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The 12 days of Christmas has evolved over the years to become the 55 days of Christmas.
Retailers have already started to spam televisions with ads and mailboxes with magazines.
Freeform has announced the schedule for their “25 Days of Christmas,” in addition to their “Countdown to the 25 Days of Christmas,” which starts Nov. 18.
Hallmark has also launched their new Christmas movie premieres.
When people finish watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas” as a Halloween movie, it seems like everyone is in a rush to start watching it again as a Christmas movie.
Don’t get me wrong — I love Christmas and the entire holiday season, but there is a time and place for everything.
We (or at least I) got upset to see back-to-school ads two weeks after summer break started when we were in elementary school.
Stores are doing the same thing with Christmas.
It seems that Thanksgiving is almost entirely skipped over altogether in favor of the red and green decorations of Christmas.
Mailboxes are being stuffed with toy magazines and mailings from retailers.
Maybe the need for instant gratification is to blame for the ads.
Maybe it’s just consumerism on steroids.
In any event, retailers are just the tip of the iceberg as far as holiday season kicking off early goes.
Apple cider hadn’t been on shelves more than two weeks before egg nog accompanied it.
Some people would like to have their trees lit up before the jack-o’-lanterns burn out.
As soon as Oct. 31 ended and Nov. 1 started, some people went from blasting “This is Halloween” to blaring “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”
Even the weather is getting in on the excitement and decided to snow several times already! One of these times was still in October, I might add.
And you know what? I applaud those people.
It’s OK to be super into the holidays.
It’s also OK to not be ready to deck the halls until after you have your Thanksgiving Day feast.
October, November and December are some of the best months out of the year, each with its own unique holidays.
As long as no one is being forced to be holly or jolly, and no one is being a scrooge to intentionally spite other people’s spirits, everything should be fine.


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Top fashion advertisers are working to leave an impression on urbanites as they update their wardrobes ahead of Summer 2022. One of this season’s most popular buys? Sunglasses- and JCDecaux is helping consumers make their pick.
Longchamp, NYC - Digital Newsstand
Out-of-home for fashion advertising is a perfect match; the ability to reach target consumers where they are more aware of their surroundings and near relevant points of purchase is an ideal circumstance for driving sales.
Tom Ford, NYC - Digital Bus Shelter
The timing could not be better either as retail sales are expected to grow between 6 and 8 percent in 2022, amounting to over $4.8 trillion according to the National Retail Federation. Accordingly, March 2022 data from Kantar found that total OOH spend from retail advertisers saw a 19% increase from 2020 to 2021.
Ray-Bans, NYC Digital Newsstand
It should be noted that physical shopping is by no means being overshadowed by e-commerce, even in the age of same-day shipping; according to a 2021 Monthly Trade Report from the US Department of Commerce, 2021 saw brick and mortar sales grow faster than e-commerce for the first time ever – 18.5% versus 14.2% growth respectively.
Ray-Bans X Meta, NYC - Digital Bus Shelter
While our downtown OOH networks can drive sales at nearby points of purchase, our airport networks can effectively generate brand awareness among style-conscious travelers. Ray-Ban chose to leverage both our airport and street networks with their latest “Ray-Ban Stories” campaign featuring captivating motion ads as part of a collaborative product launch with Meta.
Chanel - Chicago, Digital CIP
From contemporary labels like Ray-Ban to luxury names like Chanel and Tom Ford, fashion brands continue to choose OOH to drive meaningful engagement. According to a recent Consumer Insights and Intent report from OAAA, of the 77% of consumers in urban areas with over one million people that have recently engaged with an OOH ad, 50% made a physical purchase.
Jimmy Choo, NYC - Digital Newsstand
The same report found that 63% of consumers in these large urban areas find advertisements for retail as the most relevant, and that 59% of these consumers are likely to visit an advertiser’s physical store after seeing an OOH ad of interest.

domain: news


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News · April 2012
Lexus has announced pricing and availability dates for its updated 2013 RX crossover lineup. The changes for 2013 were mostly cosmetic and included fitting all RXs with Lexus’s spindle grille, although…by Alexander Stoklosa
Reviews · February 2008
What’s new, trim levels, optional equipment, and safety info for the 2008 Lexus RX350 and RX400h.
Features · July 2008
Frugal Utes: The 10 Most-Fuel-Efficient SUVs in the U.S.
News · February 2006
The Daily Auto Insider Monday, February 6, 2006


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The new stock market year starts with the hope that the corona pandemic will be contained quickly. The holidays and the turn of the year have subsided the numbers somewhat, the vaccinations have progressed and thus created positive conditions for the first courses. What can you expect? First of all, of course, we wish you a healthy and successful stock market year 2021!
On the last days of trading in 2020, the DAX managed to expand its upward trend again. After Christmas, the leap over the old all-time high from February and on the following day another premium, which now set a new all-time high close to the 14,000 threshold with 13,903 points.
Viewed over the year as a whole, the DAX thus achieved a price gain. The Dow Jones was slightly stronger with more than 6 percent and the US technology index Nasdaq led the way with plus 45 percent, as the overview from teletrader shows here:
Ranking of the indices in 2020
In the chart of last year you can clearly see the area of the last movements:
DAX and its all-time high
What is explosive here is that although we reached new highs, we were unable to maintain them. At the end of the year, the index closed below this range, as a look at the last few trading days shows:
Trading days last DAX week (from finanzen.net)
The 13,903 counters were possibly too much increase in too short a time. After all, a week earlier we were still down at 13,060 points. A consolidation after the new highs was therefore not surprising and took place from Tuesday morning until the end of trading on the last Wednesday 2 p.m. of last year:
DAX consolidation of the new highs at the end of 2020
The DAX closed below 13,800 and thus also below the highs from February. Will there be a fight right at the start of the new year and how could the start take place under these conditions?
Traditionally, there is little volume on the market between the holidays. Therefore you have to put all movements into perspective. The new all-time highs have nevertheless been reached and could now seek confirmation again.
Around 13,760 to 13,800 we had some striking highs in mid-December, which can now form a support area:
DAX support currently at the start of trading
On the bottom we look directly at a GAP that was created after Christmas. The scenarios GAP-close or a return to the highs are conceivable here:
DAX scenarios at the start of the year
The US government’s new aid program has not lessened the plant emergency. Statistically, a new year can also be expected to include new investment funds that are looking for alternatives in the low-interest environment.
An alternative in the last few weeks was Bitcoin, which started a crazy rally over the turn of the year. This is currently quoted at 34,000 US dollars, an increase of around 30 percent since Christmas:
Bitcoin with a strong rally
The stock indices are unlikely to start the new year that fast. What emerges here in the preliminary market, however, will be incorporated into my daily market outlook again tomorrow.
Would you like to receive this DAX outlook by email?
Let’s take a look at the dates for the coming week.
Outlook for the next dates
The first week of trading awaits with a large amount of data without a holiday interruption.
The purchasing managers’ indices from Germany at 9.55 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. from the EU are important for Monday.
Tuesday is waiting for retail sales from Germany at 8:00 a.m. The German unemployment rate follows at 9.55 a.m. and then the ISM index from the USA for the manufacturing sector at 4 p.m.
Wednesday is dominated by US labor market data from the ADP agency’s point of view at 2:15 p.m. Markit PMI data from Germany can also be viewed in the morning and from the USA in the afternoon.
The EU’s consumer price index, consumer confidence and business climate index will be published on Thursday at 11.00 a.m. In the afternoon, the initial applications for unemployment benefits and the trade balance are due again at 2.30 p.m. This trading day closes at 4 p.m. with the ISm index for the non-manufacturing sector.
For Friday you can look forward to Germany’s trade and current account at 8:00 a.m. At 2:30 p.m. the appointment of the week follows – the official US labor market statistics.
All dates for the coming week are listed here with the forecasts:
Business dates of week 02/2020
I wish us every success in the New Year’s retail business. Yours Andreas Bernstein (Bernecker1977)
Feel free to check out the trading chat for more opinions
or in the forum at ariva:
*Placed products / tools are marked accordingly and advertising. 72.57% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with the company. So you should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take this high risk of losing your money!


