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Microsoft’s MSFT-Q blockbuster, US$69-billion cash purchase of Activision Blizzard ATVI-Q, the world’s third-biggest video game publisher, was dressed up with all the usual blather about the metaverse, which is being promoted by the tech bros as the NBT – the Next Big Thing.
The metaverse really might be the NBT – or not. It’s a mythical place, lacking an accepted definition, and Microsoft might not really care whether the metaverse has the potential to propel its shares beyond the stratosphere into the exosphere. Maybe the reason behind its pursuit of Activision was much more mundane and centred on the simple pursuit of subscription revenues from awkward adolescent boys with no social life.
The metaverse is touted as a virtual 3-D world whose denizens can interact with one another. The term first appeared in 1992 in the science fiction novel Snow Crash, by American author Neal Stephenson, who also made “avatar” popular. Metaverse is apparently a meld of Meta, the Greek word for “after” or “beyond,” and “universe.”
In recent years, the Silicon Valley tech wizards seized upon the term, none more so than Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who recast Facebook as Meta Platforms, or simply Meta, last year. Its website says “The metaverse is the evolution of social connection” and pretty much leaves it at that – tantalizing, vague, largely meaningless.
When Microsoft announced the all-cash purchase of Activision early this week, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked about the metaverse, seemingly parroting the Zuckerberg line. “In gaming, we see the metaverse as a collection of communities and individual identities anchored in strong content franchises, accessible on every device and bringing fantastic entertainment together with new technologies, communities and business models is exactly what this transaction is about,” he said on a conference call.
Subscription revenue is the better line, since the metaverse doesn’t bring in the bucks, at least not yet, and Microsoft needs an endless inflow of bucks to justify its lofty valuation and pump up the shares. They have sagged since the end of 2021, but are still up by more than a third in a year, giving the company a market value of almost US$2.3-trillion, putting it not far from Apple’s US$2.7-trillion and almost triple Meta’s.
Activision is an industry powerhouse, though a flawed one for business and social reasons. The company has been a slouch at updating some of its popular gaming titles, such as Starcraft, which was last tweaked in 2015, and made nasty headlines last year when it got hit by a barrage of sexual misconduct allegations. In July, it was sued by the State of California for sexual harassment and employee discrimination. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation.
Activision’s titles include Candy Crush, World of Warcraft and the phenomenally popular Call of Duty. The company has an impressive 390 million monthly active uses, though that’s down from its peak. The Game Pass subscription service of Microsoft, whose titles include Minecraft, Halo and Fallout, has only 25 million subscribers. So plenty of room for improvement, all the more so since Game Pass can distribute across console (Xbox is Microsoft’s console gaming brand), PC and mobile devices.
Microsoft knows that gaming is the hottest entertainment category. Gaming’s growth has been turbocharged by the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, which have kept kids at home with nothing to do except slaughter the enemy online; forget watching TV or reading books.
Microsoft’s stumbles in the social media world – it reportedly tried to buy Pinterest, Discord and TikTok – meant that it was encouraged to double down on gaming. The Activision purchase entrenches Microsoft firmly in the gaming industry. If the deal closes – antitrust regulators might cause trouble – Microsoft will be the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent of China and Japan’s Sony.
Will gaming boost Microsoft’s fortunes? Probably yes, given the industry’s dazzling growth, but some of Microsoft’s previous bets came up short. The Nokia purchase comes to mind, one of the biggest tech blunders of all time. Another dud was MSN TV, formerly WebTV, which Microsoft shut down in 2013. Anyone remember Pointcast? And don’t forget that Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store are powerful players in the mobile gaming distribution. Neither of them will be happy to hand market share to Microsoft.
The metaverse opens a lot of opportunities for Microsoft, but they are pie-in-the-sky at this stage. The Activision purchase signals that Microsoft wants to dominate the gaming industry and reap torrents of subscription sales. Its formidable competitors might make that goal hard to achieve. For the moment anyway, Microsoft’s bet on gaming represents a regular business challenge that could turn into a grubby down-to-earth slugfest.
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New Windows 10 Update Revealed During Microsoft Event [UPDATE]
"Imagine what you'll do."
[UPDATE] The show has now ended. In addition to the Windows 10 update, Microsoft announced a new Surface Studio PC and more.
The original story is below.
Microsoft's big announcement was the Windows 10 Creators update. It comes out in spring 2017 as a free update for all Windows 10 users. Windows boss Terry Myerson said the Creators Update will offer "unparalleled new ways to create and play."
In terms of gaming features, the Creators Update will offer game-broadcasting support. A demo of Forza Horizon 3 was shown, using the service Beam, which Microsoft acquired earlier this year. The viewer can give the streamer feedback about what they want to see. The video shown during Microsoft's event showed a viewer telling the streamer to go off road; the streamer then saw that prompt and followed the direction.
Additionally, the Creators update adds Beam's broadcasting technology directly into Windows 10, so anyone can stream their broadcasts.
Microsoft also confirmed that the Arena tournament feature is coming to the Xbox app on PC. As announced previously, this lets players create their own tournaments to compete with friends.
In terms of non-gaming features, a big part of the Creators update is its 3D functionality; users can scan scan objects with their phones and see a 3D visualization of it, like this sandcastle. Additionally, the Windows Paint app is being updated with a Paint 3D feature. Not only that, but 3D functionality is coming to PowerPoint to spruce up your presentations.
Microsoft also confirmed that Minecraft items can be sent to Paint and visualized in 3D; they can then be 3D-printed.
An early version of the Windows 10 Creators update will be available for Windows Insiders this week, ahead of its full rollout next year.
Windows 10's Creators update is the first new update to Microsoft's newest OS since the Anniversary update, which came out in August. Microsoft recently announced that there are 400 million "active devices" running Windows 10 right now.
The original story is below.
Microsoft's Windows 10 news event kicks off today at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET, which is coming up very soon. "Please join us to see what's next for Windows 10," Microsoft says on the event's website.
You can watch the livestream broadcast right here on Microsoft's website or through the embed above from GameSpot sister site CNET. The landing page for the event event teases, "Imagine what you'll do."
Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently told people not to expect any Project Scorpio news during the event, but it's still possible there will be some gaming news. Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" is at the event, which may or may not mean anything.
According to CNET, the event is expected to bring news about Windows hardware, possibly including the rumored Surface all-in-one system. CNET also reports that a new Microsoft Band, among other devices and accessories, may make an appearance.
We'll report back if there are any gaming announcements at the Windows 10 event.
The New Xbox One Experience update that came out in November 2015 made every Xbox One technically a Windows 10 device. More than 400 million devices worldwide are running Windows 10 right now, including PCs, Xbox Ones, smartphones, and other devices.
What are you hoping to see from today's Windows 10 event? Let us know in the comments below!
The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

