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MILAN -- Giorgio Armani responded to difficult conditions in the luxury market last year with a 23 percent increase in revenues, topping the $1 billion mark, and is forging ahead in the new year with investments in retailing, acquisitions and...
MILAN -- Giorgio Armani responded to difficult conditions in the luxury market last year with a 23 percent increase in revenues, topping the $1 billion mark, and is forging ahead in the new year with investments in retailing, acquisitions and licensing.
The company said sales for the year hit $1.13 billion, up from $923 million in 2000, and were ahead in all geographic areas and product categories. Earnings results for the year are expected in April. Dollar figures have been converted from the euro at current exchange.
In May 2002, Armani will acquire Miss Deanna SpA, a knitwear business based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, for an undisclosed sum. The company will produce knitwear across the designer's collections, starting with spring-summer 2003.
Fossil, the licensee for Emporio Armani watches, has been granted rights to the Emporio Armani Jewelry collection, scheduled to debut for fall-winter 2002. Fossil had 18 percent growth in worldwide retail sales of the watch line last year, according to Robert Triefus, corporate vice president in charge of worldwide communications for the company. "This jewelry collection will be a younger line, price-accessible, and will capture the true essence of the Emporio lifestyle, taking it one step further," he said.
Triefus indicated the firm will continue to finance its own multitiered growth. "This is a high-cash generative business and we are funding our own growth," he said. "Following this record performance in 2001, the Armani Group has registered a compounded annual growth rate of 18 percent over the last three fiscal years."
In 2001, retail revenues grew 9.3 percent to $429 million from $393 million in 2000. Retail sales grew 16 percent in Europe and 15 percent in the Asia-Pacific market. In the U.S., Triefus said retail sales grew 1 percent "despite the current general economic slowdown there," but cited a 35 percent growth in overall U.S. revenues. The U.S. accounts for 28 percent of sales.
"Following the attacks on Sept. 11, we had a 20 percent decline in retail sales in the U.S. compared to the year before, but 2000 was a special year for us because of our 25th anniversary and the exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum," said Triefus, who acknowledged that the company is "not back to the levels before Sept. 11, but we really believe in that market. Our investments will continue there in 2002, and we are hopeful for the upcoming fall-winter. This is a cycle and the economy was already suffering a slowdown before the attacks."In 2001, consolidated net revenues in the Asia-Pacific area grew 29 percent, accounting for 27 percent of sales. Europe grew 13 percent accounting for 45 percent of business.
In spring 2002, the Giorgio Armani Parfums division will launch a new prestige men's fragrance, called Armani Mania, in Europe and Asia. The new Giorgio Armani Cosmetics product line, now available at 10 exclusive points of sale worldwide, will also be rolled out to other new markets, including Japan, in 2002.
On the Armani Casa front, the company will supplement its five dedicated home stores with the introduction of home products in specialty and high-end department stores in the U.S. for fall-winter 2002 and will open a store in Instanbul in March, in addition to 20 other Armani Casa locations throughout the world.
"I completely agree on Armani's diversification strategy," said Carlo Pambianco, owner of a luxury goods consulting firm here. "Armani has built a strong label and now has chosen to enter other sectors, banking on the strength of his brand. In general, companies that have been focused over the past years are reaping the rewards today."
Pambianco emphasized that "a diversification strategy works only if it is supported by the right product. That's why Armani is going after the best partners."
Paolo Fontanelli, chief financial officer, said that, because of their importance to brand development, allocations for advertising will be maintained at 10 percent of sales in 2002.
@kith is moving into children’s. The men’s and women’s streetwear brand has launched Kidset, a Kith kids line located in New York at 64 Bleecker Street. The line includes mini versions of staple Kith pieces like the Astor bomber jacket and the Kith box logo sweatshirts, along with a wall that can display up to 120 pairs of shoes from @adidas, @newbalance, @timberland and more. #wwdfashion
“I just wanted to create this fully rounded character, but I do think what excited me most was just the opportunity to give a group of people representation that I feel needs it. I like to do characters in projects that stand for something and Karolina definitely does, so that was really exciting to me,” @ginnygardner says of her new role in @hulu’s “The Runaways.” Gardner plays Karolina Dean, a queer superhero, which is a rarity for @marvel. Read more about Gardner’s character on WWD.com #wwdeye (📷: @dandoperalski)
@heriethpaul and @gracebol have a moment on the @victoriassecret fashion show 2017. See every look from the runway on WWD.com. Link in bio. (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo) #wwdfashion #victoriassecret #VSFashionShow
“Azzedine has been one of the biggest influences in my life. He has always been such a strong, loving, fatherly figure to me. I call him Papa. His designs are indescribably unique, they are pieces of art. He knew how to make the female form look its loveliest. I have so many memories of him; my favorite might be during my first show with him in Paris. He liked me and he wanted to help me get more work. He called all his friends at Kenzo and Comme des Garcons, and asked them to book me. They said, ‘But she can’t walk!’ And he said, ‘but she has such a great ass!' His friendship and support has been the great privilege of my career. I can't imagine life without him. Repose en paix mon Papa.” - @stephanieseymour tells @wwd. #wwdfashion (📷: @steveeichner) #alaia #azzedinealaia
Azzedine Alaïa, flanked by two of his closest friends, models Stephanie Seymour and Naomi Campbell.
He designed Seymour’s dress for her 1995 wedding to Peter Brant, and treated Campbell (who famously called him Papa), like a daughter. For more on the legendary designer, tap the link in bio. #wwdfashion #alaia #azzedinealaia


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Surprise happy birthday to Christina Mora
Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo opens up about changing diapers and being a father.
A day after Target announced that forty million of its customers had their credit and debit card data breached, the retailer announced a 10 percent discount for all shoppers at its stores this Saturday and Sunday.
"We recognize this has been confusing and d...

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CVS Health joins in on a new way for pharmacies to get paid for prescription drugs
CVS Health unveiled a new pharmacy reimbursement model Tuesday that would simplify how it prices the drugs it sells.
Roughly 9,000 retail pharmacies owned by the largest chain in the nation will be reimbursed using a formula based on a drug’s cost, a fixed markup and a flat service fee under a new model named CVS CostVantage, the company announced in a call to investors Tuesday. CostVantage will bring more “transparency and simplicity” to the drug-pricing system, the company said.
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Microsoft has quietly released a new beta of their MSN Direct for Windows Mobile service. Most significantly, the update adds support for Pocket PC devices.
Microsoft launched MSN Direct service for Windows Mobile in February, in response to the free and quick information services available on Apple’s iPhone. However, the free application was only available to Windows Mobile Standard devices; smartphones that lack a touch screen. This update now enables all Windows Mobile devices to use MSN Direct.
MSN Direct requires Windows Mobile 6, and is still in beta.


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Lord Mandelson said he was “disappointed” after Cadbury’s new US owner was unable to confirm the chocolate maker’s brands would still be run from the UK.
The Business Secretary met Kraft chairman Irene Rosenfeld a few hours after the US food giant won its battle for control of Cadbury.
Lord Mandelson said: “I was disappointed that she was unable to confirm that Cadbury’s confectionery brands will continue to be managed and operated globally out of the UK.
“On the other hand she said that she expects Britain to be a net gainer in manufacturing output and employment so that was encouraging, but what we’ve got to do now is to remain in close touch.”
He added: “I’m glad now to be in personal touch but what I will be looking for are much harder, more specific commitments in the next three to six months.”
Kraft’s successful battle for Cadbury shareholder approval heralds the end of the iconic British firm’s 186-year history as an independent company.
It employs around 6,000 people in the UK, at sites including Cadbury’s Bournville site in Birmingham and Somerdale, near Bristol.
Speaking after the meeting, Ms Rosenfeld said the deal would be good for British manufacturing jobs but would not give any cast-iron guarantees about staffing.
“As we have said from the outset, our interest is in growing Cadbury and investing in its great brands and people,” she said.
“That will be good for the company, good for the UK and good for British manufacturing jobs.”
Ms Rosenfeld added: “We aim to restore Cadbury to its place as the world’s biggest and best confectionery business.
“Lord Mandelson was naturally interested in the employment prospects of Cadbury’s workers.
“I made clear to him our belief that the combination of Kraft Foods and Cadbury will be better for UK manufacturing than Cadbury’s standalone prospects.”
Investors holding 71.7 per cent of Cadbury’s shares backed the Kraft takeover.
When the US giant passes the 75 per cent threshold it will take the company off the stock market, and when it reaches 90 per cent support it can automatically buy up the remaining shares.
The cash-and-shares deal, recommended by the Cadbury board two weeks ago after a five-month negotiation, values the UK firm at around £11.4 billion.
Earlier hundreds of Cadbury workers staged a noisy protest in Westminster to call for guarantees for their jobs and conditions.
They pressed for a new law to be introduced to prevent any more British “icons” being bought up by a foreign firm.
Deborah Matthews-Booth, who has worked at the Bournville plant in Birmingham for 33 years, wore her factory uniform as she joined the protest to voice her concern about jobs.
She said: “This is a very sad day for the workers - we have been left in the dark about the future. It is like a bereavement. All the workers, from the office staff to the production workers, are worried about their jobs.
“The Government should have done more to stop this happening - they could have stepped in to help us.”
Felicity Loudon, a member of the Cadbury family, also said it was a “sad day for Cadbury and for Britain”.
“There was always a certain inevitability about this acquisition but that doesn’t make Kraft any more palatable to me or most of the population of the UK,” she said.
She also attacked the “dismal” performance of the Cadbury board and accused chief executive Todd Stitzer of “quietly grooming Cadbury for a sale for some time”.
Ms Loudon added: “It only remains for me to call upon Kraft to honour their pledge to keep chocolate production alive in England and to respect the traditions of the proud British institution they now control.”
A Cadbury spokesman said: “Cadbury may now be part of Kraft Foods but, as far as employees here and the public at large are concerned, it will be very much business as usual when we all wake up tomorrow.
“Cadbury chocolate isn’t going to change and the Cadbury brands that we all know and love won’t disappear either. Kraft Foods has made it very clear they bought the company precisely because our chocolate is so popular and they have committed to building on both our brands and heritage here in the UK.”


