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- 3 min read
GST refunds denied to MNC back offices
Experts said the law is very clear on this aspect and this principle was followed even under the previous service tax regime.
New Delhi: A host of back offices of multinational companies in the financial sector face a tax whammy, with Goods and Services Tax authorities denying them refunds of amounts paid on inputs, saying the work done for parent companies can’t be considered as exports and will be counted as a service for the same entity.
GST authorities have rejected refunds on these grounds across states, including Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The denial of refunds running into hundreds of crores of rupees to these outfits can derail their business model and may impact India’s attractiveness as the world’s back-office hub, especially with the emergence of low-cost sites in the Philippines and East Europe.
Typically, tax paid on inputs that are used for exports is refunded. According to a clarification provided by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs in the form of frequently asked questions, where the Indian arm is set up as a liaison office or a branch, they would be treated as establishments of the same entity and hence, supplies between them will not qualify as export of services. “However, if the Indian arm is set up as a wholly owned subsidiary company incorporated under the Indian laws, the foreign company and the Indian subsidiary would not be governed by the provisions of distinct person or related person as both are separate legal entities,” it said.
Experts said the law is very clear on this aspect and this principle was followed even under the previous service tax regime. “It is essential to clarify without any ambiguity that global delivery centres operating in India for foreign customers are not liable for GST on services provided by them and are fully entitled to claim input tax refunds,” said MS Mani, a partner at Deloitte India. “From the law, it’s very clear that services provided to a separate legal entity would qualify as export of services.
Only services by one office to another of the same legal entity doesn’t qualify as export. It’s unfortunate that such fundamental issues are still being raised even after more than two years of GST implementation,” said Pratik Jain, national leader, indirect taxes, at PwC. Bipin Sapra, a partner at EY, agreed. “There is no ambiguity in law that a subsidiary of an overseas company can supply services to their overseas parent and qualify as export. Any challenge to this will be increasing the cost of delivery of such services from India,” he said.
The issue appears to have been raised largely by state tax authorities. “Hope the government takes urgent notice of this and comes up with a clarification so that the issue can be put to rest. This also means that state authorities need comprehensive training on taxation of service sectors, which was earlier administered by central government authorities,” Jain added.


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Safer Internet Day
Takes place on: 09/02/2016
Safer Internet Day 2016 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday 9th February with the slogan ‘Play your part for a better internet’.
Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved to help promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.
Globally, Safer Internet Day (SID) is organised by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, each February to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile devices, especially among children and young people. Celebrated on the second day of the second week of the second month, each year on Safer Internet Day thousands of people join together to participate in events and activities to raise awareness of online safety issues, right across the globe.
The online safety landscape has evolved over recent years from a focus on creating a ‘safer’ internet to creating a ‘better’ internet. Whether we are children and young people, parents and carers, educators or social care workers, or indeed industry, decision makers or politicians, we all have a role to play.
In championing a better internet, the theme aims to encourage people to play their part in making the most of the positive opportunities offered online, while giving them the resilience, skills, knowledge and support they need to navigate any online risks they may come across.
There are ways in which we can all contribute:
- Children and young people can help to create a better internet by being kind and respectful to others online, by protecting their online reputations (and those of others), and by seeking out positive opportunities to create, engage and share online. They can help to respond to the negative by being ‘helpful bystanders’: supporting peers if they encounter issues online, taking a stand against cyberbullying, and reporting any inappropriate or illegal content they find. Above all, children and young people should be encouraged to take their stand as digital citizens of the future – participating in debates on the future of the internet, and making their voices heard.
At Timbercroft primary school we will be learning how to stay safe on the internet and spreading the word in a variety of ways. These include:
- Wear your words – children will understand the importance of our words and how they stay on the internet forever.
- #shareaheart – children share positive message which they want to be seen by everyone on the internet.
- SID TV (Safer Internet Day) – children can watch how to stay safe on the internet and what to do if they don’t feel safe.
- We will all be sharing what we have learnt by creating leaflets (Upper KS2), posters (Lower KS2) poems (KS1) and e-safety golden rules (EYFS).
Parents and carers can help to create a better internet by maintaining an open and honest dialogue with their children about their online lives, by supporting them with their personal development online and helping them to deal with any concerns or issues, seeking out positive opportunities to engage with their children online, and helping their children to find and use good quality digital resources. They can help to respond to the negative by staying engaged with their child’s online activity (as appropriate to their age), by modelling positive online behaviours themselves, and by also reporting any inappropriate or illegal content they find.
We hope that you will join with us, and Safer Internet Day supporters across the globe, on Tuesday 9 February 2016 – and beyond – to play your part in helping to create a better internet!
Find out more about what is happening in the UK on Safer Internet Day at www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day
Find out more about what is happening globally on Safer Internet Day at www.saferinternetday.org.
Join the conversation #SID2016

domain: news


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1st Gear: Thanks But No Thanks
Once again, the ugly, weird and seemingly endless 2016 election wades into the world of cars. This time it’s thanks to the United Auto Workers union, whose president announced it will not endorse Donald Trump for president, effectively locking down support for current Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
Not surprising when you consider this is a labor union we’re talking about. Also not surprising when you think of how Trump swore he’d make Ford quit making cars in Mexico, somehow, and other wild claims about manufacturing. Here’s Bloomberg on what UAW President Dennis Williams said:
While Trump’s criticism of automakers investing in Mexico resonates with autoworkers, his suggestion that companies shift manufacturing to lower-wage states undermines the union’s efforts to preserve compensation for members in states like Michigan and Ohio.
“He said he would close plants here and move jobs to lower-wage states,” Williams said. “How does that help the middle class?”
Williams also said he doesn’t blame Clinton for NAFTA, which her husband enacted. That’s on Bill apparently. A UAW endorsement could help Clinton in the Midwestern states where she struggled against rival Bernie Sanders.
At the same time Williams conceded that nearly 30 percent of his membership supports Trump, so we’ll see.
2nd Gear: The UAW Wants Tesla
And speaking of labor, from that same story we learn the union—which has been struggling for years now—has its eyes on Tesla Motors out in California too:
Separately, Williams said the UAW is interested in organizing workers at Tesla Motors Inc.’s electric-car assembly plant in Fremont, California. Williams said he met with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk five years ago and and brought up the subject.
Williams, who declined to characterize Musk’s reply, said he didn’t try organize the company because it was a startup at the time.
“We have contacts at Tesla,” Williams said. “We are very interested in Tesla.”
Good luck going up against the tech industry, they love unions.
3rd Gear: Volkswagen Does ‘Mobility’
Mobility! What does it mean? It means whatever you want it to mean, most of the time, but the concept is largely centered around using a car without owning a car.
As it attempts to come back from the costly emissions scandal, Volkswagen says it’s getting in on that too, but won’t say how until mid-June, reports Reuters:
Europe’s biggest carmaker has been working on a new strategy for its core autos business that it hopes will boost its profitability once it emerges from an emissions test-rigging scandal which plunged the carmaker into a 4.1 billion euro operating loss for 2015.
“We want to lead Volkswagen out of the company’s most difficult situation ever and shape it into a mobility provider,” Mueller said in a speech given to the auto maker’s senior managers, the copy of the speech showed.
Presumably this means getting into ride-sharing and ride-hailing programs in cities like BMW, Ford, General Motors and more are doing.
4th Gear: Fiat To Germans: Go Fuck-a You-Self
More and more regulators in Europe seem to be getting wise to diesel emissions irregularities, even if it’s not on the egregious level that we saw with Volkswagen. The German Ministry of Transport was supposed to meet with Fiat about the issue, but the automaker... just didn’t show up, reports Reuters.
The company was expected to attend the meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue, but Fiat canceled the appointment by sending a lawyer’s letter, Dobrindt said in a statement.
“This uncooperative behavior of Fiat is completely incomprehensible,” the minister said, adding there were concrete allegations about irregular emissions of Fiat cars.
An investigating committee of the ministry has doubts on whether Fiat is meeting all requirements of type-approval legislation for its vehicles, he noted.
“It would be appropriate if Fiat would take a stand on this in front of the investigating committee,” Dobrindt said.
You can do that?
5th Gear: Maven Moves To Boston And D.C., Grows In Chicago
Speaking of ride-sharing, General Motors’ Maven service is set to grow even more soon, reports The Detroit Free Press:
General Motors is expanding its Maven car-sharing service to Boston and Washington, D.C., this summer, and is adding new options in Chicago, where it began service in March.
In Chicago, Maven has pricing starting at $8 an hour, including insurance and fuel. Registered customers use the Maven app to reserve one of 30 vehicles at more than 15 sites throughout the city.
When Maven City members reserve their choice of available Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick vehicles, they have the unique option of having the vehicle delivered to them. In addition to Maven City, Maven+ on-demand car sharing is available to residents of the Aqua luxury high-rise apartment building in the city’s Lakeshore East neighborhood.
Reverse: Pennsylvania Avenue
Neutral: Does The UAW’s Endorsement Still Matter?
They can maybe help get out the vote. What else?


