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The company’s share of the government market is probably increasing, Scott Totzke, senior vice president of BlackBerry security, said in an April 5 interview in Washington. He declined to say whether President Barack Obama is still a user, though he said the White House is a “strategic” customer.
“Compared to the enterprise over the last year and a half or so, the federal business on whole is up,” said Totzke, who also runs RIM’s U.S. government sales business. “The employee base is shrinking, so if we’re looking at a market with fewer employees and our install base is stable to slightly up, that would seem to indicate that we have an increasing market share.”
Obama insisted on keeping his BlackBerry when he became president, and Totzke was in the U.S. capital touting the smartphone’s encryption and other security features to persuade more federal workers to adopt or stick with the device. To save money and administrative hassle, some agencies have started allowing employees to use their own iPhones and Android phones for work.
Reclaiming the Market
RIM Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins on March 29 acknowledged the BlackBerry maker was late to embrace the bring- your-own-device trend and vowed to “reclaim” market share lost to rivals.
RIM will make a “significant investment” in promotions in the Washington area in coming weeks to drum up awareness of what new BlackBerry 7 phones offer, including better Web browsing and touch-screen navigation, Totzke said.
“We need to help customers understand what is possible” with the devices, said Totzke, who joined Waterloo, Ontario- based RIM in 2001 and previously worked at Electronic Data Systems Corp., the company founded by billionaire Ross Perot.
RIM fell 0.7 percent to $12.67 in New York trading on April 5. The stock has lost 77 percent in the past year.
In an acknowledgment of inroads made by rivals, RIM last week released BlackBerry Mobile Fusion, software that lets organizations manage iPhones and Android devices alongside BlackBerrys on their networks. RIM plans to make BlackBerry Mobile Fusion the “major player” in mobile-device management in coming years, according to Totzke, who said he’s in Washington on business two to three times a month.
That doesn’t mean RIM won’t focus on hardware, Totzke said.
RIM sold 400,000 devices to the U.S. federal government in the past year as it won more business and existing clients upgraded to the newer BlackBerry 7 devices introduced in August and added BlackBerry servers, he said.
About 40 percent of RIM’s government customers upgraded to new devices in the past 12 months, he said.
“That’s a pretty good refresh rate,” Totzke said.


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GM INCREASINGLY PREPARED FOR VEHICLE ELECTRIFICATION
By Éric Descarries
According to a recent report in the trade magazine Automotive News, American giant General Motors is increasingly prepared to transform its production to electrification, as the automaker has just affirmed that it will produce more EVs in all segments, and at more affordable prices. It plans to go all electric in North America as early as 2035, with Cadillac and Buick leading the way by 2030.
GM is already producing top-of-the-range EVs, including the GMC Hummer EV and the Cadillac Lyric. This advance will continue with electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup, Equinox SUV and Blazer CUV. GM executives are working hard to have the capacity to produce more than 1,000,000 EVs annually in North America by 2025, a figure they expect to reach thanks to the Ultium platform and upcoming plants in Tennessee and Michigan (in addition to the one already operating in Ohio) created with partners.
GM recently pledged investments of up to US$35 million between now and 2025. The automaker expects to spend between US$11 and US$13 billion this year, 75% of it on electrification and vehicle autonomy, a type of budget that is set to continue at the same pace until 2025.

domain: news


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The addition of a brand new group — 26GHz — is still a remote proposal from the spectrum auction that stands has been determined from the Digital Communications Commission, official sources said Friday. While business has been looking for inclusion of this 26GHz group in the upcoming spectrum market, the resources, however, stated the prices along with other methodologies for 5G groups of 24. 75-27. 25GHz (26GHz group ) requires through concern by telecom operator, which might call for a minimum period of six weeks.
“As of today. We’re going by the Digital Communication Commission (DCC) has determined about the time and quantum of this spectrum market from its December 18 assembly,” an official said.
Before this season, the DCC eliminated the biggest ever airwaves market, which might fetch the authorities on Rs. 5 lakh crores.
Telecom firms are getting ready to bid for 2,300MHz of 4G and 5G range auction that’s set to happen in March-April 2020.
Airwaves at both 3,300-3,600MHz group, allowed for 5G solutions, can make their debut at the upcoming auction.
The 700MHz group went unsold from the previous sale in October 2016, once the government increased Rs. 65,789 crores by advertising just 40 percentage of those two,300MHz airwaves online offer.
The Mobile Operators Association of India (COAI) at a yearlong note stated:”We ask that an early referral in DoT (Department of Telecommunications) into TRAI to earn a recommendation for such as the 26GHz group for your projected spectrum auction together with different groups since this is critical and is going to have a substantial bearing on denying the installation of 5G at India”.
Regulator TRAI had, on August 1, 2018, advocated auction of spectrum at the 700MHz, respectively 800MHz, respectively 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 2500MHz, 3300-3400MHz and 3400-3600MHz bands)
Fifth generation (5G) groups of 24. 75-27. 25GHz are sought after 5G solutions because of their technical arts, sufficient amount and affordability.
The COAI had previously said the quantum spectrum at the 5G group being set up for auction at March-April would be just 175MHz, that will be”woefully inadequate” for operators to rolling out a strong 5G network.


text: Trace Adkins has been drawn as an action hero named Luke McBain for a new comic book. The four-issue comic book series will be launched in November by 12 Gauge Comics. McBain is described in a press release as “a tough Southern hero.” Adkins was closely involved with the project. The comic book will sell for $3.99 per issue. The series features artwork by Kody Chamberlain and covers by Batman artist Brian Stelfreeze.


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Added Kevin Richardson, Ryerson's President, South-East Region, "The Laserflex management team has built an excellent company over the past 20 years, and we have worked closely with them as both a customer and a supplier of value-added services."
Ken Kinkopf, President and Chief Executive Officer of Laserflex, stated, "Our Laserflex team is excited to join Ryerson and we look forward to growing and expanding our laser processing and other precision metal fabrication services throughout Ryerson's expansive commercial network."
Ryerson is a leading distributor and value-added processor of industrial metals, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. Founded in 1842, Ryerson employs around 3,500 employees in approximately 100 locations. Visit Ryerson at www.ryerson.com.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ryerson-acquires-laserflex-300393899.html
SOURCE Ryerson Holding Corporation


text:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Circuit City Stores said its second-quarter loss widened, and the nation's second-largest electronics retailer withdrew its fiscal 2009 outlook amid sluggish sales, poor traffic and heightened competition.
Circuit City posted a loss of $239.2 million, or $1.45 per share, compared with a loss of $62.8 million, or 38 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.
Sales declined 10 percent to $2.39 billion from $2.64 billion.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a loss of $1.04 per share and $2.53 billion in sales.
The company also said it is "prudent" to withdraw its previous outlook for fiscal 2009.
Chief Financial Officer Bruce Besanko said sales remain challenged by a significant decline in traffic, competition and a weakened brand position.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Tesla cuts down on delivery times in China
Tesla has shortened the forecast delivery times for all Model Y and Model 3 variants produced in China by an average of around four weeks. The modifications at the Shanghai plant to increase production rates are apparently having an effect.
Tesla actually wanted to reach 22,000 vehicles per week by mid-May, specifically 8,000 Model 3s and 14,000 Model Ys. But that was prevented by the nearly two-month Covid 19 lockdown in Shanghai.
Now the Giga Shanghai upgrade to boost the production rate appears to be having an effect. According to Tesla’s latest quarterly report, Giga Shanghai now has an annual capacity of more than 750,000 vehicles. So the increase in production rate is now also reflected in delivery times.
For example, the delivery forecast for the entry-level version of the Model Y has been lowered from eight to twelve weeks previously to four to eight weeks. For the Model Y Long Range with two engines and all-wheel drive, the current estimate is 16 to 20 weeks, compared to 20 to 24 weeks previously. For the Model 3 with rear-wheel drive as well as for the Model 3 with two engines and all-wheel drive, delivery times are now 12 to 16 weeks. Previously, the expected delivery dates were 14 to 18 weeks and 16 to 20 weeks, respectively.
Recently, Elon Musk announced that Tesla had reached the one million electric car production mark in Shanghai. According to a post on Elon Musk’s Weibo account, Tesla plans to produce cars in Shanghai mainly for export in the first half of the current quarter and for the local market in the second half of the quarter. In July, 19,756 of the 28,217 Tesla cars sold from Shanghai were exported.
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The latest update to Rounds’ video chat hangout mobile app for iOS and Android includes a co-browsing feature for friends to share the same web pages while they talk.
Rounds marketing director Natasha Shine-Zirkel said that the apps are designed to connect friends, not strangers, across different platforms in a safe environment. But it’s the activities that friends can share over the phone that make the hangouts more like hanging out in real life.
Much like they could with Google+ Hangouts, Rounds users can watch YouTube videos and create camera effects while they chat, but they aren’t limited to using their Google accounts to log in. Rounds works with iPhone, Android, Web, Facebook, Desktop, and Chrome.
Mobile users can share pictures from their phones and scribble on each others’ video images with a drawing tool. There are a number of games to play as well, including one that’s similar to Tetris.
With the co-browsing feature, friends can not only see each others’ screens, they also have simultaneous control over the sites they visit, so they can both click on links or type in a new URL within the same page. (The technology comes from Dutch company Channel.me.) In this case, users choose from a list of supported sites, including Google Search, Wikipedia, Preen.Me, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Amazon, eBay, ESPN, The Huffington Post, wanelo, Imgur, and TheFancy.
Right now, the application is free with no advertising. Check out this demo:


