text:
Zoom Announces the Theme for an Epic Zoomtopia 2020!
At Zoom, we are dedicated to creating epic communication experiences for our customers and changing the landscape of business communications forever. And with our fourth annual user conference, Zoomtopia 2020, we’re pleased to announce that this year’s visual theme will be Epic Environments, which celebrates Earth’s jaw-dropping landscapes and explores how customers can create their own epic environment with Zoom.
With Epic Environments as our theme for this year’s event, we’re also excited to announce our focus for Zoomtopia 2020: Courage. It takes courage to create groundbreaking solutions for the problems of today, and we can’t wait to celebrate the courage that our partners, customers, and advocates embody with the innovations they’ve created and the changes they are enacting.
At Zoomtopia 2020, get a front-row seat for Zoom’s latest product announcements, connect with like-minded peers, discover solutions from our expansive partner ecosystem, engage with Zoom experts, enhance your skills with personalized tracks, and be inspired by world-renowned speakers.
Registration is open! Here is some important information about this year’s event:
- Dates: September 23-24
- Location: San Jose McEnery Center
- Price: $695 (until March 17)
To get the best rate for this epic event and save $300, register by March 17. We can’t wait to see you there!


text:
SoundCloud, a Berlin-based tech company that's been called the "YouTube of Audio," has heard the siren song of New York City.
After testing the waters in a temporary space, SoundCloud has opened a permanent Manhattan outpost and has ambitious New York growth plans, SoundCloud execs told the Daily News.
The company is leasing the entire fourth floor - 7,080 square feet - at 101 Fifth Ave. between 17th and E. 18th Sts.
It will be SoundCloud's largest U.S. office, outscaling its operations in San Francisco.
Twenty New York employees have just moved in. That number will double by the end of 2014 and the headcount will continue to double each year over the next few years, said Jeff Toig, SoundCloud's chief business officer.
"We are making a major investment in New York," Toig told the News. "New York will be the hub for SoundCloud in the U.S."
The tech company's New York expansion comes on the heels of a fundraising round completed late last year that netted more than $60 million, according to reports.
The funding round values SoundCloud at around $700 million, the reports said. SoundCloud declined to discuss its fundraising efforts.
SoundCloud is a platform that allows musicians, bands, podcasters - anyone who creates audio content - to upload and share, and get feedback from the SoundCloud community.
Content creators can upload up to two hours of content for free. For those who want additional storage, as well analytics to see who is playing their tracks and where, the company has a premium tier service.
The cost is $135 a year or $15 a month.
Launched in 2008, SoundCloud has more than 250 million users worldwide in over 200 countries. Twitter recently considered buying the company, but chose to walk away from the deal.
Expanding in New York puts SoundCloud closer to the creative community and to brands looking to promote themselves on the site, Toig said.
"New York is one of the biggest centers of creativity in the world," he said.
The company has recently been in talks with music labels about licensing copyrighted material, according to reports.
"We are in regular discussions with labels on a variety of different matters," said SoundCloud spokeswoman Kristina Weise. "We are not able to discuss the details of any of our business dealings."

domain: news


text:
Market updates from August
In a Nutshell
The S&P 500 reached its highest point this month, after the US Fed signalled it would continue its stimulus program. Also breaking records was the FTSE 250, which was particularly boosted by travel companies expecting to regain lost ground as the vaccine continues to be rolled out worldwide.
This period was a tougher time though for retail and manufacturing industries, as increased labour shortages in the logistics sector hit UK supermarkets and restaurants, and global production restraints for semiconductors continue to affect multiple sectors.
Slow and Steady
The US Fed’s annual symposium at Jackson Hole was once again held virtually this year, amidst the Delta variant’s continued spread across the United States. This continued Covid-cautious approach was reflected in the announcements made by the Fed’s Chair, Jerome Powell, which included the extension of federal stimulus for those affected by the pandemic; the continued monthly purchase of $120 billion of Treasury and mortgage-backed securities; and an expression of caution towards any raises to interest rates in the short term.
With this “wait and see” approach towards tapering announced, investor sentiment increased further, with the S&P500 reaching a record-breaking 4,509 in the last week of August — a 96% increase since the start of the pandemic.
The UK saw a burgeoning supply-chain issue for many retail and leisure outlets, resulting in empty shelves in supermarkets, and a headline-grabbing milkshake shortage for McDonalds. This has been attributed to a dearth in HGV drivers, caused by a combination of poor pay and working conditions, a reduction in immigration following Brexit, and disruption to training caused by the ‘pingdemic’. Similar shortages have been seen in agriculture, with too few people available to assist with harvest.
To try to ease matters, an increase to ongoing pay is being offered, and many supermarkets are providing ‘golden hello’ bonus payments to new drivers; however due to the increase in costs this can in turn increase prices — thereby boosting inflation.
Any increases to inflation would put further pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates from their record lows, and make debt more expensive.
The Chips are Down
A more globally-present shortage has occurred in the form of semiconductor computer chips; an issue which has been increasing throughout the last year, but exacerbated this month after a surge in Covid infections triggered a national lockdown in Malaysia — a major producer of microchips.
With chips used in all manner of goods, from phones to games consoles to cars, supply of these end products have diminished. Major car producers including Toyota, Volkswagen and BMW have cut global production significantly, with their share prices reducing accordingly. Intel, the largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, announced they believe it will be up to two years before the shortage is rectified, and production can return to normal.
September will see the return to schools without the previous covid safety restrictions — a further test of the efficacy of the UK vaccine program, and one which many businesses will watch with interest.
We will also expect to see more house-price data following the phasing out of the stamp duty holiday at the end of June, and whether the record-breaking asking prices for homes we saw this Summer have been able to hold steady.
The value of an investment, and any income from it, can fall or rise. Investors may not get back the full amount they invest. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Personal opinions may change and should not be seen as advice or a recommendation.


text:
As a building boom transforms downtown Boca Raton with more than 1,400 apartments, developers have unveiled a plan to bring just as many residences to the city's west end, near the Town Center mall.
Anywhere from 1,300 to 2,500 apartments and condos would be built over the next decade to create "Midtown Boca."
The nearly 270-acre district would feature specialty grocery stores, boutique shops and possibly a movie theater, according to Angelo Bianco, managing partner for Crocker Partners, one of the four developers involved in the plan.
The area is roughly framed by the Town Center mall to the west, Glades Road to the north, Interstate 95 to the east and Verde Trail to the south. The developers want to make Midtown a "live-work-play" district, where going shopping or to work is just a short walk from home.
Crocker Partners has created such destinations before. It is the same developer who in 1991 built Mizner Park, the complex in downtown Boca that offers a mix of retail and restaurants next to apartments.
Bianco said that compared with Mizner Park, Midtown would be more pedestrian-friendly. He mentioned Mizner Park's wide median, which has walking paths and benches. He said it may look nice, but pedestrians seem to like smaller areas, such as the sidewalk seating in front of restaurants.
"There are changes we can make from lessons learned from Mizner Park," Bianco said. "We've now come back to fix what we've seen 30 years has taught us in this particular area."
Today, the Midtown land is mostly a mix of shops, restaurants and commercial buildings. There are no residential buildings, and the area has only a few stretches of narrow sidewalks.
Map by Aric Chokey/Sun Sentinel
Crocker already owns just more than a fifth of Midtown, buying up about 60 of the nearly 270 acres in 2014. Among those parcels was Boca Center, a high-end shopping and dining hub that the company also built.
The proposal is the latest in a string of plans by developers to build in the city, while some residents worry about traffic jams amid a rising population.
"I think the developer has done a good job of giving an outlook that this will be a wonderful place, but they've completely taken focus off what it's going to be like with all of these residents," said Bill DeAngelis, who lives in the Paradise Palms neighborhood south of Midtown. "It's all about overpopulation for me."
To try to allay traffic concerns, the Midtown developers recently invited neighbors to town-hall sessions. They also created midtownboca.com, a website that promotes the project.
Developers say a mix of residential and retail space would cut down on the city's traffic congestion, on top of giving residents ways to get around without driving.
Ideally, Midtown would have a privately funded shuttle, on-demand golf carts and designated areas for ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber, according to Bianco. Building a new Tri-Rail station also is being considered.
"It would be a system that will allow people to be less reliant on vehicles," Bianco said. "We're trying to build for the future."
The city's Planning and Zoning board still needs to OK the number of apartments allowed. The panel saw the proposal last month but postponed a vote to send it to the City Council. It plans to further review the plan.
Michael Marshall, a lawyer with GrayRobinson representing Midtown developers, said, "We don't have the rules yet, but we're trying to get the rules in place."
Mayor Susan Haynie called Midtown "a very exciting project," but said she does see some issues.
"I think the unit count [the number of apartments] is a little aggressive," she said.
Crocker backed a traffic study that said the area could support 1,300 residences without creating traffic jams. A new Tri-Rail station, if built, may help the area accommodate up to 2,500 living units because residents would have one more significant way to travel, developers say.
The traffic study will be vetted. Haynie said she'd like to see more details on how the project would alleviate traffic. As chairwoman of the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization, she said there could be funding for the additional Tri-Rail station just north of Boca Center.
Bonnie Arnold, spokeswoman for Tri-Rail, added, "It's definitely feasible."
Another point of friction for residents is the types of businesses that would be allowed in the area. Midtown was annexed into the city in 2003 and still falls under county zoning, which sometimes gives businesses rules that are more lenient than Boca's.
"Vie Verde loves that idea of the Midtown development," said Adam Beighley, a lawyer representing the Via Verde neighborhood association, which borders Midtown to the south. "But it's important that we make sure that the uses and the businesses that go in there are conducive with the environment."
Some of the businesses in the Midtown area likely will be temporarily relocated while buildings are rebranded or rebuilt.
It isn't much of a problem for Gary Santoro, a Boca native who owns Vertu Fine Art in Midtown's Boca Center. He moved his gallery from Fort Lauderdale to Boca Raton in 2011 and said he liked the central location between East and West Boca.
He said he has heard some talk about the project and welcomes any improvements to make the area more pedestrian-friendly.
"Anything to bring business into the area would be great," Santoro said. "I think people love to go to places where you can walk around."
Visit our Boca Raton community page at facebook.com/SunSentinelBocaRaton.