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Modern Warfare 3 emerged triumphant, but it was EA that was last yearís real victor. MCV analyses the full 2011 GfK?Chart-Track charts to unearth the winners and losers in a challenging year for the boxed games market.
It was another year in which Call of Duty and FIFA take the top two places in the GfK Chart-Track Top 100. The two games between them accounted for 10 per cent of the 55m games sold last year.
ACTIVISIONís Modern Warfare 3 sold over 3.1m units, a mighty impressive figure but slightly less than the 3.26m games Black Ops sold the year before.
FIFA 12 meanwhile shifted 2.44m games, 50,000 more copies than its predecessor. ELECTRONIC?ARTS was the only publisher to have two games that sold over 1m units with its FPS Battlefield 3 (No.3) selling 1.3m copies since its October launch. As a result, EA was comfortably the biggest publisher of 2011, and in total had 20 games in the Top 100.
It is worth noting the phenomenal success for small publisher 505 GAMES. The companyís Zumba Fitness (No.4) shifted almost 1.2m games for the year and topped the Wii charts. The title benefited from a lack of new software during the summer and scored 13 weekly No.1s in the process.
In a clear sign of how important Q4 is to the UK games market, eight of the 2011 Top Ten were released during the final three months of the year. And 51 per cent of the UK tradeís annual revenue was generated during this period.
The only two games not to have been released during Q4 and still break the Top Ten is the aforementioned Zumba and ROCKSTARís L.A. Noire, which is also the highest charting new IP. The game was released in May.
Otherwise, there isnít a great deal of new IP in this yearís chart - the notable exceptions being THQís Homefront at No.25, DEEP?SILVERís Dead Island at No.31 and two Bethesda titles (Rage at No.33 and Brink at No.39).
BETHESDA enjoyed a strong year during 2011, breaking into the Top Ten publishers at No.10. Aside from the two new IPs mentioned above, the firmís biggest hit was Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The acclaimed action RPG sold 1.14m games last year, proving to the industry that you can come out during the same week as Call of Duty and prosper.
LEGO developer TRAVELLERíS?TALES had five games in the Top 100. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean was the top seller at No.14.
Meanwhile, the dance craze continues in the charts. Just Dance 3 from UBISOFT was the biggest selling dance title, and sold over 900,000 units last year.
UK games market in 2011
The tough economy combined with the late stage in the console cycle took its toll on the boxed games market. The combined software, hardware and accessories markets generated £2.52bn, a 13 per cent drop over 2010.
The software market dipped seven per cent year-on-year to £1.42bn (although it was down 12 per cent in units). EA sold the most games, with Xbox 360 the the No.1 console in terms of software market share.
The accessories market was down 17 per cent year-on-year to £453m (or 13 per cent down to 22.4m units). Motion controllers accounted for 11 per cent of the accessories market in 2011 (units) and a huge 27 per cent by revenue.
A clear sign of the industryís position in the console cycle is the hardware figures, down 19.3 per cent to £646m, and thatís despite the arrival of Nintendo 3DS.
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VMware And Dell Layoffs: 5 Big Things You Need To Know
Here are the five most important things to know about the recent round of layoffs at Dell Technologies and VMware.
Layoffs At The Two IT Titans
Within just two weeks of each other, Dell Technologies and VMware have each confirmed new rounds of layoffs.
VMware told CRN Wednesday that it was laying off an undisclosed number of employees this month. “We can confirm that there have been a limited number of changes to our workforce this month,” said VMware in a statement to CRN.
On July 30, Dell Technologies, which owns an 81 percent majority stake in VMware, also confirmed it is laying off an unspecified number of employees. “Like all businesses right now, we’re taking a number of proactive steps to prepare for the uncertainties presented by COVID-19,” Dell said in a statement to CRN.
Here are the five biggest things to know about VMware and Dell Technologies recent layoffs, salary freezes and top channel executive departures.
Second Round Of VMware Layoffs In 2020
VMware confirmed Wednesday it was laying off some employees this month but provided no details on the number of people, business units or geographies affected.
“We can confirm that there have been a limited number of changes to our workforce this month,” said VMware in a statement to CRN. “This is part of a regular workforce rebalancing as we realign resources and investments to opportunities at scale.”
However, this marks the second time VMware has conducted layoffs in 2020.
In January, VMware confirmed to CRN that the virtualization superstar was laying off an unspecified number of employees as part of its “workforce rebalancing” aimed at ensuring resources across its global businesses and geographies were aligned to customers and objectives.
Palo Alto, Calif.-based VMware has approximately 31,000 employees across the globe.
Dell Technologies Layoffs Not Related To COVID-19
Less than two weeks ago, Dell Technologies—which owns an 81 percent stake in VMware following its $67 billion acquisition of EMC in 2016—confirmed it was laying off an unspecified number of employees.
It is key to note that the $91 billion infrastructure giant specifically said the layoffs were not related to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Like all businesses right now, we’re taking a number of proactive steps to prepare for the uncertainties presented by COVID-19. We recently made some workforce reductions that reflect decisions made in early 2020 as part of regular evaluations of our business structure, and weren’t related to the pandemic,” said Dell in a statement emailed to CRN.
Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has around 165,000 employees on a global basis.
VMware And Dell Have Implemented Pay Freezes
Dell temporarily halted employee pay raises, contributions to 401 (k) retirement plans and hiring throughout the company.
“Like all businesses right now, we’re constantly evaluating our business to plan for resiliency in the current environment and to support our team members, customers and community in a way that sets us all up for success on the other side of this pandemic,” said Dell in a statement to CRN in May.
Shortly after the Dell announcement, VMware unveiled that it too has implemented a “number of cost management changes” after an internal memo surfaced stating that the company is conducting a companywide employee salary freeze as well as temporary salary reductions for top executives, including CEO Pat Gelsinger.
In an interview with CRN, VMware’s Sanjay Poonen said the company’s decision was “prudent” and won’t last forever.
“We want VMware to be the best place to work in. So while we had to announce those COVID-19 measures, they’re not forever,” said Poonen, chief operating officer at VMware. “We’ll examine them quarter by quarter, but we’re doing even more to invest in our employees.”
Channel Leaders Flinders, Mullen And Toldo
Dell Technologies and VMware have two of the largest channel partner communities in the world. Shockingly, both companies’ global channel leaders have, or will soon, be heading for the door.
After 21 years at Dell Technologies, Joyce Mullen’s last day with the company is Aug. 14. Mullen is responsible for Dell’s global channel strategy, partner program, solution provider enablement and nearly $50 billion channel sales execution as president of global channel, embedded and edge solutions. Dell is currently searching for a replacement.
VMware’s global channel leader, Jenni Flinders, unexpectedly and quietly left the company in June after two years of leading VMware’s restructured channel charge. Flinders created VMware Master Services Competencies and completely overhauled VMware’s entire partner program with the launch of Partner Connect on March 1. Flinders was replaced by former longtime Cisco veteran Sandy Hogan.
In addition, VMware confirmed to CRN Wednesday that Shawn Toldo, vice president of VMware’s Worldwide Partner Organization, was let go as part of VMware’s round of layoffs this month.
Dell’s Plan To Spin Off VMware Stake
Dell Technologies confirmed last month that it is in the early stages of exploring a “spin-off” of its 81 percent stake in VMware. However, CRN has discovered that Dell is looking to sell its stake of VMware to current Dell Technologies shareholders.
Dell Technologies founder and CEO and Michael Dell and private equity partner Silver Lake are looking into retaining a controlling stake in VMware. If all goes accordingly, Dell will spin off its 81 percent stake in VMware to Dell shareholders sometime late next year, with Michael Dell—who is also chairman of VMware—and Silver Lake retaining an approximate 53 percent majority stake in VMWare.
If the spin-off is completed, Michael Dell will own approximately 42 percent of VMware, while Silver Lake will hold about 11 percent, sources said.
Michael Dell currently owns 52 percent of Dell Technologies while Silver Lake owns nearly 14 percent, according to a Dell Technologies Proxy filing in May with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
By spinning off its 81 percent stake in VMware to Dell Technologies shareholders, Dell Technologies will be able to improve its investment grade rating, pay down its $48 billion in debt, keep its highly successful partnership with VMware intact, attract new investors and clean up its capital structure, sources and analysts said.


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Norio Ohga, one of the handful of men who shaped Sony into the global consumer electronics giant that it is today, died on Saturday morning in Tokyo at the age of 81, Sony said.
Twitter has appointed its first country manager, another sign of its continued expansion of presence and popularity around the world.
Ingo Elfering talks a lot about opportunities. That's not surprising, considering he has built his career on developing transformative uses for IT. In 1987 he founded his own company, MedicalData Service, which developed software for the medical comm...
SAP executive John Wookey, who was charged with developing a SaaS (software as a service) strategy for large enterprises, is leaving the vendor after about two-and-a-half years, the company said Monday.
Microsoft has appointed a new chief marketing officer, Chris Capossela, to take the place of Mich Mathews, who announced last week that she was stepping down.
Intel CEO Paul Otellini received a seven per cent pay bump last year, as Intel more than doubled its profits and for the first time topped $40 billion in revenue. His total compensation climbed to $15.7 million in 2010 from $14.6 million in 2009, acc...
In the wake of Gianfranco Lanci's departure as president and CEO on Thursday, Acer must move aggressively in the smartphone and tablet markets and step up its focus on enterprise PCs in order to remain a major player on the world stage, industry anal...
Acer President and CEO Gianfranco Lanci has resigned from the company, Acer said Thursday, without saying why.
Mich Mathews, head of Microsoft marketing, has stepped down after 18 years of employment, the trade paper Ad Age reported on Wednesday.
The game of musical chairs continues at Twitter, where co-founder and former CEO Evan Williams will step down as product development leader, a role that will be taken over by Jack Dorsey, another co-founder who had distanced himself from the company'...
Java founder James Gosling has taken a job with Google, he revealed in a blog post on Monday.
Semiconductor companies in Taiwan plan to hire thousands of new employees on the island this year to meet the fast-growing global consumer demand for smartphones and tablet PCs.
An improving economy should be spurring CFOs to hire workers to handle the increased business that their companies are experiencing lately. But a ...
AMD on Monday continued shuffling its senior executive ranks, appointing former Hewlett-Packard executive Mike Wolfe as its chief information officer.
Intel on Monday announced the resignation of Anand Chandrasekher, the chief of the company's Ultra Mobility Group (UMG), but added that his departure won't affect the company's commitment to developing processors for smartphones and tablets.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
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The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.
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“Our milestone sales in 2011 and strong start in 2012 highlight a bright future ahead as we continue to enhance operations and expand our footprint in the retail, distribution, specialty and school markets," said Marc Jennings, President, Rich Art.
Northvale, NJ (PRWEB) March 28, 2012
Rich Art, a leading provider of high-caliber creative products, today announced that it has achieved record growth since launching its new operational and distribution strategy last year. The Company’s sales increased by 30 percent in 2011 over the previous year, with heightened demand for its dazzling array of quality, time-tested products continuing into the first quarter of 2012.
For almost a century, Rich Art has helped millions of people in the United States and around the world – from children and educators, to budding artists and professional crafters – express their creativity. As the only company to offer a full line of high-quality products that are formulated with the brightest, natural pigments and are environmentally friendly, 100 percent safe and truly washable, Rich Art has established itself as a leading brand in arts and crafts and educational supply.
Since its acquisition by JWG Capital in 2010, the Company is now even better positioned for continued expansion. Rich Art’s new executive team, led by Marc Jennings, CEO of JWG Capital, and Charlie Generelli, COO of JWG Capital, immediately implemented a process of operational upgrades, innovation and expansion of its distribution network following the acquisition. The team has since leveraged its vision and expertise to successfully execute a new strategy, focused on intensifying multi-channel sales and marketing initiatives, optimizing operations and enhancing Rich Art’s ability to roll out vibrant new offerings that spark the imagination.
“Since taking the reins at Rich Art just over a year ago, we’ve been focused on a key set of goals: upholding the Company’s remarkable legacy of high quality, affordable creative products, while enhancing our ability to serve our customers and provide original new offerings,” said Marc Jennings, CEO of JWG Capital and President of Rich Art. “Our milestone sales in 2011 and strong start in 2012 highlight a bright future ahead as we continue to enhance operations and expand our footprint in the retail, distribution, specialty and school markets.”
Rich Art proudly manufactures and ships all of its products from its production and distribution centre in the United States, thereby providing a competitive advantage in time to market, market-based innovation and a strong customer focus. The Company also subjects its products to rigorous quality testing and has earned the highly respected Arts and Creative Materials Institute Approved Product seal, known as the “gold standard” for non-toxic products.
Rich Art products are available at select retail stores in the U.S. and Canada and online at http://www.richartcolor.com.
About Rich Art Color Company
For almost a century, Rich Art Color Company has been inspiring the creativity of children, educators, parents, crafters and artists. The Company offers a dazzling array of high-caliber creative products, including washable and non-washable paints, glues and markers. With customer satisfaction, quality and safety in mind, the Company’s entire line of art supplies is made in the United States and is biodegradable and certified non-toxic. Rich Art Color only uses the highest-grade materials and has earned the rigorous Arts and Creative Materials Institute Approved Product seal. Founded in 1926, Rich Art Color Company is now a leader in the retail, distribution, specialty, and school markets, making it one of the most respected brands in the industry. The Company is headquartered in Northvale, New Jersey. For more information visit http://www.richartcolor.com.
About JWG Capital
JWG Capital is a private equity firm with sophisticated in-house financial and operational experience that focuses on direct acquisition of undervalued U.S. and global brands and companies. Deep expertise in finance, credit, and mergers and acquisition, and an executive management team with years of shared experience in turnarounds, are used to unleash value in companies with legacy consumer brands. JWG’s unique, vertically integrated platform develops financial models, provides capital, builds long-term strategies and provides a hands-on executive team to tirelessly unlock hidden value in portfolio brands and companies. For more information visit http://www.JWGcapital.com.