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Nikon has announced a new entry-level DSLR, the Nikon D5600, a slightly upgraded of the D5500 with improved wireless connectivity and timelapse video.
At the beginning of this year Nikon introduced the first always-connected DSLR in the shape of the Nikon D500, and now we’re starting to see the same technology come to its more affordable cameras.
The Nikon D5600 comes sporting the same SnapBridge technology first seen on the D500, allowing users to maintain a constant wireless connection between the camera and smartphone.
While paired, the D5600 can back up a continuous stream of images to Nikon’s Image Space photo sharing service while synchronizing timestamp and location data.
The Nikon D5600 also comes sporting a simple timelapse movie function, as seen on the Nikon D7200, which compresses long periods of time into short videos.
Aside from these new functions, the Nikon D5600 sports many identical specs to its predecessor, including a 24.2MP APS-C sensor without an optical low-pass filter, and Expeed 4 Image Processor. So overall we should see very similar image quality – not that we’re complaining.
The Nikon D5500 has proven itself to be a flexible and versatile camera for stills, and particularly video shooting, with 1080p 60fps video output and a 3.2-inch 1,037k-dot vari-angle touchscreen display that users can spin forward.
Initially Nikon is releasing the D5600 in Japan, with pricing and availability for other territories yet to be announced.


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I haven’t played video-games in a while. I have never been much of a video-game person actually. But few weeks ago, I came across a news link about a video-game called Animal Crossing. Up until then, I had never heard of the game.
I would later find out that Nintendo ended up selling close to 2 million copies of New Horizons just in Japan in merely three days! What explains such massive sales in the time of pandemic? The game itself.
In the game, players land on a deserted island after purchasing a getaway package. Their mission is to complete various odd tasks to transform the once-barren island into a bustling paradise filled with animal neighbors. The game has received wide acclaim for its slow-paced take on living.HB
“The game honestly couldn’t have come out at a better time for Nintendo,” says James Whatley, strategy partner at Digitas UK. “It’s the most horrendous way to frame it, but it’s true.”The Drum, Apr 2020
Animal Crossing has existed since 2001 but what its latest version – New Horizons, has achieved is unprecedented.
Now why am I talk about video-games when I don’t even play them myself?
Well because I am a video-creator.
When we think about video as a content, we often don’t realize that video-games are videos too – just that instead of merely watching the video, the viewers (gamers) are themselves in the video (through a character).
And when you have content, you have brands trying to advertise themselves. Animal Crossing seems to be everyone’s favourite this year – a lot of brands have been doing a lot creative things to make their presence felt in this virtual world.
In July, KFC opened a branch inside the virtual world.
And this month, the mayonnaise brand Hellmanns took things a notch higher by going much beyond just opening a virtual outlet.
In fact this month has been crazy – a lot of brands have been showing off a lot of approaches.
Gillette for example has partnered with a celebrity graphic designer to create its “Skinclusive” Summer Line available inside the game!
If you want to check out some other such brand appraoches, Hollywood Branded has a fantastic collection of examples.
The Getty Museum has created an Animal Crossing Art Generator, a database of renowned art pieces and their corresponding QR codes. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has also hopped on the bandwagon with their online collection…HB
Inspired by the game’s customizing freedom, Gary Whitta, writer of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, created his own late-night talk show complete with celebrity guests and musical sets.HB
Before I end this blog, let me bring you back from the virtual to the real world. Did you know of Rig Fit Adventure? Just watch the video below. Looks like so much fun (and sweat)!
The company [Nintendo] said it underestimated demand for “Ring Fit Adventure”, which uses a springy plastic “Ring-Con” so gamers can exercise while playing, leading to a worldwide shortage. Higher production has helped lift total sales to 4 million units, it said.BS, 06 Aug 2020
That’s all for this blog! If you are a gamer and want to share something cool that I should check out, do let me know. I may not be into playing video games, but I am always interested in noting how culture and economics overlaps.
One reply on “The rise of Animal Crossing and how brands are trying to benefit.”
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Railroad retools as Asia grain shipments surge
Published 4:00 am, Friday, November 18, 2011
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the railroad controlled by Warren Buffett, is upgrading yards that handle shipping containers as it takes advantage of a 29 percent surge in Asia-bound shipments of specialty grains.
Products such as organic or genetically modified soybeans, which can't travel in traditional hopper cars, are now being packed in containers that once sailed back empty to Asia after bringing retail goods to the United States. That's an opportunity for railroads to bring boxes of specialty grains to American ports.
U.S. agriculture exports in containers accounted for 21 percent of 2010's total, 4 percentage points more than 2006, as carriers and shippers seek to meet consumer demand among Asia's growing middle class. Burlington has disclosed about $680 million in spending on container yards since 2002, more than half in the Midwest, where most corn and soybeans grow.
"As the world has now neared or surpassed 7 billion people in population, there's a direct correlation in this increasing demand and rising tide for exports," said Fred Malesa, who oversees international intermodal marketing for the carrier controlled by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
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Seaborne grain-container deliveries to Asia climbed 29 percent in the first eight months of this year alone, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"It used to be we send them whatever grain we had, whatever soybeans we had, we send them, they're happy to have it," said Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition. "Not anymore. They are being very selective in what they purchase, demanding highest quality, and often smaller volumes of specific" goods.
Container shipments of grain began just five to 10 years ago, Friedmann said. The shipments accounted for about 5 percent of U.S. seaborne grain exports last year, with most farm products still moving in open-topped railcars.
Containers already were popular with railroads and their customers. The so-called intermodal boxes can be moved from ocean-going vessels to railcars to trucks, all without being unpacked.
Adapting that shipping practice for export grain means new markets for Burlington, the largest U.S. rail carrier of farm products. Burlington's rail network in the western United States, where the company competes with Union Pacific Corp., moves shipments to Pacific ports such as Los Angeles and adjacent Long Beach.
Hauling containers laden with grain for Asia-bound ships on the West Coast lets Burlington profit from trade in both directions, since it already carries items such as electronics made in China and South Korea from those ports to inland destinations.
Union Pacific is investing in a transloading unit at the company's Yermo facility near the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, where bulk shipments of grain from the Midwest are transferred to containers, then shipped overseas.
Shippers "think they will need and want this service," said Tom Lange, a Union Pacific spokesman.
While bulk goods historically have been carried overseas in ships from the Pacific Northwest, the increase in customized grain is spurring the Southern California ports to "eagerly pursue" more farm products, said Friedmann. Los Angeles and Long Beach are the busiest U.S. container ports.
"Now we'll have, really for the first time, large volumes of containerized grains moving to L.A.-Long Beach, as opposed to just up to Seattle-Tacoma" as limited container capacity drives railroads to seek additional boxes, Friedmann said. That shows that railroads expect that "this is going to continue and accelerate."