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Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, star of the the MTV hit The Jersey Shore, has signed a deal with SRG Ventures to promote her own line of beauty products, clothing and other products.
According to the New York Post
, the deal will see a rollout beauty products, handbags, personal care products, sportswear,swimwear, home goods, sunglasses and more that bear Snooki's name.
"Snooki has a passion for a lot of different products. We're being very strategic and selective about who we partner with," says SRG's Stephen Goodman.
The reality star also recently partnered with company Happy Feet to market a line of large fuzzy slippers that she wears on the MTV show. The 23-year-old released her first novel A Shore Thing earlier this week.


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Does Australia have Black Friday sales
In Australia, Black Friday is now competing with Boxing Day as our biggest shopping event.
In 2019, the National Australia Bank predicted Aussie shoppers would spend $2.9 billion on the Black Friday sales and in 2018, the shopping bonanza generated more than $400 million..
Is Black Friday any good
The good news is Black Friday is absolutely worth all the hype. Almost everything you can think of goes on sale in some capacity, with the best discounts being 50% or higher. Even Apple items — which practically never go on sale — see significant discounts during Black Friday.
Is fanatics a legit website
Fanatics.com is legit.
How much discount is Black Friday
During this time the average discount is about 23%. The week before Thanksgiving is the time when the number of deals is at its maximum but the average discount is around 20%. However, after Thanksgiving, the average Black Friday discounts increase to 37%.
Why is Black Friday bad
It’s a great day for retailers, but Black Friday has always represented the dark side of American consumerism, too. Over the years, frenzied crowds competing for discounted merchandise have resulted in violence and injuries, including 12 deaths.
Does Black Friday really save you money
The answer-yes. On average, in-store discounts fall around the 20 percent off range the week of Thanksgiving, and rise to roughly a 37 percent savings on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Online Black Friday deals follow suit with an average 34 percent discount.
Does fanatics do Black Friday
Fanatics has a huge Black Friday sale, which starts on Thanksgiving and runs throughout the day on Black Friday. Some of the lowest prices all year will be revealed on Black Friday, which is November 27, 2020.
What stores are doing Black Friday in 2020
Most Popular Black Friday RetailersView Walmart Store Page »View Amazon Store Page »View Kohl’s Store Page »View Sam’s Club Store Page »View Macy’s Store Page »View JCPenney Store Page »View Samsung Store Page »View Toys R Us Store Page »More items…
Is Walmart closing for Thanksgiving 2020
People hoping to get a jump on Black Friday be warned: Walmart will be closed on Thanksgiving Day 2020. The company announced Tuesday it will close Walmart and Sam’s Club stores on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26.)
What time does Walmart Online Black Friday start
Instead of a weekend of markdowns and deals, Walmart will stagger its offers and introduce new ones every day until Black Friday. Of course, in-store on Black Friday, November 27 at 5 a.m. local time, but shoppers can order the same deals online on November 25 at 7 p.m. EST.
What stores are having early Black Friday sales
Pre-Black Friday sales during the week of November 8-14Best Buy Coolest Deals Sale. Sale dates: Through Nov. … Walmart Deals for Days Event 2. … Sam’s Club’s November Savings Week. … Amazon Holiday Dash. … Target’s Black Friday Deals – Week 2. … Bed Bath & Beyond. … GameStop’s Black Friday Countdown (Nov. … Wayfair (ends Nov.More items…
Is there Black Friday in 2020
Thanksgiving falls on November 26th this year, and since Black Friday always lands on the day after Thanksgiving, that means Black Friday will officially be held on November 27th, 2020.
Is Best Buy doing Black Friday 2020
Go to Best Buy Store Locator! Best Buy dropped its 2020 Black Friday ad at 12 a.m. CT Oct. 29. That’s much earlier than last year (the 2019 ad page came out Nov.
Why is it called Black Friday
In the 1950s, Philadelphia police used the “Black Friday” term to refer to the day between Thanksgiving and the Army-Navy game. Huge crowds of shoppers and tourists went to the city that Friday, and cops had to work long hours to cover the crowds and traffic.
Does JB Hi Fi have Black Friday sales
Browse JB Hi-Fi Black Friday 2021 Deals, Best Offers & Specials. … Shop the best deals of the year with the Black Friday Specials from JB Hi-Fi. Deals will be available from Wednesday, 24 November until Tuesday, 30 November. This is the Black Friday Catalogue for 2020.
Does NFL Shop have Cyber Monday
Does NFL Shop have Cyber Monday sales? NFL Shop has the best Cyber Monday sales on the web, with NFL jerseys, shirts, face coverings and more marked down throughout Cyber Week.
Is Black Friday really a sale
According to experts, yes there are great deals to be had on Black Friday, but, no, it’s not actually the best day of the year to shop for deals, that honor goes to Thanksgiving. … And she points to Cyber Monday as another great sale day (and one you can participate in from the comfort of your couch).
Is Walmart having Black Friday in 2020
Walmart closed on Thanksgiving 2020 This year, Walmart has announced its stores will remain closed on Thanksgiving, ending its long tradition of kicking off its Black Friday in-store sale on Thanksgiving night.
How long is Black Friday
How long does Black Friday last and how do you get the best deals? Strictly speaking, Black Friday is just one day. But since the trend took off there are many shops that extend their Black Friday sales for a few days either side and with some, it’s even weeks.
What are the biggest shopping days of the year
Top 10 Biggest Shopping Days (Sales)Friday, Dec. … Super Saturday, Dec. … Black Friday, Nov. … Thursday, Dec. … Wednesday, Dec. … Sunday, Dec. … Saturday, Dec. … Saturday, Dec.More items…


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Mts dating ru Free piss chat
In August 2012, the government of Uzbekistan revoked the company's operating license and arrested several of its top management, citing repeated regulatory violations.
MTS protested the action as a "shakedown", but was unable to effectively oppose it, and moved to write down its stake.
Also in 2009 MTS started marketing MTS-branded mobile handsets.
Already in 2010 MTS became the 5th best selling handset brand in Russia, after Nokia, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson.
On 25 July 2012, MTS signed an agreement with the Turkmen Telecom enterprise of Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan which says that MTS Turkmenistan will on a monthly basis pay to Turkmen Telecom 30% of its net profit derived from operations in Turkmenistan.
Prior to that, in several cities such services are also provided by Comstar, a subsidiary of MTS.
The subscription fee for the wired telephone is 100 rubles.
Per month, it includes unlimited calls to numbers of local fixed-line operators.
According to this ranking, in 2010 MTS brand was 72nd most valuable brand worldwide with the brand value of .7 billion.
In 2010 MTS also became the most valuable Russian brand according to the Interbrand ranking.
During 2012-2013, MTS deployed FTTB network in nearly twenty new cities of the Far East, Siberia, Central, Volga and Ural federal districts.


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CEO Dan Akerson expresses confidence in the auto maker’s European turnaround plan and says recent management moves, including some high-profile dismissals, indicate there will be no hesitation to act if a change is required.
GM CEO Dan Akerson: “We are relentless in attacking issues.”
continues on its recovery and growth track, top executives say, downplaying worries over continued losses in Europe, recent management turmoil, shrinking profits and declining market share in the U.S. and worldwide.
The latest earnings results reported today reflect “a number of realities about our business, the competitive landscape and the global economy,” CEO Dan Akerson, says in a conference call with financial analysts. “(But) in a tough environment, we have profitable year-to-dates in four out of our five segments, which reflect a strong diversification of our earnings base.”
Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann calls Q2 “a solidly profitable quarter,” pointing out improvements under way to fundamentals in South America and the auto maker’s overall strengthening balance sheet. “We are relentless in attacking issues affecting us around the world.”
Recent management moves, including dismissals of the auto maker’s global marketing chief and a top designer, reassignment of the top executive at its Adam Opel arm and recruitment of outsiders to help run European operations, were necessary actions that will strengthen the auto maker, Akerson says.
“In recent weeks, you’ve seen that we would not hesitate to act if a change is required to make the business stronger,” he says. “From time to time it will mean parting company with people who are not delivering expected results or, alternatively, do not meet the highest standards of accountability and integrity.
“That’s the way it has to be for all of us in order for the company to reach its full potential.”
GM eked out better-than-expected earnings in the quarter, netting $1.5 billion ($0.90 per fully diluted share) on revenues of $37.6 billion. That compares with $2.5 billion in net income on $39.4 billion in revenue year-ago.
Akerson says the revenue shortfall from like-2011 almost entirely reflects exchange-rate losses due to the strengthening of the dollar against the euro and other currencies.
Dragging the auto maker down was Europe and, to a less extent, South America.
GM Europe reported an EBIT-adjusted (earnings before interest and taxes) loss of $361 million, down from a profit of $102 million in like-2011 but a better result than some analysts predicted.
The market environment in Europe is expected to remain difficult, but GM does see some near-term cost-cutting opportunities.
“In the past, we haven’t moved fast enough (in Europe) to fix the things we could control, but that’s changed,” Akerson assures, adding recent success in recruiting new members of the Opel executive team indicates there’s a general confidence in the turnaround plan and potential for the German arm to succeed.
South America ran near breakeven, losing $19 million, including a $100 million charge for restructuring, a drop from its $57 million profit year-ago.
The restructuring cost will go to shift some production outside of high-cost regions within Brazil to lower-cost sectors, executives say, declining to specify what actions will be taken. GM estimates its manufacturing costs are $300 million-$400 million higher than its competitors’ costs in Brazil.
Overall, GM posted a $600 million EBIT-adjusted profit on its international operations, even with like-2011.
That left North American operations to carry the biggest chunk of the earnings ball, where EBIT-adjusted income totaled $2.0 billion, down slightly from the $2.2 billion in black ink recorded a year ago.
The North American performance was stronger than expected, in part because GM pushed some planned spending into the third quarter. That may drag Q3 down below initial forecasts, but the auto maker says it believes the second- and third-quarter results will be consistent with Q1, keeping it on track with the expectations it set earlier in the year.
GM’s liquidity improved markedly to $38.5 billion, up from $31.5 billion at the end of the first quarter.
Vehicle production totaled 2,393,000 units in Q2, on par with year-ago’s 2,400,000. Through the first six months, output reached 4,816,000 vehicles, up from 4,727,000 in January-June 2011.
Global vehicle sales hit 2,391,000 during the quarter, slightly ahead of 2,320,000 year-ago. All major regions were up except Europe, down 7.0%, and South America, off 7.3%.
GM says its global market share slipped to 11.6% in the quarter, from 12.3% in like-2011.


