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The chief executive officer of Microstrategy responded against the rumors on Bitcoin sell plans.
Microstrategy is a business intelligence firm, which is bullish on Bitcoin under the leadership of Micheal Saylor. At present Microstrategy holds around more than 125,000 Bitcoins on its balance sheet as a reserved fund. Microstrategy CEO always remain ready to appreciate the technology of Bitcoin in every situation.
In the last few weeks, a rumor was spreading in the crypto industry about “Microstrategy planning to sell its Bitcoin holdings”. On 23 April, Michael responded to the rumors and confirmed that there are no such plans.
Through the tweet, Michael stated that if Microstrategy will plan for any kind of thing then surely the details & plans will be publicly available with SEC filing.
“Not sure who needs to know this, but when $MSTR makes any material change to its corporate strategy (to acquire & #hodl bitcoin) or to its #bitcoin holdings, we disclose this to our shareholders via @SECGov filings, available to all.”
In response to this tweet of Microstrategy CEO, Peter Schiff, Chief economist, and Global strategist, asked whether it will be required legally to inform about such plans to sell Bitcoin in advance through the SEC filing.
However, Peter didn’t get any response tweet from Microstrategy CEO but this thing further raises questions on the tweet of Micheal Saylor.
In the past, Tesla CEO Elon Musk suspended support from Bitcoin and also sold some Bitcoin holdings but was never informed about this thing in an SEC filing. Later Elon revealed in an interview that he sold some of the Bitcoin holdings.
Earlier this, in an interview, Microstrategy’s CEO explained that Bitcoin is a better asset against inflation. And also he said that the price of Bitcoin works with bitcoin traders’ activities but the actual price of Bitcoin came with the age of Bitcoin.
Read also: Nissan and Toyota jumps in Metaverse
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These regulations are the first ever directly targeted at digital currency businesses.Click on a number on the chart and you will be transferred to the corresponding event.So unsurprisingly, another day means another high-profile analyst going bullish on Bitcoins in 2017.
Bitcoin | Crypto News
With a majority of the Bitcoin network hashing power, GHash.io could temporarily reverse transactions that they send (double spending) and prevent other transactions from being confirmed.
BCC USD | Chart | Bitcoin Cash US-Dollar | Markets InsiderFind the live BTC to USD price, along with a chart of the historical bitcoin to US dollar market price to date. 2017 Blockchain Luxembourg S.A.Bitcoin News 13 September 2017 - Bitcoin and Altcoin Prices in Free Fall.Bitcoin BTC price graph info 24 hours, 7 day, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 1 year.The oddity is quickly spotted by Bitcoin developers and community members, and a fixed version of the Bitcoin software is released within hours.
What Experts Are Predicting for 2017 in Bitcoin and Blockchain Tech. by Michael Scott Jan 3, 2017 5.Bitfinex was holding the customer funds in multi-signature addresses in conjunction with its security partner BitGo.Braintree merchants need only sign up for a Coinbase account and link it to their Braintree account.
All Bitcoin transactions are to be handled by Coinbase, a Bitcoin payment processor.
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin Price Charts - CoinbaseIn a letter to Judge Katherine Forrest prior to his sentencing, Ulbricht admitted to running the Silk Road and made a plea for leniency.
Bitcoin Price Has a 0.25% Shot at Hitting $1 Million, Says
Bitcoin price | index, chart and news | WorldCoinIndexThe policy change prohibits any financial institution to trade, insure, or otherwise offer services related to Bitcoin.The Bitcoin Cash price has been under attack by critics seeking to dump units on the.
Bitcoin Briefly Surpasses $5,000 On Friday | PYMNTS.com
Bitcoin has now shown about eight weeks of consecutive buying,.In January 2015, noting that the bitcoin price had dropped to its.What does the Bitcoin price prediction chart say about its value in 2017.Together, they simplify bitcoin ownership and trading for hundreds of millions of new users and the market is expanded enormously.According to a recent Business Insider Intelligence briefing.
Bitcoin Price Technical Analysis for 09/14/2017 – Finally a Breakout! Sarah Jenn.
What Is Bitcoin? -- The Motley FoolRegistration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our.
Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies | Should You Buy Bitcoin | BestUsing offshore banks, novel cryptographic voucher systems and other solutions, these trading platforms continue to operate, but at greatly reduced volumes from their hayday in 2013.
The initial Bitcoin program and its source code are released by Satoshi Nakamoto six days later.The news adds to speculation that Paypal is becoming more favorable towards Bitcoin, and may eventually integrate it into their own payment processing system.
The company founders stated they had worked for months to obtain various licenses from state financial regulators, allowing them to legally accept customers from 25 different US states.Two days later, regulatory issues surrounding money transmission compel the popular bitcoin exchange and services firm TradeHill to terminate its business and immediately begin selling its bitcoin assets to refund its customers and creditors.
At What Price Will Bitcoin's Market Cap Equal Gold
Wright did not provide WIRED with any confirmation that he was indeed Satoshi Nakamoto.
Bitcoin, ICO Risk Versus Immutable Gold and SilverAnother document detailed that Wright had access to a Bitcoin trust worth 1.1 million bitcoins.Value of 1 bitcoin surpassed the spot price of an ounce of gold for the first time.The goal of the project was to facilitate peer-to-peer trade without a middleman, fees, or restrictions on trade.His most popular project was bitcoinj, a Java implementation of the Bitcoin protocol.
EURO To Naira Exchange Rate Today 2017 (BLACK MARKET) Today Bitcoin.What Is Bitcoin Cash Currency Buy Bitcoin Cash Bitcoin (BTC) has officially split.

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The retailer’s will join Aldi and Hobby Lobby in the $30 million retail development on Whittington Drive in Madisonville.
“The Shopping Center Group told us right after we made the announcement at the site back a couple of months ago, that this project is the largest retail development in the commonwealth for the next two years,” said Mayor Kevin Cotton. “That is huge for Madisonville and the region as a whole.”
“One of them we will be able to announce before Christmas is one every lady in this room will know,” Wiles said. “The other one will probably be March.”
“This whole 175,000 square feet (shopping center), all but about 10,000 square feet of it will be new to Madisonville,” Wiles said. “This will be the second store for something that is at the mall, but they are going to keep the other store.”
Madisonville Town Center, slated to open in the spring of 2025, is the second of at least three phases for the development. Phase one of the project, Aspen Dental and Starbucks, is currently under construction and slated to open in March of 2024 at the former Pizza Hut site. The third phase will be a national “sit down” restaurant, which will be located between the retail development and 5/3 Bank. That should open in the fall of 2025.
A potential fourth phase could go in on the western edge of the property. The Marriot hotel chain has toured the location and is interested in locating a Fairfield Inn there, but Wiles said his company isn’t exactly sold on that idea.
“We’re not hotel developers, we’re shopping center developers,” Wiles stated, although the company has not yet rules that idea out. “We’re not sure what we are going to do there.”


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Burger King Corporation Wakes Guests up to New Breakfast Menu Additions
$1 BK(R) Breakfast Muffin Offers Great Deal; BKTM Breakfast Bowl Boasts Best of Breakfast Flavors
MIAMI (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Burger King Corporation (NYSE: BKC) today announced the newest additions to its breakfast menu lineup, the BK(R) Breakfast Muffin sandwich and BK(TM) Breakfast Bowl. Available for just $1 at participating restaurants, the BK(R) Breakfast Muffin sandwich features savory sausage, egg and melted American cheese on a freshly baked English muffin. It's the latest menu item available on the BK(R) Breakfast Value Menu, which launched in early 2007 as the first national breakfast value menu among quick-service restaurants.
"The BK(R) Breakfast Muffin sandwich provides more value for the money to our guests," said John Schaufelberger, senior vice president, global product marketing and innovation, Burger King Corporation. "We took a breakfast sandwich that has proven likeability among consumers and are delivering it at a great price."
The BK(R) Breakfast Muffin sandwich takes aim at "the other" breakfast muffin sandwich in the market and will be illustrated by a tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign that showcases this undeniably delicious breakfast sandwich. "This provocative campaign highlights the King's edgy antics and makes it clear that our newest breakfast sandwich is a great deal for our guests," said Brian Gies, vice president, marketing impact, Burger King Corporation. Dubbed "The Sneaky King," the 30- and 15-second commercials, which begin airing nationally today, feature the King taking matters into his own hands as he works to deliver a breakfast sandwich he knows guests love for $1.
ALL-IN-ONE BREAKFAST BOWL
In addition to the BK(R) Breakfast Muffin sandwich, beginning today, participating BURGER KING(R) restaurants nationwide will also feature the new, premium BKTM Breakfast Bowl. This easy-to-go, easy-to-eat menu item features all of the ingredients of a typical breakfast platter, combining roasted southwestern potatoes, grilled onions and peppers, scrambled eggs and savory sausage topped with a three-cheese blend and a smoky cheese sauce. In-restaurant merchandising will support this all-in-one breakfast experience, which is available for a suggested retail price of $2.79.
ABOUT BURGER KING CORPORATION
The BURGER KING(R) system operates more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and in 73 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING(R) restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. In 2008, Fortune magazine ranked Burger King Corp. among America's 1,000 largest corporations and Ad Week named it one of the top three industry-changing advertisers within the last three decades and it was recently recognized by Interbrand on its top 100 "Best Global Brands" list.
SOURCE: Burger King Corporation


