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Walmart at Midway Marketplace in St. Paul set to close in September
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Midway Walmart in St. Paul is set to close next month, a company spokesperson confirmed in an emailed statement to FOX 9.
In that statement, the company said several factors, including store performance, were behind the decision to shutter the location off University Avenue near Snelling Avenue.
We're told the store is slated to close on September 20.
The shutdown leaves customers with one less option for shopping. However, the Midway area is still home to a Cub Foods, a Target store, and a CVS Pharmacy, along with other shopping spots nearby.
The store's pharmacy will shut down a week prior on September 13. Prescriptions at the pharmacy will be shifted to the Walmart on Twin Lakes Parkway in Roseville. But, employees will work with customers to move orders to a "convenient location."
Reacting to the news on Wednesday, a St. Paul city spokesperson said, "We recognize that the character of the Snelling-Midway area will be changing with the significant investments in rail and bus rapid transit service and the recent opening of Allianz Field. The green line station area plans for this area anticipate a mix of uses with higher densities, and we welcome conversations with property owner Kraus Anderson regarding their plans for the future of this site."
FOX 9 is told Walmart will work to transfer many of the 333 workers at the store to other locations. All workers will be paid through at least November 8 and, if they don't transfer, they will receive severance.
The city also urges anyone whose job is being impacted by the closure to turn to the State Department of Employment and Economic Development and Ramsey County Workforce Solutions for help. Employees can head over to the CareerForce Center at 540 Fairview Avenue North for assistance.
According to a sign posted outside the store, leading up to the closure, the Walmart location's hours have been restricted to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Some people who live in the area say people in this community rely on the low prices at the Walmart to stretch their dollar and rely on its convenient location along the light rail. One shopper said she worries all of the changes to the area surrounding Allianz Field will force people to leave the neighborhood to find more affordable housing.
“It’s going to probably force a lot of people who can’t afford to live in these high end apartment buildings out, and where will they go?” Shirley Loggins said.
“First of all, one of the things that when I learned about the closure of Walmart was where are the employees going to go? So that’s been our first priority working with them,” St. Paul Councilmember for the Midway neighborhood, Dai Thao said.
He said the area around Walmart and Allianz Field is part of a long term city redevelopment plan. He of the main goals of that plan is to create a mixed use neighborhood with more housing.
“In the Midway plan we call for more density, we call for more mixed use because of the light rail. This is a model that has worked in other parts of the country and we’re excited about that,” Thao said.
With the development changes around the field and along University, Thao recognized that some people could be displaced from the neighborhood, but he assures them there will always be a place for affordable housing in St. Paul.
“Gentrification is a real issue that’s happening and that’s why the city...one of our top priorities is housing options especially along the Green Line, and I think the city has done a good job with that,” Thao said.


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Amazon Prime Video has announced its new Indian reality show Skulls and Roses, which attempts to mash up romance and adventure reality shows into one package.
Set at an undisclosed destination, the show’s selected participants will be invited “to form couples and bonds of love on Rose Island, which are then tested for their authenticity and fortitude on Skull Island.”
A launch date is not yet given for the show, which will be streamed worldwide and hosted by brothers Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman who also co-produce Skulls and Roses via their Monozygotic Solutions banner. The duo are well-known for creating MTV India’s long-running popular reality shows Roadies and Splitsvilla.
“Skulls and Roses is a first-of-its-kind format where the best of two opposite worlds come together on a reality show,” said Lakshman.
Amazon has been boosting its original content offerings in India with three previously announced reality shows that are expected to bow in the first quarter of this year. Two revolve around local stand-up comedy, titled Jestination Unknown and Comic Kaun, while the third is the local version of musical talent show The Remix, from Turkey’s Global Agency that has been sold in 15 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.
Amazon’s slate of fiction series include some 18 Indian originals at various stages of production, including a World War 2 series with the working title The Forgotten Army. The streamer bowed its first Indian original, cricket drama Inside Edge, last year followed by crime thriller Breathe in January.
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Diesel prices to go up by 40-50 paise per litre every month
Last Updated at
- 08:14 pm, February 01, 2013
The move will continue to be in effect until the losses on most used fuel have been fully offset.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Mr M Veerappa Moily has announced today that the prices of diesel will be hiked by up to 40 to 50 paise per litter every month, until the losses on the most used fuel have been completely offset.
Until further orders, oil marketing companies can increase it (diesel price) by 40-50 paise (per litre) every month," Moily said in a statement.
The announcement was made by the companies after the government, which otherwise controls the subsidized retail price of diesel, on Jan 17 allowed the retailers to raise the price in small amount every month or time to time, thereby deregulating the prices partially.
"For now, there is no revision in the prices of diesel. But the companies are authorized to make price revision from time to time," Moily said last month.
Diesel is currently sold at a loss of over Rs 10.80 per litre. On January 17, oil firms hiked diesel price by 45 paise. After including local VAT, the increase in Delhi came to 50 paisa. The diesel now costs Rs 47.65 a litre in the capital.
First Published on 08:14 pm, February 01, 2013
- Fiat reveals 500L MPW
- Scoop: Jaguar F-Type Coupe caught testing at the 'ring
- Nissan's Duster based SUV, Terrano to be priced at Rs 8.9 lakhs, says report
- Tata Indigo eCS eMax and Indica eV2 eMax (CNG) unveiled
- Official: Ford EcoSport to launch on June 26, 2013


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Bitcoin company Digital CC is all cashed up to accelerate the roll out and commercialisation of its AirPocket product in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 764
Coles has launched a trial of hiku, a digital device that can help customers create a digital shopping list, as part of an experimental approach the company is taking to introduce new products.
The Australian Department of Agriculture is replacing its fleet of desktops with HP Minis running Windows 8, as the company also undertakes an HP tablet deployment.
It's easy to have a muddled digital strategy. Help your company define it.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... Star Wars was released on VHS. The epic space saga is now coming to digital HD and our own Palmsolo could not be happier.
Deep inside Telstra's Adelaide office, a team of 30 has been recruited to answer between 1,000 and 1,500 tweets, Facebook comments, and Crowdsupport posts as the company looks to become truly digital.
Australian digital security company Covata has signed a 10-year global licensing deal with networking giant Cisco.
The Silicon Valley startup is a joint effort between Stanford University and GE Ventures, with the goal of advancing evidence-based medicine through data and predictive analytics.
Zhenya Tsvetnenko, executive chairman of Australian-listed bitcoin company digitalBTC, has defended the digital currency's potential despite its fluctuating value contributing to the company's half-yearly loss.
The bookselling giant says the spin-off will help the company increase its presence in the "growing market for digital educational content and services.
Australian-founded insider threat digital security company Dtex Systems is setting its sights on the United States after closing a $15 million Series A funding round.
Microsoft is set to buy the company which supplied the technology for the Surface Pro 3, and has spearheaded the comeback of pen tech.
The 22 percent plunge in bitcoin value on January 14 has left Australian-listed bitcoin mining and digital payments company Digital CC Limited answering awkward questions about its fluctuating share price and trading volumes.
One of Jide's founders says Android tablets are "terrible" for doing work, so the company created a productivity-based tablet with 11.6-inch screen, detachable keyboard cover, and the Remix OS, which adds Windows-like features to Android.
Finnish mobile company Jolla has taken Indiegogo by storm with a crowdfunding campaign for its upcoming tablet device.
Australian digital services company Odecee is the latest company to be snapped up in Cognizant's acquisition spree, which has claimed two other companies in as many months.
The computing world has changed, as devices and services become ubiquitous. Now it's time to change the apps we build, and the ways we think about work.
Australian publicly listed bitcoin mining company Digital CC Limited has said it will keep on mining despite the fluctuating value of the cryptocurrency, and wait until the bitcoin price increases.
Microsoft's latest public compatibility commitments regarding the Surface Pro tablet line refute new rumors that the company is planning to discontinue completely its Surface products.
Oracle will likely pitch its database, content management tools and analytics packages to Front Porch customers such as A&E Television, BBC, Discovery and Nascar.
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NEW YORK -- Verizon has added more high-definition programming to the FiOS TV lineup, with the launch of four new HD channels in the MLB Extra Inningssm package. FiOS TV customers who subscribe to the MLB Extra Innings package will now have access to a total of nine HD channels, providing a way to watch nearly every Major League Baseball game in HD.
The MLB Extra Innings package enables consumers to watch baseball games that are not available in their local markets, making it ideal for baseball fans – especially those who have an affinity for a team outside of their city or want to track their fantasy league players. The subscription package features up to 80 out-of-market games each week during the regular season, as well as dual feeds of select games so that viewers can choose hometown announcers. Plus, with nine HD baseball channels now available on FiOS TV, the MLB Extra Innings package provides customers with up to 75 out-of-market games each week in HD. The games offered via MLB Extra Innings are in addition to those games carried by FOX, ESPN, TBS, MLB Network, and those of your local team.
“We understand how important it is to offer a way to watch your favorite sports in HD, and how passionate many of our customers are about a particular sport or team,” said Ben Grad, director of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. “Adding these four new HD channels to the MLB Extra Innings package will let our FiOS TV customers enjoy all the action in the crystal clear presentation.”
FiOS TV customers who want to check out MLB Extra Innings can do so beginning April 1, when Verizon will be offering a free preview. Any FiOS TV customer will be able to watch all of the standard-definition channels available with the package, from April 1-7.
Customers who order MLB Extra Innings by April 7 qualify for an early bird price of $199 for the season. The package can be ordered by tuning to one of the MLB Extra Innings channels 1475 thru 1488. HD games air on FiOS TV Channels 1466-1474.
The launch of these four new HD channels is part of a larger effort to expand FiOS TV’s overall HD offering, with plans to add more HD channels in the coming months. FiOS TV currently offers more than 575 channels, including more than 160 in HD.