text:
Now that Huawei has been banned from accessing parts of Google’s Android mobile operating system after the US government placed the company on a trade blacklist, it’s a good a time for Huawei to speed up development toward its own mobile operating system.
And Huawei did it. Reports from March have now been confirmed by Huawei, as the CEO Richer Yu told that the company has developed its very own operating system in case of any circumstances that it can face from the US. And, now they’ve devised a name for it is ‘HongMeng’.
Huawei has invested its time and effort into developing a custom mobile operating system for seven years. This software alleged dubbed as HongMeng started out in Shanghai’s Jia Tong University in 2012, it had been secretly introduced into their system and since then, not only has it witnessed small-scale deployment but also won government awards. Whether this is the same operating system as Kirin OS is unknown for now
Huawei claims that they were anticipating that such a move would be made, and they’ve taken the necessary steps to make sure that the effects of this blow are mitigated as much as possible. One of those steps would be to develop its own smartphone operating system.
During its Q1 2019 earnings, Huawei reported revenue of $26.8 billion, with 59 million smartphones sold, the company has shown that its mobile division is a money-making business and abandoning it isn’t a choice. Initially, we reported that Huawei’s own mobile platform would be called Kirin OS, while also stating that since talking about the aforementioned rumor, there hasn’t been a follow-up concerning the name of the platform, but here we are, talking about a different name.
And Huawei’s homegrown mobile operating system is called “HongMeng OS,” according to a tweet from the Global Times, a Chinese national English-language news outlet that cited Chinese media reports. It will gradually replace the Android system, according to three Chinese media reports.
Huawei is suing the US government for not allowing its federal officials to use the Chinese firm’s telecom equipment over security concerns. The company has said that the US government has failed to provide evidence to substantiate the security claims and that the US is acting unconstitutionally. With Google no longer doing business with Huawei, the latter might have switched to the fifth gear in development of HongMeng OS.
Since the clash was about to raise between Huawei and the US government. The Huawei executive Richard Yu said, according to a translation of the original German text.
“We have prepared our own operating system. Should it ever happen that we can no longer use these systems, we would be prepared,
This clash snatches the ability to use google app from Huawei user, which is a very great shock for them. And it could be the reason for the shortage in Huawei cell phones or laptops products. But according to the current situation, Huawei has prepared its own OS which expectedly will be launched in fall or expectedly next year spring. with there own app store and Chinese apps ecosystem


text:
A halal babyfood brand from Norway has made its UK debut.
Available now, the Nasim’s range comprises two infant formulas – one for babies aged up to six months and one for six months onwards (rsp: £9.99/800g), together with five meal pots suitable for six to 10-month olds (rsp: £1.39/120g pot).
Recipes – which are all free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and fortified with iron - include oriental salmon, cottage pie and spaghetti Bolognese.
The products, which are produced in Morocco and the Netherlands, would tap into a “serious lack of halal babyfood in northern Europe”, said company founder Nasim Rizvi – a Norweigan mum of Pakistan origin.
“Many Muslim children living in northern Europe suffer from iron and vitamin D deficiency partly caused by a lack of meat in their diets,” she added.
The distributor is Worldwide Brands.


text:
Cooke Seafood has announced the acquisition of Belgian shrimp processor Morubel from investment firm Bencis. The Canadian seafood company continues its expansion process and strengthens its position in Europe with the purchase of Western Europe's leading shrimp processor that cultivates, processes, packs, and distributes shrimp and other seafood products. Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke, said that this acquisition is an attractive addition to Cooke's seafood offering in Europe.
In the announcement of the purchase, Cooke notes that Morubel distributes its market-leading organic and frozen products to the food industry and retail customers throughout Europe. The Belgian company, which distributes both wild-caught (Argentina red shrimp, tropical prawns and shrimp, Vannamei prawns, crayfish, and squid) and aquaculture (Black Tiger prawns, northern prawns, mussels, and scallops) products, stands out for the full traceability of its global supply chain, as well as with multiple sustainability and food safety certifications.
It is precisely this commitment to sustainability and innovation that Cooke's CEO wanted to highlight in his statements on the acquisition. "Morubel's focus on developing sustainable, new added value products and continuously focusing on innovation was an attractive complement to our European seafood offerings", said Glenn Cooke.
The Belgian company, for its part, is very optimistic about the expansion possibilities that joining the Canadian giant means for them. "The Morubel team welcomes the sale to Cooke – we've found an ideal alignment to enable our future growth", said Dirk De Pandelaere, CEO of Morubel. "We see a lot of opportunities to expand our product line to sell additional Cooke products in European countries where Cooke is building its presence".
With this acquisition, Cooke will reach Morubel customers in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, and France. A further step in the presence of the Cooke family of companies, which previously had already diversified operations in Europe including Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, Northeast Nutrition Scotland, Cooke Aquaculture Spain / Grupo Culmarex, and Bioriginal Europe/Asia B.V. in The Netherlands.
Founded in 1954, Morubel was acquired in 2014 by Bencis Capital Partners. The independent investment firm, with offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Düsseldorf, is now selling to the Canadian company in a deal whose terms have not been disclosed. Morubel's 14,000 square meter plant in Ostend, Belgium, has a production capacity of 18,000 metric tonnes for frozen seafood, retail, and bulk packaging, moreover the opportunity for increased growth.
Glenn Cooke has welcomed the new members of the Cooke in Belgium family who will help in its European expansion. "We're very excited to welcome Morubel's 100 employees to Cooke", he said. "The plant staff, sales and management are exceptional, and they have formed longstanding customer relationships by being a flexible and reliable supplier with consistently high quality and short delivery times". Judging by the company's recent moves, such as the attempted takeover of the Australian salmon and shrimp producer Tassal Group, this will certainly not be the last we hear about the Canadian giant's expansion.
The Cooke family of businesses includes international divisions for aquaculture, such as its wholly-owned subsidiary Cooke Aquaculture Inc. and Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd., as well as seafood and wild fishery divisions under Cooke Seafood USA, Inc., Wanchese Fish Company, Inc., Omega Protein Corporation, Cooke Uruguay S.A., and Seajoy Seafood Corporation, one of the biggest premium shrimp farms in Latin America. Cooke was recently named as one of the Top 25 Seafood Suppliers in North America for Sustainability & Conservation. Globally, the company harvests and sells 30% wild seafood and 70% farmed seafood and has in-market European sales representatives.
Bencis, which acquired Morubel in 2014, is an independent investment firm that supports business owners and management teams in achieving their growth ambitions. With offices in Amsterdam, Brussels and Düsseldorf, Bencis has invested in strong and successful companies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany since 1999.