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Digital transformation for beginners
In the world of manufacturing, the buzz about digital transformation isn't just a passing trend – it's the key to unlocking a new era of efficiency and innovation.
According to The Manufacturers Organisation's report, "Innovation Monitor: Bouncing Back Smarter", a whopping 80% of manufacturers plan to integrate digital technology into their businesses by 2025.
However, the report also sheds light on challenges. About 45% of manufacturers acknowledge the benefits of digitalisation but are hesitant to adopt it.
The primary roadblocks? A shortage of digital skills, technical know-how, and not knowing where to get started.
Ongoing challenges in the supply chain and the ups and downs of the economy continue to highlight how important it is for manufacturers to build resilience for the future. Creating this resilience means everyone on the team, especially leadership, needs to be on board. It's about setting up clear processes and making sure everyone knows their role so that adapting becomes easier.
Plus, on top of all this, manufacturers are facing even more pressure to give customers great experiences and keep them coming back. B2B customers these days expect the same personal touch and unique service that they get from businesses aimed at consumers.
The question then becomes, where should manufacturers start?
Download our step-by-step guide
Ready to take the first steps of your digital transformation journey?
Download our ebook to discover:
- The current state of the manufacturing sector
- What challenges digitalisation helps to solve
- How to create your unique action plan


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Seven tankers carrying some 210,000 tons of petroleum products have
been stranded outside the Dar es Salaam Port due to its slow discharging process, according to local press reports on Monday.
These seven oil tankers arrived
in Dar es Salaam in the third week of last month.
Flow meters, installed at the port to curb tax evasion, are discharging oil from tankers at a rate of 500 tons per hour instead of 750 tons per hour.
Local oil importers are fearing that retail prices of petrol and diesel might go up due to accumulated demurrage charges at the port.
Earlier last month, car importers in Tanzania also complained about the handling capability of the Dar es Salaam Port that
delayed the unloading of more than 1,000 motor vehicles from a roll-on/roll-off car carrier.
A senior official from the Tanzania Port Authority told the newspaper that the port authorities were considering rehabilitating the ageing mooring facility so as to handle tankers carrying up to 100,000 tons of petroleum products.


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Tyson Foods recalls nearly 9 million lbs of chicken due to Listeria contamination
WASHINGTON — Tyson Foods Inc., which is one of the nation’s largest processors and distributors of chicken and other meat products, is recalling approximately 8,955,296 pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products; fearing it may be contaminated with bacteria that cause listeriosis.
The announcement was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) on Thursday. Tyson Foods is recalling fully-cooked chicken goods produced between December 26, 2020, and April 13, 2021. The full list of items being recalled can be found by clicking here and their labels are available here.
Per the USDA, teams from the FSIS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began working together with local health authorities on June 9, 2021; shortly after officials were altered to two cases of listeriosis. Their investigation linked the illness to pre-cooked chicken products from Tyson Foods.
Health officials are also investigating three other cases of listeriosis, including one death, between April 6, 2021, and June 5, 2021, that may have been related to Tyson chicken products.
Listeriosis is a serious infection that generally has a stronger impact on the elderly, pregnant women, newborns, and people who are immunocompromised. Symptoms tend to be much less severe for people outside of these risk groups. The list of listeriosis symptoms, as provided by the USDA/FSIS release, is as follows: “fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions sometimes preceded by diarrhea or other gastrointestinal symptoms.”
Consumers are urged by public health officials to avoid eating the listed pre-cooked products from Tyson Foods Inc.
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Nexen Tire America, Inc. has released a new mobile app designed to make finding the right tires fast and easy.
The app, called “Nexen Tire” highlights all Nexen tires’ features and benefits on-the-go. It is available on Google Play app store for Android devices.
Key features of the app include:
- A tire finder that lets users search by vehicle or tire size
- Detailed information on each tire, including speed rating, sizing and ratings for braking, comfort, fuel efficiency, offroad capabilities and wear life
- Interactive 360-degree photography for realistic viewing
- Access to informative product videos
- Links to Nexen Tire resources and social media channels
“Shopping for tires is often confusing and intimidating, so we want to make the process as simple and streamlined as possible,” said Kyle Roberts, senior director of marketing at Nexen Tire America Inc. “With our new mobile app, customers can browse through our extensive selection of passenger, light truck and performance tires to compare specs and find the right tire for their vehicle. The app also helps locate the nearest dealer, all from the convenience of a smartphone. We want to provide as much information as possible, in a visual, interactive manner without unnecessary and confusing tire jargon. We hope this app will be a valuable resource for anyone that is currently shopping for tires or plans to in the near future.”


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SM Prime Holdings Inc. will start constructing this year its newest mall in China in Yangzhou province.
SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said in an interview following the annual stockholders’ meeting the mall in Yangzhou would have about 100,000 square meters of gross floor area and be completed over the next two years.
SM Prime is also expanding SM Xiamen, which currently has a GFA of 126,000 sq. m.
SM Prime has not opened a new mall in China in the past two years. The last mall it opened in China was SM Tianjin, which has a GFA 565,000 sq. m.
Lim said the company had not been aggressively expanding its malls in China because of strong opportunities in the Philippines.
“We have been quite a bit quiet in China for the last two years now because we focused our efforts in the Philippines given the opportunities here,” Lim said.
SM Prime has seven malls in China with a combined GFA of 1.3 million sq. m.
SM Prime in the Philippines is set to open four malls this year that will add 200,000 sq. m. of GFA.
Meanwhile, SM Prime is expanding its residential development by launching launch 19,000 to 25,000 units in Metro Manila and the provinces.
The units will be composed of mixed high-rise and mid-rise buildings, as well as single-detached house and lot projects to address the growing demand among local and foreign buyers.
Lim expects the house and lot developments to start contributing significantly to the group’s revenues.
Among its other businesses, SM Prime is also scheduled to launch this year the NU Tower, its first university-office building in the Mall of Asia Complex, and two new hotels in Iloilo and Quezon City—Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo and Park Inn by Radisson North Edsa.
SM Prime is set to introduce new large-scale integrated property developments in the Philippines that will carry the success of the company’s first lifestyle city, the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.
COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Reader comments posted on this Web site are not in any way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are views by manilastandard.net readers who exercise their right to free expression and they do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or viewpoint of manilastandard.net. While reserving this publication’s right to delete comments that are deemed offensive, indecent or inconsistent with Manila Standard editorial standards, Manila Standard may not be held liable for any false information posted by readers in this comments section.


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Less than half of companies in the retail and leisure sector are budgeting in preparation for rises in the National Living Wage, which will be introduced this week.
That's according to a report from business advisory firm Alix Partners, based on an online survey of company leaders in the leisure and retail sectors. It comes ahead of the introduction of the compulsory National Minimum Wage rate tomorrow. The strategy, which sees the minimum wage rise to £7.20 on 1 April, applies to staff over 25 years of age. The Government is also planning for the wage to continue to rise to around £9 per hour by 2020.
The report reveals that companies are planning to offset the cost of the increased wage through raising prices for goods and services, cutting the number of staff and introducing labour efficiencies. However, only 30% of the companies surveyed are budgeting to take account for the wage rise to £9 an hour in 2020.
Respondents were overwhelmingly negative towards the National Living Wage policy, with only 24% believing it will have an overall positive impact on their industry. More than 84% of respondents said its introduction, along with the failure to change Sunday trading laws, will make the UK a less attractive place to do business.
Those surveyed also gave a unanimous thumbs down to the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) rates, which recommends £8.25 across the UK and £9.40 in London, with none of the respondents opting to pay staff the LWF rate.
A total of 43.5% of respondents were from the restaurant/catering sector.
The report said that in the short term the higher wage will add to consumer spending and help to boost the economy, but warned that "the impact of the planned rise to £9 by 2020 looks far more difficult for companies and consumers to absorb and is likely to put significant pressure on many companies' profitability."
The report also recommends companies try to seek cost savings through new technologies, such as the Qkr payment app used by restaurant chain Wagamama as an example, while maintaining or improving customer service.
The wage rise is also likely to hit smaller companies harder, with the report predicting that the "the strongest, best-capitalised companies" benefiting from the wage rises. "Such companies should be better able to absorb the cost increase in the event that customers won't accept increased prices," it concluded.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned this week that the National Living Wage could lead to fewer jobs being created, fewer hours for existing staff and job losses.
Mike Cherry, FSB national chairman, said: "It's important that the independent Low Pay Commission continues to play a central role in setting minimum wages. This includes having the ability to recommend that the Government deviates from its plan to raise the National Living Wage to over £9 an hour by 2020, if it becomes apparent that the economy cannot afford it."
Latest video from The Caterer


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We tend to fixate constantly on the average MLS sale prices of Calgary homes and forget to take a closer look at the numbers supplied by the Calgary Real Estate Board.
Here’s an example.
When CREB released its monthly data for October recently, we discovered the average price for a single-family home sale was $455,399 for the month while for a condo it was $282,903.
But here’s an interesting point.
In October, 51.32 per cent of single-family home sales in the city were for under $400,000.
The most popular price point was between $350,000 and $399,999 where 17.31 per cent of all sales took place in October followed by the $300,000 to $349,999 range where 16.50 per cent of sales took place.
It’s also interesting to note that 16.09 per cent of single-family home sales in October were between $200,000 and $299,999.
In the condo market, 43.21 per cent of all sales took place in the $200,000 to $299,999 price point.


