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‘The price is dictated by the market’: Don’t blame us for three-year petrol price highs, fuel retailers say
MOTORISTS around the country have cried foul over massive petrol price increases. Here’s how to avoid the worst of it.
MOTORISTS around the country are being urged to fill up “just enough to get by” until the cycle turns amid three-year high petrol prices blamed on tightening global oil supply.
With the global oil price increasing more than 40 per cent over the past year to just under $US75 a barrel, the average price for regular unleaded is about 150 cents per litre in most capital cities.
“It’s not great news, to be honest,” NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said. “We’re starting to see some very high prices that we haven’t seen for some time.”
Some cities, such as Adelaide and Sydney, have already hit the top of their cycle so motorists there should fill up now, while others like Brisbane and Melbourne are near their peak.
According to the MotorMouth website, the average price per litre for regular unleaded in each capital is:
• Sydney: 137 cents
• Melbourne: 152.1 cents
• Brisbane: 154.2 cents
• Perth: 152 cents
• Adelaide: 138.7 cents
• Canberra: 149.9 cents
• Hobart: 149.2 cents
• Darwin: 150.5 cents
“For those cities that are now at the high point, if you need to fill up just get enough to get by for the next few days until prices start to drop,” Mr Khoury said. “There’s not a massive spread of prices in those cities — for example in Brisbane the average is 153.9 and the most expensive is 156.9, which is worrying.
“If you’re in Sydney, fill up now because it is going to go back up. When we see prices this high it’s really important that motorists make the most of the fuel cycles in those cities that have them, otherwise you’re going to be paying 20-30 cents more than you need to.”
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission tracks the fuel price cycle in every city, and a number of consumer apps are available to find the best deal near you, including the NRMA’s MyNRMA and RACWA’s RAC Go apps.
In the NSW and NT, retailers are required by law to report real-time price data, which is fed into the FuelCheck and MyFuelNT apps. The MotorMouth app uses national data supplied by industry body Informed Sources, while the GasBuddy app relies on crowdsourced data.
While the RACQ and other motoring organisations have accused petrol retailers of price gouging to boost their margins above what the “fair price” should be, retailers say they’re simply passing on higher costs.
“That’s about as credible as us talking about a ‘fair price’ for the insurance products offered by those organisations,” said Mark McKenzie, chief executive of petrol retailer peak body the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA).
“The price is dictated by the market. We’re at the top of the cycle and tracking higher than we have for quite a while because of two effects. The first is the increase in the world oil price, and we’re also seeing the combined effects of increasing costs for retail business, and I stress that they are businesses.
“My suggestion to our critics is if they can name any business across the country that has not experienced increased costs in the last three years, we’d like to hear it. A number of our retailers are reporting a doubling of electricity costs in the last 12 months alone.”
Mr McKenzie said it wasn’t fair to focus just on the top of the cycle. “It’s the average price over a 12-month period, clearly our businesses will try to recover their costs from that average,” he said.
He added that while some of the bigger retailers were protected by fixed electricity contracts, the smaller operators that make up 70 per cent of the industry were typically on annual retail plans.
Many of those were now using energy contractors to try to secure the best price. “We don’t just sit there and say, ‘We don’t give a rat’s, we’ll just pass it on’, because if they can secure an energy contract that is competitive, that’s an advantage,” Mr McKenzie said.
According to the ACCC’s most recent quarterly petrol price report, gross retail margins are at their highest recorded levels since monitoring began in 2002.
“The ACCC accepts that some of the increase in gross retail’s margins has been due to increased costs; the information we have, however, indicates that this contribution does not explain the bulk of the increase,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said at the time.
Last week, Liberal Senator Jim Molan warned Australia was in danger of running out of fuel by next month in the wake of the Syria air strikes, with the former Australian Army major general describing it as a “single point of failure”.


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Five Minute Briefing - Information Management
March 23, 2023
Five Minute Briefing - Information Management: March 23, 2023. A concise weekly report with key product news, market research and insight for data management professionals and IT executives.
Domino Data Lab is announcing updates to its platform that will drive accessibility to open source tools and techniques—including Ray 2.0, MLflow, and Feast's feature store for machine learning (ML)—allowing enterprises to see tangible value from their AI, sooner; the announcement also features the launch of Domino Cloud, the fully-managed MLOps Platform-as-a-Service, and the general availability of Domino's hybrid and multi-cloud Nexus capability.
Dataiku, the platform for Everyday AI, is joining NVIDIAs DGX-Ready Software program, simplifying the deployment and management of AI for customers. Dataiku has been selected for the exclusive, invite-only program because of its tested and certified solutions that pair with NVIDIA DGX systems, allowing NVIDIA customers and partners to easily implement advanced analytics and AI.
Redis, the real-time data platform, is releasing RedisJSON 2.0, enabling customers to easily modernize existing applications and create entirely new digital experiences requiring real-time access and processing of JSON document files. According to the company, this new version now comes with native indexing, querying, and full-text search capabilities, powered by RediSearch, reducing complexity for developers and all coming at the speed of Redis.

domain: news


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- Europe faces a potential energy shortage this winter as Russia slows its natural-gas supply.
- The surge in natural-gas prices is hitting farms that rely on energy to produce food.
- A top Swedish tomato producer is halting winter plantings and Dutch greenhouses are scaling down.
Some farmers in Europe are winding down production this winter due to high energy prices, further threatening the global food supply that is already in a crisis.
Europe faces a potential energy shortage this winter as countries in the region are highly dependent on Russia for natural gas. However, Russia has shut down a significant pipeline to Europe, citing technical issues due to sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, and the EU is planning a full Russian oil ban this winter. This has caused a massive surge in natural-gas prices that were already on the rise even before the war due to rebounding demand as pandemic restrictions eased.
As energy is required throughout the food production process, farmers and food producers are feeling the pinch from red-hot prices with some halting or slowing output in the colder months ahead.
Nordic Greens Trelleborg, a top Swedish tomato producer, said it will not be planting a winter crop this year because it would be running at a loss given current electricity prices, Swedish newspaper Afton Bladet reported on Sunday. That's because Nordic Greens had already locked in tomato prices earlier in the year when electricity prices were lower, explained the company's site manager Mindaugas Krasauskas. It's the first time the company is suspending production.
EU farmer union Copa-Cogeca told the Financial Times that the dairy and bakery sectors are the most impacted by the surge in fuel prices because processes for pasteurization and milk powder production consume a lot of energy. This, in turn, has pushed up butter and milk powder prices, which were up 80% and 55% respectively at the end of August from a year ago, according to the European Commission.
Meanwhile, some greenhouses — which regulate temperatures for off-season growing — in the Netherlands are switching off or reducing production areas this winter due to expensive fuel prices, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The Netherlands is the world's second-largest agricultural exporter after the US, so a reduction in farm output would hit shipments of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
With man-made farming solutions slowing due to the energy crisis, the industry could be going back in time this year.
"It's like we will go back in history again with Spain producing in wintertime and the northern European countries producing their own vegetables in summertime," Rabobank analyst Cindy van Rijswick told Reuters. "Some people say maybe that's the way it should be."


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Latest News on Etailer
Showing of 0 - 10 from 10 results
Etailer - Total results - 10
Aug 29, 2018
DIPP secretary Ramesh Abhishek says govt won't allow 49% FDI in e-retail of limited inventory Indian goodsIndia has reportedly attracted $230 billion in FDI in the last four years and the ‘Invest India’ campaign is facilitating foreign investments worth $90 billion.
Aug 14, 2018
Amazon infuses India operations with additional capital of Rs 2,700 cr; total investments at Rs 25,241 crAhead of the retail giant Walmart taking majority stake (77 percent) in India's e-tail major Flipkart for $16 billion in May, Amazon invested Rs 2,600 crore in its India operations.
Apr 05, 2017
Snapdeal weighs sale to Flipkart, but company board not convinced on terms of dealSoftBank has been looking to push other investors such as Kalaari Capital and Nexus Venture Partners to get their approvals, but wasn't successful in convincing them
Mar 08, 2017
A lifeline for Snapdeal amid layoffs, mounting losses, exits; etailer to get $100-150 mn funding from SoftBankThe latest fund raising exercise could crimp the company's valuation to below $3 billion
Oct 06, 2016
Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal claim record volumes this festive season, set off e-commerce fireworksConsumers have gone all-out to avail of the scorching pace of discount offers on various products , helping the online retail entities log record sales.
Oct 05, 2016
Ecommerce war: Flipkart clocks record Rs 1,400 cr in single day sales; can Amazon match up?Monday's sales was more than double the company achieved in a single day sales last year
Sep 23, 2016
Flipkart vs Amazon vs Snapdeal: Will this festival season be a damp squib for customers?According to analysts, this year's festive sales may be impacted by recent guidelines by DIPP that bar e-commerce players from doling out discounts
Aug 30, 2016
Flipkart: More top-level churn, job cuts likely, says reportKrishnamurthy's elevation is also seen as a move to reduce Binny Bansal's role at Flipkart's core operations in order to revamp operations at the etailer
Oct 14, 2015
Big Billion sale: Flipkart says it sold 25 items per second on Day OneFlipkart says Bengaluru, Delhi and Chennai emerged as the chart toppers in terms of visits from metro cities; Ludhiana, Lucknow and Bhopal from the non-metro cities.
May 09, 2015
Decoding Alibaba-Paytm deal: Indian e-tailers are at a new inflection pointE-retailers are so busy building revenues that they do not see it is in their interests to block the Chinese imports