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Poison drummer says, “learn to sing!”
In a recent interview with 8 Count News, Rikki Rockett, drummer for hair metal royalty, Poison, talks about his drum building company, and offers simple advice to up and coming drummers.
Rockett Drum Works is not just his own business; it’s his own personal passion. Rikki said, “I have always been around the best builders in the world and always wonder why so many rules, what can I do different to making custom sets.”
After chatting with Rikki Rockett you walk away knowing that the man behind the drum kit is a force that will drive anything he is behind to success. For all inspiring drummers Rikki had these three word’s, “Learn to sing!!!”
Read more … (note: there’s some language in the article.)
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Apple‘s co-founder, Steve Wozniak, has spoken out about Steve Jobs’ medical leave, claiming that the company will “go on pretty well” without its head-honcho around.
Back in January, Apple CEO and turtle neck-lover Steve Jobs announced he would be taking indefinite medical leave from Apple, before showing up to launch the iPad 2 in San Francisco last week. Following his frail appearance, sources are fearing the worst, and believe that the Cupertino-giant will “collapse” without the genius of Jobs around.
Wozniak, an Apple shareholder who left the company back in the 80′s, thinks differently. Speaking out in Singapore, the long-time friend of Jobs said: “Steve Jobs is only on partial leave. Even if he were to be on total leave, we have examined it”. He confidently added: “Apple will go on pretty well even if he is not there directly.”
We agree. Steve Jobs may be the one of the most recognisable figures in technology today, but we’re pretty sure that Apple will do just fine without him, especially considering their Q4 2010 profits of $6 billion. Even so, guesses at his Jobs’ potential successor are firing up the rumour mill, with Apple co-CEO Tim Cook and popular iPhone-designer Jonathan Ives currently on the list to take the top spot.
Do you think Apple can go on without Jobs? Let us know!


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Strabane food oil company Frylite has created 25 jobs at a new plant in Lisburn, with plans to up headcount at the site to 60 in the coming years.
The move, part of a £2 million investment for the firm which supplies hospitality business with cooking oil, is in response to growing demand in the area which up until now had been serviced by its Strabane headquarters.
It already employs 230 staff at its bases in Coleraine, Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Strabane.
“For decades we have grown our client portfolio in and around the Belfast and Lisburn areas and those customers were serviced by our Strabane-based team,” Martin Gormley, Operations Director at Frylite said. “So, as our base grew, it made sense to open a new depot in that area.
“This not only allows us to be closer to our customers but it allows us to meet their daily needs in a shorter time frame with less travelling involved and that in turn has a better impact on the environment and improves our customer service. It’s an efficient business model that offers more competitive pricing for our customers too and we are very optimistic about the growth this will bring to the business.”
The opening comes as Frylite assigns 2021 as the year for its “green revolution” during which it has plans to use its oil products to produce fuel via Anaerobic Digestion. That process will allow it to power its fleet of vehicles and is just one of many green initiatives which will make it a carbon neutral business by 2030.
Eamon McCay, Managing Director, said the Frylilte Lisburn site has the capacity to grow considerably in the coming years.
“We also anticipate that the growth of our Food Waste Collection business and our oil and waste oils business will drive the need for a total of 60 new staff members who will work solely from the new base. It is great to be able to grow our business and that is testament to
the quality product and service that we offer customers who have
continued to support us and contribute to our growth.”
The Lisburn facility was designed by Manor Architects and built by
Woodvale Construction in conjunction with Frylite.
As well as operatives at the plant, including a plant manager, the company is also on the lookout for HGV drivers.


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LTE service revenue will represent 31 per cent of operator-billed revenue in 2017, a contribution worth more than $340 billion, according to Juniper Research. LTE revenue this year is set to be $75 million.
The high proportion of revenue attributed to LTE is a reflection of the success operators will have in securing higher-value subscribers, according to the analyst firm.
The increased momentum in LTE will initially be led by the enterprise sector with consumers beginning to sign up in bigger volumes this year. Consumer subscriber numbers will exceed enterprise customers in 2015 but account for less than half of total revenue.
The majority of LTE revenue (70 per cent) will come from in North America, the Far East and China.
The increased penetration of LTE-capable devices will prompt operators to develop clear pricing strategies to help customers with the transition to the next-generation service.
“Operators will have to review their tariff structures to balance the need to monetise the greatly increased data throughput, yet still offer attractive packages,” said report author Nitin Bhas.
Despite being the only UK operator currently offering LTE, EE cut its pricing just weeks after launching its network, while Three recently said it will provide 4G access at no extra cost.


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Technology and consumer electronics distributor MITSUMI Distribution for global firms has won ICT Distributor of the Year award at this year’s CIO 100 Annual Symposium and Awards Competition held in Kigali, Rwanda.
Formed in 1996 in Kenya, MITSUMI is an authorized distributor for leading global IT brands such as Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, Epson, Dell SonicWall, Microsoft, Western Digital, Sandisk, BenQ, Tripplite, Riverbed, IBM, D-link, Linksys and Huawei. MITSUMI has 15 warehouses and 8 service centers in Africa.
The awards, graced by Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary for youth and ICT Rosemary Mbabazi, brought together leading CIOs from the technology sector, logistics, telecommunications, retail, business information, and financial services.
Receiving the award, Mitsumi managing director Mitesh Shah said business technology leadership plays an integral role in enhancing the growth of organizations. “We feel proud and more encouraged to be recognised for this prestigious award which will go a long way to explain our passion for excellence in distribution,” he added.
He said the firm’s long history in Africa has convinced them to diversify the business model and add value to partners.
Mitsumi’s regional geographical coverage and extensive customer base makes the group the largest and fastest growing distributor in Africa.
Hosted in other countries such as the US, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and Hungary, the CIO100 Annual Awards are a global recognition excellence in enterprise IT. CIO 100 Annual Awards is among the top 10 most influential corporate events in Africa.
The forum’s aim was to enable participants to assess changing technological landscape and future impact on organisations.


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Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Fire & Flower Inc.has received two additional cannabis retail store licences from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission for locations in Edmonton.
Building upon the rapid development and expansion of Edmonton’s downtown, the Rice Howard Way location at 10141 – 100A Street, Edmonton, Alberta will be the only cannabis retail store located in the city’s downtown core. This store is located in a high traffic location near major office towers, hotels and the newly built Edmonton arena district.
The Westmount store will be located at 12225 – 107 Avenue, near the high traffic 124th street area in Edmontonand will serve the vibrant residental and commercial area west of downtown Edmonton. With the opening of these locations, Fire & Flower will have nine stores in the Edmonton metropolitan region.
The company anticipates the stores will open the week of September 9.
“As an Edmonton-based company, we are thrilled to be opening the very first cannabis retail store in the city’s vibrant and growing downtown core,” Trevor Fencott, Fire & Flower’s CEO, said in a release. “These are both major locations in the key metropolitan market of Edmonton, where our company is headquartered. Customers can shop confidently knowing they are supporting their local community while being part of an Edmonton success story in this new emerging market.”
Fire & Flower now owns or has interest in 30 cannabis retail store licenses across the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the Yukon territory.
It continues to focus on opening new retail stores across Alberta, where the AGLC continues to issue retail licences at a rapid rate, and in other Canadian provinces where private retail is permitted.
Fire and Flower said in a statement that: “Through its strategic investment with Alimentation Couche-Tard, the company has set its sights on the global expansion as new cannabis markets emerge.”