text:
Major banks may be healthier than originally feared and hopes may be rising that the economy has bottomed out, but there is still one word that continues to strike terror in the hearts of business executives and government officials alike: deflation.
Even as Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke last week proclaimed “some improvement in consumer sentiment,” the specter of the American economy experiencing a prolonged downward spiral in prices — as is already happening in countries from Spain to Japan — is a major concern. And it’s likely to remain one until consumers find their footing and government stimulus funds siphon through to pocketbooks.
The reverberations will likely be felt in every facet of the industry, not just in apparel prices but in areas ranging from rents and mall occupancy rates to the costs of advertising and manufacturing options.
“Deflation is probably going to last until everybody feels comfortable about buying stuff,” said Fariborz Ghadar, director of the Center for Global Business Studies at Pennsylvania State University.
“I believe this fall could be worse than last fall, but I think that next spring is going to be better than this spring,” said Ghadar of consumer spending. “The consumer is still very scared.” Even if sales are down in the fall, retail profits should fare better than last year because inventories will be more in sync with lower demand.
While excess capacity in idle factories presents an opportunity to cut costs further, the stakes are high for the apparel industry, which has pulled back the pricing clock with steep promotions and is training shoppers to expect bargains.
“If they don’t hold price, then you’ve got some real issues,” said Deborah Weinswig, a Citigroup analyst who tracks department stores and discounters. “You’ve got a whole can of worms.”
Last month, Weinswig took a more bullish outlook on shares of J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Kohl’s Corp. and Target Corp. based on the notion that their private label programs will benefit from a lower cost of goods. She said production costs for apparel, footwear and home goods would fall by 2 to 3 percent in the second quarter, 5 to 7 percent in the second half and 2 to 3 percent next year.
Weinswig expects half the cost savings to go to the retailer’s profit margins, while the other half goes toward higher-quality merchandise. Even if retailers did hold prices, this would be deflationary since the consumer would be getting more for the same price.
Deflation is nothing new to fashion, which has seen prices fall because of mass corporatization, trade liberalization, the rise of China and cut-throat competition for the consumer’s dollar. The “Wal-Mart factor,” the lower price base established by the world’s largest retailer, has made an irrefutable contribution as well.
Last year, the industry seemed on the cusp of an inflationary spurt with rising labor costs in China and higher energy and raw material prices. But weakening U.S. demand and the credit crisis led to an abrupt halt in consumer spending, oversupply and retrenchment. On the input side, both wool and cotton prices are down more than 35 percent over the past 12 months.
Overall, women’s consumer apparel prices fell a seasonally adjusted 3.5 percent last year as stores promoted heavily to move inventory. Prices rebounded some in January and February only to fall again in March. Men’s apparel has been steadier, with prices dipping 1.3 percent last year and increasing in the first quarter.
March price tags for women’s apparel prices marked a 19 percent drop from their August 1993 peak, as men’s prices fell 10.4 percent from their August 1998 peak, according to figures covering a 25-year span. Fashion might be a bargain, but consumers are still holding on to their dollars.
And so are retailers, as they fight to right the balance between supply and demand that got so out of whack last fall when business dropped off dramatically. Retailers are still recovering from the accompanying indigestion, which led to deeper and more widespread holiday markdowns than ever.
At apparel and accessories specialty stores in February, the most recent month for which figures are available, inventories outweighed sales by a ratio of 2.5-to-1, roughly on par with a year ago, according to seasonally adjusted figures from the Commerce Department. Inventories rose compared with sales in late 2008, reaching a ratio of 2.72-to-1 in December. Department stores have cut inventories more dramatically relative to sales and were at 2.05-to-1 in February, down from 2.17-to-1 a year earlier.
“We’re in a very lean inventory period,” said Frank Badillo, senior economist at Retail Forward.
That should help keep prices from falling off as dramatically as they have in recent years, he said.
Fashion’s price drop is now part of a broader economic picture in which the recession is forcing consumers to cut back and creating deflation concerns from Spain to Germany to Japan. The U.S. government is so antsy to head off deflation that the Federal Reserve has effectively dropped its benchmark interest rate to zero and pumped billions of dollars into the economy, risking inflation down the line. So far, the consumer has felt only a touch of that stimulus.
Economists and businesses are largely flying blind given the extraordinary nature of a recession that defies easy comparison but is usually described as the worst since the Great Depression.
“At the end of the day, economics is trying to describe the psychology of the market…the buyer as she goes into the store,” Penn State’s Ghadar said. “The traditional economic indicators are becoming less and less reliable.”
That leaves retailers with their gut instincts, which often tell them to focus on survival and slash prices. But all chains are not in the same boat — and, in the long run, observers say, that might not be the best way to survive deflation.
“If you’re a retailer who is caught in the valley of sameness, then price is the trigger that you’re going to have to use,” said Matt Katz, managing director at Alix Partners LLC. Retailers that offer value in other ways — from unique brands to better service — will have an easier time maintaining prices.
Retail is a particularly visible business and the pricing response to the recession is on display for all to see, a transparency that lends itself to lower prices because consumers can pick and chose more easily.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s Fifth Avenue New York store on a recent morning had a line of shoppers stretching around the corner waiting for the doors to open. Once inside they were nearly overwhelmed by the scent of cologne and entranced by the mood lighting and bare-chested male model. There was not an inkling of a sale or price cuts and shoppers seemed mostly to be soaking up the experience than rushing to the cash register.
“My personal philosophy to beauty is paying attention to oneself. I love to be outdoors, lots of fresh air, trying to take care of yourself as best you can. I always notice that comes through,” says Felicity Jones, the global face of @shiseido-owned @cledepeaubeauteus, which launches today. Head to WWD.com to read more about the actress’ love for beauty and how she prepared for her new role in “The Basis of Sex,” playing the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #wwdbeauty (📷: @dandoperalski)
For men’s fall 2018, @giuseppezanotti drew on elements from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ‘n’ roll. Pictured here are a pair of shoes from the collection, featuring zippers, rhinestones, and silver hardware. Head to WWD.com to see a roundup of the accessories from Milan’s men’s fall 2018 shows. #wwdfashion (📷: Andrea Delb)
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of @ralphlauren’s snowboarding collection, the brand is mining its archives. The iconic brand is reintroducing vintage styles and dropping new designs for a color capsule that will be available in Ralph Lauren stores and @openingceremony on January 25. The capsule will consist of 10 pieces, including the Snow Beach Pullover, pictured here, which is a collector’s item that rapper Raekwon wore in Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple” video. #wwdfashion (📷: Tom Gould)
For @rochasofficial’s pre-fall 2018 collection, creative director Alessandro Dell’Acqua channeled the sophisticated and intriguing Catherine Denevue in the film “Belle de Jour.” Polished collarless coats, midi skirts, suits and ’60s graphic motifs were all featured in the collection, adding a sense of discreet luxury. See the rest of the photos on WWD.com #wwdfashion
“We tried to produce clothing of that couture quality, but the most daunting part was that we only had a matter of days [to do it],” said costume designer Lou Eyrich, who recreated Gianni Versace’s iconic looks for @americancrimestoryfx. Eyrich searched online retailers and vintage shops for original pieces from the design house and for @penelopecruzoficial, who plays Donatella Versace. Head to WWD.com to read how she created the Versace world. #wwdfashion
Only three months after her stellar debut catwalk season, @kaiagerber has inked her first big design collaboration –– with @karllagerfeld. The collection blends Lagerfeld’s Parisian chic aesthetic and the model’s signature West Coast casual style via RTW, accessories, footwear and more. The #KarlLagerfeldxKaia collection will launch in September with a series of events. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
Harrods plans to remove the famous statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed from the bottom of the Egyptian escalators and hand it back to Mohamed Al-Fayed. “We are very proud to have played our role in celebrating the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed at Harrods and to have welcomed people from around the world to visit the memorial for the past 20 years,” said Michael Ward, Harrods managing director. “With the announcement of the new official memorial statue to Diana, Princess of Wales at Kensington Palace, we feel that the time is right to return this memorial to Mr. Al Fayed and for the public to be invited to pay their respects at the palace.” More on the news, with reporting by @loreleimarfil, at WWD.com. #wwdnews


text:
Google and Facebook have been taking the lion’s share of digital ad growth in the last 12 months globally, although Twitter UK’s accounts made no mention of that.
Pre-tax profit fell to £2.7m from £3.4m. Twitter UK ran up £1.4m in restructuring expenses as part of a global cost-cutting drive at the end of 2016.
Staff numbers still rose to 187 during 2016 from 163 and Twitter UK took a £14.3m charge to cover share-based payment plans for employees.
The UK used to be Twitter’s biggest market after the US but Japan overtook it last year, the parent company has previously said in its accounts.
Twitter has 22 million monthly active users in the UK, according to ComScore.
The UK accounts are believed to offer only a partial picture of the British operation.
It is thought Twitter processes most of its ad sales in the UK, rather than Ireland, following a change in accounting practices in 2014.
The company made that move before the UK Treasury launched its diverted profits tax, dubbed a "Google tax", to curb offshore tax avoidance by tech companies.
Twitter has reported a 7% decline in global revenues to $1.1bn (£826m) in the first six months of 2017.


text:
Nintendo has announced that the highly anticipated 3DS 3D hand-held gaming device will not be launching before February next year. According to the company, the Nintendo 3DS will be launched in Japan sometime in February next year, with the European and US launches set for March.
Twitter has finally overtaken social networking platform MySpace in terms unique monthly visitors in the US market. According to data released by online monitoring firm comScore, as of August 2010, the micro blogging site Twitter had 96 million unique visitors, compared to the 95 million users who visited MySpace.
A new study has revealed that a great number of children find reading more interesting on an e-reader, but that parents don't find it a suitable product to purchase.
AOL has purchased online video service 5min in order enhance video offerings across its platforms. Without disclosing the financial details of the deal, AOL announced that 5min's expansive platform will significantly boost AOL's current online video offerings to cater to a wider Web audience and drive advertising revenue.
Twitter has decided to phase out its @earlybird deal feed to give way to a new paid advertising platform. The micro blogging website has revealed a new plan to phase out its @earlybird deal service, as the company is ready to launch a new advertising service, termed as Promoted Accounts to enhance its advertising business


text:
read more Daniel Day Lewis leads Oscars charge More recognition for Day Lewis Actor Daniel Day Lewis is being tipped to win his third best actor Oscar after being nominated for his performance in the Steven Spielberg biopic Lincoln. Amongst Robinson's achievements in sport was a victory in the Master's section of the New York Marathon. Cover Reveal: The Medusa Chronicles We are thrilled to be able to share the cover for one of the most anticipated SF books of 2016 Stephen Baxter and Alastair Reynold's The Medusa Chronicles.
among refugeesRefugees in Britain: the facts behind the headlinesRefugee crisis: why so many risk all to reach EuropeScotland welcomed the first group of Syrian refugees yesterday, with politicians insisting that their arrival had widespread public support. Whether you're looking for a new pair of leggings for everyday wear because you can never have enough, or that perfect evening elegance dress to wear on a night out. Even though they're still black and white, you can feel the color and delight of that glorious epoch.
??As the market leader in associate advertising and marketing solutions, Compensation Joint offers numerous benefits for both merchants as well as affiliates. Importantly, as none of the operators are techies, we needed something easy to operate and because we are a 24 hour operation we wanted something robust. New opportunities are constantly arising and work on product development and improvement is continuous.


text:
The latest news from the auto sector including launches, rumours and sneak peeks.
The week began on a sombre note with the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) forecasting a tough year ahead for the Indian automotive sector, what with a sales slowdown proving to be a major dampener across the auto industry. That said, the launch blitzkrieg in India doesn't show any sign of abating any time too soon. The last week alone has seen two car launches and a motorcycle launch. Not a bad start to the new year, isn't it?
Audi's new Q5 Audi India launched the facelifted Q5 crossover earlier this week. It comes with a minor makeover on both the outside and inside. The crossover can be ordered with any one of the three engine options lined up: a 2-liter TFSI turbo petrol motor, a 2-liter TDI turbo diesel engine, or the top of the line, 3-liter TDI turbo diesel engine. Prices begin at Rs 43.16 lakhs ex-showroom.
BMW tops sales charts in 2012
Talking of luxury cars, BMW managed to fend off Audi in India, in terms of sales numbers for 2012. BMW sold about 9,300 cars while Audi managed about 9,000. Mercedes-Benz follows in third place. 2013 will be an exciting year for the Teuton trio as there are a whole host of launches lined up. However, our money is on BMW holding on to its leadership position for 2013 although Audi is expected to give BMW a tough fight.
Coming soon: Renault Scala automatic
Renault India has soft launched the Scala Automatic sedan, with a CVT gearbox. While prices are yet to be announced, the car will be available in two variants, RxL and RxZ. Both variants will feature the 1.5-liter petrol engine mated to the CVT gearbox. Incidentally, the Renault Scala is the first C-Segment sedan in India to feature a CVT automatic gearbox. Bookings of this car will open in the next few weeks.
Mahindra's E20 electric car
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh finally unveiled the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan(NEMMP) 2020, a plan that encourages the development and manufacture of electric and hybrid vehicles. So, how exactly does that affect you? If you heart electric runabouts, the NEMMP announcement means that Mahindra Reva will finally begin producing the Reva E2O, an all-electric hatchback. The E2O will be launched in February, that is expected to be pegged between Rs 5-6 lakhs.
XUV upping its game?
A rumor sweeping the motoring world last week involves that of Mahindra readying up an upgraded version of its flagship XUV500 crossover. The upgraded XUV 500 is expected to come with all its niggles ironed out. Braking is expected to get fillip while the infotainment system of the crossover is expected to get a once over. Another rumor in the car world suggests that Fiat will launch a high performance Abarth version of the Grande Punto, this year.
Updated Bajaj Pulsar 200NS
Coming to the two wheeled world, Bajaj will build a fuel injected version of the Pulsar 200 NS. First headed to international markets, the fuel injected Pulsar 200 NS will eventually be made available in India. Also, a Triumph distributor in Indonesia let the cat slip out of the bag, when he noted that the British sportsbike marque plans to launch a 250cc twin-cylinder motorcycle in India in 2014. This bike will be built in India and is expected to come with a competitive price tag of under Rs 2.5 lakh.


