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Russian tech firm Yandex said on Tuesday it had removed jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s tactical voting website from its search engine to comply with a government ban ahead of a parliamentary election this month.
Navalny and his allies want to use the website and a separate app to organize a tactical voting campaign at the Sept. 17-19 contest to land a blow against the ruling United Russia party.
The campaign urges followers to sign up so they can be allocated a candidate who is judged to have the best chance of defeating United Russia in their election district.
Russia outlawed Navalny’s movement as extremist this summer and the Roskomnadzor communications regulator has since banned their websites.
Yandex, which dominates Russia’s domestic search market, said the tactical voting website had been deleted from its search engine automatically due to the Roskomnadzor designation.
Ivan Zhdanov, a Navalny ally based abroad, criticized the move, saying he thought the company could have resisted more robustly and advising Navalny’s supporters to use Google for their online searches instead of Yandex.
A court has also banned Yandex from using the phrase “smart voting” in its keyword search system, but the firm says it plans to appeal against that ruling.
Russia is trying to ban an accompanying app, threatening Alphabet’s Google and Apple with fines if they fail to remove it from their stores and accusing the US firms of election interference.
Navalny’s team on Tuesday told their followers to download their app on Google and Apple’s stores where it remains available and not to be taken in by fake sites. Google and Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
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Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s spokeswoman Yarmysh leaves Russia, reports IfaxKira Yarmysh, the spokeswoman for jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, has left ... World News


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Final Fantasy VII fans in North America who might have been waiting to play the elusive free-to-play Final Fantasy VII G-Bike will now never get the chance. Square Enix has announced plans to shut it down this coming December after only a year of service.
Yes, in this day and age of games being lost forever if they are not successful enough, not even a popular title like Final Fantasy VII is safe from its merciless grasp. Square Enix confirmed the news on the game’s blog, translated by Gematsu.
“Although we were pushing forward with discussions until now, we’ve come to the conclusion that from here it will be difficult to provide a service that will satisfy our users, so today we have decided to end service.”
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike launched on Oct. 30, 2014, and it will shut down on Dec. 15. In-game purchases will cease on Oct. 13, and once again, poof… another video game has been ravaged by this venomous theory of “games as a service.” Live your lifespan, serve your purpose, then be thrown to the hounds once you’ve become worthless. This one didn’t even get a shot at the English speaking market.
Think how many wonderful hidden gems and cult-classics we would have lost if the gaming industry followed this model in the early 90s. I mean, the closest parallel could be old arcade games that have been forgotten about, but at least publishers and fans alike are finding ways to emulate them. Servers can’t be so easily emulated and restored.
The Galaxy S20 Ultra's Space Zoom camera is amazing and a bit creepy
The Galaxy S20 Ultra supports up to 100X zoom, which Samsung calls Space Zoom, but is it any good? Can a phone really product usable photos at 100x zoom? We've got our Galaxy S20 Ultra already so join us to find out!
Win an iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch with the Reader's Choice giveaway!
What's the best phone of 2019? Is it the iPhone 11 Pro, Pixel 4 or OnePlus 7T? What about the best laptop, games console, tablet and more? Vote NOW in the Reader's Choice awards and win BIG in time for the holidays!
Here are the best products from IFA 2019!
Here are the products announced at IFA 2019 that were worthy of our Best of IFA 2019 awards. Also featuring MrMobile's single best product at the show!
These are the Star Wars Games you're looking for
Become one with the Force as we give you a list of our favorite Star Wars-themed games.

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The market for personal information is now one of the most lucrative for thieves and criminals.
We've discovered a website with thousands of Australian credit card owners posted card details and personal information - ready for anyone to use.
The website is a blog site based somewhere in Asia. And this is a list of 1300 Australians from all over the country with their credit card numbers, names, addresses and email and mobile phone numbers.
"I'm very scared that my home address is on the website, with my name, they know where I live, it's very scary," said Emma Perry, a 21yo student from Sydney.
"I've never even given my credit card details to my family, let alone a third party that I don't even know," Perry said.
Emma last year bought some books online for her mother. Soon after, she was making purchases overseas that she didn't know about.
"Last year in November I got a call from the bank asking whether I'd made a purchase in the US recently which I hadn't, and they immediately cancelled my credit card," Perry said.
"I was quite startled; I didn't know what to say... I didn't know what to say when she (our producer) first told me... just disbelief," said Queenslander Violet Mielack. She said she was frightened and terrified when we told her that her details were on the internet for anyone to use.
All of the victims appear to have purchased goods from the same website, an Australian company. We won't name them - they had no idea what was going on. They say they secure their online shopping through Paypal.
"Paypal has had a few issues over the years and I think early on they were slow to respond to it, some people kind of do still worry about it, but they're certainly a lot better than some really small outlets," said tech expert Seamus Byrne said. He says this kind of information has become the new currency; more valuable than cash or gold.
"What you find is people who, their sole purpose is to create large lists of personal information and then they trade those lists with other people and then there's a whole trading process that goes on within organised crime online that eventually gets to a point where somebody wants to use that to steal money," Byrne said.
"Suncorp had rung me and warned me that someone was trying to hack into my account and they were trying several numbers... they seemed to think it was on Paypal," Elizabeth Heard said.
Proving identity theft knows no borders, Queenslander Violet Mielack was also shocked to see her life listed for trade among cyber criminals.
"What I think I'll do is open an account but put a very small amount of money in there so that if anyone does access they haven't got access to large amounts of money," Mielack said.
The NSW Police E Crimes has been called in to work out what is happening and who's behind it.
Recently in the United States a man named Albert Gonazalez was sentenced to 15 years prison for stealing 170 million credit card and ATM numbers with the corresponding details.
He did it by hacking into major retailers billing systems over their WiFi networks.
We tested how easy it is to hack into anyone's computer and steal their details. Our hacker drove around with a laptop and an antenna stuck to the car window... within minutes he was in.
"First of all a very high number, 10% of Australians have been victims of online fraud," said visiting online crime buster Tim Callan from US cyber security giant Verisign. He said Australians have lost $1.29 billion to online identity fraud.
"As many as one in 70 websites is infected with some kind of malicious software and that's a very high frequency when think about your average internet user they're probably going to 70 websites in a month," Callan said.
"I'd say to other people just be very careful because they're out there tyring," said Violet Mielack.
"It's made me stop and think twice about purchasing online ever," said Elizabeth Heard.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Use a secure, WPA internet connection.
Don't give out personal information... Avoid opening attachments you can't trust for certain
Use strong passwords, at least 12 characters, including letters, numbers and symbols - and change it regularly
Delete suspect emails
Use secure websites with lock icons and site seals.
Change your credit card pin number regularly
Check your credit card every couple of days for irregular transactions
PURCHASING GOODS ONLINE TIPS FROM THE NSW POLICE E CRIMES UNIT:
There are many advantages to purchasing goods online, however consumers should be vigilant as there is no tangible opportunity to view the goods before purchase
Check the bona fides of the online company prior to making a payment
Be cautious when providing your personal details online, including credit card details
Never access internet banking from a link in an email
Ensure your operating system is free of malware.
If you have any suspicions about the site you are using, don't proceed with the payment
Consider using payment intermediaries which can often be a safer alternative
Regular update virus protection on your computer
If you suspect any criminal activity, contact your financial institution and local police station immediately.


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Jack Morton Worldwide is to create a brand video for the consumer launch of Volkswagen’s luxury VW Phaeton car at the Geneva Motor Show and a brand experience for dealers.
The video will depict the brand essence of the car and, in particular, the lifestyle of the VW Phaeton’s target customer.
The brand experience will be designed for the 6000 dealers attending a Volkswagen trade event in Dresden in May. The event is split into 13 sessions, each lasting 24 hours and attended by 450 dealers.
‘We want to immerse them in the world of the Phaeton customer, who is highly aspirational,’ says Jack Morton Worldwide managing director Laurence Croneen.
‘Through a 24-hour experience the dealers will learn about the car and the lifestyle of its customers,’ he adds.
Of the 450 dealers at each session half will test-drive the car while the rest will visit the state-of-the-art production plant Volkswagen opened in December 2001 to see how it is manufactured.
In the evening they will all attend a social event at which the consultancy will have designed four areas, each representing the ‘different elements’ of the lives of the VW Phaeton customer. These are ‘quality, fascinating, perfection and attention to detail’, Croneen says.
‘We want to demonstrate how Volkswagen is breaking into new dimensions,’ he says.
The project is being jointly handled out of Jack Morton’s UK and Germany offices. The consultancy, which was appointed at the beginning of the month, won the work following a creative pitch.
Volkswagen hopes that its new car, which goes on sale in the autumn, will rival the Mercedes-Benz S-class in the upper-luxury segment.


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Multifunctional DME to save your customer money and household space.With the commode pail installed, it functions as a bedside commode;With the splashguard installed, it becomes a raised toilet seat with a built-in safety frame;With the the bucket/splashguard removed, it becomes a height adjustable shower chair with comfortable padded seat.Padded seat resists moisture penetration.
Insights from over 1,000 patients reveal that even though patients are taking an increasingly active role in managing their healthcare, they still rely on an existing provider to select a specialist for them.
If you see Medicare patients, your practice will be reimbursed differently. The new policy goes into effect on January 1, 2017. Elation has dug deep into the details of the new Medicare rules, known as MACRA, and how it might affect your business. Read on to find out all you need to know.