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Yggdrasil reveal a publishing arm to expand its offering
Yggdrasil have always been seen as one of the most innovative and forward thinking providers within the iGaming sphere and it has taken another step towards being at the front of the industry with its latest move. Yggdrasil will be offering customers the ability to create their own business using the services that Yggdrasil have developed. It will include everything that they need through every step and is anticipated to work in a similar model to franchise operators around the world.
Finding new revenue streams
When customers sign up to become a franchisee of Yggdrasil they will be given the ability to offer their own gaming service. This will be operated with Yggdrasil products included a number of platform offerings. Customers will be able to license products through what Yggdrasil have put into place which will help to drive revenue.
The publishing director for Yggdrasil said that he feels this new service has a lot of potential for different layers of the iGaming industry. It will allow people within the industry to have access to a lot of different tools to create exactly what they want. It means that innovation will be at the forefront as more people are given access to the market.
He also said that he believes the new licensing that Yggdrasil is offering will change the way they do business. They hope that it will have a knock on effect into the rest of the iGaming industry and change how people deal with creating new content.
Three main areas of focus
There will be three main focus areas that Yggdrasil are concentrating on for its new publishing arm. These include:
1 - YG Franchise
2 - YG Game IP
3 - YG Masters
All of these will be aimed at different areas of publishing and will give customers access to a large array of tools to help them succeed. This new announcement has come along while Yggdrasil are carrying out new expansion attempts. It has also managed to get a brand new license to operate with the Isle of Man.


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Kylie Jenner is gearing up for the launch of her latest Kylie Cosmetics collection, created in honor of her almost-two-year-old daughter Stormi Webster, and in true Kylie fashion she went way over the top with a huge bash to celebrate.
Us Weekly reports the garden party featured a butterfly theme, and the winged creatures were everywhere, decorating the tables, the greenery, and Stormi's pretty pink and white tulle dress. (Kardashian fans will remember Kylie wore butterfly jewelry during her pregnancy, and she and Stormi have dressed up like butterflies for Halloween in the past.) The bash was complete with everything from a ball pit to swings to a crafts table for making fairy dust, and everything — including beverages — was in shades of pastel purple and white to reflect the colors of the upcoming collection, which Kylie has said is her "most special collection" thus far. (We need to know, did Stormi help choose the colors? Is purple her favorite color?)
The Kardashian-Jenner crew is known for its fabulous festivities, and this is no exception. Stormi's cousins True, Dream, and Chicago were all in attendance, as was her dad, Travis Scott. It was a party befitting a princess, and we're wondering if this party was to celebrate both Stormi's second birthday and the collection's launch together, but we won't know for sure until February 1 comes around. The parents and Stormi were also spotted last week at Disney World.
Stormi is no stranger to a big birthday bash. When she turned one, her parents created a full-on amusement park called "Stormiworld" to celebrate, and if we know anything about Kylie, we know that she's got something even more epic up her sleeve this year.


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Investors largely expected the FOMC to cut rates by a quarter point.The Fedread more
The interest on excess reserves now stands at 1.8%, a 30 basis point cut compared to the 25 basis point reduction for the benchmark funds rate.The Fedread more
The decision to cut rates followed a monthslong pressure campaign by Trump, who often criticized Chairman Jerome Powell by name as he called for lower interest rates.Politicsread more
Stocks traded lower on Wednesday as traders digested the Federal Reserve's latest decision on U.S. monetary policy.US Marketsread more
This is a comparison of Wednesday's FOMC statement with the one issued on July 31 after the Fed's previous policymaking meeting.The Fedread more
Ahead of the Fed's 2 p.m. announcement, many economists were forecasting one further cut in 2019, but some investors were hoping for two more this year.The Fedread more
The Fed has become increasingly divided with three officials voting against the Fed's quarter point cut to the fed funds target rate range.Market Insiderread more
For consumers, lower rates do mean cheaper loans, which can impact your mortgage, home equity loan, credit card, student loan tab and car payment. n the flip side, you'll earn...Personal Financeread more
Gold edged lower on Wednesday but held about the key $1,500 per ounce level after the U.S. Federal Reserve decided to cut interest rates.Futures & Commoditiesread more
As the Federal Reserve lowers rates, some banks are pulling back their offerings on their savings accounts and certificates of deposit. Even so, they are still pretty good by...Personal Financeread more
MILAN, May 22 (Reuters) - Italy's Prada will stop using animal fur in its products from the 2020 women's spring-summer collections to be presented in September, the luxury group said on Wednesday.
The decision is part of a wider trend among fashion brands to champion ethical and sustainable policies in a bid to win over environmentally-savvy younger customers.
In September, London Fashion Week declared itself fur-free for the first time, just a few days after a similar announcement from Britain's Burberry.
Other labels turning their back on fur include Italian luxury labels Versace, Gucci and Armani.
"Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design while meeting the demand for ethical products," said creative director Miuccia Prada, who runs the company with husband Patrizio Bertelli.
The current inventory will be gradually sold down until it is exhausted.
Fur Free Alliance, a coalition of more than 50 animal protection groups round the world, praised the decision.
"Prada was one of the fastest companies to go fur-free once positive dialogue began a little more than a year ago," said the lobbying group's programme manager Brigit Oele.
The global movement against fur was gaining momentum fast, Oele said, adding it was very unlikely fur will ever return as an acceptable trend again. (Reporting by Claudia Cristoferi; Editing by Stephen Jewkes and Andrew Cawthorne )


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COLORADO SPRINGS - L. David Sikes bent over his computer to check the stock price of Ramtron International Corp., which he leads as chairman and chief executive.
The price had fallen more than $3 Thursday morning, but by the end of the day, it had recovered some of that loss.
It closed Friday at $16.875.
That's up from a 52-week low of $1.625 posted last Aug. 11.
"Our goal in life is to expand our product portfolio," said Sikes. "If we execute, and do things right, the stock price will take care of itself."
Still, this year's price rise - Bloomberg calculates Ramtron's one-year total return to investors at 500 percent - represents quite a turnaround, even for Ramtron.
The company, which produces enhanced semiconductor memory chips for the telecommunications and computer industries, has had a volatile financial history ever since it began as an outgrowth of research at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
In 1997, when uranium trader and former Colorado Rockies owner Oren Benton went bankrupt, Ramtron's finances made headlines because Benton was a 40 percent owner of the company and providing its sole support.
And just two years ago, the company's shares were caught in a downward price spiral requiring a financial reorganization.
Yet this year, Ramtron's share price has spiked as high as $35.75.
And despite this spring's investor crackdown on technology stocks, Ramtron was one of just two Colorado technology stocks that ranked in the top 10 of the Dain Rauscher Colorado 50 on June 30, the end of the second quarter.
The Dain index ranks best-performing Colorado stocks by price appreciation for the quarter. Ramtron, after not even being ranked in the first quarter of 2000, shot to No. 4 on the list based on a 31.4 percent gain, from $14.94 on March 31 to its June 30 closing price of $19.63.
Through the first half of 2000, the company's stock price increased 193.5 percent.
But Sikes, who has been with the company since 1992, says he doesn't pay day-to-day attention to such movements.
Ramtron has about 150 employees worldwide; most work at its Colorado Springs headquarters east of and across Interstate 25 from the Air Force Academy. As is the case with many smaller public companies, no brokerage analysts specialize in the stock. That's partly because Ramtron has struggled for years to get big computer companies interested in its specialty memory chips - spending about $168 million yet never turning an annual profit since its start-up in 1984.
"It's taken us a little longer and it's cost more than we anticipated to get to the marketplace," Sikes admits.
During the first half of this year, however, the company began reaping alliances and contracts that suggest some giants of the industry are finally paying attention to Ramtron's products.
Among developments that have put some money behind Ramtron's claims that its chips offer more memory for less cost:
- A deal, potentially worth $40 million to Ramtron, to develop high-speed memory chips with Hewlett-Packard Co.
- An agreement with German manufacturer Infineon Technologies, formerly Siemens Semiconductors, to produce up to $200 million of Ramtron products annually. Infineon also acquired a 20 percent stake in Ramtron.
- An expansion of a partnership with Fujitsu Ltd. of Japan to jointly develop and manufacture a new ferro-electric random access memory chip that can be used in cell phones, digital cameras and Internet music players. Fujitsu invested $2 million in Ramtron.
Other developments that have added to Ramtron's credibility among investors include a 1999 agreement to co-develop memory chips for the networking market with Cypress Semiconductor of San Jose, Calif., and the completed acquisition last month of a 2-year-old Denver company, Mushkin Inc., an e-commerce distributor of high-performance computer components.
Sikes said the company has just about doubled its product list, and "as we expand our product portfolio, it gives us access to bigger segments of the market."
Although sold in volume, Sikes said Ramtron chips and other products sell for as little as 40 cents each up to several hundred dollars for a more complicated assembly.
But it's not just Ramtron's products that have opened doors to new investors.
That access also is a result of the financial restructuring the company undertook early this year that helped it escape from what Sikes said is "unaffectionately known as a death spiral convertible." One set of shares sold to investors several years ago allowed those investors to convert to common shares at certain intervals.
It was a time, Sikes said, when the Asian financial crisis was tak ng a toll on some of Ramtron's partners, and a series of worldwide economic impacts hit Ramtron particularly hard.
"Tech stocks fell out," he said, "and then small cap stocks fell out, and even worse, memory companies fell out." Ramtron's stock price was dropping, and its investors with convertible shares were converting to common stock and selling out, simply to recover some of their losses "before we ran out of authorized shares," Sikes said.
"And we did run out of shares," he added.
The restructuring followed and allowed at least 45 percent of shareholders to convert their holdings to shares priced at $3.75 each. Those investors have done well as Ramtron's stock has bucked the downward trend for the tech sector and made its run-up this spring.
Sikes is savvy and experienced enough not to make any predictions.
That's why, he said, he focuses on expanding the company's product portfolio rather than obsessing on its stock price. He knows one downturn on the Nasdaq can bump his stock downward, even if it usually takes a day or two before such movements affect it.
"What we see happen," Sikes said of Ramtron's products, "is, as the customer gets more and more experience with our product, he will begin to design around our products.
"What we want to do is increase our sales," he said, "and start to make some money on our products alone."