text:
2018 Volkswagen Jetta Price, Specifications, Redesign, and Release Date
2018 Volkswagen Jetta price, release date, redesign, and specifications have been rumored for quite a while although the company’s yet to announce it officially. Today, we will talk about another sedan from Volkswagen, Jetta.
Below is the detailed information related to the upcoming 2018 Volkswagen Jetta price, redesign, release date, and specification. And although we are fully aware that the German automaker company is yet to release any official information regarding the Jetta, there are already rumors speculating around this functional sedan. Well, without further ado, keep reading to find out more!
2018 Jetta Redesign for Interior and Exterior
For the upcoming edition of Volkswagen Jetta, the interior is expected to be one of the upgraded details. Anticipate the sight of excellent seats inside the quiet cabin, pampering the passengers and driver with an unending comfort.
The upgrades will also cover the technologies used inside the cabin, significantly setting the Jetta apart from its competitors. At the same time, the exterior itself is said to feature not as many upgrades as its interior does. Even though there are likely minor updates in terms of aesthetics, the same sleek and sporty look is probably what we’ll still see on the 2018 Volkswagen Jetta price.
You may also like 2018 Volkswagen CC Black Review and Interior
2018 Volkswagen Jetta Specs and Engine
Known to be one of the most functional sedans, the VW Jetta is renowned for its impressive overall comfort and performance, reflected in the reasonable 2018 Volkswagen Jetta Price and Engine. Even while maintaining its originality, the Jetta still manages to get only better each and every year, and this also includes what will be found under the hood.
Anticipate the arrival of the new and powerful engine car review to run the sedan from under the hood. The rumors say that the new Jetta sedan will be featuring the options of the 1.4L and 2.0L turbo-charged engines, paired to a sport tuned transmission. Expect to see a significant improvement in terms of specs and performance along with the arrival of the new Volkswagen Jetta. The gas mileage is also expected to be at the average in its class, if not better. That being said that it is most likely about 30 mpg city and 42 mpg highway.
2018 Jetta Release Date and Price
We predict that the new Volkswagen Jetta will be released by the German automaker company somewhere around the second quarter this year, considering how the launch date has always been consistent from time to time. Even so, Volkswagen still has not released any official statement regarding the release date of the new 2018 Jetta, as well as the selling price. We can refer to the price range for the previous model as our reference of how much the 2018 Volkswagen Jetta Price and Engine will be sold at-starting from around $18,000 for the base trim to $27,000 for the highest trim level.
Just like how its predecessors have been performing in the market, the upcoming 2018 model year is also anticipated to be the company’s top-selling imported vehicle, especially in the U.S. market. As for now, we can only predict that there will be the same trim options offered—S, SE, SEL, Sport, and GLI—for the next edition, and we are convinced that the company isn’t going to expand the Jetta lineup at least for 2018 edition. For another sedan option, read our article about 2017 Volkswagen Phaeton specs.


text:
Store-card debt written off
A court ruling writing off a consumer’s £5,126 store-card debt has opened the door for similar cases according to a report by the BBC.
Judge Henrietta Manners ruled at Clerkenwell and Shoreditch county court that Santander must write-off the debt on a credit card held by Diana Mayhew.
Ms Mayhew’s store card was automatically upgraded to a credit card by Santander in 2003.
However the bank failed to supply the terms and condition for the new card, which was issued by GE Capital which ran the Harrods store card business.
Ms Mayhew argued that she had no asked for the card to be upgraded.
“If you send someone a card marked ‘Harrods, go spend’, the temptation is massive to use it,” she said.
Although Santander claimed that GE Capital did not need to send out new terms and conditions when the card was upgraded, the judge said that this information was required under consumer credit regulations.
As the bank had failed to adhere to these regulations it is not legally allowed to recover the debt.
The case could lead to other defaulting card users arguing that their debts are unenforceable if their card has not been upgraded properly.
Meanwhile, new rules have been introduced for store cards as part of changes agreed by the government and the credit card industry.
Shop staff can no longer be paid a commission when they sign up a new customer, and incentives or discounts cannot be offered until seven days after the date the card is taken out.
This means that stores can no longer offer a discount on goods in return for customers taking out a store card.
The new rules also make it an obligation for stores to train their staff about store cards.


text:
In a new interview, Take-Two Interactive’s CEO says he thinks Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision would be good for the gaming industry.
In a wide-ranging interview published online, Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick says he believes Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard would be good for the gaming industry as a whole. Zelnick’s statement of support for Microsoft follows news in early 2022 that Take-Two Interactive had acquired Zynga, the mobile game developer behind mobile megahits such as Farmville and Words with friends.
Microsoft’s potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been a source of speculation and frustration for gamers and gaming executives alike since Microsoft announced its intentions to purchase the World of Warcraft and Call of Duty developer in early 2022. The proposed acquisition has attracted scrutiny from international regulators and concerns from gamers who worry their favorite franchises will become Xbox exclusives. Concerns about PlayStation losing access to Activision titles have even grown to the point where a report claims PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan visited EU regulators to voice his opposition to the takeover.
In an interview published on YouTube by entertainment and media website The Wrap, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick shared his belief that a Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard would be a net positive for the industry , attracting more players to the overall market. Contrary to the views of some industry figures such as PlayStation’s Jim Ryan, Zelnick stated that he did not view Microsoft games as direct competitors because they did not offer the same franchises and experiences to players that Take-Two could. With hype for Take-Two developer Rockstar’s next title at an all-time high after the Grand Theft Auto 6 Leaks, it’s clear that Zelnick believes demand for Take-Two’s titles won’t be affected by Microsoft’s takeover plans.
At one point in the video, the interviewer debunks the idea that the Microsoft deal could help Take-Two, leading Zelnick to issue a response that gives some insight into why he thinks Take-Two could benefit from a greater Microsoft presence in the industry. Zelnick notes that Microsoft wants to respond to the wishes of its players, and that many of those players have made it clear that they want to play Take-Two’s releases, meaning it’s likely in Microsoft’s best interest to promote its titles. Take-Two. Whether that promotion comes in the form of highlighting Take-Two titles on the Xbox Store or letting players play the latest GTA game on the rumored Xbox streaming console, Zelnick believes that more players overall just means more potential Take-Two customers.
Whether Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finally approved or not, it’s becoming clear that consolidation is becoming the norm in the gaming industry. From Sony acquiring a bigger stake to acquiring VR developers from From Software to Meta, mergers are becoming a daily occurrence in gaming. While these mergers are profitable for the companies involved, it may take a long time to see if these deals work just as well for everyday players.
MORE: PlayStation can’t replace Call of Duty


text:
Best Buy Expects Sprint iPhone 5 in 1st Week of October
Though this could likely be Best Buy reading the same rumors as the rest of us, the company is anticipating that the iPhone 5 will be available for pre-order during the first week of October. BGR points to an internal memo:
Thanks to a leaked document from a Best Buy source, we have discovered that Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores are anticipating taking preorders for the iPhone 5 starting in the first week of October. What’s a tad bit more interesting, however, is the mention (and further anticipation) that Sprint will be carrying the iPhone 5 at launch.
Best Buy warns, of course, that dates may change. A report that Sprint will also be carrying the iPhone 5 was recently revealed by the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, ThisIsMyNext reports that Best Buy is also expecting a new "Apple Fixture Installation" on Friday, October 21st.
To be clear, this isn’t a run-of-the-mill installation for the big box — our tipster tells us that the request that a manager be on-hand at 6AM is out of the ordinary (they usually show up at 7AM for inventory), and that a similar arrangement was scheduled for the iPhone 4 launch.
The new fixture could represent signs and displays for the iPhone 5 which has been rumored to launch at some point in October.


text:
Lights out at Cinema 16:9
LANSDOWNE BOROUGH, PA — The cinema center at the Lansdowne Theatre, Cinema 16:9, will be closing up shop at the end of February. Despite its popularity as a theatre and DVD rental center, the costs of a digital upgrade were just too much for them to handle.
Read the full story in the Daily Times.
(Thanks to Porcelain Doll for providing the photo.)