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The Goldman Sachs technology M&A team, led by Sam Britton, has cashed in on its software focus and decades of experience to dominate 2019's biggest deals.Technologyread more
American small and medium-size companies that rely on China are scrambling to adjust their business plans in response to the escalating trade war.Traderead more
Here are the products that stand to be the most affected by China's new tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods.Marketsread more
The summit comes amid fears over a global economic slowdown, and U.S. tensions over trade allies, Iran and Russia.Politicsread more
The world's second biggest economy is past a point where it cannot ignore its enormous debt anymore, according to an analyst.China Economyread more
Carl Medlock used to work at Tesla. Now he's one of the few people in the U.S. that can fix the company's original Roadster electric vehicles.Technologyread more
Trump does have some powerful tools that would not require approval from U.S. Congress.Politicsread more
Stocks dropped after Donald Trump ordered that U.S. manufacturers find alternatives to their operations in China.US Marketsread more
As demand for lab monkeys continues to rise, U.S. scientists are reporting delays in research projects because they can't obtain enough animals, according to the National...Politicsread more
The European Union will respond in kind if the U.S. imposes tariffs on France over digital tax plan, EU chief Donald Tusk told G-7.Technologyread more
Trump said he will raise tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods to 30% and hike duties on another $300 billion in products to 15%.Politicsread more
The Trump administration will delay tariffs on cars and auto part imports for up to six months as it negotiates trade deals with the European Union and Japan.
In a proclamation Friday, Trump said he directed U.S.Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to seek agreements to "address the threatened impairment" of national security from auto imports. Trump could choose to move forward with tariffs during the talks.
"United States defense and military superiority depend on the competitiveness of our automobile industry and the research and development that industry generates," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "The negotiation process will be led by United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and, if agreements are not reached within 180 days, the President will determine whether and what further action needs to be taken."
In his proclamation, Trump argued in part that "domestic conditions of competition must be improved by reducing imports."
The White House had to decide by Saturday whether to slap duties on autos. Earlier this year, the Commerce Department said Trump could justify the move on national security grounds. By law, the administration can push back its decision by up to six months if it is negotiating with trading partners.
In a statement Friday, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said "we completely reject the notion that our car exports are a national security threat." She added that the trade bloc "is prepared to negotiate a limited trade agreement" including cars, but not so-called managed trade, in which the partners could set targets like quotas.
Malmstrom said EU officials will discuss the issue with Lighthizer next week in Paris.
Levying the auto tariffs threatened to open new fronts in a global trade war that could drag down the U.S. economy. The EU has already prepared a list of American goods to target with tariffs if Trump goes ahead with the car duties.
Automakers and some U.S. lawmakers opposed the potential tariffs. The American car industry said the duties would put jobs in jeopardy and raise prices for consumers.
The decision comes after the U.S. and China fired new shots in their trade war. The White House is working to salvage a deal with Beijing to address what the U.S. calls trade abuses amid the widening conflict.
Trump also used the national security justification last year to put tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, including metals coming from allies such as the EU, Canada and Mexico. Europe previously retaliated after those duties.


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U.S. jury awards Apple $539 million in Samsung patent retrial
(Reuters) – After practically 5 days of deliberations, a U.S. jury on Thursday mentioned Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) ought to pay $539 million to Apple Inc (AAPL.O) for copying patented smartphone options, in line with courtroom paperwork, bringing a years-long feud between the expertise corporations into its ultimate phases.
The world’s prime smartphone rivals have been in courtroom over patents since 2011, when Apple filed a lawsuit alleging Samsung’s smartphones and tablets “slavishly” copied its merchandise. Samsung was discovered liable in a 2012 trial, however a disagreement over the quantity to be paid led to the present retrial over damages the place arguments ended on Could 18.
Samsung beforehand paid Apple $399 million to compensate Apple for infringement of a few of the patents at concern within the case. The jury has been deliberating the case since final week.
Due to that credit score, if the decision is upheld on enchantment it would lead to Samsung making an extra fee to Apple of practically $140 million.
In a press release, Apple mentioned it was happy that the members of the jury “agree that Samsung ought to pay for copying our merchandise.”
“We consider deeply within the worth of design,” Apple mentioned in its assertion. “This case has all the time been about greater than cash.”
Samsung didn’t instantly say whether or not it deliberate to enchantment the decision however mentioned it was retaining “all choices” to contest it.
“At this time’s choice flies within the face of a unanimous Supreme Court docket ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung mentioned in a press release. “We’ll take into account all choices to acquire an final result that doesn’t hinder creativity and truthful competitors for all corporations and shoppers.”
The brand new jury verdict adopted a trial in San Jose, California, earlier than Decide Lucy Koh that targeted on how a lot Samsung ought to pay for infringing Apple patents protecting points of the iPhone’s design. The jury awarded Apple $533.three million for Samsung’s violation of so-called design patents and $5.three million for the violation of so-called utility patents.
Apple this yr informed jurors it was entitled to $1 billion in earnings Samsung created from promoting infringing telephones, saying the iPhone’s design was essential to their success.
Samsung sought to restrict damages to about $28 million, saying it ought to solely pay for earnings attributable to the parts of its telephones that infringed Apple patents.
Jurors within the earlier trial awarded $1.05 billion to Apple, which was later diminished.
Samsung paid $548 million to Apple in December 2015, together with $399 million for infringement of a few of the patents at concern on this week’s trial.
Apple’s case towards Samsung raised the query of whether or not the entire earnings from a product that infringes a design patent needs to be awarded if the patent applies solely to a part of the product, mentioned Sarah Burstein, a professor of patent regulation on the College of Oklahoma.
The decision seems to be a compromise between Apple and Samsung’s positions and doesn’t provide a lot readability on that query, mentioned Burstein, who predicted Samsung would enchantment it to the U.S. Court docket of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
“This choice simply means we’re going to have extra uncertainty,” Burstein mentioned. “Sensible tech trade gamers are ready to see what the Federal Circuit does. This is only one jury making use of one take a look at.”
Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco and Jan Wolfe in New York; Modifying by Lisa Shumaker


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Ever since it was officially unveiled last summer at the San Diego Comic-Con, huge buzz has been building around Marvel’s Deadpool game, which is currently in production over at High Moon Studios – the same team that worked on the awesome Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. But now it’s just a question of “when the (bleep) are we going to get it already?” (As he’d say, mind you.)
Good news, you won’t have to wait long to take control of the smart-ass, gun-toting assassin for hire. A site called the Deadpool Bugle has spotted an ad in several Deadpool comics last week, showing that the game was slated for a “summer 2013” release…which isn’t too far off.
Activision still hasn’t given us an exact release window for the game, but it’s nice to see it’s moving right along. Now, if we can just make sure Nolan North is voicing the character in the game (as he’s done in various cartoons) and that it has plenty of kick-ass action, we’ll be in business.
We’ll have a Deadpool strategic preview for you soon, turkeys. (Again, as he would say.)


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The Realme X7 Max 5G India launch date has been announced by Realme India and Europe CEO Madhav Sheth via Twitter, and it appears that the phone will be available sooner than anticipated. During the Realme 8 5G launch event, Realme teased the Realme X7 Max 5G. The company did not reveal the name at the time, nor did it mention a launch date. The phone was supposed to be released on May 4th. Realme India CEO Madhav Sheth announced that the company will host its largest launch event to date on May 4th to commemorate the brand’s 3-year anniversary. However, the brand had postponed the event due to the country’s Covid-19 crisis. It appears that the company is finally ready to launch the phone.
Realme X7 Max 5G Specifications and Launch Date
The Realme X7 Max features a Super AMOLED FHD+ resolution display with up to 1000nits peak brightness and up to a 120Hz refresh rate, a corner punch-hole selfie camera. Realme X7 Max is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset paired with a 4500 mAh battery that supports 50W fast charging. The device features A triple rear camera that includes a 64-Megapixel primary camera, an 8-Megapixel wide-angle lens, and a 2-Megapixel macro lens.
Realme India and Europe CEO Madhav Sheth announced the Realme X7 Max 5G launch date in India via Twitter. The phone will launch on May 31st at 12:30 PM IST and the launch event will likely be live-streamed on Realme’s official YouTube channel.
Realme Smart TV 4K
Along with the Realme X7 Max, the company will launch the Realme Smart TV 4K. The series will have 50-inch and 43-inch 4K TVs with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. The televisions will also have thin bezels and a luxury aesthetic theme. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the new 4K Realme TV models at the moment.


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How the SamCam effect sent profits soaring at Zara: Retailer racks up £1.3bn in 2012
Zara fan: Label took centre-stage at the Tory party conference when Samantha Cameron wore a grey jumper (£29.99) and high-waisted orange cigarette pants (£39.99) from the same store
It is the high street fashion chain that boasts Samantha Cameron, the Duchess of Cambridge and even Mary Berry among its fans.
So it is perhaps no surprise that Zara, the modestly-priced retailer, has seen its profits soar by 27 per cent.
The Spanish-owned brand has bucked the high street gloom by racking up profits of £1.3billion in the first nine months of the year.
And there seems little doubt that the patronage of some of Britain’s biggest fashion icons has had a key role in securing its success in the UK.
The Duchess of Cambridge and her sister Pippa Middleton were both spotting wearing Zara on the day after the Royal Wedding.
Kate was seen heading off on her honeymoon in one of its £49.99 cornflower blue dresses, which subsequently sold out, while Pippa was spotted travelling home in a £69.99 Zara jacket.
The label also took centre-stage at the Tory party conference when Samantha Cameron wore a pair of high-waisted, orange cigarette pants (£39.99) and a grey jumper (£19.99) from the same store.
Mrs Cameron also has a pair of £29 grey court shoes from the store, which she has been spotted wearing on a number of occasions.
Although the store’s main appeal is among young, cash-strapped followers of fashion, it is clear its designs appeal to young and old.
When 77-year-old Mary Berry wore a brightly-coloured Zara bomber jacket on the hit BBC2 show The Great British Bake Off, her stamp of approval was an unlikely coup for Zara, showcasing the design to millions of viewers.
Zara, which has 65 stores in the UK, is owned by the world’s biggest retailer Inditex, which also owns the Massimo Dutti and Bershka brands.
Its huge surge in profits marked a 27 per cent increase on the same period last year, with sales swelling by 17pc to just over £9billion when many of its rivals are struggling.
Amancio Ortega, who founded Inditex in 1975, is now the world’s fifth richest man, worth an estimated £23billion.
His fashion empire has almost 6,000 stores and 116,000 employees in 86 countries.
People's princess: The Duchess of Cambridge chose a £49.99 Zara dress and £129.99 LK Bennett pumps for her first appearance following the wedding. Pippa Middleton was also spotted wearing Zara on the same day
Stamp of approval: When 77-year-old Mary Berry wore a brightly-coloured Zara bomber jacket on The Great British Bake Off, it was an unlikely coup for Zara, showcasing the design to millions of viewers
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The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Aug. 29 that 29 countries are currently implementing 200 import regulations on South Korean products in the form of anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures.
The ministry also said that investigations have been terminated without follow-up measures and South Korean steel products have been exempted when it comes to some steel safeguards. “The Canadian government excluded South Korean steel products from its final safeguard measures, the Turkish government finished its investigations without any measure, and the Eurasian Economic Union excluded cold-rolled and plated steel sheets from its steel safeguards,” the ministry explained.
As for countervailing duties applied to some South Korean steelmakers, the U.S. government recently lowered its tariff rates from 57.04 percent to 0.55 percent for hot-rolled products and from 59.7 percent to 0.55 percent for cold-rolled products in its final annual review determination.
When it comes to anti-dumping duties, imposition on hot-rolled stainless steel products has been postponed based on a price agreement with the Chinese government and no follow-up measure was taken in the United States’ recent stapler staple investigations.
There have been some improvements as to non-trade barriers, too. In the past, South Korean companies had to receive individual import permits from the Ministry of Commerce of Myanmar to import automobile assembly components from Myanmar, which took 19 days on average. The South Korean government asked the ministry to simplify the procedure and the ministry adopted a six-month import permit.


