Through it all, what has remained are the strong bonds of friendship and loyalty with Therese, Kaci and their clients.
“Kaci and I have certainly had our business relationship tried and tested,” shares Therese, “and we are stronger together than ever before.”
Kaci agrees. “At a time like this, we are so grateful to have each other as business partners and to have such wonderful, supportive clients. We are not alone in this, and that helps.”
The salon industry has suffered an enormous blow, especially in California. 505 Salon made great strides to offer their services while maintaining safety guidelines as mandated by the CDC, the state board of cosmetology and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In fact, they even had plexiglass dividers installed between each hair station in June.
But the next month, California required hair salons to move outdoors—making most of the services offered by 505 Salon difficult or impossible to provide. “I think we all agree this year has had more challenges than any other year we can remember to date,” says Therese. “This pandemic has completely turned our worlds upside down, and no one has gone unaffected.”
While they are unable to function normally as a beauty shop, 505 Salon is pivoting and trying to make the best of the situation. Their online store now carries hair accessories such as clips, barrettes and headbands; safe, fashionable face masks; and a variety of Oribe hair-care products.
The positives that have come from the pandemic are not lost on Therese and Kaci. “A silver lining is that during a shake-up and shift like we’ve experienced recently, you inevitably grow, learn and rethink things,” Kaci says. “You realize what is important and what isn’t. We can say without a doubt that we have gotten so much closer and stronger as a team.”
The two value the extra time they’ve been able to spend with their families and children during the shutdown. While it’s tough to find activities and fun locations that are open, some places have been a respite for them, like the South Coast Botanic Garden. “That’s how we find peace amongst all the chaos,” shares Kaci.
They also appreciate their Hermosa Beach community, where area businesses are making an extra effort to lift each other up during this time. “We love being in Hermosa and supporting our local shops here,” says Therese. “Frequenting local organizations—especially businesses led by women—is more important now more than ever. Women supporting other women in business is key.”
As female business owners, Kaci and Therese find it rewarding to be role models for other women. “We both have daughters at home, and we love to show them, ‘Look what mommy can do. We kick butts!’” Therese laughs. “We want our girls to feel they can do anything they put their minds to when they grow up.”
With 505 Salon, their daughters and everyone else who crosses paths with Therese and Kaci will see that hard work pays off, dreams can come true, and strong women can survive anything and become even stronger through the process.
Therese De Vos & Kaci Braunecker | 505 Pier Avenue Hermosa Beach | 310-698-7808 | 505salonhb.com


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As the Dow Jones suffered its worst decline since 1987 and coronavirus fears caused markets to slide around the globe, the world’s twenty richest people lost just over $78 billion combined in a single day.
Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest person, saw his net worth drop by $8 billion, shedding more than 7% of his net worth as Amazon shares fell by nearly 8%. Close behind was Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of French luxury conglomerate LVMH, whose net worth declined by $7.7 billion. Arnault, the world’s third-richest person, finished the day with $82.5 billion, after shares in LVMH closed nearly 9% lower as the luxury retail industry was hit by the effect of the coronavirus on demand for luxury goods in China and Europe.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg lost $5.7 billion — 9% of his net worth — as Facebook shares plunged by more than 9%. Oracle founder Larry Ellison’s net worth fell by nearly as much, dropping by $5.6 billion as Oracle shares slumped 11%.
The billionaire losses came as the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones all closed more than 9% lower, driven by market fears about the growing coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the U.S. economy. President Donald Trump’s Wednesday night announcement of a ban on flights from most of Europe was followed on Thursday by a spate of cancellations, as the NCAA and major sports leagues suspended their seasons and New York City declared a state of emergency.
Since the market selloff began on Monday, Jeff Bezos has seen his net worth shrink by more than $9 billion to $104.4 billion at Thursday’s market close. That’s on top of his $14.1 billion loss last week. While LVMH’s Arnault suffered fewer losses last week — he was down $7.4 billion — his fortune has taken a $10.1 billion hit since Monday, with LVMH shares in freefall. Needless to say, buying luxury goods is not at the top of many people’s lists this week.


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DANBURY, Conn.-Improved margins and reduced interest expense boosted Ethan Allen Interiors to a mammoth 48.7 percent gain in net income in its first quarter, to $10.1 million.
The company’s gross margin rose 269 basis points to finish the quarter, which ended on Sept. 30, at 55.6 percent. Interest expense was slimmed by 6.5 percent. These items combined to fortify the bottom line after a slight 1.4 percent increase in net sales, to $187.4 million.
They also offset increases in operating expenses, which rose 2.4 percent in dollars and 48 basis points as a percentage of sales to 46 percent.
Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen chairman and CEO, said the company’s written business orders in its retail division grew 9.1 percent in the quarter, including an 8.2 percent gain in comparable design-center orders. “While economic conditions continue to be challenging, we remain cautiously optimistic about our future prospects,” Kathwari said.


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Inside the greenhouses at Lynchburg Grows, William Layton is quietly launching a food revolution.
"We're going to change the world," Layton said with a smile as he pointed to a strawberry bush that was planted last September.
11 months later it is still producing delicious fruit.
"We went through both polar vortexes," Layton said of his plant. "We had fresh strawberries in February and we still have strawberries today."
Strawberries are normally harvested in Virginia from April to June.
Layton defied mother nature by developing a system that he claims can produce all types of food throughout the year.
It's called "BroGro." The system involves a combination of lighting, recycled water, and a secret mix of organic materials in the dirt.
Layton doesn't use any fertilizer or chemicals.
"We're not harming the earth with runoff," Layton said. "My system has absolutely no runoff."
Using his new method, Layton has grown giant cucumbers, peppers, and tomato plants that are 12-feet tall.
He started developing his product last year, with help from Antwan Rose at the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Rose has now left his government job to work with Layton.
"Once folks get behind it and understand that they can produce fruits and vegetables off-season in their own community, I think it will take off," Rose said.
Through his company called "Blue Ridge Organics," Layton hopes to mass produce his miracle system.
"We're going to put them in abandoned buildings, abandoned greenhouses, and make BroGro farms all over the world," said Layton.
By giving people the ability to grow food anytime of year, he hopes to make fresh produce more accessible to everyone.
Layton is in the process of raising money for his project. Click here to learn more.


