text:
While North Korea is a place that holds a lot of secrets it seems some things slip through the cracks. In recent times several news sources have been reporting that pet dogs in the country are now being confiscated.
Amidst a food shortage, people’s pet dogs are being taken away because according to Kim Jong Un owning dogs represents ‘western decadence’ or so Fox News has reported. This leading some to worry that their precious pets will end up in the belly of someone else. This doggie roundup order was sent out in July and well, seems to still be in effect. A South Korean newspaper called Chosun IIbo wrote all about it.
Authorities have taken the time to identify households with pet dogs and from there are forcing them to give them up or forcing them to have them put down. Some according to Chosun IIbo were sent to state-run zoos and others sold to dog meat restaurants and well, there isn’t much if anything the people can do at this point to protect their pets and keep their dogs no matter how much they may want to. Sure, owning a dog in the country isn’t something everyone does but there are some who do or well, did.
Fox News wrote as follows on this topic:
“Authorities have identified households with pet dogs and are forcing them to give them up or forcefully confiscating them and putting them down.’’
But while the oppressive regime says the move is to clamp down on capitalist extravagance in Pyongyang, the dog owners are fearful that given North Korea’s food shortage — and propensity for eating dog meat — the directive has only come about to feed the masses.
The dog owners are “cursing Kim Jong Un behind his back,” but otherwise, their hands are tied, the source lamented.
The food shortage in North Korea is something a lot of people are not as aware of as they should be. Sure, it’s happening far away from us here in the United States but it’s a big deal. While a lot of people disagree with many of the things North Korean officials do, forcing dog owners to give their pets up really doesn’t sit right with many of us.
While we cannot say for sure all of these pets are going to be sent to someone’s dinner table, the chances seem quite high considering lots of people do eat dog meat in Korean countries. According to Daily Mail, the UN has reported that as many as 60 percent of the countries’ population is facing this food shortage drastically and it is only getting worse. We do not know what else will come of this but it is quite concerning.


text:
NEW JERSEY — Toys”R”Us is making a comeback just in time for the holidays.
The beloved store will open a flagship location in the American Dream Mall, according to WHP Global. It will open its doors in mid-December.
“American Dream is a one-of-a-kind unrivaled retail center featuring massive entertainment experiences that make it an ideal destination for families. Debuting our first Toys’R’Us flagship here is a no-brainer,” said Yehuda Shmidman, WHP Global and Toys“R” Us Chairman and CEO. “The Toy’R’ Us brand is big and growing fast.”
There will be extended holiday hours when the new location opens.
The company previously announced a partnership with Macy’s to bring toys to 400 Macy’s stores nationwide in 2022.

domain: news


text:
Continuing Gamasutra's E3 highlights, we look at what major companies told us in Los Angeles, with exclusive comments from Valve, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Crytek, Disney, and more.
This set of comments gathered by our reporters, many of which extracted from a larger Gamasutra interviews to debut in the near future, span many of the top companies exhibiting at E3 last week.
Also covered in addition to the interview highlights -- summaries and commentary on the third-party company press conferences going on in Southern California earlier last week.
The full set of stories is as follows:
E3: Brink Marks Major Console Focus For Splash Damage
"Splash Damage already made a console-converted game with Quake Wars
, but the studio with hardcore PC shooter roots tells Gamasutra how the upcoming Brink will place even more emphasis on console game creation."
E3: Peter Moore: Do We Need a Controller?
"Peter Moore's EA Sports imprint has had access to Natal for months now, and feels that the best software experiences will be those that make more sense without any physical controller."
E3: Can Shadow Complex Modernize The Old School?
"Gamasutra speaks with Chair Entertainment's Donald Mustard, who hopes that the Super Metroid
-inspired Shadow Complex
can bring old school 2D gameplay into the next generation."
E3: Disney Boss Says Warren Spector's Game On Track
"Gamasutra had the chance to catch up with Graham Hopper, general manager of Disney Interactive Studios, and get an update on Warren Spector's Junction Point studio, its project, and how Disney's creative process is allowing Spector's creativity to flourish."
E3: Ubisoft's Detoc Looks To Game, Film Convergence
"Ubisoft is looking decidedly to the future -- new announcements at E3 have shed light on CEO Yves Guillemot's cryptic predictions, and now NA boss Laurent Detoc talks about why film and game tech is getting "more and more close every year."
E3: Valve's Lombardi On What Happened To Turtle Rock
"Left 4 Dead
creator Valve South, the redubbed Turtle Rock Studios, no longer exists as a Valve subsidiary studio -- marketing VP Doug Lombardi explains what went down, and hints at a new Turtle Rock/Valve collaboration."
E3: 'We Launched Too Many New IPs At Once' - EA's Gibeau
"EA Games label president Frank Gibeau has told Gamasutra how the company's influx of new IP in 2008 should have been spread out, and talks about an aggressive initiative to build in two to three months of polish time for new games."
E3: Crysis 2 'Maxing Out' the PS3
"In an interview with Gamasutra, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli denied the Sony assertion that it would take developers years to maximize the potential of the PS3."
E3: The APB Interview
"In a rare interview, Gamasutra speaks with Realtime Worlds boss Dave Jones about APB
, the EA Partners publishing deal, Counter-Strike's influence on the game, and "eco-gangs" roaming the beta's streets."
E3: EA's DeMartini - EAP is a 'Backseat Driver'
"Speaking to Gamasutra during EA's E3 press event, EA Partners senior vice president and general manager David DeMartini likens the company's third-party approach to "backseat driving - better than front seat driving.""
E3: Bringing Story To The Forefront In Star Wars: The Old Republic
"BioWare Austin senior producer Dallas Dickinson wants the upcoming MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic
to have the same strong storylines associated with single-player RPGs. Can BioWare pull it off?"
E3: Valve Talks Left 4 Dead 2's Quick Sequel Strategy
"Following Valve's announcement of Left 4 Dead 2
coming just a year after its predecessor, Gamasutra spoke with project lead Tom Leonard about why the sequel is coming so soon -- and what it means for the original game."
E3: Konami's Briefing Reveals New Castlevania, MGS Arcade
"Hideo Kojima surprised audiences at Konami's E3 briefing with news that he had four titles to announce -- three Metal Gear
s, and one... European-developed Castlevania
? Press conference quotes, analysis within..."
E3: Ubisoft Commits To Strong Cross-Media Convergence
"Ubisoft pledged to take its investment into cross-media development further than ever, partnering with such figures as James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Peter Jackson."
E3: Inside Electronic Arts' 2009 Press Conference
"In Los Angeles on Monday, Electronic Arts' presentation showed the breadth of their content, spanning everything from The Old Republic MMO through the new Charm Girls Club tween franchise - details within."
Gamasutra has already published an initial round-up post
, covering the first-party press conferences taking place during E3. A third round-up, with discussion on what the first parties told us after their conferences, will debut in the near future.


text:
Salient has achieved success with cannabis operators to help them with their surveillance and video storage needs, through its line of video management solutions.
Christopher Dunn, Salient’s Regional Sales Manager for East Central, has worked in the security manufacturing industry for more than 10 years. “The regulations for video surveillance are very stringent and specific,” he says. “Even defective plants that are disposed and destroyed need to be under surveillance,” he says. “Overall, video surveillance and storage is an entire process, from the seed to the trimming, any movement, to the disposal process.”
Security regulations will continue to change, says Dunn, particularly as more states begin to legalize cannabis for recreation and medical use. “We’re keeping an eye on the regulations, particularly western U.S. states who were among the first states to legalize it. As the first wave of regulations is established, I do expect that security requirements will increase for newer markets and states.”
One benefit of the Salient solution, says Dunn, is its affordability. “Cannabis facility operators and owners don’t want a high-cost solution. And since this is a new industry, facilities are new – it’s a start up for most people involved. I see new companies struggle with the packaging, storage and transport of the product, all while cannabis is a Schedule I drug, so cash flow is a concern. But we make the total cost of ownership low.”
Another value with the Salient Systems solution is the operator’s ability to use the video surveillance system to track a plant’s movement throughout a facility as a video audit trail, which assists in compliance with ever-changing regulations.
The Salient system is easy to use and requires minimal training, Dunn notes, which is beneficial for cannabis dispensary and growers who are busy trying to begin and operate a new business. “Our specific technology helps a user to meet regulations. In addition, we are camera agnostic, so the customer can choose the camera that fits their needs. We also don’t charge mandatory annual fees just to keep a system running.”