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Last month, the Galaxy A20e was confirmed to be released in the UK together with the Galaxy A40 and Galaxy A90. New image and video renders of the A90 recently surfaced online while a Galaxy A30 went available on B&H and Newegg with US warranty. The Galaxy A70 rolled out as the biggest from the series yet last month. There’s also the Galaxy A2 Core Android Go phone yet to be unveiled. The Samsung Galaxy A Series has a lot of new models with the latest one being released in India.
Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy A20 in India. The phone boasts powerful specs starting with the 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-V screen, HD+ resolution, 4000mAh battery with 15w fast-charging tech via USB Type C, and dual 13MP and 5MP rear cameras with ultra-wide lens. They’re almost premium but the phone only runs on 3GB of RAM and an Exynos 7884 Octa-core chipset.
The Samsung Galaxy A20 Android phone is ideal for the Gen-Z person who spends a lot of time on their phones, browsing their social media profiles and watching videos endlessly. The 4000mAh batt is powerful enough for it to last for almost a whole day. The 32GB onboard storage may not be enough but there’s a microSD card slot.
When it comes to imaging, the dual rear camera system is great for Ultra-wide photos and videos, as well as, low-light environments. The 8MP selfie camera with fixed focus and f/2.0 aperture is good enough.
Samsung combines a number of its selling points to achieve the Galaxy A20. It’s being released in India initially but we don’t doubt it will also be out in other countries and regions.
Samsung promises consumers can “do more with its brilliant camera with Ultra-Wide lens and proprietary Super AMOLED technology which brings the display alive”.
Galaxy A20 will already feature Android 9 Pie and One UI out of the box. The device will be ready in Black, Blue, or Red. As for the pricing, you can get it for INR 12,490 which is about $180 in the US.
The unit will be out in India via the Samsung Opera House, Samsung e-Store, and other retailers beginning today, April 8, Monday.


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Woolwich makes its savers wait
Woolwich savers will have to wait up to a week longer for monthly interest payments from their fixed-rate bonds. The change is triggered by their transfer to Barclays. Woolwich has transferred its 3.6m savers into Barclays accounts.
Instead of paying monthly interest on fixed-rate bonds directly into savers' current account, Barclays will introduce a new drawn-out process. It will send a cheque by second class post which you then have to take to your bank - and wait for it to clear before you can start to spend your income.
Savers who have their interest paid annually will suffer the same fate when their interest dates come around. A spokesman for Barclays says: 'We can no longer pay into a non-Barclays account because we do not issue these 'corporate cheques' to other banks.'
Monthly income seekers are not the only people to be disadvantaged. Savers who originally picked Woolwich Card Saver, Openplan Savings Reserve, Monthly Saver or Premier Instant with the Woolwich have been moved over to a new Barclays account, Flexible Savings.
This pays 2.84% after 20% savings tax on savings up to £10,000 and 3.19% on £50,000 and above from August 1. But Barclays has a better account which does the same job - giving easy access and a cash machine card - called Day to Day, which pays 3.54% on balances of £1 or more.
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Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), the most valuable technology company, fell 12.4 percent in Thursday trading, erasing more than $60 billion of the company’s market value, one of the worst poundings in history. They closed at $450.50, down $63.51, after reporting financial results on Wednesday.
Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., is still valued around $423 billion, or about $7 billion more than Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM), the second-most valuable company.
While Apple’s net income of $13.08 billion, or $13.81 a share, beat analyst estimates, its second-quarter forecast was below estimates. That was the trigger for investors, seeking return on tomorrow’s performance, to sell their shares.
On Sept. 21, they set an all-time high of $705.07, which means they’re now 35 percent below that record high. At UBS, analyst Steve Milunovich said considering Apple’s solid overall performance, “the good news is that Apple could now become oversold.”
What Apple needs, Milunovich said, is “some new products” to show the idea factory created by former CEO Steve Jobs is still alive. Meanwhile, despite a forecast for second-quarter revenue about 20 percent below the prior quarter’s record $54.7 billion, he still rates the shares a “buy,” but with a 12-month price target of $600, down from the prior $650.
During their call with analysts, Apple CEO Timothy Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer said there were many new products in the pipeline, although, by custom, they didn’t specify them.
Two analysts, Peter Misek of Jefferies and and Gus Papageorgiu of Scotia Capital, trimmed their ratings on the shares to “neutral” from buys, but other analysts said after the seemingly unstoppable yearlong rise of the shares through last September, the performance since then looks like what they term a “capitulation.”
As well, many noted that cash and investments in Apple’s account, a record $137.1 billion, amounts to $128 a share alone.
With the cash, Apple could buy some of its key suppliers such as ARM Holdings (NASDAQ:ARMH) of the UK, its principal chip partner; or Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), the No. 3 search engine, and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (TPE:2317), its principal contract manufacturer, and still have more than half left over.
Several analysts suggested Apple might announce a “special dividend” like what Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), the No. 1 software company, declared in 2004. Then it returned $3 a share to its investors because cash was piling up and management didn't know how to spend it.
Oppenheimer said Wednesday that by reinstating a $2.65-a-share quarterly dividend and buying back shares, the company expects to return about $45 billion over three years to shareholders. “We’ll do what we think is in the best interest of our shareholders,” he said.
“Apple may need to start introducing more than one new smartphone a year,” said Todd Haselton, analyst with Techno Buffalo. Although the iPhone 5, introduced on the day Apple shares set their record, is a great hit, it’s essentially built on the same platform as the old iPhone 3S.
“They’re not doing enough to change the landscape,” he said, noting that Apple may have underestimated competition from Samsung Electronics Corp. (KRX:005930), whose Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S III are bestsellers, especially in the smartphone sector.
Next week, BlackBerry developer Research in Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM), is finally scheduled to ship BlackBerry 10, which will compete in the enterprise market with iPhones but which could be a major hit in emerging markets like Indonesia and India, where BlackBerries already hold major market shares and are priced far below iPhone 5.
Meanwhile, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Apple to report earnings of $11.67 a share on second-quarter revenue of $45.38 billion, compared with the year-earlier’s earnings of $12.30 a share on revenue of $39.19 billion.
For the year ending in September, they see earnings of $47.97 a share compared with $44.19 last year, as revenue gains 21 percent to $189.14 billion.


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NEW DELHI: It's going to rain animation movies on Indian celluloid, with all major studios and animation companies lining up a slew of releases to keep one entertained till 2009. According to industry estimates, more than 25 movies are up for release in 2008 and 2009. According to NASSCOM estimates, the animation industry is likely to become a $950-million business in the country by 2010.
While international major Disney Studios will foray into the Indian animation space with co-production tie-ups with Yash Raj Films and Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, ADAG's Adlabs Films, Pritish Nandy Communications, Percept and Shemaroo are others big companies that are producing animation movies for release within the next two years. The Indian Film Company has also firmed up plans in collaboration with Richard Branson & Shekhar Kapoor's Virgin Comics to make three horror animation movies.
According to AT Kearney, the animation industry would largely be fuelled by a large IT skilled workforce. In addition, India has the low-cost advantage—a full-length animation movie is likely to cost around $15-25 million as compared to $100-125 million in a developed country like the US. Says Percept's movie marketing arm, P9, CEO Navin Shah, "The cost of making animation movies has not risen in India as much as the cost of making a live action movie has and therefore, it's easier to make an animation movie here than abroad."
Interestingly, most companies are looking at experimenting with different business models and targeting different age groups. Companies like Percept are looking at creating animation movies targeted at kids. "There is a dearth of entertainment content for kids and animation has a huge potential to woo them," said P9's Shah.
Also readSmart move: Filmmakers master the art of copyingComing soon, India's first online serialRajasthan continued as favourite amongst film makersDTH players cry foul as taxes mount
Following the success of Bal Hanuman, several companies are looking at animation movies based on mythological characters to woo kids.
Companies like Indian Film Company and Virgin Comics are looking at a worldwide release for their animation movies. "We are looking at first launching comics and then creating movies on their characters for a global audience. Merchandise and other plans would come later. Making an animation movie does not make business sense with just box-office collections. One needs to look at all revenue streams like gaming and merchandising," said The Indian Film Company CEO Sandeep Bhargava.
Others are looking at releasing animation versions of the live action movies to woo adults. Pritish Nandy Communications and Firoz Nadiadwala are two such examples. Industry experts believe that the Indian animation industry is likely to boom like the Japanese animation market, where adults watch animation movies more than live action.
Says Pritish Nandy Communications CEO Pritish Nandy, who is working on the animated version of Sholay, "Targeting the adult audience, we are re-making several Indian live action classics as well as our own movies and see a huge potential in this segment."


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(Memphis) Cyber Monday is the traditional kickoff to online holiday shopping.
It's also a day to be smart about avoiding online shopping scams.
Internet tracking firm Comscore projects that online sales today could hit $1.5 billion or higher.
Experts are warning people to do some research before logging on.
"What people need to remember is do your homework before shopping on line," Memphis BBB Director of Marketing and Communications Director said.
The BBB warns criminals are working hard to scam you this Cyber Monday.
So, Crawford said you need to stay alert, "Remember just because the website looks good doesn't mean it's a reputable business."
She reminds people to use credit instead of debit cards, and make sure the sites you go to are secure.
"You always want to look for ether the locked padlock or the 'https' which means secure and that means your transmission will be encrypted," she said. "Also, you have to watch out for things that look like legitimate websites. It might look like a big box store website but its not exactly the same url."
Immigration Custom's Enforcement agents announced they shut down more than 100-illegitimate websites today.
ICE says it shut down 132 websites selling counterfeit merchandise.
The items being sold include fake DVD's, clothing, jewelry and luxury goods.
"Unfortunately, counterfeiters have expanded from selling DVD's and purses to products that affect the health and safety of the consumer. Everything from counterfeit pharmaceuticals to counterfeit heart medicine, for example, to counterfeit airbags," ICE Director John Morton said.
So remember be cautious because that online bargain could end up being a really bad deal.