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November 13, 2012 Denmark plans to abolish its so-called fat tax after barely a year, citing hardships on business and the poor. And while some Danes might celebrate by spreading on the "toothbutter," other countries are watching closely for signs of whether regulating food works as a way to get people to eat healthier.
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September 24, 2012 Public health considerations alone are not enough to justify banning the sale of large containers of soda. Commentator Alva Noë argues that the question at hand is one of the values we hold, not healthcare costs.
September 16, 2012 The new ban on the sale of soft drinks in large containers in New York City is arbitrary and insulting, argues commentator and philosopher Alva Noë. He says that "just because something is bad, that doesn't mean you should ban it."
September 13, 2012 People are taking the New York City's proposed big soda ban to heart because it goes after our food. And cultural anthropologists say we have strong attachments to what we consider food — and we don't like it taken away.
A New York subway ad from Zevia soda company, supporting the mayor's ban.
Jason Decrow/Invision for Zevia/AP Images
July 24, 2012 At a public hearing today, the opponents to New York Mayor Bloomberg's proposed big soda ban are saying the government is too involved in personal health decisions. But the mayor is determined, and the ban is likely to be approved by the board of health in September.
New York City food carts would also be affected by Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to ban sugary drinks 16 oz. and larger.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images
May 31, 2012 Mayor Bloomberg's proposed ban on large sugary drinks may not slake peoples' thirst for them, or address the obesity problem. A behavioral expert says people who want to buy lots of soda may just rebel at being told what to do.
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Yes, Halloween is out of the way and now the real terror is almost upon us; it’s time to start talking about Black Friday deals.
Early as it may be, the first PSVR Black Friday deal has just been spotted. Target is set to slash $100 off of the price of the recently released Creed hardware bundle, taking it to $249.99. That’s a pretty significant saving; this bundle includes the headset, camera and two Move motion controllers before throwing in Survios’ excellent boxing game and one of the all-time great PSVR titles, Superhot VR, on top.
But the saving doesn’t stop there. Target is also taking $100 off of two other PSVR bundles with also feature big games. First, there’s a bundle featuring last year’s Doom VFR for $200 (which we weren’t super keen on), but easily the better of the two is the Astro Bot pack, which features last month’s critically acclaimed VR platformer and another one of the best VR games of the year, Moss. That pack is also $200, but none of these bundles include Move controllers as they can all be played with the DualShock 4 that comes with your PS4.
Black Friday takes place on November 23rd and you can be sure there’ll be a mountain of deals to announce in the weeks leading up to it. No doubt HTC and Oculus want in on the money, too.


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DOC rangers will look a little different this summer, after a $4.73m overhaul of the uniform, the first redesign in about 20 years.
The new uniforms will replace those currently worn by DOC’s 1200 rangers over the next three years. It features a new high-vis orange and a new lime and grey colour scheme alongside the traditional DOC green. They also include Māori kowhaiwhai pattern detailing.
The uniforms were designed by DOC ranger Mat Nalder, who previously worked in design and procurement of outdoor gear.
DOC deputy director of operations Mike Slater said the design is more fit-for-purpose, incorporating modern high-performance materials and features.
The redevelopment has taken three years after staff found a previous design was inadequate, but DOC said that feedback was used to create the new and improved outfit.
The main supplier is NZ-based uniform producer Deane Apparel, which also makes uniforms for Air NZ, but items will be made in NZ, China and Malaysia. DOC said it was required to issue a global tender for the work.
The old uniforms will be re-used – the department is investigating donating them or recycling the materials.


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The chunky shoe-maker Crocs, have made a pandemic comeback with no doubt, as sales reported a record of $640 million in the three months to 30 June – nearly double the same period last year.
And the trend shows no sign of slowing down – the firm increased its revenue outlook for the rest of the year.
The company’s boss said there was strong demand for the shoes globally. Net income before tax grew to $190.5 million between April and the end of June from a previous $54.7 million.
Its chief executive, Andrew Rees, now expects revenue for 2021 to rise by as much as 65 percent, compared to an increase of up to 50% the company forecast in April.
“We continue to see strong consumer demand for the Crocs brand globally,” Rees said.
People have turned to the footwear company for foamy clogs to pair with their lockdown outfits.
Boosted by customers staying at home, the Colorado-based firm said on Thursday that digital sales were up 25.4 percent and make up more than a third of total sales.