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I'm one of those who's grumbled about seeing seasonal beers coming out earlier and earlier. I saw Samuel Adams' fall sampler and Octoberfest on the shelf in July, the same month that Tampa's Cigar City Brewing released its Good Gourd pumpkin ale.
Good Gourd is a limited release which sold out almost immediately, meaning if you wanted to drink it around Halloween (crazy, right?) you would have had to have bought it in July. Cigar City has posted on Facebook that they will be releasing more Good Gourd, so hopefully some might actually be on the shelves around October.
My gripe isn't so much with the beers being released early, but with them being sold out by the time the actual season rolls around. Am I being unreasonable to expect fall beers to be on the shelves in the fall?
Don't be surprised to see Christmas beers this month.
UPDATE: Geiger Powell of Cigar City made a very insightful comment on Facebook:
"one of the main reasons is since these beers are treated like such a season staple, that when that season ends, people stop buying the beer. however they have proven they will still buy the beer *before* the season starts. in other words, why risk having bottles sitting on the shelves after Thanksgiving (when people immediately stop buying fall beers) or Christmas (when people immediately stop buying Christmas beers) when people will buy them long before the season ends? it's pretty cut and dry."
I did not know that. Great comment.
The Associated Press picked up on our gripes. Here's their story:
Early pumpkin beers brew dismay among drinkers
By MICHAEL FELBERBAUM, AP Business Writer
RICHMOND, Va. — It's bad enough that back-to-school comes in June, and Halloween arrives in July. And of course we all know Christmas begins in September. But now even the craft beer industry is caving to seasonal creep. For this year, the beer drinker's harbinger of autumn — pumpkin ales — apparently couldn't hold off until the pumpkins actually ripened.
Labor Day may be considered the unofficial end of summer, but some craft brewers couldn't even wait until then to roll out their pumpkin and other fall seasonal beers. Many already have been in stores and on taps for a month. And not all beer drinkers are saying, "Cheers!"
"Everyone likes pumpkin beer, but you don't want it to come too soon. I definitely like to drink it in the appropriate season," says Nate Marsden, 23, of Boston, who nonetheless recently gave in to the temptation of his favorite seasonal brew, Pumking, an imperial pumpkin ale from Southern Tier Brewing Co.
He's got company. Beer connoisseurs who wanted to savor summer a bit longer have been airing their gripes on social media. Taking to Twitter with hashtags such as #HolidayFail and #SummersNotOver, people like Andrew Hickey let it be known they weren't impressed with the early start.
Forget being irritated about back-to-school ads, the 33-year-old tweeted — complete with a photo of the offending brew — back on Aug. 16. "Why is there pumpkin ale already on shelves?!?"
"I think it's just a rushing the season kind of thing," said Hickey, of East Brunswick, N.J. "I'm guilty of drinking them but it seems like it's getting earlier and earlier each year."
Brewers were quick to explain that they didn't have much choice. They said increased demand and the size of their breweries meant they needed to start making the beer earlier. And that means it gets to consumers earlier, too.
"If you think it's too early for Pumpkin Ale . don't go get some," Schlafly Beer in St. Louis posted on its website in August. "It will still be on shelves for the next couple months (hopefully) and you can pick some up down the road."
Dan Kopman, the brewery's co-founder, said that in a perfect world they'd have their summer offerings available through the end of summer, then start selling their fall beers soon after. "When something changes that has been very traditional, you're always going to get a comment," he says. "It's a great problem to have and is simply reflecting what's going on in the market."
Bars across the country also have weighed in on the availability of pumpkin beers when temperatures are still hovering in the high 80s.
"We will not be tapping pumpkin beers until the fall, when the season is appropriate," says An Bui, the self-proclaimed chief beer officer at Mekong, a Vietnamese restaurant in Richmond that offers 50 revolving taps and more than 200 varieties of bottled beer. "Seasonal beers are where you taste the fruit or the flower of that period," Bui says. "It's so early. What's going on?"
Those who follow the retail trade also noted a possible reason for the premature arrival, aside from needing to start production earlier: capturing early demand.
"When you're selling seasonal merchandise, there's only a certain profit pool available to be had from that," says Craig R. Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy. "If you're objective is to capture the maximum share of the profit pool, you want to have your goods out their early because you'll be first in the marketplace."
And Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with The NPD Group, says brands and businesses trying to get that top-of-mind business are "willing to risk the absurd — even earlier than expected."


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Consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) reported Friday that revenues for the month of December remained flat with last year, while comparable store sales declined 1.2 percent.
The company's domestic revenues edged up, while international revenues declined, with comps for the month in both domestic and international stores dropping. The company also reaffirmed its earnings outlook for the full-year 2012.
"We built off of share gains in the third quarter to deliver December sales that we believe compared favorably to the retail CE industry," CEO Brian Dunn said in a statement.
The company noted that the actions taken during the year to improve its performance online and in key connectable products such as tablets, eReaders and smart phones continued to deliver strong growth in December.
The Richfield, Minnesota-based retailer, which is also known as the 'big blue box' because of the prominent design on Best Buy stores, reported revenues of $8.4 billion for the month of December, flat with last year. Total comparable store sales declined of 1.2 percent.
The company's comparable store sales is comprised of revenue from stores operating for at least 14 full months as well as revenue related to call centers, Web sites and other comparable sales channels.
Revenue from the domestic segment reached $6.5 billion in December, up 0.4 percent from the same month last year, boosted by the gains from the addition of new stores, partially offset by comparable store sales decline of 0.4 percent.
Best Buy said the domestic segment's results reflected growth in Best Buy Mobile and appliances, partially offset by the softness in entertainment software and televisions. Online sales were up 26 percent.
Primarily, the entertainment software category's comparable store sales declined 19.5 percent, while appliances category saw a 14.3 percent growth in comparable store sales, and the computing and mobile phones category reported a 13.4 percent rise in comparable store sales.
The International segment's monthly revenue reached $1.9 billion, down 1.7 percent from the same month last year, hurt by a comparable store sales decline of 4.3 percent and unfavorable fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, partially offset by the gains from the addition of new stores.
Comparable store sales decline was attributable to the softness at the stores in Canada and Europe.
"Based on our performance in December we continue to expect to achieve our annual guidance, despite customer traffic that was lower than expected until the last week before Christmas, which resulted in December revenue that was slightly lower than our expectations," Dunn added.
Looking ahead to fiscal 2012, the company reaffirmed its adjusted earnings guidance in the range $3.35 to $3.65 per share. On average, 26 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report earnings of $3.14 per share for the full-year 2012. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.
In Friday's regular trading session, BBY is currently trading at $24.05, up $0.61 or 2.60% on a volume of 1.73 million shares. In the past 52-week period, the stock has been trading in a range of $21.79 to $36.13.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: firstname.lastname@example.org


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A bevy of iPhone 5 clones are already available in China, even though Apple has yet to unveil its newest device. In the video above, you can see the a device called the Goophone i5, which bears a striking and undeniable resemblance to the leaked photos and videos of what's believed to be the new iPhone circulating around the internet. You'd expect Apple to be the one filing cases in situations like these, but for this particular story, throw that notion out the window — according to Giz-China, it's Goophone's manufacturers who are planning to file a lawsuit against Apple.
The company that made Goophone applied for a patent on the design. Once the September 12 keynote does indeed spawn the iPhone 5 we've been seeing so much of in unofficial images, the company allegedly plans to take it to court. It even wants to block the iPhone 5 in the Chinese market.
The Goophone i5 is an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich device. It may look like an iPhone with a bee instead of an apple on its back, but its innards are completely different from what we expect from Apple's upcoming gadget.
More from Tecca:


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HORSHAM, PA. — Bimbo Bakeries USA (B.B.U.) will cease operations at its bakery in Nashville, Tenn., by Jan. 14, part of an ongoing consolidation that includes the closing of plants in Easton, Pa.; Elk Grove, Calif.; and Wichita, Kas. The Nashville bakery, which produces bread and buns and currently employs 96 associates, will shift production to other B.B.U. bakeries in the company’s manufacturing network.
“This was a difficult decision because of the highly capable team of associates at the Nashville bakery,” said David Tormena, regional vice-president of operations for B.B.U.’s Mid-Atlantic region. “However, after an extensive assessment, we concluded that the age of the equipment and building and the outdated level of technology make the bakery unable to compete effectively in the marketplace going forward.”
The company acquired the plant as part of its acquisition of the North American Fresh Bakery business of Sara Lee Corp. that closed in November 2011. The plant makes bread and buns under the Colonial, Iron Kids and Grant’s Farm brands, according to the 2013 Directory & Buyers Guide published by Sosland Publishing Co.Bimbo said the closing is not expected to impact its customer service, associate positions outside of the bakery or the availability of its fresh-baked products, which will continue to be distributed across the state.


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As part of the effort to make its Netcenter a major Web access point, Netscape has partnered with Excite in a two-year deal worth at least $US70 million, the companies announced last week.
Executives from both firms say they expect that figure will top $100 million.
Under the agreement, Excite will create a new "Netscape powered by Excite" search engine that will receive at least half of all search traffic from Netscape's site by the second year of the deal, with Excite getting another 25 per cent of the traffic during that second year.
Excite will sell advertising on the Netscape-branded search engine, as well as a number of Netcenter Web channels where Excite will provide content.
Revenue will be shared, although executives declined to discuss specific formulas. Excite will pay a guaranteed $US70 million to Netscape under the deal, while Netscape must guarantee certain traffic levels that will support such ad revenue.
At the conclusion of the two-year agreement, which begins June 1, Excite will turn over its search and directory technology to Netscape. Netscape will provide some server and personalisation technology in exchange.
The new Netscape branded search and co-branded Netscape/Excite channels are expected to launch at the end of June.home.netscape.com/netcenter


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York police would like to talk to this woman about an alleged case of shoplifting.
They released the CCTV image after the alleged theft of a number of items from Boots the Chemist at Monks Cross, York.
The items include packs of vitamins and items of Clarins make up.
The woman was seen entering the shop at 2.40pm on Saturday, February 27.
Police are appealing for anyone who could identify the woman or anyone who has any information which could assist the investigation to contact them.