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Read our pick of the top stories to look out for in the week commencing 7 February 2022, and view our key company earnings schedule.
OUR TOP THREE EVENTS FOR 7-11 FEBRUARY 2022:
BP full-year results – Tuesday
The BP share price is up more than 15% so far this year, while rival Shell’s share price has risen more than 20% over the same period, as the two energy giants benefit from soaring oil and gas prices. That said, both companies’ stock prices remain below pre-pandemic levels. That may partly be because, despite reporting bumper profits as oil demand rebounded in 2021, both BP and Shell have arguably underperformed as they attempt to strike a balance between green-proofing their businesses, boosting their ESG credentials, and keeping shareholders happy. Renewable energy is a lower margin business than fossil fuels, and while calls for a faster transition to renewables grew louder in 2021, the volume has decreased in recent weeks as the reality of reduced investment in fossil fuels has started to hit household budgets. Though it may be easy to criticise oil companies, they remain key parts of the global economy, as oil and petrochemicals are used not only for fuel but also in all manner of everyday products, from clothing and plastics to tyres and car parts.
In 2021, BP made strides in reducing its debt levels as underlying profits grew. At the end of Q3, net debt was $31.97bn, down from $40.4bn a year earlier, while cash flow increased to $5.9bn in Q3, up from $5.4bn in Q2. Although underlying profits improved to $3.3bn, the business reported a headline loss of $2.54bn as a result of the value of accounting effects. Rises in forward gas prices saw the company take a $6.1bn hit in Q3, though hedges on forward gas prices are expected to partially unwind, as prices fall back and gas cargoes are delivered. Perhaps BP’s biggest challenge is that all of its profits come from its oil and gas operations and production businesses, which is great when prices are high. However, the concern is that BP’s investment in renewables remains relatively low, putting it at risk of missing its target to increase renewable energy capacity to 50GW by 2030.
In Q4, the restart of operations in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of hurricane Ida is likely to have boosted production. This should be good news for shareholders, possibly signalling further share buybacks. In November management said that with oil prices at $60 a barrel there was scope to deliver buybacks of $1bn a quarter, with capacity to increase the dividend by 4%. Crude and Brent oil prices have recently risen to close to $90 a barrel.
US CPI (January) – Thursday
The US consumer price index (CPI), a key gauge of inflation, rose 7% in December from a year earlier, the fastest pace since 1982. But the reading was a weaker-than-expected increase on November’s 6.8%, possibly indicating that inflationary pressures might be easing in the US. In a further sign that inflation may have peaked, the producer price index (PPI) increased 9.7% in the year to December, slowing from 9.8% in November. On a month-on-month basis the slowdown was even starker, with PPI up just 0.2% in December, compared to a 1% rise in November. Given that PPI has acted as a bellwether of the inflationary surge over the last 12 months, there is every reason to expect CPI to reflect the slowdown in price growth. But, as we await January’s CPI reading, have we seen peak US CPI? The consensus view suggests not, with economists’ estimates pointing to a 7.3% increase in CPI for the year to January, with core CPI (which excludes food and energy prices) up 5.9% year-on-year, compared to 5.5% in December. That said, given the slowdown in PPI in December, a surprise to the downside cannot be entirely ruled out.
UK Q4 GDP – Friday
The last three months of 2021 were shaping up to be a decent quarter for the UK economy until Omicron struck in December. The drop in economic activity as a result of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the new variant may have caused economic stagnation. The monthly GDP numbers show that the UK economy expanded by 0.2% in October, before a strong performance in November delivered a rise of 0.9%, driven by rebounds in consumer spending, industrial production and construction. The big question now is how much of the November rebound in manufacturing and construction carried over into December, and whether it was enough to offset the collapse in retail sales which fell by 3.6% in December, more than wiping out the collective 2.7% gain in October and November. As such, expectations are for UK economic growth in Q4 to have slowed sharply versus Q3’s 1.1% gain.
MORE KEY EVENTS (7-11 FEBRUARY):
Monday 7 February
No major announcements
Tuesday 8 February
BP full-year results (see top three events, above)
Ocado full-year results
After a stellar 2020, the Ocado share price fell by more than 25% in 2021, as investors reset their expectations. In December the company reported Q4 revenue of £547.8m, down 3.9% from a year earlier. When added to the £1.8bn generated over the preceding nine months, full-year revenue for 2021 comes to £2.36bn, a modest increase of about 2.6% on the previous year’s £2.3bn. That may go down as a somewhat disappointing performance. Even though comparatives were tough, as the lockdowns of 2020 saw a sharp jump in online grocery orders, the business ramped up its delivery capacity in 2021, suggesting that revenue would come in much higher for the year just ended. Average orders per week were higher, though average basket size declined 12% to £118. It seems that labour shortages may have held back sales growth. Ocado also said that higher costs would add another £ 5m to its cost base. Ahead of the release of its full-year numbers, Ocado is expected to announce sales growth at the upper end of its 10-15% guidance range.
Pfizer Q4 results
If you were to pick a winner from the pandemic, Pfizer would be right up there near the top of the pile. Not only was the US pharma giant at the forefront of the vaccine programme, using its scale to roll out BioNTech’s MRNA vaccine, but it also developed a new Covid-19 pill. In Q3, revenue and profits beat expectations, leading the company to raise its 2021 outlook. Q3 revenue rose to $24.09bn, of which $12.98bn came from the vaccine. The company said it expects full-year revenue from its Covid-19 vaccine to total $36bn, up from its previous forecast of $33.5bn. Pfizer also raised its full-year profit guidance to between $4.13 and $4.18 a share. It’s hard to overstate how much of a game-changer the vaccine has been for Pfizer’s revenues over the past two years. In 2020 the company reported annual revenue of $41.9bn. This year, revenue is expected to have doubled to $82.8bn, with most of the increase coming from the vaccine.
Peloton Q2 results
Over the past year or so, the implosion of the Peloton share price has been a sight to behold. Peloton’s stock declined more than 75% in 2021, and is currently down about 30% year-to-date. At the end of its last fiscal year, the company cut its revenue forecast for Q1 to between $800m and $810m, and slashed $400 off the price of its original bike, as the company expected to incur a Q1 loss of $285m. In fact, losses came in even higher, at $376m. The company went on to reduce its full-year revenue guidance from $5.4bn to between $4.4bn and $4.8bn. Peloton’s shares have fallen by 70% since the announcement, as the reopening of gyms and the economy in general has seen demand for Peloton equipment and subscriptions level off. On top of this, supply chain issues and product problems haven’t helped. Partly because of increased marketing spend, costs have risen sharply, hammering margins. This trend seems likely to continue. With the Peloton share price down more than 85% from its record high of $157.83 in January 2021, shareholders have started to agitate for change at the top. Activist investor group Blackwells are calling for CEO John Foley to step down, and for the company to be put up for sale. This comes after Peloton announced that it was suspending production of its bikes and treadmills due to waning consumer demand. Expectations for Q2 are understandably low, with the company set to slide to another loss that could prompt renewed calls for a change of leadership.
Wednesday 9 February
GlaxoSmithKline full-year results
Glaxo CEO Emma Walmsley has been under pressure for several months from activist shareholders over her suitability to turn the underperforming company around. At the most recent trading update, bosses said they were laying out a timeline for the sale or spin-off of the consumer business – of which GSK owns two-thirds, with Pfizer owning the other third – so that the company could focus on pharmaceuticals. In November, Walmsley said progress had continued towards unlocking the value of the business, with plans for a demerger sometime in the middle of this year. The rejection of Unilever’s bids for the consumer unit point to a determination not to let it go on the cheap, though time will tell whether Glaxo and partner Pfizer are able to obtain the price that they think the business is worth. Having turned down £50bn, how much are they hoping for?
After falling to a 10-year low in February last year, the GlaxoSmithKline share price has risen more than 35%, approaching its highest levels since April 2020. In Q3 sales rose 5% to £9.1bn, prompting the pharmaceutical giant to improve its full-year guidance to an adjusted EPS decline of between 2% and 4%, while reconfirming its outlook for 2022. The consumer healthcare division, saw sales of £2.5bn, a rise of 3%. The company declared a dividend of 19p a share. This week’s full-year numbers could offer additional insight into a timeline for the demerger of the consumer business. Annual revenue is expected to come in at £33.9bn.