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Apple Computer warns that some iPods have shipped with a Windows virus.
Beware: Your new iPod may have shipped carrying the RavMonE virus.
Apple has released info on its Web site that describes the discovery of a Windows-based virus, traced back to its contract manufacturer. Fewer than 1 percent of iPods with video (5.5G) sold after the September 12 launch could be carrying the worm, which can affect only Windows machines. Neither the new iPod Nano nor the iPod Shuffle (not yet released) are affected.
In addition to an apology, Apple has posted a tutorial on how to get rid of the virus. The statement adds: "Because this Windows virus propagates via mass storage devices, we recommend that you scan any mass storage devices that you have recently attached to your Windows computers such as external hard drives, digital cameras with removable media, and USB flash drives."
News.com has more details.
(Photo: Apple Computer)


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HPAI Woes: Retail egg prices are on the rise again
After months of declining consumer egg prices, buyers could be facing a sharp increase in costs as prices surge upwards once again.
Retail egg prices are on the rise again after a prolonged period of decline, signaling potential challenges ahead for consumers and producers alike.
Last January, egg prices hit a peak of around $4.80 per dozen, driven largely by the widespread impact of High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI) on poultry flocks across the nation. The resulting shortage in egg production sent prices skyrocketing.
However, recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that prices have surged by more than 8% in the past month alone, now averaging $2.92 per dozen compared to $2.28 in February of the previous year.
The current increase in prices can be attributed, in part, to a slightly smaller domestic egg-laying flock, a consequence of the ongoing challenges posed by HPAI. Despite a significant decline in reported cases, the threat of the virus still looms over the poultry industry.
The USDA’s latest report highlights a recent outbreak in South Dakota, where over 31,000 turkeys had to be culled due to the virus. A subsequent case in Oregon affected just ten birds at a single facility.


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Expansion is on the cards for Bidfresh-owned Oliver Kay Produce, chief executive Stephen Oswald told delegates at FPJ Live.
Speaking in the Beyond the Supermarkets session at The Belfry event earlier this month, Oswald said that the Bolton-based wholesaler was extending its reach to occupy a new site in Birmingham, while it was also looking to take advantage of a gap in the country west of London. However, he also highlighted the potential complications such growth can bring.
“It’s very difficult, breaking the business apart and expanding in this way, because you can lose control of what’s going on and you end up with the wrong management structure in place, unable to serve customers in the right way,” he explained. “So this expansion is a very sensitive and delicate process.”
Oswald also noted that Oliver Kay was looking at a “London solution” to expand the business further. “For produce, our weakest area is London,” he admitted, “and we need to do some work to stretch into what is a large and important market for us and our produce business.”
Currently, only 25 per cent of Bidfresh’s business is dedicated to fresh produce, but Oswald anticipated this changing in the future. “We have lots and lots of growing to do when it comes to fresh produce,” he said.
All about the experience
Borough Market managing director Darren Henaghan told FPJ Live that his market has tapped into a greater demand for experience and atmosphere to attract visitors. “There has been a shift. Shoppers want to go out, enjoy themselves, have a bite to eat and maybe buy some unusual products,” he explained. Henaghan also noted that value was crucial for visitors. “People are not so worried about price, but they want to ensure they are getting value for the products they are buying.”


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Vale is on the rise again with heavy call volume, but the option activity may not be especially bullish on the Brazilian metals and mining company.
optionMONSTER's systems detected the purchase of 5,000 March 19 calls for the ask price of $1.74 in volume that was below open interest of more than 13,000 contracts. At the same time, the trader sold 5,000 June 20 calls for the respective bid price of $1.53 with volume above open interest and therefore new activity.
The trade could be a short diagonal spread, which entails buying and selling options at different expiration months to take advantage of higher premiums. But given the data and the price action, this appears to be a trader rolling forward a covered call position, buying back the earlier short calls and selling contracts at the higher, later-dated strike as the stock rises. (See our Education section)
VALE gained 1.52 percent yesterday to end the session at $20 even, its highest close since early July. Shares were down at support at $17 just at the beginning of this month.
More From optionMONSTER


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Domestic airlines are gearing up for increased competition with AirAsia India and Tata-Singapore Airlines (SIA) set to fly soon.
Air Asia India, the joint venture between Malaysia-based Air Asia, Tata Sons and Telestra Tradespace, last week won an operating permit to launch its services in the country. Known for its aggressive pricing worldwide, the airline claims to offer 30% cheaper tickets than other airlines.
Tata-SIA joint venture is expected to take off by September this year.
With new players set to enter soon, the existing carriers are looking go full throttle to save their market share.
Already, led by SpiceJet, they have been offering discounted fares and promotional schemes for the past few months to ensure higher bookings.
Experts said they are expected to come up with more such schemes with the intensifying competition. Also, additional spend on marketing may also be in pipeline.
For example, Abu-Dhabi based Etihad Airways along with its equity partner Jet Airways announced a sponsorship deal naming both airlines as principal sponsors and official airlines for Mumbai Indians cricket team in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
According to an airline official, who refused to be named, "There will be a lot of activities by airlines for increasing their visibility. Higher spends on advertising and marketing can be expected."
"Passengers can get ready to be pampered," said Amber Dubey, partner and India head of aerospace and defence at global consultancy KPMG.
He said with competition intensifying, airlines will go for innovative and increased promotional spends, higher focus on on-time-performance and operational efficiencies, rationalisation of unprofitable routes and focus on specific geographies.
"There could also be customised packages for corporate travellers and tourists, re-introduction of loyalty programmes and a greater emphasis on ancillary revenues," he said.
A SpiceJet spokesperson said, "The airline is doing whatever it believes needs to be done to protect its interests commercially in an increasingly competitive environment where near-term overcapacity is a significant threat."
Despite discounted fares, the recent domestic air traffic figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) showed that Indian airlines in March this year recorded a negative of 0.7% revenue passenger km (RPK), which measures actual passenger traffic.
"These promos have been revenue and contribution positive, and have helped manage the decline in load factors this year in the face of increasing industry capacity in a soft economy. It helped SpiceJet gain market share in March 2014 despite lowering its own capacity by 2%," said the SpiceJet spokesperson.