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Customers will benefit from valU payment solutions, on all the products and services offered at TotalEnergies’ stations in Egypt.
The Johannesburg-based company has received approvals to buy the Egypt business from its parent, Vodafone Group, for $2.7 billion.
MOVE also offers a tech setup for school bus transportation that can be used by parents and school management.
How Northern Europe leverages the largest, youngest talent pool in the Middle East to tackle the pressing tech skills gap.
Vodafone is also supporting the agricultural sector to save 18 billion cubic meters of water using technology: Essam
Money Fellows classifies its users as borrowers, savers or planners depending on their position in a ROSCA cycle and when they receive a payout.
Kenzz’s model benefits local manufacturers and SMEs too - by giving them access to data, insights, and access to potential hard-to-reach end users.
Egypt's private consumption accounts for nearly 85% of its nominal GDP, and only 4% of its overall GDP is cashless.
Partment offers a hassle-free solution for second home co-ownership through the digital platform and smart booking system
This agreement seeks to ensure the cyber safety of EgyptAir customers and guard them against any potential information theft.
Exits.me aims to provide investment banking services in the MENA region through an automated online marketplace.
Sources said the company was finding it hard to onboard merchants to its platform while running out of money simultaneously
The platform aims to help companies jumpstart the tailored digital experiences they create on the Liferay platform.
Kashat celebrates full-country expansion and increases its nano loans
limit to support users.Customers can now disburse and repay from ALL e wallets.
Cartona was present in three Egyptian cities; it’s now in 11. The investment will allow them to cover all of Egypt.
Not only does the platform enlist products of all these brands for customers’ viewing and buying pleasure, but it also provides ancillary services.
The agreement is part of BKN301’s international growth strategy, which aims to become the leading open-market and cross-border operator.
The state is ready to bear the expenses of 100,000 IT students if they meet the requirements.
Egypt plans on integrating Payment Gateway Solutions with E-commerce Merchants, to help them connect with Global Suppliers.
Etisalat Egypt announced on Sunday it is rebranding itself as ‘etisalat by e&’ as per e& Group’s recent rebranding in the UAE market.


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Discount retail giant Walmart reported better-than-expected third quarter earnings Tuesday morning despite having slashed the revenue outlook for its next fiscal year just a few weeks ago.
The world's largest retailer posted Q3 net income of $3.304 billion, or $1.03 per share, down from $3.711 billion, or $1.15 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted Q3 profit came in at 99 cents per share on revenue of $117.4 billion.
Wall Street was expecting earnings of 98 cents per share on revenue of $117.82 billion.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon outlined key focus areas where the retailer is hoping to gain momentum on prior technology investments, including its supply chain, e-commerce and mobile services.
On top of opening its fifth e-commerce fulfillment center in Atlanta earlier this year, McMillon said Walmart has made strides in improving the digital relationship the retailer has with its customers.
More specifically, McMillon credited Walmart's budding online grocery service for helping the retailer pinpoint the best customers to target on a digital front. Originally launched in September, the online grocery service is now available in 140 locations across 25 markets.
"We've seen that customers who start using online grocery spend nearly 50 percent more than similar customers who shop only in stores," McMillon said. "This is the customer we're going after - the shopper in our "sweet spot" who accesses Walmart in multiple ways."
Walmart also began using a new mobile technology that enables the retailer to figure out when a customer is coming in to pick up an online general merchandise order "before they even walk into the store," McMillon said.
During the third quarter, Walmart's global e-commerce sales and gross merchandise volume growth both came in at around 10 percent, which Greg Foran, president of Walmart U.S., said was "softer than we would like." Overall, e-commerce sales contributed approximately 15 basis points to our comp, Foran said.
In terms of investments, Walmart has been pouring money into e-ecommerce and digital initiatives with the aim of creating a mobile, social, Web and brick-and-mortar revenue cycle -- part of its bid to compete with rival Amazon. Walmart noted that it plans to funnel about $1.1 billion next year into e-commerce and digital platforms.
Looking ahead, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company now expects earnings to decrease 6 percent to 12 percent in fiscal 2017, which ends in January of that year, whereas analysts had estimated an average gain of 4 percent.
Sales growth for the current fiscal year is expected to be relatively flat. Walmart expects full-year earnings to be $4.50 to $4.65 per share.
The report follows lackluster quarterly reports from department store chains Macy's and Nordstrom, which have roused concerns on Wall Street about consumer spending this holiday season.


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HOUSTON — Holy macaroni! Warehouse 72 is whipping up a new recipe out of some of your favorite Italian dishes.
The new restaurant recently hosted a Pasta Pop Up event at Evelyn’s Park in southwest Houston, breathing life back into the historic Spaghetti Warehouse that was destroyed during Hurricane Harvey.
Since closing the doors to the old restaurant in downtown Houston, Spaghetti Warehouse wanted to keep their promise to the community by reopening their kitchen and adding a modern twist.
“It’s the old Spaghetti that you know and love and we’re bringing it into 2018,” President Michael Kim of Spaghetti Warehouse restaurants said.
“We’re also going to be introducing a new service model as well, so it’s not so much that we push you or have one waiter assigned to you, but a team of individuals that’ll focus on you having a great dining experience. We’re going to be bringing in some Italian briskets, we’ll have a new kind of rib and other famous Italian dishes.”
Warehouse 72 comes from the merger of the Spaghetti Warehouse name and the year the restaurant was founded in 1972.
On the menu, Warehouse 72 will pay tribute to the spaghetti classics we all know and love— along with a few new flavors to spice things up!
[Bonus! Reflecting on special memories at Spaghetti Warehouse]


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Singapore’s Alleged 1,800-HP E-Car Will Head to Production After All
We'll admit it, we had our doubts
Updated 16 August 2018
Vanda Electrics knows how to keep a promise.
The Singapore-based automakers just announced that Dendrobium — their hypercar concept that turned more than a few heads at the Geneva Motor Show 18 months ago — is headed to production.
Initial claims of 1,800-HP and a 200-MPH+ top speed still seem lofty for a car this heavy (though not as absurd as that silly car Drake just bought), but Vanda’s set up a new company in the UK, Dendrobium Automotive Limited, and seems intent on making the D-1 a reality.
If you’re going to throw your hat in the ring of supercar greats like Ferrari and Lambo, you best come with shining spurs on.
It seems like the Dendrobium from Vanda Electrics out of Singapore has done just that, and from the looks of it, the Singaporean sports car just might have a chance.
Taking its name from an orchird, the all-electric Dendrobium features doors and a roof that open in a synchronized movement. When fully open, from the right angle, the car does truly look like a flower.
“This electric hypercar may just be a concept for now, but we have every intention of putting it into production,” Vanda CEO Larissa Tan said at the reveal. “It sits at the top of our range and the production version will be a fitting showcase for the best in design and e-technology.”
Vanda says that even despite interest at the Geneva Motor Show, this project is going to get made.
“Dendrobium is the culmination of a dream. Our design team has had sketches of an electric hypercar on the drawing board since the mid-90s, but that vision was many years ahead of its time,” Tan said. “As electric technology has advanced, we have been able to revisit this vision and now, as we launch our revolutionary global e-mobility strategy, the timing is finally right for us to take the wraps off a halo model.”
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Asked about the profits of the British Gas owner Centrica rising by 11%, the Prime Minister's spokesman said:
What consumers and the industry expect is that the Government and the regulator should be working together to help families.
That's what we are doing and that's why the Energy Bill will enshrine in law the PM's desire that consumers get the best tariffs.
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Following the promise of further powers for Scotland, David Cameron is now talking about a new deal for the other home nations.
The Suitsy: Man creates business suit onesie
Alex Salmond has announced his intention to end a 24-year career at the forefront of Scottish politics. Here is a brief look at his career.