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It has been so hot my Toyota dashboard melted
AS the Northern Rivers sweltered through the summer heat and humidity, the baking sun was altering the appearance and feel of my Toyota Camry's dashboard - literally melting it.
At first I thought it was something as the owner of an almost eight-year-old car that I would just have to try and live with.
That was until I saw a story published in the Courier Mail last week about it being so hot in north Queensland that a Toyota Camry, the same vintage as mine, had its dashboard melted by the sun.
The journalist quoted a car detailer who said he'd never seen anything like it before.
But it seems some people around Australia are having the same problem with dashboards on their 2007 to 2011 model Camrys, 2005 to 2010 Toyota Avalon and Aurion and 2007 to 2008 Lexus ES series.
So I decided to call Lismore Toyota to see if they had received any reports about melting dashboards and what could be done about it.
I was told the company was aware of the problem and if I brought my car in they would take photos of the dashboard which would be sent to their warranty department to approve replacement.
It seems not only the Australian sun has the intense heat needed to melt the dashboards, with more than 1 million problems reported on similar models in the United States.
In fact, the problem became so bad a report on US TV forced the Japanese car giant to acknowledge the problem.
Toyota Corporate Affairs manager Beck Angel acknowledged there had been a number of reports of melting dashboards in Toyota Camry's and Aurion's.
Ms Angel said Toyota continuously monitored the performance of its products in the Australian market.
"Investigations have identified a wide range of contributory factors, especially if they have been subjected to conditions of high temperatures and humidity," she said.
"In the interests of continued customer satisfaction, Toyota will provide considerable product support beyond any manufacturer's new vehicle warranty if the dashboard is confirmed as being affected by heat and humidity."
Ms Angel advised any Northern Rivers residents experiencing the problem to take their car to the nearest Toyota dealer.


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Nut butters sold at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and other stores nationwide are being recalled because of possible salmonella contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Affected products include Arrowhead Mills peanut butters, MaraNatha almond butters and peanut butters and specific private label nut butters sold under the Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Kroger and Safeway brands.
Please change the channel. We've already seen this episode.
[This post was corrected after publication. See editor's note at the bottom.]
The recalled products were made by San Leandro-based nSpired Natural Foods Inc. Routine testing by the FDA showed a potential link between consumption of these products and four instances of illness.
Many of the brands are labeled “organic,” and several are “raw.” (We wonder if these nut butters were perhaps just a little too “natural,” “raw” and “organic” — salmonella is an enteric bacterium, which means that it lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals — it is commonly found in bird excrement.)
A complete list of products involved in the recall can be found here. The products, which were also shipped to Canada, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates and the Dominican Republic and sold online, are being removed from retail shelves and warehouses.
Customers are advised to throw out any potentially affected containers of nut butter and contact the company directly at 1-800-937-7008 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT for a replacement (what the?) or refund.
In case this sounds all too familiar, a 2012 recall because of salmonella in peanut butter produced by Sunland Inc. started with Trader Joe's peanut butter and expanded to almost 300 products, everything from ice cream to crackers to noodles to energy bars. At least 42 people were sickened in 19 states in that outbreak, which eventually resulted in the bankruptcy and closure of the company (which had huge vats of peanuts exposed to rain and bird excrement, FDA inspectors found). Then there was the Great Peter Pan Outbreak of Ought-Seven, which sickened hundreds and cost the manufacturer, ConAgra, millions.
And then, of course, there is the first ever federal criminal trial stemming from a deadly foodborne illness outbreak, linked to salmonella-tainted peanut products, which we reported on last week. Stewart Parnell and others at Peanut Corp. of America face long prison sentences if convicted of knowingly shipping the contaminated peanut products, which were linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak in 2008-09 that killed nine people and sickened 714 across 43 states. The tainted peanut butter prompted one of the largest food recalls in U.S. history and bankrupted Peanut Corp. of Blakely, Ga.
Salmonella was the No. 1 cause of food poisoning according to the Centers for Disease Control's most recent report, in 2012. It is often linked to poultry. The CDC is always reminding us to cook the hell out of our chicken to avoid salmonella. Should we start broiling our peanut butter, guys?
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article, as well as its headline, misstated what products were affected by the recall. Of the products affected at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, only raw almond butter at Trader Joe's and roasted almond butter at Whole Foods are part of the recall. We regret the error.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.


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Dominos is doing trial with its feature product where its Pizza oder will be delivered by a automated robot. The company is doing this project with a Australian technology startup Marathon Targets. The company main aim to to delivery their fresh pizza to the residents of Queensland.
The robot name is DRU(Domino’s Robotic Unit) which is in prototype stage and they have working with Queensland Transport Department to meet all requirements to run this robot on the streets. The DRU is equipped with LIDAR which is the same technology used in automated self driving cars.
This robot start its test in Australia where in its fist deliver test it used some restricted streets permitted by the local transport authorities. The customer has to enter a mobile code for open DRU and get their fresh pizza.


text: 13 December 2012 Don’t be fooled by scams this festive season SCAMwatch is warning people to be on the lookout this festive season not just for flying reindeer and bargain gifts but also scam surprises wrapped up as the real deal. 31 October 2012 Scammers continue to impersonate government officials SCAMwatch is warning consumers to remain vigilant against scammers impersonating government officials with false claims of owed money. 28 August 2012 Update - Beware of carbon price scams SCAMwatch is warning consumers and businesses to be on the look out for carbon price scams, particularly calls asking for personal information in order to receive compensation. 27 July 2012 Beware of reclaim scams SCAMwatch is warning you to be aware of scam calls or emails claiming that you are entitled to reclaim fees or rebates. 22 March 2012 Beware of phone scams – 2011 Targeting Scams report SCAMwatch is continuing to warn Australians to beware of scams delivered by phone with the ACCC receiving over 43,000 reports of scams perpetrated this way in 2011.


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Hard work pays off, most recently having done so for MuccaShop. After spending two years establishing the company through bootstrapping and lean startup tactics, the MuccaShop team has something new to celebrate – an investment. The company has received US$5 million in capital from unidentified angel investors in the United States.
MuccaShop is an e-commerce aggregator located in Brazil. Founded in 2010, the company has thrived alongside Brazil’s growing e-commerce industry.
MuccaShop has been pegged as an exemplary case of bootstrapping success – we introduced you to the company and its financially-autonomous state in June. Its founders credit the platform’s survival to SEO, paid advertising and reinvestment. Carlos Fertonani, one of the leaders of the MuccaShop team, is adamant that a great idea and solid initial product are the most essential keys to a successful startup. Elaborate plans and conjecturing forecasts, for Fertonani, are not in the mix.
Though MuccaShop has made a name for itself without outside funding, there is no doubt that this recent investment has been received with open arms. It serves not only as financial relief for the MuccaShop team but also as validation that the company is on the right track.


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- The husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi purchased up to $11 million in mega-cap tech stocks in Could and June.
- A disclosure variety reveals Paul Pelosi exercised solutions to purchase $4.8 million worthy of of Alphabet.
- Pelosi also purchased choice contracts in Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet, in accordance to the disclosure.
- Indicator up here for our day-to-day newsletter, 10 Things In advance of the Opening Bell.
Paul Pelosi, investment supervisor and the spouse of Dwelling Speaker Nancy Pelosi, acquired up to $11 million worthy of of mega-cap tech shares in May possibly and June, in accordance to a financial disclosure kind submitted previous week.
Pelosi’s largest purchase was $4.8 million well worth of Alphabet shares on June 18, according to the disclosure. Pelosi exercised 40 contact alternatives to buy 4,000 shares at a strike price of $1,200. With shares of Alphabet at present investing at $2,524, that inventory placement is now well worth a lot more than $10 million, symbolizing an unrealized acquire of additional than $5 million.
On Might 21, Pelosi bought up to $1 million well worth of connect with selections in Amazon, alongside with up to $250,000 in simply call alternatives on Apple. In accordance to the disclosure variety, Pelosi obtained 20 Amazon call options with a strike selling price of $3,000 and an expiration date of June 17, 2022, along with 50 Apple phone selections with a strike price of $100 and an expiration date of June 17, 2022.
The stock purchases arrive as Pelosi’s spouse and the Property of Representatives operate on anti-have confidence in legislation developed to far better control the significant multi-trillion dollar tech corporations. Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner a short while ago named Dwelling Speaker Pelosi to voice his opposition to the pending laws.
Finally, Pelosi procured up to $5 million well worth of Nvidia get in touch with solutions on June 3. In accordance to the disclosure kind, Pelosi purchased 50 Nvidia phone choices with a strike price of $400 and an expiration date of June 17, 2022.
The lengthy-dated in-the-money call possibilities give Pelosi leverage to the prospective upside moves in mega-cap tech stocks. The trades could be a bet on a continued routine of reduced interest rates, muted inflation, and slowing economic progress in a put up-pandemic recovery, or on the company outlook of the corporations by themselves.
This isn’t really the first time the investment decision conclusions of Pelosi’s spouse arrived into concentrate. Previously this year, Paul Pelosi ordered up to $1 million of prolonged-dated Tesla get in touch with selections.