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DataSource names new chief marketing, tech officers
DataSource Inc. has named a new chief marketing officer and chief technology officer.
The Kansas City-based provider of managed marketing operations services didn't need to look far to find the talent. They were working right inside its doors.
Tracy Sloger, who most recently served as vice president of marketing, has been promoted to chief marketing officer. In her new role, Sloger will be in charge of go-to-market strategy and integrated marketing.
In a release, COO John Zell commended Sloger's work and said she was "instrumental" in DataSource being named a Gartner "Cool Vendor in CRM Marketing Applications" for 2014.
Eugene Arokiasamy has been promoted from vice president of technology and professional services to chief technology officer.
Arokiasamy has more than 16 years of experience in the technology field, with the last eight of those years at DataSource. CEO David Holland said in a release that Arokiasamy is committed to clients and exemplifies collaborative leadership.
In his new role, Arokiasamy will be responsible for helping DataSource increase its technology offerings and will continue to assist brands, such as Applebee's, Carlson Hotels and Pinkberry, with technology and marketing tools.
Leslie covers retail and restaurants, and creates Web stories and other online content.
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Lightning Bolt Action title Metal Gear Rising Revengeance has gotten a price cut and its downloadable content has been made free, Konami has revealed.
Metal Gear Rising Revengeance has been lowered to $29.99 and its two DLC pieces, Jetstream and Blade Wolf, have been made free.
“The lower price point gives new fans the opportunity to experience the game at a reduced price, with the added bonus free DLC packs that lengthen the overall experience,” Konami said.
The action based spin-off of the series finds the cyborg ninja Raiden ripping through countless enemies in the Metal Gear universe. And for variety, the Jetstream DLC stars swordsman Samuel Rodriguez while the Blade Wolf DLC sees players take control of the robot dog LQ-84i.
Namco Bandai has confirmed that Soul Calibur II HD Online will be released worldwide on November 20th.
The refined fighting classic will be available via the Playstation Network and the XBLA. On either platform, the game will cost $19.99.
While Soul Calibur has had recent games, many consider the second installment to be the best in the series. The game first came out for Gamecube, PS2 and the original Xbox. Depending on the system, there was an additional guest character: Link for Gamecube, Heihachi for PS2 and Spawn for Xbox.
Namco Bandai has confirmed that in the online release, both Heihachi and Spawn will be available regardless of the console. Nintendo fans will still have to wait to see if the Hylian hero will return to the battle.
Back at EVO 2013, Capcom announced that a new update to the Street Fighter IV series would be coming in 2014. Enter Ultra Street Fighter IV.
The game will feature five additional characters, a ton of balance changes, the removal of un blockable setups and several new features that will change up gameplay. On Thursday, Capcom released a video with Senior Online Community Specialist Peter Rosas introducing two new mechanics: Ultra Combo Double and Red Focus.
Ultra Combo Double, affectionately dubbed “wultra” by the community, gives players the chance to use their character’s two Ultra Combos in exchange for damage. In a nutshell, it will allow characters like Zangief to cover multiple options with their Ultras instead of having to choose just one.
Albeit a bit more obscure, Red Focus–a heightened version of the series trademark mechanic the focus attack–enables characters to absorb one hit from an opponent and retaliate with a stun attack and a combo follow up. In theory, Red Focus would be especially critical for use against characters like Cammy, who lacks a quick focus breaker.
Still on the assembly line is the fifth newest character in Ultra Street Fighter IV which has yet to be revealed. And yet another new game mechanic, as teased by Lead Designer Yoshinori Ono recently at a Capcom Cup qualifier this weekend.
While the game is set for an early 2014 release, Capcom is doing some location tests to get fan feedback on the title. No locations have been set yet, but once they are listed we will post them.
On Oct. 24, Sony Computer Entertainment America has held a press conference in São Paulo, Brazil, where they announced that Gran Turismo 6 will be getting a long term partnership with the Ayrton Senna Institute non-profit organization.
“For us, it’s very special to have Ayrton as the main highlight of Gran Turismo 6. It represents victories that Brasil won far beyond just the sport. It’s the Brazilian spirit, perseverance among challenges, and victory achieved through great effort. Ayrton also represents the creative intelligence, courage, and solidarity with friends and strangers. These are values that we Brazilians cultivate and saw represented in the figure of that champion, which added to this a meticulous technique,” Viviane Senna, the sister of the late triple champion and president of the Ayrton Senna Institute said.
Players will be able to relive through Ayrton Senna’s racing career through online updates. Between 1984 and 1994, the Brazilian racer won three championships and 41 wins during his career.
After Ayrton Senna died in a racing accident, his sister, Viviane Senna, created the Ayrton Senna Institute” non-profit organization to carry on his brother’s hopes and dreams and helping the children of Brazil learn important life skills.
Kazunori Yamauchi himself has said during the press conference that Senna’s legacy has brought him where he is today.
“Ayrton Senna has always been my hero, and I’m honored to be able to work as a partner with the Ayrton Senna Institute which has carried on his legacy. If it wasn’t for Ayrton Senna, I don’t think the video game, Gran Turismo, would ever have been developed. Nothing makes me happier than to relay the gratitude of Ayrton Senna Foundation, to all the players of Gran Turismo 6.”
Earlier this week, Namco Bandai and Project Aces buzzed the tower with a new trailer depicting co-operative missions in Ace Combat Infinity.
The trailer shows two groups of four pilots going up against ground and air targets. Both groups – Alpha and Bravo – are working together towards the same goal, but are also competing against each other for the most kills and points. The team that performs best can receive special rewards. Missions still have clear ranks and pilots can be awarded ‘Most Valuable Player’.
Various airplane and weapon sets can be selected and every player gets a call sing and icon, such as Reaper or Colonel.
Locations and missions shown in the trailer includes Tokyo Martial Law, Aerospace Center Defense, Pipeline Destruction, Alps Air Corridor, Dubai Night Assault and Moby Dick Pursuit. Gameplay was also shown where pilots were given the task of shooting down meteorites.
And as Project Aces has shown before, battles can take place against various bosses from past games, including the Hrimfaxi, Stonehenge and Aigaion.
Make the jump to see the co-op trailer.
Hot on the heels of the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX (which we recently reviewed), Square Enix has announced that the sequel is coming to PlayStation 3 next year, aptly named Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX.
The upcoming HD collection will include the Final Mix versions of both Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, which were originally released on the PlayStation 2 and PSP respectively. As with the first HD collection, this marks the first time the Final Mix editions are available outside Japan. The game will also feature HD versions of the cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, which was originally available on the Nintendo DS.
As great as the first package was, this one promises to be even better. Kingdom Hearts II was widely considered to be a large improvement on the original in the gameplay department and features the particularly fun Drive system, which work similarly to the limit breaks from the Final Fantasy series. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep was also very well received at release and was previously only available on PSP. It fills in a lot of the back story for the series, which is helpful given the convoluted plot. In fact, with this release, players will have access to the entire Kingdom Hearts storyline on PS3 with the sole exception of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, which remains exclusive to Nintendo 3DS.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX will be available sometime in 2014 and you can check out the early trailer below. Assuming it follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, the package will feature revamped graphics and a metric ton of content to enjoy. Now we can hope that this release pattern continues and Kingdom Hearts III ends up coming out in 2015.
Dark Souls II fans, prepare to… read. Namco Bandai Games Europe and From Software has struck a deal with some big names in the comic industry to bring us a graphic novel tie-in to the dark fantasy series.
Dark Souls II: Into the Light is being written by Rob Williams and Andi Ewington and illustrated by Simon Coleby. The comic will be made available online for free while a limited print version will be created for certain editions of the game in certain countries. Namco Bandai will have more details about this at a later date.
Make the jump to watch a YouTube trailer and go “beyond the comic.”
Since the release of Grand Theft Auto Online on Oct. 1, Rockstar Games has had its hands full with issues ranging from the slightly annoying to the downright game breaking.
In an effort to get those problems in check, Rockstar recently issued a new patch for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that reportedly implements a wide list of fixes.
Among the issues addressed by the patch are the bouts of character deletion, loss of progress, infinite loading and sky cams and missing interface options. The patch’s changelog also reported other problems like the locked replay option, loss of guns and ammo and problems during various races and Last Team Standing game modes were addressed.
Considering how widespread some of these hiccups have been, these changes may be enough to make GTAO players a little safer to log on without fear of losing progress.
Source: Rockstar Games
Status updates on the development of Team Ico’s long-delayed The Last Guardian feel like a running gag at this point, but recent choice words from Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida are sure to cause many fans’ ears to perk up.
In an interview with GamesIndustry International, Yoshida stated that Sony is waiting for the appropriate moment to re-introduce The Last Guardian, stating that the game still is in development and that the game’s creator, Fumito Ueda, is still on the project. He went on to say that the crew is “going through the re-engineering of the game, so the team size is smaller, because it’s more engineering focused right now.”
He also went on to remark that Jack Tretton’s use of the term “hiatus” was misleading, saying that production of the game had never ceased but that Sony has no word on when we’ll hear more about it.
“Re-engineering” sounds a lot like “moving it to the PS4″ to me. Either way, I’m still waiting. Four years after the game’s grand announcement.
Source: GamesIndustry International
Naughty Dog recently announced its plans for some upcoming downloadable content packs for the ridiculously popular PlayStation 3 title The Last of Us.
The Abandoned Territories Map Pack will allow players to explore the new Bus Depot, Suburbs, Bookstore, and Hometown maps. Each map has a different atmosphere and is catered to a different play style. The Hometown map is built for stealth and the Bus Depot map apparently has even more giraffes!
This map pack will be available Oct. 15.
Players will have to wait a little longer for the other two DLC’s. The story-driven single-player DLC is planned to come out sometime between this December/January, and the final multiplayer DLC won’t come out until early 2014. Naughty Dog has promised that a new character will be introduced in the new single-player content. As for the rest, we’ll just have to wait and see.
In the meantime, eager players can buy a season pass which will grant them all upcoming downloadable content for a cheaper price overall.