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Costly cyber attacks are having a bigger impact on corporate earnings and are becoming a fact of life for companies as Oreo cookie maker Mondelez, drug maker Merck and others said that a destructive “worm” attack in the last week of the second quarter disrupted operations.
Mondelez International Inc., the world’s second-largest confectionary company, reported a 5 percent drop in quarterly sales on Wednesday, blaming shipping and invoicing delays caused by the June 27 attack of the worm, known as NotPetya.
Other NotPetya victims include Merck & Co. Inc., which last week warned that NotPetya had halted production of some drugs, saying it has yet to understand the full costs associated with the attack.
The attack also slowed deliveries at FedEx Corp., disrupted port operations of shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S and halted production lines at British consumer goods maker Reckitt Benckiser PLC, according to accounts by those companies.


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Commodity prices are a key factor in influencing inflation rates because people indispensably need food, the Minister for Trade and Industry, Vincent Munyeshyaka has said.
Inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.
Munyeshyaka was speaking during a news conference on the regulation of Irish potato prices in Kigali on Friday, along with the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana.
He said that inflation rate in 2016, rose to 8.7% largely as a result of increase in food prices norm which normally should not have gone above 5% as regulations from the National Bank of Rwanda provides.
“The first thing that happens [when there is high inflation] is that many people cannot afford Irish potatoes, and as a result, they buy other commodities to replace Irish potatoes such as maize flour (Unga), and sweet potatoes. And, as people buy such food items, their prices also increase. That is why the country had high inflation in 2016, which.
He noted that the inflation significantly reduced to 2 percent in the third quarter of 2017 due to controlling prices of food commodities such as Irish potatoes, observing that if such performance gets maintained, the inflation will be effectively controlled.
According to the monetary policy and financial stability information by the Central Bank of Rwanda, inflation in Rwanda reduced to 2.2 percent in November down from 6.4 percent in November 2016.
Munyeshyaka said that some middlemen buy Irish potatoes as low as Rwf 70 a kilogramme but sell them at high as high as Rwf400 in Kigali, which causes unnecessary and unjustifiable inflation and farmers lose out.
“When Irish potato prices soar, they also drive up the prices for other commodities, which raises thre inflation rate,” he said.


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Addressing delegates in Las Vegas, United States at the World Venture and Rovia International Convention recently, Mzembi said the African continent should continue to condemn the introduction of high departure taxes by European countries as they were “a bad sign, travel sanction at their worst and xenophobic”.
The measures have been induced by the impact of the global meltdown in Europe, which has seen it taking measures to localise travel cash flows.
“We are working on the univisa, which will give greater access of Southern Africa to its source markets. Zimbabwe is a pilot project State,” Mzembi said.
The tourism sector believed a univisa for Sadc would considerably improve tourist arrivals in the region.
Mzembi described the content by local hospitality players on average occupancies of 38% as “bigotry and narrow mindedness that is prejudicing our people”.
The minister said conflict and the absence of peace and stability were not conducive to sustainable tourism, as events in North Africa had recently shown.
He said it did not matter how much a destination may be discounted, if it lacks peace and stability, it will have ‘no takers’.
Mzembi said Zimbabwe will host the Africa Travel Association Congress next month as a dry run to the United Nations World Tourism (UNWTO) General Assembly to be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in August 2013.
He said some of the key enablers to tourism included currency convertibility and use of plastic money, efficient ports of entry management, protection and preservation of national heritage and monuments and product packaging and regional integration and development of accompanying satellite accounting systems.
Global travel and tourism generate $1,2 trillion in direct income, receives nearly a billion people, employs 240 million, and its global impact on gross domestic product is believed to be in the region of $6 trillion.
“The question is who is invoicing these figures, and who is directly and indirectly employed,” Mzembi said.
“I speak for Africa today as an executive member of the UNWTO, and our share in both instances of arrivals and revenue is under 5%.
“How can we empower the individual to participate more meaningfully in this sector


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News tagged ‘battery’
Apple has just released iOS version 11.0.1, one week after major version came out.
Apple has reportedly chosen its main supplier for the new Apple Watch series 3. The new Apple Watch may debut this fall already.
Just as we all expected, Apple has today unveiled the 4-inch iPhone SE. The handset is the first 4-inch smartphone released by Apple since 2013 and in terms of design it’s quite similar to the iPhone 5s. When it comes to the hardware specs, however, it’s absolutely different from its predecessor.
A couple of weeks ago, a rumor appeared on the Internet that suggested that the iPhone 6s will get a smaller battery size and capacity than the iPhone 6. The rumor was accidentally proven by Apple in the iPhone 6s Introduction Video. Attentive users managed to see that the battery has a capacity of 1715mAh, which is noticeably lower than the capacity of the battery found in the iPhone 6 (1810mAh).
According to the latest report from people familiar with the matter, the next-generation Apple Watch will boast of a number of new features aimed at making it a more independent device. Some of the new features may be added to the watchOS 2.0, which is expected to be officially released in the near future.
Apple on Monday announced iOS 9 and made it available for developers. The new version of Apple’s mobile operating system is much faster and stable, moreover, it can boast of a number of new features. The list of these features is available below, you may take a look if you like.
Apple on Tuesday released the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro and the 27-inch iMac with an amazing 5K display. The release took place one day earlier than we expected. As you know, rumors pointed to the official launch of the aforementioned devices on Wednesday.
As you probably know, Apple’s main rival, Samsung, released two new smartphones, namely, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge earlier this year. Both handsets are made of aluminum and have a pretty nice design. According to the latest images posted online by @evleaks, in the near future, the South Korean tech giant will release something called the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. The rugged version of the flagship device will reportedly feature a 5.1-inch QHD Super AMOLED display, a 14-nanometer Exynos 7420 processor and two cameras, rear and front-facing, with 16 megapixels and 5 megapixels respectively. Looks like there will be no fingerprint sensor. However, the waterproof and dustproof device will get a 3.500mAh battery.
According to the latest report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, the phablet market grew 21% in the first quarter of this year. What is interesting is that this growth is caused by the immense demand for Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, which occupied as many as 44% of the market. Just for you to compare: last year, the phablet market growth accounted for only 6% in the first quarter. The main reason for people to choose a phablet is the size of its display. Apart from that, phablets are usually better in terms of performance and battery life.
As you probably know, the Apple Watch comes with a magnetic wireless charger. Users have to charge their wearable devices every night to make them work throughout the day. According to what one accessory manufacturer has recently told the reporters, there is a possibility to use the hidden 6-pin port on the smartwatch to charge it with the help of something called battery strap directly while wearing the gadget on the wrist. The manufacturer is reportedly working on a flexible battery in the form of the Apple Watch band and will announce it in the near future.
It is Sunday today, which means it is time for me to tell you about the most interesting posts of the last seven days. Let’s not waste time and take a look at the articles worth your attention right now.
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that users will have to charge the Apple Watch every night. The exact battery capacity and a number of recharge cycles, however remained unknown.
No earlier than yesterday experts from iFixit posted the results of disassembling the new Apple Watch on their official website. As we reported the day before, Apple started sending messages saying that the long-awaited gadgets had been successfully shipped to lucky ones, who managed to pre-order them. It took only a few hours for experts from iFixit to completely disassemble the device and post the detailed report to the official site.
According to the latest report from TechCrunch, the battery of the Apple Watch will be replaceable, which means user will get an opportunity to change it after it loses its capacity. By the way, the battery has a lifecycle of about three years. And this is not a rumor; such technical spec has been officially confirmed by the guys from Cupertino. However, Apple failed to mention whether any other components, for example, RAM or CPU, will be replaceable and as a result - upgradable. We’ll find that out once the smartwatch hits the store shelves in April, I guess.
According to the latest report from people familiar with the matter, the long-anticipated Apple Watch, which is expected to be unveiled at “Spring Forward” media event scheduled for March 9th, will boast of improved battery, new notifications, 8GB of memory on board for storing music, Force Touch and other features.


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Could this finally be the superhero game we’ve all been waiting for?
With a release date slated for May of 2020, I’m sure all the fans of Marvel’s Avengers will be waiting impatiently for its arrival. Shown off this year at E3 and being developed by Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics and Marvel Games, it looks to bring a brand new envisioning of the Avengers with big names such as Nolan North and Troy Baker lending their voices to help bring the iconic hero’s alive.
We got to see a little bit of how the game will look through a short Cinematic glimpse of gameplay showing off Iron man, Thor, The Hulk, Black Widow and of course Captain America. The game has been confirmed to be both single player and online multiplayer. Though rest assured, social media co-ordinator and manager – Meagan Marie, alongside studio head Scot Amos, stated there will be zero pay to win mechanics or loot boxes of any sort and that all additional future content post-game release would be free, including new hero’s to play as and new locations to see.
It will be exciting and interesting to see where the story takes us, but this is one to look out for, no doubts about that.