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Lexus has come out on top in a British customer satisfaction survey for the ninth consecutive year, while new partners Fiat and Chrysler have finished last and second last out of 29 brands.
The survey, by respected international market research firm JD Power and Associates, looks at several different aspects of the ownership experience, including vehicle reliability, aftersales service, vehicle appeal and running costs.
The Lexus RX four-wheel-drive range – which has petrol and hybrid petrol-electric models - scored top marks for an individual model, followed by the hybrid Toyota Prius and the Honda Jazz city car.
Other cars to rank top in their class included the Skoda Octavia, the Mercedes-Benz CLK sports car, the Audi A6 and the Citroen C4 Picasso people mover.
In the overall brand rankings, Honda finished second, followed by Mercedes-Benz, Skoda and Toyota. Jaguar, once the butt of jokes about questionable reliability, continues to improve, ranking sixth ahead of Mini, Porsche, BMW and Volvo.
Korean brands Kia and Hyundai, which have been faring well in US reliability studies, finished below the industry average, as did Ford and Mitsubishi. The survey results highlight the challenges facing the once-dominant US automotive industry, with General Motors pair Vauxhall and Chevrolet rounding out the bottom four places.
Steve Fowler, editor of What Car? magazine, which co-authored the study, said the results highlighted the popularity of hybrid cars.
“Many of the RXs in the survey were hybrid models, and with the hybrid Toyota Prius in second place, it’s clear that environmentally friendly cars are hugely satisfying to own.”
The study highlights the importance of customer satisfaction in generating brand loyalty, with almost 60 per cent of highly satisfied customers reporting they “definitely will” consider buying the same vehicle make in the future. In contrast, only 18 per cent of customers who had a less satisfying experience intend to do the same.
The survey is based on online interviews with more than 15,000 UK car owners after an average of two years’ ownership.
It covers a variety of issues under four main headings: vehicle appeal (37 per cent weighting), quality and reliability (24 per cent), ownership costs (22 per cent) and dealer service satisfaction (17 per cent).
Vehicle appeal includes issues such as performance, design, comfort and features, while ownership costs include fuel consumption, insurance and costs of service/repair.
JD Power conducts two major surveys of the US car industry, looking at short-term and long-term quality and reliability, based on figures submitted by all the main vehicle manufacturers. Similar survey results are shared between manufacturers in Australia, but unlike their parent companies, the local makers refuse to make the information public.
Click to view larger images


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My friend Rachel Wolfson wrote an article for COINTELEGRAPH.COM that “It’s become clear that fashion NFTs must offer some type of consumer engagement, allowing brands to interact with individuals in both the physical and the digital worlds.” The January 2, 2022 article entitled “Unlocking utility is key for fashion brands launching NFTs in 2022” included these comments:
Nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, have become one of the most discussed markets in the crypto space this year.
A recent report from Cointelegraph Research found that NFT sales are aiming for a $17.7 billion record by the end of 2021.
This may very well be the case, as a number of mainstream brands have begun launching NFTs.
According to recent research from Bain & Company and the online luxury fashion platform Farfetch, digital interactions with consumers are becoming increasingly important for brands.
The report specifically states that “digital interaction with peers is on the rise when choosing to purchase a product.”
As such, nonfungible tokens tied directly to brands and their consumers are now more important than ever before.
No surprises in this report!
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Once the Apple of Beijing’s eye, Alibaba jumps 9% as founder Jack Ma becomes just another Ant
Belittled and probably terrified Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma has officially ceded control of the fintech giant Ant Group.
That’s why the fintech’s parent company, the one Ma founded called Alibaba climbed 9% in one Hang Seng session on Monday.
In a stealthy statement worthy of a cowed former tech giant, the owner of AliPay said on Saturday, its shareholders had agreed to slightly tweak voting rights, with the result that Ma’s voice has been whittled down to an inconsequential 6% whisper.
The move puts the kibosh on Ma’s inner-Ant voting clique, which alongside chairman Eric Jing, former chief executive Simon Hu and long-time Alibaba veteran Jiang Fang, allowed the bloc led by the autodidact former teacher to contain a controlling 53% of Ant’s voting power.
The original Yangtze Crocodile, now muzzled by Beijing, Ma was the most celebrated and most emblematic of the great era of Chinese entrepreneurs.
Founder of the e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba, which single-handedly contributed to transforming the economy of the Middle Kingdom into a thing of astonishing dynamism has had his final tooth pulled, losing all his snap, crackle and pop inside and outside the group.
Created in 2014 – a lifetime ago – Ant was Alibaba’s financial masterpiece, known for it’s AliPay platform which at its zenith welcomed some 730 million daily users and which was redistributing wealth with an efficient ease that, it’s now obvious, horrified President Xi Jinping.
The latest nail in Ma’s coffin follows China’s epic regulatory crackdown that so spectacularly said you’re a marked human now Jack, and put a stake through the heart of Ant’s would’ve-been-historic US$37 billion IPO in late 2020 and led to squishing the buoyancy out ofChinese tech, Ma’s life and began a forced restructuring of the Fintech.
Ma only owns a 10% stake in Ant, the formerly groundbreaking fintech affiliate of his Single’s Day inspiring e-commerce tour de force.
Back in the day, Ma held more than 50% of voting rights at Ant via Hangzhou Yunbo and two other set ups, but has kept a hand over the fintech through related entities, according to Ant’s (collectors edition) IPO prospectus offered up to investors back in 2020.
Ant over the weekend said the voting rights “adjustment”, was just all about making the shareholder structure “more transparent and diversified,” and “will not result in any change to the economic interests of any shareholders.”
Ant said its 10 major shareholders, including Ma, had agreed to no longer act in concert when exercising their voting rights, and would only vote independently, and thus no shareholder would have “sole or joint control over Ant Group.”
Ant’s job is done – as is the long and patient process to formally dilute Ma’s sway and to ensure China’s flagship fintech is “transparent and diversified”, allowing the party to wallow in a rebooted initial public offering (IPO), and have a big seat at a smaller table.
Ant, based in Hangzhou, has done its master’s bidding ever since the IPO furore that decapitated not just Ant, Ma and Alibaba, but also succesfully put the genie of tech entrepreneurship back in the bottle.
There’s also now a 5th “independent” director, neatly stacking the “independent vote” to more than half of the nine-member board.
The South China Morning Post says to “further cleave itself from its parent Alibaba, certain executives have exited the Alibaba Partnership, a collection of the most powerful executives in the company.”
Alibaba which is out of Ma’s hands and into the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party owns the South China Morning Post.
Ant has been doing the bidding of President Xi Jinping’s government, unwinding its connection with Ma’s Alibaba a company even the SCMP is now saying Ma was but a co-founder of Alibaba et al, in some delightful revisionist history.
“It looks like Jack Ma renounced his control of Ant, and it can open an opportunity for new investors to come in, which could be [either] state capital or other types of private equity”, Li Chengdong, head of the internet industry think tank Dolphin told the SCMP.
“I don’t think Ant’s IPO would be imminent, as China puts the priority on gathering resources for the hi-tech sector, but it would be easier to allow an IPO if equity and control issues get resolved at Ant”.
Ant’s very public 2020 execution, just 48 hours before its IPO began a classic putsch-style crackdown on China’s Behemoth Big Tech sector, marking the death of unchecked, innovation for what were some of the world’s most valuable tech names.
The ensuing silence, punctuated only by occassional punitive displays – Alibaba copped a record US$2.8 billion antitrust fine in April ’21 – was deafening as investors fled and voluble CEO’s like Ma disappeared.
Ant was told to pull the head of its ubiquitous mobile payment platform Alipay right back in under the guise of enhancing users’ data protection. If that was an actual priority for the Chinese Government, then it wouldn’t be the world’s greatest surveillance apparatus ever conceived. Which it is.
The good news is Ma lives. He actually resurfaced, looking alive and – as you would be – relaxed in Bangkok on Friday night, with this apparent Insta evidence posted about 12 hours before Ant Group told everyone they were done with his peculiar brand of being humble and nice.
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Blank Canvas: Fashion by Design
A former architect and interior designer open Blank Canvas, a new men’s and women’s boutique in South End
When native Charlotteans Harold Jordan and Nicole Blackmon met working at a local architecture firm, they never imagined they would open a clothing boutique together. But in September, the design duo did just that. Blank Canvas, located in South End just a few steps away from the East/West light rail stop, focuses on rare fashion lines and Carolina-based brands.
Johnson and Blackmon got their start in the design field as an architect and interior designer, respectively, and say that the transition into the fashion industry is natural. Johnson says Blank Canvas has allowed both he and Blackmon to express their individuality. The shop’s tagline, “Be the Cool,” is spelled out in recycled fabric on the wall, while vintage wooden crates and a classic Singer sewing machine flesh out the look. The pair completed all of the design work, along with the merchandising, over the past eight months.
Their shop stocks a stylish array of hard-to-find items, including its own brand of bowties and pocket squares, Dale Patrick hats, and handbags from Columbia, S.C. designer NANA by Sally. Johnson and Blackmon say they hope that Charlotte residents will consider stopping by Blank Canvas before heading to Atlanta or New York for unique items. Prices range from $9 for a lapel pin up to $400.