text:
Lloyds Banking Group has suffered a 95 percent fall in statutory pre-tax profits for Q1, year on year, after impairment losses hiked following the lockdown.
The group’s statutory profit fell to £74m for Q1, in major part due to a £1bn rise in impairment charges. Group revenues fell by 11 per cent to £3.9bn, partly because of intense competition across the mortgage market.
But the results also reveal that Lloyds has put nearly 900,000 customers on payment holidays.
As at 24 April 2020, around 400,000 mortgage payment holidays had been granted and the average LTV of balances on these mortgages was 50 per cent, compared to the total book average LTV of 44 percent.
Payment holidays have also been granted across all consumer finance and unsecured products including around 85,000 in motor finance, about 175,000 in personal loans and around 220,000 on credit cards.
Within the corporate sector, the group has provided £410m in coronavirus business interruption loans (CBIL) loans to SMEs and increased support for business clients through its £2bn COVID-19 fund, offering about 37,000 fee-free overdrafts, capital repayment holidays and working capital increases to clients.
The group has also introduced payment holidays and simplified claims processing for insurance customers.
Lloyds said that given the significant change in the operating environment and economic expectations, its previous guidance “is no longer appropriate.”
Its statement added: “The impact of lower rates, lower levels of activity and higher impairment on the group’s business will continue into the second quarter, but remains difficult to quantify given the significant uncertainty. The group will update the market once there is greater clarity.”
Premium Credit Strategy members can see a more granular analysis of the credit risk impact on LBG’s consumer and commercial loans, of the pandemic, on our Features section


text:
- 4 min ago Redmi K20 will be based on Snapdragon 730: Will retain the headphone jack
- 34 min ago Redmi Go upgraded variant teased officially
- 1 hr ago How to get long term DTH packs from Airtel: Here's all you need to know
- 2 hrs ago Vivo Z5x, most affordable punch hole display smartphone launched for Rs 14,500
- News BJP storms Karnataka, but South India remains unconquered frontier
- Finance Go Air Offers Steep Discount On 1 Million Seats; Fares Rs. 899 Onwards
- Automobiles Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Sport Edition Launched In India — Priced At Rs 7.98 Lakh
- Movies Maharshi Worldwide Box Office Collections Day 16: A Decent Day For The Mahesh Babu Movie!
- Sports ICC World Cup 2019: Governing body in touch with 12 "corruptors' to warn them off the big event
- Education HSC Result 2019 Gujarat: Steps To Check HSC Arts And Commerce Stream Result 2019
- Lifestyle Katrina Kaif's Floral Dress Makes For A Perfect Travel Dress
- Travel The Bustling City Of Muzaffarnagar In Uttar Pradesh
Huawei Nova 2s images leaked again: Huawei is not holding back anymore
Huawei Nova 2s will be released on the 7th of December in Beijing.
A few days back we saw some live images of Huawei Nova 2s. While we could see the device in all its glory and how stylish it looked, it seems that the handset is no longer a kept secret from the company.
The upcoming Huawei Nova 2s is scheduled to be launched on 7th of December in Beijing and it looks like the company is going all out. Many hands-on and real images of this smartphone have appeared online yet again prior to its release.
The new images look like what we saw three days ago. And as said earlier Huawei Nova 2s appearance kind of resembles that of Huawei Honor V10.
Apart from that, one of the key highlights of this smartphone will be the full-screen design with a massive display. It will feature a18:9 aspect ratio display. However, one thing that is quite interesting here is that even though the bottom bezel is really narrow, there is a home button at the front.
Another much-highlighted feature in this leak is the camera. The smartphone will basically feature dual cameras both at the front and the back. These cameras are expected to come with an aperture of f/1.8 which should definitely produce good images. Apart from this, you can see that Huawei Nova 2s has some sort of glass layering on top while at the bottom you can see a type-C port and an audio port as well. But that is all we can make out right now. All in all, the device looks great, sleek and premium.
From previous leaks and speculations, Huawei Nova 2s is expected to come with a full-screen design along with a 6.0-inch display featuring a resolution of 2160x1080p and 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone will likely be powered by a Kirin 960 processor paired with 6GB RAM. It will offer 64GB of storage.
Much like the Nova 2, Nova 2i and Nova 2 Plus, the Nova 2s will also be equipped with dual camera setup comprising of a 20MP+16MP rear sensor, as well as a dual front camera setup with 20MP sensor each.
The device is said to run on EMUI 8.0 UI based on Android Oreo out of the box. Reports further suggest that the device will feature facial recognition, NFC as well as a built-in Hi-Fi chip. The device should be available in Black, Gold, Silver, Red, and Blue color options. The device should come with few other improvements as well.
In any case, everything about the device will be officially revealed on December 7. We will update you on the same.


text:
Apple MacBook Pro: Should you wait another year?
We just experienced a new major MacBook Pro refresh last month when Apple introduced three new MacBook Pro models with revamped internals and a fresh new design. Ming-Chi Kuo, famous analyst at KGI Securities, nevertheless published a research report recently about the future of the MacBook lineup in 2017. In his report, Kuo mentioned, that Apple has shown the tendency to price new or refreshed products high at first but subsequently lower prices in the year to follow.
This led Kuo to expect a price cut for the MacBook Pro and the 12 inch MacBook next year. He also mentions that there will be a lot more USB-C peripherals in a year from now, making it less likely to need adapters constantly, if you want to interconnect with your MacBook. Also, more software products will have embraced the Touch Bar, recently introduced on the MacBook Pro, by 2017, making it a much more exciting feature than it is now.
Customers that are disappointed by the fact that the MacBook Pro did not receive a Kaby Lake update this year and still maxes out at 16 GB of RAM, might also look forward to a refresh in the second half of 2017 according to the report. If Intel manages to keep its schedule and release their next CPU generation called Cannonlake in time, those processors will lower power consumption by up to 25 percent, which would allow Apple to then integrate more RAM into the MacBook Pro. Phil Schiller, chief of marketing at Apple recently said, that offering 32 GB of RAM would cause too much battery drain on the current MacBook Pro generation.


text:
Google is embroiled in a legal fight with UK internet users who are suing the internet giant for allegedly breaching their privacy.
Google asked the High Court on Monday to rule that the forthcoming case be heard in the US, where it is based, rather than in England.
The case brought by three British users is significant because it touches on growing public concern about online privacy and use of personal data.
(Read more: Google Continues To Buy Its Way Out Of Privacy)
The claimants, who include Judith Vidal-Hall, a self-employed editor, and two directors of IT firms, are suing Google over what they claim was the clandestine tracking and collation of information on their internet usage on the Apple Safari browser between summer 2011 and spring 2012, which they say was carried out without their knowledge.
In written arguments submitted to the pre-trial hearing, the users claim the information obtained by Google "was aggregated and sold to advertisers who used its DoubleClick advertising service."
Google was able to obtain information in areas such as which websites they had visited, and was able to track surfing habits, and collect information on areas such as users' interests, hobbies, shopping habits, social class and political and religious beliefs, as well as information about their health and financial situation, the written submissions claim.
(Read more: Google removes privacy feature from Android mobile software)
Google's actions "are likely to have affected millions of users in the UK and around the world in respect of which it must have made a substantial proportion of its advertising revenue profit," the written arguments allege.
About 170 people have contacted Olswang, the law firm bringing the claim over misuse of private information and breach of confidence, although the current action is being brought on behalf of a small group of test claimants.


text:
Subaru’s new system is called Starlink and it made its official debut this week at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Designed to meet the growing connectivity needs of drivers, as well as to simplify and reduce overall cabin complexity, Starlink combines a number of features and is likely to utilize a touch-screen interface as well as voice activation.
Subaru hasn’t divulged many details but said Starlink will debut on the 2014 Forester and filter across to other models by summer, 2013. Note, Starlink will only be available on those models equipped with navigation.
Two features announced for Starlink so far include Harman International’s Aha online service, which provides access to numerous services including CBS’ Radio.com; Facebook and Twitter; as well as Subaru’s own EyeSight safety feature.
Combining safety and convenience features, Subaru’s EyeSight driver-assist system is one of the most affordable technologies of its type available. Relying on camera and radio monitoring systems, EyeSight integrates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, pre-collision throttle management, and vehicle lane departure and sway warning. It can even bring a vehicle traveling at up to 19 mph to a complete stop if it detects a crash is imminent.
For more from this year's CES, click here.


text:
Lighting Controls Association members will present “Design of Electric Controls for Daylighting,” a three-hour workshop, during the Daylighting Institute at LIGHTFAIR 2011.
LIGHTFAIR 2011 moves to Philadelphia this year on May 17-19. Be sure to check out the new products being offered by members of the Lighting Controls Association! Click to see a list of LCA members exhibiting at the show and their booth assignments.
Leviton recently announced the launch of the company’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and Knowledgebase online community, providing customers with easier access to information about Leviton’s products and educational resources.
Electrical Contractor Magazine recently published a major story on lighting controls featuring LCA members Leviton, Lutron, OSRAM SYLVANIA and WattStopper, in addition to comments from Craig DiLouie representing the Lighting Controls Association. The article, titled “Take Control,” outlines control strategies that building owners and managers can deploy now to reduce energy costs and increase flexibility in existing building lighting systems.
Leviton Manufacturing Company’s LevNet RF™ wireless lighting control products were just chosen by Consulting-Specifying Engineer (CSE) magazine as the Best Product of the Year for the second consecutive year. The high-performance line of wireless occupancy sensors, switches and accessories combines Leviton’s legendary styling and superior performance features with reliable wireless technology from EnOcean, the leader in self-powered wireless lighting control solutions.
Compact fluorescent lightbulbs save energy, but they take a long time to warm up and they’re not easily controlled by a dimmer. Selin Glickman of Leviton demonstrates a new dimmer that ends the annoyance of CFL bulbs.
Leviton announces the appointment of John LaMontagne to the position of Director of Specification Sales for the company’s Lighting Management Systems business. In his new post, LaMontagne will lead the company’s Technical Sales team to drive product sales through architects, lighting designers, design engineers and other members of the specification community.
Leviton Manufacturing Company’s LevNet RF wireless self-powered lighting energy management devices and innovative Light Logger were chosen by judges at Design Journal magazine as recipients of its 2010 ADEX Awards.
Learn more about Leviton’s Decora occupancy sensor switch …