text:
Sri Lanka merchandise exports reach US$1,066.1mn in March 20210 110
Sri Lanka exports had topped a billion US dollar to reach 1,066.1 million dollars in March 2021 sharply up 62.4 percent from a year ago when Coronavirus lockdowns hit shipment, the island’s export promotion office said.
Export earnings were up 11.5 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to 2,945.53 million US dollars.
Apparel exports were up 49 percent to 465 million US dollars, tea was up 99 percent to 124 million dollars rubber-based products were up 80 percent to 100 million.
Coconut-based products were up 109 percent to 80.14 million dollars, spices and essential oils were up 83 percent to 38 million US dollars.
Exports to the United States, Sri Lanka’s top export market grew 34 percent to 243 million US dollars, exports to UK grew 43 percent and to India 110 percent to 193 million US dollars.
Global markets are a buzz with fear being mooted about a “contagion” and China debt trap sweeping across Asian markets, the currencies have become a quick focus by analysist and it seems to be the go to button to push towards weakening of the currencies and dampening import demand, more so, Chinese import demand. This could be a strategic call given the rebalancing needed from a geopolitical point of view. The China and USA tussle for market share is at the forefront of this new “contagion” mantra.
The US has in fact declared war on trade and have undermined the WTO framework in the process as it does not suit their re-balancing agenda. Asian stocks have slipped to a 14-month low as at 12th Sep (Wednesday) with investor confidence chilled by the latest round of verbal threats in an intensifying U.S.-China trade conflict
China too is seeking WTO sanctions. China stocks fell on Wednesday morning, dragging the Shanghai Composite and the blue-chip CSI300 indexes down to new multi-year lows, as worries over escalation in the U.S.-China trade war hit investor sentiment.
Despite the rhetoric global trade volumes remain healthy (as indicated by the Baltic Dry Freight Index) and commodities seem to be rallying on the back of the trade wars, this price movement is fundamentally seen as markets discounting long term geo political risk to the Global economy, as both USA and China both still show signs of strong balance sheets and improving corporate profitability. Thus, the two largest consumer markets don’t seem to be dented as yet as the play for Asian market share continues, the winner of this bout would depreciate their currency to sustain the shift in market dominance and profits.
China and India – the second and seventh largest economies in the world (two largest economies in Asia) – are slowing down in 2019. The GDP growth rate in China is expected to be 6.2 percent, down from 6.7 percent in 2018 – the weakest in 3 decades. The GDP growth rate of India is projected at 6.7 percent, down from 7.0 percent in 2018. Chinese policy makers are saddled with trade talks with the US government to remove the recently imposed two way high tariff while Indian policy reforms take a backseat in the backdrop of impending National Elections in June 2019.
British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a setback as parliament voted against her BREXIT proposal. The loss throws more uncertainty on UK’s plan to leave the EU on March 29. The European Central Bank down grading its economic forecast for the Euro Zone for 2019 and 2020 due to persistent uncertainties and risks in the region, expect inflationary pressures to rise slowly as capacity diminishes.
The World Bank sees darkening prospects for global growth that will slow to 2.9 percent in 2019 in the backdrop of moderating international trade and investment, elevated trade tensions and tightening financial conditions. The World Bank observed that debt vulnerability in low income countries are rising. Debt to GDP ratio for low income countries have climbed and the composition of debt has shifted toward more expensive market based financing. The Bank suggests that these economies should focus on mobilizing domestic resources, strengthening debt and investment management practices, and building resilient macro fiscal frameworks.
Sri Lanka’s official reserves declined to USD 6,142 million by end of January 2019 from USD 6,919 million reported at the end of December 2018. Short term (within 01 year) liabilities on foreign currency assets remain at USD 6,547 million placing net reserve on a negative terrain. Selling rates of major currencies remained under pressure with import demand picking up in mid-February. The selling rate of the US dollar declined from Rs.180.28 on 15th February 2019 to Rs.177.59 a week ago.
US – China trade talks aimed at ending the use of new two way tariff continue in Washington following a no deal in the talks in Beijing during the second week of February. The US President has indicated that the March 01st deadline could be extended for an agreement to be reached. China and US have imposed duties on more than USD 360 million in the two way trade which has shaken the global economy.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) revealed that the GDP for South East Asia’s 5 major economies – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – has declined from 5.1 percent in 2017 to 4.8 percent in 2018. The ADB highlights that South East Asia with 650 million people and one of the world’s fastest growing regions, faces several headwinds such as escalating US – China trade tensions and weakening local currencies.


text:
Cbank: Russians’ inflationary expectations rise to 8.5% in March
MOSCOW, Apr 4 (PRIME) – Households’ inflationary expectations for the next 12 months edged up to 8.5% in March from 8.4 in February, the central bank said on Wednesday in a research note.
“A direct estimate of households’ inflationary expectations for the next 12 months by inFOM calculated basing on answers to the question of the inflation level was virtually unchanged in March after a significant fall in the previous month (8.5% compared to 8.4% in February). Such dynamics corresponds to the trend of falling inflationary expectations,” the statement said.
The central bank also said that respondents’ inflationary expectations for the end of 2018 and for the next three years remained unchanged from previous months.
“Less than half of the polled expects inflation to overshoot 4% this year for a third consecutive month. At the same time the share of those expecting inflation to overshoot 4% within three years fell to an all-time low of 39%,” it said.
Estimates of perceived inflation also decreased. “Perceived inflation is below 10% for a third month in a row. The indicator hit a new low falling to 9.2% after 9.4% in February,” it said.
The number of those who felt “a very strong” price rise fell by three percentage points. “Such an improvement in assessment of perceived inflation was reflected in answers to the question about goods and services, which became the priciest last month. Respondents now mention meat and poultry, housing services, cheese, sausages, tobacco and cigarettes, tea, coffee, vegetable oil and passenger transport less than before. This means that people really see a slower price growth,” the central bank said.


text:
(Nasdaq: DTSI), a leader in high-definition audio, today announced the integration of DTS Sound into the Coolpad™ Quattro 4G smartphone, manufactured by Yulong Computer Communications (Shenzhen). Available now from service provider MetroPCS, the 4G LTE smartphone marks the first Coolpad device in the U.S. that features DTS Sound, supporting a high-quality listening experience—anytime, anywhere.
“As consumer demand for high-definition audio escalates, we look for partnerships that improve customer audio experience and differentiate our smartphones from other products,” said Mr. Chengli, brand director at Yulong. “Adding DTS’ mobile audio enhancement solution to the Coolpad Quattro 4G smartphone delivers pristine sound and provides customers an immersive entertainment experience via their mobile devices.”
The DTS Sound maximizes the acoustic power of the Coolpad Quattro 4G smartphone, providing crystal-clear and high-definition audio for applications such as watching videos, listening to music and gaming. The embedded audio solution creates a surround sound effect that delivers depth and dimensionality, enhancing the consumer audio experience.
“DTS is proud to continue its rapid penetration into the mobile space by partnering with one of China’s leading mobile phone manufacturers,” said Roy Law, president of DTS Greater China Region. “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with a forward-thinking company like Yulong, which is committed to creating mobile devices that deliver the highest-quality sound to consumers.”
Media interested in speaking with a DTS representative can contact
. For more information, connect with DTS on
, or on
About DTS, Inc.
DTS, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTSI) is dedicated to making digital entertainment exciting, engaging and effortless by providing state-of-the-art audio technology to more than a billion consumer electronics products worldwide. From a renowned legacy as a pioneer in high definition multi-channel audio, DTS became a mandatory audio format in the Blu-ray Disc standard and is now increasingly deployed in enabling digital delivery of compelling movies, music, games and other forms of digital entertainment to a growing array of network-connected consumer devices. With the acquisition of SRS Labs, DTS strengthens its position as a leader in providing end-to-end audio solutions to the rapidly growing network entertainment sector. DTS technology is in car audio systems, digital media players, DVD players, game consoles, home theaters, PCs, set-top boxes, smart phones, surround music content and every device capable of playing Blu-ray discs. Founded in 1993, DTS' corporate headquarters are located in Calabasas, California with its licensing operations headquartered in Limerick, Ireland. DTS also has offices in Los Gatos and Santa Ana, California, Washington, China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For further information, please visit
. DTS, the Symbol, and DTS and the Symbol together, are registered trademarks of DTS, Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. © 2012 DTS, Inc. All rights reserved.


text:
HMD Global recently launched the Android 12 update for Nokia X10 and X20, and now Nokia G50 is experiencing the latest version of Android.
At the time of writing, HMD has not officially announced the launch of Android 12, so we don’t know which countries/regions will get the update in the first wave. However, multiple reports indicate that Nokia G50 has obtained Android 12 in Finland and some European countries.
The Android 12 update for Nokia G50 requires 2.09GB of download space. Its version number is V2.160, and it comes with the Android security patch in November 2021.
If you do not live in Finland and have installed Android 12 on your Nokia G50, please let us know by leaving a comment below.