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Canadian hotels reported mixed results in revenue per available room (RevPAR), average daily rate (ADR) and occupancy the week of Aug. 23 to 29.
According to data from STR, Inc., Canadian hotel occupancy was 75.2 per cent, a 5.3-per-cent decrease year-over-year. RevPAR also dropped to $112.00 (-1.6 per cent). However, ADR for the week increased by 3.8 per cent to $148.93.
New Brunswick performed well during this period, reporting a 4.8-per-cent increase in occupancy, the largest in the country. British Columbia reported the largest increase in ADR (+10.7 per cent to $177.89) and RevPAR (+10.1 per cent to $145.52) despite a 0.5-per-cent drop in occupancy to 81.7 per cent.
Provinces experiencing the largest decrease in these metrics were Alberta, which saw an 18.9-per-cent decrease in occupancy to 64.5 per cent, and P.E.I., reporting a 5.2-per-cent drop in ADR to $151.64.


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The research and development chiefs of Audi and Porche will be dismissed, along with Volkswagen's top manager in the United States as the car-maker struggles in the wake of an emissions-fixing scam.
The manufacturer was found to have been manipulating emissions data in the US to make it appear as though some models were more environmentally friendly - with the German Transport Minister today revealing cars in Europe had been affected too.
A senior source at the firm said Audi research chief Ulrich Hackenberg, his counterpart at Porsche Wolfgang Hatz, and VW US chief executive Michael Horn would be dismissed at a meeting of the supervisory board tomorrow.
Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche have all declined to comment.
Volvo withdrew an app comparing cars' emissions in 2011, after being told by that the data "could not be taken seriously".
Volkswagen's US boss has admitted he was told in spring last year of the emissions cheating affecting millions of the company's vehicles.
Volkswagen could start recalling cars containing emissions cheating software in January, according to the firm's new chief executive.


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According to a new report from South Korean outlet The Investor, LG’s VP and CEO Jo Seong-jin has ordered the company’s mobile division to start work on its upcoming flagship device from scratch. Citing an anonymous LG official, following CES 2018 the team responsible for the development of the upcoming flagship device which might not be called the G7 after all has been instructed to cease the development and review the project from the ground up.
With today’s leaked photo of ZTE’s foldable Axon M smartphone, a curious question sprung up in many people’s minds: in a foldable smartphone, which fold direction is the better one, inwards or outwards? While the only two implementations of the idea we can think of — the Sony Tablet P (which is phone-sized by today’s standards, nevermind the name) and the Kyocera Echo — have used a design where the screens point to the inside when the device is closed, the Axon M does just the opposite.
With technology becoming slimmer and lighter, all the while packing more and neater features and hardware, the need for ports and dongles is becoming a growing pain in everyone’s side. Manufacturers, obviously, push for fewer ports so that they can free up physical space in their devices, and look for wireless solutions, often forcing the future upon the users with a courageous decision or two. This wouldn’t be such a problem if wireless connectivity was fast, stable, and easy, right?
Well, a company called Keyssa is working on a new tech standard for wireless transfers, …
On January 9th, 2007 Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone and it is not hyperbole to say that things were never the same again. For many of our readers, that lone event turned them into big time smartphone fans. Even though there were smartphones available on January 8th, 2007, by the time the sun set over New York City on January 9th it seemed that everyone was talking about this new touchscreen smartphone from Apple.
If you remember those days, and the long wait until the June 29th 2007 launch of the device, you’ll be interested in a new book that will be released this coming …
Korean media The Bell reports that the Galaxy S8 successor is in full scale development at Samsung under the code name Star. A larger-screen model, possibly the Galaxy S9 Plus, is codenamed Star 2. That aside, there are two bits of new information regarding the Galaxy S9 in the report. First, the phone is said to have similar display technology to its predecessor. Thus, it likely won’t be the foldable phone that’s been rumored for so long, but rather a refinement of the Infinity Display design.
Second, Samsung has reportedly accelerated its component production …
Android developers had one serious problem that made their jobs much harder up until now – they had to develop software for the platform using hardware that’s completely different in just about any way. The community wanted an ARM-based development platform for quite some time now, hoping it would make things easier, and it finally has it.
Huawei has introduced the HiKey 960 board – an ARM-based development board that comes with all the essentials one would need. It employs Huawei’s latest octa-core processor – the Kirin 960 – complete with the Mali-G71 GPU, 32 …
Earlier this month, we told you that Apple said that it no longer would need to license technology from graphics chip producer Imagination Technologies. Apple obviously wants to start building its own graphics chip for future devices. A GPU chip from Imagination Technologies has been in use on the Apple iPhone since the OG unit was launched in 2007. Apple’s home-grown GPU chips won’t be ready for 15 to 24 months, which means that the first iPhone to contain it could hit the market as soon as 2018.
Apple is in the process of looking for people to help design and develop its GPU chip. On Apple’s …
Till sometime back, people said Microsoft was a failure brand when it comes to smartphone market. Ironically, developments in the decent past have promised that Microsoft is soon to become the market leader in Windows mobile phones and applications. In this regard, Windows mobile app development has been assured a highly prospective future. Several ads published by Microsoft have come out highly interesting and alluring when the software giant shows how fast Windows mobiles can perform a task as against the other kinds of smartphone devices. While people might wonder whether Windows phones can beat iPhone, the answer is a big ‘Yes’. In terms of performance, Windows mobile has several added advantages, say the experts. The visible proof to this is the fact that Windows phone 7 has captured about 7% pie in the US market alone.
Symbian is seen diminishing. Nokia has entered into a mutually beneficial and much envied collaboration with Microsoft. Nokia has planned to infuse Microsoft’s Operating System in all of the smart phones manufactured by the firm. Market experts anticipate that the said coming together of these two titans will assure a prospective future to both the firms besides effectively challenging the other kinds of smartphones.
A major portion of the move taken by Microsoft is bent on giving quality. The performance comparison has proved that Microsoft’s device performance is the best when compared with the other bestselling smartphones. It is said that when given any particular task, Windows Phone 7 accomplished it faster by many seconds when compared with the performance of iPhone 4.
Talking in terms of HTML 5 mobile application development, we can say for sure that Microsoft is already an overwhelming winner. Microsoft’s main concern appears to be evolving new ideas and conducting an extensive research in order to give the customers better products and services. Let’s study the overall picture of Windows mobile development in the WP7 area.
Microsoft is said to be an upcoming platform demonstrating a fast growth. It is all set to capture the market very soon. This fact is alluring increasing number of Windows mobile app development professionals to join WP7. Though iOS and Android-based devices are at present showing a lead, majority opinion favours that Windows mobile development is catching up in a fast pace.
Microsoft has brought in a highly useful tool that enables developers transfer their software from iOS to WP7. Though you cannot compare this to a magic wand, this tool can certainly render the whole process of migrating a bit less complicated. One can say that this tool acts something like a dictionary that demonstrates how to write the methods, classes and notification events in WP7 equivalent. In addition, the tool also enables comparing between some sample C# codes and API documentations. We can mention three API that can be mapped including data management, Network and User Interface.
On account of featuring a highly sophisticated technical mind, now the WP7 keyboards can envisage the next word you might want to type. Interestingly, it can also sense when not to predict. Microsoft has ably evolved this feature in order to significantly increase the user’s typing efficiency. One of the striking parts of the whole thing is that the feature enlarges the next key that the user is likely to strike. This enables the right input of the letter. WP7 keyboard is designed to work efficiently on the language pattern and demonstrates that it clearly understands it.
In an interesting development, HTC Trophy has announced that it is all prepared to launch a world phone that works on Microsoft platform. In this device, global roaming is to be enabled and thus it means HTC Trophy is a highly portable device enabling people to stay connected being anywhere on the globe. Notably, it is the first WP7 device in the Verizon wireless arena. The phone is compatible with CDMA, EVDO Rev A, Quad-band GSM and Tri-band UMTS networks.
So, what next? We can see Microsoft turning an undisputed champion of the smartphone arena which can assure a highly promising future for Windows mobile development.
Apple’s iPhone is a device that has become so much necessary for smartphone-lovers that they can’t live without it. No exaggeration – we have seen folks around us who keep using iPhone no matter wherever they are. There are thousands of apps, games, and interesting iPhone tools that keep iPhone-lovers busy. And while not using them, iPhone users keep talking about their devices. If not about devices, they keep sharing which app is your favorite, what new app you recently downloaded, have you jailbroken your iPhone, and such talks go on. All this is not without any reason; its aesthetics, availability of scores of apps, and continuous updates in software and hardware, both are some points that we can say always attract smartphone users towards it. This is the reason; today iPhone app development companies are on their best times ever.
Mobile development has seriously changed the focus of many software development companies. We don’t need to go so back in the history, this is the talk of just 5 years ago that companies use to develop desktop software and the web applications at most. Very few companies were in to the business of mobile app development. But today if we see we find scores of iPhone app development companies and most surprisingly most of them are so much successful. All this is because of the proliferation and popularity of smartphones as more and more people started using these smartphones to access their emails and surf the internet. And today, according to various surveys, more people use internet through their smartphones. This in return has increased the demand for the companies who do mobile app development. Especially the iPhone app development companies are in high demand since the launch of iPhone 4. Furthermore, the news for the iPhone 5 is also on its boom. More and more companies are now being fascinated for iPhone app development. This is why, daily we see the inception of new iPhone app development companies.
However it doesn’t mean that all of these iPhone app development companies are expert, professional and result-oriented. Most of the people get inspired by the boom of anything and they start a company without proper planning and future thoughts. So beware of such iPhone app development companies who can waste much of your time and money by claiming to be your reliable app development partner. This is the reason you need to make sure about certain things while you are hiring an iPhone app development company to develop professional iPhone apps for you.
Millions of users and billions of app downloads, iPhone app development era is buzzing with activity. As there are variety of users, different sort of iPhone apps are needed. Some like to play games, some like to access social networking platforms, some like to check their IQ, some like to check emails, and the list goes on. That is the reason diverse range of iPhone application need to be developed for all these users that can fulfill their entertainment, business, commercial, and various other needs.
Techliance is a professional iPhone application development company that offers cost effective iPhone App solutions. Contact us today – www.techliance.com to get a free quote for your iPhone app solution.