Disney Q1 results
Has the streaming train started to run out of steam? Netflix’s recent results which showed slowing subscriber growth, sent shares sliding across the sector, with Disney’s share price dropping to its lowest level since November 2020. Netflix remains the market leader, but user growth is clearly becoming an issue, and this could well be further emphasised by Disney’s Q1 numbers on Wednesday. The trend was already becoming apparent in Q4, as Disney reported that growth in new subscribers to Disney+ had slowed to 2.1m, lifting total subscribers to 118.1m, below expectations of 119.6m. This was a disappointing result, as was news that the service ran at a loss of $630m in Q4, with management warning that it would take some time for subscriber numbers to start accelerating again. Profits also missed expectations, coming in at $0.37 a share, well below the $0.48 that was expected. Q4 sales came in at $18.5bn, versus expectations of $18.8bn. Theme Park revenue also came up short, as the division’s profits came in at $640m, missing expectations by more than $200m. The addition of Star Wars helped expand Disney’s content library, but with the streaming market becoming ever more saturated, margins are likely to get squeezed further. Disney already runs its India operation at a loss and, with Netflix also entering that market with its own low-cost offering, margins are likely to undergo extra pressure. Profits in Q1 are expected to come in at $0.59 a share.
Uber Q4 results
Uber finally appears to be turning a corner, after returning an operating profit in Q3 that was driven by an improved performance from both its food delivery and ride-hailing businesses. Unfortunately, although these businesses managed to eke out a positive return, the company posted an overall loss of $2.4bn, mainly due to its investment in Chinese ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing. Booking revenue rose to $4.8bn, up 72% from a year ago, while gross bookings across the entire business rose to $23.1bn. For Q4, Uber expected this to rise to between $25bn and $26bn, with food deliveries starting to outweigh rides on a segment basis, although ride-hailing continues to provide the better margins. Losses are expected to come in at $0.31 a share.
Thursday 10 February
US CPI (January; see top three events, above)
Unilever full-year results
It’s been a choppy start to the year for the Unilever share price, dropping briefly to five-year lows last month after the announcement that it was looking to pay over £50bn for GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer health business. Investors from all sides hated the idea, not only from a price point of view, but also from a strategic point of view, with many seeing the bid as misguided. The failed bid also added to the woes of Unilever CEO Alan Jope, who is under pressure to improve margins and arrest the slide in the Unilever share price. Over the last two years, the spreads business has been offloaded, as has the tea business, but the company has also had to deal with steep rises in costs. These have hit operating margins, although some of the negative impact has been offset by the company raising prices. This was reflected in Unilever’s Q3 numbers, which saw sales rise by 2.5%, as prices were increased 4.1%. This marked a decent improvement on its half-year performance. Last month Unilever went further by announcing that it was cutting 1,500 jobs amid plans to streamline the architecture of its business model in response to increasing shareholder disquiet. The shares have partly recovered from their recent lows, though bosses may be wary as reports emerge that activist investor Nelson Peltz has built up a stake in the business.
AstraZeneca full-year results
Since reporting its Q3 numbers on 12 November, AstraZeneca shares have taken a tumble , mainly due to disappointment over how its core business is performing. Integrating Alexion Pharmaceuticals, which AstraZeneca acquired in July, is a key part of AstraZeneca’s strategy, but it is proving to be a slightly more expensive process than originally anticipated. Total revenue in Q3 came in ahead of expectations at $9.87bn, driven by improved Covid-19 vaccine revenue, which came in at $1.05bn. More importantly, the vaccine business appears on course to generate positive returns as new vaccine contracts continue to get signed. Revenue from the core business fell significantly short of expectations at $8.8bn, as the company slipped to a quarterly loss of $2bn, mainly due to a significant increase in costs, which were bumped up by the integration of Alexion and other R&D costs. Year-to-date revenue in Q3 was still up 32% at $25.4bn, with the company saying it remains on course to meet its full-year core EPS guidance of between $5.05 and $5.40 a share, on revenue of $36.2bn. AstraZeneca has said it will use the Alexion deal to set up a dedicated rare-disease unit in Boston to promote and speed up research in this key area which it thinks will augment its wider research capabilities, and help boost annual revenue in 2022 to $43.2bn. Annual profits are expected to come in at $5.18 a share.
Friday 11 February
UK Q4 GDP (see top three events, above)
Index dividend schedule
Dividend payments from an index's constituent shares can affect your trading account. View this week's index dividend schedule.
Selected company results
|Monday 7 February||Results|
|Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust (UK)||Full-year|
|Alpha & Omega Semiconductor (US)||Q2|
|K3 Capital (UK)||Half-year|
|Kimball Electronics (US)||Q2|
|ON Semiconductor (US)||Q4|
|Tuesday 8 February||Results|
|Peloton Interactive (US)||Q2|
|Warner Music Group (US)||Q1|
|Willis Towers Watson (US)||Q4|
|Wednesday 9 February||Results|
|Barratt Developments (UK)||Half-year|
|MGM Resorts International (US)||Q4|
|Motorola Solutions (US)||Q4|
|PZ Cussons (UK)||Half-year|
|Uber Technologies (US)||Q4|
|Walt Disney (US)||Q1|
|Thursday 10 February||Results|
|First American Financial (US)||Q4|
|MJ Gleeson (UK)||Half-year|
|Peabody Energy (US)||Q4|
|Philip Morris International (US)||Q4|
|Piper Sandler (US)||Q4|
|Western Union (US)||Q4|
|Friday 11 February||Results|
|Apollo Global Management (US)||Q4|
|British American Tobacco (UK)||Full-year|
|Under Armour (US)||Q4|
Company announcements are subject to change. All the events listed above were correct at the time of writing.
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At Sipipa, we’re passionate about food, so we’re happy to participate in any event celebrating food. National Food Day takes place annually on Oct. 24 as Americans come together to enjoy “real food” and push for improved food policies.
National Food Day was initiated in 2011 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to celebrate healthy, affordable and sustainably-produced food, but it also included a grassroots campaign element to solve food-related problems in our communities at the local, state and federal level. Hundreds of Food Day events are planned across the country to encourage people to positively change their diets and urge our government to improve food policies.
Combine Activism and Health
CSPI is a strong advocate for nutrition, health and food safety. They created National Food Day, in part, to unite some of the country’s most prominent food activists. Across the U.S., farmers, health officials, nutritionists, environmentalists, students, teachers and other advocates are sponsoring activities related to real food.
Supporters have a vision of food that is healthy, affordable and produced in a more humane and sustainable way to care for the environment, animals and the people who grow, harvest and serve it. They see Food Day as not just a one-day event — but a year-long catalyst for healthier diets and a better food system that can make a meaningful and long-lasting difference.
Another goal of Food Day aims to help people is to “Eat Real” by cutting back on sweets, sugar drinks, overly salted packaged foods and fatty meats. Many Americans have a diet that contributes to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems that collectively cost more than $150 billion per year to manage. To reduce this, Food Day proponents encourage people to eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean, sustainably-raised protein.
Here are some CSPI goals to address health and environmental issues:
- Promote safer, healthier diets.
- Improve food education for America’s youth.
- Support sustainable and organic farms.
- Reduce hunger and improve food access for the 46 million Americans considered “food insecure” or near hunger.
- Reform “factory farms” to protect the environment and farm animals.
- Support fair working conditions for 20 million U.S. food and farm workers.
If you want to get involved, use the momentum around National Food Day to start eating healthier. Think about how your typical weekly diet impacts your health, the environment and animal welfare. You can also take small steps by planting a vegetable garden, taking cooking lessons, learning about your company’s wellness policy or participating in a community supported agriculture program.
To learn more about your diet’s impact on your health and the environment, answer 14 Questions that Could Save Your Life and the Planet at http://www.foodday.org/14questions.