text:
San Francisco officials have released a list of businesses that will be permitted to sell merchandise to customers via storefront pickups starting May 18 — provided the city continues to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The list comes as the state prepares to lift restrictions on some retail activity starting Friday. San Francisco will be taking a more cautious approach, however, waiting at least 10 extra days before permitting storefront pickup, which is currently prohibited under regional stay-at-home orders.
“Giving businesses the option to reopen and provide storefront pickup will provide some relief for everyone in our city — allowing some people to get back to work, while still protecting public health,” Mayor London Breed said Thursday in a statement.
“The last thing we want is to see a spike in the number of cases or hospitalizations, so we’re going to be keeping close track of our key COVID-19 indicators and will be ready to make any adjustment needed to keep our community healthy,” she said.
Marin County officials said Wednesday that they were also “planning toward an opening of these activities May 18” but did not provide a list of the types of businesses that would be involved.
Napa County, which is not part of the bloc of six Bay Area counties that have issued health orders in tandem, did not set any dates for reopening in a revised health order it made public Thursday, but it suggested in an online FAQ accompanying the order that some businesses could reopen as soon as Friday.
Barring a significant uptick in COVID-19 cases, the following types of businesses will be allowed to operate with storefront pickup in San Francisco:
• Music and record stores
• Hobby, toy and game stores
• Home furnishings and home goods stores
• Cosmetics and beauty supply stores
• Art supplies stores
• Musical instrument and supplies stores
• Sewing, needlework and piece-goods stores
Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
The worksharing massive WeWork used to be intended to essentially modify the way forward for the place of business. It raised billions of greenbacks, signed rentals in place of business towers throughout North The usa however filed for chapter coverage closing week.
Analysts say it collapsed, no less than partly, as it by no means had a viable trade type.
“It did not actually have a transparent trail to profitability. It by no means made any cash,” stated Susannah Streeter, head of cash and markets on the monetary services and products company Hargreaves Lansdown.
Streeter says WeWork is simply the newest in a string of high-profile, well-funded concepts that failed spectacularly.
“This can be a lesson for would-be traders to not imagine the hype,” she instructed CBC Information.
However the collateral harm of startups celebrated for “disrupting” conventional industries can move a ways past traders — hurting no longer simply the previous guard but in addition consumers who’re caught with what is left.
The wear and tear in its wake
WeWork’s first location opened in New York in 2010, based via tech marketers Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey.
They constructed the corporate on a promise to reshape place of business tradition and used the price range from the sale in their earlier co-working startup, Inexperienced Table, to get began.
When it used to be introduced as a publicly tradeable corporate in 2021 — after Neumann used to be ousted and McKelvey left — the corporate’s inventory shot as much as a marketplace price of $9.4 billion.
In a pre-pandemic international, the speculation generated numerous hype. Large institutional investor SoftBank pumped $6.5 billion US into WeWork and in the end injected every other $9.5 billion US in an strive to reserve it.
However via then, WeWork used to be past saving. It had stacked up $16 billion US in losses and used to be paying 80 in line with cent of its revenues on hire and hobby.
And because it failed, it left numerous harm in its wake.
WeWork had greater than 18 million sq. toes of rentable place of business area in america and Canada on the finish of closing 12 months, in line with a monetary submitting.
“It’s going to be years earlier than that area is occupied once more,” stated unbiased business actual property advisor John Andrew.
In a peculiar twist, he says, the WeWork type would in fact make extra sense now than it did 5 years in the past, as a result of there may be extra openness to versatile paintings preparations. However since the corporate piled on such a lot debt and inquisitive about expansion over high quality, it merely ran out of time.
“They had been as much as their eyeballs in debt, after which we all know what took place with rates of interest,” Andrew stated.
‘How platforms die’
There is a type right here that has performed out time and again during the last 10 years.
Tech corporations transfer in to disrupt an present business. There is a wave of hype in regards to the innovation. The brand new carrier loses cash within the hopes of in the end turning a benefit.
As steadily as no longer, the ones income by no means materialize. However the experiment has essentially modified the present business.
Writer and tech skilled Cory Doctorow has coined a time period for this procedure. He calls it “enshittification.”
“Here’s how platforms die,” he wrote in an essay first revealed on his website online previous this 12 months. “First, they’re just right to their customers; then they abuse their customers to sort things for his or her trade consumers; in any case, they abuse the ones trade consumers to claw again all of the price for themselves. Then, they die.”
That essay went viral and used to be republished across the web. Doctorow’s newest e book, The Web Con: The right way to Snatch the Method of Computation, rails towards the way in which tech corporations failed over and over to ship on their guarantees to shoppers.
He issues to Uber, Amazon and Airbnb as only a handful of examples.
In Uber’s case, Doctorow says the corporate raised billions of greenbacks that allowed it to perform at a loss. He says the conclusion used to be that if the experiment did not paintings, issues may just simply return to the way in which they had been.
However that is not what took place.
“What in fact occurs all through that duration is each labour and capital are profoundly reshaped,” he instructed CBC Information.
The taxi business used to be decimated. In some circumstances, public transit used to be lowered as effectively as a result of potential riders had been merely taking an Uber as an alternative.
He not too long ago were given off a educate to seek out there used to be no connecting bus, no taxis and, as Uber cuts again, there have been no ride-hailing services and products to be had both.
“That is the lasting legacy here’s that we do not simply have this period through which, you already know, small companies are chased out of the business, it is that we then return to a established order that is worse,” Doctorow stated.
The promise of streaming
The similar tale is taking part in out within the combat between cable TV and the upstart streamers. Netflix crashed onto the scene in 2007 providing an enormous library of movies for not up to $10 a month.
Shoppers, exhausted and frustrated via what they noticed as exorbitant costs for normal cable, flocked to the streaming carrier. Netflix’s luck introduced in increasingly more competition.
That disrupted trade and earnings type become a significant sticking level this summer season all through the Hollywood writers’ strike.
“The entire promise used to be a lie,” stated Adam Conover, an government manufacturer of a number of hit TV displays and a board member of the Writers Guild of The usa.
He says Netflix has upended the business in numerous ways in which common shoppers won’t see. The way in which writers are paid has modified. The way in which displays are bought has modified.
“They are seeking to flip us into gig staff,” he instructed CBC Information.
For years, he says, all of the streaming corporations cared about used to be expansion. So long as new subscribers had been signing on in massive numbers, they may have enough money to lose just a little cash each and every quarter.
Now, expansion has slowed and the streamers are on the lookout for tactics to chop prices. They are including lower-tier choices that come with advertisements. They are beginning to package choices.
“5 years from now, it is simply going to be cable,” Conover stated.
The tip of inexpensive cash
Whilst you zoom out, all of those industries are very other. And the startups that challenged them are distinctive of their approaches. However there may be one commonplace theme: affordable cash.
Streeter, of Hargreaves Lansdown, says extraordinarily low rates of interest fuelled a willingness amongst large institutional traders like SoftBank (WeWork) or the funding arm of the Saudi royal circle of relatives (Uber) to let the startups pile up losses even if the promise of profitability remained murky at best possible.
“All this used to be colliding with the truth that all through this time, we have been in an technology of extremely affordable cash that wanted a spot to land,” she stated. “Logo energy is a actually large pull. It is like a magnet.”
Now, as rates of interest have shot up, the willingness to tackle chance has plummeted.
“That is why you are seeing fewer IPOs, specifically as rates of interest ramped up. I suppose institutional traders are much more wary about pushing cash into ventures the place the trail to profitability is not transparent.”
And that can effectively trade the way in which those startups tackle present industries. However it would possibly not undo the wear and tear performed alongside the way in which.


text:
Symantec uncovers malware that damages databases, disrupts business activity
Security firm Symantec is warning consumers about new malware called W32.Narilam that can damage corporate databases and disrupt business.
The malware targets ordering, accounting and customer management systems, explained Symantec security researcher Shunichi Imano in a blog post.
Most of the malware is currently found in the Middle East, but it has also been found in the United States and the U.K. A full 97.1 percent of victims are enterprises.
The malware "copies itself to the infected machine, adds registry keys, and spreads through removable drives and network shares," Imano explained.
W32.Narilam has the ability to update a Microsoft SQL database. It replaces certain items in the database with random values and deletes tables.
"Unless appropriate backups are in place, the affected database will be difficult to restore," Imano wrote.
"The affected organization will likely suffer significant disruption and even financial loss while restoring the database. As the malware is aimed at sabotaging the affected database and does not make a copy of the original database first, those affected by this threat will have a long road to recovery ahead of them," he added.
While new, W32.Narilam follows in a long line of malware designed to sabotage business activity, Imano noted. These include W32.Stuxnet, which was designed to disrupt industrial automation system, as well as W32.Disstrack and W32.Flamer, which both wiped data and files from hard drives.
To mitigate the risks from this type of malware, enterprises should keep system software updated, enable security firewalls, enforce strong user security measures such as passwords and develop a plan to respond to malware infection if found on networks and in databases.
- see Imano's blog


text:
Rumors have been swirling in the online commuity as we waited to hear what the folks at Disney Parks and Resorts had up their sleeves for 2012. We were told we would hear news on New Year’s Eve about a new promotion and sure enough, as the east coast rang in the new year, I received an email that laid out two unique endeavors for Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
“We’re honored that so many guests have shared their Disney memories with us as part of ‘Let the Memories Begin’, and I’m pleased to announce that the campaign will continue throughout 2012,” says Tom Staggs, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “To celebrate, for the first time ever, the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Parks will remain open for 24 hours on Leap Day, so that our guests can take advantage of every minute of their extra day to make memories with friends and family.”
For one day this leap year, February 29, 2012, the parks will be open from 6 am to 6 am the following day, March 1, for the first time in Disney history. Further information on “One More Disney Day” was posted this morning on its exclusive web site: here.
Along with “One More Disney Day” in February, starting today, Disney Parks and Resorts will be giving away 60 vacation packages for Disneyland and Walt Disney World — one a day through February 29, 2012. The packages include 5-day/4-night vacation at Disneyland Resort in California or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida! You can go to the sweepstakes page and enter everyday.
You can also text your entry: Text DISNEYDAY to 347639, Good luck! There are also some sweet and funny messages from a variety of celebrities on the page telling you what they’d do with an extra Disney Day.
Though this campaign will be over by March 1st, 2012, don’t forget, Disney Parks and Resorts’ “Let the Memories Begin” campaign will continue throughout the whole year. That means you can still share your favorite Disney Parks memories — vacation videos, photos and stories — online on the “Let the Memories Begin” web site. And when you’re at the park, you’ll have the chance to be part of the special nightly show “The Magic, the Memories and You” projected on to “it’s a small world.”
I caught the premiere of the show last year, watch my exclusive video here:
Also, don’t forget all of the other fantastic things happening at the resort this year — the opening of Cars Land and then Buena Vista Street with the new shops, red car trollies and Carthay Circle Theatre! All set to open in mid-2012! It’s going to be a landmark year for Disney Parks and Resorts. Stay tuned here for updates on it all!