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I am now using a new feature at Google.com. It’s called Google Alerts (or sometimes Google Alert) and is in beta mode at the moment, although it seems to work just fine. The feature allows a user to have the Google computers send an email message when finding a news story or blog post with … Continue reading
Just discovered the OREGON HUMANITIES CENTER at the University of Oregon.
The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation has reached its milestone of 100,000 DNA samples. Donors are from 170 nations. The Salt Lake Tribune recently reported on it. The project was the brainchild of Utah philanthropist James LeVoy Sorenson ten years ago. Working with then-Brigham Young University professor Scott Woodward, it was known as the BYU Molecular … Continue reading
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Google is planning to launch its own digital book store by early summer. It’s called Google Editions. In addition to the standard fare, Google plans to allow independent book vendors to sell from their own websites. Google’s goal is to distinguish itself from other[s] . . . “by … Continue reading
Wikipedia is partnering with PediaPress to publish books based on Wiki content. Paperbacks are available now, soon to be joined by hardcovers. Pricing varies, starting at $8.90 for certain paperbacks. It’s fairly simple, using a “create a book” button on the left sidebar in the print and export section. There’s also a special help page. … Continue reading
Beginning in 2010, the United States Mint will issue 56 quarter-dollar coins featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites as part of its ‘America the Beautiful’ program. Each will be circulated in the order in which the location was first came under the authority of the federal government. The five quarters schedule for release in 2010 … Continue reading
GuideStar recently sent me this message about changes in nonprofit requirements. These were part of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. On May 16, 2010, the IRS will begin revoking tax-exempt status from nonprofits that failed to file three consecutive annual returns (Form 990-N, 990-EZ, 990, or 990-PF).” The law requires the IRS to revoke … Continue reading


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The 'Totally Terrific Tomato Festival' will take place at Dublin's Airfield Estate next month, reports HospitalityIreland.com. Celebrating its 10th birthday, this festival that champions the culture and diversity of tomatoes will have a specific focus on taste for its residence in Airfield on the weekend of 27 and 28 August 2022. As was the intention of its founder, Nicky Kyle, this festival will continue to celebrate the diverse fruit with a display of over 100 tomato varieties. Airfield Estate CEO Claire MacEvilly stated, "Airfield Estate is encouraging people to get to know their food. We are delighted to put the spotlight on tomatoes and host the festival. The catalyst for bringing the festival to Airfield was the desire to carry out a tomato taste test, a sensory experiment whereby Airfield will pitch four distinct tomato varieties against each other to find the tastiest tomato for our garden team to grow. Our four open pollinated contenders have big boots to fill but ultimately with the help of the public the tastiest tomato will reign supreme."
French dairy group Lactalis has bought Ambrosi from Switzerland's Emmi and the family that founded the Italian cheese maker, Emmi said in a statement. The groups did not disclose the purchase price but a source told Reuters that the deal gives Ambrosi an enterprise value of about €300 million ($307 million) and allows Lactalis to widen its product range and create several production synergies. Lactalis has expanded in recent years and bought Italian dairy group Parmalat in 2011. The family-owned group counts many household names such as France's brie cheese maker President and Italy's mozzarella producer Vallelata among its brands.
Carrefour Italia intends to open 95 stores this year, having reached a total of 1,500 outlets across Italy, including both directly-owned and franchised stores, reports ESMmagazine,com. This follows the retailer's recent agreement with Apulia Distribuzione for the integration of 38 stores in Sicily under its banners, as well as the acquisition of 14 Unes franchised stores in Lombardy. Carrefour Italia CEO Christophe Rabatel told daily Corriere della Sera that the French retailer reported 1.7% sales growth in the first half of 2021 compared to a year agao.


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Consumers are drowning with information online in their car buying journey. Learn what’s distracting your visitors, how to engage them and proven tactics to keep their attention. Download Storyboard
IMN Celebrates 15 Years of Expertise and Success in Digital Marketing
Waltham, Mass. – Dec. 17, 2014 – Digital marketing company IMN (iMakeNews Inc.) celebrates its 15-year anniversary as a turnkey email newsletter and marketing service that helps businesses create and distribute newsletters affordably, efficiently, and effectively. Today, IMN offers premium newsletter solutions for the automotive, direct selling, banking and financial services, and franchise industries.
“Over the 15 years, our newsletter solutions have evolved to provide better analytics and targeting to our clients, but our mission remains the same,” says Rick Kerr, vice president and general manager at IMN. “We are dedicated to making memorable content that helps our clients win new customers and keep current ones engaged.”
“IMN has been helping companies tell their stories in a digital space long before it became commonplace,” says Kerr. “We’re proud to have built our business on a foundation of excellence in communication, marketing, and technology.”
IMN (iMakeNews Inc.) is the digital marketing company that delivers email newsletters with branded custom content for the automotive, direct selling, banking and financial services, and franchise industries. For more information, visit imninc.com, follow on Twitter @loyaltydriver, or connect on the IMN Facebook page.
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IMN Media Contact:
Loretta R. Good


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As per a report from DigitTimes, Intel’s CPU shortages are going to continue in 2020 as well. The company is facing severe 14nm chip shortages which most of their CPUs leverage and at the same time, the newer 10nm based Ice Lake parts are still not ready for deployment in the volume market. This has made OEMs cranky and as a result, they are shifting to AMD’s Ryzen CPUs. And for good reason too. They are faster, cheaper and more efficient.
AMD’s newly launched Ryzen 4000 APUs are perfect for OEMs as they are equipped with integrated graphics, negating the need for a dedicated GPU for non-gaming purposes. These chips feature up to octa-core CPUs clocked north of 4GHz. That’s twice as much as competing Intel Ice Lake parts. Furthermore, these are based on the 7nm node and should be much more efficient than the 4th Skylake rebrand Intel is calling Comet Lake.
AMD has also increased the performance of the integrated GPU despite a reduced CU count. This was achieved with the help of higher core clocks and the increased efficiency that accompany TSMC’s 7nm process. We’ll let you know if there’s an update on Intel’s supply shortages.
You may find this interesting:


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Continental Outdoor has continued its roll-out of Roadside Digital billboards across sub-Saharan Africa into Malawi. The erection of these world-class advertising structures into Blantyre and Lilongwe has injected a renewed interest in the Malawi consumer market from marketers.
Issued by Continental Outdoor 26 Nov 2014 10:55
Zimbabwean operator Econet Wireless has partnered with Ericsson for Econet's Core network upgrade program which will simplify and upgrade the existing 2G/3G/4G/LTE networks, future proofing it for the rapid mobile expansion in the country.
25 Nov 2014 08:19
Founded in the UK and headquartered in Cape Town, the 'Gateway to Africa', the next step for Bluegrass Digital was always into central Africa. They identified Nigeria, now recognised as the largest economy in Africa with a population of 173.6 million and a GDP of 521.8 billion USD, as a firm platform from which to launch their expansion into Africa.
Issued by Bluegrass Digital 20 Nov 2014 12:34