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Consultant tells boatyard operators their proficiency is the key to keeping boaters on the water
Running a boatyard isn’t for softies. It’s a tough business, says Jim Bronstien, the president and owner of Marine Business Advisors. Boatyards are capital-intensive, customer-intensive, regulatory-intensive, technically intensive and personnel-intensive. And they are lightning rods.
“The maintenance-and-repair experience drives the entire boating experience,” Bronstien said during a seminar on the boatyard business at February’s International Marina & Boatyard Conference in Fort Lauderdale.
If boaters’ yard experience goes well, they typically will love the lifestyle and stay in boating. “If it doesn’t go well, they’re out of it,” he says.
Boatyards draw fire — or praise — from boaters and other industry segments for how successful they are at keeping boaters in boating. A former president and owner (for 21 years) of the Rybovich yacht yard in West Palm Beach, Fla., Bronstien long ago adopted a mantra that has not lost its relevance with time: Do it right.
‘Cheers’ or corporate?
The customer is king, says Bronstien. “You have to treat every customer as if that customer is your most important customer, no matter the boat or its size.”
Bronstien says you don’t have to be a big yard to do it right. “It’s about your culture,” he says — the look, the feel, the attitude. Are you a homey, grassroots, tight-knit kind of place — such as TV’s “Cheers,” the bar “where everybody knows your name” — or a more corporate organization with rigid policies and procedures?
“What are you as a boatyard?” he asks. “Your culture drives the kind of customer you get.”
One type of yard will draw older boats and do-it-yourselfers; another will attract a high-end customer who wants all of the amenities and service perks.
Knowing your customer “dictates your success,” Bronstien says, as does recognizing that you can’t be all things to all people. “Every customer is not for every yard. Every boatyard isn’t for every customer,” he says.
‘Moment of truth’
Bronstien says there is a “moment of truth” in every service experience when the yard either gets it right or doesn’t. Bronstien says different customers will have different expectations at that moment of truth, so it behooves the yard to know its customers well. “You need to know your customer to satisfy him,” Bronstien says.
Providing an exceptional service experience requires exceptional staff, he says. “Technical proficiency is very important,” Bronstien says. “Your staff must have aptitude as well as attitude.”
The yard must have some good “people people.” Your great technical people aren’t always your great people people, so you put the right people in the right positions for their strengths, Bronstien says.
“Put them in uniform,” he says. “Be professional. Good presentation matters.” Train them. Motivate them. Communicate well with them.
A yard’s culture should include ongoing technical training, customer-service training, management training — and team building. “You have to do it, especially in today’s world,” he says.
Bronstien says money is not the great motivator it’s cracked up to be.
The chance to make a difference is usually just as important, as is the chance to work for a company that is focused and moving forward and setting realistic expectations.
Poor communication is at the bottom of most conflicts, he says. The two keys to good communication are no surprises and frequent communication.
A final word on staff: “You need more billable staff (those who bring money in) than non-billable ones,” he says. “Otherwise you’re going to have a really hard time making money.”
Bronstien says successful yards promote their strengths — painting, carpentry, engine repair — and work on overcoming their weaknesses. Alternatively, they harness the benefits of first-rate subcontractors to give them strength where they are weak.
Bronstien says a yard should be well-kept and have a “professional appearance.” He notes a “paradigm shift” away from yards being the only places that fix boats. Mobile repairmen fix boats at their dock, and yacht management groups, in some cases, take the place of the yard in assuming responsibility for maintaining and repairing boats, “but still the only place to haul a boat is in a boatyard,” Bronstien says.
Every yard should have a lift properly sized to the boats it services, covered work sheds where practicable and good safety practices and procedures. He encourages a new paint job, new signage and an investment in landscaping and comfortable lounges to make the facility more customer-friendly. Space should be carefully calculated. Too much can be inefficient; too little can stunt growth.
Never stop selling
It’s important that boatyards market themselves. “You’re always selling,” he says, “even if you are full of work.”
Every yard should look for stories to tell in the press. Yards are engines of economic growth. The refits they do are interesting stories, as are stories about investments in the facility that will grow its footprint locally.
Bronstien insists that every yard have a crackerjack accountant or chief financial officer.
“Did you know that 80 percent of the money a business will spend is predetermined?” he says. “Focused businesses go over their budgets every month.”
Know how much money your technicians can bring in every month, and pay them accordingly. Trends to keep track of: billable hours for every worker and labor that brings in money versus labor that doesn’t.
Use a sharp pencil when you estimate the cost of a job. “No two are alike,” he says.
Lastly, Bronstien says, when collecting money, “Cash is king.” Don’t get stuck with a lot of unpaid accounts receivable.
This article originally appeared in the April 2013 issue.


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The first GT4 racing version of the Toyota GT86 will hit the track later this month following completion of the first chassis by Buckingham-based motorsport engineering team GPRM.
The new car is powered by a new 2.0-litre direct injection turbocharged four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine which has been developed jointly with Nicholson McLaren Engines. The GT86 will soon be shaken down at a UK circuit ahead of further tests in Europe including those for GT4 series organiser SRO.
GPRM and its directors Gary Blackham and Roger King believe the new Toyota will be a serious GT4 contender. “The new engine from Nicholson McLaren will be capable of between 360 and 400 bhp,” said Blackham, “although of course the definitive output figure will be determined by the balance of performance testing.
“We have gone all out to engineer quality and reliability into the GT86 as well as competitiveness, and the result has provoked a lot of interest from all around Europe.”
GPRM has already taken one GT86 order and is in advanced talks with a team keen to race one in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. Blackham added: “The Toyota GT86 will make an ideal GT4 contender in British GT, as well as in the many GT4 series growing in strength and popularity around Europe.”
GPRM’s Toyota GT86 is a cost-efficient entry-level endurance car. The company embarked on the GT4 project immediately after the Britcar24 last September, where the new Toyota sports car made a successful UK race debut – you can see our Britcar coverage here. Although not a works effort, the GT4 project has the blessing of Toyota GB, which is providing technical support.
Team Gazoo recently announced its plans to enter the GT86 in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance event – read our story here.


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Home Posts tagged light show
Tag: airport, Christmas, event marketing, experiential, light show, plane
Dec 18, 2018
Hundreds of people at London Luton Airport were treated to a spectacular festive surprise, as they witnessed the world’s first Christmas light show to feature a 120ft...
Read moreComments Off on Spectacular Christmas light show takes place at London Luton airport… on a plane!


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Eastbourne Borough Council have launched Airbourne 2010 unveiling the first details of this year’s flying displays. The full line up can be seen in our detailed preview on the main site.
The official Airbourne Launch Party took place last week at Towner, Eastbourne’s award-winning art gallery, to exclusively reveal this year’s flying programme for the international airshow, which returns to the south coast from 12-15 August.
Headlining the flying schedule confirmed for this year is a special 70-year anniversary display from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the return of crowd favourite the Red Arrows, and the impressive Eurofighter Typhoon. With other aircraft including the Hawk, Tutor, Tucano, Search and Rescue, and King Air also displaying, the flying line-up is already looking action-packed and organisers Eastbourne Borough Council are offering companies the chance to benefit from this prestigious event with sponsorship opportunities available.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Susan Morris said “A Date With Airbourne, our official launch party, was a brand new idea for this year’s event and a great opportunity for us to thank those companies who worked with us last year and network with potential new sponsors.
“Last year’s Airbourne was such a huge success with a record number of sponsors and the numbers of trade stands up by 27%. We are looking to build on that this year, and with fantastic assets already confirmed for this summer, we should be in for another spectacular year.
“We have a wide range of sponsorship packages available offering companies a great opportunity to come on board and benefit not only from the huge footfall that Airbourne receives, but also to raise their company profile by being associated with such a highly regarded event.”
Following the success of last year’s airshow which was reported to have been the most visibly busy in the event’s 17-year history, airshow organisers are again looking to work with the local business community to raise funds to stage the event.
Many local businesses from across the south east attended the Launch Party at Towner on Thursday evening last week to find out about the sponsorship packages available this year and receive an early bird discount on programme adverts.
Securing a record 25 sponsors in 2009 including TravelInsured.co.uk, Eastbourne Borough Council are again starting sponsorship packages from as little as £250 right up to a headline sponsor at £75k, with the option for companies to tailor make packages to suit their budget and needs.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, trade space and corporate hospitality available at Airbourne visit www.eastbourneairshow.com


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European Union lifts Trump-era tariffs on bourbon
Kentucky bourbon makers are celebrating after the European Union lifted tariffs on bourbon and whiskey that were imposed during former President Donald Trump’s administration.
The tariffs started in 2018 in retaliation for Trump’s taxes on EU-produced steel and aluminum, which he claimed were a threat to U.S. national security.
In a statement, Kentucky Distillers Association President Eric Gregory said the tariffs slowed down bourbon exports to the EU by half, costing the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Kentucky Bourbon exports had enjoyed double-digit growth for a decade before the tariffs were imposed in 2018,” Gregory said.
He thanked Gov. Andy Beshear, Congressman John Yarmuth and officials in Europe for helping resolve the trade dispute.
The 25% tariff was set to double next month. U.S. and EU officials announced the deal over the weekend at the G20 summit in Italy.
As part of the agreement announced by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, more European-made steel and aluminum will be allowed to enter the U.S. without tariffs. The EU will also lift other tariffs imposed in 2018.
The development takes the U.S. another step away from Trump’s brand of foreign policy, whichprovoked the EU to impose tariffs on a range of U.S.-made products like bourbon, peanut butter, cranberries and motorcycles.
Kentucky produces about 95% of the world’s bourbon, according to the KDA.
Beshear celebrated the decision in a statement on Twitter.
“The EU-US announcement to remove tariffs on Kentucky bourbon is great news! Bourbon is a $8.6 billion industry that provides 20,000 jobs to Kentuckians. Thank you to @SecRaimondo and the Biden administration and all those who helped make this win a reality for the commonwealth.
The United Kingdom, which is no longer a part of the EU, still has a 25% tariff on bourbon. In a statement, the KDA urged the U.S. and U.K. to resolve that dispute “so our legendary distillers can return at long last to doing what they do best – crafting the finest Bourbon for all the world to enjoy.”