text:
02 Oct 2020 · The new MXR M305 Tremolo has six waveforms to choose from, can run in stereo, and has a hidden secret mode. This could easily be the only tremolo pedal you'll ever need!
MXR - News and Rumours
You want all the latest news, rumours and everything else there’s to know about MXR? We're happy to oblige: On this page you’ll find everything at a glance – and it’s always up to date!
16 Sep 2020 · The new MXR FOD Drive lets you stack two distinctly different guitar amp circuits together, and then blend between them, allowing you to create your own unique overdrive tones.
16 Jan 2020 · Dunlop and MXR have two new effects pedals the Crybaby Q Zone Fixed Wah for players who don't get on with wah pedals and the Thump Bass Preamp, a preamp based on the classic Echoplex circuit.
11 Jan 2020 · MXR to reissue Paul Cochrane's Timmy as a mini pedal in 2020! While it'll probably have the cork sniffers of the pedal world up in arms, it could be one of the best budget drives of the year.
02 Oct 2019 · MXR's new limited edition Brown Acid Fuzz pedal is a 70s UK-style silicon fuzz circuit with a retro style graphic. Could this be the ideal pedal for Sabbath-esque tones?
05 Sep 2019 · Compact but pretty robust looking, the new Clone Looper by MXR packs in a total of six minutes of recording time, unlimited overdubs and variable loop speeds.
24 Jul 2019 · Green Day's album "Dookie" is 25 years old this year - and MXR has just released a video of Billie Joe Armstrong demoing the new signature "Dookie Drive" pedal.
28 Apr 2019 · Designed by Shin Suzuki, the MXR Raijin Drive has two circuits (one drive and one distortion) inspired by two legendary pedals. But which ones? A clue: One pedal was green, the other orange...
15 Apr 2019 · The new MXR Carbon Copy Mini was teased on the Jim Dunlop site and includes the Regular and Bright versions of there full sized Carbon Copy - all in one smaller, even more compact pedal.
23 Jan 2019 · · Dunlop owns MXR and Way Huge, so apart from the news of the new Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong signature MXR Dookie drive pedal the other day, we now have a plethora of new pedals to check out
22 Jan 2019 · Has Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong just let the cat out of the bag? We're pretty sure he has and it looks like MXR is going to show a Dookie drive pedal at NAMM next week!
22 Oct 2018 · The MXR Carbon Copy is getting a snazzy new silver paint job and an aluminium housing for 2018, ten years after it was introduced. Just don't expect any sonic tweaks or upgrades.
19 Aug 2018 · Do all Tube Scremers sound the same? Music retailer Thomann has made a video comparing 22 versions of the classic overdrive pedal, covering an enormous range of pedals and price points.
03 Jul 2018 · Dunlop/MXR is reissuing two classic pedals in limited edition liveries by ilovedust, as well as a new, functionally expanded version of its classic Dyna Comp compressor pedal.
01 Jul 2018 · So you can't quite afford the new EVH '78 Eruption guitar? Console yourself with the one of these, the MXR EVH 5150 Chorus instead. But why does it have to be so wide?
14 Jul 2017 · MXR has been busy this year and now their flagship analogue delay pedal has been given the deluxe treatment. But is this something we should have seen five years ago?


text:
Google Files to Sell 14.2 Million Shares from the AP covers how Google is to float more shares to raise money for "general corporate purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and possible acquisitions of other businesses or technologies." The sale coming a year after Google initially went public will earn about $4 billion, based on the current share price. One analyst is surprised saying Google doesn't need the money and that the sale will depress the stock price. The company currently has about $3 billion in cash on hand, according to the AP story.
What's New for 2015?
You spoke, we listened! ClickZ Live New York (Mar 30-Apr 1) is back with a brand new streamlined agenda. Don't miss the latest digital marketing tips, tricks and tools that will make you re-think your strategy and revolutionize your marketing campaigns. Super Saver Rates are available now. Register today!


text:
Aldi’s UK Property Expansion 'To Include Replacement Stores': Analyst
Analysts Bernstein Research have examined whether Aldi’s growth plans tally with its predictions of a run-down in the hard discounter property pipeline.
Aldi’s UK operation recently announced that it plans to refurbish a total of 380 stores across the UK by 2021, to add to 200 stores it has already renovated.
In addition, the group plans to expand its store estate, with 70 store openings in 2018, and a further 130 between 2019 and 2020.
Try European Supermarket Magazine PREMIUM – 30 Day FREE Trial.
A trial subscription gives unrestricted access to all premium site content, app content, weekly email content and European Supermarket Magazine digital edition for a full 30 days. Try it now!


text:
Developer Double Fine Doubles Down With A Trailer And A Remaster!
Double Fine has a good news for all its fans. The San Francisco based developer has just released information regarding their two newest titles hitting players this month.
First, from a partnership with developer David O’Reilly ,gamers will soon be able to play their newest title Everything. The game, that has been described as a “simulation of reality” will be hitting the PS Store March 21st. The game has also been described as a unique experience. “Everything is a simulation of reality where everything you see is a thing you can be, from animals to planets to galaxies and beyond – you can be the Universe or create your own.” Sounds like quite the trip, check out the trailer below!
The second piece of good news from Double Fine, is the upcoming remaster of the 1995 Lucasarts hit Full Throttle! The adventure of butt kicking biker Ben Throttle are back. The title has been given a reboot with new hand-drawn and 3D high-resolution artwork and remastered audio and music.
A really cool feature is that players will be able to switch back and forth between classic and remastered mode. The game is coming out April 18th and will be available on PS4, PS Vita, and PC! Give the trailer a look below.
The games are both set to be $14.99 each and the preorder are now live! Let us know what you think in the comments and stay tuned for more news from COGconnected.


text:
Working across the aisle
A bipartisan quartet of US senators has announced new legislation aimed at bolstering companies “involved in promoting and hosting tourism, travel, or other special events” because of the massive hit they have taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D – Nev.), the group includes Sen. Roy Blunt (R – Mo.), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R – ND), and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D – Minn.). Considering the target industry and the fact that the lead sponsor is from Nevada, it is highly likely that should the Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID–19 Pandemic (STEP) Act pass, casino companies will be a part of the relief package.
ensure we promote safe travel and tourism for both visitors and workers”
“This legislation will help our struggling tourism marketing and convention entities and ensure we promote safe travel and tourism for both visitors and workers,” said Sen. Cortez Masto in a statement on Thursday.
The STEP Act does not reinvent the wheel, but rather modifies relevant Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant programs. As Sen. Blunt said: “The STEP Act utilizes an existing program to direct much-needed support to tourism-related businesses as our economy works its way back to full speed.”
Helping the industry, not fat cats
The senators’ press release emphasizes that during economic downturns, it is the travel industry – and by extension, hospitality and other travel-related industries – that take the longest to recover. The STEP Act aims to take $2.25bn in EDA funds and distribute them via grants to tourism and event organizations.
Companies that access the grants can use the money in a number of ways, including funding tourism marketing and promotion, paying for the costs of educating visitors on health and safety measures, and paying for cleaning and sanitizing. The funds can also go toward paying salaries and operating expenses, though executive salaries are off limits.
this important industry could be one of the last to fully recover from impact of COVID-19”
Stressing how much the travel and tourism industry needs a hand, Sen. Cramer said: “As a former North Dakota Tourism Director, I know how much states rely on tourism for jobs and funding, but this important industry could be one of the last to fully recover from impact of COVID-19.”
Nevada would welcome the aid
Sen. Cortez Masto’s home state of Nevada was the poster child for how hard the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism industry. Nevada casinos brought in just $683.7m in revenue in December 2020, a 35% decrease from December 2019. It was the worst month the state has seen since August 1997. The Las Vegas Strip, the heart of Nevada gambling and tourism, had its worst month in 27 years.
For the entire year, Nevada gaming revenue was $7.87bn, also a 35% drop year-on-year and the lowest year on record since 1996.
Stephen A. Crystal, founder of SCCG Management and head of US and Canada development for Betfred Sports, also thinks the future is bright. In an exclusive interview with VegasSlotsOnline News, Crystal said that he is actually more optimistic than most, believing that the recovery will happen faster than the two-to-three-year industry consensus.
“People always underestimate Vegas’s ability to reinvent itself and come roaring back,” he said.


text:
ReplayKit is Apple’s system level solution for streaming and recording the action that happens on your iOS device, and is there any game that’s more well-suited for the sharing of antics than Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ($6.99)? The answer is “no" or at the very least, “probably not." If you feel that way too then today has brought some good news as GTA: San Andreas has just received a new update that adds in ReplayKit support for iPhone 6S and later devices as well as 64-bit support to bring the game compliant for Apple’s upcoming 32-bit Appocalypse.
As we’ve lamented before, ReplayKit has been woefully underutilized by developers, and under promoted by Apple, so it’s really nice to see such a high profile game like San Andreas take advantage of the feature. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, all of the previous Grand Theft Auto iOS releases and Rockstar’s other games have already been updated with 64-bit support in the past couple of years, so it looks like these gems will be spared whenever 32-bit support gets fully dropped in the App Store. But if you’re looking to share your crazy shenanigans in the biggest of the GTA 3D trilogy then grab this latest update and start causing some havoc.


text:
To cater the diverse need of Bangladeshi consumers, Samsung Bangladesh has recently launched an attractive campaign for its �Convertible 5-in-1� refrigerator range. The company is also providing 5% additional guaranteed cash back on the offer price. The campaign will continue till June 30, 2019.
Samsung fridge and freezer compartment has its own cooling system allowing the refrigerator to be flexible depending on the consumer�s needs offering five different modes: Normal, Extra Fridge, Vacation, Seasonal, and Home Alone Mode. This is the first in refrigerator category.
Regarding the campaign, Shahriar Bin Lutfor, Head of Business, Consumer Electronics, Samsung Bangladesh said, �We are proud to mark our journey of being Bangladesh�s leading consumer electronics brand and continue our legacy in delivering a truly differentiated line of home appliances which can successfully meet local needs. Our resolution is to take Samsung to every home by bringing down the price level in to a convenient level without compromising on the quality and craftsmanship of our products.�
The range of Convertible 5-in-1 refrigerators will be available at prices starting from BDT 70,900 to BDT 94,900.