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Certain areas of California have already been shown, including the Santa Monica Pier and Hollywood as well as various locations in San Francisco. How these locations will be used in-game is unclear, though it has been confirmed that Dead Island 2 will feature both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes.
Other changes include more fearsome, but fragile zombies in order to make combat more tense in the immediate. Other mechanics like rage and weapon combination crafting will also be returning. So long as there's plenty of zombie smashing, fans will almost certainly be back for more.
Another high-profile game has been struck with the delay bug. Our stacked 2015 is slowly... posted Apr 30, 15 10:00am
Dead Island 2 could just be the most scenic zombie apocalypse game we've seen to date, being... posted Aug 11, 14 2:59pm
Dead Island 2 is on the way, as the Kuru virus makes its way to the mainland. Set in sunny... posted Jun 09, 14 7:47pm


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It’s only fitting that a 35-year-old Southern barbecue franchise would want to have a presence in a state that is home to the “BBQ Capital of the W
Top Round Roast Beef announced its first franchisee will be opening multiple stores in San Jose, California. The chef-driven fast food concept has
“Fuzzy’s Taco Shop has a large fan base in St.
Symbolic of the comforting and flavorful foods found in markets and cafés along the streets of France, la Madeleine is channeling that flavor as it
Mama Fu’s Asian House, the Austin-based restaurant concept, is pleased to announce the addition of finance and business management executive Jason
Chef Anthony Carron and partners' 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria has partnered with Tokyo-based Lumine Co Ltd with a multi-unit agreement to open
Taco Bueno broke ground today on the first of three new restaurants planned to open in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this year.
One of the first in the franchise system to receive the remodel, the Chronic Tacos location in Saugus, California, will open the doors to a newly r
Del Taco reported that the brand is making significant strides in the South, with a focus on expansion in Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas.
Sani Professional, the food safety division of Professional Disposables International (PDI), and the Sani Professional Food Safety Advisory Council


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ANDREW Poxon of Leonard Curtis has been appointed administrator at Lancashire-based plastic bag manufacturer Nelson Packaging.
Around 40 staff have been made redundant at the plant which has now closed.
The company’s managing director, Michael Flynn, has blamed the government’s 5p plastic bag tax and overseas competition for its current predicament.
Nelson Packaging, in business since 1975, which made bags and assorted packaging products, was bought by Warrington-based packaging group, Intelipac, in 2011.
The bag charge was introduced in England in October 2015 some four years after Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Plastic bag use has reportedly plummeted by around 70% since the charge was introduced.
Leonard Curtis was appointed on 25 February.
BHS auditor PwC questioned over why it described the embattled retailer as a 'going concern' days before it was sold for £1
KPMG raised concerns over Retail Acquisition's ability to continue to trade and fund both BHS
Duff & Phelps’ Irish business now boasts over 70 staff
FRC looks into events at BHS following pressure from MPs to scrutinise directors and advisers involved in sale of department store prior to its collapse


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The event brings ideas on revenue strategies, use of intelligence data, platform publishing and viral content in social media. Speakers from India and abroad will share their insights and experiences on how to sustain the engagement with the readers and increase the share of revenue from digital.
The key topics to be covered at the event include:
The recent World Press Trends report shows that the global digital circulation revenues grew by 28% and a full 300 % from 2012-2016, with a trend expected to continue. Reader revenue now makes up about 30 % of total digital revenue. The digital media world requires continuous push and well understanding of reader habits and the strategies in order to maintain and generate readers revenue through good quality content.
Digital Media India 2018 promises to discuss all these and more, over the two days.
While the conference will take place on 08-09 February, two parallel pre-conference workshops will take place on 07 February, all at the same venue.
Two parallel pre-conference workshops will address a) Paid content business models b) Big data for journalists.
The event expects to attract more than 175 senior news publishing executives from India and abroad: CEOs, CDOs, Digital Editors-in-Chief, CMOs, Digital revenues strategists, Heads of sales, Media buyers and Advertising Agencies are expected to attend the event.
Regular updates on the event will be available at the Digital Media India website, Twitter with #dmi2018 and at the conference’s FB page.
The event offers various sponsorship opportunities for suppliers to highlight their presence and brand image. The booking for info table and sponsorships is open now.
WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Frankfurt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore and India, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.


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as the Limerick Community Grocery marks its first anniversary, plans are in place to redevelop their facility, and open seven days a week.
Just over a year ago, 19 volunteers met for the first time to put in plans place for the city’s first co-operative store, with Bill Kelly having already secured use of the former Esso garage in Mulgrave Street.
Since then, the facility has gone from strength to strength, and can now boast almost 300 members.
In addition to this, the co-operative is the Limerick Leader’s representative in the Get Involved competition, an initiative developed by the Local Ireland, the body previously known as the Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland.
The difference between a co-operative company, and a regular company is that all the profits it makes are ploughed straight back into the business.
Members also have a say in how it is run, and this was evident when at its monthly meeting, it was immediately decided to have the facility open between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday evenings, alongside its regular opening times on Friday and Saturday. Bill, who is one of the founding volunteers, said: “We are definitely going in the right direction. Our pilot 12 months has just completed. The omens are good, and we are ready to redevelop the premises.”
Over the next year, it is hoped this will result in the building of a new cafe on top of the current building, automated tills, and a refurbishment of the interior.
Although the grocery is debt-free, it needs third party funding to make this dream a reality.
And to this end, a business plan has just been submitted to Limerick City and County Council.
“We have 12 months financials in there. You can see a very definite path of progression, and we can demonstrate sustainability,” Bill explains, “The plan refers to the Park Slope co-op model in Brooklyn. We had these guys over in July, and they have detailed how their model works. They can compete with the multiples, and they have shown us how we can compete and carve out a niche for ourselves.”
The Community Grocery is seeking €100,000 from the local authority, and a number of philanthropists have agreed to match this funding, which will also see the grocery create paid positions for the first time.
If the plan is accepted, it is anticipated a grocery manager will be brought in from the USA to move the project forward.
It is anticipated the cafe will open by 2016. Bill hopes the council will include the grocery in its 2015 budget, and is “quietly confident” this will be the case.
Councillors have already been lobbied in the hope they agree to support the concept.
Asked what is in it for the local authority, he said: “You are talking in terms of employment for the long-term unemployed. You are talking about a model which we can demonstrate has worked. We can build enterprises with this model. There are all sorts of ancillary food-related businesses which you can build around this store”.
The grocery’s product range has broadened out in a few short months. Initially, they were only selling fresh vegetables, and home-made cakes, with the building acting as a collection facility.
However, now, pre-packed niche products - like olive oil from Italy - are made available on the shelves, like a supermarket.
“We are getting traction, we are staring to develop. When you have the goodwill there, and the labour, there is a lot that can be done,” Bill concludes.


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Dell Technologies is exploring a range of options that could see the world’s largest privately held technology company grow further through acquisitions or go public, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
Dell’s board of directors will meet later this month to consider the biggest shakeup in the company’s history since it acquired data storage provider EMC for $67 billion in 2016, the sources told Reuters.
The Texas-based company, headed by its founder Michael Dell, is under pressure to boost its profitability after the EMC deal failed to deliver the cost savings and performance it projected, while higher component costs and a challenging data storage market have eroded its margins.
Dell is reviewing a list of several possible acquisition targets that would boost its cash flow and expand its offerings, the sources said.
Dell’s review is at its very early stages and no deal is certain, according to the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the deliberations. The company did not respond to a request for comment outside of regular U.S. business hours. The news of Dell’s review was first reported by Bloomberg.
Dell is also considering a sale or initial public offering (IPO) of its one of its fast-growing divisions, Pivotal Software Inc, the sources said. It may also consider a transaction with its majority-owned VMware, a virtualisation software maker. VMware shares, which have gained more than 62 percent in the past 12 months, touched an all-time high on Thursday.
Dell, whose technology portfolio spans servers, displays, workstations and gaming PCs, also has a security unit, RSA, and a cloud platform called Boomi.


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Business in brief.
Still paying late
Legislation to curb the late payment of invoices by companies has had no effect, according to research from business solutions firm Experian.
Overall, the average time UK firms take to settle accounts is 57.9 days - the same as in October 1998 when the new laws were introduced.
Upmarket car dealer Inchcape today said that first half pre-tax profits accelerated 17.3pc to pounds 63.7m as it unveiled the acquisition of six UK BMW dealerships. The hike had been driven by a sharp rise in profits in Singapore, along with strong performances in Greece and Australia.
Paris-based energy company Alstom has completed the second part of its sale of turbines to Munich-based electronics giant Siemens for pounds 76.7m.
Ad company sold
LONDON-based advertising company WPP Group has completed the purchase of debt-laden rival Cordiant Communications, the former Saatchi & Saatchi.
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|Publication:||Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, England)|
|Date:||Aug 4, 2003|
|Previous Article:||Few signs of a 'Baghdad Bounce'.|
|Next Article:||City news.|


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Kaltura enables native video on Facebook
March 26, 2015
Kaltura, the video technology platform, hasunveiled a new video Distribution Connector that allows customers to publish native video directly to Facebook from Kaltura. With the new Connector, Kaltura publishers can continue to use Kaltura’s platform, applications and API as their primary video management solution while harnessing the powerful reach of sharing social video content on Facebook.
Kaltura’s Distribution Connector to Facebook provides brands, marketers, content owners and publishers with the ability to send video from Kaltura to Facebook in an automated, contained manner, allowing publishers to enjoy the benefits exclusive to native video on Facebook – auto-play, customisable call-to-action buttons, wide delivery – while retaining the control of the distribution in Kaltura. Kaltura plans to build an analytics dashboard at a later phase with Facebook’s API that will give customers the ability to turn measured social video engagement analytics into actionable marketing and monetisation insights.
“We are excited to be one of the select launch partners to integrate with Facebook’s updated Video API,” said Ron Yekutiel, Chairman and CEO of Kaltura. “Video is becoming an essential mode of communication across all industries, but the power of video content lies in the distribution – how seamless it’s delivered, to whom, from where and over which devices it can be viewed. Allowing Kaltura customers to publish video natively on Facebook opens the door to limitless opportunities to extend the breadth and depth of social video content.”