text:
Grocery sales were in decline as inflation hit 4.7% in the 12 week period ending April 17, the highest since September 2013, according to the latest Kantar research.
Take-home grocery sales declined by 7.2% compared to the same period last year, as inflation looks to be adding €330 to the average household grocery bill.
Kantar's latest research also showed an increase of 3.9% in online sales, bringing in an additional €2m on digital platforms, pushing online market share to 3.3 percentage points higher than the same 52 week period in 2019.
Emer Healy, senior retail analyst at Kantar said "The impact of grocery inflation is being felt widely across store shelves and consumers will be noticing the effects on their budgets.
"The average household is facing a €330 price increase on their annual grocery bill, and 23% of households say they are now struggling to make ends meet when it comes to their weekly food shop."
"Many people became more reliant on online shopping over the course of the pandemic, and this has fitted in quite naturally with our busier schedules post-COVID. In the context of rising prices it also allows consumers to be more considerate as they add items to their basket."
The decline is the first since the pandemic when households were forced to remain indoors, with only essential shopping, which included supermarkets, available.
Healy continued: "The pandemic might no longer be the first thing on shoppers’ minds, but we’re still seeing its effects on the grocery market as life gets back to normal.
"The number of supermarket trips made each month has continued to fall, with shoppers making 3.5 fewer visits on average than this time last year when COVID-19 restrictions were much tighter. The average spend per buyer has also fallen significantly by €144 as consumers eat more meals out of the home."
All the major retailers saw take-home grocery sales fall in the 12 weeks to 17 April 2022. Dunnes has retained its position as Ireland’s largest grocer, holding a 22.4% market share in the latest 12 weeks.
SuperValu holds a 21.8% share of the market. Tesco follows closely behind at 21.7%, meaning that there is now just 0.1 percentage point between the retailers. Lidl and Aldi account for 13.0% and 12.1% of the market respectively.


text:
Beat the slowdown
TWEED Heads small business owners may have had a tough year but a business seminar and new business strategy may help beat the slow economic times.
Tweed Economic Development Corporation chief executive officer Tom Senti said the corporation had entered into a partnership with Southern Cross University as the first step in a new business strategy for the Tweed.
Mr Senti said the Business Insight seminar series were usually held on the Gold Coast and would be a welcome event for small business owners.
“We wanted to support what Southern Cross University was doing and think it will add value to business in the Tweed.”
Mr Senti said the seminar was only a part of a bigger plan for growing small business on the Tweed.
He said rather than presuming what challenges existed, the corporation planned to work with small business to come up with a wish list of issues and solutions.
He said items on the wish list might include funds to train staff, marketing on a budget and retaining or employing suitable staff. “In the new year, we will be conducting an extensive business survey to identify business challenges,” Mr Senti said.
“It has been a tough year and we plan to look at the challenges and how we can facilitate opportunities.
“The survey will mainly be online through email but we are looking at person to person surveys when necessary.”
Mr Senti said the corporation had supported Tweed business for more than 12 years and had developed strong links with the business community.
“We already have 155 people registered for the seminar and we will need a bigger venue for the next seminar,” Mr Senti said.
“The whole process is to engage with and support growth in small business.”
Southern Cross University marketing lecturer Ben Faranda said he would speak at the seminar about cost effective marketing methods and options.
“Along with a more internal focus on quality, relationship marketing and technology,” Mr Faranda said.
Mr Faranda has lectured in strategic management, marketing and entrepreneurship at Southern Cross University for more than four years.
The seminar will be held at the Saltbar Beachbar and Bistro, Kingscliff next Wednesday at 5.30pm for a 6pm start. For more information call (02) 6672 6130 or visit www.scu.edu.au/businessinsights.


text:
It's no secret that high-fiber
grains--especially wheat bran--can help prevent constipation.
Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods, a distinctive stone grinding miller of whole grains, was founded in 1978 with the mission of moving people back to the basics with healthy whole grains, high-fiber
and complex carbohydrates.
Beans are low-fat, high-fiber
, nutrientpacked plant foods.
For many, the high-fiber
diet, filled with fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, is often one of the most difficult adjustment to make -- and adhere to.
There are several lifestyle and dietary habits people can adopt to ensure regularity, including enjoying All-Bran(R) products as part of a high-fiber
diets have been associated with a reduced risk of human colon cancer.
The results: Average blood sugar, insulin, and cholesterol levels were significantly lower on the high-fiber
However, a combination of a high-fiber
diet and calcium supplements is not better than either alone.
grains were thought to be associated with the removal of intestinal carcinogens in the stool.
But the end result may be a no-calorie, high-fiber
substitute for flour that can reduce by 10 to 20 percent the caloric value of baked goods.
diet can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
It's important for consumers to eat high-fiber
foods, as they've been shown to support digestive health," said Michelle Tucker, senior nutrition scientist, General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition.


text:
Kim has officially announced her divorce just 72 days after her marriage to newlywed Kris Humphries has fallen through; the newly single pair has both been spotted without their wedding rings and engagement rings. The star has now confirmed her split with Kris Humphries and made an official statement yesterday. Less than 24 hours before this the 31 year old was seen arriving at Los Angeles LAX airport to jet out to Australia.
The reality TV star is now heading to Sydney with sister Khole to launch their new handbag range; she looked really glum passing through the airport with her white t-shirt and black leather jacket. Kim filed for the divorce yesterday but what people are thinking is weird is how the 26 year old has married and the feelings have changed in such a short space of time. Specialists believe Kim must have not been feeling this wedding before hand and maybe just maybe the model has gone through with the marriage for the fame. One thing is for sure this doesn’t happen very often.
Their wedding reportedly cost around £8million pounds and Kim said we will remain friends and wish each other the best in the future. Kris is set to be devasted over the break up and was spotted wearing his ring heading towards the gym yesterday.
Ferrari are one of the leading sport cars in the world and with them bringing out some of the fastest cars and most prestige cars on the planet, Ferrari have now decided to bring out their new personalisation service which offers customers a chance to customise their own Ferrari. First unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show last month Ferrari are now tailoring the car in order to create a truly unique and completely individual car. With the unveiling of the Ferrari’s many people got excited and was looking forward to the service however the special design features do not come cheap with it adding on between 20%-60% on to the original price which can be quite staggering considering the cars are looking at about £90,000 starting prices.
Launching this new tailor made service will increase Ferrari’s profit margin and with the luxury car maker only selling a maximum of 7,000 vehicles per year to their customers it will retain its exclusivity but with the car industry it will give Ferrari a chance to capitalise from every single sale as much as possible. From gold interior to expensive wood pieces the choices are unlimited and will give the car that Wow and exclusive factor. Bentley and Porsche are famous for offering this kind of service and Ferrari are set to most probably make a fantastic profit off this service.
The King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley old limousine is set to be sold at an auction later in California next month however a lot of cars have sold which were claimed to be the stars cars however the fact of the matter is this limousine was the king’s famous icon and the authenticity and the connection to Elvis is undoubted. As well as several documents which connect Elvis to the vehicle there are also pictures and the limo has spent several years on display at the official Elvis museum in Las Vegas.
The 1955 Cadillac limo was bought by Elvis in 1956 and the singer used the limo to travel around for a number of years he co-signed the documents with his dad when he purchased the limousine. Originally a light blue colour the singer had the limo painted black immediately after he took ownership of the vehicle.
Elvis and his band used the limo mainly in the South of the USA and often strapped their musical intrustments to the roof of the limousine so they could travel with their equipment on top.
The limo has been sold before at an auction in 2007 and was sold for £80,000-£200,000 and despite the large amount the last time it is only scheduled to sell for the price of around £110,000. Stay tuned for the November 12th auction.
The new Lincoln stretch is set to be released with the Lincoln Town Car on its way out, according to the LCT magazine the new stretch is to be released first into the streets of Bahamas and the ALS version is the specialist in building stretches such as the Hummer H3 and the Chrysler 300. The Lincoln Town car is the 2013 model; it is an all wheel drive MKS stretch and will be V-6 3.6 litre engine and seats with six passengers comfortably. The designers said they could not believe how smooth the limousine was and how good the refinement at the 2012 International LCT was at the show in February 2013.
He commented on the MKT saying it has fabulous potential in the limousine world and can be become a big iconic figure for this world in the transport industry, its older brother the town car was a big figure for the limousine world but fell out of favour when it became old.
Keep your eye out for the new MKS limousine which will be coming soon.
The Chery G6 is the latest limousine to come out in China, the Chery brand are focusing on government officials and ministers with this limousine on mind and not to release the limousine for something such as parties or to sell to limo companies across the world. The Chinese company are set to match Audi and say Audi is the company they are inspiring to be like. The Chery G6 may not have the massive wow factor like president Obama’s Cadillac but it does have some nifty features of its own.
They said this limousine is built for a true VIP experience and the Chinese press have released that the 2litre turbo engine and the 160bhp is not something that is going to pull the massive limousine along however the engine is now being tweaked to power the 7.2 meter long limo.
The question is will this limousine be able to compete with the Baby Bentley or the old Lincoln town cars.
Jenifer Lopez has set a new record by pulling up too Best Buy an American supermarket in her Bentley Arnage, it’s not something the Best Buy shop normally sees on its average day to day running but when you are Jenifer Lopez there is no other way to travel to simply put it. Jenifer made the stop which it looked like she was on her own however when the Latin singer stepped out of the car she had enough security President Obama would of been proud about. There were around ten body guards and a fleet of black SUV’s following her.
Jenifer who is a big lover of the Bentley range said that the Arnage was one of her favourites along with the Flying Spur; Jenifer however must be paying her security a fair deal with how many she had around her. Jenifer is set to bring a new movie out and recently made a comeback to music earlier this year where she had the number one single which featured Pitbull and also had the number one album of the year with appearances with rapper Lil Wayne.
Manny Pacquiao the current best pound for pound boxer on the planet has splashed out on a brand new Ferrari Italia 458. Although the Floyd Money Mayweather may have something to say about being the best boxer on the planet it seems the pair reported are split financially, with Mayweather with hundreds of millions and Pacquiao set to be struggling due to bad investments, lawsuits, back taxes and not really hitting the same wage Mayweather has been hitting.
However the current WBO champion has splashed out on a Ferrari costing around £160,000 and according to his sources he has wanted one of these cars for a while now and decided it was the perfect time to purchase one and maybe send a message out to Floyd Mayweather who owns around 15 prestige and supercars.
Pacquiao who’s record speaks for itself with (55-3-2) is set to go battle with Juan Manuel Marquez on the November 12th however trainer Freddie Roach has insisted without the big Mayweather fight he is running out of options of who to actually fight without turning into own camp with Amir Khan. It is said that if the two collide it will be the biggest pay per view in boxing history.
It seems the great German car maker BMW have been paying attention to the competition looking at maybe what rivals Audi are doing bringing out supercars and SUV’s. The BMW division has been suffering of late not really offering nothing new other than the X6 which has been a shock surprise in terms of sales selling very well. It seems BMW have seen how well the R8 has been selling and the SLS Mercedes which is a real celebrity winner.
The Z4 is the only thing BMW have really offered of recent times in the supercar market and the M cars still remain special for their line up. The Mercedes AMG is still the win and the performance is unbeatable. The AMG makes the Mercedes line up and the BMW needs to step their game up with something new. They have announced a new limo and supercar so we shall what the future holds for the BMW line up.
We reported to you last week Lindsay Lohan was in some serious debt issues with her local limousine company for unpaid bills, well the Los Angeles limo company have now officially filed their £90,000 law suit. The limousine company however are outraged at the actress as she has been posing with her brand new £80,000 Porsche the luxury car she has bought can reach 188mph and can reach 0-60mph in just 3.3 seconds. The 25 year old is also serving community service from a crime committed earlier on in the year and she turned up a hour late to the meeting which didn’t go down to well as you may know.
She is now on her final warning and if she doesn’t show up then she will be arrested once again, regarding the limousine bill which company are said to be adding interest on to this bill, she said she hasn’t received any bill against her and with her glitzy parties and premiers coming up it is thought she may even end up getting away with this fine.
A 40 year old decided to rob a black limousine however not for her own benefit she in fact stole the limo just to annoy the Police she said. The 40 year old hopped inside of the limousine with the keys and started up the ignition outside of the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The female who has now been named as Monica Denicali proceeded to drive off in the limo taking it for a spin around the Vegas areas.
The Police then tracked the stolen limo and chased her down with the sirens on in an attempt to pull the woman over; however instead of giving herself in during the pursuit, Ms Denicali threw herself from the moving limo and attempted to make a getaway from the police on her foot.
The woman’s attempt to flee the scene of the crime was unsuccessful and she was quickly captured by the authorities and was arrested for the crime of stealing the limousine. The owner of the limousine was presented his limousine back un damaged and no damage to anybody occurred said the police.