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Chinese suppliers turn away from EU to emerging markets
ProcurementLeaders.com - Nov 30th 2011, 09:58
Suppliers in China are boosting overseas shipments to emerging markets amid slowing orders from the EU as the region tackles its debt crisis, market experts have reported.
According to a survey of 581 exporters by Global Sources, in the months ahead, 42% of respondents expect to strengthen their footholds in South and Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Suppliers were found to be "particularly optimistic" about markets in Asia, mainly because of China's free trade agreement with many countries in the region. Close to 20% of interviewed companies plan to increase their presence in the China domestic market, as consumption has been on the rise, due in part to favorable government policies.
"China suppliers are already taking proactive measures to sustain their export business in view of slowing orders from Europe," said Craig Pepples, Global Sources' president of corporate affairs.
"The majority of surveyed suppliers said their exports have been impacted by the debt crisis. Companies are cautiously optimistic about sales in 2012, with more than 60% expecting stable or higher export sales from their Europe business in the year ahead."
In addition the poll shows suppliers are taking other measures to cope with falling orders from Europe with 15% intending to speed up the release of new products, while 11% of exporters plan to cut production costs to boost profitability. Some 10% said they are planning to increase R&D spending as they strive to improve product offerings.
Nearly all respondents have felt the effects of Europe's debt crisis on exports. In addition 35% of companies report significant impact, while almost 60% said there has been some impact.
The survey was conducted in November 2011, with a total of 581 suppliers interviewed from various industries, including home products, electronics, hardware and DIY, gifts and premiums, garments and textiles, solar and energy-saving products, and electronic components. Nearly half of the respondents are based in Guangdong province, while the rest are from Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai.
Alibaba set for new era as flamboyant Jack Ma departs
11/09/2019 - 09:33
Alibaba chair Jack Ma has stepped down from the Chinese group, leaving his handpicked successor a daunting task of steering the $460bn juggernaut at a time when the market for its core e-commerce business has slowed sharply.
Alibaba results beat estimates on cloud, e-commerce growth
19/08/2019 - 14:08
China’s Alibaba Group Holding Ltd reported better-than-expected quarterly revenue and profit, aided by growth in its e-commerce and cloud computing businesses.
Nestlé and Starbucks tie-up heads to China
08/08/2019 - 09:31
Nestlé plans to introduce its first range of Starbucks-branded products in China, as part of a global tie-up that will help bolster the Swiss company’s proprietary Nespresso capsules in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Boost for SA's economy as China lifts its beef ban
07/08/2019 - 09:10
Within one month of the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Xi Jinping at the G20, China has announced that it is lifting the ban on South African beef exports to China. This will be a major boost to South Africa’s economy given that China is the largest consuming market for South African beef and related products.
Swine fever epidemic may slash China's pig herd by half
30/07/2019 - 10:52
China’s pig herd could halve by the end of 2019 from a year earlier as an epidemic of African swine fever sweeps through the world’s top pork producer, analysts at Dutch bank Rabobank forecast.