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NEW YORK - The consumer confidence index dipped to 69.2 in April from a downwardly revised 69.5 last month, The Conference Board reported Tuesday.
The March index was originally reported as 70.2.
The present situation index rose to 51.4 from a downwardly revised 49.9, originally reported as 51.0, while the expectations index fell to 81.1 from a downwardly revised 82.5, originally reported as 83.0.
“Consumer confidence was virtually unchanged in April, following a modest decline in March,” said Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board's Consumer Research Center. “As was the case last month, the slight dip was prompted by a moderation in consumers’ short-term outlook, while their assessment of current conditions continued to improve. Overall, consumers are more upbeat about the state of the economy, but they remain cautiously optimistic.”
Business conditions were called “good” by 15.3% of respondents in March, up from 14.3% in March. Those saying conditions are “bad” rose to 33.5% from 33.2%.
The percentage of consumers expecting a pickup in business conditions in the next half year slid to 18.8% from 19.3%, while 14.2% said they expect conditions to worsen, up from 13.7% the prior month.
On the jobs front, those who believe jobs are “plentiful” fell to 8.4% in April from 9.0% in March, while the number saying jobs are “hard to get” decreased to 37.5% this survey from 40.7%. The respondents who see fewer jobs becoming available in a half year, declined to 18.0% from 18.5%. Those expecting more jobs to become available slipped to 16.9% from 17.4%, The Conference Board reported.
Income expectations were mixed, with 14.0% of consumers anticipating an increase in their income in the next six months, off from the prior month's 15.5%, while 14.0% expect their income to decrease, down from 14.6% in the prior month’s survey.
The number of consumers who expected to buy a home in the next six months fell to 4.4% from 4.9%, while the number of respondents planning to buy a car decreased to 9.3% from 12.3%. Fewer consumers than last month said they plan to buy a major appliance in the next six months (41.6% vs. 48.4%).
Fewer respondents than last month (43.3% vs. 44.2%) expect to take a vacation in the next six months, but more said they would stay in the U.S. rather than leave the country. Cars rather than airplanes were the preferred mode of travel, by a 22.7%-21.3% margin.
The consumer confidence survey is based on a probability design random sample by the Nielsen Company.


text: ABBOTT PARK, Ill. (AP) — Abbott Laboratories says it beat its own expectations in the third quarter as sales of its drug Humira continued to climb, as did sales of medical products and nutritional products for children. The North Chicago company says strong sales of Humira, an injection for inflammatory disease, made up for weaker sales of other drugs. Nutritional sales grew 10 percent to $1.39 billion. Profit rose 16 percent, to $1.43 billion, or 92 cents per share, from $1.24 billion, or 79 cents per share. Excluding one-time costs, Abbott earned 95 cents per share. Revenue grew 4 percent, to $7.76 billion from $7.5 billion. Analysts expected 90 cents per share and $7.76 billion in revenue. The company raised its expectations for the year.


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Anita Wang, senior research manager of WitsView, points out the gaming market has been expanding, with video games included in Asian Games this year as a demonstration sport. The gaming sector has provided new momentum to the PC industry, and has driven the upgrade and replacement demand for peripherals. Particularly, a wave of replacement purchase among Internet café in China after PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, a popular video game, suggests using monitors with a frame rate over 144Hz for playing in 2017. Since then, gaming monitors with high frame rates have been gradually favored by common game players.
In the global shipment raking of gaming monitor makers, ASUS and Acer retained their first and second spot respectively, while other manufacturers in the ranking have undergone a market shuffle. This year, many LCD monitor makers have entered the gaming monitor market which has high gross margins. The market has also witnessed growing sales of curved gaming monitors with a high performance-price ratio.
ASUS remains the leader in gaming monitor market, with the highest shipments and market share. The company continues to develop innovative products and to increase its investment in the gaming market to retain its leading position.
Acer is in the second spot, with a wide range for gaming products, covering both professional players and general players. The layout has enabled Acer to catch up with its rivals since 2017 although the company started later than ASUS and BenQ. Acer, whose shipments surpassed BenQ and ranked in the second in 2017, will retain its 2nd position this year with shipments even closer to Asus.
AOC/Philips, ranking the third, has been building its brand in the gaming sector. The results turned out to be positive, with rising sales of its gaming products. In addition, the company’s comprehensive product range and the popularity of curved products also helped drive sales. In terms of overseas market, AOC/Philips has also made breakthroughs in Europe and the Asia Pacific in addition to the Chinese market.
Samsung has moved to the fourth in the ranking, one spot upward from last year. Samsung’s gaming monitors are mainly curved models with a high performance-price ratio, providing a comprehensive product line of curved models covering all screen sizes. More than 95% of the gaming products shipped by Samsung this year are curved ones.
For the whole gaming market, the market share of curved models has surpassed 50% in 2018, due to the strong demand for SDC curved gaming monitors from China. On the supply front, SDC is also willing to offer attractive prices to drive demand and shipment further. Other than leading brands, MSI and HKC have also benefited from the trend of curved gaming monitors this year, registering impressive shipments. The share of curved models in the gaming sector is expected to be 54%, up from 23% last year. In comparison, the share of flat LCD models is projected to be 46%, down from 77% last year.


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Happy New Year! The team MobileSyrup hopes you had a restful and happy holiday season, and we’re ready to welcome you back with the two biggest tech stories of the year (so far).
BlackBerry unveiled its newest device and expanded its newest partnership with a bang, at the biggest tech event of the year. CES 2017 was riddled with nifty gadgets and big announcements, but Blackberry’s latest smartphone seems to both confirm and contradict CEO John Chen’s masterplan.
Furthermore, photos of the most anticipated device of the year leaked online this past week, and as a result, we may finally have an idea of what the Samsung Galaxy S8 will look like. While nothing has been confirmed, rumours suggest that the launch event will take place in April.
For a full list of the stories covered in this episode, see below:
Galaxy S8 design potentially leaks in new photo
Here’s everything we know about BlackBerry’s upcoming ‘Mercury’ smartphone
BlackBerry details partnership with TCL and reveals upcoming ‘Mercury’ smartphone
Thanks for watching!


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DSF DAILY SURPRISES
Keep a close eye on Instagram as DSF Daily Surprises returns on 27 December for 32 days of unbelievable deals on brands and retailers across the city. DSF is calling all savvy shoppers to check out the deals just 24 hours beforehand on the social handle @StyledByDubai or the Dubai Shopping Festival website www.mydsf.ae for the chance to grab a bargain.
The deal will be live in store or online from 10am the following day and only while stocks last, so speed is of the essence to get your hands on unheard-of deals of up to 90% off.
Monday 27 December
The Oshkosh B'gosh is offering BUY 1 GET 2 deals on all purchases at Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Deira.
Tuesday 28 December
The Mom Store is offering 50% off of all fashion at City Centre Mirdif .
For more information, visit @StyledByDubai on social media channels and www.mydsf.ae.
Dubai’s malls, retail stores and attractions are all continuing to adhere to stringent COVID-19 health and safety protocols issued by public health authorities, while taking all the necessary precautions to keep visitors and shoppers safe and at ease.
Source: TALES & HEADS


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To this date, Amazon remains to be one of the biggest online retailers. The man behind the enterprise is none other than billionaire Jeff Bezos. Despite the acclaim of Amazon, Bezos himself understands that it will not be at the top forever. For someone who has achieved a lot with the website, Bezos is not fully optimistic of his company’s future.
“Amazon is not too big to fail … In fact, I predict one day Amazon will fail. Amazon will go bankrupt. If you look at large companies, their lifespans tend to be 30-plus years, not a hundred-plus years,” says Bezos in a recording heard by CNBC. The statement was said during an all-hands meeting last week in response to a question about where the company is headed.
The question was first linked to Sears, which filed for bankruptcy last October despite being the largest retail chain at one point. Bezos says that if Amazon and its employees want to stay afloat, it needs to “obsess over its customers.” He adds that the retail giant should not focus on itself if it wants to delay the day it will finally tumble.
The success behind the worries
Despite Bezos’ warning, Amazon seems to be doing pretty well. The company recently announced the location of its two new headquarters—Queens, New York, and Arlington, Virginia. It was a hard fought battle between cities in the U.S. that wanted Amazon in their territories. The company was offered billions on investments and subsidies just to set up shop.
One of the biggest bidders was Washington. According to The Washington Post, the district offered up to $1 billion in tax incentives. Amazon has the potential to open up approximately 50,000 jobs in D.C., which is the reason many cities sought after it. Aside from that tax incentives, Amazon was also offered discounts on property, sales and corporate franchise taxed over the next 15 years.
With its new headquarters, the retailer has once again expanded its reach in more cities in the U.S. Along with it comes the opening of thousands of jobs which will further help the company grow. This is just the tip of Amazon’s many accomplishments in recent years though.
Earlier this year, Amazon did an amazing feat by being the second publicly traded company to reach the trillion-dollar cap, with the first being Apple. Since that happened, more investors flocked Amazon’s stock on exchanges.
If there is one person who understands the mortality of Amazon, that is no other than the CEO himself. Bezos’ frank admission might have been worrying for a lot of Amazon’s employees, but they should take it as a word of advice instead of a warning. After all, Bezos has even said the direction the brand should take if it wants to stay at the top.
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Darden Restaurants Inc.
will raise wages starting Monday so that each hourly worker will earn at least $10 per hour, including tip income.
In January 2022, that rate will go up to $11, and in January 2023, up to $12.
Right now, the company’s average hourly restaurant worker is making $17 per hour, including servers and bartenders, who earn more than $20 per hour, according to Gene Lee, chief executive of Darden.
“As we continue to grow our business and welcome guests back into our restaurants, continuing to attract and retain the best talent in the industry will be critical to our success,” he said, according to a FactSet transcript.
The announcement came alongside the company’s fiscal third-quarter earnings, which exceeded expectations.
In addition to the wage increase, Darden also announced a one-time bonus for hourly team members, a $17 million investment.
In total, Darden has invested about $200 million in worker bonuses since March 2020.
The wage increase announcement comes as Darden’s weekly same-restaurant sales have increased into positive territory at its largest chains, Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.
For the week ending March 21, same-restaurant sales at Olive Garden were up 5.7%, following weeks of negative results.
At Longhorn Steakhouse, the same-restaurant sales increase was 23.2% for the week ending March 21.
Overall, Darden’s same-restaurant sales were up 5.4% for the week. Other chains in the Darden portfolio include The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.
For the quarter, Darden’s same-restaurant sales were down 26.7%.
Darden stock soared 8.1% in Thursday trading, and has skyrocketed 147.6% over the past year. The benchmark S&P 500 index
has gained 58% over the past 12 months.
Nearly all of the company’s restaurants, 99%, have opened for at least limited dining-room service. Lee said the company is “somewhere between 50% and 60%, 65% capacity inside the dining room, depending on the individual floor plan.”
Darden has invested in digital measures, like online checkout, in order to enhance the company’s takeaway business during COVID-19. Darden is looking forward to a higher volume of guests in its dining rooms as more people get vaccinated.
“I do believe that as we get to offer more capacity, and we see this in individual restaurants, that the off-premise will start to fall off,” Lee said.
According to Deloitte data released on March 22, three out of four consumers polled plan to spend more on apparel and restaurants over the coming weeks.
“The stress of the pandemic is shifting from personal safety to financial security as we turn the corner and vaccinations become more readily available,” said Anthony Waelter, U.S. consumer industry leader at Deloitte LLP, in a statement.
“Yet, despite a rise in financial stress-related anxiety, consumer intent to maintain or increase discretionary spending is also on the rise, demonstrating more confidence in the recovery.”