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It’s 9 a.m. on a gorgeous Tuesday at the Cowtown Farmers Market in Pilesgrove Township. So far, the outside table are not overly crowded.
A man holding a little girl in footie pajamas quietly sells melons and cantaloupes for $1. His early customers seem to be other vendors. Nearby, on the side of the market closest to the rodeo arena and corrals, there’s a vendor selling women’s purses, a water ice truck and a stall festooned with colorful clothing.
Somewhere behind me, two old friends greet each other loudly.
“Hey, old timer! How you doin’?”
“Life sucks! I’m waiting to drop dead. How’re you?”
The exchange is so powerful, I don’t even turn to look at the men.
A man and woman bring a round of purchases to their truck beside me.
“I didn’t buy anything,” the man says. “All of this is yours.”
The woman says something I can’t quite hear, then her husband responds, “Oh, you didn’t tell me all that. I wouldn’t have bought nothing.”
They even had a cooler into which they put melons bought from the guy with the little girl.
Then they headed back to the market for a second round of shopping.
The sun broke through this morning after three days of some serious on-and-off rain, so bad a state of emergency had been declared in some nearby areas —so, despite the beautiful morning, many vendors were staying away from their outdoor tables.
Cowtown owner Grant Harris confirmed my observation. At least 150 vendors, of the average 400 to 500 that usually show up, were staying home today.
Inside the long buildings, though, it was just another Cowtown market day.
The Harrises go back about 13 generations here. John Harris, it’s said, sold livestock to General “Mad” Anthony Wayne during the Revolution, to supply George Washington’s army.
More than 20 years ago, I did a story about a bull from Cowtown that was used in a car dealership ad or commercial and Grant Harris drove me and a photographer out into the middle of a herd of bucking bulls. Grant told me then something I still remember: “Cattle don’t respect a man on foot.”
The Harris livestock auction started in on North Main Street Woodstown in 1926 and was an almost instant success, After awhile, though, Woodstown couldn’t handle the additional traffic, so they moved it here. The first auction here was on election day, 1940.
A harness maker brought some of his surplus gear and asked if he might sell it outside the livestock auction one day.
At the end of the day, he came up to Stony Harris and handed him five bucks.
“What’s this?” asked Stony.
“Well, I sold all my harnesses and figured I owed you something,” said the man.
A light bulb went off.
The farmers market was born.
The livestock auction closed down in 2007 and the dilapidated auction barn was torn down — to make room for scores more vendor spaces.
Back here, it’s more like a giant flea market or yard sale, and some days, inspired by “Antique Road Show,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Pickers,” people come looking for treasure among other people’s trash. A friend of Grant’s bought a bottle for 3 bucks and sold it for $5,000.
In the old days, the market was a great source for what Grant called “the staples,” school clothes and sneakers.
There are still merchants here who come from Lancaster County to sell their foodstuffs, but the overall cast of characters has an international flavor these days — just about every ethnic background you could imagine is represented here.
Nowadays, there’s more “bling,” he said.
Jewelry vendors shuffle items around on their tables with the dexterity of a three-care monte dealer on a New York City street.
John Jim, who sells and repairs computers inside, said he does pretty good business, more as a repairman than a seller.
Grant said John keeps Cowtown’s computers running. John has a degree in computer science from Drexel.
Cowtown added the Saturday market in 1980.
“It took a full 20 years taking off,” he said, There aren’t more vendors, said Grant, but there are loads more shoppers.
Grant recognizes Cowtown’s nitty-gritty appeal.
“We are peculiar to the area,” he said.


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Jon Walden, chairman of the supercar franchise dealer group HR Owen, has said the recent high profile resignations of several board members was “no surprise” in an interview with AM in which he outlines his plans for the company.
HR Owen’s boardroom is a very different place after a series of dramatic departures – first chief executive Nicholas Lancaster left after 16 years with the group.
Then resignations followed from non-executive directors Ramon Pajares, Tony Smith and ex-Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, who’d served on the board since 1996, 2001 and 1999 respectively.
Walden, who has had the publicly-listed group under a strategic review since joining in January, said the resignations were “no surprise” as a change of management was needed to move forward.
“Reshaping our board is an essential ingredient of moving the company into the next phase of its development,” he told shareholders.
Walden is now leading the hunt for Lancaster’s replacement but stresses he will not be rushed.
Nor will he be led on who should replace Lancaster in the prime CEO position by the shareholders, which include carmaker Bentley and Lancaster himself, who still has a 20% stake in the company.
“This decision…is a decision for the board,” said Walden. “It is not a decision for the shareholders.”
Industry observers expect the winner of the post, which provided Lancaster with a £312,000 basic salary plus bonuses, benefits and two company cars, to have significant motor retail experience.
But the rumour mill will continue to work overtime.
“I have no one in mind, we are doing a search and expect a good shortlist – this is a very attractive role,” said Walden.
“But we have not set a timescale that would be a foolish thing to do.”
Lancaster co-founded HR Owen in 1994, since when he had held the CEO post with a stated aim of making it “the Harrods of the motor retail industry”.
At its height, the group turned over more than £500m and had a broad spread of franchises for supercar and premium brands.
However in recent years Lancaster led the business through disposals and down-sizing to focus on its high-margin supercar brands, ending with a group that turned over only £125m last year.
Unfortunately for the company, its downsizing was finalised just as the recession sent that sector of the car market into freefall.
Walden who is now at the helm, at least until the new CEO is appointed, explained his thinking on how the company will now return to growth.
“Our used car operation has performed well over the past 18 months in both volume and prices,” he says. “We don’t have specific plans yet but we are exploring how we can grow in this area more than we have. The used area is one we are present in, one we perform well in and one where there is more opportunity for us.”
Any additional used car outlet, which is likely to be outside of HR Owen’s traditional London home, will remain true to its luxury and sportscar roots.
“We will increase our presence ,” confirms Walden.
“And, as I keep saying there is a world outside of London full of people who buy cars.”
However, any strategic decisions, such as opening a used car outlet, will be held off until the new CEO is in place.
While used car sales have held up well, Walden is also exploring the opportunities for more new car sales.
The company is cash rich – it has some £15m in the bank and no debts – so is well placed to acquire prime retail space for a new supercar showroom should it so wish to
“New cars is another area we are looking to expand. We want to explore this further,” says Walden.
“We have an excellent relationship with our existing franchisors and we are talking with them.”
Those talks will revolve around the possibility of opening a new showroom, again probably outside of London.
But while he is talking to his current franchisors, including Bentley Motors, which has a 28% stake in HR Owen, Walden is also open to selling other marques, although not volume brands and he has no plan to return to the brands the group exited while down-sizing.
“It is not inconceivable but I would say it will not be in the volume car market,” says Walden.
“But there are other franchises.”
The aftermarket arm of the prestige car dealer group’s operations has also performed well and has caught Walden’s eye.
“The aftermarket also offers attractive options for us,” he said.
“We have got options that many companies don’t have,” he says referring to the company’s cash reserves.
“Our plan is to grow, but measured growth we are not in a hurry and will go cautiously.
“The challenge is to make the right decisions and deliver value to our owners – the shareholders.”
Bentley Motors declined to comment on HR Owen’s changes, except to confirm it held a 28% stake in the group.


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Texan Floor Service has joined the Fuse Alliance network as a dealer partner.
Texan Floor Service, serving the Houston area, is a full service commercial flooring company. With the addition of Texan Floor Service, the Fuse network has grown to 84 professional flooring partners in more than 150 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.
“Texan Floor Service brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our network, and we are thrilled to have them as part of our organization,” said Geoff Gordon, executive director at Fuse. “It’s an exciting time for us, as we continue to build our network with commercial flooring companies of this caliber and expand our reach throughout the U.S.”
Texan Floor Service, an employee-owned flooring company, specializes in a wide range of commercial flooring market segments and provides a range of flooring products, as well as, installation, maintenance and repair and reclamation services. The company is one of Houston’s first commercial flooring companies dedicated to a No Carpet to Landfill policy. Since 2009, the company has partnered with Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) diverting hundreds of thousands of pounds of carpet from landfills and redirecting to a recycling plant in Grapevine, Texas.
“We are committed to cultivating a strong partnership with the Fuse Alliance leadership team and other business throughout the network and looking forward to the growth and insight that will come from being connected to a network such as Fuse,” said Jeff Hill, president of Texan Floor Service.
For more information, visit fusealliance.com and texanfloor.com.
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ABU News and Technical Review now available on Android devices
You can now have instant access to the latest news on Asia-Pacific broadcasting anywhere in the world, at any time, in any place.
The magazines ABU News and ABU Technical Review are now available on Android-powered smart phones and tablets. All you have to do is download the apps for the magazines onto your Android device.
To download and install the apps, use your device to scan the QR codes from the front page of the ABU website at www.abu.org.my then allow installation of a non-market application to proceed when prompted. Once installed, the ABU News and Technical Review icons will appear in the application section. A tap on one of them will launch the ABU magazine.
The ABU hopes the new Android apps will prove popular not just with broadcasters and other media people, but with anyone who is interested in what is happening in the world of broadcasting and technology. Work is under way to launch an ABU Newsletter app across all platforms for those readers who want instantly-available news.