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Media updates: Apple releases ton of updates as it clears load before holiday shutdown
The holidays are upon us and many businesses will be shutting down for a time around Christmas through New Years. Apple is no different as iTunes Connect, the mechanism that manages apps and books, is shut down starting on Saturday, December 21. That means that developers and publishers have until Friday to submit their updates and new submissions – though it is already too late to submit anything brand new and see it approved before the holidays.
For the past couple of weeks things have been a bit crazy inside iTunes, with subcategories not working, and apps and books not getting released. Though it is probably unrelated, the release of Beyonce’s new album coincides with more app updates appearing.
My own eBook, Talking Digital, which was supposed to be a minor project, has ended up being more trouble than it will be worth. The book was submitted to Apple on December 3 and I fully expected it to be released into the iBooks Store as a pre-order within 24 to 48 hours, the same time it took both A Darker Sun and One Person Rally to appear. But for two weeks I heard nothing – then this morning I got notified that it had been finally reviewed.
It appeared something was up yesterday as a ton of updates suddenly appeared. This morning was the same.
Hearst’s update for Esquire has appeared. The update gives readers archiving options, as well as fixes some bugs.
Canadian publisher Rogers Publishing has updated Marketing Magazine. The digital edition remains a replica, but the update adds in progressive downloads for instant reading, and a way for print subscribers to log into their accounts to access the issues.
Sporting News is now up to version 3.0. The update makes the iPhone version work on all models, and there are updates to notifications and social media log-ins. There are also new news feeds.
Popular apps for Netflix and Flipboard were also updated. While the Netflix update is simply about bugs, the Flipboard update adds in some sharing options. With version 2.2 one can now get notified when other people on Flipboard are sharing a story with you.
One can probably expect the rest of the week to be filled with more updates as the deadline approaches. Developers and publishers can begin submitting content to iTunes Connect again starting on December 28, though they would probably be better off waiting until Monday, the 30th in case they need phone support from Apple.


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Hawaii Tourism Board
YOY Increase Passenger Demand
The Hawai’i Tourism Authority (The HTA) was looking for creative ways to increase bookings and drive awareness to Hawai’i.
The HTA is responsible for supporting programs that enhance and showcase Hawai’i’s people, place and culture in order to deliver an incomparable visitor experience. Although Hawai’i’s tourism industry has broken records in recent years, a constant effort to use innovative tactics to stay competitive in the global travel market is critical. The HTA also identified millennials as a priority audience to target with a personalized, technology-led experience on the platforms they use.
We teamed up with The HTA to develop a unique digital marketing campaign that leveraged bespoke facial recognition software and drone footage to connect with travelers, especially the millennial audience, in a highly personalized way and showcase the beauty and spirit of the Hawaiian Islands.
The team launched “Discover Your Aloha,” which is Expedia Group Media Solutions’ first campaign using facial recognition. The campaign ran in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand on Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity and Wotif sites.
The campaign kicked off with a visually stunning microsite, which exposes users to captivating video content and drone footage of the land, sea and sky. Upon entering the microsite, users were prompted to grant access to their web camera, which enabled them to opt in for the custom built facial recognition software experience. As the video played, the facial recognition software analyzed the users’ physical reactions to the intriguing content and identified which footage evoked the most positive reaction from the viewer. After the video was completed, the facial recognition algorithm identified the personal preferences of each viewer and produced a customized travel recommendation aligned with one of three animal guides that corresponded with the land, sea, or sky. Users then had the opportunity to book a personalized Hawai’i vacation package based on their custom itinerary and had access to discounts of up to 50 percent, including exclusive offers from dozens of participating hotels.
To further drive visitation and engagement with the content-rich microsite, targeted display ads ran across the Expedia Group’s portfolio of leading travel brands. Throughout the year-long campaign, the animal guides hosted takeovers of Expedia’s social channels, including Instagram and Snapchat, to share news and behind the scenes video content to encourage users to discover their aloha.
The Discover Your Aloha campaign was a resounding success and produced amazing results. The microsite received nearly 1 million total views. Visitors were highly engaged, spending an average of nearly 2 minutes interacting with the content and the bounce rate was less than 1 percent. Conversion results have also been strong with a nearly 20 percent increase year-over-year in passenger demand across Expedia Group sites. Lastly, the campaign has produced a remarkable 115:1 return on ad spend.
Connect with our digital media consultants to learn how to best engage, influence, and convert your target travel audience


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Join Canada’s largest Curvy Fashion Show – Toronto Plus Size Fashion Show…
PLUS Model Magazine is an Official Sponsor of This Event
Malia Indigo is pleased to announce that its Runway presentation of Season 2018 will take place on November 10th at 5 p.m at Artscape Sandbox, 301 Adelaide St. West, Toronto, ON M5V 2E8. (Tickets available here)
After successful ss17 shows that took place in Toronto, Canada and Paris, France we were overwhelmed with positive response in the media and impressed by sincere support from our fans. We can really say that the show has become a true gamechanger not only here in Toronto, but internationally.
Our goal this year is to continue the dialogue about the reality of body positive fashion. We are welcoming this year as Guest Star Gwen Devoe, the founder and producer of Full Figure Fashion Week (FFFweek) in New York.
The panel discussion with industry experts and Meghan Bradley as Panel host will expand on the issues that the industry is facing daily.
The show designed by Ophilia Alleyne, the artistic director and Malia Indigo, the producer will include runway presentation of the lines by internationally recognized designers such as Lesley Hampton, Anelehs Atelier and Dassah Couture.
We believe in mentality shift towards body positive, all inclusive fashion. We are bringing together the leading industry players – designers, retailers, models and media to inspire constructive shift in body perception and building sustainable market that caters to all clients without discrimination.
So far there has been no open and easily accessible platform for the key industry professionals to express their vision and share the inspiration and learn from each other. Toronto Plus Size Show has been designed to extend its reach beyond the runway presentation to multimedia platforms, press and TV and generate interactive communication where everyone involved can hear each other and have a way to express their point of view.


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The post CES 2019 Recap: The Play for 5G appeared first on IoT For All
Without a doubt, the biggest news at CES centered on 5G. It was practically impossible to walk anywhere at CES without seeing something about 5G. Everyone I spoke to started with the same question, “Besides 5G, what other exciting trends are you seeing?” This excitement is well-founded. 5G may be up to ten times faster […]
The post CES 2019 Recap: The Play for 5G appeared first on IoT For All.


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Walmart is cutting thousands of jobs as stores are axed
More than half of the Walmart stores due to be cut are in the US and many others are in Brazil.
Amid the cuts by the US retail giant the Dow also plunged more than 500 points in midday trading on Friday, falling below 16,000.
Dan Farley, regional investment strategist at US Bank, said Dow's plummet was due to oil.
He said: "People are uncertain, and when they're uncertain they're scared."
The price of oil today fell to its lowest level since 2004.
Mr Farley added: "When we started off the year, we were at the crossroads of concern and optimism and clearly, we've gone down the road of concern pretty quickly."
All of Walmart's 102 small-formal Express stores will be shut.
The cuts will see 16,000 people lose their jobs and is due to happen at the end of the month.
The CEO of Walmart Doug McMilon told investors that the company is trying to becoming efficient to compete with its competition, including Amazon.com.
Mr McMilon said: "Actively managing our portfolio of assets is essential to maintaining a healthy business.
“Closing stores is never an easy decision. But it is necessary to keep the company strong and positioned for the future.”
Most of the shops to be closed in the US are within 16 km of another Walmart
"When we started off the year, we were at the crossroads of concern and optimism and clearly, we've gone down the road of concern pretty quickly
Dan Farley, regional investment strategist at US Bank
Walmart has 4,500 stores in the US and its global workforce is 2.2million.
The news comes amid fears of a growing global financial crisis as China has seen a big stock market slide and fallen into bear market territory.
This is a market where share prices are falling and people are encouraged to sell.
In the US, stock markets have taken a big fall as Dow has reached its lowest level since August.
The price of oil, which has unsettled stock markets in recent weeks, also slumped again on Friday.
Chinese shares have also had a continued rough start to 2016, lowering deeper into negative territory.
Walmart operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores and grocery stores
Concerns over China, which is the world's second-biggest economy, have hit oil and metal prices.
The FTSE-100 has slumped to its lowest closing level since the financial crisis in November 2012.
While the pound has dropped to $1.4296 against the dollar, a new five and a half year low.
Financial analysts have said the slump is due to fears over the health of the Chinese and US economies and the continued slide in the oil price, which has fallen by 20 per cent so far this year to below $30 a barrel.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged than 500 points today