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Investing in a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin is a very existential experience. You get incredible highs and dizzying lows. And a lot of questions in between. After hitting a record of nearly $20,000 in December 2017, Bitcoin’s price has been a roller coaster of late. It went up to $11,440 per coin in mid-February 2018, a welcome recovery from trading as low as $6,000 just several days earlier.
Other cryptocurrencies are also not having the steadiest of months. On February 2, over $100 billionwas wiped from the global cryptocurrency market, all in 24 hours. The sell-off was prompted by concerns that prices of digital currencies were artificially inflated as well as regulation talk in India and South Korea, one of the biggest cryptocurrency markets in the world.
Some analysts are not too concerned with such volatility, however, seeing in it a natural lifecycle of cryptocurrency stock. In fact, Tom Lee ofFundstrat Global Advisors predicts that by July 2018, Bitcoin will be back up to $20,000 and reach $25,000 by the end of the year. He finds that judging by historical performance, it takes Bitcoin about 85 days “to recover prior highs” after a period of bottoming out.
Vitalik Buterin, the founder of the cryptocurrency Ethereum is less bullish. He warned last week that such currencies are really not the best place to put your life’s savings since they are new and “hyper-volatile,” with the possibility to “drop to near-zero at any time.” Instead, “traditional assets are still your safest bet,” added Buterin.
This chart from Coinbase shows you the wild ride bitcoin has been on in the past year:
Perhaps sensing competition, banks, the places that usually keep traditional assets, have turned on cryptocurrencies of late. In early February, major banks like Bank of America, JPMorgan, Citigroup and UK’s Lloyds stopped allowing credit card purchases of cryptocurrencies.
While big banks may be unfriendly to digital money, its prospects are likely to ebb and flow with the news cycle and other factors. How does the price of a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin get decided?
The price of bitcoin should be determined simply through supply and demand as is the case for usual stocks but, as Fortune magazine’s Jen Wiecznersays, bitcoin is also affected by hype. Other stocks aren’t generally so impacted by that.
What the hype does is suddenly attract crowds of investors, which makes the stock price of bitcoin go up rapidly, attracting ever more people until reaching a point where the price becomes overinflated and adjusts. Bitcoin trades in waves, following patterns of record growth and highs by downturns and valleys. Similarly to Tom Lee, Wieczner thinks that there are market adjustments where the price goes about 20% down after the cryptocurrency hits a new high.
Israelis buy Bitcoins, at the cryptocurrency ‘Bitcoin Change’ shop in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on January 17, 2018. (Photo credit: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
Another effect on the price comes from the fact that bitcoins are digitally mined. There is potentially a limitation on the number of bitcoins that can be mined. From the inception, about 16.5 million bitcoins have been produced. At some point, when the cap of 21 million will be reached, no more bitcoins will be available. This can create a scarcity of bitcoins, potentially driving its price even higher.
Speculating on whether a cryptocurrency’s price will go up is one attraction for the buyers. Another way to make (or lose) money on a digital currency is through ICOs.
An ICO or an Initial Coin Offering is a method of crowdfunding cryptocurrencies, providing capital for crypto startups.
Russian investors arrive at the Crypto Funding Summit, which helps investors understand cryptocurrency at the Convention center in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2018. (Photo credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Unlike an IPO (initial public offering) when a company’s shares are sold to investors, in ICOs the investors buy the company’s “tokens”. These tokens can go up in value if the cryptocurrency or the venture being funded is successful. Once the ICO’s funding goal is met, the tokens are supposed to become functional units of currency.
Crypto companies like Ethereum raised money with a token sale.
An ICO can get the company money while bypassing costly compliance processes, banks, and venture capitalists. This is also the one big issue with ICOs that make them controversial: they are unregulated.
For investors, ICOs can be dangerous because of the lack of regulation. Startups are able to bypass a lot of the fundraising procedures required as part of IPOs and can determine the ICO value arbitrarily, explains EmptyBucket. This can lead to “high valuations and often overcapitalization” of the currency undergoing an ICO. Experts also warn that investors should have technical expertise and make sure to get sufficient information before investing into an ICO.