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Apple and the iPhone are always in the news, but lately it seems like it was for the completely wrong reasons. Over the last week or so, many stories have portrayed the iPhone as a security risk and Apple as covertly limiting charging speeds. None of this happens. Here’s the truth:
iOS 16 does not reduce charging speed
Apple introduced a new feature in iOS 16.1 called Clean Energy Charging, which aims to limit your iPhone’s environmental impact by “selectively charging when lower-carbon electricity is available.” The feature has been enabled by default on all iPhones running iOS 16 since October, but a few people only noticed it last week and made a lot of noise on Twitter. People went crazy calling the feature “arrogant and annoying” and complained loudly about Apple. “ESG [environmental, social, and governance] bull 💩”.
Two things are wrong with outrage. First, this feature should not affect your iPhone’s charging habit. I have left clean energy charging on and have never had a problem with my phone charging less than expected. When I charge it overnight, it charges in the morning, and when I need to quickly recharge during the day, it only takes a few minutes. And since clean energy charging doesn’t affect charging on the go, you’ll never be left in the lurch.
Secondly, it is very easy to turn it off. Just because you didn’t know about an optional feature doesn’t mean you can be upset about it, especially if it’s optional. Apple includes the Clean Energy Charging feature by default because it’s a feature that should benefit everyone and not upset anyone, but apparently it doesn’t.
Your iPhone is not at risk of sudden theft
In late February, the Wall Street Journal ran an article about a “new” trend: a thief meets someone in a bar, watches them long enough to see them enter their passcode on their iPhone, remember the code, steal the iPhone, change Apple ID. password and steals personal data and, in some cases, financial accounts.
This is, of course, a disturbing story, but not a new one. Most of the cases the magazine refers to are from 2022, and the thieves they write about have been active for years. But that hasn’t stopped countless other publications from throwing around the H-word and reporting the story with headlines like “iPhone passcode scam! Attackers can steal your money this way”, “This iPhone passcode scam could cost you thousands of dollars” and “IPhone users have issued an urgent warning as thieves use the ‘reset’ trick on smartphones and Apple becomes helpless when it happens.”
All this sounds very scary and serious, but it is still extremely rare. If anything, the story highlights how secure the iPhone actually is, as the crimes describe a sophisticated group of thieves, even if the crime itself is clearly low-tech. Apple should probably stop using your passcode as a security method for changing your Apple ID password, but other than that, the iPhone has plenty of strong security built in.
No shortage of Face ID
As if the fear and hatred of stolen iPhones wasn’t enough, a number of articles have used The Wall Street Journal report to expose alleged holes in Face ID, including WRDW (“Face ID may not be as secure as you think”), Local 3 News in Tennessee (“How Thieves Can Steal Your Money with iPhone Face ID”) and even the New York City Hate Crimes Prevention Authority, which advised iPhone users to turn off Face ID when leaving home “to protect their phone and data.”
Can someone steal your phone and “scan your face without your consent and when you’re not in the know,” as one story reported? Certainly. Is it possible? Not in the least. Can the thief then set up an alternate face ID so that he can return to the phone whenever he wants? Certainly. Is it possible? Not in the least.
There is nothing wrong with Face ID. This is the best biometric authenticator on a smartphone and no other phone can compare to it. Despite trying to replicate the camera and TrueDepth scanning for years, the best Android phones still use fingerprint sensors because Face ID is so advanced. So the next time you go out with an iPhone in your pocket, the last thing you have to worry about is Face ID.


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At the beginning of the year, anticipation was high among mall operators that a slew of new foreign retailers was gearing up to enter Canada and cash in on its relatively strong economy.
Today, the mood is more restrained. Some U.S. retailers, including discounter Kohl's, have yet to approve tentative store leases in this country, industry sources said. Others, such as high-end department store Nordstrom, can't find suitable space. Meanwhile, an internal report from the Retail Council of Canada casts an anxious eye on merchants' outlook at the approach of the crucial holiday shopping period.
"Retailers expect this uninspiring environment to continue for some time," says the council's report on retail conditions. The title sums it up: "Sales & margins ok, but no fun; challenging conditions and worries about the future." Another warning: "The holiday season may turn out to be weaker than forecast."
As retailers prepare for their biggest season of the year, they are increasingly jittery as sales growth here slows, in contrast to strengthening U.S. sales. The consumer funk in Canada could last for a while, threatening to spook some foreign chains, at least for now.
But at the same time, the U.S. retailers already here are pushing ahead, squeezing incumbents. By March of 2013, U.S. discount giant Target Corp. will open its first stores in Canada after closing a $1.8-billion deal to buy Zellers leases, putting more pressure on existing merchants.
Retailers already feel the heat. Their sales in Canada (excluding auto and gas sales) are expected to pick up just 1.8 per cent in the second half of this year, compared with a 2.8-per-cent gain in the second half of 2010, according to a survey by realtor Colliers International. For 2011, it anticipates only a 1-per-cent increase in those retail sales, compared with an average 3.5-per-cent gain in each of the four preceding years.
The data may convince some U.S. retailers to keep their plans for Canada on hold. Kohl's and J.C. Penney, which checked out the Canadian retail landscape at the beginning of 2011, aren't signing leases, sources said.
Nevertheless, domestic merchants feel the strain of foreign retailers already here and expanding, including Wal-Mart Canada Corp., Bed Bath & Beyond and cosmetics chain Sephora, said Ed Strapagiel, executive vice-president at consultancy KubasPrimedia. "This could be not a great Christmas, but it might be the best one for a couple of years."
Last month's retail council report paints a picture of a cautious shopper who is heading to stores less frequently, anxious about the volatile global economy and family debts.
Retailers have responded by slashing inventories "drastically" in anticipation of modest sales growth, the report says. Less stock, resulting in fewer markdowns to clear out excess merchandise, is helping to boost profits. So is the Canadian dollar which, until recently, outpaced the U.S. dollar in value, shoring up retailers' bottom line because a lot of their purchasing is done with greenbacks.
"Most retailers are confident they can sell through their fall inventories and achieve their margin goals," says the report. "Expectations for the holiday season are another matter … There is a high degree of nervousness about how the season will turn out, driven by the scary economic environment."
Still, many retailers say they will stick with their business plans, partly because they had ordered stock conservatively, it says. In any case, "there is little room to manoeuvre at this point. Stocks are already in distribution centres or are arriving now. Wherever possible, merchants are trying to delay the moment of commitment. As one member says, 'It's not, 'am I buying more or less?' – I'm buying late – as late as possible.'"


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St. Olaf alumnus at heart of board game revolution
Move over, Monopoly. Today’s board game industry is dominated by elaborate tabletop role-playing games with legions of devoted fans.
The person at the center of this board game revolution? He’s an Ole.
St. Olaf College alumnus Chris Petersen ’95 started Fantasy Flight Games fresh out of college. It’s now one of the leading board game companies in the world.
NBC affiliate KARE 11 highlights how the first game Petersen designed, Twilight Imperium, launched his company’s massive success. Games such as Twilight Imperium allow players to role play as characters in fantasy worlds while simultaneously requiring a handful of players to participate. “It is a fantasy escape,” Petersen tells KARE 11. “But it’s a social one too.”
As an economics major at St. Olaf, Petersen started creating board games in his dorm room and has used his talents and creativity to build Fantasy Flight Games into the biggest creator and publisher of board games in North America.
Petersen and Fantasy Flight have designed and launched countless games that have found success in multiple areas, from creating and launching games such as Twilight Imperium to acquiring the rights for a Game of Thrones board game before the book series became an award-winning TV show.
“One thing I’ve learned over and over again is that a good thing cannot be kept down,” Petersen says. “Sooner or later it will rise up.”