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Fashion enthusiasts around the world had been waited for the Gucci Ancora Spring/Summer 2024 show with bated breath. Taking place at the Milan Fashion Week on September 22, 2023, the show marked the debut of the house’s new creative director, Sabato De Sarno.
And if you are wondering what the buzz is about or have come across the Gucci logo splashed across a plain, deep red background and thought about what it represents, we’re breaking it down for you:
Everything You Need To Know About The Gucci Ancora Show
The Gucci Reset
Having parted ways with CEO Marco Bizzarri earlier this year and with former creative director, Alessandro Michele in 2022, The House of Gucci had set itself up for a complete reset. This was being done to take a break from its ‘maximalist’ era to give the brand another shot at restoring the glory days witnessed during their Tom Ford era.
Who’s The New Creative Director Of Gucci?
With the creative top seat left vacant, the Kering-owned brand found what they were looking for in Sabato De Sarno. A graduate of Milan’s Istituto Secoli, his resume boasts of past experience at prestigious brands like Valentino (where he worked for 14 years and rose through ranks to become Pierpaolo Piccioli’s right-hand man), Prada and Dolce Gabbana. However, he has remained behind-the-scenes for most of his career and remains unknown outside industry circuits. Upon his hiring in January, then CEO Marco Bizzari had stated that he was brought onboard to “write Gucci’s next chapter, reinforcing the house’s fashion authority while capitalising on its rich heritage”.
And for De Sarno, this meant reviving Gucci’s Italian roots, heritage and glory. “It’s a very Italian brand with a huge heritage. Italian in craftsmanship, Italian in taste, and we lost that I think. I want to bring it back. Italianity is part of my story, for sure,” he said in an interview with a fashion magazine.
His first work for the brand was a new jewellery campaign featuring 2000s supermodel Daria Werbowy, who returned to modelling only for her old friend De Sarno. She was photographed at the infamous Chateau Marmont Hotel wearing nothing but Gucci jewellery. This gave viewers across the world a peek into De Sarno’s minimal and essentials-only vibe.
Highlights From The Gucci Ancora show
First, let’s start with what Ancora means for all of this to make sense. “Ancora means a lot of things,” Sabato De Sarno explained in an interview. “It means again (in Italian), but it’s also more personal; it’s not something you lost, it’s something that you still have, but you want more of it because it makes you happy… I want people to fall in love with Gucci again.”
With this collection, the brand tried to break away from Alessandro Michele’s maximalist vibe, and deleting all of the brand’s posts on Instagram represents the clean slate his successor has to play with. In an interview with Style, Sabato said regarding his first collection, “There are the elements of fashion that I love, that I would never get tired of, combined with the incredible history of Gucci.”
Reportedly, Sabato De Sarno spent the early days of his appointment as the new creative director at the House’s archives in Florence, which served as a major inspiration for the upcoming collection. Among iconic designs that De Sarno plans to bring back — like the Jackie and Horsebit bags, the GG belt and the Jordaan loafers — he also plans to shine some light upon lesser-known pieces he was inspired by.
With ads splashed across monuments and billboards of several fashion hubs, the Gucci Ancora planned to shake up the fashion scene.
What’s different about Gucci Ancora?
Aside from the new leadership, the show did not take place at the Gucci Hub as per tradition. Instead, Sabato De Sarno has chosen the streets surrounding the Accademia di Brera, a historic fine arts university in the heart of Milan’s artistic centre. Several roads were shut down to accommodate the show and the designer imagines crowds flocking to balconies overlooking the street to catch glimpses. Unlike most brands that bank on the star power of famous models and celebrities, De Sarno has only mostly unknown and emerging talent walking his show.
Seven-time Grammy winner Mark Ronson was appointed as the musical director of the show and had the audience grooving along to his upbeat and classic tunes.
Who is expected to attend the Gucci Ancora show?
While no famous faces were expected on the runway, the guest list remains star-studded. Gucci ambassadors like Alia Bhatt, Xiao Zhan, Lu Han, NiNi, KAI, Chris Lee and Hanni may be in attendance. Moreover, celebrities like Julia Roberts, Ryan Gosling and Kendall Jenner, among a host of others were also going to be present.
Where can you watch the Gucci Ancora S/S 24 Show?
You can catch the Gucci Ancora show in India on the Gucci website or on their social media handles.


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The stage is set for Evertiq Expo Krakow
March 30, 2023Krakow is one of Poland's most active centres for the electronics industry. And for this year’s edition, Evertiq is providing a specific focus on an important segment of the industry.
All-time high in store for global 300mm semiconductor fab capacity
March 28, 2023Semiconductor manufacturers worldwide are forecast to increase 300mm fab capacity to an all-time high of 9.6 million wafers per month (wpm) in 2026, SEMI reports.
The world has lost a semiconductor giant
March 27, 2023Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel and giant of the semiconductor and technology industry, died on Friday, March 24, 2023, at his home in Hawaii.
Sponsored content by EvertiqThe U.S. CHIPS Act is already making an impact - Evertiq Expo Malmö, Krakow & Berlin While the EU equivalent still hasn’t officially been launched, the U.S. CHIPS Act has already sparked USD 200 billion in private investments across the country. But where are all of these new fabs going to be built?
2022, a record year for semiconductors – but it doesn’t feel like it
March 10, 20232022, the year that the semiconductor market reached an all-time high with total revenues hitting USD 595.7 billion, narrowly beating the previous high of USD 592.8 billion set in 2021. But why does it feel like 2022 was a struggle?
Merck and Intel fund new academic research program in Europe
March 10, 2023Merck and Intel Corporation are looking to enable more sustainable semiconductor manufacturing solutions by funding a new academic research program in Europe.
TSMC's looking to onboard 6,000 new employees in 2023
March 06, 2023While other major semiconductor manufacturers are launching savings programs and initiating redundancies, Taiwan's TSMC is bucking the trend, saying it aims to hire 6,000 new employees by 2023.
YoY global server shipments growth for 2023 lowered to 1.31%
March 01, 2023The four major North American cloud service providers (CSPs) have made cuts to their server procurement quantities for this year because of economic headwinds and high inflation.
Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix owns the bulk of leading-edge wafer capacity
February 28, 202376% of leading-edge capacity was held by Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix at the end of 2022, with the majority going toward the development of advanced DRAM and 3D NAND.
Intel is asking for €10 billion to build German fab
February 09, 2023Intel has reportedly asked the German economy ministry to increase the funding for its planned chip fab in the city of Magdeburg.
More than 50% of US-owned IC fab capacity exists overseas
February 01, 2023US IC manufacturers have 56% of their wafer capacity installed at fabs located outside of the US, according to a new Global Wafer Capacity 2023 report from Knometa Research.
Intel pulls the plug on Oregon investment as it cuts cost
February 01, 2023Back in May 2022, Intel announced that it would invest USD 700 million to build a “mega lab” in Hillsboro, Oregon. That plan has now been scrapped as the company is looking to reduce costs.
Global 2023 server shipment growth lowered as North American cloud service providers cut demand
January 31, 2023Facing global economic headwinds, the four major North American cloud service providers (CSPs) have scaled back their server procurement quantities for 2023 and could make further downward corrections in the future.
Layoffs at Intel's operations in California
January 30, 2023In three separate WARN notices, Intel announces that it will lay off 544 employees in California.
Five ways manufacturers prepare for recession
January 25, 2023The electronic component industry has grown accustomed to a period of heightened demand as shortages have plagued supply and driven up pricing. Now that inflation and the global economic downturn have begun to impact consumer behavior, the market is experiencing declines across numerous verticals. The changes in forecasts for the remainder of the year and predictions for Q1 of 2023 are pushing semiconductor manufacturers to brace for recession.
Intel hasn’t dropped its Italian plans – but nothing is set
January 24, 2023After announcing a plan to increase production in Europe in March of last year, Intel told Reuters on Friday that Italy is still a prospective candidate for a new chip plant in Europe, but not the only candidate.
How the "golden screw" is changing purchasing behavior
January 20, 2023The procurement of components has been very rocky in the past two years. Shortages disrupted manufacturing lines often because just one small component was missing. Such "golden screws" literally have been a gold mine for brokers.
Global semiconductor revenue grew 1.1% in 2022Load more news
January 18, 2023According to preliminary data from Gartner, global semiconductor revenue climbed 1.1% in 2022 to reach USD 601.7 billion, up from USD 595 billion in 2021. The top 25 semiconductor vendors collectively generated 2.8% more revenue in 2022, making up 77.5% of the market.


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Commentary: Social media: Brand aid or brand illusion?
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a major social media conference. Naturally I saw it as a great opportunity to pick up new nuggets of wisdom from first-rate brains. And in this I definitely was not disappointed. Some of the most notable figures in the social media industry presented their thoughts on best practices for adding their sites and services to the restaurant marketing mix.
I also saw the conference as a chance to step away from the incessant everyday chatter about the social media phenomenon and engage in a deliberate and measured assessment of how and when social media might fit seamlessly into our restaurant clients' overall media mix and brand strategy. I wasn't disappointed on this score, either.
It certainly does seem that it's time to reassess social media. Over the past few years, the noise from and about it has grown louder and more confused, partly amped up by the proliferation of networking sites. A ripple that began as MySpace and Twitter, FourSquare and Facebook is now an engulfing tide of networking sites from the generic (Facebook) to the highly specific (the Christian site, Amen Me).
The social media rush has reached such a fever pitch that Wall Street is raising questions about the real worth of players such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. A July 8 article in the New York Times reported that since going public at $122 per share, LinkedIn stock sunk to a low of about half that and now sits at $99.70, a price that analysts say could be still be inflated by up to 56 percent.
This is reminiscent enough of the first Internet bubble of 2001 to make one wonder whether social networking represents the next cautionary tale of "irrational exuberance," which makes this a good time for brands to think about how they're getting into social media and what they expect to get out of it.
Social media have certainly contributed to the further fragmentation of the media, making it more challenging than ever for brands to reach buyers. One conference presenter noted that in 1965, it took just three airings of a TV spot to reach 80 percent of a target audience. Today, it takes 100 placements to make that connection. Increasingly niched audiences have radically increased the importance of thoughtful brand representation.
What's more, restaurant operators must keep in mind the growing number of device formats available to consumers and consider how their existing and potential customer base might seek, use and share information about their brand using social media outlets on wireless devices.
Currently some 93 percent of Americans have mobile phones, and 43 percent of them use their phones to search for restaurants and bars. As the number of smartphones in users' hands grows (from around 38 percent now to an estimated 90 percent by 2014), so will the search numbers.
An increasing number of consumers also will be carrying wireless tablets and laptops, making mobile apps available to them as well as traditional and mobile web sites. Restaurants must sort through options and features and learn how to use them to advantage.
Finally, restaurant brands must consider how social media has changed the thinking and expectations of customers, and how it has brought about (or at least contributed to) a shift in purchasing demographics. As one conference presenter remarked, social media has changed the way consumers perceive a brand.
It used to be a brand telling consumers what it represented; now the shoe is on the other foot — it is consumers who are defining brands for themselves and others. They're basing their characterizations not on a rundown of brand attributes but on their own experience as users, and sharing those ideas with others in their network. Sometimes there's overlap in the messages, but not always. And here, social media can offer restaurant chains valuable insights that contribute to understanding and self-critique.
All of this is far too much to cover in a single blog. So I'll be covering these topics in several blogs in coming weeks, sharing thoughts on the new media, mobility and devices, market demographics and branding mentality. So keep reading, contribute your own thoughts and questions and enjoy the "deliberate and measured" assessment of social media's role in a new age of branding.
Lori Walderich is chief creative officer at IdeaStudio, a chain restaurant marketing and promotions firm. Her company helps restaurant clients align their branding and implement strategic marketing plans to achieve consistent, sustainable growth.
Lori Walderich Lori Walderich is chief creative officer at IdeaStudio, a chain restaurant marketing and promotions firm. Her company helps restaurant clients align their branding and implement strategic marketing plans to achieve consistent, sustainable growth. www