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The WebTV set-top box and monthly Internet service was originally conceived as a way for people to get onto the Net cheaply and easily via the TV. Microsoft snapped up the company in 1997.
But WebTV has become an unwilling competitor to the rapidly growing "free" PC movement as those companies have devised ways to drop the cost of getting on the Web with a computer. And now the service may have to fight a threat much closer to home--Microsoft's own MSN Internet service.
Recently, Microsoft executives confirmed that the company is evaluating giving away or steeply discounting MSN in the hopes of attracting new subscribers to the service. Microsoft recently began offering $400 rebates to computer buyers who sign multiyear, standard-rate contracts with MSN when they buy a new PC at select outlets, and it also started offering monthly MSN service for $11 to Costco customers.
With computers priced at $500 or less, this means a buyer can get a full-fledged PC from Staples or other retailers for $100 if they agree to a multiyear subscription for MSN. The same buyer could get a $500 computer from Costco and enjoy standard Internet service for about half the standard price.
By contrast, WebTV set-top boxes, which don't run PC applications and are limited in other ways, typically cost $99 or more, and the service runs from $21 to $25 a month. As a result, The recent MSN deals mean that the overall cost for WebTV is about the same or even more than getting a PC.
If Microsoft's MSN deals take off, WebTV's subscription numbers may take a dive, analysts warn.
"To the degree that anyone is [giving away Internet services], they may already be seeing an impact," said Kevin Hause, an analyst with International Data Corporation. "You're probably going to see some potential impact on WebTV subscription, not only if MSN moves to a free model, but if anyone does."
Microsoft declined to comment on any impact that rumored plans to give away MSN may have on WebTV. But its aggressive promotion of the MSN Internet service raises questions about the company's commitment to WebTV, which has billed itself as the simple--and inexpensive--way for consumers and computer neophytes to access the Net.
In recent months, WebTV has backed away from that strategy, recasting itself as a provider of "enhanced television" services rather than a full-fledged ISP, despite the fact that the $25 monthly fee for the WebTV Plus service is more expensive than many ISPs.
For its part, WebTV says its business will be unaffected if Microsoft does give away MSN, pointing to its consistent subscription growth despite pricing changes among other ISPs, most notably by the largest, America Online.
"If it were to happen, it wouldn't be a big impact either positive or negative for WebTV," said Phil Goldman, general manager of the WebTV platform and co-founder of the company. "WebTV is a different market than PC customers. Clearly, there are exceptions, but by far, most people who own WebTV do not own a PC. They are two different services, to two different customers."
The number of new households with computers has not increased significantly since the start of the free PC trend, indicating that low prices will not lure every family to purchase a computer, according to Hause. This gives some credence to WebTV's strategy of targeting non-PC households.
The revised MSN strategies seem to create the potential for confusion within Microsoft about its overall plan to succeed in Net connections. MSN is ostensibly targeting computer novices with its rebate plans and Costco discounts, which is also WebTV's market.
Where does WebTV fit?
"There is a bit of an issue about where WebTV fits into the future of Microsoft's vision," Hause said. "It seems a little bit confused, a little bit short-sighted. It may be an indication of strategies not being set with both MSN and WebTV in mind."
There is also the possibility that within Microsoft, WebTV may be a victim of its own modest success, some observers have suggested, since it has built up a paying subscriber base, while MSN has continually struggled to compete against AOL and other ISPs.
"WebTV is looked on as being more profitable than MSN," said Richard Doherty, principal at consulting firm Envisioneering Group, adding that bolstering MSN's subscriber base may ultimately be a more profitable strategy for the company. "The upside for gaining an MSN customer is much higher than gaining a WebTV customer," because a PC user is more likely to continue buying Microsoft software.
WebTV is also evaluating alternative pricing strategies, Goldman said, declining to comment on any specific plans for the future.
Microsoft has demonstrated its faith in the long-term success of the WebTV group by offering subsidies to hardware manufacturers like Sony and Philips, who make the WebTV box, sources say. Under the plan, Microsoft reimburses each manufacturer for any losses it incurs in selling the devices.
Ultimately, the success of either unit depends on Microsoft's tolerance for red ink. Whether reimbursing its WebTV hardware manufacturers or absorbing the cost of a free MSN service, Microsoft is using its own vast resources to keep its Internet businesses afloat. The life of either business, for the near future at least, may rest on the company's patience with subsidizing two expensive Internet groups.


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Segway has often been the butt of the joke in the past, but the latest product from the company could help change that.
The Ninebot Segway is essentially a two-wheeled balancing scooter that users can ride on to get places. But when a user isn’t riding it, it can turn into an adorable little robot aimed at being a personal assistant.
The device is basically a handleless Segway, and users can travel at speeds up to 11 mph. After they get to their destination, the user can press a button, and out will pop a robot head with a screen for a face, after which the user can connect a set of little robot arms.
Ninebot, a robotics company backed by Intel and Xiaomi, bought Segway in April 2015.
The robot is able to see its surroundings, recognize objects and people, and even detect different voices. It is also able to do things like take photos and videos and even carry supplies. The robot was announced during Intel’s keynote presentation at CES 2016, when it was ridden onto the stage as a Segway and then it’s head and later arms were revealed. It features Intel’s RealSense technology. A developer kit for the device is set for the second half of 2016, while a consumer release will take place at a later date.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether or not robotic assistants like this will really ever take off, but it’s easy to see that it certainly has its uses, especially considering the recent popularity of “hoverboards.” Plus, it’s super cute.


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Sony's next major update to the PlayStation 4 will include the ability to stream games to a PC or Mac. Firmware version 3.50 is currently in beta testing, and includes the Remote Play feature. Beta testers aren't able to test it just yet, but Sony is promising it "soon." The update also includes the ability to set yourself offline and notifications to track when friends come online.
Sony's Remote Play apps for the PC and Mac will bring the company in line with Microsoft. The Xbox One currently includes game streaming to Windows 10, but Microsoft does not support streaming to Macs. Sony has not yet revealed an exact launch date for the new firmware, but the company says it will detail "additional key features" and its release date soon.


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The chipmakers--long rumored to be fostering a close relationship--will announce a licensing pact Friday that will allow Transmeta to use AMD's x86-64 and HyperTransport technologies in forthcoming chips.
HyperTransport will likely be the first technology put to use by Transmeta. The technology is designed to replace the PCI bus, which shuttles information between the processor and other parts of a computer system, with a faster data pipeline.
HyperTransport will be used by the two processor companies and by Sun Microsystems, Cisco Systems and graphics chip makers to connect their chips. Microsoft is also evaluating the technology.
But Transmeta's decision to license the x86-64 technology will likely draw the most attention. The x86-64 technology, which AMD plans to debut in the second half of next year with a chip code-named Clawhammer, adds extensions to the x86 design most PC chips are based on to allow data to be processed in larger 64-bit chunks.
Moving to 64-bit from 32-bit allows AMD chips to take advantage of much larger amounts of physical memory.
The technology thus improves the performance of server-oriented applications such as databases or technical applications such as computer-aided design.
Transmeta Chief Technology Officer David Ditzel said the chipmaker will keep the 64-bit technology in its back pocket for now.
"We've licensed the extensions to use them when we feel like it," Ditzel said.
Mike Feibus, an analyst at Mercury Research, added, "It's going to be awhile before 64-bit permeates our lives."
Feibus predicted Transmeta might need the technology at some point, however, to support customers in the server business, such as RLX Technologies.
AMD says the technology extends the x86 processor architecture to 64 bits but retains full compatibility with 32-bit applications, without taking a performance hit.
For Transmeta, maintaining compatibility was paramount in the decision to license x86-64, Ditzel said.
"I've thought a lot about this particular issue, and I think a lot of people are concerned about compatibility," he said. As a result, "what we decided to do is license x86-64 and endorse it. We think it makes sense to go with the compatible aspect."
Intel, on the other hand, chose a different route to 64-bit processing. Its Itanium chip offers 64-bit addressing but uses an entirely different architecture, which requires updated operating systems and applications to realize its full potential.
AMD and Transmeta acknowledge that applications used on today's PCs are based on 32-bit addressing and are likely to remain that way for some time. Both see a time, however, when at least some desktop applications will be ported to 64-bit to take advantage of larger amounts of memory.
"We're really pleased that Transmeta has chosen to endorse and adopt this technology," said Fred Weber, vice president and chief technical officer of AMD's Computational Products Group.
AMD and Transmeta also were in talks about collaborating on another x86-64 project, in which Transmeta would build a software simulator for the chip. But AMD later chose to go in a different direction, sources said.
When asked if the licensing agreement might lead to a closer relationship between the two chip companies, Weber described the agreement as an "instance of cooperation."
"I don't think you can predict that future on it," he said.


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Bilateral merchandise trade between Qatar and the Philippines in the first nine months of 2021 stood at $179.02mn, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Philippines.
Based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data as cited and processed by the Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), the DTI also recorded an upward trajectory in Qatar-Philippines bilateral trade from $214.02mn in 2019 to $232.89mn in 2020.
In a statement to Gulf Times Friday, the DTI noted that the Philippines’ total exports to Qatar in 2020 amounted to $45.19mn.
The top Philippine commodity exports to Qatar in 2020 include bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried, which amounted to $13.86mn or a 30.66% share of the total exports. Also included are “other bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other baker’s wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty cachets of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, and rice paper and similar products," amounting to $6.02mn or a 13.32% share of the total exports.
This was followed by “other sauces and preparations thereof; mixed condiments and mixed seasonings; mustard flour and meal and prepared mustard" ($2.97mn, 6.57% share), as well as “other pasta, whether or not prepared” ($1.52mn, 3.36%) and “other parts of seats, of heading No 94.01” ($1.47mn, 3.26%).
Conversely, the Philippines’ total imports from Qatar in 2020 amounted to $187.70mn. The Philippines’ top commodity imports from Qatar in 2020 were “light petroleum oils and preparations thereof,” which amounted to $52.15mn and a 27.79% share of the total imports.
This was followed by “urea, whether or not in aqueous solution,” which reached $48.39mn and a 25.78% share of the total imports, as well as “semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel, containing by weight less than 0.25% of carbon of rectangular (including square) cross-section, the width measuring less than twice the thickness” ($35.18mn, 18.74% share); “polyethylene having a specific gravity of less than 0.94, in primary forms” ($19.05mn, 10.15%); and “petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude” ($17.03mn, 9.07%).
In a recent statement, DTI secretary Ramon Lopez announced that the DTI will be leading a series of export promotion activities in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as part of its initiatives to seize opportunities in key sectors and markets. Lopez also said DTI will be participating in various international events and expos to promote Philippine companies and their products to further sustain the growth in Philippine exports. Next month, DTI and Philippine exporters will be participating in Gulfood 2022 or the ‘Gulf Food Hotel and Equipment Exhibition and Salon Culinaire’, a renowned international platform dedicated to food and beverage processing in the Mena region, he said.
Lopez also said cumulative Philippine exports grew by 15.2% from January to November 2021 to $68.4bn compared to the same period in 2020 despite continued disruptions in the global economy due to Covid-19-related restrictions. Philippine merchandise exports increased by 6.6% year-on-year amounting to $6.3bn in November 2021 from $5.9bn in November 2020.
Lopez pointed out that “the 2021 figure also grew by 4.91% compared to the same period in 2019, which amounted to $65.17bn. This reflected a better export performance compared to the prep-pandemic level.”
November 2021 PSA data also showed that coconut oil recorded the highest annual increase of 95% out of the 10 major commodity groups in terms of export value. The country accounts for 60% of US coconut oil imports and 73% of US crude coconut oil imports. The rise in demand was due to changes in US trade policy, market trends, and dietary guidelines, he said.
Lopez added: “To improve the country’s competitiveness in international markets, the Department of Trade and Industry is leading the drafting of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) 2022-2027 with an overarching goal of transforming the country from an exporter of commodities and intermediate goods to an exporter of high-value products and services. The new PEDP is envisioned take an industry development approach to boost export competitiveness i.e. by attracting export-oriented investments in innovation driven-sectors to increase product and service diversification.”