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The Pierce County economy added 2,100 jobs in October, helping to lower the county’s jobless rate to 8 percent last month from 8.3 percent in September, according to state Employment Security Department data released Tuesday.
The 8 percent jobless rate for the county is the lowest since 2008, Employment Security data show. The public sector, mostly in education, added 2,300 jobs in the September-to-October period, while the private sector showed a net loss of 200 jobs in the same period.
Private-sector hiring numbers were pulled lower last month because the Puyallup Fair came to an end, resulting in 1,600 job losses in the category of leisure and hospitality, regional economist Paul Turek said.
There were some bright spots, though, within the private sector, Turek said.
Holiday hiring resulted in 400 jobs in retail trade and 100 jobs in food services, both sectors outperforming hiring data from the same period last year, he said.
Retail trade added only 100 jobs last year and the food service category cut 400 jobs last year. Improved numbers this year could be a sign that businesses expect a better holiday shopping season, Turek said.
Another bright spot is that the county has added 12,000 jobs year-to-date to local payrolls, compared to 6,800 jobs in the same year-to-date period in 2011.
“Either way you look at it, we’re moving forward,” Turek said about the economy.
Although the local economy has shown improvement this year, the outlook for next year remains cloudy due to federal and state government budget woes, he said.
At the federal level, for example, a combination of higher taxes and spending cuts to address the budget deficit could slow growth, Turek said.
By the numbers
Regional jobless rates for October, not seasonally adjusted:
• Kitsap County: 6.6 percent.
• King County (Seattle, Bellevue): 6.7 percent.
• Thurston County: 6.9 percent.
• Pierce County: 8 percent.
• Mason County: 9.4 percent.
• Lewis County: 11.3 percent.
• Grays Harbor County: 11.3 percent.Source: Employment Security Department Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403 firstname.lastname@example.org theolympian.com/bizblog@rolf_boone


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Android 8.0 released named Oreo: Everything Covered
Android, A Google product. The top Software used in more than 50% smartphones currently in the market. Is updating soon to the latest version of the Operating system. Android 8.0 Oreo. Google unveiled it at their Live-stream.
Android 8.0 Oreo launch
Google, launched the operating system today, August 21. The event was Live-streamed from NYC at 2:40 PM ET from Google’s website. Google went with branding their Android O, with Oreo. Like they previously did with KitKat.
Background Service Limitations
The system will now do a few regular checks to see whether an app can be considered as being in the background. It checks to see that the app or any of the activities (things an app can do or initiate) aren’t visible on the screen. It then checks to see if another app is connected to it or uses any information from it, and finally, it checks for a few high-priority services like being able to act as a keyboard or if it is actively listening for voice input.
Broadcasts are done by the system when specific events happen. When you switch your phone in and out of Airplane Mode, for example, a broadcast is sent to let apps know what happened. Developers can set up their apps to listen to specific broadcasts and write code so the apps do something when they happen. If an app is listening for broadcasts, every time one is sent the app uses system resources to see if any action is needed.
PIP mode is also coming to other Android devices with the O update. In this, you can specify the aspect ratio and type of controls you want your app to have in the state. Other than this, there’s a new app overlay window and multi-display support for launching an app on a remote display.
Google is bringing a whole new design for its emojis – one that which is more compatible with other platforms and has more tonal colour for a fun modern look. More importantly, the blobs are removed, and more circular shaped emojis. Also, with Android O, you can even on your convenience pause play updates Ota.(large)
Phone’s getting Oreo
Google announced the name of the new OS which is Oreo.
As per the recent leak. The roll out of the smartphone will begin from the top devices of the Google firm which is Pixel and Pixel XL. Also, Pixel 2 and other newer phone may come out with Android 8.0 Oreo right out from the box.
The Nokia 8 is also rumoured to get Android O as soon as it arrives, and it will be quite interesting fact to notice HMD globals Speed of updates. The Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and Nokia 6 will also get the Android O update.
The OnePlus 3, 3T, and 5 will also get an Android O update also this may be the last update for 3 and 3T. The Lenovo K8 Note was also promised to get an Android O update.
In an interview post-launch of Zenfone 4 series company announced both 3 series and 4 will be updated to Oreo, but not confirmed about the time it may take to update.
Motorola and Sony may be promising as usual with update expecting within a month or two after the launch as per the records.
We can expect current flagship smartphones from manufacturers like Samsung, HTC, BlackBerry, and LG to also receive the Android O update.


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When a new pickup truck debuted, did you ever wonder how its competitors would suddenly gain a few hundred pounds of towing capacity with seemingly no changes from the previous model year?
Read This Article
In the CAFE battle of the future, Nissan isn't going to let fuel economy regulations stand in the way of performance.
Nissan's full-size van has been a surprise hit in a burgeoning commercial segment
According to a recent survey, used electric vehicle prices are expected to drop nearly 30 percent this year.


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THE NEW FORTY Dishin' on Daryl...
Yesterday I attended the 7th Annual Golden DOVS Awards for Dedicated and Outstanding Volunteer Service. DOVS stands for Directors of Volunteer Services. Sara Lepp, the Director of FirstLin... Posted on 3/26/10 at 3:37 AM
The storm still deserves recognition as one of the worst blizzards, if not the worst, since the brutal winter of 1996-97, said broadcast meteorologist Daryl Ritchison and Pete Speicher, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Grand Forks.
, December 16, 2008
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Clare Computer Solutions (CCS) , a professional services firm providing IT solutions for companies in the San Francisco Bay area since 1990, is hosting a FREE Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity – Tactics & Technologies webinar event August 25th.
It’s 10:00 am in Temecula, California. There’s a line of trucks and vans outside Western Eagle Foundation’s warehouse, one of the largest food banks in Southern California.
CommonWealth One is offering an encore of its popular Personal Loan Special that members have welcomed many times in the past. “We heard from members that our CommonWealth One personal loan filled a special need – for example, in cases where members didn’t want to dip into savings or didn’t want to use their credit card.
Jerry Seinfeld famously said, “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason." When it comes to the job search, that sentiment may be true.
U2 and HBO will debut a unique combination of two exclusive world premiere specials this fall, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.
The worldwide tablet market declined -7.0% year over year in the second quarter of 2015 (2Q15) with shipments totaling 44.7 million units according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation ( IDC ) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker .
“ Artificial Intelligence: are we becoming gods? ” New book by Roberta Sams, author of “There were Giants on the Earth in Those Days and also after that.” MIT researchers have revealed an interface that can allow a computer to plug into the human brain. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not just another technological endeavor, it is feared to be much more than that.
CommonWealth One’s Main Branch manager, Raul DeCecco, threw out the first pitch of the Alexandria Aces game against the District of Columbia Grays on Jul.
According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research “ Global Market Study on Sleep Aids: Sleep Apnea to Witness Highest Growth by 2020 ”, the global sleep aids market was valued at US$ 58.1 Bn in 2014 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% to account for US$80.8 Bn by 2020. Sleep aids are drugs and medical devices that help a person to fall …
Over August 8th-9th, round 4 of the SUPER GT, the "FUJI GT 300km RACE" will be held at Fuji Speedway in Oyama, Sunto District, Shizuoka Prefecture. The second Fuji round, which follows on from round 2 of the series that was held in the mild climate of Golden Week in May, has been shifted into the scorching and intense heat of summer vacation.


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TORONTO, March 27, 2018 /CNW/ - OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas is issuing a challenge to the party leaders hoping to be Ontario's premier: will you commit to public health by taking a clear stand against the sale of hard liquor in grocery stores?
"Letting grocery corporations sell hard liquor would be like handing the keys to somebody who's just had a few shots – a deadly disaster in the making," said Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "Alcohol is a controlled substance for a reason – if it's not sold and distributed responsibly, it can easily cause incredible harm and hardship."
Thomas said the recent price-fixing scandal involving bread shows that corporations like Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro can't be trusted to put people before profits.
"The profit motive impairs their judgement," said Thomas. "I think it's a big mistake to trust grocery corporations to sell beer and wine. And it would be an even bigger mistake to trust them to ensure that kids and people suffering from addiction can't buy vodka or whisky."
Thomas's comments follow news that a lobby group called Spirits Canada is complaining it's "not fair" that the provincial government allows grocery stores to sell beer and wine but not hard alcohol. The lobby group says that in Quebec, consumption of hard alcohol has been dropping drastically because it's not available in grocery stores, but Thomas says that just proves his point.
"Committing two wrongs isn't going to make things fair, and it's certainly not going to make them right," said Thomas. "The best way to fix this 'unfairness' isn't to allow hard alcohol onto grocery store shelves, it's to take beer and wine off them."
Denise Davis, the chairperson of OPSEU's Liquor Board Employees Division, agrees that the government should be limiting the sale of alcohol in grocery stores, not expanding it.
"There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence that shows that the more available alcohol is, the more damage it does," said Davis. "When access to alcohol goes up, disease and death go up right along with it."
Davis says the LCBO has a long and excellent track record of selling alcohol responsibly. In 2016-17, for example, LCBO staff challenged more than 14.4 million individuals and refused to serve over 250,000, the majority for reasons of age. As well, the LCBO hires companies to send secret shoppers into its outlets to ensure LCBO staff check the ID of anyone who appears to be under 25 years old.
Thomas said this is such an important public health issue that Ontarians deserve to know where each of the leaders stand.
"We know that back in 2016, the person who is now the Chair of the LCBO Board of Directors examined this issue and determined that hard alcohol should not be sold in grocery stores," Thomas said. "We deserve to know if any of the party leaders are now going to put corporate profits before people and public health."
SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)
For further information: OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas: 613-329-1931