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Wabtec Corp. delivered “strong” second-quarter 2022 financial results, with year-over-year growth in total sales (up 1.8%, carried by the Freight segment) and backlog (up 7.9%), despite “rising costs, continued supply chain challenges and significant unfavorable foreign currency exchange,” the company reported Aug. 5.
For the three months ended June 30, 2022, Wabtec GAAP earnings per diluted share of $0.91 rose 37.9% from the prior-year period’s $0.66; adjusted, they were $1.23, up 16.0% from $1.06. This was “primarily due to higher sales and increased operating margins,” Wabtec said. “GAAP EPS further benefited from lower restructuring and transaction costs.”
Sales came in at $2.05 billion, growing 1.8% from the $2.01 billion posted during the same quarter last year. The company attributed this to “higher Freight segment sales, partially offset by lower Transit segment sales. On a constant currency basis, sales were up 5.6%.”
GAAP operating margin was 12.9%; adjusted, it was 16.7%, up 1.5 points. Both increased from last year “as a result of higher sales, increased pricing, improved mix and strong productivity, partially offset by escalating costs associated with metals, transportation and labor.” Wabtec reported.
At June 30, 2022, the multi-year backlog of $23.23 billion was up 7.9% (or $1.70 billion) from June 30, 2021, Wabtec said, “due primarily to increased orders for the Freight segment. Unfavorable foreign exchange adversely impacted the total backlog by $568 million.”
Freight Segment sales for second-quarter 2022 came in at $1.49 billion, up 11.5% from the prior-year period. Wabtec said this was driven by equipment, up 16.2% due to “increased international locomotives deliveries and growth from hirer mining sales”; components, up 4.5% due to “improving OE railcar build, railcars coming out of storage and growth in industrial end-markets”; digital electronics, up 1.2% due to “higher demand for on-board locomotive products and acquisitions, offset partially from ongoing chip shortage”; and services, up 14.3% due to “higher modernization sales and continued unparking of locomotives.”
Additionally, the company reported that both “GAAP and adjusted operating margin benefited from higher sales, favorable mix/price and operational efficiencies, partially offset by higher costs. GAAP operating margin also improved year-over-year as a result of lower restructuring and transaction costs.”
Transit segment sales for second-quarter 2022 came in at $558 million, down 17.5% from the prior-year period. The company said this was “primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency exchange and supply chain disruptions.” It added that “GAAP operating margin was up significantly as a result of lower restructuring and transaction costs, while adjusted operating margin was down modestly as a result of increased input costs and lower fixed cost absorption.”
Wabtec updated its 2022 financial guidance with sales to be in a range of $8.30 billion to $8.60 billion, and adjusted earnings per diluted share to be in a range of $4.70 to $5.00, vs. previous guidance of $4.65 to $5.05.
For full year 2022, Wabtec said it expects “strong cash flow generation with operating cash flow conversion of greater than 90%.”
“Looking forward, the Wabtec team is focused on delivering for our customers, executing against our value creation framework and is well-positioned to drive profitable growth,” summed up Wabtec President and CEO Rafael Santana. “The breadth and unique capability of the Wabtec products and technologies, combined with our installed base and multi-year backlog, provides us with increasing momentum in 2022 and beyond.”
The The Wabtec website provides more earnings details.
The Cowen Insight
“The [Wabtec] backlog saw strong year-over-year growth (up $1.7 billion, $2.27 billion on a constant currency basis),” Cowen and Company Transportation Equipment Analyst Matt Elkott reported. “The sequential quarter-over-quarter increase was $468 million and possibly does not reflect the recent Union Pacific modernization order, which is worth north of $1 billion, announced on July 27. Second quarter was a beat, and guidance was narrowed, with the mid-point unchanged.”
Key Cowen Takeaways:
• “Second-quarter 2022 adjusted EPS of $1.23 beat our and consensus estimates of $1.20 and $1.22, respectively. Adjusted operating income of $342 million beat our and consensus estimates of $327 million and $337 million, respectively.
• “Low-end and high-end of 2022 EPS guidance was updated with a new range of $4.70-$5.00 vs. prior guidance of $4.65-$5.05. Mid-point of $4.85 remains unchanged. Revenue guidance remains unchanged.
• “The company noted that sales increased compared to the year-ago quarter driven by higher Freight segment sales, partially offset by lower Transit segment sales due to currency headwinds and supply chain disruptions.
• “The backlog saw strong year-over-year growth (up $1.7 billion, $2.27 billion on a constant currency basis). The sequential quarter-over-quarter increase was $468 million and possibly does not reflect the recent Union Pacific modernization order, which is worth north of $1 billion, announced on July 27 (but if it does, the rest of the backlog would have declined sequentially ). Union Pacific announced its deal with Wabtec for 600 locomotive modernizations on July 27.”
In related developments, Wabtec this week celebrated 60 years of locomotive production in Brazil.


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Checkout operator 76-year-old Clive Watson was given the honour of opening the new petrol station at Sainsbury’s in Grantham today.
Clive, who has worked at the store for nine years, cut a ribbon at the petrol station which has been under construction on the London Road site for 12 weeks.
The new station has four more pumps and more forecourt space than its predecessor. Customers can also pay at the pumps instead of in the shop which is also brand new. There is also a new jet wash on site.
Ruby Stuckey and Mike Monaghan, of the Grantham Passage charity for homeless people, were at the opening. The charity is being supported by Sainsbury’s this year and the construction company which built the petrol station, Williams Southern Ltd, has donated £1,000 to the charity to help set up a new outreach centre at St Mary’s Church.
Mr Watson, who has won a Colleagues’ Colleague of the Year Award at the store, said: “I get a great deal of satisfaction working at Sainsbury’s. The way they have treated me and the way they operate means they have looked after me.”
Deputy store manager Tony Johnson said of the new petrol station: “The experience here will be much better for the customer.”


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Peter Alexander Defends Charging Customers More For Plus-Size Clothing
The sleepwear giant has released a statement defending its decision to make customers pay extra for larger sizes.
It comes off the back of revelations that customers were being made to pay up to $10 more for the brand's plus-size range.
In a statement sent to 10 daily, the company listed a number of reasons it claims are behind the price discrepancy.
The statement read: "To ensure comfort and that the fit is right, we utilise a different pattern to our regular collection while still maintaining a beautiful garment.
"It is these different patterns, along with the size of production run and to a lesser extent fabric consumption, that impacts the price of the styles.
"We try and limit this as much as possible, and as the category and production grows, we hope to achieve parity across our collections."
The brand came under the spotlight after customers took to social media to complain about the brand's decision to charge more for its plus-size range.
The items included the Archie Sleep Tee which cost $79.95 for a standard sized product, whereas a plus-sized version of the same product cost $89.95.
This is not the first time a clothing brand has been called-out for charging their customers more for their plus-size range.
In 2016 it emerged that ASOS was charging its customers more for its plus-sized range.
At the time ASOS ended up responding to the outrage by telling customers that the product's length was behind the price discrepancy.
Fast-forward to 2019 and it appears ASOS has changed their tune, with their plus-size offerings now costing the same as standard sizes.
READ MORE: Are Designers Having A Laugh At Our Expense?
Both cost $38.
Feature Image: Peter Alexander


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This week Carbios, a French biochemistry startup, presented a breakthrough way of dealing with plastic packaging to the Consumer Goods Forum, which brings together some of the world’s largest retailers, service providers, and manufacturers. The hope is that many of the 400 +companies in the group will eventually adopt the technology, which aims to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste, one of the most common plastics in consumer goods, “infinitely recyclable.”
Carbios’ enzymatic PET recycling technology – which promises to break down 97% of plastics within 16 hours – is already scaling up thanks to an agreement it has with L’Oréal, Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe to fund its research and development.
The collaboration – and the pitch to the Consumer Goods Forum – represents a sea change in the way corporates work with each other and with startups. It also serves as an example of how traditional companies can work with startups and scale-ups to help solve the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and move towards a circular economy.