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Singaporeans are saving on household expenses, according to fourth quarter global online consumer confidence findings from Nielsen.
Forty-four percent of the respondents surveyed in the fourth quarter (Q4) do not believe that the country will be out of an economic recession within 12 months.
The Nielsen Global Survey of Consumer Confidence and Spending Intentions Q4 2011 indicates that consumer confidence in Singapore remains at a two-year low with an index score of 94.
The nation was at 10th place out of 14 countries in the Asia Pacific region, ahead of New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
"As job cuts across the globe made the news, more consumers here are worried about their jobs. The higher volatility in asset prices and the uncertainty about the future course of the global macroeconomic environment will also have weighed on sentiments here," said Joan Koh, managing director, Nielsen Singapore. "Consumers here are generally continuing to hold back on their spending with a wait-and-see attitude, and we expect this conservative stance to continue in 2012 along with their propensity to save."
Investment in stocks/mutual funds
About 69 percent of Singaporeans are channelling spare cash into savings and about 32 percent are putting spare cash into shares of stocks/mutual funds.
"The majority of Singaporeans are putting some spare cash into savings, indicating a desire to seek ways to preserve and grow their wealth," said Koh.
"The interest rate environment may have prompted some to invest in higher-return alternatives. Singaporean's continuing appetite for savings as well as investments present significant opportunities for the financial services industry to offer even more wealth management solutions."
Global online consumer confidence findings from Nielsen also indicate that 55 percent of Singaporeans are concerned about their future job prospects and only one in two consumers in Singapore are optimistic about the state of their personal finances.
Twenty-nine percent of Singaporeans think the country is in an economic recession and 13 percent are concerned about maintaining a work/life balance.
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Analysts predict that Nomad Foods Ltd (NYSE:NOMD) will post $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Three analysts have made estimates for Nomad Foods’ earnings, with the lowest EPS estimate coming in at $0.38 and the highest estimate coming in at $0.40. Nomad Foods posted earnings per share of $0.43 in the same quarter last year, which would indicate a negative year over year growth rate of 9.3%. The company is scheduled to issue its next quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 9th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Nomad Foods will report full-year earnings of $1.45 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.38 to $1.49. For the next fiscal year, analysts forecast that the business will report earnings of $1.58 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $1.47 to $1.66. Zacks’ EPS averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that cover Nomad Foods.
Nomad Foods (NYSE:NOMD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 28th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.01). Nomad Foods had a return on equity of 10.02% and a net margin of 7.93%. The firm had revenue of $701.58 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $673.67 million.
A number of analysts recently commented on NOMD shares. TheStreet raised Nomad Foods from a “c” rating to a “b” rating in a research note on Friday, March 29th. UBS Group set a $25.00 price objective on Nomad Foods and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 1st. Finally, Zacks Investment Research raised Nomad Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. The company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.50.
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Macquarie Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Nomad Foods by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 343,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,958,000 after buying an additional 13,975 shares in the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Nomad Foods during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,280,000. Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in shares of Nomad Foods by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 64,169 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,300,000 after purchasing an additional 2,641 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its position in shares of Nomad Foods by 459.9% during the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 75,541 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,263,000 after buying an additional 62,049 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its position in shares of Nomad Foods by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 4,655,967 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,848,000 after buying an additional 54,670 shares in the last quarter. 68.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Shares of NOMD stock opened at $20.71 on Friday. Nomad Foods has a 52 week low of $15.87 and a 52 week high of $21.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.
Nomad Foods Company Profile
Nomad Foods Limited, together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes frozen foods in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Sweden, France, Norway, Austria, Spain, and rest of Europe. The company offers fish products, including fish fingers, coated fish, and natural fish; vegetables, such as peas and spinach; and poultry and meat products comprising nuggets, grills, and burgers.
Featured Story: Price-Sales Ratio
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Premier Retail, Solomon Lew’s fashion empire including Smiggle and Peter Alexander, is about to post a record half year result, a beacon in a troubled retail world.
A short time ago, Premier Retail shares were up 11.7% to $13.99.
The company, noting speculation around earnings risks for retailers in Australia, today released a short market update on expected half year results.
Premier Retail says total sales for the six month are expected to come in at a record of about $588.6 million, a 7.1% increase on the first half of 2016.
Underlying EBIT is expected to be between $92 million and $93 million, a 9.4% to 10.6% increase on the $84.1 million in the same 26 weeks in 2016.
Australian retail sales recorded a shock decline in December, according to official numbers released this week.
And this has been reinforced by several retailers reporting weaker than expected Christmas and New Year sales. Among them, Oroton says like-for-like sales are down 10% in the first half.
And a string of retail failures recently has put the sector in focus. Yesterday Fashion clothing brands Herringbone and Rhodes & Beckett have gone into voluntary administration, joining a growing list of retailers seeing customer support fade.
They follow fashion labels Marcs and David Lawrence which last week went into voluntary administration, citing deteriorating sales, general market conditions and poor cash flow.
Others going into administration, under pressure from online trading and emerging competitors, include Payless Shoes, Pumkin Patch, Howards Storage World and Dick Smith stores.
Gary Huxtable, client adviser at Atlantic Pacific Securities, says Premier regularly gets a dark shadow cast across it by negative sentiment towards retailers.
He says the doom and gloom narratives and Smiggle’s UK exposure post-Brexit were overdone, with the stock being oversold over the last week.
“Those familiar with the continued international expansion of Smiggle, and world-class retail portfolio management skills of Mr Lew, would have been looking upon the recent sell-off as an opportunity to buy prior to their March report,” says Huxtable.
“They’ve simply been able to cash in on the disconnect between market expectations and business performance sooner rather than later.”
In 2016, the children’s stationery chain Smiggle and sleepwear brand Peter Alexander helped push Premier to a record full year result, including a profit of $103.87 million, a 17.9% rise on the previous year.
The company is a stand out among Australian retailers, growing sales where others struggle. Sales were up 10% to $1.058 billion, passing the $1 billion mark for the first time. Like-for-like sales grew 3.5%.
Smiggle has stores in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, England, Scotland, Wales, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The company also runs Just Jeans, Portmans, Dotti, Jay Jays and Jacquie-E.
Premier is due to announce its full half year results on March 21.


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Astonishing Classic Vehicle Auction to be Held this September
There is nothing more interesting than a classic vehicle auction. Isn’t it? Classic cars have always grasped the attention of vehicle lovers. They always look forward to such auctions and this is the main reason, why such news always comes on top, whenever you search them in any online search engine website. Now, it is time to discuss about the latest auction news.
There is good news for every classic vehicle lover out there reading this article right now. Later this month the Lambrecht Chevrolet Corporation has decided to auction more than 500 classic cars mainly belonging to the 60’s and 70’s times. These models are very ethnic in style and have been seen in many landmarking movies of the times.
Vintage Vehicle Auctions are always looked upon by Collectors
Facts about the Auction
For example, you might notice Chevrolet Indy Pace, a 1978 model, still showing off its racing stripes upon it. There is even the Bel Air Sedan from the 66’s and still covered in the tropic turquoise color. You might also come across Impala of the year 1964 along the long line of classic cars.
You might find them covered in dirt, but don’t worry, they are shiny just underneath that thin sheet of dust. According to the auctioneer, VanDerBrink, the cars function like any other new car, even if they have crossed the age 50 years. Most of these cars have an odometer rating less than 10 miles at most.
You might be astonished to know that such aged cars and still in such good condition is almost impossible to find anywhere. The auction process is considered to be a holy grail for every vehicle collector. Many of the cars still features their plastic cover till this date. They even have price stickers upon their windows. The Imapala model, which was once sold at an amount of 3000 dollars in the year 1964, might now be priced by 40 times higher than what it had been sold back then.
According to sources, it has been found that many of these classic cars still contain original oil inside their engines, which is quite an amusing fact. Many car magazine editors consider that the cars might break a rough six figure when they are being put up for auction this month’s end.
The owner of this particular dealership ray Lambrecht does not believe in selling the trade-ins or even the last year’s models after the new ones had been launched in the market, thus, keeping almost all the old vehicles outside. He legitimately closed his dealership right in the year 1996 and has now decided on selling his collection.
These cars had been personally collected by ray, aged 95. He kept the cars just the way they were bought at that time, brand new, not even driven more than 10 miles. According to Pickering, this is one of a kind of classic auction, more like a legendary phenomenon that will be taking place later this month.
The collection is itself huge with almost 500 vehicles to choose from. Now, Chevy Deluxe belonging to the year 1950 is still featuring a 20 foot tree limb that has grown out of its bumper. They might be old and rusted, but Ray is in no plan to refurbish and clean them. He is of the opinion that it is up to the collector to decide that what he or she should do with cars.
Alex Mathew is a proficient author writing articles on auction of second hand cars and other similar topics. He contributes regularly for latest British motor auctions news.
Summary: There is nothing like a classic car auction. It is essential for collectors to look out for auction news on leading news websites and TV channels.