text:
Mustang Brewing Co. announces purchase agreement for OKCity Brewing Cooperative
Under the purchase agreement, Mustang Brewing Co. will buy and expand the OKCity Brewing Cooperative, with its roster of brewers to remain intact.
Mustang Brewing Co. has reached an agreement to purchase the OKCity Brewing Cooperative, the company announced Tuesday.
Mustang Brewing officials said the three companies operating at the cooperative now — Redbud, Anthem and Black Mesa brewing companies — will continue to do so.
Plans call for Mustang to move a portion of its brewing into the facility, 1354 W Sheridan Ave., as well.


text:
Envirowise urges firms to post paper-saving Christmas e-cards instead
This Christmas will see 20,000 tonnes of card ending up as waste as businesses and consumers send each other festive greetings cards, according to government-backed sustainability experts Envirowise. ...
Campaign group Plan B says it is 'surprised and disappointed' by decision and will lodge an appeal against High Court ruling
Mercer's Jane Ambachtsheer joins banking giant to head up sustainability research, engagement, and governance efforts
BusinessGreen brings you this week's green economy headlines from around the world
Chris Hewett of the Solar Trade Association warns the government's latest proposals risk further uncertainty for the solar sector


text:
SD TECHNOLOGYRecent and archived news stories on: Alternative Energy, Automotive, Computing, Engineering, Internet, Nanotech, Software, Telecom, Wireless...
It’s official: Websense is moving its headquarters to Austin, Texas. The Austin Chamber of Commerce announced the move Feb. 28.
Citing an uptick in its Los Angeles business and seeking to build on those gains, Carlsbad-based FMT Consultants LLC has opened an office on Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City.
Dot-what? Lawyers and business executives recounted two sprawling technology stories during two evening presentations in late February.
TECH: Property for Program Must Bring Proper ‘Lifestyle’
An organization concerned with getting young companies on their feet is now thinking about putting a roof over its own head. Plug and Play San Diego, which has had a virtual presence in town, plans to be in its own quarters during the first half of 2015, its leaders said.
Cox Communications plans to close its Copley call center in Kearny Mesa, cutting about 500 jobs in a variety of customer-care functions, the company said.
TECH: $1.1 Billion Loss Prompts Company to Close Many of Its Branded Stores
Sony Electronics said it will cut some 400 people from its local headquarters office in Rancho Bernardo as part of a restructuring by parent Sony Corp. that will eliminate 5,000 jobs globally.
Cox Communications said it is closing its Copley call center in Kearny Mesa, cutting about 500 jobs in a variety of customer-care functions.
Sempra Energy, parent of San Diego Gas & Electric and other subsidiaries, reported full year 2013 net income of $1 billion, compared with net income of $859 million in 2012.
A Long Island, N.Y. maker of vehicle tracking electronics is updating its product line with the help of San Diego-based Novatel Wireless.
Qualcomm Inc. said its Snapdragon 801 processor is powering Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5.
Pulse Electronics Corp., a San Diego based maker of electronic components, reached agreements with its debt holders that reduces its debt and the funds needed for debt repayment, the company said.
Sempra Energy, the San Diego holding company for San Diego Gas & Electric and other subsidiaries, said its board of directors approved a 4.8 percent increase in the annual dividend it pays to shareholders to $2.64 per share from the prior dividend of $2.52 per share.
Qualcomm Inc. took the wraps off of two Snapdragon processors Feb. 24.
San Diego-based Websense Inc. may be considering more than one city as its new headquarters location. Meanwhile, city leaders in Austin, Texas, have OK’d an incentive package to bring Websense to their city, sweetening a multimillion-dollar deal offered by the state government.


text:
In a recent interview with Game Informer, Octopath Traveler producer Tomoya Asano revealed that his development team is working on more titles for the Switch.
The team reportedly became its own division in April this year. “Square Enix has decided that it wants to focus on original titles for the Switch,” Asano said. “If Octopath Traveler does well and this is something that appeals to fans, we want to focus on Switch. Please pick up the Switch if you want to play games like Octopath Traveler.”
When asked if his other titles are in active development, or if they depend on the success of Octopath Traveler, he clarified his statment. “There are several other titles that we’re currently working on for Switch. If you could just wait a bit longer, we’ll work with Nintendo and announce them in the future.”
Asano has previously worked as producer on Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light and its spiritual successor Bravely Default. He did not share any details about the unannounced games, but it’s possible we might hear something at E3 next week.
Octopath Traveler will release on July 13th, 2018, for the Nintendo Switch.
Links: GameInformer (source)


text:
One of the biggest obstacles to achieving good financial health is the lack of communication. Put another way, a great majority of Americans does not like to talk about money. Crippled by feelings of shame and misguided optimism, Americans with financial problems often do nothing to improve their lot, hoping for a miracle.
We all know that the first step to overcoming a problem is admitting that there is a problem. As trite as the saying is, it is true, especially when it comes to extirpating bad financial habits. Fewer and fewer adults are willing to take that difficult first step of acknowledgement.
As evinced in a recent survey, this is increasingly the case with retirees who find themselves in dire financial straits. Members of the so-called Greatest Generation continue to increase their credit card debt with no intention of paying it off before they die. They ignore the warning signs of financial disaster, blaming the faltering economy or simply giving up.
An insightful article released in USA Today provides fresh data about this trend and stresses the importance of communication when fixing problems of personal finance.


text:
As Greece grapples with sky-high inflation, the government has introduced a new scheme aimed at easing the burden of soaring prices felt by consumers.
The so-called 'household basket' plan, which came into force on Wednesday, compels all major retail chains to cut the prices of over 50 essential goods, ranging from flour to disposable nappies.
But shoppers in Greece remain sceptical about the initiative.
“51 products... that's too little", said one customer.
"In this store you will find more than 5000 products. For example, I do not eat pasta, so what do I care if pasta is a product of the basket? I do not believe this measure will be any help. It is just a trick to fool the consumers”.
Each supermarket chain is free to choose which products to select and how much to sell them for. The price drop will remain in place for one-week at a time, while the selected products and how much they cost will change every week.
“For example, there are two products of milk, with a special sign saying that they are part of the “household basket” -- their prices are lower than last week -- they fell from €1.65 per litre to €1.39", said store manager Stratoula Poulelli.
"Another product that is part or the “household basket” is tomato juice, its price was €0.84, now it is €0.64 and it will stay at this “special price” all week”, she added.
With the 'household basket', the Greek government hopes to temper double-digit inflation that has left residents outraged and out of pocket.
“Prices were high, now they have lowered them a bit, but they will rise again next week. I do not think this measure will help at all. I don’t understand what authorities had in mind”, one customer said.


text:
We’re pleased to announce the launch of our latest website for Big Picture Audio Visual. Samson Web Design was responsible for the redesign of the companys logo and the website to bring the branding and look and fell up to date.
Big Picture A/V specialise in the hire of audio and visual equipment for conferences, concerts and other public events. They have over 25 years experience in the industry and are based in Worthing, Sussex.
The website is one of our business websites and took less around 48 hours to get the design and coding completed, ready for launch.
You can take a look at the new website at www.big-picture.biz.