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Do you regret buying the vanilla Pixel 8?
Every year, Google launches two flagship Pixel phones and they’re never made equal. However, there’s even more reason to be disappointed about the differences between the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro — Google’s current crop of premium Android handsets.
Just yesterday, we were told that the vanilla Pixel 8 model would not be getting one of the biggest attractions of the Pixel 8 Pro — the Gemini Nano AI model. It appears that Google will skip adding the on-device AI to the base Pixel 8 owing to some “hardware limitations.”
If you’re wondering what’s the big deal, here’s what the regular Pixel 8 model will miss out on. Gemini Nano powers a bunch of on-device AI features on the Pixel 8 Pro. That means all the processing for these features happens mostly on the phone, without having to go to a cloud server using the internet.
Do you regret buying the vanilla Pixel 8 model?
For instance, inside the Pixel 8 Pro, Gemini Nano powers features like Summarize in the Recorder app and Smart Reply in Gboard — all without a network connection. It’s not just these, but Google will surely plan more Gemini Nano-powered features for the Pixel 8 Pro going forward, and it’s sad that the vanilla model won’t be able to enjoy any of them.
What’s another blow to Pixel 8 users is that Google has said it’ll bring Gemini Nano to phones from other manufacturers. The full Galaxy S24 lineup also supports the on-device AI.
Add to that the spec differences and you get a greater separation between the base and the Pro Pixel 8 models this year (see video above).
So keeping the latest developments in mind, we want to know if you bought a Pixel 8 instead of the 8 Pro because of the price difference but are now regretting your decision. Do you feel Google should have been upfront about the AI differences on both models at the time of their launch to help you make a more informed decision?
Share your thoughts in the comments section and don’t forget to vote in our poll above.


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A few years ago when Litchfield Distillery was looking to import a high-quality tequila to produce its canned margarita-style cocktail, the distillery’s owners ran into a problem. “Due to Mexican export laws, they’re not allowed to export high-grade tequila [in bulk], which would be 100 percent agave,” says Jack Baker, who co-founded Litchfield Distillery in 2015 with his brothers. “They’re only allowed to export the low-grade tequila, which is 51 percent agave, 49 percent cane sugar, and it has half the flavor of 100 percent agave.”
More than 300 million blue agave plants are harvested each year in the Mexican state of Jalisco. These plants give tequila its signature rich flavors. While Baker and the team at Litchfield Distillery couldn’t import high-grade tequila, they could import 100 percent organic blue agave syrup and use that to make their own spirit — emulating tequila-distilling techniques right here in Connecticut. The resulting spirit was, and still is, used to power the distillery’s Batcherita canned cocktails which are distributed throughout the state.


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| USA TODAY
Distilleries across the U.S. received a surprise bill from the Food and Drug Administration after using their facilities to make hand sanitizer amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As COVID-19 cases began surging in March, distilleries started making hand sanitizer by switching their alcohol production to antiseptic, undrinkable alcohol and giving away bottles to members of their communities.
The efforts rose after the country faced a shortage in hand sanitizer as shoppers panic bought hand soap, cleaning wipes and other sanitation products.
The FDA issued a temporary non-prescription drug policy that same month, stating distilleries that produced sanitizer were classified as “over-the-counter drug monograph facilities.” These types of facilities must pay user fees under regulations set under the CARES Act.
The fees impacting distillers are a $14,060 Monograph Drug Facility Fee and $9,373 Contract Manufacturing Organization Facility Fee due on Feb. 11.
Who’s left out?: Here’s who doesn’t get the $600 stimulus check
“This incredibly frustrating news comes as a complete shock to the more than 800 distilleries across the country that came to the aid of their local communities and first responders,” said Distilled Spirits Council President and CEO Chris Swonger. “This unexpected fee serves to punish already struggling distilleries who jumped in at a time of need to do the right thing.”
Distilleries planing to avoid paying fees in 2022 should update their status as an over-the-counter monograph drug production facility with the FDA and cease producing and selling the product by Dec. 31, 2020.
“What’s unfortunate about this situation is that this was provided to us on such short notice,” said CEO of Saint Augustine Distillery, Philip McDaniel. “Everybody wishes we would have had more time to react and have more time to plan.”
Follow Coral Murphy on Twitter @CoralMerfi


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U.S. retail stocks broke a two-day losing streak today as Wall Street hunkered down in anticipation of the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting next week.
The S&P 500 Retailing Industry Group gained 0.2 percent to close the week at 914.40. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1 percent to end at 15,755.36 and S&P 500 was down a fraction to 1,775.32.
Investors and economists are waiting for word on whether positive signs in the economy will lead the Fed to end or “taper” its bond-buying program, one of the few sources of public-sector stimulus.
Shares of Quiksilver Inc. scored the biggest gain among fashion, beauty and retail stocks tracked by WWD. They rose 7.1 percent to $8.28 after falling back 2.7 percent in after-hours trading Thursday on an unexpected first-quarter loss. An upgrade to “buy” from “neutral” by B. Riley, citing progress in the company’s plans to rebuild profitability and focus on core brands, lifted investor confidence.
Two California-based, youth-oriented specialty chains — Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. and The Wet Seal Inc. — were also among the day’s biggest winners, rising 3.5 percent to $3.25 and 2.9 percednt to $2.47, respectively.
The days deepest decline came from Coldwater Creek Inc. Although the third-quarter loss reported late Thursday was smaller than the one expected by analysts, plans to close up to 10 additional stores out of its current fleet of 379 gave investors pause, and shares pulled back 5.9 percent to 80 cents.
American Apparel Inc. saw its shares erode 3.7 percent to $1.05 while Sears Holdings Corp.’s shares were off 2.7 percent to $45.36.
Europe’s major indices ended the week with narrow losses.
London’s FTSE 100 crept down 0.1 percent to 6,440.56, while the DAX in Frankfurt was also down 0.1 percent, to 9,010.41. The CAC 40 in Paris lost 0.2 percent to 4,059.71 and the FTSE MIB in Milan was unchanged at 17,805.73.
The gainers included Luxottica Group, up 2.8 percent to 36.95 euros; Compagnie Financière Richemont, 1.1 percent to 85.95 Swiss francs, and Brunello Cucinelli, 2.6 percent to 25.24 euros.
Declines came from Metro, down 1.2 percent to 34.57 euros; Tod’s, 0.6 percent to 120 euros, and Carrefour, 0.6 percent to 27.13 euros.
The euro traded for $1.38 against the U.S. dollar, while the pound traded for $1.64 and the Swiss franc for $1.13.
@tradesy is turning the concept of a showroom upside down with its new space in Santa Monica. Here, the company plans to hold events, art exhibits and a showcase rare fashion pieces like this Louis Vuitton boxing set. Get all the details on Tradesy’s first showroom on WWD.com. #wwdnews
Spotted last night at the @erdem x @hm launch event: Kate Bosworth, Rashida Jones, Kirsten Dunst and Selma Blair. The party, which took place in LA, also marked the opening of their pop-up shop. “I was interested in creating a collection that wasn’t in any way disposable. It was about pieces you’d create and keep forever, things that have a permanence to it,” designer Erdem Moralioglu said. #wwdeye (📷: Katie Jones)
Renee Zellweger in yellow in 2001 and again in 2017. Chosen as one of the 12 @pantone Leading Spring Colors (and dubbed “Meadowlark”), it only makes sense that the bright hue stands the test of time and is making a resurgence this season, seen already on stars like @blakelively and @gigihadid. (📷: Donato Sardello & @rexfeatures) #wwdfashion #tbt
Dior’s 70th anniversary celebration continues with a new exhibition at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “Christian Dior,” which is scheduled to run through March 18, takes a look at the founders tenure from 1947 to 1057 and feature 40 designs. Pictured here is an evening gown from the Ailée, fall 1948-49 haute couture collection. #wwdfashion (📷: Brian Boyle)
As one of the most recognizable models in the world, Christy Turlington Burns has an insider’s view of the fashion industry and the allegations of sexual harassment swirling around it. “I can say that harassment and mistreatment have always been widely known and tolerated in the industry. The industry is surrounded by predators who thrive on the constant rejection and loneliness so many of us have experiences at some point in our careers,” Turlington told WWD, along with her suggestions for how the modeling world should protect younger women and men. Read more on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: Tony Palmieri) #wwdnews
@asics America has tapped a new brand ambassador: famed DJ/record producer @steveaoki. This initiative is intended to set the tone for the new brand identity and philosophy and will include partnerships with influencers and in-store and off-line activations that will continue into next year. This is Asics’ most significant marketing effort in two decades, and is expected to attract younger consumers to the brand. #wwdfashion
24-year-old Jean Prounis is redefining the rules of jewelry. Formerly a studio assistant to Jemima Kirke and a design apprentice at Ghuran, she focuses on handcrafted subtleties and ancient goldsmithing techniques. “There was a really sterile feel in the environment and I wanted to have jewelry with character that shapes how you wear it everyday,” Prounis said. Each piece is hand made in New York, either by Prounis or three other jewelers in the district. #wwdfashion
“These collections continue to build on that vision, empowering differently abled adults to express themselves through fashion,” said @tommyhilfiger of his line of adaptive apparel, which launches today. The line consists of 37 men’s and 34 women’s styles based upon the pieces from the spring Tommy Hilfiger sportswear collection. #wwdnews