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Cult of the Lamb developers share their favourite games of 2022
The team at Massive Monster, developers of Cult of the Lamb, share three of their favourite games from 2022.
Edmond Tran's Top 10 Games of 2022
GamesHub Managing Editor Edmond Tran shares his personal list of the Top 10 video games of 2022.
The Best Video Games of 2022
From big PlayStation blockbusters to innovative indie games made by tiny teams, here are our picks for the 20 best…
The best mobile games of 2022
Mobile gaming broke into the mainstream in 2022, with a range of smash hits leading the charge.
Netflix Games finally has its killer apps, thanks to Devolver Digital
Netflix Games has revealed its plans for games for 2022. It has a surprisingly good lineup, and some killer originals…


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Continental AG has named former BMW product development chief Wolfgang Ziebart to run its crucial Automotive Systems group.
Continental Automotive Systems is leading the Hanover, Germany-based group's shift from tiremaker to systems and module supplier.
Ziebart will take over at Continental Automotive Systems in October. He was one of three BMW management board members ousted when the company dumped money-losing Rover group in the spring.
His background in electronics and product development made him a much sought-after executive. Sources say he received five job offers, including two from carmakers, before joining Continental.
'I'm very pleased to have someone of his ability,' said Continental AG Chairman Stephan Kessel. 'I don't know of another case of a board member from a carmaker taking over a supplier company.'
Ziebart was development chief on the hugely-successful BMW 3 series and a protege of former BMW No. 2 Wolfgang Reitzle.
He led the turnaround team sent to Rover in October, 1998 - delaying the Rover 75 launch by six months and ordering a long list of improvements.
Ziebart replaces Hans Albert Beller, who led Continental's drive into modules and systems in the mid-1990s. Beller will retire by year-end.


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Chartwells rolled out the red carpet complete with waiters dressed in black tie to celebrate the new Mahoney Pearson dining hall opening at 12 PM on August 30th.
The event brought some of the University’s biggest names including our student body President Bhumi Patel, VP for Student Affairs Patricia Whitely, and, of course, President Shalala.
This revamp, complete with new vibrant décor, an open kitchen and even brand new plates and silverware, was all part of the Phase 1 renovation which included the changes of Starbucks and Red Mango.
Distraction was fortunate enough to receive a personal tour from Resident District Manager of Chartwells, Michael Ross.
When asked how the food quality has changed, Mr. Ross conceded that while there has been no change in the distributors, students’ perceptions change as they can now feast their eyes on the food being prepared because of the new kitchen layout.
Although the quality hasn’t changed, some students like freshmen Elaine Han, agree the food is better. Han said she “really really liked the chicken sandwiches” and even ate them for four days in a row while freshman Kevin Weaver said the food is far superior and “seems like a lot less frozen food” than the not yet renovated Stanford Dining Hall. (Lucky for the next incoming freshman class, plans to renovate are in the works for next year.)However, few others could point out any standout dishes (besides the famous fro yo machines) and some students went so far as to conclude: different layout, same old food.
Some highlights include the new oven that churns out not only new and improved pizza, but also casseroles, strombolies, and even desserts. There is also a Panini press for crispy sandwiches as well as a carving station.
Sophomore McKenna Lyons noticed a change with the new pizza ovens. “This pizza is less greasy and just tastes better in general, it tastes flakier. The pizza in the other dining hall doesn’t seem like it’s baked” said Lyons.
In addition to dining hall, the takeout system also received several improvements. Mr. Ross said this system serves students on-the-go. With both meat and vegetarian entrees, today’s improved take out menu features various salads, veggie wraps, ham and cheese sandwiches, and also options not previously offered in the dining hall like granola bars, to-go soymilk cartons, and yogurt cartons.
However, it seems like the biggest change is the atmosphere: there is a new energy that just wasn’t as prominent in the previous dining hall. The new seating not only offers a wider variety including booths, community tables, and even a private dining room complete with a 70-inch screen television, but creates a more inclusive feel throughout.
We even got our famous Ibis’ opinion on the new dining hall. We asked what his thoughts were and, seeing at he doesn’t speak, he wrote “Full speed ahead!” in response. The dining hall renovations clearly have Sebastian’s approval.
While the votes seems to be mixed, it’s clear that everyone is talking about the recent renovations.
words_alyssa jacobson. photos_rori kotch.


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It hasn’t been too long since we’ve heard of the Ghost Recon franchise. Just earlier this month we learned that there’s no chance for the oft-delayed Ghost Recon: Future Soldier to release this year; it is now a first-quarter 2012 release. So not good news.
Today’s a bit different though; Ubisoft has announced a new addition to the series, a free-to-play, Ubisoft Singapore-developed cover-based third-person shooter called Ghost Recon Online.
The studio has quite a few boxes ticked, too. The game brings a selection of three classes, customizable weapons, premium content for those who wish to “fully personalize their experience,” and a preceding closed beta which will kick off this summer (head to ghostrecononline.com to sign up).
Sounds like EA’s Battlefield Heroes and Battlefield F4P will be close competitors.
There’s no final launch date yet, but the announcement did come complete with assets. Grab the first character renders and screenshots here, and have a look at the debut in-game trailer here.


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Liao Yung-lai, right, the director of the Cabinet's Central Coordination Office, and a few guests yesterday launch a forum in Taichung City to discuss the city's future development.Aug 06, 2005
PHOTO: LIAO YAO-TUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
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1Djokovic, Federer reach semi-finals in Cincinnati
2EDITORIAL: Lee’s critics are betraying Taiwan
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5Soong apologizes for his role in Martial Law era


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Larian Studios says it’s working on an Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3, but says it’s experiencing technical problems. This is why the company does not yet want to confirm whether the Xbox version will actually appear. The Belgian developer recently announced the PS5 version.
developer says on reddit An Xbox version is in the works, but there are issues with split-screen co-op. In a press release, the company wrote that the situation on the Series X and Series S consoles is not “quite the same,” making it clear that the Series S’ lower specs play a role in the technical issues.
Only when Larian Studios finds a solution to this problem does the developer want to officially announce an Xbox version. The company does not seem to be sure that the issue can be resolved and therefore does not want to officially announce the release for fear of having to cancel or postpone it later.
Larian Studios recently announced that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be coming to PlayStation 5 on August 31st, along with PC and Mac. Since the company didn’t mention the Xbox version, some fans thought it was an exclusive deal. This was quickly deniedbut the company still wants to explain this in more detail.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an RPG set in the Forgotten Realms of Dungeons & Dragons universe. Previous games were made by BioWare, and the last one came out 23 years ago. The new game has been available as Early Access since October 2020.
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Date: Thursday, April 11th, 2013, 07:22
Category: iOS, Rumor, Software
A rumor’s a rumor, but there’s got to be something valid in there.
Per ZDNet, the outfit claims to have gotten its mitts on a Microsoft roadmap for next year and says on it is “iOS/Android support for Office”.
Also on the roadmap for fall 2014 is what’s listed as iOS/Android support for Office. While this could point to the rumored iOS release of Office, the most recent rumors/expectations have been that Microsoft may be making these mobile iOS/Android versions of Office available as part of an Office 365 subscription of some kind. The alleged roadmap makes no mention of an Office 365/subscription tie-in. It only mentions “iOS/Android” as a Gemini Fall 2014 deliverable.
Microsoft itself has dropped a couple hints at mobile support for Office including assorted job listings and references to Excel and Powerpoint on iPhone from last year.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.


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Here is the automotive news you might have missed this week.
Everything seems to be volatile around the globe, and yet somehow the US auto market is overall on the climb, against all odds. That’s not the craziest thing going on but it is surprising and nobody seems to know how long it will keep up or what it truly means.
1. Mini wants you to learn stick.
Sadly, a lot of drivers these days don’t know how to handle anything with a third pedal. To correct that and get people excited for the fact Mini is actually trying to save the manual transmission by using them in new cars, the British/German automaker will be offering a Mini Manual Driving School in California. Sadly, this is where we’re at in 2022.
Read more about it here.
Learn how you might go overlanding in an EV here.
2. Automakers pull the plug on Twitter, for now.
General Motors is the most prominent example of an automaker which has pulled paid advertisements on Twitter since Elon Musk completed his purchase of the site last Friday. It’s not clear if GM and other advertisers will return later since they’re being coy or diplomatic about the whole thing. No doubt they’re weary of how they might be supporting a dangerous rival.
Read more about this story here.
3. Not exactly layoffs, but still interesting.
Some big automakers are pressuring workers to take severance packages or buyouts, particularly for their salaried workforce. Among the prominent examples are Ford and Stellantis. While the auto industry is chest thumping about strong sales and asking why everyone is talking about a global recession, moves like this should make you stop and wonder what they really believe is coming down the pipeline.
4. Tesla Autopilot manslaughter trial set.
All eyes will be watching a trial set for November 15 in Los Angeles involving a charge of manslaughter for a driver who was using Autopilot in his Tesla. This is the sort of legal test that’s been talked about theoretically for years and could set quite the precedent going forward.
Learn more about the case here.
5. BMW CEO bristles at criticism.
If you’re seen BMW’s out there designs lately, you might be wondering just what’s going on with the Bavarians these days? Well, BMW’s CEO seems a little bit sensitive to the criticism, claiming the new design language is supposed to appeal to new buyers who aren’t already BMW fans. Yeah, that’s great, but what about alienating BMW’s very supportive base?
Read more on his hot take here.
Lead image via Mini