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BOSTON (TheStreet) -- Apple's (AAPL) - Get Apple Inc. (AAPL) Report iPhone 4 will soon be available on Verizon's (VZ) - Get Verizon Communications Inc. Report wireless network after a four-year exclusive agreement with AT&T (T) - Get AT&T Inc. Report, shaking up the industry close to fourth-quarter results.
Verizon Wireless, the joint venture between Verizon and
, revealed the pact earlier this month on the worst-kept secret in the telecom sector: the
next month, the first time the iPhone will be compatible with a network other than AT&T's since its launch in 2007.
The iPhone 4's availability on Verizon provides a spark for a sector in need of a shakeup. While industries such as energy, basic materials, industrials, consumer discretionary and financials have surged in the past three months, telecoms have lagged behind the broader market. The
Dow Jones U.S. Telecommunications Index
has climbed 3.8% in the past three months, trailing a 9% gain of the
On the heels of the iPhone 4 announcement, one of the sector's big winners is Verizon, the first of the big telco firms to report quarterly results. The stock jumped to a 52-week high of $37.70 on investors' iPhone euphoria. However, as the excitement waned, and worries that subsidies for the handsets will damage earnings, Verizon shares have come back to Earth. AT&T shares, meanwhile, are down slightly since the announcement.
For AT&T and Verizon, as well as
, strength comes down to subscriber numbers. The only issue for wireless providers is that the pool of subscribers isn't growing rapidly, and instead the companies are forced to fight for bigger slices of the pie. With the addition of the iPhone 4 to its lineup of handsets, Verizon looks to have scored a big win. However, investment managers say the growth in the number of users migrating from old mobile phones to new Internet-capable smartphones is the bigger trend to pay attention to.
"As you go through the technology cycle, we're starting to move from early adoption to mass adoption," says Channing Smith, manager of the Tulsa, Okla.-based
Capital Advisors Growth Fund
. Capital Advisors Growth Fund has 3% of its $23.5 million in net assets allocated to AT&T and 4.5% dedicated to Vodafone.
"From a mobile-device standpoint, the key will be penetration of smartphone users in the U.S. as that is where more revenue is," Smith adds. "The profitability of these companies will depend on the continued trend toward smartphone adoption. There is still a pretty good runway for smartphone adoption."
Craig Moffett, a senior analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein, notes that fourth-quarter earnings results will close the books on the pre-Verizon iPhone era. "That already seems a long, long time ago," he wrote in a research note Monday. "Given how transformational the iPhone is likely to be to market share and growth dynamics, the real question is ... will anyone care what happened in Q4?"
Yes, the fourth quarter happened and these telecom companies will be reporting on it. But as Moffett wonders, will it matter what these companies say about the final three months of 2010 if so much of the focus will be on the impact of the iPhone 4 in 2011 and beyond?
"It matters to some degree, but I don't think investors are expecting a negative surprise," says Smith. "That's why everyone will be listening very closely to what management has to say about 2011 expectations in terms of earnings and revenue growth and the thoughts on margin trends. That will be the real focus."
The battle for subscribers between Verizon and AT&T has nearly cut Sprint Nextel out of the picture. For its part, Sprint Nextel announced a new plan to spend $5 billion to upgrade its network over the next five years. But without a "killer" handset like the iPhone, investors aren't sure what to expect out of the struggling wireless provider.
Like Smith, James Dailey, manager of the
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund
, turned to the telecom sector as part of his portfolio construction as a way to play the mobile Internet space. But while Smith will be focusing on each company's outlook, Dailey says the most important aspect of earnings season is how the stocks react after reporting.
"We think there is tremendous information in trying to identify if the stock is in strong hands or weak hands," says Dailey, whose fund has investments in AT&T and Verizon. "We look for persistent uptrends if the stocks selloff on good news."
Unlike Smith, Dailey also cautions investors or potential investors in the telecom stocks about placing too much importance on what management says during conference calls.
"There is a tremendous amount of political realities in the job of a CEO or CFO," he says. "They're so constrained by lawyers at this point that they rarely come up with anything useful in that setting. With some limited exceptions to the rule, they're like politicians in that sense. They're never going to tell you anything that bad. They'll always try to spin things in a positive way."
On the next few pages,
previews these telecom stocks and what fund managers are looking for in the fourth-quarter financial results from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint Nextel.
: AT&T is the largest communications holding company in the world by revenue, according to its Web site. Based in Dallas, AT&T is one of the 30 components of the
Dow Jones Industrial Average
Jan. 27, before the market opens
Expectations for the Quarter:
On average, analysts are looking for AT&T to report a fourth-quarter profit of 55 cents a share on revenue of $31.5 billion, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters.
Fund Manager Take:
Capital Advisors Growth Fund's Smith says AT&T will beat earnings estimates by a small margin, although he'll be particularly interested in listening for hints of AT&T's strategy in the wireless segment as Verizon rolls out the iPhone.
"That's what I want to hear about," Smith says. "Most likely what you're going to see is a rise in operating margins in the wireless segment. The subsidy payments that AT&T has to pay to Apple are very high. I think the loss of the iPhone exclusivity will slow wireless growth for AT&T in 2011, but I think this might be a blessing in disguise."
Smith acknowledges the fear that AT&T could see a mass exodus of subscribers as they flee the network for Verizon now that Apple has launched the iPhone on Verizon Wireless' CDMA network. However, he contends those fears are overblown.
The key, Smith says, will be the average revenue per user, or ARPU, that AT&T reports. "AT&T's net revenue per user has been climbing and people will want to see that trend continue," he says. "This is where the action is for Verizon and AT&T."
Smith and TEAM Asset Strategy Fund's Dailey remark about the attractive valuation of AT&T shares compared to Verizon, and both note that AT&T trades at a significant discount to Verizon on a multiple basis.
"That's really the key to why we own AT&T over Verizon," Smith says, adding that the stock has an attractive 6% dividend yield.
Dailey says he would be a net buyer of AT&T right now and also notes the overblown fears of a subscriber exodus.
"The reality is that it won't be as bad for AT&T or as positive for Verizon," Dailey says. "AT&T has done a lot of things making it hard for these people to leave. There is a very steep penalty for them to get out, which gives AT&T ample time to address their network issues. They're doing a lot of spending on their network."
: Verizon is the New York-based provider of voice, data, wireless and Internet products and is also a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Verizon Wireless, the joint venture between Verizon and Vodafone, is the largest wireless provider in the U.S. based on subscriber totals.
Jan. 25, before the market opens
Expectations for the Quarter:
Verizon should post earnings of 55 cents a share on revenue of $26.5 billion, according to a poll of analysts by Thomson Reuters.
Fund Manager Take:
As an investor in Verizon, TEAM Asset Strategy Fund's Dailey said the fund bought the stock about 25% below where it's trading now. Continued weakness in the wake of the Apple euphoria would have him looking to buy more, but Dailey concedes that AT&T looks more attractive based on valuation.
Dailey says the reaction to Verizon's quarterly results will tell him a lot about whether the stock can continue to push higher, or if the stock will slide further in the wake of the iPhone announcement.
"That type of reaction is indicative that a trend is exhausted, and I think that's what you're seeing with Verizon after the announcement of the iPhone," he says. "Often times you'll get a sell-the-news reaction even if it's good news. It's in a period of digesting those gains. The valuation disparity with AT&T has gotten pretty significant."
That said, Dailey notes several positives for Verizon by examining the company from a top-down perspective.
"Exclusively to Verizon, their network is widely regarded to be the best of the large players," he says. "There was the potential catalyst of the iPhone. But can the Verizon network perform as well as people expect with an influx of iPhones?"
Dailey also notes one bullish argument in favor of Verizon in that the company has not seen the same penetration among its subscribers in smartphone usage. The argument is that Verizon customers using dated handsets will now convert and upgrade to the iPhone, which will increase the average revenue per user, or ARPU, that Verizon collects.
Capital Advisors Growth Fund's Smith is big on the idea of mobile Internet, although he said the fund instead chose to play the strength of Verizon Wireless through Vodafone, not Verizon, noting valuation concerns.
"When we look at AT&T and Verizon, we feel more comfortable with AT&T and then owning Vodafone," he says.
: Sprint Nextel, like AT&T and Verizon, offers wireless and wireline communications products and services. The company was created in the 2005 merger between Sprint and Nextel.
Feb. 10, before the market opens
Expectations for the Quarter:
As with the last eight quarters, analysts are forecasting that Sprint Nextel will post a quarterly loss. According to a Thomson Reuters poll, the average estimate is for a loss of 30 cents a share in the fourth quarter on revenue of $8.2 billion.
Fund Manager Take:
In the fourth quarter, Sprint announced Network Vision, a plan to spend $5 billion to upgrade Sprint's network over the next five years. The plan will merge Sprint's 3G and 4G towers but spells the end of the push-to-talk iDEN network, which the company has had difficulty integrating since the 2005 merger with Nextel.
Despite these developments, fund managers who are bullish on mobile Internet are not completely sold on Sprint Nextel's prospects.
"For us, we feel that our exposure to AT&T and Vodafone gives us enough exposure to telecom," says Smith, the manager of the Capital Growth Advisors Fund. "We want to own stocks that are levered in the mobile technology trend that have dominant technology designs."
TEAM Asset Strategy Fund's Dailey says that on a valuation basis, it's difficult for Sprint to compete based on their capital structure.
"It's a question of whether they'll have the resources to invest in their network and build it out," Dailey says. "They'll be a pricing player, meaning that they'll provide value with offerings like their $69 all-inclusive package. But I don't think they can afford a price war with AT&T and Verizon given the size of their network and their balance sheet."
Dailey also notes that, unlike AT&T and Verizon, Sprint doesn't pay a dividend. As his fund wants an income stream to act as a bond replacement, Sprint doesn't fit the mold.
"And for us, it has also been an issue of quality," Dailey adds.
-- Written by Robert Holmes in Boston
>To contact the writer of this article, click here:
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>To submit a news tip, send an email to:
Disclosure: TheStreet's editorial policy prohibits staff editors, reporters and analysts from holding positions in any individual stocks.