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Linkin Park have announced that they are holding an eBay auction to aid the survivors of the recent cyclone in Bangladesh.
One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to humanitarian organisation CARE for Cyclone Sidr disaster relief efforts.
Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh on November 15, killing approximately 3,500 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
To participate in the auction or to make a donation to aid the survivors, visit Musicforrelief.org. The auction closes on Friday (December 14).
–By our Los Angeles staff.


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The proliferation of camera-enabled smartphones has taken a bite out of the camera-only industry, but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is a forthcoming device that appears ready to bite back.
Labeled a “smart camera” by Panasonic, the Lumix CM1 is basically a great camera inside a decent Android smartphone that lets users take calls, get texts, read their email, take 20-megapixel snapshots, and record 4K video. On the front side, it appears to be a super slender shooter with a f/2.8 Leica DC Elmarit lens that can be hand manipulated to get the desired photographic results. On the back side, it’s a 4.7-inch full HD Android touchscreen.
Between the two there exists a 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 with 2 GB RAM running Android 4.4. Internal storage is limited to 16 GB but can be expanded by inserting a microSD card with up to 128 GB.
At double the thickness of the new iPhone 6 Plus, the CM1’s photo taking prowess pretty much trumps every other camera-enabled smartphone on the market — including the iPhone 6, which only has a 1/3-inch sensor compared to the CM1’s full-inch MOS sensor.
No pricing is available as of yet, but that’s just as well considering U.S. consumers won’t even be able to get their hands on the CM1 until 2015 at earliest. The camera/smartphone is set for release in December in the French and German tech markets.


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BRIDGEWATER -- It's been nearly 30 years since the Braun family sold the Keystone Bakery, a Bridgewater landmark, major Beaver County employer and a family-run business since Louis H. Braun and brothers began managing operations there in 1926.
After the sale many members of the Braun family left Beaver County, and most of the memorabilia from the bakery's long history went with them. The collection, which includes everything from newspaper clippings to company marketing materials to the framed U.S. Constitution that hung on the bakery's office wall, ended up with Doug Braun, Louis H. Braun's grandson, who now lives in Connecticut.
Now, after three decades, the collection is returning to Beaver County, where Braun hopes it will find a permanent home with the Beaver Area Heritage Museum.
"I want it to be enjoyed by the public," Braun said in a telephone interview. "That's my intent here, to share it."
A FAMILY LEGACY
The roots of the Braun family's baking legacy were already established in Pittsburgh when three young brothers, Louis, Gustave, and Ernest Braun, made separate journeys from Morbach, Germany, to settle in Pittsburgh.
Louis, then 17, arrived May 4, 1909, on a steamship from Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, Doug Braun's research shows. In a record made on Ellis Island, the place of entry for many immigrants, Louis's occupation was listed as "baker."
The brothers had jobs waiting for them, Doug Braun explained. Their uncle, E.R. Braun, had founded Braun Baking Co. -- of Town Talk bread fame -- around 1889, and there the brothers learned the family business.
In 1926 Braun Baking Co. acquired Keystone Bakery from the Walters family, which started the business in the Beaver area in 1859. E.R. Braun sent his nephews to manage the operation, which was housed in a large brick building on Market Street in Bridgewater.
Three years later, in 1929, they split from Braun Baking and established the Keystone Bakery as an independent company, with the understanding that they would not compete with their uncle's company for the Pittsburgh bread market.
Agreeing to steer clear of the city market didn't hamper Keystone's growth. The company's territory quickly spread in the opposite direction, northwest into Ohio and south into West Virginia.
And, of course, it "had the Beaver Valley really tied up," Doug Braun said. "All the stores carried Keystone bread."
A REAL BAKER
Doug Braun's grandfather Louis H. Braun became the company's president by the mid-1930s after Ernest Braun died and Gustave Braun left the business. Louis would continue to run the bakery for the rest of his life, Doug Braun said.
"He was a real baker," Braun remembered. "He'd walk into the plant every day and pick up a loaf of bread, and I can remember he'd just smell it. He could tell by his sense of smell if it was right or not."
By the mid-1930s the bakery had been outfitted with state-of-the art breadmaking machinery, and Louis H. Braun was so proud of the facility that he had a booklet printed to explain the mechanized process to school children and other visitors, Doug Braun said.
In 1936, the year the booklet was published, the Keystone Bakery was producing 14 kinds of bread -- everything from standards such as rye, white and brown bread to "Prun-o Wheat," a "natural mild laxative food made with a liberal amount of prune juice," it said. The bakery was also producing 10 kinds of rolls and coffee cakes and 18 types of cakes, cookies and pastries.
When the Braun family bought Keystone Bakery, it had eight delivery trucks. It would grow to operate 33 delivery trucks from the Bridgewater facility, and 22 more out of another distribution facility in Youngstown, Ohio, Braun said. The company employed about 175 people and its bake ovens ran 24 hours a day, five days a week. On two days, 12-hour pauses in production were allotted for maintenance.
The Keystone Bakery remained a family operation, with children and spouses of children becoming involved in different aspects of the business. Doug Braun's father, Louis E. Braun, moved his family to Ohio around the early 1950s to manage the company's Youngstown facility.
But ultimately, "it was always (my grandfather's) company," Doug Braun said. "He was always the boss."
PIECES OF HISTORY
By the 1970s the Keystone Bakery had outgrown its production facility, which was largely still the original brick factory built by the Walters family in 1901.
"The family had to make a decision whether we were going to build a new bakery or sell the bakery and allow my dad, my aunt, my uncle and my grandfather to retire," Braun said.
They decided to sell. After that, the bakery changed hands a few times and eventually ended up with Stroehmann Brothers Co., which stopped production at the Bridgewater facility in 1985. According to an article from that time, about 70 employees lost their jobs.
But the building went on to anchor a redevelopment of Bridgewater. It was revitalized into Stone Point Landing, a space that now houses several medical and corporate offices and the Tinitique restaurant.
"Even though the bakery no longer exists, the building enjoys viable reuse and today houses a variety of businesses that employ Beaver Countians to this day," said Elaine Savoldi of Town Center Associates, the property manager.
Doug Braun hopes said he hopes that some of his bakery memorabilia can be housed inside its original home in the former bakery building. He and Tinitique partner Tony Pizzuti have collaborated on plans to display some pieces inside the restaurant this summer.
His ultimate goal, Braun said, is for the collection to be kept intact and accessible to the public in the Beaver area, where so many have memories of the Keystone Bakery and its bread.
"This area is a wonderful area," Braun said. "It's got such great history. And how it's evolved through time is something our children should all understand."


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FedEx Express has opened new gateway facility in Clark, Pampanga to support the boom in e-commerce activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in time for the upcoming peak season in shipping volumes during the Christmas season.
Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx, said the subsidiary of one of the world’s largest express transportation companies is focused on optimizing its air and ground network to meet evolving customer needs.
“Plans for the Clark Gateway have been in place since before the demand for e-commerce soared. With a finger on the pulse of global trade, we made this strategic investment to enhance connectivity and support for Philippine businesses venturing into international markets,” Preet said.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the $30-million 17,000-square-meter facility enables faster processing with the capability to sort 9,000 parcels per hour.
The facility’s expansive dedicated freight-handling area spans 630 square meters and supports the growing e-commerce demand of bulk shipments and large items.
The new Clark gateway also features a state-of-the-art cold storage facility for varying temperature-sensitive shipments. One unit has storage temperature capabilities ranging from -20°C to 5°C or -4°F to 41°F, appropriate for storing vaccines, fresh produce, and raw products. Two other units have storage temperature of 5°C to 20°C or 23°F to 68°F, appropriate for keeping vegetables and dry foods such as canned goods.
These units help retain the freshness of products and maximize their shelf life.
In November 2019, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez told visiting journalists in Washington DC that FedEx was reestablishing its presence in the Philippines via a new gateway facility in Clark. He said FedEx was planning to return to the Philippines “in a bigger scale” via the Clark international airport in Pampanga.
The American logistics giant established its presence in the Philippines through the launch of the FedEx AsiaOne intra-Asia service with the opening of a hub at the Subic Bay freeport and special economic zone in 1995.
However in 2005, FedEx announced it was abandoning its Asia Pacific hub at the former US naval base in Zambales and would transfer to the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China with a total investment of $150 million.
The pull out from the Philippines was completed in June 2009.