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Selena Gomez flaunts pert derrière in West Hollywood
Pop singer and actress Selena Gomez was spotted heading out of a gym in West Hollywood, flaunting her curves in figure-hugging tights.
The 22 year old former Disney star, showed off her phsyqiue in black high-waisted tights styled with a long-sleeved grey shirt knotted at the waist.
Selena added an orange purse to her look along with a pair of aviator shades and black Adidas sneakers.
Her long black hair was styled sleek and loose, and Selena strutted out of the gym in style.
Taylor Swift was spotted with Selena Gomez recently in Los Angeles in skimpy clothing.
Selena Gomez flaunts pert derrière in West Hollywood Reviewed by Minza Siddiqui on 6/19/2015 09:33:00 AM Rating:


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(ConservativeInsider.org) – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has forced companies and governments globally to evaluate just who they are willing to deal with and support. Recently, Microsoft Corp. joined a quickly growing number of businesses choosing to suspend their operations in Russia in light of their hostilities.
On Friday, March 4, Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith announced Microsoft would “suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia” and simultaneously condemned Putin’s “unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful invasion” of Ukraine. With this move, the computer and cybersecurity giant joined many companies also choosing to withdraw their business from Russia, including but not limited to:
- Warner Bros.
Some of these companies have chosen to continue paying their Russian workers during this tumultuous time. The Hill shared more about Microsoft’s announcement:
— The Hill (@thehill) March 4, 2022
These businesses hope to send President Putin a clear message: He is simultaneously hurting his own people and nation as he continues his brutal attacks on Ukraine. Hopefully, these actions, along with the various sanctions implemented by governments worldwide, will stop Putin from continuing his invasion sooner rather than later.
Copyright 2022, ConservativeInsider.org


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While apparel brands and manufacturers have so far been slow to adopt 3D design and fit tools, the technology can deliver significant long-term rewards, according to GlobalData.
The software provides 3D visualisation of garments in real time, enabling companies to share and monitor their designs, fit and sizing across the supply chain on true-to-life virtual avatars. The process helps speed the product development time, reduces the need for physical samples and can improve workflows.
Leonie Barrie, apparel analyst at GlobalData, says that faced with growing pressures for shorter development cycles, faster time to market and reduced waste, clothing brands and retailers are increasingly looking to leverage the benefits of 3D virtual design and prototyping tools to deliver quick wins across areas such as fit, design, sampling and workflow.
“By enabling brands to shorten the time to market, 3D technology can give them more agility and flexibility to address current market needs, as well as reduce their inventory. 3D solutions can also have a big impact on sustainability and waste reduction, with fewer samples meaning less material waste and a smaller carbon footprint.”
As with any new technology, it is taking time for companies to gain critical mass in using 3D design and prototyping software.
Key challenges to overcome include ensuring that designers begin the creative process in 3D and get used to taking consumer feedback on board before investing in product development. Another key area is connectivity and automation, so that there are seamless links with all the software and components in the chain, such as CAD (computer aided design), product lifecycle management (PLM), fabrics, avatars, body scanners and production.
“It’s not just the design and product development teams that can reap the rewards from transitioning to 3D,” says Barrie. “Photorealistic 3D models can be shared with suppliers before production to create personalised products. And designs can be created and pushed out on social media platforms to gauge interest even before a production run is started.
“Imagine being able to build a virtual clothing line, put it out on social media, see how many likes you get and then make the styles with the highest likes only. This is also hugely important for retailers as it helps to tackle another major pain point: the high volumes of returns.”


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As the hunger season begins in earnest in Southern Africa, the food security situation is rapidly deteriorating in those countries facing severe food shortages as a result of a poor 2004/05 crop production season. Whatever household food stocks that were available have been drawn down, and levels of purchases are constrained by very high food prices, limited purchasing power and lack of employment opportunities. While vulnerability assessments conducted in May 2005 revealed high levels of food insecurity (with an estimated 10 million people in the region requiring humanitarian assistance); it is believed that these numbers have significantly increased as the situation deteriorates more rapidly than had been assumed. Food access problems are most pronounced in Southern Malawi, Zimbabwe and parts of Zambia and Mozambique. With the onset of the rainy season, it is recommended that governments and partners intensify efforts to ensure timely delivery of adequate requisite inputs so that farmers can take full advantage of the predicted good rains this season.
FOOD SECURITY SUMMARY AND CURRENT INTERVENTIONS
The latest food security assessments indicate that many vulnerable households in the affected countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, parts of Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland are now facing critical food shortages, and have run out of own food stocks. Exacerbating food security problems are rapidly rising staple food prices coupled with very slow progress in planned commercial imports and slow food aid delivery rates. October retail food prices (as shown in figure 1) increased significantly in response to fast dwindling supplies, raising grave concerns about severe food access problems among vulnerable populations. Although intra-regional trade has continued to play an important role in filling some of the food gap, current import rates into deficit countries are very slow. Limited supplies in Mozambique, for example, have meant a huge decline in its informal exports to neighboring Malawi. Barriers to trade, such as high import levies, stringent phytosanitary regulations and export bans, have also acted to constrain formal and informal trade levels between Zambia and its neighbors. However, there has been a noticeable increase in Tanzania exports to Malawi and Zambia following recent harvests.
Figure 1. Average maize retail prices (US$/kg) in the monitored markets of Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe: 2004/05 and 2005/06
Source: FEWS NET Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Recent assessments in Malawi indicate that household food security is increasingly deteriorating in the southern region. The MVAC had estimated that between 4.2 and 4.6 million people would require humanitarian assistance, with the worst case scenario based on maize price increases of between MK32/Kg and MK40/kg. By October, prices had already exceeded this price band in some local markets in the south and lakeshore areas. The rapid rise in prices has raised both individual food needs as well as numbers of those unable to meet their food needs. The MVAC has updated its analysis which now shows that the population at risk now stands at 4.8 million. The recent assessments revealed high levels of extreme coping mechanisms; not commonly employed at this time of the year, and incidences of increasing malnutrition levels in some districts have been reported. Emergency interventions, though initially inadequate, have played a significant role in staving off hunger by improving food availability at both household level and at local markets. The inadequacy of international response is underlined by the fact that of the planned cereal distributions between April and October; only 60% was achieved. However, due to increasing reports of a rapidly deteriorating situation, more resources have been made available; consequently, WFP's cereal pipeline for Malawi for the period December to June 2006 is now fully resourced (tables 1 and 2). All 4.8 million people at risk will receive assistance through WFP (covering 45% of the population) and the government (DFID supported) voucher scheme that is targeting the remaining 55%. There is a danger however that pipeline breaks may occur before the end of the hunger season as a result of inadequate regional transport infrastructure, and the current huge demand to import both food and inputs (fertilizers), not only by Malawi but also other neighboring States.
Table 1. Food aid (cereals) distributions during period April - October 2005 (Metric tons)
Source: Based on data from WFP (ODJ) and C-SAFE (covering Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe)
Table 2. WFP Southern Africa Regional PRRO: cereal requirements for December 2005 - June 2006
Source: World Food Programme (ODJ); December 2005.
Reports from Zimbabwe indicate acute staple food shortages, and there are fears that this hunger season will be severe as the country grapples with a hyper inflation (411% in October) that continues to push the cost of living beyond the reach of most rural and urban households. Household food access is extremely problematic because of a shortage of supplies on the markets, very high market prices, and the continued erosion of purchasing power. Although by the end of November, significant amounts of maize had been imported commercially (685,214 MT, or 57% of the planned 1.2 million MT); internal distribution bottlenecks are restricting grain availability, particularly in the remote areas. While the ZimVac had in June 2005 estimated that between 2.9 and 3.9 million people would require humanitarian assistance, the conditions described above have led to a surge in the number of the food insecure, many of whom require immediate assistance in order to survive the hunger season.
In Mozambique, the recent Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition (SETSAN) food security and nutrition assessment indicates rising malnutrition rates and a further deterioration in the food security situation of households not only in the drought affected provinces in the south and central regions; but also in some parts of the northern region which were previously assessed as food secure. The updated figures now show that a total of 801,000 people (against the 587,000 assessed in May) will require immediate assistance until March 2006. Increasing food insecurity is attributed to increasingly limited food supplies, exacerbated by a poor second season crop and slow deliveries of emergency supplies, very high food prices (compared to average and last year), very limited water availability, and exhausted coping capability. WFP's current emergency plans need to be scaled up from the planned 47,970 MT (which though fully resourced now falls below the revised requirement of 83,000 MT by about 42%) and urgent resource mobilization is needed. In November, WFP planned to cover 534,000 beneficiaries (or 66% of population at risk); this will be scaled up to 73% over the period January to March 2006.
The government of Zambia has recently declared the food shortages in the affected parts of the country a disaster; thus paving way for a coordinated international response to complement its current relief efforts. This follows a marked deterioration in food access in the drought affected districts. The Zambia VAC is currently updating its analysis; and numbers requiring assistance are likely to rise from the earlier estimates of 1.2 million. However, both commercial and food relief responses to Zambia's food shortages have been very slow. Commercial imports have been very slow (by end of November, only 10,653 MT out of a possible 200,000 MT were delivered) as a result of government's delayed lifting of the 15% import duty, and the new phytosanitary regulations that require that all maize imports be certified GMO free. Dwindling maize supplies are reflected in the marked increases in maize prices, while delayed importation is increasing pressure on already tight market supplies which could lead to a spiraling of prices particularly as the hunger season progresses. Government's relief efforts have also been very slow with only 13,000 MT of food distributed since June, when the VAC had estimated that 118,000 MT would be required between July 2005 and February 2006.
In Lesotho and Swaziland, where 2004/05 harvests fell far short of domestic consumption requirements, the numbers of food insecure populations are estimated at 549,000 and 227,000, respectively, for the period up to March 2006. While food prices have remained stable in Lesotho (year on year food inflation rates for September were estimated at 2.4% compared to 1.8% in August), in Swaziland food prices have been rising rapidly as evidenced by the sharp increase in the food inflation rate from 8.2% in September to 13.6% in October. In both these countries however, many of the food insecure households are unable to purchase adequate supplies and are increasingly dependent on food aid. Table 1 above shows comparatively higher levels of food aid distributions achieved in these two countries for the period April to October. In addition, the commercial maize import program in Lesotho is on track (71% of planned imports delivered), which may explain the more stable food prices.
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The eighth largest mill in the world, Foodcorp Milling division in Western Pretoria, was awarded with its ISO 22 000 certification on the 29 November last year.
South African Bureau of Standards auditor, Orap Moses, attended the ceremony held at the Voortrekker Monument, to hand over the award. ‘I recently completed the internal audit myself at the mill,’ Moses said, ‘and was very happy with what I saw.’
It took ‘dedication, passion and commitment’, said Kevin Clarke, general manager of R&D for Foodcorp Milling. The team had been working on the certification process since last year January and achieved it in ‘record timing’, said Clarke.
‘The certification is more than a hygiene standard, it’s a culture change for the division’, Clarke said, and there have been numerous successes to date after implementing the ISO strategy. ‘With a high degree of certainty, we can now trace back from the customer to the raw material. Full product traceability of up to 90% in 90 minutes! And, monitoring of high risk processes such as water and mycotoxins is made much easier.’
In view of food safety and security concerns, it has become a global trend of importance amongst food manufacturers to secure certifications that maintain high standards. Being compliant with international standards has also become a bigger concern, as imports and exports grow.
Optimistic that the ISO certification gives them a certain edge, Clarke said, ‘We are cleaning in places where before we wouldn’t have ever looked and major customers are cancelling their own internal audits because of the guarantee that the certification provides.’