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Added: Daryl Gutierres - Date: 04.04.2022 02:04 - Views: 47800 - Clicks: 7131
Within minutes of entering her card details, she got a call from her bank telling her fraudulent transactions were being made. The next day Robert Clayton from Britain's Financial Conduct Authority called to say they were pursuing the criminals responsible but that her savings were at risk. There was no toothbrush, though. No fraud department, no Robert Clayton. She is one of thousands of people who have seen savings swept away this year by an unprecedented wave of online bank fraud hitting Britain, where you're more likely to be a victim of online fraud than any other crime.
The country is the global epicentre for such attacks, according to five of the biggest British banks and more than a dozen security experts who said scammers were buying up batches of consumers' personal details on the dark net to target the record s shopping and banking online since the pandemic. The country's super-fast payments infrastructure, relatively light policing of fraud-related crime, plus its use of the world's most widely used language English, also made it an ideal global test bed for scams, the banks and specialists added.
That represents a per capita fraud rate roughly triple that seen in the United States inaccording to a Reuters calculation from UK Finance and the latest available Federal Trade Commission data. Data breaches have also accelerated, so there's a lot more personal information out there that criminals can take advantage of.
Unlike simple -based scams of the past purporting to be from princes or oil barons seeking your help to shift their millions, the modern bank scam can be sophisticated, multi-phased and extremely convincing. Deena Karia, another scam victim, told Reuters how she lost 10, pounds in early February after buying a seemingly safe bond purportedly issued by Credit Suisse and apparently listed on price-comparison site MoneySuperMarket.
After filling out a form on the website and receiving a call from a staff member there, she called them back on the listed on the website to check the phone was legitimatemade further checks about the bond and went on to invest. Karia, from outer London, still does not know exactly how her money was stolen, but believes the scammers may have created a fake website mimicking MoneySuperMarket. The genuine MoneySuperMarket warned on Feb.
A spokesperson for the company said it is working to take down such fake websites and phone s, working with the FCA to highlight cloned websites and reporting issues to the police. Barclays, her bank, has refunded only half the money, saying she could have done more to protect herself. Britain's Faster Payments' network, which allows transfers between bank s to settle instantly rather than in hours or days as in the United States and other developed banking markets, means criminals can rapidly spirit away funds.
UK, which runs the network, said the system supported the British economy, consumers and businesses. It added that criminals were getting better at exploiting digitisation and that it was working with the industry and regulator to fight fraud. While security experts and senior bankers said many fraud attacks could be traced overseas - including from India and West Africa - Britain is also increasingly exporting attacks.
Crimes such as authorised push payments APP — where people are tricked into authorising a payment by a criminal posing as their bank or other trusted company — are proliferating globally after having started off as a largely UK phenomenon. The country ranks second in the world behind the United States as a source of automated bot attacks, the fastest-growing type of fraud attack in the world, according to data from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a financial crime analysis firm.
Bot attacks see criminals use a high volume of stolen identity credentials to overrun a website, allowing them to set up new s or access existing ones. Britain's banks - which often pick up the compensation bill when people are scammed - are trying to respond.
TSB has hired extra staff to support fraud victims in the last year. But lenders are also pressing the government to make social media platforms, where they say some attacks originate, share the burden. British lawmakers told bosses at Facebook, Google, Amazon and eBay last month that they needed to do more combat fraud. We've got a mountain to climb. This means that criminals are emboldened to target people like Anna, who has little hope of recovering her savings. The fraudsters had told her to shift her "at risk" cash to an on a cryptocurrency platform that they emptied - while isolating her from family by stressing secrecy and coaching her on how to respond to sceptical bank officials.
This story corrects to 'widow' from 'widower' in fourth paragraph. Subscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox. More from Reuters.
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U.K. licensing agency will expand the design brand into new territories.
The brand, founded by artist Kendra Dandy in 2012, is currently available across a slew of products including cosmetics, apparel, accessories, footwear, home décor and stationery. Start Licensing will aim to add to this roster with gifting, apparel and accessories, among others.
Bouffants and Broken Hearts has also collaborated with a number of companies including Anthropologie, Keds, teNeues, Urban Outfitters and Bobbi Brown.
“I first saw Kendra’s designs at Las Vegas’ Licensing Expo and was very impressed by them. It struck me that they would appeal to the European market. They are fresh, original and contemporary. Given the track record of success the brand has already had, we are looking forward to talking to companies about Bouffants and Broken Hearts,” says Ian Downes, managing director, Start Licensing. “I can see retailers
Start Licensing will showcase Bouffants and Broken Hearts at Brand Licensing Europe, Oct. 11-13, at London’s Olympia exhibition hall.
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According to a post on her Facebook page, Tami is set to take her TR Love Cosmetics Line national, having recently inked a deal with Walgreens.
Starting this December, Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain (8,000 locations) will carry TR Love, Tami’s exclusive line of nail polishes and lip glosses.
Tami Launched TR Love in 2012 and says she did so to provide women of modest means with quality beauty products.
Those quality products include nail polishes with names like Jealous Much, Sex You Up, Supa Tramp and #WERK, which is a signature nude color created by talk show host Wendy Williams.
Lest you think Tami is totally ratchet, she flipped the script with her lip glosses and named them after women she says she admires, like Cecily (Tyson), Khloe (Kardashian) and her daughters Lyric and Jazz.


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FORT WORTH, TEXAS...
Riding a 16-month sublease to the end of its term, TFG Founders Group LLC has signed a long-term lease for 18,514 sf of office, showroom and distribution space at CentrePort Business Park.
TFG Founders went from a startup to a leading manufacturer's representative for the commercial plumbing for
and mechanical construction industry during its run at CentrePort Business Center, 14805 Trinity Blvd., Fort Worth.
"They feel very comfortable in the space. In the long term, they felt this was a good central location that works well for their Dallas and Fort Worth clients," says Michael W. Spain, senior vice president and managing partner of Dallas-based Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services, who negotiated a direct deal on behalf of the landlord, Acquiport DFWIP.
TFG Founders houses sales and distribution for Texas and Oklahoma in CentrePort Business Center, an 85,850-sf office/warehouse that's 85% leased. TFG Founders' space includes 5,700 sf of high office finish-out with a reception area and glass-wall conference room.
April 5, 2012


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What is a living wage? Can I shop ethically? Should I boycott or not? What should brands do? What portion of the price goes to workers?
Read the latest reports, position papers, research and other materials from the Clean Clothes Campaign.
This blog aims to collect daily information about how the new Coronavirus COVID-19 is influencing garment workers' rights in supply chains around the world. It will be updated as new information comes in from media and the Clean Clothes Campaign global network. Information is posted as it comes in from the network and cannot always be double-checked.
Eight years ago today, a fire in the Tazreen Fashions factory in Bangladesh trapped hundreds of workers in a building without fire exits. At least 112 workers died and many more were injured for life after jumping from upper floors. Despite receiving compensation for medical costs and loss of income per international standards, full justice is still outstanding, and a group of severely injured workers spend their days protesting to ask attention for their destitution.
The Clean Clothes Campaign global network will put pressure on apparel companies to take responsibility for worker wages in their supply chains with a global week of action. Actions in dozens of locations around the world will amplify the voices of workers whose wages were cut or jobs disappeared without compensation during the pandemic.