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Lighted Christmas Tree Sold at Menards Being RecalledA certain brand of Christmas tree is being recalled by Menards Stores after issues with overheating and electric shock were reported by customers. The Illinois State Fire Marshal issued a warning about the trees, which were sold under the "Enchanted Forest" brand, on Tuesday.
The recalled trees are 7 1/2 feet tall with 400 champagne colored diode lights, it's model number is 287-1261 and its UPC Code is 741895425478. If you believe you may have pruchased one of these trees, check the box or the red tag attached to the tree for those numbers.
The tree was sold exclusively at Menards Stores for around $300 between September and November of this year.
The State Fire Marshal advises customers who purchased this particular tree to unplug it and return it to Menards for a full refund.
See other LocalNews news:New Warden Named for Menard Prison
Village May Decriminalize Small Amounts of Pot
Pork Farmers Fighting Virus
Salem High Dismisses Teacher, Cites Budget Woes
Salem High School Board Member Concerned About Proposed New Handbook Rule


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Many have been demanding legislators across the United States to implement right to repair legislation, which would make it easier for device owners to repair their devices.
But some companies have been resistant to this idea. Apple, unfortunately, is one of them. The company has long fought such legislation, preferring instead to rein in repair work to its own physical stores and authorized repair shops. But it looks like that while Apple has fought back against the idea, it may be concerned it’s losing that fight. As a result, Apple could be preparing to comply with any future right to repair legislation that falls into place in the future.
According to documentation dated from April 2018 obtained by Motherboard, Apple has been implementing plans in the background that seem dangerously close to complying with rules that right to repair legislation would impose. That includes giving some repair companies access to official Apple diagnostic software and tools, a host of genuine Apple-branded repair parts, training, and even “no restrictions” on “types of repairs that independent companies are allowed to do”.
As it turns out, this is what a lot of folks who have been fighting for the right to repair legislation have been looking for. Broadening the repair process.
“This looks to me like a framework for complying with right to repair legislation,” Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and a prominent member of the right to repair movement, told me on the phone. “Right now, they are only offering it to a few megachains, but it seems clear to me that it would be totally possible to comply with right to repair.”
As mentioned above, Apple has been fighting these potential bills for years. Just look back to 2017 where Apple was fighting a right to repair bill in Nebraska. At the time, Apple lobbyists told legislators in that state that the proposed changes for repairs would make Nebraska a “mecca” for hackers and “bad actors”. And it’s happened recently, too, as the original report outlines:
“A letter obtained by Motherboard that was sent last month to a Georgia lawmaker by 17 trade organizations that represent consumer tech, video game, wireless, home appliance, and air conditioning companies (including Apple) says that right to repair legislation “threatens consumer security and safety” and “stifles innovation.””
It’s worth noting that while the internal documentation that outlines Apple’s plans does not explicitly name any companies that will be getting this type of repair rules. However, it does note that there are over 3,700 Apple Authorized Service Providers, so there appears to be plenty to choose from. And if this is indeed a means to prepare for right to repair legislation across the United States, we could see these new repair rules gradually rollout to all of those repair shops over time.
As it stands right now, these changes would more than likely be a welcomed one, both for consumers and repair shops. Even authorized third-party repair centers are ordered to send in devices that require more challenging repairs, which can make the process take quite a bit longer.
“Apple authorized technicians can switch out screens and batteries and they essentially can’t do anything else,” Nathan Proctor, who is leading consumer rights group US PIRG’s right to repair campaign, told me on the phone. “Reversing that policy to let them do more standard repairs is a step toward right to repair and evidence that the people working on this issue have forced them to change.”
Interestingly, the presentation itself that the original report cites suggests that Apple has decided, after many years, that people outside of Apple can fully understand the iPhone repair process now. Apple has long stood by the claim that iPhone repair is “too complex” to simply open up the repair process to just anyone. But, according to the report, the presentation reveals that Apple “notes that people outside of Apple are perfectly capable of doing good repair work. It says that independent repair companies will “own [their] customer” and that “you stand behind your workmanship”.
The belief here appears to be that Apple is negotiating behind-the-scenes to get the legislation and public opinion to drop away, essentially by rolling out the oft-requested changes on its own terms. Albeit gradually. This isn’t unlike Apple’s strategy with potential repair issues in its device lineup. Apple, for instance, still hasn’t actually said anything about the “Flexgage” issue and stage-lighting effect on some MacBook Pro models. But that didn’t stop the company from making a hardware tweak to address it, though.
It feels like public attention for right to repair wanes and surges at random times. It’s an obviously serious issue, which is obvious since Apple appears to be addressing it from the shadows. But at least the company is making changes in the right direction?
We Want To Hear From You
So, what do you think? Should Apple keep fighting legislation of this nature, even as it works behind-the-scenes to comply with the same potential bills?[via Motherboard]


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Rogers is the biggest Canadian wireless service provider. Rogers also owns Fido, which acts as their prepaid brand. In addition to the usual spread of wireline and internet services, Rogers also owns several media brands, such as Sportsnet. Alongside Bell, Rogers also has a partial stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns many Canadian sports teams. Rogers was founded in 1967 and was one of the first cable operators in Canada. AT&T owned 34% of Rogers until 2004. Their current CEO is Guy Lawrence, the former CEO of Vodafone UK.
Carrier Rogers now supports Apple's iMessage Business Chat for the first time, although it doesn't appear to have actually told anyone about the move.
Canadian carrier Rogers has today announced it will start offering six months free Apple Music with select Infinite plans.
Rogers has confirmed it is dropping Cuba from its international "Roam Like Home" package after demand overwhelmed its partner network in the country.
5G service is still at least three years away, and Canadian carriers are already testing the service. But don't get too excited yet.
If you're a Canadian and in the market for a new iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s plus, this guide will comprehensively cover your shopping options across Rogers, Bell, TELUS, and others.
Rogers, Bell, TELUS, Fido, Virgin, Koodo and more — how to pick the perfect Canadian iPhone carrier for you!
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California is currently debating the final stages of a new bill (AB 5) that would fundamentally redefine the business relationship between businesses and private contractors. It’s framed as a way to ensure benefits are provided to all private contractors, but it was obviously crafted to go after the gig industry with a specific focus on Uber, Lyft and other ride-sharing apps. If they manage to pass this into law without offering exemptions for these drivers, the companies negotiating such services would have to treat the drivers as employees, paying benefits, a minimum wage and various other perks. This would effectively shut Uber and Lyft down. (Yes, the link goes to Vox. I know. But they’ve got a decent, balanced summary of the story thus far.)
In the past two weeks, they’ve published an op-ed in the San Fransisco Chronicle and are now enlisting drivers and lobbyists to help weaken AB 5, a bill that would make it harder for companies to label workers as independent contractors instead of employees — a common practice that has allowed businesses to skirt state and federal labor laws. The bill passed the state Assembly last month with overwhelming support and is now headed to the California Senate for a vote at the end of the summer.
AB 5 is one of the biggest challenges yet to the ride-hailing companies’ business models and would rewrite the rules of the entire gig economy. Hundreds of thousands of independent contractors in California, ranging from Uber and Amazon drivers to manicurists and exotic dancers, would likely become employees under the bill.
The impact on both the companies and the drivers is obvious. Uber couldn’t possibly offer rides for the prices they do if they had to provide full employee benefits to everyone who signs up to drive. And many drivers (at least the ones I encounter) are either retired people or younger ones who drive as a side job for extra money. If they’re already getting benefits somewhere else, all they’re really looking for out of driving is some extra cash. Why remove that option from them?
Interestingly, this law is sweeping enough in its wording that it’s going to hit others outside of the new gig economy. Note that the linked article refers to other types of employment ranging from manicurists and stylists to exotic dancers. Most strip clubs these days hire dancers who work as independent contractors, keeping their own tips and sometimes even having to pay for a spot on the stage. (Or so I’ve heard. Ahem.)
What happens to them if they are turned into employees? How many dancers could a club afford to pay full-time with all the mandatory benefits? And what of the dancers’ tips? If they rake in a big haul on a busy night, does that money all just go to the club because their “employees” are already being compensated for their time on stage? There’s a similar situation for people like manicurists who rent out a chair in a salon to do their business but keep their own profits from customers. Are they to be booted from the salons?
In California’s rush to try to drive Uber and Lyft out of business and benefit the taxi industry (with their unions and lobbyists) they may be knocking down a lot more workers than they intended. Or did they intend to do that all along?