text:
US-China tech war escalates over EV battery dominance
Prepand to the content
Semiconductors have in recent years become a focal point in the U.S.’s efforts to impede China’s technological advancement. Now Washington has its eye on yet another red-hot tech sector where China is making great strides: batteries for electric vehicles. Earlier this month, the Departments of Treasury and Energy proposed rules that would limit electric vehicle […]
© 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.


text:
Francisco Redruello, senior analyst for food at Euromonitor, told ConfectioneryNews.com: “We don’t see in the next 16 years any problem with supply”
“We are not saying the ICCO is wrong – we are just comparing different data. We don’t expect a huge increase in prices unless there is a drought,” he said.
Euromonitor’s forecasts are based on interviews with the largest commodity manufacturers. Manufacturers give Euromonitor projections and the research organization takes an average and compares to its existing data on demand for cocoa products.
Demand for chocolate
Redruello said that the market had seen bumper crops in the past three years meaning the industry was still absorbing stocks.
“We expect a much lower demand for cocoa butter and cocoa powder compared to ICCO,” he added.
While ICCO expects demand for cocoa-based products like chocolate to rise, Redruello said that the chocolate market had been experiencing stalling growth in Western Europe.
Cocoa grinds, an indicator of demand for chocolate products, were released for Europe yesterday and showed the lowest stats for seven years. See HERE.
Moderate chocolate growth
However, Redruello said that demand from emerging markets such as China would keep retail volume sales for chocolate confectionery growing.
“We are not expecting a decline in chocolate confectionery – we are expecting moderate growth,” he said.
Euromonitor has forecasted an 11% global rise in retail volume sales for chocolate btrween 2012 and 2017.
“That’s 2% every single year. It’s not spectacular growth,” said Redruello.
All major chocolate manufacturers including Mondelez, Mars and Hershey have pledged to source 100% sustainable cocoa by 2020 – some through certification such as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance.
“Certification doesn’t mean automatically that prices are going up or demand for chocolate products are going up,” said Redruello.
Last year, the principal cocoa growing country, Ivory Coast, introduced cocoa reforms that set a guaranteed a farm gate price of 725 CFA francs ($1,47) per kg.
“It will not make a difference to increase supply significantly,” said Redruello, adding that reforms would mainly improve standards.
He added that it was not in interests of farmers to increase supply dramatically, because if demand for chocolate products was low, there would be surpluses and cocoa prices would come down.
Pay more for cocoa to boost yields
However, he said there was much scope to improve productivity by using fertilizers and grafting techniques.
“Grinders will have to pay more money for cocoa beans to improve productivity,” he said.
Redruello said that he got the sense that chocolate makers were worried about the supply situation during the World Cocoa Conference in Abidjan last November. However, in his recent blog piece, he said there was no need to panic.


text:
|Bid||6.43 x 1800|
|Ask||6.44 x 800|
|Day's Range||6.26 - 6.75|
|52 Week Range||4.38 - 23.40|
|Beta (5Y Monthly)||1.56|
|PE Ratio (TTM)||3.51|
|Earnings Date||Jul. 01, 2020|
|Forward Dividend & Yield||N/A (N/A)|
|Ex-Dividend Date||Mar. 12, 2020|
|1y Target Est||7.77|
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- The IPO market just got a shot of caffeine from JDE Peet’s BV. Don’t expect other consumer listings to get such a rush.The owner of Peet’s Coffee, Douwe Egberts, Kenco and Tassimo on Friday priced shares in its initial public offering at 31.50 euros, in the upper half of the offering range, valuing the company at 15.6 billion euros ($17.3 billion), and rose to about 35.50 in mid-morning trading.The biggest European IPO this year, pulled off in a swift 10 days, is a remarkable feat for a consumer business in the midst of a pandemic and a looming global recession. But JDE Peet’s has been uncannily well-placed to capitalize on changing consumer habits during lockdown, the prospects for reopening and a resurgence in equity markets. The Dutch company was floated by JAB Holding Co., the investment fund backed by Germany’s billionaire Reimann family. Cornerstone investors, including funds run by George Soros’s firm, had agreed to take up a third of the offering, setting the tone.In a world crowded with coffee chains, JDE Peet’s gets 80% of its sales from coffee that is drunk at home. That meant it benefited as corner cafes shuttered and people working from home were forced to become their own baristas. Now that they can start going out again, it’s ready to serve them their favorite hot beverage too at the Peet’s Coffee chain. And just as Nestle SA benefited from people looking to stock up on the Starbucks-branded coffee it sells in supermarkets, so JDE Peet’s may gain new customers at its cafes if they discovered its products in the grocery store during lockdown. As consumers navigate post-lockdown life, JDE Peet’s looks well insulated. That may explain why the valuation, as of mid-morning trading, is approaching that of Starbucks Corp. on a calendar 2019 enterprise-value-to-Ebitda basis. With consumers likely pulling in their purse strings, homemade coffee may be more popular than pricey takeaway lattes. Yet the valuation may also reflect optimism about reopening, and expectations that people will be eager to get out and about. Early indications from U.S. retailers, such as discount-chain owner TJX Cos Inc. and even department store Macy’s Inc., are that sales have been stronger than expected since Americans were able to shop in person once again.And let’s not forget about the IPO timing with stock markets gaining from their lows in March. That may be one reason why Peet’s was so keen on an accelerated book build: to avoid any sudden market turbulence.The fortunate confluence of factors may not come together for other consumer-facing groups looking to float or spin off a division. L Brands Inc.’s desire to eventually separate its Victoria’s Secret lingerie chain comes to mind. It was grappling with a tired image and too many stores even before the Covid-19 outbreak.As for Peet’s, the successful float leaves it with firepower for further acquisitions. It plans to use the proceeds to cut debt — it aims to reduce the leverage ratio from 3.6 times to below 3 times by the end of the first half of 2021 — but it gets an acquisition currency in the form of equity.Competition for coffee assets has been intense. There was a flurry of deals two years ago with JAB’s $2 billion purchase of Pret A Manger, which sells coffee as well as food to go; Coca-Cola Co.’s $5.1 billion swoop on Costa Coffee; and Nestle’s $7 billion deal for the rights to sell Starbucks coffee in supermarkets.But JDE Peet’s could get lucky here, too, particularly in the market for drinking coffee outside the home. With the lockdown-induced distress in malls and on main streets, it may be able to grab something to go for a better price.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the consumer and retail industries. She previously worked at the Financial Times.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- The amount of new debt issued this year in the U.S. investment-grade corporate bond market will reach $1 trillion today, by far the fastest pace in history. The implications of that milestone depend on how you look at it.For businesses that had been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing nationwide lockdowns, access to capital markets was a lifeline to get through the worst of the economic collapse. Sure, Carnival Corp. had to offer interest rates like a junk-rated borrower and Boeing Co. needed to include a so-called coupon step-up provision to offset jitters that it could lose its investment grades. But, in the words of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, these deals avoided turning “liquidity problems into solvency problems” for brand-name American companies.It’s worth remembering that until the Fed stepped in with extraordinary support for credit markets, averting widespread failures was far from guaranteed. Investors pulled a staggering $35.6 billion and $38 billion from investment-grade funds in the weeks ended March 18 and March 25, respectively. Before 2020, the previous record was $5.1 billion of outflows. I wrote on March 19 that bond markets were veering into a vicious cycle that could get ugly in a hurry — four days later, the Fed announced what would end up becoming a $750 billion backstop for corporate America.Now, the Fed hasn’t actually had to buy any individual bonds yet, a fact that Powell seems proud to share. “We may have to be lending money to those companies, but even better, they can borrow themselves now, and a lot of that has been happening and that’s a really good thing,” he said during May 19 testimony before the Senate Banking Committee.Most people would probably agree with that assessment, at least for the immediate future as the country grapples with restarting the world’s largest economy. But what about the longer-term view?Here, the rampant borrowing paints a more sobering picture. As of late April, 1,287 issuers worldwide rated between AAA and B- by S&P Global Ratings were considered at risk of a potential downgrade, up from 860 in March and 649 in February. That surpasses the previous all-time high set in 2009. “Generally, we expect heavy credit erosion in coming months as issuers, especially those in the lower-rated spectrum come under heavy fire from poor earnings, continued difficulties in managing cost structures, and market volatility creating limited funding opportunities,” said Sudeep Kesh, head of S&P’s credit markets research.That’s bad enough, but doesn’t even strike at the heart of the issue. Last year was supposed to be the beginning of a broad “debt diet” among companies that borrowed huge sums to finance mergers and acquisitions during the longest expansion in U.S. history. That didn’t end up taking place on a wide scale. Even a success story like AT&T Inc., which made headway in trimming its debt stack, still found itself back in the bond market recently, borrowing $12.5 billion on May 21 in what was the biggest deal since Boeing’s $25 billion blockbuster offering.When it comes to companies directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic or structural changes to their industries, the “big three” of S&P, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings haven’t shied away from taking action. Ford Motor Co., Kraft Heinz Co., Macy’s Inc. and Occidental Petroleum Corp. are just a few of the “fallen angels” that lost their investment grades earlier this year.The rating companies haven’t been quite as keen to react to high leverage metrics. I frequently refer back to this feature from Bloomberg News’s Molly Smith and Christopher Cannon, which found that of the 50 biggest corporate acquisitions in the five years through October 2018, more than half of the acquiring companies increased their leverage to a level that would seemingly merit a junk rating but remained investment grade on the assumption that they’d take that leverage down in the coming years. Those expectations seemed ambitious in 2018, when the economy was seemingly invincible. Now, no one can truly expect companies to focus on right-sizing their debt. Corporate leaders are rightfully eager to raise cash to get to the other side of the pandemic, especially with all-in yields not far off from record lows. The vast majority of the $1 trillion in borrowing so far this year was by no means imprudent.In the years ahead, however, the overhang from this issuance spree will inevitably weigh down credit ratings. A company with more debt presents a greater risk of missed interest payments than if it had fewer fixed obligations. Fortunately, for much of the previous expansion, firms had no issue finding investors willing to buy their long-term securities. That practice of rolling over debt and extending maturities might very well be the norm in the months and years ahead, too. Still, if the first five months of 2020 are any indication, investment-grade bondholders will have to get comfortable with even more bloated balance sheets and the prospect of further credit downgrades. For better or worse, with the confidence that the Fed has their back, that seems like a risk investors are willing to take.This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.Brian Chappatta is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering debt markets. He previously covered bonds for Bloomberg News. He is also a CFA charterholder.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinionSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) (the "Company" or "Macy’s") announced today the pricing of an offering (the "Offering") of $1.3 billion aggregate principal amount of 8.375% senior secured notes due 2025 (the "Notes") in a private offering at an offering price of 100% of the principal amount thereof, which represents a $200 million increase in the previously announced size of the Offering. The Notes will be senior, secured obligations of the Company. The Notes will be secured on a first-priority basis by (i) a first mortgage/deed of trust in certain real property of subsidiaries of Macy’s that has been or will be transferred to subsidiaries of Macy’s Propco Holdings, LLC, a newly created direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Macy’s ("Propco") and (ii) a pledge by Propco of the equity interests in its subsidiaries that own or will own such transferred real property (together, the "Collateral"). The Notes will be, jointly and severally, unconditionally guaranteed on a secured basis by Propco and its subsidiaries and unconditionally guaranteed on an unsecured basis by Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc., a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Macy’s.
Post coronavirus it's all about location. Location, Location.
Shares of several brick-and-mortar retailers were trading higher on Wednesday morning as the broader market rallied for a second day on rising optimism about the post-pandemic economy. Designer Brands (NYSE: DBI) was up 5.2%. Gap (NYSE: GPS) was up 5.5%.
Don't expect safety measures will fall by the wayside at Target once life gets back to some form of normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's what Target's chairman and CEO Brian Cornell told Yahoo Finance.
Target Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell weighs in on the state of the retailer amidst the coronavirus pandemic in a Yahoo Finance interview.
Shares of several upscale retail-chain operators were rising on Tuesday, on growing investor optimism after Macy's (NYSE: M) announced a significant refinancing deal. News that troubled department-store giant Macy's has secured a major refinancing deal seemed to be giving investors reason to bid up battered retail stocks on Tuesday.
Shares of Macy's (NYSE: M) are moving higher today, up about 8.1% as of 10:15 a.m., after the company announced a refinancing plan that includes a $1.1 billion secured note offering and a new $3 billion line of credit. Macy's said that it is offering $1.1 billion in senior notes secured by some of its real estate assets, including three New York City properties, 35 mall stores, and 10 of its distribution centers. Macy's will use the proceeds of the notes, which mature in 2025, along with some of its cash on hand to pay off its current $1.5 billion line of credit.
While Macy's (NYSE: M) preliminary quarterly forecast showed a huge decrease from 2019, the retailer still has a chance for improvement. The company has made all sorts of adjustments to stem the hemorrhaging of sales and recently announced it has named a new interim CFO. Current CFO Paula Price announced her departure in April and is set to leave on May 31.
The department store chain drew down a $1.5 billion credit facility in March as it had to temporarily close stores and limit its business to its app and website due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of U.S. companies are also pledging their assets and properties to raise money and clear debt as businesses reopen after a long government mandated lockdown.
Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) (the "Company" or "Macy’s") announced today that it is offering, subject to market and other conditions, $1.1 billion aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2025 (the "Notes") in a private offering. Macy’s intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, along with cash on hand, to repay all amounts outstanding under its revolving credit facility.
Over 30 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in the U.S., and the country faces a major recession. Macy's (NYSE: M) and Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) are having to endure an extremely challenging scenario. From 2015 to 2020, Macy's revenue has gone from $28 billion down to $25 billion.
The first quarter was bad and the second quarter could be even worse, but Macy's management also shared some good news last week.
Yahoo Finance chats with Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner about the state of the world's large retailer amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walmart continues to push forward with opening coronavirus testing sites at its stores.
Macy's (M) projects reporting operating loss in first-quarter fiscal 2020. However, its digital sales remain robust.
Although Macy's (NYSE: M) may be facing considerable losses, investors were cheered by a preliminary earnings report published by the troubled retailer on Thursday. Macy's total debt may also be worse. On the plus side, cash and equivalents at Macy's disposal are expected to more than double.
Shares of department store giant Macy's (M) saw a nice gain on Thursday, closing up 5.5% after reporting preliminary Q1 results.
Greg Portell, Partner & Head of Global Consumer Industries & Retail Practice at Kearney, joins The Final Round to discuss the latest earnings out of the retail sector, Amazon Prime Day, and his expectations for Black Friday 2020.
The economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be slow, one top economist tells Yahoo Finance.
Victoria’s Secret parent company L Brands reported a 37% drop in sales in its first-quarter earnings report. Yahoo Finance’s Brian Sozzi joins the On The Move panel to discuss how retailers are faring during the virus outbreak.
As Memorial Day Weekend approaches, Macy's plans to reopen stores in select locations. Yahoo Finance's Alexis Christoforous, Brian Sozzi and Ines Ferre discuss that and the retailer's first-quarter preliminary results.
"We anticipate that our sales recovery will be gradual and that for a period of time, we will be a smaller company," Chief Executive Jeff Gennette said on a call with investors. The global health crisis has forced brick-and-mortar retailers to tap credit lines, lay off employees and suspend dividends and buybacks in a bid to stay afloat amid store closures. Macy's, which shut all of its 775 stores on March 18, hired investment bank Lazard Ltd <LAZ.N> to explore options for bolstering its finances, Reuters reported last month.