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USB-C Charging Port is Coming on iPhone Next Year
As revealed by a new report, Apple could launch the iPhone 14 next year with a USB-C port instead of the company's current Lightning connector port.
While the numerous features available in the Apple iPhone allow users to have a more enjoyable experience, users have been clamoring for numerous changes for a long time. Apple iPhone models have lightning ports and lightning connectors for charging and connecting to other devices, respectively. Other devices, on the other hand, have USB-C ports that can be used for this purpose. As revealed by a new report, Apple could launch the iPhone 14 next year with a USB-C port instead of the company's current Lightning connector port.
Pro models will be the first to witness the change
According to a report by i-DropNews, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models may be equipped with USB-C charging ports for charging. If this happens, it will be one of the most significant and significant changes that Apple makes in response to customer demand. Because the iPhone 14 Pro models are equipped with a USB-C port, they can be charged using any standard USB charging cable and cable.
Better file transfer speed with USB-C port
Apple can improve the transfer speed of data by making changes to the way it connects to devices and charges their batteries. Lightning connectors are still using USB 2.0 technology, which significantly slows down the file transfer process. It is critical to have a better data transfer option in the iPhone after purchasing a powerful camera and average recording capability. iPhone models will benefit from USB 4.0 support as well as data transfer speeds ranging from 20Gbps to 40Gbps thanks to USB-C technology.
Federal Agencies are the reason behind this change
The United States government and the European Union have been putting constant pressure on Apple to provide customers with a universal mode for charging their devices. If this does not happen, Apple will be forced to pay massive damages, which the company will never agree to. With the release of the pro models in 2022 and the iPhone 15 series in 2023, Apple will be able to support USB-C ports in all of its devices to meet this demand.
Next step towards E-waste control
In the past, Apple has expressed a commitment to protecting the environment from the harm caused by e-waste. As a result, the company has discontinued the distribution of charging adapters with its models. As the next step in this direction, the decision to remove the lightning connector can now be made as well. Sales of Apple's MagSafe Chargers, on the other hand, will almost certainly suffer as a result of this. iPhones will begin to utilize universal charging technology as a result of the change in charging ports.
Wait for the official confirmation
It is too soon to tell whether or not Apple will include USB-C ports in the iPhone 14 series. This has changed, however, with the introduction of the new iPad Air, iPad Mini, and iPad Pro models from Apple. Apple is concentrating its efforts on MagSafe charging technology for iPhones. According to some reports, Apple may decide to completely remove charging ports from future iPhones to promote cloud data transfer through MagSafe charging technology.


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‘It’s articles over car configurators’: BMW’s new site is more like a magazine
BMW is breaking with tradition to overhaul its global site, replacing the slick product pictures and snazzy car configurators that are common on most automotive sites with BuzzFeed-style listicles and GQ-esque mini features.
A small internal marketing team creates the content, which has included short articles on subjects such as an interview with up-and-coming rapper Desiigner, who featured a white BMW X6 prominently in one of his music videos. Another article focuses on the luxury lifestyles of BMW’s richest drivers, featuring a GQ-like blend of rich photography and witty write-ups of some of the world’s most exclusive racing events. Other articles riff on more straightforward subjects, like features on autonomous driving and extreme sports, to more quirky topics such as a collection of absurd traffic laws from around the world.
Since it launched at the beginning of November, 25 articles across lifestyle, design and innovation have been published. As much as BMW’s cars feature prominently in the first batch of stories, cars come second to the subject matter, according to Jörg Poggenpohl, BMW’s head of digital marketing. Articles are in part determined by the search terms that bring some visitors to the site, while BMW’s in-house team will also track other queries that mention either BMW or one of its cars.
Poggenpohl acknowledged the challenges ahead in tracking the performance of the articles, as some will rank better than others, and some could go viral. However, the articles will be judged on how well they push visitors to the BMW sites in their local markets, where they can access more product information. “From a central marketing perspective, the site sits at the upper part of the funnel,” Poggenpohl explained.
Rather than frame the online overhaul as yet another “brand as publisher” pivot, Poggenpohl sees it more as an SEO play. After all, most visitors to BMW.com come via search engines rather than directly, he added. The site, therefore, has to pull in people who aren’t necessarily interested in a specific car and instead appeal to their lifestyles, Poggenpohl added. “If people are talking about drones, then we should be able to find a connection with our products so we can create an article. The articles that you will see on the site in the future will be much more data-driven.”
Similar to what the likes of Asos and Mr Porter have done in fashion, BMW wants to build a brand with an authoritative editorial voice. This is particularly necessary to attract young people, with whom the car brand would previously have taken years to craft a certain perception, using more traditional ads — such as TV ads — over a longer period of time. That was when the brand’s marketing centered around specific launches, Poggenpohl said. Now, the car brand has decided it doesn’t need to make people want to buy a car upfront. It’s getting savvier about how it focuses on the fun side of driving.
The shift in online tactics is set to be more prevalent in BMW’s marketing next year. “Through our own analysis, we found that younger people aren’t as interested in Facebook anymore; they’re on Snapchat,” Poggenpohl said.
Last week, BMW became one of the first brands to use Snapchat’s augmented reality ads, which let users visualize how products look in the real world. While Poggenpohl would not share any metrics concerning the ads, he said the dwell-time figures he received from Snapchat were “encouraging” and had exceeded his expectations.
Moving forward, the advertiser will prioritize AR experiences on platforms such as Snapchat or Facebook rather than follow retailers like Ikea and build a dedicated app for the technology. BMW isn’t a “big fan” of apps, Poggenpohl said. “If you go down that route, there’s the hurdle to overcome of how do you get someone to download the app and then use it regularly.”
Image courtesy of BMW.
Blavity to continue building its virtual event model in the metaverse after successful AfroTech
AfroTech held its second conference in the metaverse this month and saw an uptick in attendance and revenue after focusing on creating an inclusive and comfortable space.
‘Exclusive is illusive’: U.K. publishers launch plan to mitigate loss of traffic when sources aren’t properly cited
It revolves around an email process whereby those publishers who have registered for the protocol are able to contact other publishers who have not cited exclusive content they’ve produced so that links can be updated.
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SponsoredHow advertisers are shifting mindsets to succeed amid iOS 15 and other identity challenges
On top of the impending cookie deprecation, Apple’s recent iOS 15 changes are causing concern for many advertisers by affecting pixels, IP addresses and email addresses. While these upcoming changes may be concerning for many, shifting mindsets and getting away from a binary way of thinking with solutions being 100% contextual or 100% universal IDs […]
SXM Media’s Lizzie Widhelm on the challenges advertisers face with podcast ad buying
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Record tonnage at Vancouver USA
(Posted on 02/04/19)
The Port of Vancouver USA has logged record-breaking cargo tonnage for the fifth year in a row, with 2018 coming in at 8.1 million metric tons. This marks an 8.3 percent increase over last year’s record of 7.5 million metric tons.
The port is primarily a bulk import and export facility with dedicated facilities for specific commodities, such as grain, soy beans, corn, mineral ores, concentrates, fertilizers, clays, bauxite and agricultural commodities. Other bulk commodities are handled on a case-by-case basis.
“By continuing to invest in critical infrastructure and diversifying our portfolio of cargoes and customers, we were able to deliver another record year during a time of significant uncertainty in global trade,” said port CEO Julianna Marler. “It’s a testament to the hard work of our staff, customers and labor partners, whose daily efforts keep cargoes moving and lend vitality and stability to our local and regional economies.”
Total imports increased by 6.2 percent, climbing from 1.24 million metric tons in 2017 to a record-breaking 1.32 million metric tons in 2018. Steel commodities continue to be the largest imports at the Port of Vancouver by volume, and in 2018 the port moved 830,912 metric tons – an increase of 16.6 percent. Subaru also had another record-breaking year by importing 91,544 vehicles – 4.1 percent more than the previous year.
Overall exports increased by 8.7 percent in 2018, with strong gains in several commodities. Corn exports climbed an impressive 61.3 percent and copper concentrate increased by 40.7 percent, thanks to continued strong demand in Asia.
Fluctuations in currency and the global economy had an impact in 2018, but the port’s continued tonnage growth contributed to an increase in operating revenue from $36 million to $38 million in 2018.
The port expects to see continued growth in autos, steel, minerals, wind energy components and grain in 2019.
The Port of Vancouver USA is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast, and its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a skilled labour force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.
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A Large and Growing Market
• China is the world’s second
largest economy in real terms and a vast and growing market for U.S. products and services.
-- While global growth slowed to under 2 percent over the last
three years, China’s economy expanded by more than 8 percent.
-- The rising incomes of China’s nearly 1.3 billion consumers have
fueled strong demand for U.S. farm products, manufactured goods and technical
• Between 2000 and 2003, U.S.
exports to China grew 76 percent, while sales to the rest of the world declined by 9 percent.
-- China is now the sixth largest market for U.S. exports and
America’s third largest trading partner overall – surpassing Japan in 2003.
Benefiting American Exporters
• Growing U.S. sales to China are
benefiting American companies, farmers and workers.
• In 2003, the United States
exported nearly $5 billion in agricultural goods to China – an increase of more than 140 percent over 2002.
-- Soybean sales hit an all time high of nearly $2.9 billion, and
cotton exports reached a record of nearly $740 million.
-- Strong sales of these and other products contributed to a $3.7
billion U.S. agricultural trade surplus with China.
• China is among the fastest
growing major overseas markets for U.S. manufactured goods.
-- U.S. exports of computers, electrical equipment and other
electronic products to China increased by 20 percent between 2002 and 2003, topping $7
-- Chemicals exports grew 24 percent to $3.7 billion over the same
• Strong U.S. exports of
transportation and education services contributed to a $2 billion U.S. services trade surplus with China in 2002.
• The United States is working to
increase U.S. exports and further open China's market to American goods and services by ensuring that China implements its
WTO commitments faithfully and promptly.
• Through a variety of mechanisms,
including WTO action, the United States is pressing China to ensure that U.S. firms are not subject to discriminatory taxation,
that American intellectual property rights are protected, that market access commitments in
areas such as financial services and agriculture are fully met, that China's trading regime
operates transparently, and that promises to grant trading and distribution rights are implemented
fully and on time.