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St Richard’s Hospice is calling for more supporters who donate clothes, books and household items to sign up for Gift Aid.
Donors are being asked to register for Gift Aid at any of the hospice’s 18 stores, enabling the charity to raise an extra 25p in the pound on any donation. Those signing up for the scheme will receive a free St Richard’s donation bag while stocks last.
St Richard’s Hospice is able to offer care to patients and their loved ones thanks to the generous support of the community. High street shops are a charity’s face within the community and offer an easy way for people to get involved with the organisation by donating their unwanted items, and purchasing second-hand goods no longer required by others.
Money raised by the sale of donated items can be boosted by Gift Aid, a government scheme which enables charities to raise extra money on the donation. Anyone that pays income tax can sign a Gift Aid declaration form, giving permission for the charity to reclaim some of the tax they have paid.
Dan Corns, Commercial Director at St Richard’s Hospice, said; “We are very grateful to everyone who donates clothes, books and household items. By selling these items in our shops, we raised £187,881 extra through Gift Aid in 19/20 to help us care for patients at the end of their lives and support their families. But we know that our supporters’ donations could raise more money if they are signed up to the Gift Aid scheme. Registering donations to the hospice for Gift Aid is simple and only takes a few minutes so we hope that lots of people will pop into one of our shops and find out more.”


text: Managers at an Olympus factory in southern China struggled for years to resolve a thorny dispute with local customs authorities. The problem risked incurring millions of dollars in fines and harming a crucial manufacturing hub that churned out 50 million camera lenses a year. Then Olympus found an unlikely helper: an obscure Chinese company that ran the factory’s cafeteria. The caterer had connections. In 2013, Olympus hired the company, Anyuan, to be a fixer, acting as a go-between with government officials in the customs case, according to an internal investigation into the matter. Soon after, the eight-year-old case was inexplicably dropped, and with it demands that Olympus pay at least $9 million in penalties and uncollected import duties.


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'Smart glasses' for blind get first public sight tests
'SMART glasses' that provide a new set of eyes for the visually impaired are being tested in public for the first time.
The devices, which use a pair of video cameras to enhance residual vision, have the potential to transform the lives of thousands of partially blind people.
By helping to make the most of existing sight and delivering an all-important sense of depth, they can prevent users colliding with objects such as lampposts or tripping over kerbs and steps.
The glasses are being trialled by 30 visually impaired volunteers at testing venues in Oxford and Cambridge, England, where they will navigate through specially constructed obstacle courses.
At the same time, a handful of users are giving the devices a 'real life' airing in public, mingling with shoppers and tourists in the centre of Oxford.
Dr Stephen Hicks of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at Oxford University, who led development of the glasses, said: "The idea of the smart glasses is to give people with poor vision an aid that boosts their awareness of what's around them – allowing greater freedom, independence and confidence to get about, and a much improved quality of life.
"We eventually want to have a product that will look like a regular pair of glasses and cost no more than a few hundred pounds – about the same as a smartphone."


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There are several iconic science fiction video game titles in the marketplace. But one of the biggest trilogies published in recent years is Bioware’s Mass Effect IP. The first three main line mass-impact games had a lot of sellers because it happened through the epic that saved lives because the galaxy knew it was at risk. With players fighting for everyone’s survival, the series took us through all sorts of twists and turns. Bioware is known for providing some incredible story-driven video game titles and will still recommend mass effects to most new players.
Unfortunately, the games were released several years ago. The Mass Effect was first launched in 2007 so it arrived at this time ten years ago and it can tweet something to use modern platforms. Fortunately, EA collectively is the way we’re getting public impact: Legend Edition, a remake of the first three mass-impact game titles. This collection will be available for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One platforms this year along with the next generation upgrade of the Xbox Series X / S with the PlayStation 5.
If you do not have the opportunity to go through these games, then this is a good opportunity. Since the announcement, fans have been waiting for the release of the Mass Effect: Legend version. Now thanks to a leak from a Singapore retailer and an Indonesian outlet, it looks like Mass Effect: Legend Edition will launch on March 12, 2021. This is from a post leaked by online retailers.
More information on the game is expected to be released soon. We are waiting for the gameplay footage, which is an official confirmation of the release date of the video game and hopefully the title will run off players who want to sink into this collection, fans will not have to wait long for these answers. There is another mass effect game in the works to keep things at the top that is not fully published.


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The new vehicle that Ford has assigned to Mexico will share an electrified platform similar to the Mach-E, so producing it at the Cuautitlán plant will provide manufacturing efficiencies.
Ford plans to produce a second electric vehicle at its plant in Cuautitlán, State of Mexico, where it already produces the Mustang Mach-E. This news has not been well received by the United Auto Workers (UAW), the largest auto union in the United States and which represents an important faction of the assembly plant’s workers.
Gerald Kariem, UAW vice president, said in a letter to its members that the company had recently informed the union that it was relocating manufacturing of a next-generation vehicle to Mexico.
“Unfortunately, Ford Motor Company has decided that it will not fulfill its promise to add a new product to OHAP (a plant in Ohio) and instead intends to build the next generation vehicle in Mexico,” the document states.
It is not the first time that the union has complained that US manufacturers assign new models to Mexican plants. At the end of 2019, the UAW also claimed General Motor for its “lack of commitment” to build new vehicles in its US factories and that, instead, it would have assigned the Mexican plant of Ramos Arizpe to produce the Blazer model. A claim similar to the one now facing the Blue Oval Company.
Ford was not immediately available for comment on whether the UAW lawsuits could affect its plans.
The new vehicle that Ford has assigned to Mexico will share an electrified platform similar to that of the Mustang Mach-E, so, according to the manufacturer, producing it at the Cuautitlán plant “will provide manufacturing and engineering efficiencies.”
Although Ford has invested nearly $ 11 billion in several of its North American plants, including one in Mexico and two in the United States, to produce its first electric models, the US union does not welcome Ford’s allocation of a second vehicle. to Mexico instead of choosing Ohio.
During labor negotiations in 2019, Ford pledged to spend $ 900 million on the factory, to refit it for a new model that it would begin building in 2023.
“We hope that the company will fulfill its contractual commitments with this membership and, when it does not, we will take action,” Kariem wrote in the letter to Ford that has been replicated in several US media.
Ford said in a statement Wednesday that it is committed to the Ohio factory and highlighted recent investments made in the United States.
The Mach-E was Ford’s first electric vehicle to enter production. The initial plan was to produce it at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant, but at the end of 2017 the company announced its change of plans: to send production of its new battery-powered all-electric SUV to Mexico and would focus on the production of autonomous vehicles in the Flat Rock Assembly Plant. “This will allow us to offer significant savings, capital and physical space,” Ford said at the time.
In addition to a first electric SUV, the manufacturer developed a pickup and a battery-powered van. In recent months, it announced that its Kansas City assembly plant will build the new E-Transit beginning in the last quarter of 2021. The all-electric F-150, to be assembled at a Dearborn, Michigan plant, will arrive in mid-2022. .
Ford said in early 2018 that it would develop 16 electrics and 24 hybrids by 2022. While the first three models hit the sales floors, the US automaker is already preparing a second wave of models that will enter production in the next three years.
In addition to the one that has been assigned to Mexico, there will also be another model for Canada. Ford is investing 1.8 billion Canadian dollars (1.35 billion US dollars) to transform its assembly complex in Ontario, Canada, into one that will assemble next-generation battery electric vehicles starting in 2024.
“Our electric vehicle business is a dynamic source of growth,” John Savona, Ford vice president of North American manufacturing, said in a statement. “We are preparing for a profitable business now and in the future.”


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Michael Horn, Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO, has announced his departure. In the statement released by the German car manufacturer, the depart was a result of a mutual agreement.
Unfortunately, the company declined to elaborate but noted Horn will be leaving effective immediately. For now, Michael Horn will be replaced by Hinrich J. Woebcken who will serve as Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO on an interim basis.
“I want personally to say ‘thank you’ to Michael Horn for the great work he has done for the brand and with the dealers in the United States. Horn has showed exemplary leadership during difficult times for the brand", said Volkswagen brand CEO Herbert Diess.
Horn has served as Volkswagen Group of America President and CEO for about two year and he spent over 25 years working at Volkswagen.Source: Volkswagen


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Xiaomi in midst unveiling their next iteration of the Mi Mix on September 11 and rumours surrounding the new device suggests that it will have a near bezel-less display. The Mi Mix 2 is expected to have a 93% screen-to-body ratio and new renders leaked on Weibo suggest the same.
The renders of the Mi Mix 2 show that the handset will be thinner than the earlier device and will sport only one bezel at the bottom. This bezel at the bottom will also host the front-facing camera like the Mi Mix.
Xiaomi has already declared that they will be utilising Samsung's OLED display for their next device and it cannot be ruled out that it might be implemented in the Mi Mix 2. The Xiaomi CEO has confirmed that the Mi Mix 2 has entered mass production and images of the retail packaging has also been shared by the company's executives on social media.
The Mi Mix 2 is expected to have a 6.2-inch Quad HD+ screen similar to the Galaxy Note 8 and will have a resolution of 2960X1440 pixels. There were previous rumours that the Mi Mix 2 may use the Snapdragon 836 SoC, however, Qualcomm later confirmed that the Mi Mix 2 will implement the Snapdragon 835 chipset. The device is also expected to have 6GB of RAM and 256 GB internal storage.
The smartphone is also rumoured to have a dual camera setup much like the Mi A1 and will run on Android 7.0 Nougat. Xiaomi is known for outfitting their devices with massive batteries and the Mi Mix 2 may have a 4,400 mAh battery.