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For the past few months, our spies were busy keeping tabs on the next-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The prototype model was seen on three separate occasions, twice in Europe and at one point, at The Ring.
Now, our insiders have been able to photograph what appears to be the 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class prototype with a production body.
Spotted in Sweden, it seems Mercedes-Benz made the all-new A-Class have a longer wheelbase while relatively retaining the previous model's body dimensions. With less camouflage, we are also able to see the newly-designed front and rear ends.
Beginning with the former, the next-gen A-Class gets a pair of sleeker headlights, along with what appears to be a wider front grill. Also, it gets a new front bumper that comes with what look like side-mounted cameras. Towards the back, the next-gen A-Class will get rectangular taillights compared to the current generation's unique shape.
A peek inside the 2018 A-Class reveals that Mercedes-Benz's all-new hatchback will get a new dashboard and infotainment system. From the looks of things, it is fitted with a floating infotainment display which is reminiscent from the new E-Class. Beyond that, a digital instrument panel is also seen on the new A-Class.
In terms of powertrain, a plethora of four-cylinder engines are expected to power the new A-Class. These will include gasoline- and diesel-powered engines. AMG versions are likely to produce 300 to more than 400 PS, depending on the variant. A plug-in hybrid and three-cylinder powertrain may also be available soon.
In review, the next-generation hatchback from Mercedes-Benz will supposedly be underpinned by a new version of the MFA platform called MFA2. It will be lighter and slightly longer than the older MFA and can hold several powertrain configurations. The next-gen CLA, B-Class will also be utilizing the new platform, along with a new small crossover dubbed the “GLB”.
Aside from the traditional 5-door hatchback body style, a 4-door sedan will also be released and is expected to be a China-model only.
It is highly likely that the 2018 A-Class will make its world debut at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.


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Apple has today made public its agreement to purchase Beats Electronics (the headphone division) and Beats Music (the music subscription service) for $ 3 billion.
Beats Music is one of the few steaming music services which launched with a Windows Phone app close to the availability of the iOS and Android version, likely a legacy of Beats’s partnership at one point with HTC.
Those days are now over, and Apple does not exactly have many (or any) apps in the Windows Phone Store.
Does this mean Apple will pull the Beats for Windows Phone app?
Early indications suggests this is unlikely.The Verge reports that Beats Music will remain an independent brand and the companies remain separate, at least for now.
Tim Cook said: "We love the subscription service that [Beats] built. We think it’s the first one that really got it right."
In fact, according to Financial Times reporter Tim Bradshaw, the apps will indeed live on.
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly confirmed that apps on both platforms would remain, saying "It’s all about the music."
Hopefully they Cupertino company will not be messing with a formula that works.
Are any of our readers Beats Music Subscribers? Are you concerned that the app may be pulled? Let us know below.


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Britannia Life Sciences Inc. BLAB, a global product development platform for cosmetic and wellness products, is launching a consumer trial to test the efficacy of CBD oil as an active ingredient in the treatment of hair loss.
This hair growth initiative is aligned with Britannia's strategy of utilizing its resources and expertise to build a high-value intellectual property portfolio while growing the market for CBD by developing a broad range of new applications across a wide range of products, the company noted in a press statement.
Britannia has engaged its subsidiary, Advanced Development and Safety Laboratories to finalize the formulation of a topical cream, which utilizes CBD-rich, broad-spectrum hemp oil distillate with the goal of promoting hair growth and density.
With sales of over $3 billion in 2020, the global hair loss treatment market is expected to grow at an annual rate of between 4 and 6% through 2027, based on industry estimates.
The Trial: The consumer trial will be managed by ADSL's existing First Beauty platform and conducted under the guidance and supervision of health professionals.
In its initial phase, participants will test a topical cream, providing weekly feedback, over a six-month period.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Bactolac Pharmaceutical Inc., a fast-growing manufacturer of vitamins and nutritional supplements, along with their sister company, Sciegen Pharmaceuticals Inc., that produces generic drugs, will together create 150 jobs in Hauppauge (Suffolk County) as part of a $17.5 million expansion. Most of the new jobs -- 100 -- will be at Bactolac, which currently employs 355. Sciegen, which now has 113 employees, plans to hire 50 more. Records show that employees of the two companies earn, on average, $43,804 per year.
Life Time Fitness Inc. will hire 275 full- and part-time workers for its new Garden City (Nassau County) location which is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The company will hold four hiring fairs in October to fill positions in the Kids Academy, member services, aquatics, facility operations and personal-training departments. Life Time said 70 percent of the positions will be full-time.
UPS said it will hire about 2,800 people on Long Island for the holiday season, part of a plan to hire 90,000 to 95,000 employees nationally to help handle shipping and deliveries during the holiday season.
UPS said seasonal jobs can become permanent jobs in some cases. On Long Island, jobs will pay from $10.10 to $18.75 an hour, UPS said. The company said applications must be submitted online at Upsjobs.com. The seasonal jobs will last from November to January.
Macy's is planning to hire about 1,900 seasonal workers on Long Island, before the biggest shopping season of the year. Hiring for store sales positions will begin in mid-October. Separately, Walmart said it plans to hire more than 60,000 seasonal associates nationwide with a starting rate of at least $9 an hour. The Bentonville, Arkansas-headquartered retailer will hire more than 1,470 seasonal holiday workers throughout New York State; it has 12 stores on Long Island. Last year more than half of Walmart's seasonal associates stayed with the company in permanent roles after the holidays, company officials said. Interested applicants can apply at: macysJOBS.com, bloomingdalesJOBS.com and careers.walmart.com.
Kohl's and Toys R Us will hire more than 700 seasonal workers on Long Island in the coming weeks as the holiday hiring season kicks off before the biggest shopping season of the year. Kohl's Corp. expects to hire an average of 50 associates per store for its five locations on Long Island. Typical seasonal jobs include freight processing and customer service. Some seasonal store associates will help fulfill Kohls.com orders. Toys R Us plans to hire an average of 60 associates per store for its eight stores on Long Island. Seasonal store employees will average 18 to 20 hours per week, and up to 30 hours during peak season. Last year, 20 percent of the chain's holiday hires retained positions after Christmas, the company said. Interested applicants can submit their information at KohlsCareers.com and Toysrusinc.com/careers/holiday.
Video game retailer GameStop will hire up to 450 seasonal workers on Long Island in the coming weeks as the chain prepares for the upcoming holiday shopping season. The retailer expects to hire about 12 to 20 associates per store at those located inside malls. For stores in strip shopping centers, it plans to hire about six to 10 associates per store. There are 46 GameStop stores on Long Island. The seasonal, part-time jobs will begin Oct. 18 and run through Jan. 8, with schedules ranging from 10 to 25 hours a week.
National apparel and home decor retailer Stein Mart opened its first store on Long Island in Commack (Suffolk County) on September 24. Stein Mart's stores, on average, employ 42 associates.
Shake Shack opened its second restaurant on Long Island in New Hyde Park (Nassau County) on September 17. They are planning a third restaurant in Melville (Suffolk County). A new Dairy Queen restaurant is planned for Medford (Suffolk County). Construction should begin within the next two months.
JPMorgan Chase plans to close its offices in Garden City (Nassau County) in December and lay off 195 employees. A number of other workers, who are involved in activities including mortgages, are being transferred to other Chase locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and elsewhere in the country. Chase has been trying to reduce its physical space to reduce its costs. In May 2014, Chase announced the layoffs of 155 employees in the same Garden City operation.
Festo Corporation, a robotics and pneumatics manufacturer based in Germany, will layoff 75 of its employees in Hauppauge (Suffolk County) by next April. Festo is relocating its manufacturing and warehouse operations to Mason, OH. Festo first announced the relocation in 2013 and said it would shed more than half of its 250 Long Island employees there once the Ohio plant was completed. A company spokesman said 43 current Long Island employees are relocating to Ohio, while 77 current employees here declined to apply for Ohio jobs. About 135 professional positions in engineering, IT, administration and sales will remain on Long Island, the spokesman said. The layoffs are scheduled between Dec. 31, 2015 and April 29, 2016.
(UPDATE) Supermarket operator Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) is in the process of selling several stores through bankruptcy court. Stop & Shop has agreed to acquire Waldbaum's locations in East Hampton, Southampton, Baldwin, Massapequa, Long Beach and Huntington; and Pathmarks in Greenvale, Seaford and Franklin Square. Four locations have been bought by a variety of other grocery chains, while 3 other locations have been bid on by Wakefern, the parent company of Shoprite. Five A&P locations have been bid on by other enterprises. A&P also plans to close five supermarkets on Long Island: Pathmark stores in Centereach and on Grand Avenue in Baldwin, and Waldbaum's in Carle Place, Oceanside and Riverhead. The fate of another 22 Waldbaum’s and Pathmarks on Long Island is still up in the air.
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Posted by Jeff Campbell in "Apple Software (OS X)" @ 08:45 AM
"It may not have been a day we'll never forget, but the addition of the Beatles music catalog to iTunes was no small thing. Backed by a ubiquitous marketing campaign that included billboards and prominent TV spots, sales of Beatles music on iTunes have been booming."
I was one of the people that didn't think this was that big of a deal, I was just happy that we wouldn't have to hear about any more rumors of The Beatles coming to iTunes. Apparently it was a big deal to a lot of people, since they have sold 450,000 albums and over 2 million songs worldwide since the group debuted on iTunes on November 16th of this year. In fact, Abbey Road is still a top 25 album as of this morning. I guess they do know what they are doing over at Apple.