text:
Kettle launches vegan cheese & onion crisps
Kettle Chips’ has launched a brand-new seasoning – Vegan Sheese & Red Onion, to answer the gap in the market for vegan cheese & onion crisps.
Developed by the brand’s innovation chef, Phil Hovey, alongside expert vegan chefs BOSH!, this new edition features vegan ‘Red Leicester-style’ from vegan cheese-alternative brand, Sheese. Sheese does not contain any artificial ingredients and is produced in a completely vegan factory.
The new SKU will be available in Asda, Budgens and Londis stores across the nation from the start of January, followed by Tesco and Morrison’s at the end of the month.
Phil Hovey, innovation chef at Kettle, said: “More and more people across are adopting a vegan diet – between 2014 and 2018 the number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled – and at Kettle we’re always looking for ways to bring our flavour combinations to everyone, regardless of their dietary requirements.
“Who better to team up with to develop this recipe then the guys from BOSH!, who are all about great tasting vegan food without compromise. It was brilliant working with them to develop our Sheese & Red Onion variety and we can’t wait for everyone, vegan or not, to try this exciting new addition to our growing vegan portfolio.”
Ian and Henry, the duo behind BOSH! said: “Working with Phil and the Kettle team to create this exciting new flavour combination has been great fun. We really wanted to work with the Sheese brand as their natural products not only taste great, but offer a fantastic, unprocessed alternative to real cheese.”


text:
GameStop has announced that this year’s GameStop Expo 2017 will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 27, 2017.
According to the announcement, the event will be held on a Sunday, a first in its history, to give more fans an opportunity to attend the company’s annual gaming event.
GameStop Senior Vice President of Merchandising Bob Puzon had this to say about the change:
Every year our customers ask us to make the GameStop Expo bigger and better. We have delivered on their request by bringing our Expo back to the entertainment capital of the world, opening our doors for the first time on Sunday, playing host to one of the biggest non-pro gaming tournaments in the industry, and allowing fans the opportunity to purchase some of their favorite novelty items on the show floor.
Apart from the many booths featuring demos from both video game and hardware developers, attendees will also be able to purchase accessories, collectibles, and more from the participating venders.
The GameStop Expo 2017 will also play host to the finals of the ESL Injustice 2 GameStop Hometown Heroes tournament.
Tickets for GameStop Expo 2017 go on sale on June 1. Tickets can be purchased using PowerUp Rewards points, by credit card online, or at GameStop stores. There will be several options for those who want to attend, the details of which can be found below:
- General admission passes for $40
- A limited number of VIP* passes for $110, which includes:
- Early access to the show floor
- Admission into the Injustice 2 tournament
- VIP lounge access to recharge your body and devices
- Exclusive swag bag of gaming goodies
- Afternoon passes for $20, available only on-site starting at 3:00 p.m.
- Admission into the Injustice 2 tournament is $10 – all admission fees will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s annual PLAY LIVE fund raising event
As previously mentioned, GameStop Expo 2017 will be held on August 27, 2017, at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.