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Qantas officially opened the new Qantas Club at Gold Coast Airport on Tuesday, as it continues to improve the customer experience for travellers in the region.
Located at the northern end of the terminal, the former Jetstar lounge has been given a sleek makeover which includes seating for up to 125 guests, a dedicated meeting room and business facilities including iMac computers and high speed Wifi access.
Qantas Domestic CEO Lyell Strambi said Qantas was committed to providing its customers with the best experience in the market, with the lounge another step in their commitment to the region.
"We fast tracked the construction of the new lounge so that Qantas customers could take advantage of the new facility ahead of Christmas and the peak travel season. The lounge has been modelled on Qantas' network of 34 premium lounges around Australia, which have been refined and improved over time through customer feedback.
"Subject to regulatory approval, the partnership with Emirates will boost inbound tourism with Emirates flights feeding directly into the Qantas network, including its Sydney-Gold Coast flights."Qantas commenced three daily return services between Sydney and the Gold Coast in October, and now operates up to 189 domestic flights per week to the Gold Coast.


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TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released its mid-year report on the music industry. Music sales as a whole were down nearly five percent in the US to $3.2 billion but it's the digital music revenue that most are looking at today.
Collectively, digital music sales dropped half a percentage point to $2.2 billion in the first half of 2014 although revenue from paid streaming music subscriptions shot up 23.2 percent to $371.4 million. Ad-support streaming, meanwhile, accounted for $164.7 million, up a whopping 56.5 percent during the year-ago period.
Based on these figures, RIAA estimates there were roughly 7.8 million paying subscribers in the US during the first half of the year compared to an estimated 5.5 million last year.
In what is a familiar tune to those who have kept a watchful eye on the industry, digital sales of individual tracks and albums fell 11.8 percent while CD sales dropped 19.1 percent to $715.6 million. Interestingly enough, vinyl sales (apparently people still buy records) shot up 41 percent to $6.5 million.
Looking at the bigger picture, digital music accounted for 68 percent of all music revenue in the US (41 percent from downloads and 27 percent from streaming). Physical sales were responsible for 28 percent of revenue while three percent was credited to synchronization and one percent to ringtones (apparently people still buy these, too).
How do you listen to music these days? Do you prefer to buy digital tracks and albums, do you rely on streaming or perhaps still like to purchase physical goods?


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4imprint Sales Increase 15 Percent in Q1
4imprint Group, the international promotional products company headed by top 50 distributor 4imprint, announced it's first quarter 2012 sales numbers last week. Revenue for the group across all departments was up 37.48 million pounds (approximately $60.3 million), up 15 percent over the same quarter in 2011.
The company's direct marketing business, which accounts for a majority of its revenue, was up 15 percent at 33.98 million pounds ($54.6 million). Most of that revenue came from 4imprint's North American operations, bringing in $51 million for the quarter, a 14 percent increase from the same quarter last year. Orders from previous customers in North America saw a 21 percent jump in the same period. The UK branch saw modest increases of 6 percent for the period.
The numbers announced in last week's 4imprint Group meeting were congruent with statements the made this year about increasing focus on the U.S. promotional product business. In February, the group announced it would sell its Brand Addition division to a private equity firm. Brand Addition was 4imprint Group's promotional product branch operating primarily in Europe. The deal was finalized on March 23 for approximately $34.6 million, with an addition $2 million due by March 2013.
4imprint Group still retains its SPS division, which saw a 10 percent increase in revenue at 3.83 million pounds ($6.16 million). SPS is the largest promotional products manufacturer in the United Kingdom.
"The positive momentum demonstrated by the business over the course of the last year has continued into 2012 and, subject to continued stable economic conditions in the U.S., the board anticipates further organic growth in line with its goal of doubling the direct marketing business over the next five years," the company said in a statement.
For more information, visit 4imprint Group's website.


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Who will buy the electric Cadillac?
Cadillac unveiled a luxury electric model at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Wheels columnist Jim Kenzie thinks it might find a narrow market.
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There is an unnoticed scam of more than Rs 7,000 crore by permitting import of readymade pesticide formulations by multinational companies, writes BV Mahalakshmi on FinancialExpress.com. If the imports are not stopped and with no supportive policy for the domestic pesticide industry, there could be a forex loss of over Rs 10,000 crore by 2020, says Pradip Dave, President, Pesticides Manufacturers and Formulators Association of India (PMFAI).
The manufacturers have demanded the Centre not to allow foreign companies to import pesticide formulations without registering technical details or information about the active ingredients with Indian regulators. A technical is a high purity chemical which is the active ingredient and first registered anywhere in the world.
According to the manufacturers, the proposed Pesticide Management Bill-2017 should provide a level playing field for Indian companies as it is being finalized in the next three months. Further, there is no clarity on definitions and registration procedures for formulations and technical details which may lead to harassment of manufacturers and traders by authorities.


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SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec 08, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Intransa, the global leader of shared, scalable and simple external IP storage solutions for video, announced that Bob Gitre has been appointed to lead strategic sales channel development for the company.
"Many in the physical security industry will recognize Bob's name already," said Jonathan Perkins, vice president of Sales for Intransa. "He has developed strong partnerships for several growing vendors of digital video recording, IP cameras, surveillance systems, video analytics, remote monitoring, communications and management systems. Our sales channel development will take a step up under Bob's direction while leveraging our rapid growth in physical security."
Over the past year, Intransa's CCTV DVR upgrades and its scalable video surveillance storage solutions have caught on quickly in the market. The company's security-grade certified IP storage has helped police departments, casinos, universities, colleges, corrections facilities, medical centers, hospitals, auto dealerships, manufacturing facilities, data centers and other market segments benefit from reliable, affordable and scalable physical security systems while providing critical real-time support and status information to the security practitioner.
The increased demand for Intransa's smart CCTV and IP video surveillance storage products is expected to continue. Even in tough economic times, although often with lower budgets, security requirements grow to address new threats and challenges. Intransa's solutions dramatically reduce the cost of physical security while increasing the amount of information available to support security functions and greatly improving both security capabilities and reliability. Its CCTV DVR upgrades deliver savings, even for a single DVR, and grow as more DVRs or cameras are added and retention requirements increase.
Intransa has continued to ramp up sales and support efforts, most recently bringing on a major manufacturer's representative firm. Announced in October, Intelligent Marketing, Inc. delivers significant increased coverage on the east coast of the United States, supporting the Intransa StorPartner channel program in that part of the country.
"I've engaged with Intransa previously and it was very clear that their solutions delivered far more than just simple, less expensive and more reliable video storage," said Gitre. "Their ability to leverage existing CCTV architectures including cameras, DVRs and even cabling, while giving all the benefits of IP and cutting costs is truly ground breaking. And for new, all-IP deployments, the company has been leading the industry in integrating video management systems, physical security information management systems, analytics, access control, life safety and other technologies. That effort has enabled security practitioners to choose best of breed solutions for a total, integrated system without compromise. That just wasn't possible with traditional analog systems. I wanted to be part of a growing team."
Gitre's expertise in bringing new technologies successfully to market has been well proven. Prior to Intransa, he was vice president responsible for US operations for UK-based IP camera manufacturer Grandeye, Ltd. Earlier he served as National Sales Manager for UK-based surveillance manufacturer Petards, LLC and Western Sales Manager for megapixel IP video products vendor, IQinVision, Inc. He also held senior and director level roles in OEM, channel sales, and business development with 3VR Security, Inc., IPIX, Loronix Information Systems, and was president and founder of startup ChildNet.com.
"Under Bob's leadership, we expect to see continued growth of our StorAlliance Technology membership and even more success for Intransa's StorPartner integrator and dealer channel," continued Perkins. "He has clearly demonstrated his ability to introduce and build success for new breakthrough products like Intransa's ground breaking solutions across a large portion of the physical security industry."
Intransa products reach the market through dealers, integrators and distributors worldwide in the StorPartner program. Members add their own professional services as well as integrate solutions from industry leading security manufacturers and other up-and-coming vendors for complete, risk-free solutions. More than 100 applications and products from physical security, imaging and IT StorAlliance members have been certified for integration with Intransa storage. By leveraging the Intransa Sharable Security Platform, StorAlliance members have the ability to host applications directly on Intransa's shared, external IP storage eliminating the need for application servers and the extra cost and administration.
Gitre holds a BA Economics from UCLA and an MBA from the University of San Diego. He and his family reside in San Diego, California.