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Men’s and women’s championship matches on the card, and ticket prices start at $15.00
By Arnie Leshin
It’s the WWE live road to Wrestle-mania at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. It will take place Sunday, Feb. 18, but it’s a popular event where tickets go fast.
Because of this, tickets are now available, prices start at $15.00 and they can purchased at the center’s box office, by phone, or online. There are also WWE (Wrestling Entertainment) VIP tickets available for the event that is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.
In the WWE championship, it’s AJ Styles versus Randy Orton versus Shinsuke Nakamura versus Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn.
In the smack-down women’s championship, it will be Charlotte Flair, Naomi and Becky Lynch versus the Riott Squad.
Along with these feature matches, there will be more WWE superstars on the card. The event is also subject to card changes.
Tickets can be purchased at the Santa Ana Star Center box office at 3001 Civic Center, by phone at 888 694-4849. or online at www.SantaAnaStarCenter.com. The online contact for the event is WWWERIORANCHO.


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Nestle didn't deny the allegations in an email Sunday to The Associated Press but said its guidelines require suppliers to respect human rights.
Broadly, it is anticipated that GST will replace current complex central and state indirect taxes to create a seamless indirect tax at three levels - central, state and integrated GST - the report said.
In futures trading at the Multi Commodity Exchange, cardamom for delivery in November fell by Rs 2.70, or 0.32 per cent.
Wells Fargo Capital Finance, a unit of Wells Fargo & Co, appointed Nick Lawrence as managing director for Supply Chain Finance (SCF).
"We've done tremendous amount of work over last one year, there's far more positivity around our delivery speeds," said Rohit Bansal, Snapdeal.
Mentha oil prices fell Rs 5.40 to Rs 921.60 per kg in futures trade today after participants reduced positions amid persistent supplies.
Sugar for delivery in July month fell by Rs 14 or 0.66 per cent to Rs 2,115 per quintal with an open interest of 20,990 lots.
At the Multi Commodity Exchange, mentha oil for delivery in September moved up by Rs 4.70 or 0.51 per cent to Rs 920.70 per kg in business turnover of 180 lots.


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Save Money / Consumer News
Chevy Volt gets software update to fix motor glitch
DETROIT (KABC) -- General Motors is asking 2013 Chevy Volt drivers to return their cars to dealers for a modification in the vehicle's control system software.
The automaker says a glitch is causing some motors to shut down while driving. According to The New York Times, the problem stems from a feature that allows owners to pre-select a convenient time to charge the car's battery.
GM says the problem only affects the 2013 Chevy Volt and up to 4,000 vehicles may be at risk.
No formal recall has been announced for the all-electric car. The customer satisfaction campaign is considered a step below a recall, which would be issued by a car company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
auto news, recall, save money / consumer news
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uropa Star: In what way are smartwatches a danger for the Swiss watchmaking industry?
Peter Stas: The way I see it, and I already said this three years ago at the launch of MMT (Manufacture Modules Technologies SA), if the Swiss watch industry does not get involved in smartwatches, it will see sales fall increasingly and irrevocably. At Frédérique Constant, smartwatches already account for 12% of turnover, and at Alpina 35%. Next year, we’re going to introduce new technology that will raise these percentages even further. In my view, and we’re already seeing it although the official statistics aren’t showing it yet, watches in the over-CHF1,000 range will also be affected. The cannibalisation effect is gradual and is going to affect even the high-end brands.
- Peter Stas, CEO of Frédérique Constant
Can the industry make up for lost time?
Another reason for this development, which is inevitable in my view – and that’s also an opportunity for the industry – is that the health aspect is going to become increasingly important, especially among the over-55s. The algorithms have already been developed, but not implemented yet. But gradually, smartwatches with “health” functions are going to become indispensable items. Apple will go there, but the first one to offer genuine, effective and reliable solutions will carry off the trophy. We’re talking about millions of items a year.
"The cannibalisation effect is gradual and is going to affect even the high-end brands."
Swiss made has a serious card to play here, because not only does it go hand in hand with expertly crafted watch exteriors – does a “health” watch have to be ugly? – it is also synonymous with reassuring reliability and quality. As proof that the medical world is keenly interested, we’re in talks with health insurance companies in Germany for watches they’d like to buy directly to offer them to their insurance customers. It’s a potentially huge market. Including China, around 150 million smartwatches a year are being produced today. There’ll be no going back.
One idea that we’re hearing more and more from the heads of watch companies is that smartwatches worn on the wrist are just a passing fashion. And that its functions are going to migrate…
Migrate? Yes, connectivity is going to be built into clothes, glasses and so on. That will come too, but after four years of experience I can tell you that getting reliable measurements with a watch on the wrist, even though it’s an ideal place, is already a tough task. And in a watch, even though it’s a tiny object, you still have room to place a dependable battery, a screen under a real dial, a mechanical module and an electronic module. You can fit all that in a watch case, and by the way, we’re going to issue a lady’s smartwatch with a 36mm diameter. But that’s impossible with glasses. There’s not enough space, they’re too small. How can you fit a battery worth anything in there? It wouldn’t be very reliable. You can also conceive of an earpiece, but there again, it’s too small, too fragile. We need to think along different lines. Today 95% of smartwatches are still a kind of black box. But with MMT, we’re offering other solutions, with real dials, real hands. I can tell you that the number of interested brands, including the biggest, is growing all the time.
How do you explain the fact that you’re one of the rare Swiss brands to have really invested in this field?
Probably because I come from elsewhere. In the Netherlands I worked at Philips for eight years, which taught me quite a few things, especially about electronics. Then I went into watchmaking, in Holland, right in the middle of the quartz crisis. I also studied the Swatch phenomenon at Harvard Business School and I remember that Nicolas Hayek said back then that to succeed, the Swiss watch sector had to be strong in every segment, from the top to the bottom range. It’s a lesson which still stands. And the risk culture is lacking. Where there’s opportunity, there’s always risk.
But I feel that the tone is changing. I recently talked with five or six CEOs of major companies and I noticed that discussion is different now, they’re more open. Yet our door has been open from the start. MMT has become my priority and that of my wife, Aletta. We’re going to focus our efforts on that.
- AlpinerX, Mike Goulian Edition
At the same time, at the other extreme, at Frédérique Constant you’re selling a perpetual calendar for CHF3,850. That’s an unheard-of price for this kind of complication.
The market is difficult for everybody. You have to offer innovative items with an excellent price/quality ratio. That’s more important than ever. As it turns out, it’s a limited series to mark our 30th anniversary. There’s a whole audience of collectors who are very interested. It’s a high-end mechanical watch at an affordable price.
At the other extreme, we can see that smartwatches are also moving upmarket. The Garmin Marq collections, for example, are selling at between €2,000 and €3,000. Connectivity is climbing into “our patch”, what the Swiss watch industry thought was its private preserve. And the smartwatch brands are increasingly reactive.
It’s sad to say, but quartz watches are right in the line of fire. You can even find Garmins at €200 – enough to make any young man waver. I’d be very worried if I was in some people’s shoes. But with “Swissness”, the resulting quality, expertise, the Swiss watch industry can and must still have a successful future ahead.


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The iPhone 6’s new NFC chip is locked for use with Apple Pay only, but a new report suggests that the company will slowly be spreading the uses for the new phone’s NFC capabilities in the future.
According to The Information, Apple is currently in talks with various companies about expanding NFC functionality, but potential uses have yet to be determined, although it’s said that Apple has already talked with HID Global and Cubic, who make electronic keycards for secure building access, as well as transit fare systems.
This could really only mean that the iPhone 6 could soon come with the ability to unlock hotel room doors and even pay public transit fares.
This isn’t too surprising, considering that Apple publicly announced a partnership with Starwood hotels last month that would allow Apple Watch owners to unlock their hotel room doors using Bluetooth. Of course, that specifically isn’t NFC technology, but the concept is the same.
For now, the NFC chip inside of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is meant for use with Apple Pay only for now. Apple Pay allows you to store your credit card information on your iPhone and use it to buy stuff at any store that supports Apple Pay. The iPhone 6 has an NFC chip that allows you to tap the pay terminal at a store to instantly buy goods. Furthermore, doing this doesn’t give the store your credit card information, so you’re less susceptible to store hacks that steal credit card information, similar to the recent Home Depot and Target hacks.
Apple Pay also works with mobile shopping apps, allowing you to pay with a single touch of the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in shopping apps that support the feature.
However, the new payment system has already seen its fair share of problems thus far. Some users have been getting double-charged when using Apple Pay at stores, with one user claiming he was charged twice while shopping at Whole Foods using his Bank of America debit card through Apple Pay. Bank of America notes that this particular problem is on their end and have been working on a fix.
Furthermore, some stores aren’t even training their employees properly on how to accept Apple Pay. One Reddit user said he went to Subway and the cashier had no idea how to get an Apple Pay transaction going, saying that the cashier couldn’t figure out how to use it, and “then a QR code appeared on the terminal, but there was no option on my phone to scan it.”
Another thing that has users scratching their heads is how returns are handled if you paid for the product using Apple Pay. One user says that returning an item at CVS required swiping the credit card that the item was purchased with, but since you can’t exactly do that with Apple Pay, this forced the cashier to essentially override the system in order to return the money.
Currently, only a handful of major banks support Apple Pay, and they include Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo. Apple says that more banks will be coming soon, though, including Barclay, Navy Federal, PNC, USAA and US Bank, as well as around 500 other smaller banks.
Furthermore, Apple says that 220,000 store locations accept Apple Pay as a payment method, and that number will no doubt continue to grow into 2015 and beyond.
The company lists a handful of national chains that support Apple Pay, including McDonald’s, Panera Bread, Staples, Walgreens, Subway, Whole Foods, Macy’s, Bloomingdales, and the Disney Store.
As for apps that accept one-touch payment with Apple Pay, there are plenty that are already on board with it. Some notable shopping apps include Groupon, Panera Bread, OpenTable, Starbucks, Sephora, Target, and even Uber.