text:
September 30, 2014
No more waiting. We're happy to announce that we've opened our doors to a global audience!, tweeted Circle Inc. on September 29th.
Circle is a Bitcoin consumer finance
The company is very excited about Bitcoin and digital currencies
In its attempt to change the status quo, Circle started developing a suite of customer products aimed at facilitating ease of use, improving security and convenience, and enabling instant transfer. The platform has been developed based on open platforms and open standards like Bitcoin. The company is planning to collaborate with developers and technology enablers around the globe.
In the company’s initial product launch, it focused on the following features:
In addition to these features, the company is now also focused on providing global support in seven different languages covering around 40% of the world’s population. It plans to add support for more languages as it grows.
The company also wants to bring in more clarity regarding insurance in the minds of its customers. In May of this year, the company announced that it was offering theft insurance on 100% of their Bitcoin balances. The company has been building its own insurance program since then, partnering with more underwriters. Today, the company offers insurance cover to all its customers. The company has tied up with Marsh, which is one of the world’s largest insurance broker
The company is also focusing intently on native Android and IOS apps. At the Sibos international banking conference yesterday, the company showcased its Android and IOS apps. These apps are in Beta phase and will be released later, but the company identifies them as critical pieces of the whole picture.
Even though the company has just gotten started, it is growing at a decent pace over the last few months. In the years to come, the company promises to deliver many similar services bringing breakthrough innovation in digital payments and Bitcoin.


text:
A futuristic concept for the BMW and MINI official dealer showroom grand opening
BMW Group Russia
Advans-Auto official BMW and MINI dealer
200 people — BMW customers, VIP guests, media
To make the grand opening of Avans-Auto BMW and MINI official dealer more than just a presentation, we were even going to look into the future. And we did it. We added neon lights of the high-tech show program, a futuristic video installation and a dynamic gymnastic performance to the press conference of the CEO of BMW Group Russia Peter Kronschnabl.


text:
Google has now added a text watermark feature to Google Docs. Users can now place text watermarks on every page of their document. They can create watermarks like “Confidential” or “Draft” to indicate the file status before sharing it broadly. The Watermark option is available on the Insert menu of Google Docs. It gives users the option to customise the font, size, transparency, positioning, and more aspects of the text watermark. Additionally, the text watermarks will reportedly get preserved when importing or exporting Microsoft Word documents.
Google is going to make the text watermark feature available to “all Google Workspace customers, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.” It began the gradual rollout of this feature on January 24 and is expected to make this feature fully available in the coming weeks. Back in September 2021, the search giant had introduced the image watermark feature to Google Docs that enabled users to insert an image watermark on every page of a Google Docs document. This feature is ideal for adding company logos, branding, and custom designs to your documents.
In June last year, Google decided to make its Google Workspace platform widely available to all of its users. This service features applications like Google Docs, Sheets, Chat, and more. This service can now be used as a central hub to create or collaborate with others. It comes with a smart canvas feature that enables users to generate checklists in Google Docs and quickly assign roles.
Users can also easily share their Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides documents with just one click on a Google Meet call. Additionally, the American tech giant previously introduced the Show Editors feature to Google Docs in May 2021 for Google Workspace users. This feature helps in easily tracking the changes made in a shared document by different users.


text:
Spotting a New York City taxi on the streets of Tokyo is an unlikely event, but that’s exactly what JapanCulture•NYC did last Sunday. The Nissan Gallery in Tokyo’s popular shopping district of Ginza had the Taxi of Tomorrow on display on its showroom floor. Visitors had the opportunity to sit inside the cab, watch a video, and listen to a presenter discuss the finer points of the vehicle, which was scheduled to hit the streets of Manhattan on October 28.
The spacious interior has comfortable seating and plenty of legroom. Other amenities include USB ports and an electrical outlet for charging, but the best feature is that the floor is flat and doesn’t have a hump in the middle.
Clearly, Nissan is proud of the work they’ve done in preparing the NV200 for New York City, as you can see in this video we made of the Taxi of Tomorrow.
Designated the “Taxi of Tomorrow” by the city of New York in a competition in May of 2011, the Nissan NV200 van was to replace the current hodgepodge of taxis over the course of the next decade, a contract estimated at approximately $1 billion, according to pickuptrucks.com.
But the Nissan NV200 has hit a few roadblocks on its ride to become the exclusive fleet in New York. In early October, “Justice Shlomo S. Hagler of State Supreme Court in Manhattan said the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission had exceeded its authority in devising a plan to require that nearly all yellow taxi operators purchase the same vehicle,” The New York Times reported.
The Greater New York Taxi Association, a group of medallion owners, filed the suit.
Another lawsuit, filed by people with disabilities and their advocates against the Taxi and Limousine Commission, argues that the entire fleet should be wheelchair accessible. (See more on that suit here.) The prototype that was unveiled in April of last year has been updated with new features, including a wheelchair ramp. A video playing in the monitor inside the taxi shows a person in a wheelchair entering the back of the vehicle.
Another argument against the NV200 is that it is not a hybrid. Nissan is reportedly working on an electric version of the model.
According to CNN Money, being named the Taxi of Tomorrow actually has cost Nissan $50 million and has been a “very public embarrassment” for the Japanese car manufacturer. I don’t see this as an embarrassment for Nissan, but for the city of New York. The issue of giving an exclusive contract to one manufacturer, the environmental preferences, and the accessibility requirements should’ve been addressed before the Taxi for Tomorrow competition began. Instead, Mayor Michael Bloomberg awarded Nissan the exclusive contract without considering the potential firestorm it would cause.
If Nissan is suffering a “very public embarrassment,” it doesn’t seem that way on Nissan’s website, and it didn’t show at the Nissan Gallery in Tokyo. Despite the setbacks, the Taxi of Tomorrow was proudly displayed in the Ginza showroom, and at least a couple of the NV200s are available in New York, according to The Daily News. JapanCulture•NYC is looking forward to hailing the Taxi of Tomorrow in the near future.


text:
Postal Service delays rate increase
A rate increase that the United States Postal Service had planned to implement April 26 has been delayed.
The delay was not unexpected after the Postal Regulatory Commission twice declined to approve planned increases in advertising mail, periodicals and package services, saying it found those proposals were "riddled with errors."
The commission had approved increases for first class, special services and competitive products, but the USPS said it did not want impose the higher rates on a "piecemeal basis."
It said the agency’s board of governors voted to delay the entire increase until after the commission accepts rate changes for all mail categories.
"Rather than subject our customers to a piecemeal implementation of our new prices, the Postal Service has decided that the best course of action would be to wait until our complete price proposal is approved by our regulator," the USPS said in a statement released March 27. It did not indicate when it expected the issues to be resolved.
The USPS described the dispute as focusing on "a wide array of technical and other concerns that are primarily related to the complexities of the price cap and the manner in which it is calculated."
Federal law imposes a price cap on annual price increases to no more than the rate of inflation. But there is sometimes strong disagreement on how the higher prices are spread among products in the same mail classification.
MORE RELATED ARTICLES
World StampsFeb 28, 2024, 3 PM
US StampsFeb 28, 2024, 1 PM
US StampsFeb 27, 2024, 7 PM
US StampsFeb 27, 2024, 4 PM


text:
The first commercial sale of THC-rich cannabis oil in Mexico took place this week.
The oil is for use in formula magistral.
“We are excited to participate in this groundbreaking moment for the cannabis industry and the countries of Mexico and Colombia, as the first Colombian company to export psychoactive cannabis oil to Mexico,” says Ikänik Farms, International President Borja Sanz De Madrid. “We would like to thank both governments for their roles, ensuring this collaborative effort remained a top priority.”
Ikänik worked with the Colombian and Mexican governments, allowing the company to obtain the necessary permissions and certifications.
The 15-step process enabled Ikänik to export psychoactive cannabis products from Colombia to Mexico.
Ikänik says the company legalized the exportation process for THC-rich cannabis in Colombia, making it the first company to successfully “complete a commercial sale for export.”
“We are proud to have participated in this historic moment and look forward to our growth, servicing the global cannabis market,” says Ikänik CRO Brian Baca.
In the future, Ikänik plans to provide formula magistral solutions to treat cancer, epilepsy, pain, anxiety, nausea, and insomnia.
Ikänik also plans to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange.


text:
HTC Sales Hit Three-Year Low In February
HTC has reported sales of £254 million for last month, its lowest since January 2010. On a month-over-month basis, sales had fallen 27 percent.
Although HTC did not report unit sales or net income in its monthly market updates, its last quarterly report released in January reveal a 91 per cent drop in profit to $34 million, it’s lowest since 2004.
According to Gartner, HTC barely kept its place in the top-ten rankings for mobile handset makers in Q4 2012. The firm scraped into the number 10 spot with a global share of just 1.8 per cent, which was down from 2.4 per cent a year ago.
The Android-based HTC One, launched in February, has met with some favorable reviews for the most part — including winning the best-device award at last week’s Mobile World Congress. But the big question is whether that will be enough to help the company claw back some of the market share that it has lost to companies like Samsung and Huawei on the Android front, as well as Apple in the larger picture for smartphones.
Last year’s great white hope, the One series, failed to spark sales and the company was heavily criticised for poor marketing. CEO Peter Chou has made changes at a senior level in the company, with him appointing a new chief marketing officer last year, Benjamin Ho. Last night, it was announced UK and Ireland executive director Phil Roberson had left the company.


text:
Boxee released version 1.5 of its software for Windows, Mac(s aapl) and Linux users Monday – but at the same time announced that it is moving away from supporting computers for its platform. The latest version, which comes with a completely revamped UI, is up to par with the upcoming 1.5 version of the Boxee Box, safe for the availability of some of its most poplar apps. Though there will be some big exceptions: PC users won’t be able to access content from Netflix, (s NFLX) Vudu (s WMT) and Pandora due to DRM restricitions.
Boxee has always had a difficult relationship with PC users – the platform originated on Mac computers, but Boxee moved towards CE devices with the release of its Boxee Box more than a year ago. The company promised back then that it would release an updated version for PCs as well, but this took longer than expected, which led to some disgruntled reactions from users.
Boxee VP of Marketing Andrew Kippen explained to me today that today’s release is a way to make good on this promise. But the accompanying blog post is also making it very clear that the company won’t be supporting this platform going forward: The new 1.5 release for PCs will only be available for download until the end of January.