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Posted on Mon May 1st, 2017 9:15am PDT By X17 Staff
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt is taking on on new responsibility, grocery shopping for the family with a bodyguard in Malibu, on Sunday. The flip flop-wearing daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie sported some super-roomy camouflage cargo shorts, a Walking Dead tee and her usual sweatshirt. She had a couple homemade necklaces around her neck and what looks to be a red Kabbalah string around her left wrist?!
The pair made their way through the parking lot at Trancas' Vintage Grocers in north Malibu over the weekend, Shiloh lugging a bag on her shoulder as she walked to the car.
Angelina's been renting a luxury mansion in the 'Bu (even though she recently purchased the historic Cecil B. DeMille estate in Hollywood), while it's believed Brad Pitt is staying in the area as well, so that he can spend time with his six children. A recent report claims all the kids recently spent the night with their dad and we've been told Brad and Angelina are talking and cordially co-parenting after their split at the end of last year.
Shiloh showed of a new undercut hairstyle, similar to her brother Pax's half-shaved 'do. Various reports over the years have claimed the 11-year-old has boyish tendencies and that Brad and Angelina are letting their oldest biological daughter live the way she feels comfortable living. One report claims the parents won't address gender identity with Shiloh until high school. Whatever the case, she's adorable and looks happy -- that's what matters!
SEE THE GALLERY Shiloh Lugs Groceries For The Fam
Stories from around the Web


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The Hershey Co. is continuing the momentum it gained from the pandemic, to the point where constraints on the supply chain are the only thing holding it back.
Hershey had sales growth of 6.3% year-over-year in its third quarter, to $2.36 billion, setting up a rise in the company’s predictions for the year. Full-year net sales growth is now predicted at 8% to 9%, up from the previous range of 6% to 8%. This left company execs optimistic even though net income dropped slightly in the quarter, to $445 million from $447 million.
“Our continued focus on operating with speed and agility has enabled us to respond quickly to changes in the marketplace and develop plans to maintain sales momentum, increase production and sustain our advantaged margin structure over the long term,” CEO Michele Buck said in a statement. “We are raising both sales and earnings guidance for 2021 to reflect elevated consumer demand across markets, an improved tax outlook and optimized brand investment, which, collectively, are expected to more than offset higher supply chain costs and inflation.”
One situation to keep an eye on is inventory. With demand for comfort foods still high, candy inventories are shrinking even faster than anticipated.
“This [sales] growth lagged consumer demand as capacity constraints and industry-wide supply chain disruptions resulted in lower retailer and distributor inventory levels,” Hershey’s statement said.
Hershey’s board authorized $200 million in extra capital spending in August to help the company deal with increased demand, for Reese’s and its other brands, Buck says.


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Aiming for market leadership: Apollo investing a further £610 million in India
With the ramp-up of its plant in Hungary, Apollo Tyres Ltd. is growing in Europe. The company also has ambitious plans in its home market of India – it aims to become the country’s leading tyre maker, and is investing to do so. Total investments over the period between 2015 and 2021 approach £900 million.
According to chief financial officer Gaurav Kumar, Apollo Tyres is planning capital expenditure for India of almost Rs 55 billion (£610.4 million) over the coming three years. This is almost 50 per cent more than it invested there in the previous three years, an amount primarily spent on doubling truck and bus radial capacity in Chennai. Kumar says that of the Rs 55 billion to be spent in India over the next three years, Rs 38 billion (£421.7 million) will go towards setting up the company’s greenfield facility in Andhra Pradesh.
The expansion programme for Apollo’s TBR plant in Chennai, first announced in 2015, is almost complete. Kumar reports that capacity there recently passed 10,000 tyres a day and is expected to reach its planned daily capacity of 12,000 truck and bus radial tyres by the end of September. This will be the plant’s peak capacity – Kumar commented in May that “there is no way” production in the Chennai plant can be expanded beyond a daily capacity of 12,000 tyres.
Truck tyre capacity utilisation within Apollo Tyres’ factories in in India plants currently exceeds 90 per cent and is rising, therefore the company recently committed to adding truck tyre capacity to its Andhra Pradesh project. Once the already planned facility for producing 15,000 passenger car radials a day (5.3 million a year) is set up there, Apollo will construct a plant in Andhra Pradesh initially capable of producing 3,000 truck tyres a day (1 million a year). Further truck tyre capacity will also become available for the Indian market once truck tyre capacity in Hungary reaches a certain level; Apollo has been exporting a million truck tyres a year from India to satisfy overseas demand.
Truck tyres contributed 60 per cent towards Apollo Tyre’s revenue in India in the opening quarter of the 2018-19 financial year (April to June 2018), with truck and bus radials accounting for around 58 per cent of all truck tyre revenue and 35 per cent of the company’s entire revenue. In terms of volume, Apollo Tyres holds a 25 per cent share of India’s truck tyre market (based upon figures for June 2017 to March 2018), with its shares of the radial and cross-play truck and bus tyre businesses 21 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
A portion of the planned Rs 55 billion capital expenditure for the coming three years will be directed towards debottlenecking Apollo’s passenger car radial production in India. The company’s market share in this segment (June 2017 to March 2018) was 15 per cent, making it the second-largest player behind MRF.
Vision to be a clear leader in all categories
Achieving and maintaining “leadership across product categories in India” forms part of Apollo Tyres’ ‘Vision 2020’ strategy. Managing director Neeraj Kanwar spelt this out recently when speaking with Indian financial daily The Economic Times, stating: “Our vision for 2020: we want to be a clear leader in all the product categories in India – in farm, passenger, truck, SUV – and we are looking at price as well as volume leadership. That is our target.”
Volume growth drove sales within Apollo Tyres’ Indian Operations business to reach Rs 30 billion (£331.6 million) in the April-June 2018 quarter, 32 per cent higher than a year earlier, and with EBITDA amounting to Rs 4.1 billion (£45.3 million), the margin rose 5.2 percentage points to 13.5 per cent.
When the aforementioned growth programme is realised, Apollo Tyres will have the capacity to produce 15,000 TBR and 41-42,000 PCR tyres a day in India – more than 5 million TBR and around 14 million PCR tyres a year. Sizable, but not excessive growth: Gaurav Kumar calculates that should volumes within a particular segment grow at a double-digit rate over a period of three years, capacity would need to be increased by about a third in order to simply maintain market share. He estimates that Apollo’s current capacity expansion programmes will add around 25 per cent to its truck tyre production capacity and a little more than a third to its passenger car radial capacity in India. “If the demand grows or the overall economic growth continues in the manner that it is currently, then it is highly unlikely that we run into a scenario of excess supply,” he says.


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NY1 News covers Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week from Lincoln Center, where the world's top designers showcase their newest collections.
Fashion Week 2012 Web Extra: Stars Align At Mercedes-Benz Lounge
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The Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge is one of the hottest celebrity hang outs at New York Fashion Week, and NY1’s Michelle Park recently got a peek behind the bodyguard and into the plush parlor.


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Back in 2018, Huawei launched their first ever smartwatch, preceded by the Huawei Watch GT 2 a year later. Now, with more refinements, the Huawei Watch GT 3 has landed; released on the 10th of November here in the UK for the retail price of £229.99, the watch is now available to buy.Read More
Wireless technology has been expanding across so many realms of products over the past few years, and home cleaning is no exception. Cordless vacuums are one of those most-welcome technological advancements, allowing you to effortlessly glide around the house without having to worry about hopping from socket-to-socket as you goRead More
Wireless technology is taking off in recent years, and this very much includes the world of wireless headphones. Apple may be considered the frontrunner based on fame alone, but many other tech giants are following suit, and Google is one of them.Read More
Your home is your sanctuary – and no one wants their haven to be penetrated by ill-intentioned intruders. Luckily, for the security conscious, there are a huge variety of solutions out there to deter and catch criminals who impede on your property. Rather than opt for singular solutions like a video doorbell or security camera, you can look for a whole system that you can use to kit-out your ho...Read More


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“I’m stunned … There’s no mistake about it. The baby does use the B-word that ends in H,” Davis said.
Davis called up the Cherry Hill, N.J. store where she bought the dolls. The store apologized to her, Davis told NBC Philadelphia.
“They were appalled,” Davis said. “But it still doesn’t change things. Who released this doll?”


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced a tough new privacy bill on Tuesday that would require companies to give clear notice when consumers' data is being collected and to keep it safe from hackers.
Companies collecting data must also allow consumers to opt-out of some data collection, and must agree, or opt in, to any collection of sensitive data that would identify them.
The bill would also press businesses to only collect the information they need for any particular transaction.
Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said it had support from some big tech companies.
"These companies agree with us that it doesn't just make good business sense to protect their customer; they know it's the right thing to do," said Kerry at a press conference.
McCain, an Arizona Republican, noted that many web sites -- like most search engines -- are free precisely because they are supported by advertising.
"Our bill seeks to respect the ability of businesses to advertise while also protecting consumers' personal information," said McCain.
(Reporting by Diane Bartz, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)


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The Icecreamists owner Matt O’Connor has told HollyBaby.com that Lady Gaga’s legal bill could leave his company bankrupt!
Lady Gaga’s attorneys at Mishcon de Reya served The Icecreamists owner Matt O’Connor with a legal document obtained by HollyBaby.com, claiming he has ripped off her name for his own gain.
The ice cream in question is Baby Gaga – which is made with real breast milk.
“We have been only open two weeks, it’s like Apocalypse Now with ice cream,” Matt told HollyBaby.com. “We expected this to cause a few ripples. But nothing in a D-cup!”
Matt says that the legal bill would be almost $81,000, which would “effectively bankrupt” his company.
“We have a trademark application, which is pending,” Matt added. “At the moment it [the breast milk ice cream] has been banned by the Westminster City Council. It’s been portrayed in a negative light… they made this really hyped up and they took it away for testing.”
Matt said the council claims Baby Gaga “was very damaging and unsafe for human consumption.”
“We could legally oppose it, and say this is ridiculous,” he says. “We may decide to disassociate ourselves totally. We may decide to try to change the name — maybe Baby Goo Goo, or Barak Obaba or the Cry Baby.”