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While industry watchers argue that nobody but pornographers and online casino owners are actually making money on the Internet, businesses are still scrambling to hang a shingle in cyberspace.
Everybody from the British Child Support Agency to the Times Literary Supplement seem to be digitising their offerings, as evidenced at the Online 96 conference here this week.
According to a report released here yesterday by Learned Information, the market for online business information is valued at around £450 million a year in Europe. The market is led by Knight Ridder, FT Profile and Reuters which hold around 45% of the total European market, between them.
The Child Support Agency has developed an online guide to procedures to simplify the form filling process for parents seeking the agency's assistance.
The Times Literary Supplement (TLS) launched its TLS CD-ROM providing reviews, letters and comment in digital format for £295 pounds a year.
Many companies are offering services that make sense of information currently on the Internet using specialised search engines. For example Aries Systems, a North Andover, Massachusetts-based company has introduced its Knowledge Web, a medical literature Internet search service on the Internet.
Manning & Napier Information Services (MNIS) a Rochester, New York-based business and legal consultancy has launched a specialised search and retrieval engine designed to enable the intellectual property law and research and development communities to assess the legal status of new technology over the Internet.
Questel Orbit, a subsidiary of France Telecom, has launched a similar service. The company's Imagination software provides a search and retrieval facility that will give users access to the company's text and image databases of patent, trademark, chemical, sci-tech and business information over the Internet.
Derwent Information has also announced it is collaborating with Microsoft to develop an international patent database focusing on making international patent information easy to access over the Internet.
TeneFore Systems has launched a real-time financial data service providing subscribers with details of share prices and alerts directly to their mobile telephones. The service costs £49 pounds a year and 80p a message.
Also at the show Financial Times Information announced it has signed a global strategic licensing agreement with Verity to co-develop a new generation of online and CD-ROM-based information products based on the FT Profile wire service. The new products will be based on Verity's new search and retrieval technology called Search 97.


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Earlier we reported a leaked render of what is reported to be the new LG X3, and now we have details of another new LG smartphone that is expected to be announced at MWC 2012 next month, the LG Optimus 3D 2 (an Optimus 3D successor).
The device is going with the codename CX2 and is believed to be replacing the Optimus 3D, which was the company’s first 3D capable smartphone. As Pocket Now is reporting the new device will offer an improvement over the auto-stereoscopic screen found on its predecessor. The LG Optimus 3D 2 will come sporting with 1.2GHz dual core processor, 4.3 inch 3D NOVA display, dual 5MP rear snapper for 3D recording, 8GB internal memory, and usual connectivity options. It will also be slimmer than the predecessor by around 2mm.
At the moment, no other details are available; we should have some more details next month. Stay tuned.


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It is expected that in September next year, the cupertinos will release a smartphone in a new design. Your vision updated iPhone showed the well-known insider and designer Ben Gaskin (Ben Geskin), published in Twitter the concept 12.
The concept of the next Apple smartphone was created based on the existing rumors and speculation. In the end, the device has a rectangular side face recessed into the housing module cameras, and lost a cutout in the screen. Gaskin notes that the work on the concept he helped Azis GAUS (Aziz with an LCD TV), known under the nickname @smazizg.
Here’s new concept for Apple’s iPhone 2020 12 🔥
Rumors suggest that Apple will introduce the 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch OLED iPhone with dual-camera setup and 5G, with design similar to the iPhone 4. So that’s what @smazizg and I made 😁🙌🏻
We hope you like it! and RT 👀 pic.twitter.com/QySt6I1EB0
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) December 23, 2019
The insider notes that next year cupertinos can show iPhone 12 with screens 5.4 and 6.1 inches. In the design of new products will be used by some elements of classic iPhone. In particular, Apple needs to go back to the straight side edges and glass enclosures.
If you believe the analysts, then next year cupertinos should not only update the design of their smartphones, but also add to their support networks of the fifth generation. The latter feature, according to some experts, will become one of the main “drivers” of sales of the next-generation iPhone.


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Full hybrids have to date been almost synonymous with Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system, which, in addition to being the technology behind all Toyota and Lexus hybrids, is licensed by Nissan for its Ford Escape and hybrids. This hybrid monopoly is about to change, however, as GM readies its 2-Mode hybrid system for introduction later this year in the Yukon Hybrid and Tahoe Hybrid SUVs. Like HSD, GM's 2-Mode system enables cars to run just on electricity, just on gasoline, or a combination of the two. The system makes use of a two electrically controlled variable transmission (ECVT) modes, which change based on the car's speed and engine demand. The result, according to GM, is a 40 percent improvement in city fuel economy over the gasoline-only Yukon, and a 25 percent improvement in overall gas mileage.and is used in a modified version by Ford in the
We took a ride along with GM this week in the 2008 Yukon Hybrid and got a firsthand impression of the next big thing in the hybrid world. Check out our photo gallery here.


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Two of the most renowned companies belonging to different parts of Europe have currently announced their new product launches that are believed to cater to the financial requirements of businesses in the crypto industry (crypto friendly banking services). The services range from opening the bank accounts to providing payment processing solutions. Developers opened up and stated that they will give the crypto companies peace of mind they will need to focus on their core activities without having concerns about banking. This a huge step in
A London based consulting firm named Coinacquiring, has now announced its reach to offer helping hand in opening of the crypto friendly banking accounts for several companies in the sector. The assistance in the corporate banking is meant to expand its portfolio that includes another thing after the service, fiat currency to crypto payment processing will be provided to the merchants accepting the digital currencies. The bank accounts will be made available in multi-fiat currencies that includes Euro, British pound, U.S. Dollar, Swiss Franc and Japanese Yen and more like Czech koruna, Romanian leu, South African Rand etc. They would also support the SEPA instant credit transfers and the wire transfers via Swift.
Concurrently, in the Eastern Europe, a new crypto-to-fiat payment processing system has been developed in spite of the strong existing competition in this niche. One of the reputed companies in this field, named Paytomat already has a network of merchants accepting the cryptocurrencies using its services for instant conversion to local fiat money. Their clients are from a variety of countries across the globe ranging from Ukraine to Venezuela. Synell, an IT company having headquartered in Belarus and offices in the U.S and Russia offers crypto payments and converting the digital coins to the fiat currency for businesses that wishes to offer their customers with the option to pay with Cryptocurrency.


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A woman's graduation photos have earned her criticisms from Twitter users. The Twitter user who just graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing shared photos and a video from her graduation ceremony. However, Twitter users were not impressed and they shamed her for her choice of […]
The LG Dual Cool Air Conditioner was launched on Friday 25th of October at the Sheraton Hotel in Lagos. With Beverly Naya as the MC, Mr James Lee (LG regional CEO) disclosed that this was the first launch of the dual cool air conditioner outside Korea. Mr Mohammed Fouani (MD Fouani Nigeria Limited) said the product is beautiful and also stressed that Nigeria is the first to launch it. He also said it is not only an air conditioner but also a smart machine. He then thanked LG, the media and everyone who came to show support. The product was represented by Olugbenga Olubayo who gave six points about the air conditioner: Chandelier look, colour fits with any decor, pillar like stand. Dual cooling: Four degrees better than other air conditioners, long distance cooling. Genuine wind control with a wind flow that can cover everywhere. The dual cool has rapid cooling, custom cooling and consistent cooling.Smart ThinQ: This app was made by LG for LG. It has a wifi system which allows you to control the air conditioner through a smart phone from anywhere at anytime – Air purification system: Pm 1.0 censor that senses dust and sends a signal to the air conditioner to purify the air. It works 365 days without delay and has an added advantage for asthma patients. Dehumidification: The dual cool air conditioner can take away water from the atmosphere with fifty five percent saving over other air conditioner. – Auto drying: When the air conditioner is off, the heat exchanger gets wet which can damage the air conditioner. The auto dry system can dry the heat exchanger. The new LG DUAL COOL air conditioner is a welcome addition to the Nigerian market as it addresses the needs of health conscious individuals and those who want to live the health livestyle. The post LG launches DUALCOOL Premium Air Conditioner into the Nigerian Market appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.


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In recent years, credit card companies have realized that in the perennial competition to acquire and retain customers, they need desirable rewards partners. While many card issuers have their own rewards points or cash-back programs, many consumers want to earn currency from a particular brand.
Airlines are usually near the top of the list in terms of desirability. They serve huge numbers of customers. Moreover, airline tickets are expensive enough that plenty of people want to earn points for free flights.
Airlines have used their resulting leverage to get significantly better deals upon renewing their co-branded credit card agreements in the past couple of years. United Continental (UAL -3.24%) is just the latest to take advantage of this auspicious situation.
United Continental gets its payday
On Wednesday, United Continental announced that it has extended its co-branded credit card agreement with Visa and JPMorgan Chase to issue a variety of United MileagePlus rewards cards.
The press release announcing the deal didn't include any financial terms. However, in a related SEC filing, United revealed that its operating revenue for the second half of 2015 will increase by about $200 million as a result of the new agreement.
Looking for clues
Based on that single piece of information, it's impossible to pin down the annualized benefit to United of the new agreement with any certainty. At the maximum -- annualizing the $200 million benefit United will reap in the next 3.5 months -- United could be in line for nearly $700 million in incremental annual revenue going forward. However, the true annual benefit could be a good deal smaller.
In July, Southwest Airlines (LUV -1.63%) -- which is about half United's size -- extended its co-branded card agreement for the Chase Rapid Rewards card. At the time, Southwest told investors that the new agreement would boost its revenue by $400 million in the second half of 2015.
However, the annualized benefit of Southwest Airlines' new agreement going forward is actually around $500 million. That's because the updated agreement triggered an accounting change that has no cash impact but causes Southwest to immediately recognize about $150 million of revenue.
Delta Air Lines -- which is similar to United in size -- has also renewed its co-branded card agreement (with American Express) in the past year. In a December investor presentation, the company stated that the early renewal would increase a $2 billion revenue stream from the sale of SkyMiles by 15% in 2015, and by 20% (or roughly $400 million per year) over the term of the new contract.
Estimating the annualized benefit
Based on these two competitors' credit card deals, it seems likely that United's annualized benefit going forward will be at least $400 million. Considering that Southwest, a significantly smaller airline, won a $500 million annual improvement to its credit card terms, it's even plausible that United's annualized benefit will be close to the "maximum" scenario of $700 million.
That said, it's worth keeping in mind that each airline's reported improvement is based on its own prior credit card deal. So it could be that Southwest's original credit card deal was much less favorable, allowing it to make bigger gains when renegotiating the terms this year.
Whatever the exact number, United's annual revenue benefit will be important both because airlines have struggled to hold revenue flat in the face of falling oil prices this year and because this incremental revenue is essentially "free." This credit card windfall should help United Continental as it tries to catch up to the airline industry leaders in terms of profitability.