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Condé Systems Inc. invites the public to its annual open house on Saturday, August 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the company headquarters, 5600 Commerce Blvd. East in Mobile, Alabama.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the company will host demonstrations and workshops from a number of guests including: Molly Hill and Jimmy Lamb of Sawgrass; Keith Shifflet of Unisub; David Lewis of Forever Transfer Paper; Jim Cobb of Vivid Chemicals; Jackie Weir of ID Plates; AccuCutter; and more, according to Condé Social Media Manager Bobbi McMullen.
Condé’s own Sprite Rosewood will also present education sessions in addition to the company’s technical support department, who will be on-hand to answer questions and showcase various equipment, products, and software including the Live Portrait app and the personalization kiosk. Condé will also introduce new equipment and products. “We’ll have a huge announcement regarding our Reveal (line of products) and some new acrylic items,” McMullen tells A&E magazine.
“It’s a really great time,” she adds. “We love our open house. We take the whole building and spruce it up.”
The company is expecting a large turnout for the event—400 to 500 visitors. “Each year, there have been more people each year,” McMullen says. “We made it family-friendly by having the food trucks parked outside where grandma and the kids can sit out on the lawn around the pond. It’s beautiful.”
There will also be door prizes, free gifts for attendees, and a raffle with a mystery grand prize, she notes, adding that a new feature of this year’s open house is free shipping on all products and equipment attendees purchase at the event. “In past years, we had people waiting around for orders to drive home with,” she explains. “This year, we decided this year to offer everybody free shipping so they don’t have to pack it up with the rest of their vacation stuff.”
The annual open house will be held in conjunction with The Essentials of CorelDraw, hosted by Corel Certified Instructor Roger Wambolt on Friday, August 4. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the all-day session will also cover the essential tools and techniques featured in the new interface for sublimators to use with confidence. Held at the Mardis Gras Museum, 355 Government Street in Mobile, Alabama, the seminar and lunch are $175 and seating is limited.


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Holidaymakers in their masses packed up and jetted off to Spain when the Government released its list of “safe countries” where Britons could travel to without the need for quarantine upon their return. However, following a sudden U-turn and the reinstatement of a travel advisory to the country, thousands of travellers now face devastating losses.
Worryingly, it now seems even those who have invested in travel insurance policies might not be protected against Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advisories if they suddenly change.
Only one major travel insurer will pay out if a holiday or trip needs to be cancelled due to a sudden change in government advice.
To make matters worse the policy, provided by Nationwide, is only available as an additional feature to an existing current account.
Nationwide’s website confirms: “COVID-19 cover is available as long as your trip was booked when there was no government advice in place against travel to your destination.”
According to Lloyd Figgins, chairman of the Travel Risk and Incident Prevention Group (TRIP), the reason behind a lack of coverage across the industry is simply due to the unprecedented and “complicated” nature of the situation.
“The situation around insurance is complicated, as, in order for you to get a refund, the tour operator has to cancel your holiday,” he explained.
“However, as the FCO is not advising against all but essential travel, it’s likely that some operators will not cancel and therefore will not offer a refund to those who wish to cancel their travel to the Canary or Balearic Islands.”
However, with every evolution of the pandemic, insurance providers are growing and changing how they meet the needs of holidaymakers.
Holidays: Urgent warning for ‘at risk’ countries [INTERVIEW]
FCO extends Spain travel ban to Balearic and Canary Islands [UPDATE]
Cruise: CDC extends no-sail ban [COMMENT]
In the early days of the virus, many providers stopped selling new packages or eliminated any coverage for coronavirus related issues.
Yet as the weeks progressed, most have resumed sales, with many diversifying the type of support they can offer should a COVID-19 related issue crop up.
One such firm is Insurefor.com, which is providing coverage for Britons who are diagnosed with the virus themselves, or who find themselves caught up in a local lockdown while abroad.
“Following the latest UK Government announcement, which is going to have a significant impact on consumer confidence, we are now looking to evolve our travel insurance products in the event that the government imposes further quarantine requirements for UK travellers visiting other destinations,” Antony Martin, managing director at Insurefor.com told Express.co.uk.
“As it stands, if a customer has already travelled to mainland Spain unless advised by their travel provider (they bring the flight forward for example), they can continue on their holiday as normal with Insurefor.com’s COVID-protection travel insurance cover in place.
“This includes cover if they have tested positive for COVID-19 and need medical assistance if the hotel they have already checked into is closed due to local lockdown or COVID issues if other guests tested positive.”
However, there may be some implications as a result of the mandatory quarantine period.
“With regards to the 14-day quarantine that the government has imposed, Insurefor.com’s policy does not cover this, but we would change the policy to another date free of charge or provide a refund if booked within 14 days,” said Mr Martin.
This is why staying up to date on relevant travel updates is crucial.
“For customers who haven’t yet travelled, visiting a country after the FCO has advised against non-essential travel would make their travel insurance invalid,” said Mr Martin.
“In the event that customers need to change their holiday dates or their flights are cancelled, the travel company should refund or change the date.”
Mr Figgins also heralded a warning for Britons jetting off.
“It’s vital that travellers check the details of their insurance policy and also the booking conditions of their holiday operator,” he urged.
“The good news is that many holiday companies have flexible policies on rebooking holidays, so you may be allowed to change holiday destination, or request a voucher instead of a refund.
“Speak to your tour operator before cancelling your holiday to find out what your options are.”
Source: Read Full Article


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Newsletter 7 - January 20, 2020
Welcome to the first edition of “Trade War” to come after the supposed resolution of the trade war—or at least after the “phase one” deal that was signed last Wednesday. Of course the idea that there has been any serious resolution is, I’m afraid, nonsense. No one but the supremely gullible or willfully ignorant expect US-China trade frictions to now magically go away.
“Will you say, ‘Thank you, Mr. President’”
The “phase one” event itself was notable for its unusual tenor: while the visiting Chinese dignitaries led by Liu He stood in apparent befuddlement, Trump presided over a bizarre and rambling 75-minute long event that seemed focused on him calling out the names and congratulating the dozens of corporate chieftains in attendance, while simultaneously taking credit for the business success of many of them.
“Will you say, “Thank you, Mr. President” at least? Huh?” he said to one JPMorgan Chase exec, before bragging that “I made a lot of bankers look very good.” He continued in the same vein, later saying “most of you, I can say, you’re doing fantastically well. “Thank you, Mr. President.” Don’t worry about it. Don’t feel guilty.” Attendees included top execs from Honeywell, Boeing, Micron, Citibank, AIG, and many more.
Cheerleaders for outsourcing jobs to China
That didn’t resonate well with everyone, including those who focus on workers and jobs. “There were a lot of Wall Street guys and big cheerleaders for outsourcing jobs to China,” said Scott Paul of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, “I didn’t see many working-class folks in that room.”
“The only question that matters: does the US-China #tradedeal have enforceable penalties if workers are denied internationally recognized labor rights (esp independent unions & collective bargaining)?,” tweeted one researcher on China labor rights. “No? Then the US can't compete on manufacturing. *period* The rest is fluff.”
Look at our penmanship
In any case, Trump and top Chinese trade negotiator Liu He finally got to signing it and even showed their penmanship for the cameras, as pictured below:
The tally: 105 “China shall” vs. 5 “United States shall”
So what’s in the deal—a lot of “shalls” which were helpfully tallied up by one China watcher (the former head of the World Bank to China, in fact). Here’s what he found: 314 "shall" in total, 105 "China shall", 88 "parties shall" or "party shall" or "China and the United States shall", and only five "the United States shall"
Government dictates rather than market forces
Adds trade reporter David Lynch, writing in the Washington Post: “The deal reflected the president’s distinctive reshaping of American trade policy, relying on government dictates rather than market forces and establishing a direct enforcement system outside the World Trade Organization.”
For the first year, China has promised to buy an additional $76.7 billion in U.S. goods and services, up 41 percent jump compared to what it spent it spent on American exports in 2017, Lynch writes.
Also, notable: the fact that the agreement will not rely on independent parties to resolve any possible future disputes. “Rather it’s up to each side to decide on its own whether the other is violating its commitments. How this will play out remains to be seen,” Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society and a former U.S. trade negotiator, said to the Washington Post.
The bottom line
While the agreement does indeed have the Chinese promising to buy more, it focuses much more on a managed trade approach than on trying to solve the serious systemic issues that have long upset US and foreign investors in China—industrial subsidies benefitting Chinese state enterprises and restrictions on foreign investment in many industries, to cite just . two that were left largely untouched.
“The agreement is a limited one, primarily capping the potential for further escalation of protectionism on both sides rather than taking serious steps to address long-standing issues in Chinese trade practices,” write the Rhodium Group’s Dan Rosen and Logan Wright, noting that while China has promised more US imports, its “capacity and willingness to meet these targets remains in question.” Meanwhile, “the broader decoupling trends in security-sensitive areas of the bilateral relationship will continue.”
“So-called” Phase 1
While it’s not surprising democrats, particularly those who hope to run against Trump for president later this year (see Biden below), are critical of the deal, even some of Trump’s usually sycophantic supporters are expressing their disproval. “This so-called Phase 1 agreement will make sure American capital continues to directly fund China’s state-run economy,” wrote Marco Rubio.
“China is the big winner,” says Biden
For a roundup of their views on China —not trade but general - of all the leading US democratic presidential candidates, here’s a helpful piece from Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian of Axios (as she point out, they are all “short on details”):
Meanwhile, U.S. is still going after Huawei, trade deal or not…
And China is sticking with Made in China, its sweeping industrial strategy…
US manufacturing says ‘No thank you, Mr. President’?
And is even in recession…
“US manufacturing was in a recession in 2019, according to Fed data out today,” writes Heather Long, economics reporter at the Washington Post, on January 18. “Output declined last year. Job growth slowed sharply. Job openings fell 32% since July. It's the sore spot in the US economy.”
Disappointed US soybean farmers
“A lot of American farmers are going to be disappointed with this trade agreement. Soybean prices are plummeting after the deal failed to include a specific $ amount for China's purchases of U.S. soy. All this just a few months before planting season!” writes Bloomberg’s Tracy Alloway.
And then you got global trade
It was down last year for the first time since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis..
Watch the movie! The Peterson Institute for International Economics has made a short video about the tariffs:
Worth checking out what looks like a bunch of interesting articles from experts on trade wars, in the Journal of International Economic Law:
What lobster sales tell us about the trade deal: Maine’s live lobster sales to China fell dramatically in the twelve months after tariffs were imposed in July 2018—down by 46.7 percent—as Chinese buyers instead turned to Canadian lobster. But will “phase one” make a difference? Much as with soybeans and other products, no one is really sure.
“The deal includes a commitment that China will purchase lobster in the coming years – but I am concerned the language does not appear to specify a minimum purchase amount, nor does it remove the existing tariffs so our lobster can be competitively priced with Canadian lobster,” frets Sen. Angus King in the Portland Press Herald.
Finally a big new report is out on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the massive state-led push to expand economic power overseas, highlighting how it is strengthening China Inc. “China’s colossal national champions—boosted by state-aid and cheap financing—are securing an unusually large proportion of contracts when compared to multilateral development schemes,” said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.