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Littleton, Colo. and San Francisco. Oct. 26, 2021-DISH Network Corporation partners with both Helium Inc., a provider of decentralised unlicensed wireless networks, to support open source and low-cost wireless connectivity ecosystems.
In addition, DISH will be the carrier to utilise the Helium Network’s unique blockchain-based incentive model with customers deploying their own 5G CBRS- based hotspots.
The Helium Network is a consumer-deployed, decentralised wireless infrastructure that produces and delivers data-forwarding hotspots. By installing a hotspot in the home or office, a customer can provide and/or strengthen 5G wireless coverage using CBRS spectrum. In return, a customer will earn rewards in the form of $HNT, a Helium network-based token. Powered by the company’s blockchain, the Helium Network is creating a new wireless economy through a breakthrough economic model known as the burn-and-mint equilibrium (BNM).
DISH is no stranger to the world of blockchain. In 2014, it became the company to begin accepting Bitcoin, as well as the subscription-based TV provider to accept the currency. The company also went on to add Bitcoin Cash as a payment option in 2018, and the following year, GoChain added DISH as a signing node on its public network. Additionally, DISH and Input Output Global, the technology company behind the Cardano blockchain, announced a partnership agreement to build a variety of blockchain-based services together.
“Blockchain technologies hold tremendous potential for the wireless industry, and Helium is among the leading innovators who have demonstrated that the blockchain incentive works by creating the largest decentralised, unlicensed wireless network across the U.S.,” says Chris Ergen, head of the DISH Office of Innovation. “As we build out DISH’s 5G facilities-based network, we will continue to look for innovative technologies and business models that complement or support our wireless business.”
Helium decentralised wireless network coverage has rapidly grown to over 240,000 LoRA-based hotspots across 21,000 cities in North America, Europe and Asia. There are more than 500,000 additional hotspots currently back-ordered and over 50 new manufacturers waiting to be approved to build and sell Helium-compatible hardware.
“Using Helium Network’s technology and blockchain-based incentive model, DISH is a pioneer in supporting an entirely new way to connect people and things,” says Amir Haleem, CEO and co-founder, Helium. “The CBRS-based 5G hotspots will be deployed by customers, creating opportunities for users, partners and the entire ecosystem.”
Follow us and Comment on Twitter @TheEE_io


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The holiday shopping season is officially here and retailers are discovering that buying behaviors are changing, as evidenced by a far more sane, far less frenzied in-store Black Friday experience than in years past.
That’s because there was far less foot track in stores than last year. According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 44 percent of consumers shopped online and 40 percent of shoppers left home to visit brick-and-mortar locations.
There were also more consumers overall shopping for deals during this year’s Thanksgiving weekend than there were in 2015. The survey revealed that more than 154 million shoppers took advantage of sales and promotions, up from 151 million shoppers in 2015.
Yet, even though more people made purchases, spending was down 3.5 percent from last year, and the reason for that was there were so many amazing bargains to take advantage of.
“It was a strong weekend for retailers, but an even better weekend for consumers, who took advantage of some really incredible deals,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “In fact, over one third of shoppers said 100% of their purchases were on sale…People are more deliberate about the purchases they make. …The era of promotional sales is with us to stay.”
Macy’s, for example, made a point of being prepared for this new “era” of online and in-store consumer spending by developing a “clean inventory” strategy.
“Last year going into the fourth quarter, there was a higher inventory than planned and sales didn’t materialize,” said Macy’s chief executive Terry Lundgren. “There was lots of leftover inventory from the third quarter clogging aisles for the fourth quarter.”
Holiday shoppers expect holiday deals. Clearly, inventory management is key if retailers want to meet those holiday expectations.


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Apple’s App Store is booming in China, says CEO
AROUND 1.8 million tech developers in China use Apples Inc.’s platform, earning a total of CNY112 (US$16.93 billion), according to Apple’s chief executive, Tim Cook, speaking at a cybersecurity forum in China on Sunday.
The figures represent roughly a quarter of Apple’s total global App Store earnings.
China is the company’s third-largest region by sales, though recently it has lost some market share to high-end handsets from local rivals.
However, the company hopes it can regain back some momentum after the release of its iPhone 8 and iPhone X models which shipped in November, according to Reuters.
Apple also recently said it had moved its Chinese cloud data onto the servers of a local partner in the Chinese province of Guizhou.
However, In recent months, Apple has faced criticism from local users and rights groups for bowing to pressure from Beijing cyberregulators after it decided to remove hundreds of apps from its Chinese store, including Skype.
“We have been notified by the Ministry of Public Security that a number of voice over internet protocol apps do not comply with local law, therefore these apps have been removed from the App Store in China,” an Apple spokeswoman said at the time, according to Reuters.
Cook’s attendance at the cybersecurity event, organised by the Cybersecurity Administration of China (CAC), which oversees internet regulation including censorship, is one of several trips he has made to China this year. It shows that Apple remains committed to China despite facing continual criticism for bowing to pressure by Chinese regulators.


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We are awash with a myriad of conferences and symposiums about automated driving. There’s a lot of good offerings out there, but I’ve long been an advocate for events focusing specifically on automated trucking. There has been a modest degree of activity to this end in Europe, but given the high level of activity in Automated Driving Systems (ADS) for trucking in the U.S., this is a glaring gap that needs to be filled. To be more specific, what is needed are events which are not so much about the technology as about how an ADS truck can integrate into – and even transform – truck fleet operations.
Manifest 2022, which occurred in Las Vegas last week (and was also virtual), turned out to be a boon to those working the automated trucking space. Billed as “The Future of Logistics,” the program included panel discussions about supply chain, warehouse management, reverse logistics, drones, risk underwriting, warehouse robots, and freight visibility, as well as panels directly addressing truck ADS. With such a broad scope, I was concerned that automated driving would be only a minor topic at the event.
I estimate that Manifest in-person attendance at The Paris Hotel was in the low hundreds; the pandemic effects were certainly in play. No doubt the smaller exhibitors seeking to “be known” would have preferred more foot traffic. But for those of us focused on automated trucking, virtually every key autonomy startup company was there in some form. By far the most striking aspect of the exhibition was seven fully automated trucks from seven different developers, lined up along the back wall of the exhibit hall. Trucks were on display from Einride, Embark, Gatik, Kodiak, Locomation, Plus, and TuSimple. Quite the showing!
Trucks On Nevada Highways
If you’re going to have an event including automated driving, there better be some demos. Plus was Manifest’s exclusive “Demo Partner,” running demonstrations of their PlusDrive product on nearby highways. I see PlusDrive as a “get it now” approach to truck automation. Currently the company is retrofitting customer trucks in the U.S. with a “driver-in” approach toward advancing full automation. Few ADS developers today can safely remove the human driver from the cab because trucks sold currently do not have the SAE Level-4-ready redundancy that is required for fully driverless operations (TuSimple is the exception, including redundancy in their retrofits for driverless operations.) Truck OEMs have partnered with ADS developers to bring this level of redundancy to market in the coming years, as has been widely reported elsewhere. Plus is unique in that the company is using their L4 system to operate the truck on a divided highway under the supervision of a company driver with customers like Amazon. Having a human in the loop as part of the safety case means that PlusDrive technically operates as an SAE Level 2 system. This allows fleets to receive some of the benefits of automation today, rather than waiting years for the driver-out solution. Plus says that the real-world experience collected with large numbers of PlusDrive-equipped trucks running the roads will be a valuable source of validation data, which combined with their simulation suite will allow the company to introduce fully validated commercial Level 4 trucks in the next few years. Since PlusDrive is a commercial product and operated by fleets, Plus also offered Manifest demo participants holding a Commercial Driver’s License the chance to drive the PlusDrive-equipped truck themselves.
Industry Visionaries on Panels
Leaders and founders from the companies noted above, as well as Waymo and Daimler Trucks, participated in a set of interesting conference sessions.
A stellar set of industry veterans offered their perspectives in a session moderated by Blythe Brumleve, Owner, Digital Dispatch. These were Don Burnette, CEO & Co-Founder, Kodiak; Shawn Kerrigan, COO & Co-Founder, Plus; and Mike Reid, Chief Business Officer, Embark Trucks. When asked to elaborate on future plans, Don Burnette noted that they will be doing much longer runs during 2022, such as Los Angeles to Atlanta. Mike Reid said, “We’re targeting 2024 for driverless operations” in the southwestern United States, the first time I’ve heard a specific date mentioned by Embark.
Another session was moderated by Joanna Butler, Director, Autonomous Cascadia Program, Daimler Trucks North America. Again, more industry veterans on-stage: Charlie Jatt, Head of Commercialization for Trucking, Waymo; Tekin Mericli, Co-Founder & CTO, Locomation; and Chuck Price, Chief Product Officer, TuSimple. Joanna Butler asked the guys about prospects for the next five to ten years in this space. Charlie Jatt said we should look at automated trucking as a “long gradual journey” and emphasized that “plenty of jobs will remain for drivers,” especially considering the ever-worsening truck driver shortage. Chuck Price noted that, “TuSimple will be expanding our fleet over the next 3+ years; this won’t be ‘at scale’ but will be ‘real driverless’ operations.” He added that “We’re beyond R&D and into commercialization.” The panelists had confidence that truck manufacturers will soon launch L4-ready tractors as part of a multi-year process of scaling up automated trucking within freight carrier fleets. Tekin Meriçli said we can expect a “patchwork deployment” as the Operational Design Domain expands beyond the benign environments of the southern tier of the U.S. to more challenging environments, agreeing with others that this will be very gradual.
An Electric Vehicles session included Einride’s Founding Engineer and Technology Strategy Director Tomas Ohlson. Einride has commercialized a custom EV AV platform with no driver compartment, operating in both Europe and the U.S. Mr. Ohlson described their existing work in the U.S. with General Electric and their plans to expand their current routes.
A policy-focused panel session was moderated by Ariel Wolf, Counsel – Privacy, Cybersecurity and Transportation Technology, for the Self Driving Coalition for Safer Streets (which on the same day re-branded itself as the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association). Panelists were Christin Aizcorbe, VP Government Affairs, Velodyne Lidar; Wiley Deck, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Plus; and Prashanthi Raman, Director, Government Affairs, Cruise. Wiley Deck noted that, “We’re an industry looking to be regulated by the Federal government, because it’s important to have a uniform set of rules in place for the whole country to follow to ensure the safe introduction of these new technologies.” Prashanthi Raman discussed the need for exemptions for the Cruise vehicle, which does not have traditional driver controls, thus being out of compliance with current Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This will also be an issue for automated truck players, such as Einride, which don't have a driver compartment. Panelists also stressed the need and urgency for USDOT to move forward on rulemaking to fully allow automated trucking (going beyond “guidance” provided several years ago in USDOT’s AV Policy 3.0). Wiley Deck also observed that, “As developers we are all working together to educate officials and the public as to the benefits of autonomous vehicles,” adding that even though some may compete in business they are committed to working together with regulators.
New Players, New Approaches
At Manifest, a new player emerged in the AV trucking space. The recently established startup Solo AVT is focused on building a Class 8 truck platform optimized for an electric powertrain and automated driving, going so far as to have no driver compartment. Solo CEO Graham Doorley said they are “starting from a clean slate,” noting that "significant efficiencies can be achieved by taking this approach, unhampered by traditional design and legacy constraints.” Doorley and his team have a heritage from the Waymo truck program, Tesla, and similar companies. Solo is exclusively focused on developing the hardware platform.
There’s other approaches for driving trucks with no humans inside. Phantom Auto was at the event promoting their remote driver offering to freight movement in confined areas. They have ongoing operations running forklifts inside warehouses, trailer shifters in logistics yards, and moving containers at seaports. Phantom says their system delivers HD video at sub-100 millisecond latency, safely enabling remote vehicle operations at low speeds.
There were several notable no-shows. There were no speakers or attendees from Aurora, as far as I know. Truck manufacturers had only a scant showing. (Aurora was highly visible the prior week: their co-founder Sterling Anderson keynoted at the SAE Government-Industry meeting in Washington, D.C. and the event was chaired by Aurora Safety Chief Nat Beuse.)
I had expected more of a showing from shippers and truck freight carriers as well. Representatives from Anheuser-Busch, PGT Trucking, and U.S. Xpress and were among those attending, and UPS and DHL each had exhibit booths. Maybe there were others. Overall, though, the showing from actual freight carriers was disappointing.
Then again, who says its vital to be at shows like this? Waymo, which didn't bring a truck or have an exhibit, is in a league all its own: it is privately held and well capitalized. They have achieved key partnerships such as the recently announced JB Hunt alliance. They can plot their own path at their own timing.
Coming off the December announcement of a $228M Series A funding round, Robotic Research’s commercial arm, RR.AI, had several representatives attending, but no exhibit. They tell me a more substantial involvement at shows like this can be expected going forward.
Manifest delivered an unprecedented gathering of leaders from ADS truck companies along with their automation capable trucks. Within a relaxed atmosphere, superb networking could be had with CEOs, CTOs, COOs, and Chief Engineers, etc. A surprising number of investors attended as well, nosing around for hidden gems among the startups.
Even with some shortcomings that were no doubt influenced by the ongoing pandemic, I’m a big fan of what the inaugural Manifest accomplished last week. Despite my concern that automated driving would only be a bit player at Manifest, that ball got hit out of the park.
I’m looking forward to this and other similar events over the next couple of years as commercial automated trucking shifts into gear.
Disclosure: I am an Advisor to Plus, RR.AI, and SoloAVT.