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MAKING NOISE FOR SENNHEISER ON THEIR 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Coverage in major tech publications
A follower count of more than 100k
Product featured in Forbes, TechRadar and Stuff
With their 75th anniversary on the horizon, Sennheiser needed to make some noise. The renowned audio brand embarked on a celebration of sound with a steady beat of limited edition product announcements. We helped them drum up excitement and show the world that when it comes to quality headphones, Sennheiser is turning up the volume.
Trends come and go, but the power of music never fades. No one knows this better than Sennheiser, who has decades of experience manufacturing equipment that ensures every drumbeat, piano cord, and guitar solo sounds as good as it can.
With their 75th anniversary on the horizon, Sennheiser knew they needed to make some noise. But with COVID-19 threatening to drown out the celebration, that would be easier said than done.
Navigating around the complications of the pandemic, the company focused on launching a set of limited edition products – and we were there to make sure their impact echoed far and wide.
These products included the HD25 Special Edition, the HD 800 Anniversary Edition (both headphones), and the MTW 2 Anniversary Edition (wireless earbuds).
We leveraged our PR background to place coverage in major publications, including BBC Sound, Louder and the Irish Examiner. We also engaged social media influencers, securing posts that reached a follower count of more than 100k for the HD 25 alone.
The year wasn’t just about anniversary editions though. To truly make 2020 a celebration of sound, Sennheiser also launched several brand new products.
This included their CX 400BT wireless ear buds, and their new entry-level audiophile headphones: the HD 560 S.
Once again, we secured coverage in all the major tech publications and nationals. For the CX400BT, this included The Sun, GQ, and Unilad Tech, as well as more than two dozen reviews. For the HD 560S, we got the product featured in Forbes, TechRadar, Stuff, and other big publications. We also secured nearly a dozen reviews in top-tier technology and audiophile media.
We also ran an influencer activation programme, securing glowing reviews, as well as working with influencers to create engaging content.
The events of 2020 were inevitably going to overshadow Sennheiser’s anniversary. But despite the exceptional circumstances, the company was able to celebrate in style. Backed by a best-in-class marketing and PR strategy, they were able to launch five products to much fanfare.
We got the products in front of reviewers, influencers, and – most importantly – music lovers; helping Sennheiser prove that, even during the darkest of times, the music never stops.


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FDA Clamps Down on Another Contract Manufacturer for cGMP ViolationsFDA Clamps Down on Another Contract Manufacturer for cGMP Violations
Health One Pharmaceuticals, Inc. said it has stopped manufacturing and distributing articles of food, drugs and dietary supplements, according to an FDA news release.
January 22, 2015
Another contract manufacturer of dietary supplements bites the dust—at least temporarily—after running afoul of cGMPs (current Good Manufacturing Practices).
Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered Health One Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to stop selling its products until it comes into compliance with FDA regulations. Health One Pharmaceuticals and Richard Yeh, the firm’s president and owner, are bound by a consent decree of permanent injunction.
The City of Industry, California-based business said it has stopped manufacturing and distributing articles of food, drugs and dietary supplements, according to an FDA news release.
Health One Pharmaceuticals, under FDA’s supervision, must “recall and destroy all dietary supplements that were manufactured, prepared, packed, labeled, held or distributed between September 1, 2011, and January 15, 2015," FDA said.
The company’s entanglements with FDA date back a number of years. In a March 28, 2012 warning letter addressed to Yeh, FDA cited a number of cGMP violations during a 2011 inspection, including failure to verify the identity of a component of a dietary ingredient through at least one test or examination. Instead, the company relied on certificates of analysis from its suppliers, according to the warning letter.
Some other cGMP observations reported by FDA included failure to review and approve all manufacturing master records, and failure to maintain, clean and sanitize equipment. FDA also said Health One Pharmaceuticals failed to properly label certain dietary supplements.
“Despite assurances from Health One Pharmaceuticals that it was correcting the violations noted in the warning letter, follow up inspections showed that the company failed to correct all of the manufacturing violations," FDA stated in the news release.
The company’s deviations from cGMPs, FDA said, rendered its products adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Health One Pharmaceuticals cannot resume operations until it obtains FDA’s permission and retains an independent expert to determine whether it is in compliance with cGMPs. And for a minimum of five years, the company must file biannually audit reports that document compliance with cGMPs.
Devastating Impacts of Consent Decrees
A consent decree of permanent injunction can be devastating because a company can’t operate for a number of months—at a minimum. For at least 90 to 120 days, a manufacturer will be out of business pending an outside audit and other actions that need to occur before a company is authorized to resume business, said Justin Prochnow, a dietary supplement lawyer with Greenberg Traurig, LLP, in a phone interview.
Such an interruption in business operations can be fatal. Prochnow said he had a client—a private label distributor—who retained him after the company was served a warning letter by FDA and threatened with a lawsuit. The private label distributor subsequently entered into a consent decree.
“They are not in business anymore. They couldn’t afford the time off. It put them out of business," he said.
Yeh of Health One Pharmaceuticals did not respond to emailed requests for comment on the consent decree and the company’s future plans.
Prochnow said FDA appears to be using its authority more in recent years to shut down companies that fail to comply with its regulations. In August, for example, FDA announced an injunction that had been entered against a Georgia-based dietary supplement manufacturer that was accused of violating cGMPs and marketing their products as being able to treat diseases. In the previous month, FDA announced that a New York-based dietary supplement manufacturer entered into a consent decree due to violations of cGMPs. Both companies had received 2012 warning letters.
“You want to respond as thoroughly as you can to the 483s from inspections or to the warning letters," Prochnow said, commenting on the Health One Pharmaceuticals consent decree, “because if the FDA isn’t satisfied… this is what can be the results of continued noncompliance."
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Florida Bans 'Bath Salts'
AG files emergency rule on synthetic drug sold in c-stores, other retail outlets
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida attorney general Pam Bondi has announced the filing of an emergency rule that will add substances containing methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), a synthetic drug commonly known as "bath salts," to the schedule of controlled substances. The emergency ban, which took effect Wednesday, will last 90 days. It makes the sale or possession of the drug a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
Bondi was joined by Florida Department of Law Enforcement commissioner Gerald Bailey and Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen and other law [image-nocss] enforcement officials, as well as legislative leaders.
Sheriffs in Okaloosa, Walton and Bay counties had asked Bondi to rule on the drug, a stimulant that is often sold near energy drinks at convenience stores and in malls, head shops and other retailers, added a report by The Destin Log. It is sold under names such as Purple Rain, Ivory Wave, Pure Ivory, Vanilla Sky, Ocean Burst, Bolivian Bath, Cloud Nine, Boss, White Lightning and Super Coke.
The sheriffs issued a joint statement Tuesday urging retailers to stop selling the drug.
Officials said the drug, also referred to as "fake cocaine," can cause rapid heart rate, aggression, paranoia, increased blood pressure and eventually kidney failure.
"Due to the violent nature of the side effects involved in taking these drugs, the emergency rule will provide law enforcement with the tools necessary to take this dangerous substance off the shelves and protect the abusers from themselves as well as others," said Bondi. "These are dangerous drugs that should not be confused with any type of common bath product."
The substance is usually snorted although it can be smoked or swallowed. Reported side effects of MDPV include increased heart rate, nosebleeds, hallucinations, severe paranoia, seizures, and kidney failure.
Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley said his office will begin sending letters to businesses that sell the drug to inform them that it is now an illegal substance, according to the report.
Walton County deputies will begin seizing bath salts from stores that sell them, the report said. His office also will implement a "quick education program" to inform people that bath salts are now illegal before it takes any further action.
Click hereto view a copy of the emergency rule.


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Guinness World Record holder John Evans has already lifted a 160kg car on to his head and kept it balanced while walking for 10 feet.
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The television show, by Miditech TV, is expected to be filmed in March.
The promotion showed a car lowered on to the head of a female television presenter, who said she could not hold it up but there were many who could.
A STRONGMAN who can walk around with a car on his head has appeared on an advert for an Indian television show which is looking for people to beat his record.
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Spurs star models Argentina’s new kit
Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth has starred in a video to launch Argentina’s new home kit.
The 21-year-old has only one cap to his name to date – although he could add to that tally during this month’s friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco – but has founded himself heavily involved in the marketing of the new shirt.
Adidas’ new Argentina kit delivers a very loose interpretation of the Albiceleste’s usual stripes.
You can see Foyth modelling the new Argentina home jersey in the video below.
— Juan Foyth (@JuanMFoyth) March 19, 2019


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Security startup OnwardMobility has announced that it will launch a new 5G BlackBerry smartphone with a physical keyboard.
This follows after TCL Communication said earlier this year that it would stop selling BlackBerry smartphones by 31 August 2020.
“TCL Communication has no further rights to design, manufacture, or sell any new BlackBerry mobile devices,” it said in a statement.
Up to this point, TCL had produced BlackBerry smartphones from 2016, when it took over production from BlackBerry.
Without intervention, TCL’s discontinuation of production and sales would have resulted in BlackBerry smartphones disappearing from the market.
However, OnwardMobility has ensured that the devices will survive by signing an agreement with BlackBerry to build a new 5G BlackBerry smartphone.
Secure 5G smartphone
Under the terms of the agreement, BlackBerry grants OnwardMobility the right to develop, engineer, and bring to market a BlackBerry 5G mobile device,” the company said.
“Working closely with OnwardMobility, BlackBerry and FIH Mobile will ensure world-class design and manufacturing of these devices.”
This upcoming BlackBerry smartphone will sport 5G connectivity and will feature a significant focus on network and data security.
“Enterprise professionals are eager for secure 5G devices that enable productivity, without sacrificing the user experience,” said OnwardMobility CEO Peter Franklin.
“BlackBerry smartphones are known for protecting communications, privacy, and data. This is an incredible opportunity for OnwardMobility to bring next-generation 5G devices to market with the backing of BlackBerry and FIH Mobile.”
OnwardMobility will conduct product planning and market development for BlackBerry smartphones in North America and FIH Mobile will design and manufacture the BlackBerry devices under strict guidelines to ensure component, device, and supply chain integrity, the company added.
The upcoming BlackBerry 5G smartphone is expected to run Google’s Android operating system and is set to launch next year.