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Oslo, Norway has enacted laws that say all new, public buildings must be built with “fossil-free” construction machinery. The jobsite you see below, features a ZE85 battery-powered electric excavator from Suncar HK, is just such a fossil-free site.
The ZE85 battery-powered electric excavator, which was presented last May at the world’s largest construction trade fair, bauma19 in Munich, is now being successfully operated on a zero-emission construction site in Norway.
It is the first electric excavator with an integrated CCS (Combined Charging System) fast-charging interface as it is known from electric cars. This enables full charging in under an hour.
The electric excavators can be operated both in battery and cable mode. They have an onboard charger and can be charged at a worksite distribution board via a standard CEE three-phase power socket.
The ZE85 excavator used in Oslo has a DC charging connection which reduces the charging time to three quarters of an hour.
What’s more, it’s believed to be the first zero emission, all-electric jobsite of its kind.
Norway’s new laws banning heavy polluters like diesel construction machines and even passenger cars from certain city centers are hardly unique.
The European Commission is also setting the trend, issuing guidelines in the areas of “Buying green” and “Green Public Procurement” and regulating emissions on construction sites. As a result, clean technologies such as battery-powered construction machinery are also finding their way into the construction industry.
Those laws explain why so many heavy equipment companies — including Liebherr, CASE, and Volvo CE — are spending heavily on R&D to electrify their lineup.
Reference- Clean Technica, Suncar press release


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Elon Musk has said that the Tesla Model 3 electric car will be shown to the public in March 2016.
Tesla Motors will begin taking orders for the car then, and production will start in 2017, the Tesla CEO has said.
That means that right about now, Tesla should be hard at work on its volume, 200-mile electric car.
And that's exactly the case, according to one executive.
Tesla is shifting focus to the upcoming Model 3, chief technology officer JB Straubel said in a recent talk at the University of Nevada in Reno (via Charged EVs).
Reno is the location of Tesla's massive battery-cell "Gigafactory" which will need to be fully operational before Model 3 production can ramp up.
2012 Tesla Model S
Tesla is relying on the economy of scale offered by this huge factory to achieve the Model 3's target base price of $35,000 (before any Federal, state, or local incentives).
With the Model X launch behind it, Straubel said Tesla is concentrating fully on the Model 3.
"Most of the people inside Tesla are no longer working on the S or X, but are hard at work designing and inventing all the technologies going into the Model 3," he said.
Straubel said the Model 3 will be almost entirely new, with virtually no components carried over from either the Model S or Model X.
It will feature a new "battery architecture, a new motor technology, a brand-new vehicle structure," Straubel said.
Model 3 sales will be crucial to achieving Tesla's goal of selling 500,000 cars per year by 2020.
2012 Tesla Model S body-in-white
But even assuming it unveils the car next spring as planned, it remains unclear whether Tesla will meet its goal of starting production in 2017.
The company hasn't met any of its self-imposed deadlines for new-car launches so far, whether for its first Roadster, the high-volume Model S sedan, or the recently launched Model X crossover utility vehicle.
In this case, there's also another variable in the form of the Gigafactory--which will need to be ready in time for the start of Model 3 production--although there have been no reports of delays in that project so far.
Straubel said the company expects economies of scale and improvements in battery chemistry to cut cells costs for the car by 30 percent.
The Nevada Gigafactory may also eventually build cells for the Tesla Energy line of stationary energy-storage battery packs.
And the factory will also house "engineering and R&D teams" that will work on other projects, Straubel said.


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May 31, 2013
Bentley Motors is celebrating its British heritage as a partner for the Coronation Festival July 11-14 at the Gardens of Buckingham Palace along with other luxury brands.
The Royal Warrant Holders Association’s event to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation has drawn more than 200 Royal Warrant-holding exhibitors. Bentley is looking to showcase that it designed and hand-built The Queen’s State Limousine with a large display at the festival and a sponsorship of the Coronation Festival Gala.
“An integral part of the luxury code is the promotion of brands to which you associate,” said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami, FL. “The Coronation Festival is a special event unlike anything in the United States.
“The takeaway for luxury marketers is that no brand, not even the iconic Bentley brand, can act as an island today,” he said. “You’re either part of the affluent client’s circle or you’re outside their circle, woe be to any quality or luxury brand that chooses its own island.”
Mr. Ramey is not affiliated as an industry expert, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Bentley was available to comment directly before press deadline.
Bentley is one of the main partner brands of the Coronation Festival as well as the gala sponsor.
The automaker will display a variety of its vehicles – historic model included – on the grounds of Buckingham Palace during the festival.
Current models that will be displayed include the Mulsanne and Continental GT Speed Convertible.
The R-Type Continental, one of the historic models that will be on display, was popular during the Queen’s original Coronation celebration.
Bentley’s festival exhibit will also show consumers an inside look at the automaker’s Cheshire, England-based headquarters.
Events such as the Coronation Festival could spark competition between exhibitors to get the most attention from attendees since so many high-end brands will be present.
Jaguar Land Rover, for example, is serving as the official vehicle partner of the Coronation Festival. The brand is the only automaker that holds all three Royal Warrants from the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.
Both Jaguar and Land Rover each received their first Royal Warrants in 1951, one year before the Queen took the throne.
Additionally, The Leading Hotels of the World’s The Ritz London will be an exhibitor at the Coronation Festival in the food and drink category and is offering an exclusive package for the event.
The “Festival Fantastic” package available July 11-13 to Leaders Club members gives them daily tickets to the event where they will receive complimentary Ritz Champagne and canapés. It also includes a two-night stay in a deluxe suite and other amenities (see story).
Inclusion in luxury-focused events is essential in today’s customer-centric marketplace, per Mr. Ramey.
“You don’t sell the affluent – they choose to buy from you,” Mr. Ramey said. “It’s the responsibility of each brand marketer to create an intellectual environment conducive to purchasing their objects.
“Bentley’s presence at the Coronation Festival tells a story and they’re leveraging it appropriately,” he said. “Their absence, had they chosen not to participate, would have told a bigger and more negative narrative.
“There are some parties you must attend.”
Tricia Carr, associate reporter on Luxury Daily, New York


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On Tuesday, January 22nd, Rankin, a renowned British fashion photographer, opened the doors of his gallery featuring his personal works, also featured in the Leica S Magazine. The event was held in West Hollywood, California at the Rankin Gallery on Melrose Avenue. EVINS worked in conjunction with Rankin’s public relations agency, NSA Agency, to facilitate the opening event party.
Using only the Leica S camera, Rankin, whose career has spanned over two decades, collaborated with nine individual hair stylists, to create a series of striking images and a collection of diverse fashion stories showcased throughout the latest 200-page edition of the Leica S-Magazine. The exhibition will be on display through March 2013.
Event photos will be provided by NSA Agency to EVINS. Additional event imagery can be found on Guest of a Guest - guestofaguest.com/los-angeles/galleries/2013
This is a link to an article that ran in the L.A. Times www.latimes.com