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Skrillex Releases Limited Edition Bracelet For Charity
Yesterday we brought you news that Skrillex was getting down with his charitable side for his Full Flex Express tour, as he will donate DJ gear to youth music groups and help build music schools in South Africa. But the famed DJ and producer has also teamed up with EDM's favorite charity organization Electric Family to release a limited edition Skrillex bracelet.
Electric Family is known for teaming up with some of the biggest names in EDM all in the name of changing the world for the better, releasing specialized bracelets with the proceeds going to charitable causes.
In this case, when you donate $25 to Bridges for Music, you'll receive a Skrillex bracelet, featuring his logo in red on black, as well as receiving 100 points towards a VIP trip to see Skrillex. You can make your donation and pick up your limited edition Skrillex bracelet here.
Then, get pumped for the Full Flex with the tour announcement video...


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Supply Chain Expo to offer something for everyone
NEXT month's GEA Gladstone Supply Chain Expo is to have something on offer for everyone, no matter what end of the chain they sit at.
The Supply Chain Expo, presented by Australia Pacific LNG, will showcase more than 70 exhibitors highlighting the services and capabilities of Gladstone's highly skilled supply chain in the industrial, resource and construction sector.
Gladstone Engineering Alliance communications and events co-ordinator Kieran Moran said the Expo will provide a chance for the Gladstone community to learn more about local industry and the businesses at the heart of the resources sector.
"The expo is not only a fantastic opportunity for the community to get an update on what's happening in the resource and construction sector around Gladstone, but to also get advice and review products for home renovations including plumbing, electrical, mechanical, security, engineering, fencing, environmental, painting, training, safety, finance and more," Mr Moran said.
He said the Expo remained an unsurpassed opportunity for industry decision-makers and the community to engage with Gladstone region manufacturers, engineers, suppliers and industry experts all in one place.
"The GEA Supply Chain Expo is about giving local suppliers the opportunity to showcase their high level of skills and capacities gained from working within these industries for many years," he said.
"These suppliers are ready and waiting to deliver world-class service to not just major projects but down to residential building renovation projects as well and we want to make sure that everyone knows about the services and capabilities of our local businesses."
Mr Moran encouraged Gladstone's major industry heads and their procurement and maintenance teams to attend and engage with stall holders.
Meanwhile, two local businesses - Link Resources and Upton Engineering and Manufacturing - will make their debuts at the expo.
Link Resources' Kevin Dollery said: "We're looking forward to showing what we can do as an entity growing and developing within the region."
Mitch Upton from Upton Engineering and Manufacturing was also keen to place his business in the spotlight after seeing what the expo had to offer last year.
"Being a reasonably new business it's a good chance for us to get our name out there," Mr Upton said.


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FADA urges Centre to evolve a framework to help protect vehicle retailer’s rights
The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) on Tuesday urged the Centre to set up a framework to help protect the rights of auto dealers in cases of sudden exits of manufacturers from the market.
Participating in the Auto Retail Conclave, attended by the Union Minister of Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey and SIAM President Kenichi Ayukawa, FADA also sought industry status for the auto retail sector to aid in better financing options.
Stressing the need for OEMs and dealers to work together as partners in order to ensure a “win-win for all”, Mr. Ayukawa called for dealer workshops to be allowed to function as inspection and certification centres under the vehicle scrappage policy. He said SIAM was also requesting the government to start the fitness testing process much earlier in the life of a car, noting that the current 15-year or 20-year period appeared too long.
Addressing the minister, FADA President Vinkesh Gulati observed that his ministry gave permissions to MNCs such as OEMs to set up businesses in India, and with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative many new players were likely to come to India.
‘High and dry’
"Once they begin their journey, they appoint dealers as their long term partners. It is their sudden exits which hamper both, an entrepreneur’s zeal to do business with them and the customers who are left high and dry with no proper support for after sales," he said.
Mr. Gulati said these exits not only tarnished the dealers’ names, as they were the face of the brand, but also Brand India’s value. He further pointed out that an entrepreneur invested his entire savings to get into the auto trade business with a long-term horizon, but that the agreements with the principal were on some occasions only on an annual basis.
“I will humbly request that your Ministry works on protection of auto dealers rights and hence create a sense of equilibrium in this industry since more and more international players are entering the Indian auto market,” he said.
Speaking at the same session, Mr. Pandey asked the automobile industry to support electric vehicles. “I would like to give advice as well as request the auto industry to support electric vehicles…This sector is emerging and is a big opportunity for us…dealers, OEMs and auto component manufacturers are an important part of this,” the minister said.
However, he acknowledged that EVs faced challenges such as charging infrastructure and charging time, adding that the government’s departments were working to address the issues and sought industry’s cooperation as well.
Observing that green fuel, EVs and hybrids and other technologies for safety were all coming in the near future, and several fuel and powertrain options were being explored by all OEMs, Mr. Ayukawa sought the retail trade’s commitment to the coming changes. “All these will surely involve changes at the retail end also. Please deeply understand these and be prepared to handle such variations which may have direct and indirect impact on your businesses,” he told the dealers.
He added that SIAM had also requested the government for support to the dealer partners, including extension of the moratorium for loans by RBI, and digitising the processes at RTOs in all the States.
“We are requesting the government that in the scrappage scheme, the dealer workshops should be allowed as Inspection and Certification centres. This is because the dealer organisation already has equipment, investment and expertise in testing the automobiles. Also, dealers are located close to the customers,” Mr. Ayukawa said.
He added that if the government starts new inspection centres, such centres may not be commercially viable and may take a long time to develop across India. “If the government accepts our request of using existing automobile dealer facilities, it will be a big statement of trust by the government on automobile dealers,” he added.
Source: Read Full Article


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Revolut is clearing the exit for Bitcoin (BTC)! Responding to demand, the challenger bank is giving certain customers beta access, allowing them to transfer bitcoins (BTC) to their own wallets.
On 6th May 2021, Revolut announced that it was finally going to allow its U.K. registered ‘Metal’ customers to withdraw bitcoin.
The decision comes four years after the initial launch of its cryptocurrency trading services to selected users and one year after having extended this offer to its seven million customers around the world.
In the future, Revolut also plans to authorise bitcoin withdrawals the world over in addition to opening up the service to customers who don’t pay for Revolut’s highest tier.
Nik Storonsky, Revolut’s founder and current CEO, stated that “crypto withdrawals have been a heavily requested feature within Revolut’s crypto community”.
Revolut’s users will now be able to add three external wallet addresses and withdraw between £500 and £1000 per month. The app will also implement a two-step verification system to boost security.
The neobank initially offered Bitcoin, Litecoin (LTC) and Ethereum (ETH) trading for its ‘Premium’ users in 2017. However, they were only able to withdraw their holdings into fiat currency (i.e. pounds).
Revolut is following in the footsteps of PayPal, which launched cryptocurrency trading in the United States at the end of 2020. However, PayPal, like Revolut until now, did not let users withdraw cryptocurrency.
Enabling the withdrawal option is an important step forward for Revolut. Kraken had previously spoken of its difficulties in dealing with it in September 2020, citing Revolut as one of the few online banking services that did not process cryptocurrency deposits or withdrawals in the U.S. exchange market.
Revolut is a London-based fintech company that offers bank accounts, debit cards, currency exchange services, commission-free stock-market trading and a cryptocurrency exchange.
The app accepts new customer registrations in Europe, Canada, Singapore, Japan, the United States and Australia.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Revolut made its cryptocurrency services available to all ‘Standard’ users in April 2020.
Buying bitcoin (BTC) without being able to withdraw it? How very last year! With this development, Revolut is gradually expanding its cryptocurrency services, just like PayPal. The former also added 11 digital currencies to the app in April 2021. With each small change, companies like Revolut and PayPal are making it harder and harder for cryptocurrency enthusiasts to stay away.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.
|BITCOIN (BTCUSD) ₿||$66,872.99||4.1%|
|ETHEREUM (ETHUSD) Ξ||$4,069.70||4.94%|
|IMM. US (REIT)||$2,696.33||0.82%|
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Cardi B‘s album Invasion of Privacy debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Additionally, as the album dropped on April 6 it gained 255,000 equivalent album units in the second-biggest week of 2018, ending April 12, per Nielsen Music.
Also, the achievement comes during the biggest sales week for an R&B or Hip-Hop album this year, with a total unit bow of 103,000 in traditional album sales.
In addition to the aforementioned achievements, Cardi’s debut feat (255,000 SEA units) bowed with the largest on-demand audio streaming week ever for a female musician; beating Beyonce‘s ‘Lemonade‘ (77,000 SEA units).