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Article Written By Mary Vezina
Things may be different this year but nothing can dampen our holiday spirit, especially with all of the exciting and safe ways to celebrate this wonderful season!
First up this year is the Keepsake Christmas Craft Show in Edgewood, Kentucky. This craft show is one of the areas longest running shows offering many handcrafted items from local artists. The show will take place at the Edgewood Senior Center on Friday, November 6th starting at 10 a.m. For more information please visit here.
The following day - Saturday, November 7th from noon to 8 p.m., and again on Sunday the 8th from noon to 5 p.m. - the Winterland Christmas Market is taking place in Cincinnati, OH. This market is a small, but authentic German Christmas Market serving traditional German food, German Bier, Glühwein (hot mulled wine), and German pastries.
After the Winterland Christmas Market, I hope you take the week to rest up and let all the German pastries digest because Lights Under Louisville will be taking place the following weekend - Friday, November 13th starting at 6 p.m. – but don’t worry if you can’t make it on opening night, they’ll be up and running their contactless drive-through into the new year, closing on January 3rd. The drive is 30 minutes long including a 17-mile underground passageway filled with 3,000,000 points of light!
Photos courtesy of Lights Under Louisville
For those of you wanting to stay closer to Lexington, Springhouse Gardens has planned a unique approach to their traditional wreath-making workshops. This year participants will receive a kit that includes fresh cut greenery, an instructional video and an easy to follow system to create a beautiful live wreath from the comfort of their own homes. They will be releasing pick up times for their take home wreath kits on November 14th at 11 a.m. on their website. For more information and to grab your take home kit, use this link.
Next up, the Bluegrass Creative Holiday Market! This market will be held at the Oleika Shriners temple in Lexington, KY. The Market will take place on November 22nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature curated Kentucky-made goods including pottery, leather goods, woodcrafts, home décor and so much more.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like true royalty, this holiday season is your chance! The Kentucky Castle in Versailles, KY is hosting multiple Santa brunches. The brunch menu will include a build-your-own pancake bar, gourmet bacon, pork sausage and castle scrambled eggs. Following the brunch, St. Nicholas will provide entertainment and pose for pictures.
For more information and all dates please visit this link.
On Saturday, December 5th, join Growth Point Church in Lexington for a fun night of worship and Christmas celebrations! The event will take place from 7 – 10 p.m., and will feature guests from BET’s Sunday’s Best, Tiffany Andrews and Keyle Richardson. For more information about this event please visit this link.
Although the holidays are a great time of year filled with lots of joy and cheer, it can cause some stress leaving us with the need for a good laugh – and The Fox that Stole Christmas 2 Comedy Show may provide the perfect cure. The comedy show will take place at the Prohibition Craft Spirits Distillery in Louisville, KY on Saturday, December 12th from 8 p.m. – 12 a.m.
For more information on this event please visit this link.


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The Apple Store is currently showing the "We'll be back soon" message on the UK store.
The message traditionally means new products. "We are busy updating the store for you and will be back shortly."
Watch this space, we will be back with a update, hopefully shortly.
8.40am update: The Apple Store is back online with no new Apple prouducts as far as we can see. Rumours of a new iOS compatible iLife '11, Apple's suite of software applications, any day now, appear to be premature.


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German top-of-the-range carmaker BMW said Tuesday its profits slipped in the third quarter despite rising sales due to higher taxes, but said it was confident about its outlook for the year.
The Munich-based company said it earned a net profit of 1.31 billion euros ($1.64 billion) for the period running from July to September, down 1.2 percent from last year due to the higher tax bill.
Revenue increased 4.5 percent to 19.6 billion euros.
Industry analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires said the results beat expectations, and chief executive Norbert Reithofer said it boded well for the full-year report.
"We remain on course to achieve a significant increase in group profit before tax for the full year and to deliver more than two million vehicles during the twelve-month period," he said in a statement.
The company reported a nearly six-percent rise in unit sales of its BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands during the third quarter to around 510,000 vehicles.
Sales of BMW brand vehicles alone rose almost seven percent to about 433,000 cars.
BMW defended its position as the world's biggest luxury automaker in terms of sales ahead of German competitors such as Audi and Mercedes-Benz.


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COMMON LANGUAGE FOR SOFTWARE IS NEEDED
In manufacturing today, computers are everywhere, but they don't yet have a common language. From the personal computers that control machine tools on the factory floor to the workstations that engineers use to design new products, the need for standards is urgent, experts say."There's an enormous frustration out there" among manufacturers, says David Bourne, a senior scientist in robotics at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. "Standards" is a big issue in business at large, as companies seek to link computers made by different firms. But in manufacturing, an added twist is the need for standard ways of describing things like a hole that needs to be drilled in a hunk of metal. Part of the solution may be found in an international effort to come up with a language for describing products to be manufactured. The United States Commerce Department is working with agencies from other nations on a Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP). A schedule is in place for pieces of the standard to appear during this decade. "It's a monumental effort," says Rick Jackson, deputy director of Commerce Department's manufacturing engineering laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). As STEP is introduced, computer companies will still sell proprietary software, but the competing systems will use a common language for modeling products, predicts John Blair, also with NIST. STEP promises to make product design quicker, especially in cases where engineers are using different software. Today, this problem crops up when several companies join together to develop a product, often on a short-term basis, Mr. Blair says.


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Yesterday on October 5, 2021 at 1:30 pm, New York’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) held its inaugural meeting. The meeting was broadcast live, with the recording and transcript of the meeting available here.
So what is the news coming out of the meeting? The short answer is that the CCB and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) are in the process of “staffing up” (some of which was formalized during the meeting) but are taking action to expand the medical cannabis program and cannabinoid hemp licensure immediately. Here are the highlights:
Expansion of the Medical Cannabis Program
Effective “immediately,” administration of New York’s medical cannabis program is being transitioned from the Department of Health (DOH) to the OCM. Practically, the OCM is taking the following actions (which go into effect immediately), which means that New York’s medical cannabis program is officially expanding:
Anyone who is legally allowed to prescribe a controlled substance can now prescribe cannabis under state law.
The maximum supply of cannabis for patients is expanded to a 60 day supply (from a 30 day supply).
Registered Organizations are allowed to sell whole flower to qualified patients.
$50 registration fee for patients and caregivers is waived moving forward.
(Here is our summary of the medical cannabis provisions in the MRTA as a refresher).
Rollout of the Cannabinoid Hemp Program
Also effectively immediately, New York’s cannabinoid hemp licensure process is being transferred from the DOH to the OCM. Chairwoman Tremaine Wright provided some statistics on the number of license applications already received (the significant majority of which were for retail licenses) and announced that the rules and regulations for cannabinoid hemp are a priority.
Appointment of Jason Starr as Chief Equity Officer of the OCM
During the meeting, Jason Starr was announced as the Chief Equity Officer of the OCM (his appointment was announced and voted on during the meeting). Mr. Starr will work closely with Executive Director Chris Alexander in creating and implementing New York’s social equity program.
No News on the Issuance of Adult-Use Rules and Regulations
Notably absent from the meeting were any statements on the anticipated timeline for the CCB and OCM issuing adult-use cannabis rules and regulations. While the CCB voted on and approved 22 new staff members (presumably tasked with actually drafting the rules and regulations), we continue to wait on a clear public statement as to when we can expect the rules to be released.
On the whole, the CCB’s meeting was a step in the right direction, albeit a little short on substance and the updates that all of New York’s cannabis industry have been waiting for. We don’t know when the next CCB meeting will be held, but it will be announced and publicly broadcast. For the time being, we will plan on providing a summary of every CCB meeting as we all wait for updates on the adult-use cannabis rules and regulations. Stay tuned.
The post New York’s Cannabis Control Board: First Meeting News appeared first on Harris Bricken.


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India is planning to start a regular shipping service between Chennai Port
and the Pacific port of Vladivostak to transport cargo from Europe and Far East
to India in 24 days.
The service is seen as a counter to the Chinese proposal for Maritime silk
route connecting Asia with African countries.
The spadework for this regular shipping service has been laid when External
Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj visited Vladivostak last week. Currently goods
from Far East Russsia reach India through Europe which took more than forty
Russia has announced visa free entry into its far eastern cities including
Vladivostak. India has also opened a Russian desk to facilitate Russian
investments in the country.