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By Justin LinghamPublished May 08, 2018 08:06:01Twitter is set to start offering users a new password prompt for its service to be more user-friendly.
Users who lose passwords for their accounts will be able to use a new option, a new feature that will let them enter their passwords and unlock new accounts.
Users can use the new feature to unlock new Twitter accounts or login to an existing account that is already locked, Twitter said.
Users will need to login to Twitter with their existing password, then use the “Password Reset” feature to reset it.
Users also can select the option to reset a password for their phone and reset it on a new phone, Twitter added.
Users that lose their Twitter password or a new one won’t have to use the password reset feature, but they will be prompted to enter their new password.
Users are free to reset their Twitter passwords at any time, though the reset will not reset the password cache on their account.
Twitter users are currently able to reset the passwords of their accounts for $1.99.


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A small server maker is aiming to launch a 64GB server powered by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.s dual-core Opteron chip.
Open Source Storage Inc. already ships a high-end system capable of supporting up to 32GB of memory—the OSS RS 32—and is planning to begin shipping the 64GB server next month, CEO Eren Niazi said in an interview. The Santa Clara, Calif., company has several test systems at customer sites, Niazi said.
OSS, which also offers a line of storage products, aims its servers at the high-performance computing space, focusing on the open-source community. The five-year-old company, which has 32 employees, offers systems running on both AMD and Intel Corp. technology.
The OSS RS 64 will be a 1U (1.75-inch) server and will use high-density 4GB DIMM (dual in-line memory modules), Niazi said. Pricing for the system will start at about $50,000.
The company is finding customers within a number of sectors, including securities, the federal government, search engine companies, and the media and entertainment industry, he said. OSS has seen a steady demand for systems that support 32GB of memory, and Niazi believes that demand will grow to 64GB when the new system is introduced.
OSS will follow the RS 64 in the second half of the year with a new chassis that will increase the server density available to customers, Niazi said.
The companys servers currently come in a variety of models, including systems that range in size from 1U to 8U (14 inches). OSS also offers blade servers.
Niazi said the companys business model includes a build-to-order component, and that systems normally ship within 14 days of being ordered.
Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis on servers, switches and networking protocols for the enterprise and small businesses.


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MILWAUKEE, Nov. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating possible securities fraud claims against Purple Innovation (NASDAQ: PRPL). The investigation results from inaccurate statements Purple Innovation may have made regarding its business operations and prospects.
The investigation focuses on whether Purple Innovation properly disclosed (i) its earlier announced wholesale expansion, (ii) the re-acceleration of its existing wholesale door productivity, (iii) the effect of its marketing spending on Purple Innovation's digital business, and (iv) its ability to control its pricing and cost management. On November 9, 2021, Purple Innovation announced disappointing third quarter earnings "largely driven by impacts from our manufacturing backlog that were longer-lasting than we anticipated. Our lack of inventory impacted sales through all of our channels which are deeply interconnected." On this new Purple Innovation's stock fell nearly 25%.


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Kepler is part of the 2,260 companies that participated as exhibitors in an area of 110,000 square meters.
It was an effective opportunity to show systems that will help bring our customers to industry 4.0.
Fair data - Industry 4.0
The seventeenth edition of MECSPE ended on Saturday with excellent results. More than ... Leggi Tutto


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The company said its key materials costs had risen by 4pc since December and there is "significant risk" that they could rise by another 4pc to 6pc by the end of the year.
McBride produces private-label goods for some of the world's largest retailers, such as dishwasher tablets for Asda and shaving gel for Tesco. Its warning sparked concerns from analysts that McBride's sales could be hurt as it is forced to raise the price of its products to meet costs.
McBride expects its revenues in the three months to June 30 to be 3pc lower than last year because of pressure from promotions by branded rivals and weak retail sales across Europe.
Shares in the group, which employs 5,000 people, fell 39.40, or 22pc, to 139.80p.
In a trading statement, McBride said its business model is "designed to manage raw material increase effectively, although inevitably there will be a delay before recovery from customers". The group plans to take out £4m of costs in the UK, where it has six factories, although it would not provide details.
"Clearly this is not good news for the near-term earnings outlook," Investec analysts said, calling McBride's outlook "appropriately prudent".


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ASIC has been successful in its action against Cigno Pty Ltd (Cigno) and BHF Solutions Pty Ltd (BHF Solutions), with the Federal Court finding that both companies engaged in credit activities without holding an Australian credit licence. ASIC also obtained permanent injunctions against Cigno and BHF Solutions to protect consumers.
The decision follows a series of appeals during the litigation, including an unsuccessful bid by Cigno and BHF Solutions to seek special leave in the High Court in December 2022 (22-360MR).
ASIC Deputy Chair Karen Chester welcomed the decision, saying, ‘ASIC took this case to stop a harmful lending model, one which circumvented Australian credit laws and regulations and charged excessive fees and charges to many vulnerable consumers. ASIC expects that Cigno and BHF Solutions will notify any affected consumers to ensure they are not paying any fees or charges covered by the injunctions. ASIC also expects that both entities have processes in place to ensure ongoing compliance with the injunctions.’
At the time ASIC commenced proceedings in 2020, BHF Solutions was writing more than 1,000 loans each day. ASIC took the matter to Court with the primary objective of stopping BHF Solutions and Cigno from using this harmful lending model. ASIC is committed to protecting consumers from predatory lending practices and high-cost credit.
In the consumer example described by ASIC in the case, a borrower with a $200 loan repaid in 2 months ended up paying $177.75 in fees to BHF Solutions and Cigno. The same borrower went on to borrow a further $600, ultimately paying another $703 in fees.
Justice Halley found that the objective purpose of the particular lending model established by BHF Solutions and Cigno was to avoid the provisions of the National Credit Act and National Credit Code which provide for the protection of consumers from disproportionate fees and charges.
The injunctions prevent Cigno and BHF Solutions from operating this particular lending model or collecting repayments and fees from consumers on loans provided under this particular model.
Separately ASIC is investigating another lending model involving Cigno Australia Pty Ltd and BSF Solutions Pty Ltd, which are related entities of Cigno and BHF Solutions.


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Chhendipada: Properties worth several lakh of rupees were gutted after fire engulfed four shops in Durgapur village under Jarapada police limits under this block in Angul district late Wednesday night.
According to locals, fire started at Gaya Sahu’s confectionary shop and spread its wings with time. The roof of Sahu’s shop being a thatched one, added fuel to the fire. The flame then engulfed another eatery, a grocery shop and a chicken counter.
Initially, the villagers attempted to douse the flame by throwing water. However, upon realising their failure in containing it, they informed the Chhendipada Fire Services department.
The fire fighters reached the spot and doused the flame, but by that time, the shops had been reduced to ashes.
While the cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, fire sparkles from the hearth of Gaya Sahu’s shop is said to have caused the mishap.
Villagers urged Revenue department to assess the loss and provide compensation to the affected shopkeepers.