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Marshall Motor Holdings Plc (LON:MMH), one of the UK’s leading automotive retail groups, today provided the following unscheduled trading update given significant upgrades to both first half and full year expectations for 2021.
The market has continued to benefit from positive tailwinds, including a recent unprecedented used vehicle value appreciation and favourable demand-to-supply conditions for both new and used vehicles. In addition, the Group has continued its strong outperformance of the wider new and used vehicle markets.
As a result, the Group expects to report an exceptionally strong first half performance in both profit and cash generation when it issues its interim results on 10 August 2021.
There remains a high level of uncertainty over the second half of 2021, and possibly longer, given the potentially significant impacts of new vehicle supply issues as a result of a well-documented worldwide shortage of semi-conductors, a realignment of used vehicle values and the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, supply issues have had limited impact on the Group’s sales volumes, however supply in both new and used vehicles has tightened and there are signs that these issues will become more acute in the second half of the year and maybe beyond.
As a result, there are a wide range of possible outcomes for the Group’s full year results. Despite having committed to repay £4.0m of Government support, as previously announced, the Board now expects that continuing underlying profit before tax in 2021 is likely to be significantly ahead of current market expectations and well ahead of the Group’s historic record result.
As previously stated, the Marshall Motor Holdings Board understands the importance of dividends to shareholders and intends to resume the payment of dividends as soon as possible. It will consider the position next at the time of the release of its interim results on 10 August 2021.


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Chinese smartphone major Xiaomi is readying up for the launch of its upcoming entry-level Xiaomi Redmi 7A in the Indian market. There have been a number of teasers which have been posted online and in the latest series, the Xiaomi Redmi 7A has been tipped to arrive in the Indian market with a massive feature upgrade.
In a tweet posted by Xiaomi India head, Manu Kumar Jain, the Redmi 7A will reportedly get a massive feature upgrade in the Indian market. It is unclear on as to what the upgrade will be, but the tweet hinted at feature similarities in the Mi A2 and the recently launched Redmi Note 7 as well.
Earlier, the announcement of the phone coming to India was made by company India head, Manu Kumar Jain, who took to Twitter to announce that the Redmi 7A will succeed the company's Redmi 6A smartphone in the Indian market. Redmi 6A is a highly popular phone and currently retails at a starting price of Rs. 5,999.
The phone once launched is expected to come sporting a similar price tag. In China, the Redmi 7A comes sporting a price tag of CNY 549 (roughly Rs. 5,500) for the 2GB + 16GB variant, while the 2GB + 32GB variant sports a price tag of CNY 599 (roughly Rs. 6,000).
The Redmi 7A features a 5.45-inch HD display with 18:9 aspect ratio and resolution of 720x1440 pixels. Under the hood, the phone is tipped to sport an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor that is paired with 2GB of RAM and 16/32GB of storage. It runs on Android 9 Pie operating the software with MIUI 10 on top. However, in light of the recent tweet regarding similarities between the 7A, Note 7, and the Mi A2, we are assuming it could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE chipset.
In terms of the imaging capabilities, the Redmi 7A gets a 13-megapixel primary rear shooter while at the front the phone has a 5-megapixel sensor. Additionally, the phone packs a 4000mAh battery capacity and comes with P2i splash-resistant coating. For connectivity, it gets a 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, and a Micro-USB port.


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Bridgend County Borough Council has confirmed that free parking will remain available at two council-maintained town centre car parks to support traders until the end of the current financial year.
Drivers will be able to continue to park for free for the first three hours at the Rhiw multi-storey car park in Bridgend, and between noon and 3pm at John Street in Porthcawl.
With free parking also available at the Llynfi Road multi-storey in Maesteg and the Penprysg Road car park in Pencoed, the offer was introduced at the start of coronavirus pandemic as part of the council’s overall support package to help local businesses.
Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Stuart Baldwin said: “Throughout the pandemic, Bridgend County Borough Council has been doing all that it can to support local businesses and shoppers.
“That support has ranged from processing millions of pounds in financial funding, making free equipment, signage and training available so that premises can keep their staff and customers safe, providing free and concessionary rental rates for market stall traders, and of course making free car parking available to encourage more people to shop locally.
“The free parking will be available until 31 March, so I hope that businesses and shoppers alike will make the most of it, and will continue to support local trade.”
Responding to the news that the parking offer has been extended, Bridgend Town Traders Forum Chair Beth Daniel and Vice-Chair Simone Real issued a joint statement.
They said: “As chair and vice-chair of the Bridgend Town Traders Forum, we are very happy with the decision to extend the offer of three hours of free parking in Bridgend at the Rhiw car park.
“We welcome everything that can be done to support shoppers who visit and use the town centre, and this will help traders as we seek to work together to help the town centre bounce back from the pandemic.”
Margaret Minhinnick, President of Porthcawl Chamber of Trade, said: “Porthcawl Chamber of Trade welcomes the free car parking extension for our town centres.
“It encourages people not only to shop local, helping our town centre businesses survive and keeping more of the profit within the locality, but reduces travel and dangerous car emissions which cause poor air quality and climate pollution.”