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What’s making a splash in the world of sun protection
Words Pamela McIntosh
As the golden sun comes out to play so do the warnings about protecting our skin from its damaging rays. Sunscreens have come a long way since zinc oxide was used as a ‘block’ in the 1920s after Australian dermatologist Norman Paul warned the public about the association between skin conditions and sun exposure. Fast forward nearly a century and most of us know to look out for ‘broad spectrum’ sunscreens – those that protect against both UVA – which penetrate deep into the dermis and cause premature ageing, and UVB rays – the ones that cause sunburn and skin cancer. But as consumers become more aware of how skincare products are made, and ultimately what ingredients get absorbed into their skin, the shift towards mineral sun protection has gained momentum.
Zinc oxide, along with titanium dioxide, remain the most common active ingredients of choice for those wanting a mineral-based sunscreen, and ingredients of a less ‘chemical’ nature. President of the New Zealand Dermatological Society, Professor Amanda Oakley, says they stack up pretty well against their chemical counterparts. “Chemical agents that absorb or filter UV
are more effective, more stable, and more cosmetically attractive than reflective agents,” says Dr Oakley, “However agents we used to think of as purely reflective agents (such as zinc and titanium) also absorb UV – so there isn’t a clearcut difference.”
Techie tip: download the UV2Day app. A daily UVI (ultra violet index) which indicates levels of skin damage that can occur during the day.
Sunscreen innovation is an ever-evolving space as you’ll see here, but the point is that whether by education or by lathering on product – it’s good to be well covered.
The news on nanoparticles
Nanoparticles are whole particles that have one dimension that measures 100 nanometres or less (far, far smaller than a human hair). They are found in medicines and products and the idea is that they make some ingredients – like zinc and titanium which can be white in colour or thick in consistency – nicer to use. “The concern around nanoparticles is that they might be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream,” explains Professor Oakley. “But if they are, the immune system can usually cope fine and to-date, no toxic effects have been seen in humans.” The Journal of Research in Environmental Science and Toxicology reports that these tiny particles could in fact be harmful to sea creatures; they could disable the defence mechanisms that protect their embryos.
Breast really is best
Founder of Christchurch-based Oasis Beauty Stephanie Evans heard at the recent Sun Protection and Anti-Ageing Skin Care Conference in Asia that breast tissue is being used as a test surface for skincare ingredients. “Scientists have found a way to keep excess tissue from breast reduction patients alive for up to six weeks!” says Evans. “In Europe they are using this tissue to test how the skin reacts to certain ingredients.”
Tomatoes take on a new role
While tomatoes appear most at home in a salad, studies suggest that lycopene, the natural red pigment that colours the juicy red fruit may provide some defence from sun damage. “The lycopene in tomatoes may help to protect the skin,” says Evans. “This is currently being tested internationally, and testing is showing that the recommended amount (1.5 teaspoons of tomato puree) equals a 30 per cent increase in skin protection.”
Dr Jack Ferguson, Sun Protection and Cosmetic Advertising Claims Expert from UK-based organisation Skinnovation agrees with the findings, but suggests caution because lycopene is not a complete protection. “Lycopene does not block the rays but interferes with the damage process to minimise the effect of sun damage,” explains Dr Ferguson. Professor of Molecular Dermatology Mark Birch-Machin from Newcastle University in the UK sums up the situation pretty well: “While tomatoes will not make you invincible in the sun, it may be a useful addition to sun protection along with sunscreen, shade and clothing.”
Infrared hasn’t been high on the radar until now, and while it doesn’t cause UVB damage, it definitely contributes to UVA damage – and ageing is a hot issue. “People may not realise that infrared is one of the main causes of ageing of the skin,” says product development associate for Swisse skincare, Selina Mithin. “It’s 54 per cent of the solar light spectrum and the infrared A rays in particular can penetrate into the skin and break down collagen and elastin – the parts of your skin that provide structure.
Experts say we should apply SPF every day – even the gloomy ones. “In the lab they test sunscreen as a thick layer to determine the UV rating,” says Evans, “Whereas when people use sunscreen they rub away the product until it’s invisible, which in effect can halve the product’s protection. The skin has dips and troughs and with seven passes over the skin, all the dips and troughs should be completely covered,” she explains. “Allow 10-15 minutes for the product to blend into your skin.”


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Challenging year-ago numbers and a lackluster consumer spending environment took a toll on retailers reporting July comparable-store sales, but one retailer, Stein Mart Inc., said sales of women’s apparel performed well.
Stein Mart said markdowns and other factors impacted July comps, which showed a gain of 0.2 percent. The retailer said July sales “comparisons were unfavorably impacted by the shift of sales-tax holidays from July to August in eight states for 102 stores.”
“Geographically, the Midwest and Southwest had the strongest sales, while the Northeast, Southeast (sales-tax holiday shift) and California performed below the chain,” the company said. “For the second quarter, ladies’ apparel had the strongest sales, led by dresses and ladies’ boutique, while accessories performed lower than the chain.”
Specialty apparel retailer The Buckle Inc., which operates more than 450 stores in 44 states, said same-store sales declined 8.1 percent. And Zumiez Inc. said comps fell 7.6 percent, and for the second quarter, same-store sales shed 4.5 percent.
Rick Brooks, chief executive officer of Zumiez Inc., said, “while our second-quarter comparable-sales decrease of 4.5 percent was within our guidance range, we did experience greater-than-anticipated pressure as we moved through the month from both a sales perspective with the shift in Labor Day and related sales-tax holidays as well as on product margin from higher promotional activity to clear seasonal inventory.”
L brands Inc. fared better, with total comps rising 3 percent, which compares to a 6 percent gain in the same month last year. By brand, Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works both posted a 3 percent same-store sales gain for the month while direct sales were flat, which compares to a 3 percent decline last year.
Value-priced apparel retailer Cato Corp. said its July comps declined 1 percent. Still, John Cato, chairman, president, and ceo, said the retailer expects “second-quarter earnings per diluted share to be near the high end of our original range of [54 cents to 57 cents] versus [56 cents] last year, a decrease of 4 percent to an increase of 2 percent.”
Thomson Reuters reported a median 0.3 percent same-store sales decline for the apparel segment. Gap Inc. will release its comps on Monday.
Regarding the broader retail market, Costco Wholesale Corp. reported flat comps, while Conn’s posted a 4 percent gain, which was driven by appliance, furniture and mattress sales and reflects earlier reports from the U.S. Commerce Department that consumers had shifted spending toward bigger-ticket items.
Michael P. Niemira, principal and chief economist at The Retail Economist LLC, said in his research note that July’s temperatures were warmer than last year, and that “weather was helpful as an incentive to buy summer clearance merchandise, but not a strong catalyst for back-to-school merchandise demand.”
“Overall, the [retail] industry’s July sales trend continued weak at the top line, but core demand — sales excluding the impact of gasoline prices and forex fluctuations — remained relatively healthy,” Niemira said.
In its analysis of sales, traffic, conversion rates and average transaction values, RetailNext said total sales per shopper were up 4.7 percent for the month compared to July 2014, which indicates that “shopper commitment has increased, which is consistent” with what the firm has seen in recent months.
“However, for the first time this year, average transaction value dropped by 0.2 percent,” the researchers said.
By region, the Northeast had the most sluggish traffic patterns with a 13.9 percent year-over-year decline. In the South, traffic was down 9.8 percent and it declined 9.6 percent in the West. The Midwest had a 7.3 percent drop in traffic.
Conversions, which is sales transactions as a percentage of total transactions, increased across all regions.
For August, Niemira expects “sales growth will remain relatively steady with the recent fiscal year-to-date performance as negative year-over-year impacts linger for gasoline price and foreign exchange comparisons, but modestly helped by the later state sales tax holidays that will help some retailers.”
Niemira is forecasting August retail comps to be between flat and up 1 percent, which compares to a year-ago gain of 4.8 percent. For apparel retailers, the challenge will be to clear out seasonal merchandise as well as back-to-school looks without suffering steep markdowns and gross margin erosion.