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New York State Bans the Sale of Cosmetics Tested on Animals
New York recently became the tenth US state to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics tested on animals with the New York Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act. With so many alternatives and known ingredients available, there’s no excuse to cause animal suffering for a new shampoo or aftershave. Now, it’s up to the US congress to pass the Humane Cosmetics Act – to ban the sale and manufacturing of animal tested cosmetics throughout the US. Here’s more from CNN.
International Aid to Ukraine Continues
At a conference in Paris Tuesday, dozens of countries and international organizations pledged more than 1 billion euros (dollars) in aid to help the Ukrainian people as winter approaches. Read more from AP.
Patagonia’s Profits for the Planet
Back in September, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard transferred ownership of the 50-year-old company to entities that will use its profits to “protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis.” CNN has details.
Solar Powered Electric Car Sets New Record
An electric car in Australia made a record-breaking 621 mile (1,000km) trip on a single charge and powered by the sun. The car built by a group of “very smart amateurs” set a new world record by doing 240 laps on a track representing the distance from Sydney to Melbourne. Take a look in this article from the Good News Network.
Giving the Shoes Off Her Feet
Ta Leia Thomas didn’t expect anything in return when she impulsively gave a man her shoes. She was working at the liquor store in Minnesota when she saw him come in and get some boxes to put on his cold, shoeless feet. As the man started to shuffle out the door wearing the boxes, Ta Leia, aka, Ace, hurried after him and gave him her shoes. Now the store has started to collect clothes to help unsheltered people, and Ace is getting a lot of shoes. Here’s the story:
Got Good News?
Share your good news in the comments!


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Contract logistics giant GXO Logistics Inc. posted strong fourth-quarter results late Tuesday, with revenue up 28% to $2.3 billion, and adjusted diluted earnings per share of 73 cents beating Wall Street estimates by 15 to 17 cents.
The Greenwich, Connecticut-based company, which was spun off from XPO Logistics Inc. (NYSE: XPO) last August, also raised its full-year 2022 earnings guidance, increasing adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization to a range of $707 million to $742 million, from a range of $705 million to $740 million. Revenue should rise between 8% and 12% from $7.9 billion reported for 2021, GXO (NYSE: GXO) said.
In the quarter, operating income rose to $63 million from $50 million in the year-earlier quarter, while adjusted net income climbed to $84 million from $49 million, GXO said. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $167 million, up from $146 million in the 2020 fourth quarter.
GXO shares, which rose 2.2% during Tuesday’s session, rallied an additional 6% to $89 a share in after-hours trading. Shares peaked at $105.92 in mid-November before declining considerably over the next two-and-a-half months to a low of $70.51 a share on Jan. 28. Shares have gained in the past two weeks.
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2020 a strange year for ag, Farm Bureau economist says
2020 was a memorable year for U.S. agriculture, marked by the pandemic, increased federal aid and more exports to China, according to the chief economist of the American Farm Bureau Federation.
After facing major challenges in 2018 and 2019, American farmers had hopes that 2020 would be better. Then the coronavirus pandemic struck, an agricultural economist said.
"Unfortunately, that light we saw at the end of the tunnel turned out to be a freight train," said John Newton, chief economist of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "This virus really has significantly impacted food and agriculture in a way that we simply could not have anticipated in early March."
Even so, "We're going to find ourselves with a (2020) farm profitability scenario that looks pretty darn good across the country," in large part because of increased federal aid, he said.
Newton spoke Dec. 10 at the annual Prairie Grains Conference in Grand Forks, N.D. The event, hosted by a number of North Dakota and Minnesota commodity and general farm groups, was held online this year, with all the sessions on one day instead of the normal two.
- Gregg Doud praises recent gains in trade under Trump
- Changes ahead projected at USDA
- Biden taps China trade expert as U.S. Trade Representative
U.S. farmers and ranchers struggled in 2018 and 2019 because of natural disasters, poor commodity prices, difficult growing seasons and the trade war with China, Newton said.
But going into this year, "I think folks were optimistic that 2020 was going to be a better year" — with farmers hoping that "demand could accelerate enough to offset supplies that we were knew coming back in 2020," Newton said.
Then the pandemic struck.
Much more food was consumed at home, far less at food service facilities, stressing the supply chain. For example, restaurants typically buy bacon in 50-pound packages, while consumers buy much smaller packages. That led, among other things, to problems at meat-packing plants. Retail meat prices rose even though farmers with market-ready livestock were unable to sell it, Newton said.
U.S. ag exports also have struggled in 2020. For example, sales to Japan, a major customer, have dropped in half this year, for example.
"The lone bright spot in the world is China," Newton said.
The outbreak in China of African swine fever, which ravaged Chinese hog herds, led to "strong demand for our protein products." The Chinese also have bought large amounts to U.S. soybeans, to help to rebuild their hog herds, and corn, reflecting reports that the Chinese corn crop this year is poor, Newton said.
Implementation of the phase one trade agreement between China and the U.S. also boosted exports to China, Newton said.
Farm income, climate
U.S. net farm income in 2020 is expected to rise to $119.6 billion, one of the highest annual totals on record. Give much of the credit to special federal aid programs, without which many farmers and ranchers would be really struggling, Newton said.
He described apparently healthy 2020 farm income as "a false positive," one that is bolstered by federal payments and consequently doesn't give a fully accurate portrayal of farmers' and ranchers' financial situation.
Climate issues will become increasingly important under the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. Ag accounts for a relatively small amount of carbon emissions, but public attention is growing on what farmers and ranchers should do to limit their emissions, Newton said.
"The ag groups recognize that and we want to be part of the conversation. We want to be at the table with lawmakers," Newton said. "Farmers are willing to do more. We've long been good stewards of the land, protecting the water, protecting the air, protecting the soil. And we can do more, but it's got to be economically sustainable as well."
Agriculturalists' goal should be getting more voluntary practices, not mandatory ones, implemented across the country, Newton said.


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More Americans Satisfying Fizzy Fix With Sparkling Water
NEW YORK — Americans are spending less money on soda these days, with total U.S. dollars spent on carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) declining 1 percent over the last four years. The decline has cost the soda industry over $1 billion in sales, according to Nielsen. However, other carbonated beverages are seeing more positive results.
Much of the drop appears to be driven by a steep decline in diet soda sales, which fell nearly 5 percent during the same four-year period. Conversely, regular soda sales initially declined but have grown in the past two years. This may be driven by recent trends toward all-natural ingredients.
Consumers are increasingly going back to basics and seeking out foods that are fresh, natural and minimally processed. In Nielsen's 2015 Global Health and Wellness Survey, 29 percent of U.S. respondents rated "all natural" as very important, and 40 percent said the same about the absence of artificial colors and flavors.
At the same time, consumers still enjoy fizzy drinks. U.S. sparkling water sales have seen a spike in growth, increasing more than 15 percent in four years. North American sales of healthy categories such as water, fruit and yogurt also grew 7 percent over the past two years, while sales of indulgent categories such as CSDs, chips and chocolate fell 8 percent.
Alongside health benefits, what isn't included plays a major role in consumers' purchase decisions. Roughly one-third of U.S. respondents say that it's very important that foods are low in sugar (27 percent) and fat (25 percent), while approximately one-quarter of respondents believe the absence of high fructose corn syrup (33 percent) and caffeine (16 percent) is very important.
Despite these changes, the $26 billion in sales that soda saw last year mean that soda's popularity won't fizzle out any time soon, Nielsen said.


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Locks and Security News: your weekly locks and security industry newsletter
10th April 2024 Issue no. 700
Your industry news - first
We strongly recommend viewing Locks and Security News full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
Sterling Locks stand B25
The leading brands of Sterling & Burg-Wachter will be on display at Stand B25. Sterling continues to offer the locksmith great value across a broad range of quality security products, including Padlocks, Door Security & Post Boxes.
Burg-Wachter, Europe's largest manufacturer of Safes & Post Boxes, is presenting their popular locksmith ranges. Burg is a very popular brand across Europe can be found in most of the leading security specialists. "Always a safe choice" Burg has an extensive range of security products and is well worth consideration by locksmiths and installers.
Burg has developed some innovative and exciting electronic locking devices and will be providing an insight in to the future of electronic access control at the show at stand B25.
Sterling is part of the successful worldwide Burg-Wachter Group
11th February 2015


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The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's explosive Batman sequel, banked a massive $18.5 million during its opening run of midnight screenings Friday to set an all-time high, according to Variety.
"We have been thrilled by the response to The Dark Knight, first from the critics and now from audiences," said Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures' president of domestic distribution, in a press release Friday. "From our earliest screenings, the buzz on the film has been white hot and it hasn't let up."
The movie's impressive debut numbers easily topped the previous title holder, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which grossed $16.9 million at midnight showings when it opened in 2005. Rave reviews for Heath Ledger's creepy portrayal of the Joker will no doubt fuel Dark Knight's box office fire.
The darkly compelling Batman movie is screening at 4,366 venues across the United States, for the widest box office opening ever. By comparison, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End boasted an opening weekend theater count of 4,362. Sith screened in 3,663.
The bat signal is still on:* The* Dark Knight's record-setting $18.5 million sweep didn't include ticket sales from the 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. showings, according to Variety. Online ticketing hub MovieTickets.com is reporting more than 1,300 performances are sold out nationwide. Tickets are so hot that some people are trying to scalp them on Craigslist and eBay.
All eyes are watching the night sky to see if Dark Knight will dethrone Spider-Man 3*,* which garnered a whopping $59.8 million in 2007, for the highest single-day opening in box office history.
Photo courtesy Warner Bros.*