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This week, we took a look at Diageo‘s geographic reporting divisions after the drinks giant reported underperformance in Latin America, eyed Oatly’s third-quarter results after the Swedish manufacturer canned several factory builds and analysed the OIV’s predictions for global wine production in 2023.
Latin America to hit Diageo H1 profits
Today Diageo saw shares tumble after issuing a profit warning due to underperformance in Latin America.
In the 12 months to 30 June 2023, the drinks giant generated 11% of annual net sales in Latin America and the Caribbean, it’s fourth largest market.
The bulk of sales are generated in North America (39%) followed by Europe (21%). Latin America is second to Africa, which accounts for 10% of Diageo’s sales.
Diageo expects underlying operating profits to fall in the first half of its financial year amid pressure on its business in the region. Diageo also sees organic operating profit declining in the first half of its 2024 financial year.
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The Johnnie Walker owner pointed to “a materially weaker performance outlook” for its operations in Latin America and the Caribbean and said its new guidance was “primarily due” to lower net sales in the region, plus “increased trade investment, lower operating leverage and adverse mix resulting from downtrading”.
CEO Debra Crew said the whole spirits industry was seeing pressure on sales in Latin America.
Oatly sees growing year-on-year revenue in Q3
Swedish alt-milk giant Oatly’s revenue hit $187.6m in the third quarter of 2023, a 2.5% increase year on year. Revenue growth in retail was “partially offset by declines in the foodservice and other channels” when compared with the same period in 2022.
In the company’s third-quarter financial results, released this week, EMEA revenue increased 23% to $101.8m. Sold volume in the region was also up by 6.3%, powered mostly “by continued solid growth” in its key markets as opposed to new market expansion.
Revenue in the Americas saw a 3.6% decline compared to the same period last year, going down from $60.7m to $58.5m. Sold finished goods volume decreased by 5.6% to 34 million litres. Oatly pointed to lower volumes in foodservice that were “partially offset” by volume growth retail.
The results also revealed Oatly had cancelled plans to build production facilities for its EMEA and Americas segments. Oatly’s 2022 annual report shows the company had three sites “under construction or in the planning stage” – one in the UK town of Peterborough, another in the US city of Fort Worth and a third in China.
World wine production to hit 60-year low in 2023
World wine production is set to hit a 60-year low in 2023 following “significant declines” in key nations across both hemispheres, data suggests.
Total production (excluding juices and musts) is estimated between 241.7mhl and 246.6mhl, the smallest production since 1961’s 214mhl and a 7% drop on 2022, according to initial estimates from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV).
The intergovernmental organisation put falling production down to “extremely low harvest volumes” in the Southern Hemisphere and major European Union countries including Italy and Spain.
However, it suggested lower production could bring “equilibrium” to the market amid oversupplies and falling consumption.
New Zealand wine bucks Southern Hemisphere’s downward trend
New Zealand was the only Southern-Hemisphere country with a positive five-year wine production average in 2023, OIV data suggests.
Despite producing 6% less in 2023 compared to 2022, it had a predicted five-year average growth of 14%.
Volumes were down “significantly” in all major South American wine-producing countries, with Uruguay down 34% and Brazil down 30% on 2022.
Australia, Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil were all “heavily affected by adverse weather conditions” in 2023.
Australia recorded a 24% reduction while South African production dropped 10%.
Botanicals beat CBD in consumer ‘health’ perceptions
The amount of people who think botanical ingredients impact their health positively is double that of those who think CBD has a positive health impact, data shows.
Just over a third of people in the US regard CBD as beneficial to health (38%) in 2023 and 30% in Canada, compared to a global average of 26%, according to a survey by GlobalData, Just Drinks’ parent company.
For botanicals and plant extracts, meanwhile, 56% of people said they thought they would benefit their health, 44% of those in Canada and 40% in the US. GlobalData surveys over 21,000 people in 42 countries for its quarterly reports on consumer behaviour. It averages a sample size of around 500 people per country.
In Canada, however, more consumers felt CBD impacted their health positively than the global average in both 2022 and 2023.
While the overall number of people who see CBD as having a positive impact on health is lower than the other three categories, it is seeing a positive trajectory. Perceptions of the health benefits of botanicals, collagen and mushrooms, on the other hand, all declined between 2022 and 2023.
It comes as this week Canadian frozen-beverage manufacturer Blender Bites acquired Advanced Sports Nutrition, which is running trials into the optimal amount of CBD for athletic recovery.
Blender Bites plans to launch a product in the “athletic recovery and CBD wellness market” following the acquisition that will be a “one-stop solution” beverage for athletes. It said it wants to become “a leader in CBD formulations for athletes”.
CBD brands face some uncertainty in North America. Research from GlobalData suggests a lack of uniform US CBD regulations continues to hold back drinks-industry investment. While CBD-infused food and beverage products containing up to 0.3% CBD per container have been legalised across 15 US states (including New York, California and Texas), there is an absence of a uniform national regulation.


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New research reveals that confidence among small and medium sized businesses is returning to pre-pandemic levels, with hospitality & leisure SMEs forecasting a revenue boost of 27 per cent in Q3 2021 compared to Q2 2021.
The seventh instalment of the report from Barclaycard Payments, found that 60 per cent of hospitality & leisure SMEs expect an increase in revenue across the August Bank Holiday – the first long weekend post lockdown.
In a sign that the recovery is continuing, 13 per cent anticipate the Bank Holiday weekend will be their busiest in a decade*, with Brits looking to book outdoor space and make dining reservations to socialise with friends and family.
Consumer demand to return to shops, pubs and restaurants has also led 60 per cent of retail and hospitality & leisure businesses to report equal or higher customer numbers than before the onset of the pandemic.
A positive picture
Confidence is improving among SMEs across all sectors, with 90 per cent feeling optimistic or neutral about the prospects for their business. Encouragingly, concern about the impact of the pandemic has dipped to its lowest point since February 2020, while 44 per cent also expect to hire more staff over the next 12 months as the economy picks up.
This renewed positivity is leading SMEs to predict an eight per cent increase in revenue by the end of Q3 2021 (compared to Q2), with transaction data from Barclaycard Payments also supporting this return to growth.
Data taken from the 350,000 small and medium businesses that Barclaycard processes payments for shows that, on average, SMEs have already seen a six per cent increase in revenue in recent weeks, when comparing w/c 12th July (before all restrictions were relaxed in England) to w/c 2nd August (when many further restrictions were lifted across the rest of the UK)**.
The figures are particularly positive for small and medium sized restaurants, pubs and bars, who experienced a 25 per cent increase in year-on-year revenue during the first week of August 2021.
Despite a turbulent 18 months, SMEs have been busy adapting and future-proofing their businesses to ensure they are set-up to respond to changes in consumer spending.
Almost half (47 per cent) of SMEs suggest they have seen improvements in their business operations as a result of changes made during the pandemic, rising to 57 per cent for professional services and 54 per cent for retail SMEs.
When asked what pandemic-driven changes will contribute to their long-term success SMEs cited: local customers spending more as they work from home (20 per cent); the creation of a new website (15 per cent); and providing a click & collect service (8 per cent).
Rob Cameron, CEO of Barclaycard Payments, said: “Small and medium sized businesses hold such a significant position in the UK, accounting for around three fifths of the nation’s employment and half of the turnover in the UK private sector. The success and optimism we are seeing from this segment is an excellent gauge of how the wider economy is performing – and from that it’s terrific to predict that a bumper August Bank Holiday looks set to be on the cards.”
Kate Hardcastle MBE, independent expert, said: “There is a definite confidence in the air when you speak to SMEs. While there are undoubtedly difficulties ahead, I have been encouraged to hear of business owners’ readiness for the rest of the year and a newfound sense of resilience for whatever lies in-store. As we close out the last few weeks of summer, let’s continue to do our bit to help local SMEs and support their recovery in the run-up to Christmas.”
The research, which polled over 664 senior staff working in UK SMEs, finds that overall business optimism is at 55 out of a possible 100 this quarter, up from a low of just 40 points in Q2 2020. This is the joint highest recorded (alongside Q2 2021), since the Barclaycard Payments SME Barometer started in February 2020, before the first lockdown.


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News Briefs for August 6, 2015August 6, 2015
•Campari America has signed a new distribution deal with Southern Wine & Spirits spanning a total of 23 markets, including six newly added states. The six additions include Alaska, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Previously, Campari America’s portfolio had been handled in those states by Young’s Market Company. Campari said the new agreement may lead to further cooperation with Southern.
•The Winebow Group has added to its spirits portfolio, becoming the exclusive national importer of Kinahan’s Irish whiskey. Kinahan’s will be introduced to the U.S. with two products, a blended Irish whiskey ($40) and a 10-year-old single malt ($69). Founded in Dublin in 1779, Kinahan’s went out of business in the early 1900s and is now being revived. The brand will reside in The Winebow Group’s Craft + Estate portfolio.
•Following passage of a Kentucky bill prohibiting brewers from owning and operating distributorships, Anheuser-Busch will transfer ownership of its Kentucky wholesale operations to Texas-based Standard Sales Company, in exchange for Standard’s Colorado operations in Littleton, Pueblo and Colorado Springs. A-B also agreed to purchase Loveland, Colorado’s American Eagle Distributing for an undisclosed sum.Subscribe to Shanken News Daily’s Email Newsletter, delivered to your inbox each morning.