text:
After this year's long and brutally cold winter, Pilot is looking forward to parking her bright yellow Schnitzel's Austrian Grill truck, which she affectionately calls Rudi. This past season was the first time Pilot operated a food truck in Maine during the winter.
"Schnitzel's is a very special concept. We were shut down more than we were open because we can't operate in negative degrees," she explained. "But in a couple of years we'll have the same number of customers and success with Schnitzel's that we do with Cielos."
Pilot plans to slide behind her unmistakable lime green Cielos Mexican Grill truck named Mathilda this May to offer customers food with a little heat and a lot of spice.
"Cielos has been such a big hit. But you're never a pro. You learn every day, and what I've learned is owning a food truck is the same amount of work as having a restaurant, which I'm familiar with in Europe," she said.
So for Pilot, that means every day is a day of work.
"We do caterings in the evenings, prep one day and office work one day," she said.
But all that planning and chopping, stirring and serving has paid off. Cielos now has a long line of loyal, repeat customers and is completely booked with catering commitments until the end of August.
"We're doing a lot of weddings and private company events which is very good," said Pilot. "We're so booked we have to turn people away."
Fortunately Jennifer Folsom of Glenburn has never been one of them. She's been a faithful Cielos customer since the food truck first rolled into the Queen city.
"I am a huge fan," said Folsom. "I visit at least once a week. My favorite item has to be the chicken burrito bowl with extra chicken, black beans and all the fixings."
Folsom said there's just nothing else like it in the area.
"It's quicker than your typical sit down restaurant and tastier than your typical fast food venue. I just can't help myself," said Folsom.
Offering Folsom, the numerous other regulars and even first time customers fresh and flavorful food is something Pilot said she'll just never tire of.
"I love what I do and I love my customers. It's all fresh food that makes the difference, and how can you ever get tired of fresh food?"
Cielos will be open Tuesday - Saturday 11:00-1:30 p.m. beginning May 22. For more information including a list of menu items, log on to www.cielostruck.com or check them out on Facebook.


text:
MADISON (WKOW) -- It's time to clean out those closets and either store your winter clothes or get rid of them.
If you're looking for some new spring styles, West Towne Mall Marketing Director Tiffany Schultz told Wake Up Wisconsin viewers about the new trends this season. Schultz says ankle pants and jeans are a big trend this year, with people pairing them with ankle boots or strappy sandals.
Schultz says the Boho top is still a trend. You'll find it in a variety of colors and patterns. Also very popular is "shoulder show" or cut-outs in tops. Schultz says they could be showing your shoulders or something like a keyhole back.
The military or bomber jacket has made a return and have pencil skirts. Schultz says for accessories, handbags are large, and either metallic or neutral-colored. Necklaces will be long and make a "statement."
To see some of the samples of this year's spring styles, click on the video.


text:
Is it safe to go to restaurants as COVID-19 delta variant spreads? How to assess the risk
After a long stretch of serving sushi to go, Lori Hashimoto's restaurant Hana Japanese Eatery reopened for dine-in service in late May. Since then, she's required masks for entry, asked customers to sanitize their hands, spaced out tables and limited capacity at her Phoenix restaurant on 7th Avenue.
She isn't required to do any of these things, but many of her customers visited Hana for their first meal out during the pandemic because they had confidence in the safety measures she takes, she said.
In Arizona, in accordance with state regulations, some restaurants have been operating at full capacity with a sense of pre-pandemic normalcy since Gov. Doug Ducey lifted restrictions in early March.
"People were hoping we were getting back to normal," Hashimoto says. "But now there's a heightened awareness and people are being cautious."
Is it safe to go to a restaurant that is fully open? Should people seek out places that require vaccinations? Do those Plexiglas partitions actually help? Here's what experts are saying about dining out during the spread of delta.
Is it safe to eat at restaurants right now?
When deciding whether or not to eat at a restaurant, many factors determine the risk.
High levels of community spread, a category that currently engulfs almost the entire state of Arizona, puts everyone at some risk, though unvaccinated people not wearing a mask face the most serious risks.
"They have no protection against the virus," says Dr. Farshad Fani Marvasti, an associate professor and director of public health, prevention and health promotion at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
Vaccinated people have a higher level of protection, but still face some risks.
Vaccines have proven highly effective against severe outcomes from COVID-19, including hospitalization and death; however, breakthrough infections, where vaccinated people get COVID-19, are on the rise.
Vaccinated people who get COVID-19 may have mild or no symptoms. But they can suffer from what's known as long COVID-19, Marvasti says, when people develop long-term symptoms from the disease.
Is it safe for parents with unvaccinated children to dine at restaurants?
Another thing to consider is who you come in close contact with. Children under 12 years old cannot get vaccinations. So parents who go out to eat could potentially bring it home to their unvaccinated kids.
The risk posed to other family members is something else to think about. Hashimoto explains that she lives with a family member who has survived cancer three times.
"I don't want to even bring the flu home," she says. Her co-workers and employees also have at-risk family members and young children to think about, she says.
"Plus the majority of my Sunday business is families. We have a lot of kids in the restaurant who are under 15 or 12," Hashimoto says. "We want to be as careful as possible."
Is outdoor dining safer than indoor dining?
For a few months of the pandemic, takeout was the only way restaurants could serve customers. One silver lining of that experience is that most restaurants around the state are now better equipped to serve food to-go.
Picking up food while wearing a mask or having it delivered to your door still remains a safest way to enjoy a meal that wasn't cooked at home. The CDC describes drive-through, delivery, takeout, and curbside pick up options as the lowest risk way to dine out.
At the other end of the spectrum, the CDC describes dining options with indoor seating, seating capacity that has not been reduced and tables that are not spaced at least 6 feet apart as presenting the highest potential risk.
Is it safe to go to bars?:Doctors explain new risks of COVID-19 delta variant
As delta spreads, returning to some of the safety measures put in place earlier in the pandemic can help curb the spread. On July 27, the CDC updated its advice to recommend fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors.
At restaurants, it's impossible to wear a mask while eating, so trying to maintain a minimum of six feet of space between yourself and others becomes even more important.
When removing a mask to eat, those sitting outdoors are much safer, Marvasti says.
Throughout the pandemic, and with grants from Ducey's office, many restaurants added patios or expanded outdoor seating.
Do Plexiglas dividers help prevent the spread of COVID-19?
Throughout the pandemic, restaurants and bars spent thousands of dollars on installing ventilation and filtration systems that clean and circulate the air, adding Plexiglas dividers between booths, transforming menus into scannable QR codes and adding lines of tape to indicate where people should wait.
But how helpful were these measures?
"Ventilation systems are definitely helpful," Marvasti says, but "dividers really don’t do anything."
He explained that the virus won't stop because there's a square of plastic to go around.
Before visiting a restaurant, customers can call or check social media to see what safety measures the business has put in place, from having a fully vaccinated staff to requiring servers or diners to wear masks.
Can restaurants require proof of vaccination?
One way some restaurant owners have chosen to try to protect their customers and staff is by requiring customers to show proof of vaccination.
Many of these restaurants have faced backlash, even drawing protesters picketing outside. However, legally, it is within a restaurant owner's rights to ask about vaccination status. As private businesses, owners can legally refuse entry to unvaccinated people.
Vaccination status in Arizona:Yes, restaurant workers can ask if you're vaccinated.
For those who are vaccinated, visiting a restaurant where everyone else is vaccinated as well can offer some peace of mind. It can also be less risky, Marvasti says.
"If everyone at the restaurant is vaccinated, you reduce the chances of that restaurant being the source of an infection that leads to a hospitalization and death," he says.
However, vaccinated people can still spread the disease between one another and bring it home to others, so dining out, even with proof of vaccination, is not entirely free of risk.
Can restaurants require masks?
Yes, restaurants can require customers to wear masks. Similar to the legalities surrounding vaccination status, restaurants are private businesses and make the rules for those entering their space. (Remember "no shoes, no shirt, no service"?)
As delta spreads, more small businesses throughout the Valley are returning to mask requirements.
At Hana, Hashimoto provides disposable masks for anyone who forgets. Making sure her customers are safe, even if they are not all happy with the requirements, is her main focus.
"I've taken very measurable, effective steps," she says. "And the debate ends at the door."
Support local journalism and subscribe to azcentral.com today.


text:
updated 01:05 pm EDT, Fri April 24, 2009
iPhone at 1 5pc Share
Regardless of the economy, Apple has managed to claim 1.5 percent of the market in the early part of 2009, according to ABI Research data. The California company's 3.79 million iPhones sold in the first quarter were enough to eke out the amount, which gives Apple an extra 0.4 percent of the total market beyond the 1.1 percent it had just at the end of 2008. The expansion comes at the same time as significant shrinks by market leader Nokia, which dropped to 36.2 percent, and struggling mid-range firm Sony Ericsson's fall to just 5.6 percent.
ABI still sees Apple's growth as unusually weak, particularly in the light of increased share for some of its most important rivals. Research in Motion moved up to 3 percent of the market based on strong sales of newer BlackBerries like the Bold and Curve 8900 while Korean cellphone makers LG and Samsung continued advancing rapidly to 8.8 percent and 17.8 percent respectively. The researchers' practice director Kevin Burden argues that the App Store should have helped Apple spur more demand and that it may take a sequel iPhone or additional models to tip the balance.
"As popular as the iPhone3G has been, increased competition in the touchscreen segment and a lack of product differentiation may be dampening demand," he says.
Part of the reduced significance may come from Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic, which has been one of the Finnish phone producer's few standout phones amidst a 19 percent drop in phone shipments this past quarter. Although most of Nokia's business was down significantly, the 5800 alone accounted for 2.6 million of those shipments. LG has also been a long-term competitor with phones like the Cookie and Viewty, and just recently sold 2 million Arena phones in 1 month, though these figures will only partly impact LG's share as it shipped in March.
Nokia and Sony Ericsson were hurt precisely as they had a relative dearth of touchscreen phones: the former is still waiting on its N97 flagship for the summer, while Sony Ericsson only has the XPERIA X1 and is waiting on the Idou in the second half of the year.
The increases for most of the top phone makers contribute to a better-than-expected world tally of 258 million phones shipped worldwide during the quarter, as well as a more optimistic view from ABI for the rest of the year. Though it sees year-to-year numbers dropping in the spring due to very strong shipments a year ago, it expects the spring to show stronger sales than in the winter and for a recovery to become more obvious in the summer. Total phone units are still thought likely to drop, but by a gentler 8 percent instead of 8.4 percent.