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Folks, if you had been planning to buy the Tata Nexon
electric SUV, we have some important news for you. The home-grown automaker has increased the Nexon EV
's prices in India by ₹25,000, meaning the electric SUV's price now ranges between ₹14.54 lakh to ₹17.15 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Though the company has not offered any official explanation as to why the decision to increase Tata Nexon EV
's prices, we hear it may have something to do with the upcoming launch of the Tata Nexon EV's long range model. The EV is currently offered across five variants, namely, XM, XZ+, XZ+ Lux, XZ+ Dark and XZ+ Lux Dark, and the price hike is applicable across all these variants.
Seemingly following the same strategy as MG Motor did with the outgoing ZS EV and its facelift, Tata Motors
too may have increased the standard Nexon EV's price in India before the arrival of the long-range Nexon EV’s launch in order to reduce the price difference between the two models. The upcoming Tata Nexon EV model will come equipped with a bigger 40kWh battery pack and will, obviously, cost more than the standard model.
Tata Nexon EV gets a PMS (Permanent Magnet Synchronous) motor that belts out a maximum power of 127 bhp along with 245 Nm of peak torque. As for the battery, the automaker has equipped the electric SUV with a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. Tata Nexon EV's driving range is rated at 312 km per charge and it can go from standstill to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. Tata Nexon EV's charging time is claimed to be eight hours to charge the SUV's battery from 20 per cent to 100 per cent with a standard charger. However, using a fast charger allows the vehicle's battery to be charged from zero to 80 per cent in just one hour.


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US Formula One motor-racing team Haas F1 has signed a sponsorship deal with automotive products manufacturer Old World Industries.
RadiciGroup, a multinational corporation that operates across the chemicals, plastics and synthetics sectors, has become the main sponsor of Italian Serie A football club Atalanta.
Chemical and consumer goods company Henkel has upgraded its partnership with Fortuna Düsseldorf by becoming the main sponsor of the newly-promoted German Bundesliga football club.
Global lubricant company WD-40 has entered into a partnership with the International Motorcycling Federation’s (FIM) Speedway Grand Prix series.
Chemicals and advanced materials manufacturer Arkema has agreed a deal to become the first national supporter of next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup in France.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association has entered into a new partnership with global science and technology specialist the Dow Company.
Japanese household insecticide company Earth Chemical has agreed a deal to sponsor the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Dow Chemical Company has agreed a deal to become a top-tier partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Petrochemicals company Sasol has extended its partnership with the South African Football Association.
Italian Serie A football club Atalanta has signed up chemicals, plastics and synthetic fibres company RadiciGroup as its main sponsor for the Uefa Europa League and Coppa Italia competitions for the 2017-18 season.
German specialty chemicals company Lanxess has retained naming rights for the Lanxess Arena, a multi-purpose venue in its home city of Cologne.
Russian fertiliser producer PhosAgro has signed on as a sponsor of the 2016 World Chess Championship Match, which will take place in the US city of New York from November 11-30.
The World Superbike Championship (WSBK) has confirmed Motul, the French motor oils and industrial lubricants producer, as its new title sponsor.


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Ardagh, a developer of sustainable packaging solutions, has announced plans to establish a global Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Cape Town, South Africa.
The new CoE will supply the company’s operations in Europe, America and Africa with some information technology (IT) services.
Ardagh Group chairman Paul Coulson stated:”With world-class technology skills and an established infrastructure, Cape Town provides the perfect home for Ardagh’s new Centre of Excellence. We look forward to growing our presence to support our global business objectives.”
The center will be crucial for a variety of investments with positive social impacts in South Africa, especially Cape Town, claims the business.
The company will make use of the center to help South African adolescents gain technology-related skills and find employment.
Additionally, Ardagh will collaborate with regional nonprofits to serve the communities near Cape Town.
Following the acquisition of Consol Glass in 2022, which it rebranded as Ardagh Glass Packaging – Africa (AGP – Africa), Ardagh has been increasing its investment in South Africa.
The company has seven production facilities located in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia where it produces a variety of glass packaging.It benefits the pharmaceutical, food and beverage sectors.
AGP – Africa announced an investment in November of last year to expand the capacity of its Nigel production site in Gauteng, South Africa.


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- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Chains see bread in sandwiches
- Lisa R. Schoolcraft
- Staff writer
Americans’ appetite for sandwiches has grown during the Great Recession, and two major sandwich chains plan to feed that appetite in Atlanta.
Atlanta Bread Co. will likely double its presence here, while Panera Bread Co. believes it can do about the same.
And there may even be another. The Krystal Co. is hiring staff for a new concept, the K Cafe, which will have its only location in Windward Square at 5215 Windward Parkway in Alpharetta. Krystal is testing the concept, a fast-casual, sit-down restaurant that insiders say will feature sandwiches.
“The expectation is that it will be more of a sit-down environment,” said Brad Wahl, vice president of marketing for the company.
The menu is still in development but the food will be “a little bit higher end for Krystal,” he said.
The Chattanooga-based company chose Alpharetta to test the idea because of the area’s demographics and its convenience to the home office.
The sandwich truly is an American favorite, with 81 percent of consumers purchasing a sandwich away from home at least once in the past 60 days, according to Kimberly Egan, CEO of Center for Culinary Development and leading market research publisher Packaged Facts, a consumer marketing firm.
Of those, 93 percent report eating one sandwich a week and 59 percent report they eat at least three sandwiches a week, Egan wrote in her Sept. 7 report.
The recession didn’t slow down that pattern, she said. About 12 billion sandwiches were served in 2009, up 1 billion from 2005.
That means there is room for growth, say officials with both Smyrna-based Atlanta Bread Co. and St. Louis-based Panera Bread Co.
Reach Schoolcraft at email@example.com.
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IT’S never too late to have your first solo art exhibition. That’s what 85-year-old Mornington resident Brian Gibbs thought – and last week he was busy hanging 18 paintings on the walls of the Somers store for an eight-week show.
Gibbs, who retired after 30 years as an engineer with and international oil company, began painting when he came to the Mornington Peninsula in 1986.
“I retired to pursue my interest in art and water colours,” he said.
“I joined the Peninsula Arts Society, taking classes with Robert Wade, Colin Johnson and Ron Muller, and did workshops with other water colourists. I also did life drawing classes and exhibited in various art shows.”
Gibbs won a first prize at the Red Hill Art Show and has sold his works in England, Germany, France, the US and here in Australia, but the Somers exhibition is his first one-man show.
His wife Georgie is an enthusiastic supporter: “My husband has three drawers full of beautiful paintings and has never shown any,” she said.
Gibbs is confident of selling his works, which include traditional and figurative works, and are priced up to $375.
Peninsula scenes include Bushrangers Bay and Chilean buskers performing at the Emu Plains market.
The Somers store is an ideal setting, he says. “It’s got a little gallery and they get a lot of people there.”
Any first-night jitters: “No, I am not nervous; it’s all out there,” he said.
Interest in his works is becoming apparent: “I have already sold two paintings.”