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It’s widely assumed that swapping cigarette puffing for vapor huffing is better for health—after all, electronic cigarettes that heat up and atomize a liquid concoction can skip all the hazards of combustion and smoke. But researchers are still scrambling to understand the health effects of e-cig use (aka vaping) and to track down the variable and undisclosed components of those vaporized mixtures. The most recent data hints at unexpected health effects unique to e-cig use.
It seems the flavoring and other additives are the biggest issue. Most non-tobacco vape substances I’ve seen have been pure extracts without any additives. Now its possible things left over from the extraction process might be an issue but there’s not much research on that yet probably due to the legalities of it. Cinnamaldehyde has very strong irritant properties (it directly activates one of the main sensors of nasty chemicals)…
If it suppresses the immune system, I wonder if vaping would actually be beneficial for those with autoimmune diseases? We automatically think of a weak immune system as “bad”, but some people’s immune system is so strong that it’s hurting/killing them.
Here’s something to think about next time you get one of those “miracle green tea” emails in your inbox: doctors treating an unidentified British teenager say she contracted hepatitis and jaundice as a result of her attempts trying to lose weight by drinking diet green tea. And the scary thing is she’s not the only person to suffer this fate.
The tea is believed to be the vector, not the actual cause. Additives and/or pesticides are believed to be the actual cause, due to overdosing on green tea. Read the directions, when in doubt – ask.
I’ve been there, trying to offset the hunger or desire to eat for various reasons. Rushing does not help, and incrementally making adjustments to your diet will allow you to adopt a new lifestyle easier. There really aren’t shortcuts.
You already knew that the crab in your lunch roll wasn’t really crab — but you probably didn’t know about all the other kinds of imitation foods you eat all the time. From faux wasabi to milk and olive oil that’s partly made up of additives, these are the weird ingredients in the fake foods you eat.
During Prohibition, the US Government put toxic chemicals into any products that contained alcohol, just to make sure nobody would drink them. Now, Prohibition is long over… but the policy of adding poison to alcoholic products has never ended. Here are the deadly additives that are only there to keep you drinking stuff.
Most hospitals switched hand sanitizers for that exact reason. Homeless alcoholics were coming in to steal the packs out of the dispensers. The hospitals had to get the poison ones because they were hemorrhaging so much money on the drinkable stuff. You’d think they’d be worried someone will get poisoned to death?


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KUALA LUMPUR: Satellite television operator Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd saw its profits rose in the first half ended 31 July 2017 by 34.9 per cent to RM442.2 million from RM327.6 million in the previous corresponding period.
The group’s revenue however was slightly lower at RM2.7 billion from RM2.8 billion.
The group’s total advertising expenditure (adex) rose four per cent year-on-year to RM351 million; with both its share of TV adex and radio adex growing at 43 per cent and 74 per cent respectively.
“Our businesses continued to be cash generative and the board is pleased to declare a second interim dividend of three sen per share,” said its chairman Tun Zaki Azmi, adding that in a challenging market, Astro is focused on delivering sustainable growth over the long term.
Astro group chief executive officer Datuk Rohana Rozhan meanwhile commented on the group's diversified revenue streams across the television, radio and digital platforms, adex and e-commerce continued to show resilience.
“Margins and profits in Q2FY18 benefited from lower cost to serve and one-off savings arising from content secured on more favourable terms,” she said in a statement.
“We continue to expand our reach by serving 5.3 million or 72 per cent of Malaysian households and increase our customer engagement with the 21 million individuals in these homes.”
Astro's home proposition achieved net growth of 288,000 driven primarily by NJOI net adds within the first half and is on track for 90 per cent reach within five years, reinforcing a strong base to serve.
“Our singular focus now is to expand our household reach onto individual devices and developing meaningful personal relationships,” said Rohana.
Astro GO grew its registered users to 1.3mil with an average of 235 minutes viewing time per week among active users.


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28th June 2013
Feature: Our top three European gay hotspots
6:50 PM — The typically inconsistent English summer weather has left us all dreaming of an exotic break in the sun. Whether you’re after a cultural escape, a serious bit of R&R, or a wild party getaway, these hot holiday destinations are not only conveniently affordable and close, but will also tick off all your holiday desires.
7th May 2013
Gran Canaria gay hangout the Yumbo Centre hit by serious fire 2
10:26 AM — Fire has damaged several venues at the Yumbo Centre, home to several LGBT clubs, bars and shops in the resort of Playa del Ingles on Gran Canaria.
19th January 2010
Mainstream holiday operator to cater for gay couples 17
4:15 PM — Holiday company Thomson has announced it is launching a new holiday brochure aimed at gay couples. The operator said its seven destinations are gay-friendly.


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© Reuters. Factory workers assemble Toyota 86 rear-wheel-drive sports cars at Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd’s Gunma Main Plant in Ota, Gunma prefecture in this March 16, 2012 file photo. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
By Maki Shiraki
(Reuters) -Toyota Motor Corp will slash global production for September by 40% from its previous plan, the company said on Thursday, becoming the last major automaker to cut output due to critical shortages of semiconductors.
The world’s largest automaker by sales volumes has fared better than rivals, having built a larger stockpile of chips under a business continuity plan adopted after the 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. But a resurgence in COVID-19 cases across Asia has compounded the semiconductor crunch.
A Toyota executive said the September cuts included 15 factories in Japan and overseas plants, and that it was reducing its planned global production that month by around 360,000 vehicles.
Toyota shares closed down 4.4% in their biggest daily drop since December 2018, pulling the benchmark average to a seven-month low.
Toyota said this month it was facing an unpredictable business environment due to fresh COVID-19 cases in emerging economies, the semiconductor shortage and soaring material prices.
The carmaker had already halted assembly lines at some Japanese factories between late July and early August, including its Tahara plant, due to a surge in infections in Vietnam which had constrained the supply of parts, the Nikkei reported earlier.
A person familiar with the matter told Reuters this month that Toyota had also suspended production at one assembly line in Guangzhou, China, which it operates with its Chinese joint-venture partner Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd.
In Thailand too, Toyota suspended production last month at three factories due to a pandemic-related parts shortage.
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After Kune Foods, Rent shelf startup Notify Logistics is closing down after nearly five years of operation in Kenya citing an inability to break even from high operation costs.
The company announced the closure of Nairobi’s Moi Avenue store through a notice that read ‘“Dear vendors, we regret the closure of Notify Mall in Moi Avenue, Nairobi. We request all vendors to stock out their operations on Monday and Tuesday, August 30 is our last day. Sorry for any inconveniences caused,” the company said on its Instagram page. The Mombasa store has also been closed.
The company pioneered the rent-a-shelf model in the country in 2018 by offering shelf space to businesses at lower rates compared to normal retail space. The move targeted merchandise and e-commerce businesses and was expected to reduce the cost of doing business for small enterprises.
The firm was also in charge of sales and deliveries of stock on behalf of the vendors where it charged a marketing fee of 6.5 per cent of the product value which stopped a few months after opening.
Its model was based on leasing space and then renting it out to many small enterprises that were unable to afford a physical outlet on their own or hire someone else besides the founder/owner of the business. The businesses would pay an annual fee of Sh20,000 or about Sh1,700 per month for the shelf space that came with shop attendants. This means the vendors would cut on licences and other costs such as hiring salespeople.
In August last year, Notify Logistics raised Sh45 million in a seed round that was to promote their entrepreneurial ventures and their growth in the retail sector as reported by the Business Daily.
Speaking on the sudden closure, one of the Notify Logistics Directors Hellen Nyambura said, “It has become extremely hard to maintain and the thing is we were getting unstainable with the vendors. We were paying Sh800,000 per month for the three floors and we were just facing auctioneers. We stopped taking vendors and we also had issues with management. It has been a salad of many issues.”
Their closure comes a few months after Kune Foods closed shop amid operation issues.


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Paramount Communications expands biz
Delhi-based Paramount Communications, which was so far serving industrial sector, will start selling cables to the end-users through a network of dealers in Delhi and NCR. "We aim to reach out to more than 200 dealers across North India in the next one year," said the company's CEO Sanjay Aggarwal.
Paramount Communications clocked a turnover of Rs 800 crore in 2008-09 and is targeting a 15% growth in revenues this fiscal. The company will enter the domestic market with a range of offerings including the environment friendly Zero Halogen domestic cables that will come with an unparallel 20 year warranty. The company made foray into the UK market with the acquisition of AEI Cables in 2007.