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NAM Monday Economic Report - Dec 24, 2018
Friday, January 4, 2019
Posted by: Alyce Ryan
The Manufacturing Outlook in 2018
Was the Highest on Record, but Activity Has Softened in the Latest Data
AICC, through its membership in the Council of Manufacturing Associations, is pleased to present the "Monday Economic Report" from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS (NAM).
The Weekly Toplines:
- In the fourth quarter NAM Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey, 88.7 percent of respondents felt either somewhat or very positive about their own company’s outlook, down from 92.5 percent in the third quarter. While that represents the second straight easing in confidence from the all-time high reading in the second quarter (95.1 percent), the headline index averaged 92.4 percent in 2018, the highest level in the survey’s 20-year history, surpassing the 2017 average of 91.8 percent.
- Manufacturers continue to cite the inability to find talent, especially in a tight labor market, as their top concern for the fifth consecutive survey. Other major concerns included increased raw material costs, trade uncertainties, rising health care and insurance costs, and transportation and logistics costs.
- New durable goods orders bounced back, up 0.8 percent in November after dropping by 4.3 percent in October. Excluding transportation, though, new durable goods orders declined by 0.3 percent in November and core capital goods spending—a proxy for capital spending in the economy—was off by 0.6 percent. More encouragingly, new durable goods orders have risen by a healthy 5.3 percent over the past 12 months, or 4.9 percent year-over-year with transportation excluded.
- Manufacturing surveys from the Kansas City, New York and Philadelphia Federal Reserve Banks also show some softening in activity in December, with each slowing to growth rates not seen in at least a year and a half. With that said, each of these district reports continuing growth and a strong outlook, with hiring remaining solid and input costs continuing to increase briskly.
- With that in mind, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted to hike short-term interest rates at the conclusion of its December 18–19 meeting, as expected. While some analysts and politicians were calling for a pause in monetary actions in light of softer economic data, the Federal Reserve continued to see strong economic growth, especially in consumer spending and labor markets, necessitating the move.
- New Federal Reserve economic projections suggest that FOMC participants predict slower growth in 2019. Those officials appear to predict two rate hikes in 2019 and one increase in 2020. This would seem to indicate one less hike in each year than seen in the September projections—hence, a somewhat more “dovish” stance. Yet, financial markets were hoping for even fewer hikes.
- Housing starts rose 3.2 percent in November, largely on a sizable gain in multifamily activity, which can be highly volatile from month to month. On a more disappointing note, single-family housing starts fell to an 18-month low. Affordability and workforce issues continue to challenge residential construction, with home builder optimism also falling to its lowest level in more than two years in November.
- Personal spending increased by 0.4 percent in November, slowing somewhat from the very robust 0.8 percent gain in October. Overall, American consumers have continued to spend strongly—an important signal for the economy at the all-important holiday season. In fact, personal spending has risen 4.7 percent over the past 12 months. The saving rate registered 6.0 percent in November, its lowest point since March 2013 and another indication that spending has accelerated strongly in recent months.


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Kawasaki has revealed its 2018 colour schemes for a selection of models that won’t be getting more serious updates.
The bikes shown in 2018 form today include the Vulcan S, Vulcan S Café, Versys-X 300, Versys 650, Z1000 and Z1000SX.
Morihiro Ikoma, Director of Kawasaki Motors Europe, said: “The mid weight sector is crucial for Kawasaki as it appeals to so many riders. The Vulcan S has proved its value in attracting male and female customers equally with an appeal across those new to biking all the way to experienced riders.”
The Versys 650 will come in three colours. As well as lime green, there’s a white version and a matte green model. Kawasaki is also promising ‘Edition’ models of the bike that will be shown later this year.
Ikoma said: “We regard the Versys 650 as a core machine in the mid-capacity sector. With continuing demand each year from European riders and Kawasaki dealers we are delighted to showcase the new model colours for the incoming season.”
Kawasaki Europe PR manager Martin Lambert said: “Since its launch the Z1000 has exemplified the core values of the Z Brand. These two high-impact colourways represent a great visual update for this much loved machine”.
Lambert said: “The Z1000SX has a loyal following and understandably so. With many riders purchasing their second or even third Z1000SX – and others attracted to this attractive sport-tour concept from other brands – the addition of new colour options delivers a great model line in a very important market sector for Kawasaki.”
New for 2017, the Versys-X 300 is also getting two new colour schemes next year. These are green/grey and black/grey.
“The Versys-X 300 has been a really relevant addition to the Versys range,” said Lambert, “For many riders the adventure bike styling coupled with low running costs has conveniently represented a best of both worlds scenario.”


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For decades a burger and fries have been the fast-food paradigm but data compiled for BurgerBusiness.com by researcher Mintel show that that's no longer valid. Chicken sandwiches have surpassed beef burgers in number on QSR menus.
The shift actually took place in 2010 when beef prices spiked. But rather than being a short-term reaction, the emphasis on chicken has continued since. Chicken sandwiches (including turkey and subs, wraps and burritos as well as roll/bun sandwiches) long have been close to burgers in number and consumer popularity but since 2010 chicken sandwiches have held their slim lead.
The Wall Street Journal reported then that in the week ended April 9, 2010, wholesale prices for 90% lean boneless beef were up a startling 32% from levels the previous November. Not surprisingly, that spike pushed burger chains to explore non-beef alternatives. McDonald's would test Chicken Flatbreads and Chicken Grande Wraps that year and the only new beef item it would introduce would be the Angus Snack Wrap (a half-size portion of an existing burger item). Hardee's would test the Charbroiled Turkey Burger it (and Carl's Jr.) would introduce systemwide the following year. An increase in QSR turkey burgers has been a significant factor in burgers' fall to No. 2.
The numbers of chicken sandwiches plateaued from 2011 to 2012, Mintel's data show, and burgers have inched back closer. In the 4th quarter of 2012, Mintel's survey counts 330 chicken sandwiches and 323 burgers. But all the signs point to chicken maintaining its lead. Consider the barrage of new menu items introduced by Burger King in January. Yes, it included an Avocado Swiss Whopper, but the wave also brought Philly Original Chicken and Italian Original Chicken sandwiches as well as the introduction of new Chicken Nuggets.
As a result of the shift, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and other burger chains must keep an eye not only on each others' marketing but also on KFC (expected to introduce new boneless chicken fillets on April 14), Chick-fil-A, Subway and other chicken-sandwich competitors, too. McDonald's executives have taken to referring to the chain's share of the "Informal Eating Out" market, not just the burger category.
The turning point in the burgers vs. chicken menu battle may have come in July 2011. That's when McDonald's tested a spicy sandwich called the Zesty BBQ Cruncher. The hook was that, for the first time with McDonald's, the sandwich could be ordered with choice of beef or chicken patty. Chicken had reached parity. Offering a sandwich in both beef and chicken versions has since become a QSR commonplace and burgers quietly slid to second place among sandwiches.
Thanks in part to the phenomenal popularity of chicken wings as well as chicken nuggets, Chicken McBites, Popcorn Chicken and other chicken snack items, the total number of chicken items on QSR menus was 994 in Q4 2012, according to the Mintel data, more than three times the 323 burgers charted. Even if you add to the burger number all other-beef QSR items (roast beef sandwiches, Philly Cheesesteaks, beef tacos, etc.) the total is 538 and little more than half the chicken total. It's a losing battle for beef.


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The long-awaited Tesla event has finally arrived where multiple novelties have been presented. In this, Elon Musk discussed plans for a million-mile battery, the removal of components like cobalt from his batteries, and the process to lower his vehicles’ costs. Also confirmed was the arrival of a smaller Cybertruck for the European market, the arrival of the most radical version of the Model S, and an economic model’s launch.
All this has undoubtedly given much to talk about and show the enormous growth potential that the American manufacturer still has. But all this has not convinced investors, which has caused a collapse of the shares in the post-market where the shares have lost 7% in just 4 hours, while today it has a decrease of 7.8% at the moment.
It is not that the news is few or low drafts, on the contrary, the problem seems to be that the deadlines set by Tesla are longer than expected.
During the presentation, Musk indicated a period of between two and three years for the start of many of these novelties. A reasonably long time where investors think that too many things can happen and that there are also many fronts for Tesla that will face a titanic job to meet its challenges.
For the specialized portal MarketWatch, this dynamic indicates that investors want immediate results and not promised future success. Gene Munster of Loup Ventures has shared that long-term investors make their plans annually and 3 years in the future is “a long time.” That said, “everything they spoke had substance. But investors wanted to see something already in the short term”.
From the Munster consultancy, the vertical integration of Tesla is valued. A starting bet puts it one step ahead of the industry even at the cost of short-term results. Without a doubt, the part that many investors liked the least.
The reasons for this pessimism lies in factors such as the announcement of the launch of a model below the Model 3, priced at $25,000. A movement of great significance involves fully entering a volume segment, but which will not start production until 2023 at the earliest.
There is also the announcement that the Semis, the Cybertruck, and the new Roadster will not have significant production until the new battery production lines are ready, which will also mean an expansion until 2022.
Even a symbolic model like the Model S Plaid will not finally arrive in 2020 as planned but will do so at the end of next year. More than a year later than originally planned, and that is if there are no further delays.


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Hitting the gym on an empty stomach could boost your weight loss.
Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK said exercising while hungry, forces the body burn its fat stores as a source of energy.
The study findings were published in the daily mail newspaper.
Researchers said after a meal, the body is too focused on digestion to be able to burn calories effectively during a workout.
Segment Sponsored By: Mercy Health Systems


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Kerry Group PLC said it plans to invest 20 million euros ($26 million) in China, on the acquisition of Hangzhou Lanli Food Industry Co. in Hangzhou in the Zhejiang Province and the establishment of a multi-processing manufacturing facility and technical center.
Kerry said the move will significantly expand the group's asset and customer base in China to meet growing requirements for food ingredients and flavors in the country.
The acquisition of Lanli will be completed by the end of March, and the development of the manufacturing plant will commence mid-year, with all facilities to be fully commissioned by year-end 2006.
The company said its administrative, technical and logistics operations in China will transfer to the new facilities in Hangzhou.
"With changing consumer trends and nutrition requirements, particularly in major population centers of the vast Chinese market, this region will be a major focus for the group and its food manufacturing and foodservice customers in the decade ahead," chief executive Hugh Friel said.