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400 companies to exhibit at Saudi food show
Jeddah, May 9, 2013
Over 400 companies from 22 countries will participate at the annual Saudi Food, Hotel, Hospitality & Propac Arabia show set to be held in Jeddah from May 19 to 22, under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture.
Organised by Jeddah-based Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions (ACE), Saudi Arabia's 18th international event will showcase a wide range of food and beverage, hotel equipment and supplies, kitchen and catering equipment as well as food processing technologies and packaging products.
National pavilions from China, Egypt, Indonesia, Taiwan, Turkey, USA; individual companies from Turkey, Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, USA and Saudi companies representing international brands will also be present.
In addition, the four-day international exhibition incorporates Top Chef & Art de Table contests, jointly organised by ACE and Saudi Arabian Chef Association, which will feature culinary skills of chefs from the finest hotels and restaurants and adjudicated by a panel of international experts.
Zahoor Siddique, vice president for exhibitions, ACE, said: “This is the leading event in the Kingdom's food, hotel, and hospitality industries, with a successful track record of more than seventeen years."
Saudi Arabia continues to be the single-largest market for food and beverages in the Gulf, accounting for 63 per cent of all of the region's imports. The value of the Saudi Halal food market alone is estimated at $6 billion annually.
With a 23 million population, estimated to grow to 50 million over the next decade, there are innumerable opportunities for a host of businesses in the food, catering, hotel and hospitality industry.
In addition, nearly 7 million foreign residents and more than 5 million visiting pilgrims annually seek diversified, quality products. Customers have become more selective in terms of nutritional value, quality, and price.
“This show is organised in light of the exciting developments in Saudi Arabia's hotel industry and consistent with our continued efforts to make our events truly relevant to the needs of our clients."
He pointed out that the Saudi food, hotel and hospitality Arabia Food & Hotel comes at a time when the Kingdom's food and hospitality industries are experiencing rapid growth as more prestigious properties and new hotels are built for the rising number of tourists who are visiting Oman every year.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom's tourism market exceeds $15 billion annually and is expected to reach $60 billion by 2019. The direct contribution of travel and tourism to Saudi Arabia's GDP is expected to reach $14.9 billion.
Saudi Arabia's hotel and hospitality industry is set to grow within bound travel that continues to increase, thanks to pilgrims and business visitors. As such the Kingdom is already witnessing a boom in the hotel and hospitality sector. Plans are being executed for increasing hotel rooms, furnished apartments, leisure resorts, restaurants and food outlets. – TradeArabia News Service


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Mr. Butler is an accomplished product development executive with more than 20 years’ experience in engineering and leading large, global research and development organizations. In this new role, Mr. Butler will be responsible for leading MICROS’ development teams around the world, spanning its vertical markets hotels, food & beverage, and retail, as well as eCommerce.
Most recently, Mr. Butler served with IBM as Vice President, Messaging and Collaboration, where he led a worldwide product development organization spanning 12 locations. He also held several executive positions in IBM’s data integration and master data management product families.
Prior to joining IBM in 2005 in connection with IBM’s acquisition of Ascential Software, Mr. Butler held executive positions at Ascential Software, Mercator, AT&T, and other leading technology companies. He has a track record as a technology leader known for crafting the strategic vision to achieve business results. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Maryland.
“We are very excited that Mr. Butler is joining the MICROS team,” stated Peter A. Altabef, President and CEO. “Mr. Butler’s expertise in application and enterprise software, including social business and collaboration, data integration, and master data management, along with his successful track record in a variety of settings from startups to the largest software businesses, will ensure MICROS product innovation and delivery excellence.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the MICROS team,” stated Mr. Butler. “I am very impressed with the history of MICROS innovation and its leadership position in the hospitality and retail industries, and I look forward to working with the talented group of MICROS developers around the world as we continue to create leading industry solutions for our clients.”
Micros Systems, Inc
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Tag Archives: Liga Stavok
- Liga Stavok set online betting record, win customer brand nod
December 11, 2017
Russian bookmaker Liga Stavok sets new sports betting records in 2017 as online operations grow to 60% of the company's overall business.
- 32Red extend Rangers deal; Liga Stavok win Russian football bid
June 14, 2017
32Red re-up shirt sponsorship of Glasgow Rangers for another two years; Liga Stavok submit winning bid for title sponsorship of Russian Premier League.
- Russian betting industry icon Oleg Zhuravsky dies suddenly
March 17, 2017
Oleg Zhuravsky, founder of Russian betting operator Lisa Stavok and president of the First SRO of Russian Bookmakers, dies suddenly at age 48.
- Russian online bookies deny claims of customer data hacks
November 30, 2016
Russian online bookmakers Marathon and Liga Stavok deny that their customer data was hacked and put up for auction on a public website.
- Russia to ban bets on non-sports events
June 27, 2016
Russian bookies take it on the chin once again as the government proposes banning wagers on non-sports events both online and offline.
- Russia’s bookmakers struggling to adapt to new online licensing, payment regime
March 23, 2016
Russia's bookmakers struggle to adapt to government's new online sports betting licensing, payments and advertising regimes.
Russian betting industry icon Oleg Zhuravsky dies suddenly
March 17, 2017
Russia to restrict Bitcoin sales to “qualified investors”
August 28, 2017


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Consumer Rights Day observes
Mahfuja Mukul: From ordinary grocery stores to big supershops, roadside eateries or fancy restaurants-there are now irregularities everywhere. Apart from this, there are also product manufacturing companies, financial institutions and service providers. The market is like a fraud trap for consumers. Wherever raids are conducted, there is evidence of irregularities and fraud. The National Consumer Protection Directorate itself has given such information.
Since the beginning of the operation in 2009 till February 28, the Directorate of Consumer Affairs has conducted 62 thousand 9 raids across the country. The organization found irregularities against 1 lakh 46 thousand 660 institutions. That is, consumers were being cheated in these institutions.
According to the Consumer Affairs Department, market surveillance shows that there is no price list of products. It has become quite routine. Admixture of adulterated products, rigging of weights, lack of price, weight and expiration date on product packaging are common. There is no receipt of purchase price. Again, a trend of not giving sales price receipts was also found.
A class of companies are committing fraud like ordering expensive products, delivering low-priced products, giving defective-low-quality products, treating customers poorly, lying, advertising using celebrities and famous stars, models and players, and not delivering products even when they are in stock.
On the other hand, in the case of product manufacturers, production without obtaining government certificate, violation of packaging laws, giving less weight and spreading the products in the market by making products similar to well-known brands of other brands. Many companies are fooling consumers by including incomprehensible and anti-consumer terms. Around festivals like Eid, extra money is being taken from the customer in the trap of attractive offers.
At present Assistant Director Abdul Jabbar Mandal is conducting regular operations of the Directorate of Consumer Affairs in the capital Dhaka. When asked about his experience, he told, “Tendency to make unethical profits is the main reason for consumer fraud. Food adulteration or coloring is for profit. Not showing the price list is also for the same reason. If there is a price list, he cannot charge anyone extra.
Degradation of product quality, sale of illegal products, defective products being passed on to the consumer. We have to get out of this mindset. Along with this, traders should remove their reluctance towards the law.
Those concerned say that in other countries of the world, consumers are the regulators of products. The position of consumers in developed countries is getting stronger day by day. The situation in Bangladesh is exactly the opposite. It is the businessmen who decide how much benefit the consumer will or will not get. Pricing, supply and market conditions are completely under their control.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Vice President SM Najer Hossain said, “Consumers in this country have always been victims of injustice in terms of products and services. Fraud rates are constantly increasing as consumers are unaware, unorganized. That is why the consumers of Bangladesh are called helpless consumers. The government is working to overcome this situation. But that is not enough. Consumer Protection Directorate and other institutions should be strengthened drive. Manpower should be increased.
In response to the question whether the existing capacity of the Directorate is sufficient in ensuring the rights of consumers, AHM Safikuzzaman, Director General of the Directorate of Consumer Affairs told, ‘Our manpower is less, that is correct. The manpower structure is insufficient in the light of the volume of work we have all over the country. We have sent to the Ministry of Public Administration from the Ministry of Commerce seeking 465 new manpower. A bit more speed will come soon.
Stating that there are some weaknesses in the Consumer Rights Protection Act of 2009, he said, “The old law is being modernized.” In the meantime, our activities have been very dynamic. We are settling about 95 percent of complaints. Many times, complainants do not provide documents. Because of this, it is not possible to settle it. However, due to laws, we have not progressed much in terms of e-commerce.
About 11-12 thousand complaints are pending. Now we want to work in service sector. There is cheating here. There are many complaints about the transport sector and railway services, water and gas, air tickets, health sector.
World Consumer Rights Day observed
Meanwhile, ‘World Consumer Rights Day’ is being celebrated yesterday in the context of consumer situation in the country. Like other countries of the world, the Consumer Directorate has made various arrangements to celebrate the day in Bangladesh. In the contemporary context, this year the theme of the day is ‘Secure Energy, Consumer Friendly World’.
In 2009, the government enacted the Consumer Rights Protection Act to protect the interests of consumers and prevent crimes against consumer rights. National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection was established to implement this Act. Since its establishment, the Directorate has been playing an important role in protecting consumer interests. The organization also observes World Consumer Rights Day every year.
Like every year, this year too, various social organizations including the National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection have undertaken various programs on the occasion of the day. Directorate of Consumer Affairs has organized a discussion meeting at Bangabandhu International Conference Center on Wednesday. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi attended as the chief guest.
He has inaugurated the app named ‘CCMS’ there. Consumers can easily complain through this app. Besides, a souvenir released, which is unveiled on this occasion. Apart from Dhaka, the day is celebrated in all the divisional and district offices.
Staff Correspondent: The landowners along both sides of Mugda Main Road are urging authori…