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Financial services giant Citi has launched a digital wallet that uses MasterCard’s MasterPass technology to let US credit card holders “more quickly and conveniently make purchases at thousands of online merchants”. Customers who sign up for Citi Wallet will “no longer have to enter their credit card, billing and shipping information when making purchases,” the bank says.
- Samsung Pay enters beta testing
- One in four think UK will be cashless in 10 years
- Macau shops to get Alipay mobile payments upgrade
- Barclaycard offers 50% off bPay wearables
- Barclays to support Zapp ‘Pay by Bank app’ mobile payments


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According to The Conference Board's monthly Survey, consumer confidence is up among the representative sample of 5,000 U.S. households. "The moderate improvement in the short-term outlook was the result of a decrease in the percent of consumers expecting business and labor market conditions to worsen, as opposed to an increase in the percent of consumers expecting conditions to improve. Income expectations remain very pessimistic and consumers are entering the holiday season in a very frugal mood,” said Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center. Those claiming business conditions are “bad” decreased to 45.7 percent from 46.7 percent, while those claiming conditions are “good” increased to 8.1 percent from 7.8 percent. Consumers’ assessment of the labor market deteriorated moderately. Those claiming jobs are “hard to get” increased to 49.8 percent from 49.4 percent, while those claiming jobs are “plentiful” decreased to 3.2 percent from 3.5 percent. Consumers’ short-term outlook improved slightly in November. The percentage of consumers expecting an improvement in business conditions over the next six months decreased slightly to 20.0 percent from 20.8 percent, but those expecting conditions to worsen decreased to 15.1 percent from 18.2 percent. The labor market outlook was also slightly less pessimistic. Those anticipating more jobs in the months ahead declined to 15.2 percent from 16.8 percent, but those expecting fewer jobs decreased to 23.1 percent from 26.1 percent. The proportion of consumers expecting an increase in their incomes decreased to 10.0 percent from 10.7 percent.
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Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Bank of America is nearing a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department in which it will pay between $16 billion and $17 billion to resolve probes into its sale of mortgage-backed bonds in the run-up to the financial crisis, a person familiar with the matter said. Phil Mattingly reports on "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg)
Square Rival iZettle Raises $67M From Intel and Zouk
25:07 - Today’s "BWest Byte" is $67 million, for how much iZettle, a Swedish payments startup and rival to Jack Dorsey's Square, has raised from Intel and Zouk. Bloomberg's Matt Miller reports on "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)
What's Next for Flexible Electronic Technology?
Facebook Cracks Down on Video Pirates
Deep Dive: Is Market Turmoil Hurting Consumer Sentiment?
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The Crow Collection of Asian Art is spreading its wings once again. Last year, the Arts District museum completed its takeover of the plaza around the Trammel Crow Center, creating its own sculpture garden there with some BIG sculptures.
This week, officials with the Crow announced the museum will fashion a new, larger entrance and add new gallery space. The new gallery will open in the fall for an exhibition, Fierce Loyalty, which will feature the Crow’s recent acquisition, a suit of Japanese samurai armor from 1730. (It may open just about the time Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection closes at the Kimbell — so it’s going to be a samurai autumn in North Texas.)
The new entrance and gallery will be where the museum store, the Lotus Shop, is currently — with the entrance now coming straight off the sidewalk. The shop itself will move across Olive Street to become a pop-up storefront in the Belo Pavilion, the shop tentatively re-named the Pearl. The museum’s plans are so new officials say they can’t release even a ballpark budget estimate.


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By 2050, climate change might cost the global economy 4% of its yearly output, disproportionately affecting the poorest portions of the world. Countries near the equator or small islands are more vulnerable, and economies relying on agriculture are more likely to be harmed than those with significant service sectors.
S&P Global (SPGI), which assigns credit ratings to countries based on the strength of their economies, recently released research that examines the potential impact of increasing sea levels, droughts, and storms.
The new data would not be incorporated into the firm’s sovereign rating models since there were still too many unknowns, such as how countries would respond to the changes.
On Wednesday, the euro fell to its lowest level since 2017 as investors rushed to buy dollars as concerns about global inflation expectations grew.
European equities tumbled, though not as much as on Wall Street, where the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 finished at its lowest level, down 3.3 percent. At the open, Wall Street futures predicted a slight comeback.
This week, investors have been focused on the earnings of some of Wall Street’s largest companies, hoping that they could provide a counterpoint to the barrage of bad news that has pummelling equities.
In currency markets, a strong dollar has caused the sterling and the Japanese yen to lose ground. Investors are still concerned about the war in Ukraine and its influence on energy markets.
China’s rigorous COVID-19 regulations, according to industrial giants like GE and manufacturer Mercedes Benz, are exacerbating supply chain disruptions and raising business uncertainty.
This has placed a gloom over financial markets, which are concerned about a hit to the world economy, which is only now beginning to recover from the pandemic’s effects.
Even as businesses struggle to keep up with rising labor and raw material costs, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions have pushed up energy prices.
The company, which is already dealing with chip scarcity and increased raw material costs, said it would keep raising prices to compensate for inflation and supply chain costs.
More Trading News


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We all love Chipotle, right?? Well, if you ate there in March or April, you need to check your bank statement ASAP.
According to UPI:
The company found malware tracking credit card numbers, expiration dates, and verification codes between March 24 through April 18. Among other things, this type of information can be used by hackers to make "clone" credit cards or remove money from debit-linked accounts.


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©IDG Communications, Inc. Photo contributed by Matthew Mikaelian.
Harvard Business Review
WITH THE BOOM in smartphones and tablets, we are in the vortex of the technological shift from Mobile 1.0 to Mobile 2.0. The zenith of the Mobile 1.0 explosion came late in 2008, when the sales of laptops sur¬passed the sales of desktop PCs for the first time. Enterprises had long before begun outfit¬ting what they called “road warriors” with laptops—salespeople, field support personnel, and on-the-go executives—giving them access to inventory, documentation, and other databases. Simple wireless antennas, followed by built-in Wi-Fi, coupled with virtual private network software, made logging on anywhere and anytime almost as easy as it was in an office.
Later enterprises realized that by outfitting even more employees with laptop computers instead of desktop computers, even traditional office workers could improve their productiv¬ity. Employees could collaborate in conference rooms, in the offices of partners and suppliers, and in airports, no matter where their work took them. History is about to repeat itself. Sometime in 2015, according to a Forrester Research fore¬cast,1 the sales of tablets will overtake laptops. If Mobile 1.0 was about the extension ofcor¬porate data to mobile devices, Mobile 2.0 is about innovation and transformation.
According to the results of an online February 2012 survey by IDG Research Services, three drivers are accelerating the demand for mobile access to enterprise apps: executive demand, the increasingly mobile workforce, and customer’s demand for real-time informa¬tion and action. According to the IDG survey, more than half of the respondents have deployed industry-specific mobile applications and half have deployed mobile apps for specific de¬partments, such as finance, human resources, sales, or field ser¬vice. In addition, almost half have deployed dashboards, access to analytics, and key performance indicator alerts on mobiledevices.
A recent IDG Global Solutions survey and report on mobile device use by more than 20,000 IT professionals, line-of-business managers, and con¬sumers reported that almost half watched work-related video on their mobile devices. Interestingly, more of them watched more technology content after hours (68 percent) and on weekends (57 percent) than during business hours (40 percent).


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The Black Desert is finally making its way to Xbox One. Microsoft announced at its E3 2018 press conference that the beta begins in Fall 2018, with players available to register for the beta now.
Microsoft announced that Korean developer Pearl Abyss’ MMORPG would be coming to Xbox One back at E3 2017, though it originally was slated for an early 2018 release. At the time, it was revealed that those who play the game on Xbox One X will have the added bonus of 4K support.
We saw 10 minutes of Black Desert’s Xbox One build at PAX 2017, which you can watch below:
The MMORPG was released for PC back in March 2016 as Black Desert Online. IGN’s review gave it a 7.0, saying it’s “a unique and beautiful sandbox fantasy MMORPG, with little or no endgame to speak of.”


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Research from Fresha revealed that popular terms in Korean beauty like glass skin and dewy glows are experiencing a significant increase in online searches and social media presence. Online searches for glowy skin have exploded by 178% globally in January. TikTok has seen 9,000 posts with the hashtag #cleangirl and 206 million views from users in the United States in the past 30 days. The hashtag has accumulated 8 billion views worldwide overall.
Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber recently showed a more natural look on the 3rd and 4th of January, with an Instagram selfie showing glossy lips and glowing skin, tapping into the clean girl aesthetic.
The clean girl aesthetic going viral is known for its emphasis on a natural beauty look and minimalist approach, with people often tapping into the trend with glowy, fresh skin, glossy lips and slicked-back hair.
Glass skin products increased 202% in the past five years, per Fresha. The hashtag glass skin is also trending on social media and has accumulated 3.9 billion views on TikTok alone worldwide.
Social media users are searching to achieve the Korean beauty look, with the hashtag Korean skincare gaining 6.8 billion views on Tik Tok. Google searches also show searches for ‘Korean skincare’ have exploded to an all-time high over the past five years by 258%. per Fresha.
A spokesperson for Fresha said, “The ‘clean girl’ aesthetic is here to stay and is gaining more and more popularity due to its healthy glowing skin look. With celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber joining in on the trend, fans are also feeling influenced to also achieve the look. Having glowy skin is all about getting your skin to its healthiest. Health does take time, so being diligent with your skincare routine is important. Every person’s skincare routine is different, so researching what best suits your skin is the best way to achieve the ‘glass skin’ look. Look into including cleanser, essence, retinol, serum, moisturizer and sunscreen into your skin routine.”