text:
President Trump says that he’ll decide when America’s lockdown ends.
The assertion from President Trump came after governors began making plans for a coordinated re-opening. Groups of states on the west coast and in the northeast agreed to work together in the coming weeks.
The Trump White House allowed each state to decide when to implement “stay-at-home orders.” While governors believe that they have the authority to determine when to remove those directives, Trump says the authority to lift them is his.
There’s an urgent push to re-open the U.S. economy quickly.
In Europe, restrictions are already being lifted in small ways. In Austria, hardware and home improvement stores opened on Tuesday. Spain is allowing construction and factory workers to return to work. And in Italy, some stores have been allowed to reopen.
This week we’ll get a glimpse into the economic impact of the outbreak.
That’s because U.S. corporations will begin reporting quarterly earnings for the period of January – March. While the U.S. economy was healthy in January and February, things began deteriorating by early March. It’s expected that the current quarter will see far worse results.
Investors will be closely watching earnings in order to fully understand the fallout. And we can expect stocks to be making big moves this week.
This increased volatility is creating a huge and profitable trade setup.
The Big News…
New $1 Trillion Stimulus
Republicans on Capitol Hill are starting work on another stimulus bill. This one is expected to top $1 trillion and include huge spending on infrastructure projects including 5G. Go here for the top All American 5G stocks to BUY NOW.
India Extends Lockdown for 3 Weeks
Prime Minister Modi announced that the nationwide lockdown would continue for an additional three weeks. The country’s 1.3 billion citizens will be required to stay home through May 3.
IMF: Worst Recession Since 1930s
The International Monetary Fund expects the global economy will drop by 3% in 2020. That would make this the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
The Coronavirus Numbers
Here are the numbers from Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET.
- 1,946-781 Infected worldwide
- 121,710 Deaths
- 587,815 Infected in the U.S.
- 23,654 Deaths in the U.S.
The outbreak will crush U.S. corporations and their earnings. Reports start next week.
Don’t try to trade earnings season. Just use these quick “Overnight Trades” and you could WIN +80% of your trades. Go here for urgent details.
Stocks are rallying today on hopes that the U.S. economy will open soon. Major U.S. indices are posting gains of 2.5% – 3% in Tuesday morning trading.
The gains come despite terrible corporate earnings reports.
- JP Morgan (NYSE: JPM) reports that profits plunged 70%. And the bank is preparing for loan defaults by setting aside $6.8 billion.
- Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) says that its profits fell 89%. Meanwhile, revenues dropped 18%. The bank set aside over $3.8 billion to cover potential loan losses.
- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) saw sales increase 3.3%. The company increased its dividend by 6.3%. And it also signed a $1 billion agreement with the government to produce a vaccine.
It’s almost impossible to predict earnings. And it’s even harder to know where stock prices will go after the results are released.
Smart traders won’t try to predict earnings season results.
Instead, they’ll be WINNING 80% of their “Overnight Trades” in less than 24 hours.
This proven system could’ve turned $5k into over $1.1 million – in less than three years.
Yours in Health & Wealth,


text:
updated - August 4, 2020 Tuesday EDT
Sears Holdings Corporation has named Girish Lakshman as the company's new president of Fulfillment, its end-to-end order fulfillment service, according to a press release issued by Sears Holdings.
Lakshman's new role is to support the company's continued efforts to enhance the experience of its members and flawlessly fulfill their needs and advance its retail strategy.
Edward S. Lampert, chairman and CEO of Sears Holdings, said in the press release that Lakshman is a strong fit for the company.
"Girish's strong operational discipline, process thinking and experience leading change make him a strong fit for Sears Holdings," he said. "He will work closely with me and our supply chain and inventory management leaders to enhance our members' experiences and support our transformation as an integrated retailer."
Reuters adds that Lampert expects Lakshman to help strengthen the company's Shop Your Way.
The Shop Your Way, which accounts for three-quarters of the retailer's overall sales, is a loyalty program that offers member points and tailored deals.
Reuters adds that Lampert said in an internal memo that the company should "better connect their members with the products they want and in the way they want to receive them."
He adds that the company should "clear any hurdles that might get in the way of those goals."
Reuters adds that the appointment of Lakshman is the latest among a series of recent senior executive appointments of Sears Holdings.
Last week, Sears Holdings hired Tom Park, who previously worked for Belkin International and Walt Disney Co, to be the president of Kenmore, Craftsman, and DieHard brands, and Lynn Pendergrass, who was an executive at Johnson & Johnson, was hired last month to be the president of hardlines.
Lakshman's recently served as the vice president of Worldwide Transportation Strategy, Technology and Customer Returns at Amazon.com, according to the press release.
He was with Amazon.com for 15 years and held positions in a variety of roles in transportation, technology, logistics, operational excellence, and management.
Lakshman has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from Osmania University in India, according to the press release.
His appointment was announced on Monday, September 21, 2015.
TOP 10 FRANCHISES OF 2020


text:
3D printing in rheumatoid arthritis studies
New York Genome Center Researchers Create Low-Cost Open Source 3D Printed Device for Single-Cell Analysis
So many of the benefits of 3D printing—and often all of them—allow for innovative strides to be made in a variety of industries today. Some of the most undeniable and…
Additive Manufacturing Strategies
Networking & Intelligence Summit,
February 6-8, 2024
3D Printing jobs around the world.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter
Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.


text:
Kylie Jenner could be the youngest billionaire with her growing $900 million business.
Kylie Jenner graced the cover of Forbes magazine cover and landed on the news outlet’s annual list of the 60 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs in America. In an interview, the 20-year-old discussed her massive fortune worth $900 million, which is largely due to her growing Kylie Cosmetics line alongside millions she earned from her clothing line with her sister Kendall, endorsement deals with PUMA as well as multiple TV appearances. In fact, Jenner is the youngest person on the magazine’s fourth annual ranking of the richest self-made women in America.
She claims that social media is the key to her successful business. She argues that fans are quick to buy the items she promotes on her personal and business Instagram pages that have a total of 126 million followers. “Social media is an amazing platform,” Kylie Jenner said. “I have such easy access to my fans and my customers.” As Forbes pointed out if Jenner’s success continues she will surely be the youngest billionaire.
- Kylie Jenner Reveals Her Beauty Secrets (Video)
- Kylie Jenner On Track to Become the Richest Kardashian-Jenner
- Kylie Jenner: Everything We Know So Far About Her #SecretProject


text:
Fort Lauderdale — The father of an 18-year-old Tesla driver who died in a fiery crash in Fort Lauderdale has filed a lawsuit against the California car manufacturer, faulting the batteries used by the company.
“Barrett Riley was killed by the battery fire, not by the accident,” the 16-page lawsuit says.
The May 8, 2018 crash was “entirely survivable,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit’s claim reflects the Broward County medical examiner’s finding that Riley died of injuries from the fire. His front-seat passenger also died. A back-seat passenger was thrown from the car and survived.
Driving his father’s Tesla, Riley traveled at 116 mph, lost control on a curve and careened into a concrete wall on Seabreeze Boulevard.
The 2014 Model S sedan exploded into a ball of fire.
Riley and a fellow senior at Pine Crest High School died on the scene.
The company’s defectively designed lithium-ion batteries caused the Tesla to “burst into an uncontrollable and fatal fire” upon impact, the suit says.
The lawsuit was filed Oct. 8, 2019 in the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County. Tesla’s headquarters is in Palo Alto, Calif.
Riley’s father, James B. Riley, filed the suit on behalf of his son’s estate. It demands a jury trial and seeks damages on two claims of negligence and one claim of strict liability.
It raises a claim similar to one in a wrongful death lawsuit filed nearly a year ago on behalf of Riley’s front-seat passenger, Edgar Monserratt Martinez, 18, of Aventura.
The crash could have been avoided, both suits allege, if a worker at a local Tesla service center had not removed a device that limited the electric car’s top speed at 85 mph.
Riley’s parents had it installed after their son got a speeding ticket.
But unbeknown to the Rileys, the lawsuit says, a Tesla worker negligently disabled the device when the car was taken in for maintenance about a month before the fatal crash.
Tesla could not be reached for comment.
But in an emailed statement earlier this year, a Tesla spokeswoman said “unfortunately, no car could have withstood a high-speed crash of this kind."
“Our thoughts continue to be with the families affected by this tragedy,” she said.
Tesla in 2018 introduced a speed-limiting feature “in dedication to our customer’s son, Barrett Riley, who tragically passed away in the accident,” the spokeswoman said in January.


text:
Cancelled Future Festival tickets still on sale
Tickets are still being sold online for what promised to be Lincolnshire's largest ever music festival - despite the event's apparent cancellation.
Organisers said big-name acts had been lined up for the Future Festival at Lincolnshire Showground in July.
The showground has since confirmed it will no longer be hosting the event, but tickets of up to £70 are still on sale on Future Festival's website.
Organiser Danny Brewster said he was no longer involved in the event.
Maureen Frizzle, 53, from Ruskington, spent £100 on a pair of tickets for her and her husband.
She said: "It would be really nice to get the money back, but I would like some sort of legal procedure as well because it is a scam and they have taken money from people.
"If it was a mistake on their part… they could have informed people it had all gone wrong, put out an apology. But what they did, they went completely quiet.
"I've left several messages, sent emails, no-one ever gets back to me."
Sutton Coldfield-based company Midlands Catering paid a deposit of £450 for a pitch at the festival.
Owner Rekha Cumberlidge said: "Looking at what's happened, saying it's been confirmed, rushing us into paying the deposit saying that we may not get the pitch, we feel that this was a scam to start with. We feel we've been taken for a ride.
"I've spoken to a couple of people who bought tickets - nobody can get in touch with Danny Brewster or anybody else."
Several bands from across Lincolnshire were also booked to perform at the festival and said they had signed contracts with the promise of large performance fees.
Mr Brewster said he had sold Future Entertainment Ltd - the company planning the festival - and separated himself from it "legally and lawfully".
His said he made the decision because his business partner, who was financing the event, had pulled out.
Mr Brewster could not identify the company's new owners, and said anyone who purchased tickets - which first went on sale in the run-up to Christmas - should try to contact them through the festival's website.