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Expedia CEO is Now CEO of Uber
Uber has appointed the CEO of Expedia, Dara Khosrowshahi, as the new CEO to lead world’s largest ride-sharing technology company. He takes over the responsibilities from Travis Kalanick, who was ousted in June 2017.
” Uber appoints CEO of Expedia as New CEO “
In an internal meeeting, his plans include doing an IPO in 18 months to 36 months time. In 2005, he became CEO of Expedia, which he built into one of the world’s leading travel and technology companies, now operating in more than 60 countries.
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Apple was the biggest buyer of artificial intelligence companies from 2016 to 2020, beating out companies like Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
Apple was the largest buyer of AI companies between 2016 and 2020
From 2016 to 2020, Apple acquired 25 artificial intelligence companies, according to a new report from GlobalData. The rest of the list of leading buyers of AI companies included Accenture, Google, Microsoft and Facebook, based in Ireland.
Some of the companies that Apple acquired include Silk Labs, Turi, Drive.ai, and Voysis. Apple does not disclose any details about its acquisition plans. Although the company’s AI purchases are likely to bolster the company’s machine learning and Siri-related technologies.
“Apple has gone shopping in an effort to catch up with Google (Google Assistant) and Amazon (Alexa). Siri was first to market, but consistently ranks below both in terms of ‘intelligence’, which is part of the reason why Apple is far behind in smart speaker sales, ”said the GlobalData analyst. Nicklas Nilsson.
Nilsson notes that the purchase of machine learning startup Inductiv was made to improve Siri data. Voysis was purchased to enhance Siri’s natural language processing; and PullString technology could improve Siri’s integration with third-party iOS app.
“Apple also wants to make sure it maintains its strong position within wearables. It is the dominant player in smart watches. The acquisition of Xnor.ai last year was made to improve its processing capabilities at the edge, which has become important as it eliminates the need to send data to the cloud, thus improving data privacy, ”said the analyst.
The Cupertino tech giant doesn’t publicly disclose all the acquisitions it makes, so there may be other companies GlobalData missed.


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ChannelEyes begins selling its second cloud platform this week that could make up half its business by 2016 and double it by 2017.
ChannelEyes produces a platform that allows manufacturers and distributors in the IT sector to communicate with resellers of their products. Clients span from Fortune 500 companies to small startups. The business has 30,000 users on its mobile, tablet and desktop apps, and that number is growing.
Where the first product, ChannelCandy, connected businesses to their channel partners, its newest product called "OPTYX" uses big data and analytics to alert the salespeople who cover the channel. The program has been designed to provide a 20 percent increase in sales.
Jay McBain, CEO of ChannelEyes, said they worked with their existing customers to create OPTYX. He said more than half of current customers are already interested. The product will make up more than 50 percent of new revenue in 2016 and will double business by 2017, McBain said.
To keep up with its growth, the company has gone from four employees in a small office in East Greenbush, New York, to 40 employees with a downtown office in Troy.
In a few months, ChannelEyes plans to move into a new office space on the second floor of the new incubator at the Quackenbush Building in downtown Troy.
"What we’re looking out for is future changes in our market space. We took advantage of mobile phones a few years ago when that was right on the edge of being ubiquitous," McBain said. "Now we’re taking advantage of big data and analytics right when that's on the edge of being ubiquitous. We're always looking to be a first mover in new technologies."


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MALAYSIA—Perstorp Group, a sustainability-driven global specialty chemicals company, have announced in a news release that it will be acquired by Petronas Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG) for US$2.4 billion as Part of PCG’s plan to tap into the sustainable solutions market.
PCG Managing Director and CEO, Ir. Mohd Yusri Mohamed Yusof said that the acquisition will provide them critical talent, know-how, technological platforms and proven customer channels to address the pressing needs of the market for more eco-friendly and sustainable solutions
PCG’s plans to realize its vision of becoming the preferred chemical company providing innovative customer solutions through strengthening its basic petrochemicals portfolio, and by selectively diversifying into derivatives, specialty chemicals and solutions.
In the execution of their vision, the acquisition of Perstorp group marks the creation of a significant specialty chemicals portfolio, while enhancing PCG’s overall earnings.
Established more than 140 years ago, Perstorp is a leading niche specialty chemicals player that develops sustainable solutions with focus on the Resins & Coatings, Engineered Fluids and Animal Nutrition markets.
Jan Secher, President and CEO of Perstorp said of the acquisition, “By tapping into PCG’s strength and market leading position in the Asia Pacific region, we are confident that Perstorp can continue to develop into its next phase of growth. PCG’s and Perstorp’s businesses complement each other very well.”
PCG has a global sales presence, seven state-of-the art manufacturing sites in Europe, US and China and three research and development (R&D) centers worldwide with approximately 1,500 employees serving more than 2,600 customers globally.
Perstorp is highly regarded among its customers for its product quality and application expertise, supply reliability, customer centricity and Pro-Environment products and solutions.
PCG CEO added that Perstorp’s holistic and innovative approach to reduce environmental impact aligns with PCG’s aim for positive environmental and social contribution
“With we are confident that together we can accelerate our sustainability journey towards circular economy and carbon neutrality by 2050,” he concluded.
Perstorp is very active in animal nutrition, having been involved with developing a range of highly effective additives for the agricultural industry for over fifty. According to a company report, this segment saw good organic growth in the first quarter of 2022.
From PCG’s projections, Perstorp will contribute about 28% incremental revenue to as well as support its medium-term goal of establishing 30% revenue generated from non-traditional businesses by 2030.
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Gitanjali ties up with Paris Gallery
In a glittering inaugural ceremony held recently at Paris Gallery, Dubai Mall, celebrated Bollywood actress and the brand ambassador of Gili, Bipasha Basu, launched the latest collection of jewellery from one of the most renowned Indian jewellery brands, Gili.
This launch is part of the recently announced tie-up of Gitanjali and Paris Gallery. The newly opened Gitanjali outlet within the Paris Gallery store on Level 1 of the Dubai Mall will showcase a new, trendy range of Gili and Giantti Italia jewellery.
Paris Gallery is the eponymous flagship brand of the Paris Gallery Group, one of the most recognisable home-grown brands in the Middle East. India’s leading jewellery brands under the Gitanjali Group will be available at the Paris Gallery stores in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Sharjah in the UAE as well as in Bahrain and Qatar.