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The use of mobile telecommunications in cars is nothing new and so the auto industry has been waiting for NPEs to strike for a long time. But now the first patent infringement suit has been brought not by a troll, but by Broadcom. The company has unleashed a tidal wave of claims against Audi and VW in Germany. For European smart-car manufacturers, this is just the beginning.
6 April 2018 by Ulrike Sollbach
Five years ago, the head of patents at a major German auto manufacturer was convinced they were going to be the next victim of patent trolls – those predatory non-performing entities (NPEs) that aim to squeeze as much money out of companies as possible by enforcing dubious property rights. His company had just gone head-to-head with trolls before the US courts and had come out more than a little worse for wear. With carmakers increasingly building mobile telecommunications into their cars, the patent boss immediately set about preparing his company for an onslaught in Europe.
For many years, European manufacturers were terrified by the prospect that infringing the patent of a tiny chip could potentially bring the production of an entire product line to a standstill. But the onslaught never came. At least, not for car manufacturers.
In autumn 2017, however, things changed. The first major patent proceedings over wireless communications were initiated against two auto manufacturers in Germany. But to the industry’s surprise, the plaintiff was not a loathsome patent troll but a reputable chip manufacturer. In September and October 2017, Broadcom filed 13 patent infringement suits in the Regional Court of Mannheim against Audi and VW.
The seven patents in question concern chips for wireless communications and include those for end devices in cars with Wifi and Bluetooth and were registered by Broadcom and Avago. Since 2015 the two companies have operated under the umbrella of Broadcom.
For many months, there were no details about the litigation. The auto industry is notoriously secretive, preferring to solve problems behind closed doors. Only rarely have cases gone to court, as in the laborious litigation over electronically adjustable wing mirrors. But more and more details in the Broadcom suit against Audi and VW are now coming to light. Everybody is interested in the arrival of connected cars. New players such as chip manufacturers, mobile phone companies and NPEs are entering the market. Carmakers are now competing directly with companies such as Tesla and Google. The auto industry is changing – and so are the litigation strategies.
BMW caused a stir in December when it signed a licence agreement with Avinci for its mobile telecommunications portfolio. The US patent pool offers patent licences for the Internet of Things, above all for the 2G, 3G and 4G standards. BMW and its suppliers can use the patents for all vehicles, regardless of the price and number of installed telematics units. According to a US magazine, Avanci’s licensing terms mean that BMW pays between US$3 and US$15 per car according to the type of standard used.
In total, twelve mobile telecommunications companies have pooled standard-essential patents at Avanci, including such renowned companies as Ericsson, Qualcomm, Sony, ZTE and Vodafone. BMW is their first major customer. According to Avanci, more will follow.
Whether drivers are using wireless technology inside the car or the car is communicating with its surroundings, cars themselves have now become mobile devices. And with the advent of self-driving cars, this trend is set to continue. The importance of mobile telecommunications technology and chips with vast storage capacity is steadily growing.
Carmakers and their suppliers, however, are ill-prepared for this. They seldom initiate patent proceedings and they usually purchase the mobile technology they need. Patent experts often point out that carmakers rarely build up their own patent portfolios as a means of fending off lawsuits.
But the closer the self-driving car gets to reality, claims one source involved in the litigation, the greedier the patent owners are becoming, especially those of semiconductors, telecommunications and mobile technology patents. “Over the past 20 years, with consumer goods, we’ve seen the technology become increasingly complex while the products get cheaper, whereas car prices have remained the same.” Everyone knows car manufacturers enjoy high margins. Now the patent owners want a share.
An entire industry in the courtroom
The Broadcom case is pointing towards how patent litigation is likely to develop. In general, a suit is brought against the manufacturer of the end product, as they have the greatest market clout, the highest margin and can provide the best leverage on the other participants in the production chain. A car manufacturer usually purchases entire communications modules from their suppliers. These suppliers then procure the various components, such as chips. In the Broadcom case, it is not the cars that infringe the patent, but the chips installed in the cars and supplied by the semiconductor manufacturers.
So it is not only Audi and VW in the courtroom but also a number of their suppliers and component-manufacturers. The total number of parties involved in the proceedings is unknown. What is sure, however, is that the supplier Becker Automotive Systems, a subsidiary of Harman Becker, has joined the dispute and has brought its own briefs into the proceedings. Texas Instruments is also said to have joined the dispute. Other participants – whether voluntarily or as observers – are said to include Conti Temec (a subsidiary of Continental), Robert Bosch, the chip manufacturers Marvell Technologies and Nvidia Corporation, as well as the LED manufacturer Nichia. Each has retained their own law firm (see Crowded Courtroom). The defendants have already formed a joint defence group.
Audi, VW and their co-litigants are currently preparing their pleas. Together with Harman Becker, they have also filed nullity suits against all seven of Broadcom/Avago’s patents in the German Patent Court. The first showdown will take place on 12th and 29th June respectively, when the Regional Court at Mannheim will hear the first two cases (case number 2 O 166/17 and 2 O 167/17).
Many suits will follow
The effort put into these initial proceedings against the auto industry are reminiscent of the first major patent wars among the mobile telecommunications companies themselves. Many experts believe the auto industry will see a plethora of such cases in the next few years, with NPEs currently preparing to file their first lawsuits in Germany. The industry is wondering what Nokia will do. The Finnish company boasts one of the largest portfolios in the market and is renowned for enforcing its rights in court if necessary. According to JUVE’s sources, Nokia is still taking a moderate approach and, for the time being, is focusing more on negotiations with the auto industry.
But once the licences have been taken, the first major battles have been fought and calm has been restored to the auto industry, it is unlikely to last. Licensing agreements in the mobile telecommunications sector typically expire after five years, after which they need to be renegotiated or, if the parties cannot agree on an appropriate licence fee, they go to court.
One day the UPC could be a reality – and the auto industry is not its greatest fan. In fact, the Europe-wide injunctions are a thorn in its side. NPEs, on the other hand, have already fallen in love with the UPC. Escaping the patent troll will be no mean feat for carmakers.
For Counsel Broadcom/Avago
Grünecker (Munich): Bernd Allekotte and patent attorneys
Klaka (Düsseldorf): Olaf Giebe
Kather Augenstein (Düsseldorf): Peter Kather, Alexander Haertel (both lead), Christof Augenstein, Miriam Kiefer, Christopher Weber; associates: Jonas Block, Sören Dahm, Carina Höfer, Nina Belbl, Henrike Landgraf
Viering Jentschura & Partner (Munich): Eric-Michael Dokter
Harman Becker (co-litigant)
DLA Piper (Munich, Cologne): Markus Gampp, Philipp Cepl
Texas Instruments (co-litigant)
Hogan Lovells (Munich): Steffen Steininger; associate: Marion Fischer
Prinz & Partner (Munich): Bernhard Pfleiderer (patent attorney)
Conti Temec (co-litigant)
Hoyng ROKH Monegier (Munich): Klaus Haft
Regional Court of Mannheim
2nd Civil Chamber: Holger Kircher (presiding judge)
7th Civil Chamber: Patrizia Rombach (presiding judge)


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Edelman PR & Richard Edelman: Largest PR Firm has it’s Biggest Year
Everything PR wants to offer congratulations on the great fiscal year Edelman just closed. At a time when PR, media, and advertising are competing, completing, and merging, business can be tough. But Richard Edelman’s PR Firm – who remain fiercely independent – reported an organic growth in revenue for the fiscal year 2015 of 8.5% growth – that’s a global revenue total of $833 million.
Efforts made by Edelman elevate the PR industry, and we are proud to rub shoulders occasionally with them. As proof of the great work they are doing, they ran a highly successful campaign helping CVS to stop selling tobacco and related products.
For this effort, Edelman Public Relations won PR Week’s Healthcare Campaign for 2015. One of the judges said, “Great business decision that led to amazing PR results, a real business impact on stock value, consumer behavior, and brand reputation.” Part of the campaign focused on changing the name of CVS to CVS Health, and they also pledged to help smokers quit.
Edelman says they want a stronger presence in the large tech firms, but they already do all right for themselves representing firms like Microsoft and Samsung.
We also want to mention their amazing showing as finalists in the Platinum PR Awards. The luncheon for this event is scheduled for October 26 in New York City. But, if our count is right, Edelman is listed as a finalist 19 times in 17 categories. These various awards represent work with CVS, Neiman Marcus, 100 Lives, Edge Dream Jobs, Barilla, Starbucks, the Atlanta Hawks, AXE, Bear Naked, Johnson and Johnson, Arby’s, Heineken, and Activision.
Some of the categories include philanthropic efforts too. Barilla’s campaign for Share the Table 2014, the Atlanta Hawks’ Play if Forward Against Racism, Starbucks Hispanic Community Program (Caramel Flan Latte), and #GivingTuesday – the Day the World Gave Back are great examples and campaigns for making the world a better place.
Last year also saw many leadership changes in the company, including a new U.S. CEO, Russell Dubner and leadership of Edelman’s largest office being transitioned to Jennifer Cohan. They saw some significant changes in their sector leads as well.
Edelman is the largest PR firm in the world, and they have more than 5,000 employees in 65 cities. They also have affiliates in another 35 cities. Their PR presence is worldwide. Thanks again Edelman for the outstanding work you are doing.


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Termed as one of the biggest reforms in India’s complicated indirect tax base since 1991, the passage of the Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill has made the Goods and Services Tax (GST) a reality at last. GST does away with the cascading indirect effect of a “tax on tax” usually calculated on the compounded value as the good keeps moving across the supply chain (from state to state). More importantly, the GST has led to a more uniform, simple tax structure which will ensure that compliance becomes easy.
Probable impact of GST
It may be difficult to realistically depict a quantifiable impact of GST across various sectors unless a specific GST tax rate is openly provided by the government. But what is quite certain is that the incorporation of a centralized indirect tax like the GST will enormously help ease of doing business across developing states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh as tax compliance and collection will become simpler. Moreover, phased implementation of the tax will smooth the dynamics of inter-state transfer of goods and services, allowing a comprehensive synchronization of state-level duties that were previously imposed in the form of octroi charges.
From a policy perspective, a simpler tax system will be immensely beneficial for encouraging both foreign and domestic investment in India. States which were quick to ratify GST implementation (like Bihar and Delhi) will have first mover’s advantage in drawing more industrial investment which is further likely to boost the Modi government’s Make in India scheme.
In terms of sectoral impact, the manufacturing segment (including automobiles), FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), retail (provided consumer demand picks up), and the cement sector will benefit from the imposition of the GST.
One of the key losers could be the telecom sector, unless the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Central Value-Added Tax (CENVAT) simultaneously see a marginal drop in their rates too. The sector is already plagued with serious problems pertaining to data volumes and slow bandwidth penetration across the country.
Constitution of the GST Council: A Caveat?
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), currently in power in Tamil Nadu, objected to the constitution of the GST council on the basis that it dilutes Indian federalism. In essence, the job of the council is to oversee the overall implementation of GST, including coming up with the tax rate, deciding the scope of the GST, and resolving disputes. Thus, in a way, it leaves the states out in the cold because they have no say on taxation. Moreover, the voting mechanism in the proposed GST council gives the central government an effective veto against the states, making the governing unfair from the states’ perspective.
“GST council as a constitutional body impinges on the legislative sovereignty of both Parliament and State legislatures,” said the AIADMK in its dissent note on GST.
Tax reforms are always welcome, and the passing of the GST bill in both houses of the parliament will be termed as one of India’s biggest legislative successes. Having said that, it would be pertinent for the current government to exercise utmost discretion in regulating the GST tax rates in a way that emerging economic and business landscape within the states are efficiently safeguarded from negative externalities.
Image: Noah Seelam-AFP, Getty