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Word on the grapevine last week was that Microsoft was to preparing a fix for the Surface Pro 3 WiFi issue that has been bugging the tablet owners every time they woke up their slates from sleep.
The company rolled out July Patch Tuesday updates late yesterday, and these new fixes address no less than 29 different vulnerabilities in Microsoft software including Windows and Internet Explorer. Two of these updates are rated Critical, three
Microsoft will roll out this month’s Patch Tuesday updates next week, and the company has put up the advanced notification for July 2014 detailing which products will be getting some action. Windows and Internet Explorer both will
Microsoft surprised many by announcing that Windows 8.1 would be made available to download via the Windows Store. The release back in October last year went smooth for the most part, if slow. However, some users experienced
The robust system that is Windows Update very rarely gets a look, but Microsoft have released a new set of improvements for this feature in order to further enhance security for users. That is to say, users
Tavis Ormandy is not a name in computing technology that everyone is familiar with, but everyone is glad to have him around. This is the famous Google engineer that has helped Microsoft patch up several important vulnerabilities.
Microsoft made the installation of Windows 8.1 Update a mandatory baseline for users that want to receive future updates, but a substantial amount of them experienced various issues when deploying the first ever refresh of Windows 8.1.
Microsoft and Google do not exactly see eye to eye, but security engineers with the search engine giant regularly help Redmond with product security by reporting flaws and vulnerabilities. This newest one has been discovered by Tavis
Microsoft currently has a Chinese odyssey on its proverbial hands, with the Windows 8 operating system becoming a forbidden product on government computers in the country. Local authorities are actually asking organizations to give up on this
Mandatory seems to be the buzzword at the Redmond these days. After making Windows 8.1 Update a compulsory install, the company has launched a new must have patch for an earlier operating system. The most popular operating


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Victims of the Christmas Day fire that gutted some shops in Akure, the Ondo State Capital have continued to count their losses.
This is coming just as the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu visited the scene of the fire disaster to ascertain the extent of damage.
The fire, which started at about 2 pm on Christmas day, ripped through one of the shops before it extended to other stores.
Although no casualties were recorded, many properties were destroyed and damaged by the inferno.
About six shops that were stocked with books and other educational materials were burnt to ashes.
Also, a plastic depot close to the scene of the incident was badly affected.
The owners of the shops are counting their loses they want the state government to come to their aid.


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Beyond Meat, one of the fastest-growing food companies in the United States, has seen an impressive spike of up to 39% on the stock market. The news comes after an agreement with PepsiCo to establish a new joint venture to produce plant-based snacks and drinks, as announced yesterday.
The GFI recently said that a ‘new space race for the future of food’ had begun and that regulation for cultured meat in Europe is expected to follow soon behind Singapore. Spain’s BioTech Foods today reveals a €5.2 million R&D initiative called the CULTUREDMEAT project, after receiving funding from the EU last October.
Founded by Damien Clarkson and Judy Nadel, the couple behind London’s Vevolution, along with vegan investor Michiel van Deursen and product specialist Russell White, new venture THE PACK plans to disrupt the pet food industry, having successfully closed the pre-seed investment round for its new range of plant-based dog food.
Following successful investments from Jay-Z and Grammy-award winning singer H.E.R, the allergy-free brand Partake Foods has raised $4.8 million in a new funding round. Interesting to note is CEO and founder Denise Woodard is the first woman of color to raise $1 million for a food startup. New investors include pop star Rihanna.
More great foodtech news from Singapore as TurtleTree Labs, creators of real dairy milk through cell technology, announces an oversubscribed $6.2 million Pre-A funding round of new and existing global investors. It is also announced that the “vegan prince”, HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud will join as Advisor.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is investing in female-led vegan startup Clevr Blends. With this investment, the self-proclaimed feminist, who has already campaigned for gender equality in the past, is expanding her mission to address the undervalued female-led business sector. The amount invested is undisclosed at this time.
GO Buddha was founded by Chef Joshua Ingraham, previously Executive Chef for the Cleveland Indians and the first chef to compete in NBC’s Titan Games. It began life as GO Buddha Eatery in Rocky River Ohio, now offers weekly pre-prepared packages for pickup and delivery, and just announced free overnight shipping across the USA.
Midsona AB, formerly Midelfart Sonesson AB, is a Swedish company that has strategically acquired plant-based companies in recent years. The company is to strengthen its plant-based focus through an investment of around 4.5M Euros in recently acquired Spanish brand Vegetalia, whose Barcelona plant will become its vegan hub.
SavorEat, an Israeli producer of meat alternatives that recreate the experience, taste and texture of meat through the use of a “revolutionary chef robot” and proprietary 3D printing technology, has raised NIS 42.6 million – about $13 million. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has valued the company at $51.2 million
Eat Beyond Global Holdings Inc, an investment issuer focused on the global plant-based and alternative food sector, is announcing that it has received approval to list its common shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”). The common shares will commence trading under the trading symbol “EATS” today, November 17, 2020.


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LEGO brick maker James Brown has released a video of his personal DIY project, bringing a tiny monitor to LEGO, and it’s powerful enough to render the classic DOOM game.
The screen in LEGO is not an official product. It’s a personal project by James Brown that puts a 0.42-inch OLED monitor inside a LEGO brick made by a 3D printer. It’s powerful enough to play looping line animations, and of course, to render DOOM games.
I wired the brick up as a very small external monitor, so you can, for instance, play Doom on it. pic.twitter.com/uWK2Uw7Egr
— James Brown (@ancient_james) June 19, 2022
However, even the screen in LEGO can display DOOM games, but the screen is too small. Including having graphics that have no sharp resolution, making playing DOOM through such screens “Barely can’t play”
James Brown did not reveal the exact details. But it seems that the screens in LEGO don’t run the DOOM game itself, they are just for display. It is expected that the game can still be played through other devices.
While the screen isn’t ideal for gaming, it’s certainly an interesting DIY project for LEGO fans and gamers like us. If there are more interesting stories, the GamingDose team will report further.
Source: PC Gamer


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Solar Press UK Ltd, UK, and KROENERT GmbH & Co KG, Germany, today announced the signing of a long term partnership agreement to develop and sell turn-key manufacturing solutions for organic photovoltaic (OPV) modules, to enable low cost, reliable production of OPV products in all regions of the world.
The UK based Eight19 Limited, a developer and manufacturer of third generation solar cells based on printed plastic today announced the launch of Azuri Technologies Limited to develop its Indigo ‘pay-as-you-go’ solar technology for off-grid markets. Eight19 will concentrate on development of its printed plastic solar technology and Azuri will focus on expanding the Indigo product family and market reach.
Konarka Technologies, Inc., a leading developer of thin-film solar panels based in the USA, has filed for bankruptcy protection under chapter 7 of the Federal bankruptcy laws. Under chapter 7 proceedings, the company’s operations cease and a trustee is tasked with liquidating the company’s assets for the benefit of creditors.


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According to its third quarter financial report, Ginlong Technologies, manufacturer of the Solis string inverter, had its best quarter since its 2005 founding. The only publicly-traded company focused exclusively on PV string inverters, Ginlong recorded third quarter revenues of $52 million — more than it earned during 2014, 2015, and 2016 combined.
Today’s report covered results through the third quarter ending Aug. 31. Year-to-date revenues were $111 million, up 32% from the same time period in 2018, while year-to-date net income was $11 million, up 6.3% over 2018.
“Our performance speaks to the growth of our global operations and our key role in the inverter market,” says Ginlong CEO Jimmy Wang. After our IPO, we stepped up investments in R&D, product development, and market expansion in the U.S., EU and Australia and launched a new 100%-owned subsidiary to invest in PV power plants in China.”
Ginlong is making moves
Ginlong has been investing in people and new products, expanding its R&D team, increasing in-house training, and expanding its Solis string inverter portfolio. Currently available in Europe, Australia and Asia, and coming soon to the U.S., the intelligent Solis hybrid storage inverter brings industry-defining reliability to solar-plus-battery systems, earning Ginlong the 2019 Best PCS Supplier Award for energy storage in China.
In the U.S. since 2009, Solis continues to expand in North America, most recently through the launch of its utility-scale solution. Its move into Latin America ten years ago to continues to extend the Solis brand throughout the region. Ginlong’s third place ranking among Asian brands in BloombergNEF’s 2019 Inverter Bankability Report further backs Solis’ reputation for reliability, quality, and solid financial performance.
— Solar Builder magazine


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Rhode Island businesses might be ringing up "no" sales tax some day.
A new commission is looking at sales tax repeal.
An East Providence woman is one of many who shops in Massachusetts to pay less in sales tax.
But if Rhode Island goes to zero, she'll shop at home.
"I would definitely shop in Rhode Island a lot more. I wouldn't have to come down to Massachusetts, because I know from me, every penny counts," said April Auclair who lives in Rhode Island, but shops in Massachusetts.
And would Massachusetts residents come to a sales–tax free Rhode Island?
"Sure. Yeah. Absolutely. Especially big ticket items," said Tom Davis, a shopper from Massachusetts.
Right now the Ocean State sales tax is 7 percent; it's 6 and a quarter percent in the Bay State.
ABC6 Chief Political Reporter Mark Curtis said, "A special commission will look at the prospects of getting rid of the sales tax but ultimately that decision is up to the General Assembly.
So Rhode island will do a pilot study; getting rid of the seven percent alcohol tax, to compete with Massachusetts, which has zero tax on booze.
Rhode Island State Rep. Jan Malik, who owns a liquor store, believes tax cuts will work. "Well I think so," said, Malik, "I mean I am a business owner who just went through two and a half years of hell, with the difference of sales tax issues."
But some in Rhode Island worry how the state will pay its bills with no sales tax.
Video store owner Dion Oliveira said, "If they get rid of the sales tax altogether, they're going to have to increase taxes somewhere else or they are going to have to decrease spending somewhere else."
Oliveira believes reducing the sales tax would be better than eliminating it altogether.