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When is Super Bowl 2013?
Monday, October 1, 2012
New Orleans has to change the Mardi Gras schedule to accommodate the Super Bowl XLVII.
CBS will air the Super Bowl 2013 and 30 second Super Bowl Ad slots are supposed to sell for $4 million.
The new 2013 Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Ad competition is going to open for submission already next week.
Super Bowl Ads for Geeks will again report about the hottest news around the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl commercials. You will be able to watch most Super Bowl ads before they air online here at Super Bowl Ads for Geeks. Watch the best Super Bowl 2012 Ads.
Posted by Luigi at 6:07 AM
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The countdown to the Super Bowl 2013 is entering the final week. In 4 days the Big Game is finally here. The 49ers will play agains the Rave...
Go Daddy has jumped the gun and released the full Internet Only version of the Go Daddy Super Bowl 2012 Ad Body Paint with Natalia Velez ...
Beyonce will be performing the Super Bowl 2013 halftime show. The rumors are true. The NFL has tweeted a Super Bowl promo photo of Beyo...
Super Bowl 2012
- ▼ October (5)


text:
Facebook Inc. is offering news outlets millions of dollars for the rights to put their content in a news section that the company hopes to launch later this year, according to people familiar with the matter.
Representatives from Facebook have told news executives they would be willing to pay as much as $3 million a year to license headlines and previews of articles from news outlets, the people said.
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