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Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc., receives a new CFO.
Andrew Vollero, the company's first chief financial officer, resigns, the company said on Monday in a financial filing. He will be replaced by Tim Stone, an experienced Amazon manager.
Vollero's departure comes after a turbulent year for Snap since going public in March 2017. It has been under sustained pressure from Facebook, and after announcing that it could not meet analysts' expectations for the first quarter of 2018, its shares were up to 17%.
Now, a week later, it brings a new CFO offering a hefty paycheck. Stone, 51, receives an annual salary of $ 500,000 plus $ 20 million in restricted stock shares and 500,000 options to purchase Class A shares.
Snap said in his application that Vollero is due to disagreements with the company or any accounting-related matters, operations of strategy at Snap. Vollero will remain with Snap as a Non-Employee Advisor until August, earning his regular salary. Vollero will also receive a payment of an annual salary that was $ 450.00 at the end of last year, and all of its unissued shares will become vested.
In a statement, CEO Evan Spiegel of Vollero said: "I am deeply grateful for Drew and his many contributions to Snap's growth … He did a great job as Snap & # 39; s first CFO, building a strong team and helped We will be guided on the way to the listed company The discipline he has brought into our company will lead us into the future We wish Drew continued success and all the best. "
A story of big payouts
Stone's significant stock price pales in comparison to a portion of the compensation Snap has previously paid out to other senior executives. In 2017, the year Snap went public, Spiegel received a huge stock price of $ 637 million, in addition to a salary of just under $ 100.
Chief Strategy Officer Imran Khan has now received $ 400,000 and received $ 100 million in stock prices. And General Counsel Michael O. Sullivan received a salary of $ 202,000, a $ 200,000 bonus, and $ 16 million in stock bonuses.
Snap has lost money in the last three years.
Vollero was appointed CFO in February 2016 and previously served as VP of Finance a year earlier.


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Over the past year, retail investors have made their presence known on Wall Street like never before. Online trading platforms like Robin Hood (HOOD 1.99%), especially popular with retailers, rolled out the red carpet for regular investors to put their money to work on Wall Street. When this happened, retail shook the boat, sending a number of heavily shorted stocks higher.
Robinhood offers commission-free trading on major US exchanges, allows customers to purchase fractional shares, and gives away free shares (randomly chosen) to new members.
Apple has been the top holding for Robinhood investors for quite some time
Though Robinhood’s retail loyalists have shown a love of chasing momentum plays, penny stocks, and heavily shorted companies, there has been one consistency: tech kingpin Apple (AAPL -1.00%) was regularly the most-held stock on the platform.
There’s no shortage of reasons investors love Apple. First of all, it is by far one of the most recognizable brands in the world. In fact, a Brand Finance report has named Apple the world’s most valuable brand for consecutive years. The report cited Apple’s diversification on the product front, its subscription-driven push and “strengthening its privacy and environmental credentials” as reasons it takes the top spot again.
Apple’s innovation was also a key driver of the stock price’s outperformance. For example, Apple’s launch of a 5G-enabled iPhone in the fourth quarter of 2020 boosted its share of the US smartphone market. Since the release of 5G iPhones, Apple’s domestic smartphone share has fallen below 50% in just one quarter.
But this innovation isn’t just seen in the company’s successful product line. CEO Tim Cook oversees Apple’s ongoing transition into a services-based company. By promoting subscription services, Apple has an opportunity to further strengthen its already impressive brand loyalty and increase its long-term operating margins. Perhaps most importantly, as subscription sales account for a larger percentage of net sales, the sales volatility that often occurs with product replacement cycles should decrease.
Apple’s capital return program also gives investors more than enough incentive to buy. Since initiating a stock repurchase program in 2013, Apple has repurchased approximately $520 billion worth of common stock. What’s more, it pays out more than $14 billion in annual dividends to its shareholders every year.
Move, Apple! There’s a new #1 in town
However, change is a fundamental part of Wall Street; and there was a big change in the Robinhood ranking (the list of the 100 most-held stocks on the platform). Electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers from early August 2022. Tesla (TSLA -0.63%) had dethroned Apple as Robinhood’s most-held stock.
Before I dive into the fundamentals behind retail investor love for Tesla, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that shares have soared more than 1,800% over the past three years and over 17,100% in recent years Decade. Robinhood investors love momentum stocks, and Tesla has certainly shown that it fits the definition.
Another reason investors are excited about Tesla is the company’s success in building itself from the ground up. While other automakers have attempted a ground-up approach, Tesla was the first to achieve and sustain mass production in more than five decades. Despite the semiconductor chip shortage and parts challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tesla appears to be on track to hit 1 million vehicles by 2022.
Tesla has also made decisive advances in the profit pillar. In each of the last five quarters, Tesla has generated between $1.14 billion and $3.32 billion in GAAP earnings. This appears to have further allayed concerns about the company’s long-term viability.
And let’s face it, individual investors are big fans of CEO Elon Musk. The outspoken CEO has promised a number of innovative technologies are on the way, including more fully self-driving and Tesla Bot, a robotic humanoid currently being developed by the company. Musk also owns tokens of the popular cryptocurrency Dogecoins and has started accepting DOGE coins for a small handful of Tesla merchandise.
Robinhood investors could be heading for a meltdown
Upon closer inspection, there are many reasons for investors to be excited about the electric vehicle industry and its long-term growth. But when that lens focuses solely on Tesla and its $942 billion market cap, a number of red flags emerge.
For starters, Tesla’s valuation has exploded on the premise that its competitive advantages are sustainable. While it has a sizable lead in terms of battery capacity, range and performance, we’re already seeing a number of new and older automakers catching up on range.
For example, no,’s recently introduced sedans, the ET7 and ET5, have battery upgrades that buyers can purchase that increase their range to 621 miles, the company says. That’s far better than Tesla’s affordable Model 3 and premium Model S. In other words, the deep pockets of legacy auto companies and the innovative power of new auto companies like Nio could quickly erode Tesla’s “competitive advantage.”
While Elon Musk is a big reason private investors bought Tesla, he might as well be the number one reason investors avoid Tesla like the plague. That’s because Musk has a habit of over-promising and under-delivering on projects. Remember the conceptual all-electric Tesla Semi unveiled in late 2017? The first production model is not expected until 2023. Remember when Elon Musk promised to have 1 million robotic taxis on the roads with no steering wheel or pedals by the end of 2020? That promise has been pushed back to 2024. That’s not to say Musk doesn’t end up delivering what he set out to do. Rather, it shows that Tesla’s CEO is rarely ever able to deliver on his promises in a timely manner.
Tesla’s income statements are another reason to pause. Though auto gross margin had improved through the most recent quarter, Tesla has still relied on selling regulatory credit to other automakers to boost its profits. With the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage, rising inflation, and COVID-19 lockdowns in provincial China adversely affecting the Shanghai Gigafactory, it’s not clear how Tesla will increase its auto gross margin going forward.
In an industry where single-digit annual price-to-earnings (P/E) ratios are the norm, Tesla stands out with a P/E of 57.


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It’s been a couple of months since the release of the Souls-like title, Mortal Shell. According to the developers, the community’s response to the game was amazing.
Therefore, as a way of saying thanks to all the fans, Cold Symmetry decided to release a completely free content update. The update is called Rotten Autumn and it’s available right now.
It is a mix of special items and additions. It includes ten unique shell shades, a new mini-quest centered on Gorf, and an alternative boss fight soundtrack from Rotting Christ.
Furthermore, the update adds a new photo mode, which apparently is amazing, according to the developers. You will automatically download the update the next time you log in. Mortal Shell will be coming to Steam next year.
You can watch the trailer of Mortal Shell: Rotten Autumn below.


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The UK economy has suffered its biggest quarterly contraction for more than 40 years as the coronavirus pandemic slowed down activity, revised official data showed on Tuesday.
Gross domestic product shrunk 2.2 percent in the first quarter, or the January-March period, compared to the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement that provided another estimate.
The original figure provided by the ONS showed a 2.0 per cent GDP contraction in the first quarter, or the worst since the global financial crisis in 2008.
Second quarter data will show the full impact of coronavirus because the UK's nationwide coronavirus lockondown was first imposed on March 23.
Recent official figures had shown that Britain's economic activity crashed by a record high of 20.4 per cent in April.
"Our more detailed picture of the economy in the first quarter showed … the largest quarterly decline since (third quarter of 1979)," said ONS deputy national statistics officer Jonathan Athow.
"All major sectors of the economy shrank significantly in March as the effects of the pandemic hit."
However, Athow added that "the sharp fall in consumer spending at the end of March led to a significant increase in household savings".
This has been further aided by the fact that the government paid most of the wages in the private sector during the pandemic to keep them working.
Economists, meanwhile, expect a double-digit decline in output during the second quarter or April-June period, placing the UK in a technical recession.
"It is clear that the UK economy witnessed second quarter GDP recruitment," said Howard Archer, economist at EY, which forecasts a 17 percent decline before a 10 percent rebound in the third quarter.
The Bank of England has warned that paralysis of COVID-19 could awaken the nation's worst recession for centuries, after the coronavirus narrowed its economies worldwide.
Earlier this month, BoE unveiled another £ 100 billion ($ 126 billion, $ 112 billion) cash incentive to support Britain's coronavirus-affected economy.
It had already responded by reducing the main interest rate to a record low of 0.1 percent and pumping £ 200 billion into the economy to get loans to private banks for fragile businesses.


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Posted by Tin Cup on Sep 19, 2012 in PS3
| 0 comments
Revealed at the Tokyo game Show, the new smaller PS3 console
The new console will be avaiable in a 250 and 500 GB version, first of the new design is 20 % smaller then the previous slim model and 25% lighter. Of course there is nothing new when it comes to function or performence but the new design sure...