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On December 5th, Iris Solutions participated in a meeting with the European Commissioner for "Financial Stability, Financial Services, and Capital Markets Union", Mairead McGuinness, organized by the Bulgarian Fintech Association (BFA). The meeting aimed to discuss key topics such as financial literacy and open banking, playing a major role in the future of financial technology and services in the EU.
Within the framework of the meeting, Merdihan Ismailov, Chief Digital Officer of IRIS Solutions, presented the activities of the company IRIS Solutions and shared with the audience the challenges faced by companies involved in Open Banking. Merdihan made the Bulgarian appeal to the EC, which included:
1. Pan-European marketing campaign to promote open banking in the EU: The idea is to organize campaigns to develop and promote open finance and data sharing across Europe.
2. Instant payments for all EU members, incl. those outside the Eurozone: The EC's proposal to introduce a single period for instant payments in all EU member states, which would facilitate and speed up financial transactions, should be introduced simultaneously in the countries in and outside the Eurozone. So countries like Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, etc. would get an equal start in developing their Open Banking.
3. Empowering the public sector to accept A2A payments: The initiative is aimed at expanding the possibilities of accepting payments from the public sector through A2A (Account-to-Account) transactions.
4. Mandate for regulatory sandboxes and access to centralized registries: The proposal includes the creation of mandates for regulatory sandboxes, which would encourage innovation and access to centralized registries, supporting the development of financial technologies.
5. Close collaboration with academia and the public sector for innovation based on open banking/finance: The importance of collaboration between academic circles and the public sector for innovation in open banking and finance is emphasized.
These proposals represent key steps towards expanding fintech opportunities in Europe. IRIS and the rest of the fintech community strongly emphasized the need for active collaboration between regulators, industry, and academic circles to create a better financial future for all.
IRIS и Fintech Career Day 2023
IRIS Solutions participated in the second edition of the Fintech Career Day, organized by the Bulgarian Fintech Association and the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University 'St. Kliment Ohridski.' The event provided an excellent opportunity for students to get acquainted with us and the new business models around Open Banking, learn about our initiatives, and explore career opportunities in the fintech sector. During the Fintech Career Day, Georgi Penev, Head of Growth at IRIS Solutions, presented interesting perspectives and opportunities to the attending students.


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Texas-based Bitcoin ATM operator, Coinsource has told Reuters that it would be making the Dai stablecoin available on its machines amid its preparation to launch a full remittance service.
Usually, stablecoins like Dai are collateral-backed cryptocurrencies pegged 1:1 to the U.S dollar. They are ideal for overcoming the wild price swings that have made other cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin impractical, for commerce and payments.
Coinsource per the report runs over 230 ATMs in about 29 states in the U.S and the District of Columbia and will be updating these machines to enable its users to buy, sell, and store Dai stablecoins.
The long-term goal would be for Coinsource to eventually become a remittance service provider.
“In remittances, people want to save as much value, and they don’t want to be subjected to high volatility that you see in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that can be very speculative,” Coinsource Chief Product Officer, Travis Gough said.
Users will be able to seamlessly send Dai and cash from one wallet to another through the machine and also inject funds into a portfolio and transfer them to desired recipient parties after completing a “know your customer (KYC)” screening requirements.
Additionally, the recipients can instantly redeem their transaction at any Coinsource machine or supported location, according to the remittance service rollout slated for sometime this year.
In the interim, however, the remittance service which is only available to U.S customers would practically reduce the complex architecture of cryptocurrency-based remittances.
Chief Executive Officer at Coinsource, Sheffield Clark, in a statement noted that the company planned remittance service would remove the barrier to entry for the regular consumer.
Transactions will automatically be stored and verified on the Ethereum blockchain, while recipients or senders do not require any knowledge of token-to-fiat or token-to-token back-end conversions, he added.
Meanwhile, we reported yesterday the total number of Bitcoin ATMs globally has surpassed 5,000.


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The holiday crush is over and the calendar has turned to February, so it's only natural that Apple might finally get a chance to play catch-up with shipping times for its iPad mini tablet at last.
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple's supply of the diminutive iPad mini has finally caught up with demand, with "available to ship" times for all configurations now showing one to three business days for the first time since preorders kicked off in late October.
In January, ship times were holding firm at three to five days, which was already an improvement over the one week estimate during the December holiday rush.
As noted by CEO Tim Cook during the company's recent quarterly earnings conference call, Apple has had trouble catching up to overwhelming demand for the iPad mini, which sold three million units in its first weekend of availability.
While Cook noted that things should get back to normal by the end of March, the U.S. Apple Online Store seems to indicate things may have gotten caught up even sooner than that, with all models in both colors available to ship in one to three days at this writing.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter


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Koeppel Rosen, the leasing and management agent for the Rosen portfolio, has made quick work of filling a boutique Flatiron building owned by the family.
John D. Goodkind, director of leasing with Koeppel Rosen, just signed furniture design trendsetters, Bungalow 5 to the 5,000 s/f second floor at 45 East 20th Street. Skylight Leasing’s Elie Reiss represented Bungalow 5, which is expanding and relocating from 251 West 30th Street.
The deal leaves just the ground floor retail space to fill at the property, which has proven to be a touchstone to a creative tenancy that includes UK tech superstar MPB, the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, a marketing center for Toll Brothers new Gramercy condo and the women-only co-working space, The Wing.
Reiss said Bungalow 5 – a furniture design company run by a group of architects and designers – fell for 45 East 20th fast.
“Given Bungalow 5’s outstanding growth in recent years, the search for a new showroom was focused on two principal upgrades: location and exposure,” said Reiss. “The second floor at 45 East 20th Street is not only central between Union Square and Flatiron, it also offers over-sized windows that face 20th Street. And, given the caliber of building and ownership, it quickly surfaced as an obvious choice.”
The location of the 12-story Frederick C. Zobel-designed building was a big draw for Batali & Bastianich, which operates the nearby Eataly, and Toll Brothers found it convenient to its new project at 122 East 23rd Street.
The Wing —founded by Lena Dunham pal Audrey Gelman – had its space at the Rosen building designed by Leong Leong, with interiors by Chiara de Rege and Hilary Koyfman of CDR&Co. Gelman told Curbed she wanted the 5,000 s/f to feel homey with plenty of light and air.
The building’s location within the Ladies Mile Historic District presented ownership with special challenges when updating the property following the departure of a long-time light manufacturing tenant who shut up shop after the owner retired last year.
Goodkind said minor renovations were done in adherence with landmark guidelines, but added, “There was no magic formula to leasing up the building. The property itself and the location are just perfect for the demand that’s out there right now.”
The 5,000 s/f floor plates and high ceilings at 45 East 20th Street proved to be a sweet spot in the market for up-and-coming firms who put Goodkind, and his ownership, in the enviable position of being selective about tenancy.
“We brought in good tenants in terms of both credit and fitting into the whole vibe of the building,” said Goodkind. “These are exciting companies that bring a lot of color to the building and energy to a neighborhood that is very hot right now.”
Six months and four new tenants into his assignment, Goodkind is now turning his attention to the 3,369 s/f ground floor retail space which also has a 2,537 s/f basement.
Already, he said he’s turned away potential tenants. The neighbors include some of the hottest restaurants in the country right now, including LA sushi star Sugar Fish, which opened this week, the above mentioned Eataly, ABC Cocina, Boqueria, The Breslin, and Beechers Hand Made Cheese, not to mention established favorites such as Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison.
“We have some of the best restaurants in the world, all of the subways right here, a lot of residential development, cool stores and fancy retailers,” said Goodkind, who believes the Rosen ground floor would suit a restaurant concept.
“It’s a very cool space with high ceilings and situated on a street with an exciting dining scene,” added the leasing broker.
Rents on upper floors at 45 East 20th have ranged from $58 to $65 psf. The retail is expected to go for north of $100.
The Flatiron District has quietly become one of the most expensive office markets in the city. According to the Flatiron/ 23rd Street Partnership’s latest annual report, asking rents for Class A and Class B office spaces in the area have almost doubled over the past decade from $39.26 psf to $69.94 psf. That amounts to a 78 percent hike
The demand for office in the area space was driven by TAMI sector, which accounted for 48.5 percent of lease signings this year. Recent move-ins include tech firm Grovo and content discovery platform Taboola.
The area’s population is also expected to increase by 2.62 percent to 259,250 by 2020. For the new newcomers, developers are currently planning or building over 700 residential units.
The neighborhood, which is now claiming the title “The Fitness District,” is home to 47 fitness gyms and studios, and there are now more than 200 restaurants and bars in the area.
Picture top: Bungalow 5 designers
Koeppel Rosen signs some trendsetting tenants for its very cool Flatiron neighbors : Real Estate Weekly