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Pork Profit Maximizer – Retail Edition
USDA adjustments to 2018 pork production were relatively minor. Q2 production growth was revised down to 4.3% compared to a 4.7% increase forecast in April. Lower weights likely contributed to this adjustment. No changes were made to pork production forecasts for the second half of the year and USDA expects total US pork production in 2018 to be 26.784 billion pounds, 4.6% higher than a year ago. Despite the current ongoing trade disputes with China, USDA did not make any significant changes to its pork export forecast.
Pork exports in 2018 are expected to be 5.916 billion pounds, 5% higher than a year ago. Net pork trade in 2018 is expected to increase by 300 million pounds vs. last year. Since total production is expected to increase by 1.186 billion pounds, this leaves 885 million pounds to be absorbed by the domestic market. The current weakness in pork prices may be surprising until you look at the 3.5% jump in per capita consumption in 2018 (see chart).
Pork production is forecast to increase another 840 million pounds next year (+3.1%) and 652 million of that supply is expected to go into domestic channels. Keeping export channels open is imperative for pork.


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Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Don Emmert/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images
The long-awaited IPO of Uber, the brash ride-hailing giant that has changed transportation around the world, turned out to be a dud Friday.
Despite its efforts to tamp down expectations, the San Francisco company closed at $41.57, down 7.6 percent from its IPO price, valuing it at $76 billion. That is the worst first-day showing of the five tech unicorns that have gone public so far this year and a long way from the $120 billion valuation that was estimated by the company’s lead underwriters last year.
Still, Uber’s IPO was the biggest of the year so far. It ranks among the top public debuts by an American tech company, second only to Facebook’s IPO, which raised $16 billion and valued that company at $81 billion in 2012. Uber’s also is the biggest U.S. IPO since Chinese internet giant Alibaba went public on the NYSE in 2014.
The San Francisco company priced its shares Thursday at $45, at the low end of its targeted range of $45 to $50, amid questions about whether it can ever turn a profit. Uber, which had an adjusted loss of $1.85 billion last year, started off Friday in disappointing fashion, with its shares opening at $42, below the IPO price.
While some analysts blamed a volatile stock market for Uber’s poor showing on its first day of trading, others cited concerns about the company’s business that may affect other tech unicorns — companies valued at $1 billion or higher — that are expected to go public this year, including Slack, Postmates, Airbnb and Palantir.
“I think the market is clearly signaling it’s placing a great premium on profitability or at least a clear/demonstrable path to it,” said Tom White, analyst for D.A. Davidson. “Investors are prioritizing clearly strong business models and unit economics over sheer growth and market share capture.”
A big factor that weighed on Uber when it priced its shares was the stock market performance of its main rival, Lyft, the other money-losing rides app based in San Francisco.
Lyft saw an initial pop in its share price when it went public in March, but its stock dropped quickly and is down nearly 30 percent since its debut. Lyft shares closed down 7.4 percent Friday.
Besides their massive losses, another thing the two companies have in common is disgruntled drivers. This week, those drivers converged in front of Uber’s headquarters and in cities around the world, protesting their pay and working conditions.
“As this week’s driver strike showed, Uber’s challenges are growing: Both its drivers and local and state governments are increasingly willing to take action in order to address the low pay and other costs Uber’s business model imposes on them,” said Richard Clayton, research director for union pension-fund adviser CtW Investment Group, on Friday.
Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi — brought in two years ago to replace ousted CEO and co-founder Travis Kalanick and turn the company around after months of turmoil — rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Kalanick reportedly had wanted to be part of the bell-ringing but instead was present on the trading floor Friday morning. He remains on the board of Uber, and his 8.6 percent stake is now worth $4.8 billion.
Kalanick left the company at the request of its board in June 2017 after scandals galore for Uber, which flouted regulations and became known as a company that didn’t ask for permission, just forgiveness. It ignored driver licensing and insurance rules and reportedly used a tool to evade law enforcement.
Just four months before Kalanick’s departure, former company engineer Susan Fowler published an essay in which she accused Uber of doing nothing in response to her allegation of sexual harassment. That was followed by other news reports and public accusations of harassment, racism, sexism and homophobia at the company. Also, a leaked email showed Kalanick addressing sex between employees and warning workers of a “puke charge” during a company trip. Right before Kalanick left, the company fired 20 employees for various reasons.
The controversial but transformative Uber also helped kick off the gig economy, which has enabled the ordering of goods and services via mobile apps, delivered by workers who may or may not be considered employees. The classification of ride-hailing drivers is a big, unresolved question that may be answered by legislative attempts to codify a California Supreme Court ruling last year on whether gig workers should be considered employees.
Uber and Lyft’s business models would be upended if their drivers’ status shifts from independent contractors to employees, which would require the companies to boost their pay and provide them with benefits. In addition, Uber, which has a much bigger presence around the world than Lyft, has to deal with different regulations in many more markets.
Alejandro Ortiz, analyst for SharesPost, a San Francisco private-trading marketplace, pinned Uber’s poor debut on the escalating trade war between the United States and China. The Trump administration increased tariffs on China on Friday. Capping off a tumultuous week for the markets, many tech stocks finished the day with sharp losses, including Apple, Snap and Yelp.
“As Uber completes its transition to public markets, it will be more prone to price swings based on events outside of its control,” Ortiz said Friday. “What we do still know is those investors that were fortunate enough to get in early when the company was still private — both VCs and secondary market participants — have a lot to celebrate.”
Early Uber investor SoftBank has the largest stake, 16.3 percent, which is now worth about $9.2 billion. Other early investors, including Benchmark Capital, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Alphabet, will soon be able to cash in on their investments in the 10-year-old company.
In a note to investors Thursday, Wedbush Securities had set a stock target of $65 for Uber, saying “the company has a slew of opportunities ahead of it in ridesharing, logistics, food delivery, and healthcare (e.g., hospitals and insurance providers) that make it a unique investment opportunity.” The company’s other bets include Uber Eats and Uber Freight, and it is working on autonomous driving technology — which would drastically change its business.
“Our bullish view is unchanged and we believe this choppy tech market and U.S./China headwinds has made this an awful day to price the IPO,” Dan Ives of Wedbush said Friday.


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Hermes Paris Lipsticks Launch In March
Lipstick lovers, you’re in for a treat. Luxury brand Hermes Paris is about to roll out its first-ever lipstick collection. And we’re here for it. The French fashion brand is famous for it’s Birkin bag which already has a cult following. Will the lipsticks also have the same name and clientele? Read on to find out all about these, and when you can get your hands on them.
The French brand had already shared its plans to launch a skincare and cosmetics line in 2020. The collections were being developed in the house but manufacturing is happening in Italy and France.
The shift of bags and apparel brands towards cosmetic lines and fragrances is a popular pattern. Similarly, Gucci also launched its own makeup line and fragrances. Hermes Perfumes have already made it to the market and their perfume business grew by 9% in 2018. This was largely because of their best-selling woody scented ‘Terre d’Hermès’ and the floral ‘Twilly d’Hermès.’
Now it’s time for makeup to step into the luxurious Herme’s line. And the company has great plans in store. The company plans to use plastic-free packaging for its skin-care and cosmetics products.
Hermes Paris Lipsticks
The newly launching lipsticks are already being called the Birkin bag of lipsticks due to the popularity of the former Hermes product. The lipsticks will most probably be phenomenal. Know why?
The lipstick colors are going to be drawn from a library of 75,000 silk swatches and 900 leather shades; some being around 100 years old. The packaging will be made using the same metal hardware that Hermes uses for handbags. It took them two years to develop these lip colors.
The name of this Hermes Paris lipsticks line will be Rouge Hermès and 24 shades will be launched in March. It will come in two different textures; matte inspired by Hermès’s fine-grained suede and satin that imitates the glow of box calf leather. What’s even more awesome is that the lipsticks will be refillable. After all, their hardware and casing itself will be made of such valuable materials.
The lipstick will be priced at $67 and refills for $42. Apart from the original 24, each season 3 additional shades will be launched at $72 each.
Wow, these lipsticks are screaming luxury and we can’t wait to see all the gorgeous shades once they’re out.


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(1888 PressRelease) The Tokyo based financial services company, Axia Consultants, has announced its intention to drastically increase the size of its mergers and acquisitions department to cope with rapidly rising demand from both domestic and international corporate clients.
From the beginning of 2013, the Asia-Pacific region has been subject to a pronounced upswing in the number of corporate mergers and acquisitions being conducted by businesses across the region. The driving force behind this increased activity is for the most part as varied as the individual countries that make up the region, with close geographic neighbors Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China seeing this trend for almost completely opposite reasons.
“We have since our inception offered our corporate clientele a broad range of services, including strategic corporate restructuring management, as well as the full range of mergers and acquisitions facilities. Over the last 24 months we as well as most of our peers in Tokyo have seen steadily increasing demand for these services, so we are expanding in response. We will, as required, make additional upgrades should the need be merited,” remarked Business Development Officer for Axia Consultants Mr. Hideo Oshogi.
Within the Asia-Pacific region, it has been China and Japan where the increased demand for M&A arrangements has been the most strongly observed. Japan’s increased demand being underscored by domestic business looking to expand their markets primarily into the U.S and Europe, with the recent Suntory and Softbank deals being the standout examples of this. Nearby, China however, has been the opposite, with foreign concerns rushing to avail themselves of market share in its booming economy by merging primarily with similar business model companies already trading in the P.R.C.
“Our location in Tokyo has seen Axia Consultants ideally placed to capitalize in both facets of this growing demand, domestic companies looking for expansion overseas and international desire to establish a business presence within China. We feel that our recent expansion to cater to this demand is a sound move, with this demand not being forecast to slow at all through this year and the next,” detailed Mr. Hideo Oshogi of Axia Consultants.