text:
A technological (r)evolution from fixed to mobile devices
Sales are swiftly moving from fixed to mobile devices
For years, several new products have been introduced in the Personal Computer industry, then dramatically changing this market. It started with the introduction of netbooks that were lighter and less powerful than desktop computers, enabling users to read their emails and browse the Internet on the go. More recently, tablets and smartphones were released and revolutionized respectively the computer and mobile phone industries. Considering development of the tablets market - led by Apple’s iPad – and its strong growth rate, tablets devices might be a quarter of the personal computer market in two or three years from now.
Forecast, Share of US consumer PC sales by form factor (1)
The smartphone market is also growing fast all around the world. So that in 2013 more than 50% of mobile phones sold would be smartphones (2). And with a growth rate of roughly 25% in the next five years, this trend will sustain expansion of this industry (3) even if the mobile phone market is roughly flat overall.
Evolution of smartphone market share in mobile phone shipments
All devices that were introduced those last years share the same mobility property, which is the major innovation this market has known in a while. In developed countries, where computer penetration rate is high, those new devices have a strong growth. And, as they are lighter, smaller and then cheaper than computers those devices are also spreading swiftly in emerging markets. At the same time, the computer industry is slowing and it even dropped by roughly 4% in 2011 (4). This explains why mobile devices sales overtook computers for the first time in 2011 (5). And it might continue as emerging markets customers mostly use mobile devices instead of fixed computers: it is a great opportunity to sustain this trend.
In 2011, mobile devices sales overtook computers sales
From high speed to low power consumption
In the computer industry, processor’s speed has been one of the most important criterions to measure performance of a device. And processors manufacturers have competed for years to develop the fastest processor. In this race, Intel managed to become the major manufacturer and almost the only one on the market. To keep ahead Intel frequently released new processors that were ever faster and developed a cheap range of processors to compete with low-cost entrants. But the key success factor was calculation speed. Moore - one of Intel’s founders – even introduced a law theorizing that processors were doubling their performance every 18 months.
Evolution of processor speed following the Moore’s law (6)
On the other hand, in the mobile phone industry the key issue is power. Actually as devices have to be as thin, light and small as possible, space is limited. In the same time, devices have to be self-powered so that users don’t have to recharge batteries too often. Then, in this environment, power-consumption is very important to save as much power as possible. And all electronic components embedded are supposed to fit specific configuration. For instance a desktop processor's power-consumption is 65-105W whereas a mobile device processor's is ten times smaller, between 0.65W and 13W (7).
New market, new competitors
As the market was moving to mobile devices, Intel early tried to introduce high-speed processors to keep ahead even in this developing market. But their high-speed and high power-consumption processors were not relevant in this market. By trying to duplicate its success achieved in computer processors, Intel has never managed to get a leading position in the mobile industry. In the same time new companies dedicated to this specific market managed to win strong market shares.
The mobile market, including smartphone and tablets, is now led by new companies that were not especially working in the computer industry. Except Apple which is also a computer manufacturer, Samsung, Nokia, RIM or HTC has never worked in the computer industry. And actually most of them are designing their own chipsets. For instance Apple designs its own A5 processor - manufactured by Samsung - that is embedded in its iPhone 4S and new iPad. Samsung also developed its own processor family Exynos that is powering its smartphones from Galaxy Player to Galaxy S III. And those two companies have now more than 50% of market shares, with respectively 31% (for Samsung) and 24% (for Apple) of smartphones shipped in Q1 2012 (8).
A few other competitors in this market are using processors that are manufactured by dedicated company. For instance RIM, LG or HTC are embedding Qualcomm’s processors on their devices. This manufacturer is only working in the mobile industry and has been the leader on this market for few years. Even if its market share decreased, in Q1 2012 it has roughly 44% of the market (9).
All these companies - from smartphone manufacturers that design their own processors, to those that embed Qualcomm’s processors - are most of the time based on ARM architecture. Actually ARM developed a power-efficient chipset that is now used by almost all processor manufacturers. Its business model is to license its architecture to the mobile industry that develops processors based on ARM’s applications processors. Founded in 1985 (10), ARM soared when smartphones were introduced on the mobile device market so that more than half of its current contracts were signed after 2008 (11).
Then the market is based on a major firm that started directly in the mobile industry and is now providing almost 90% of the application processors market (12). And most of processors manufacturers are mobile-focused. That means Intel is facing a tough competition as the computer and mobile markets are merging. Especially considering Apple and Samsung are going to lead the smartphones market in the coming years.
Intel tries to come-back in the race
To take part of the development of mobile devices that cannibalize computers, Intel worked on thinner and low power-consumption processors that were first embedded in the new range of ultrabook devices. These thinner and longer-powered laptop-like devices are supposed to compete with tablets (13) and make customers replace their old computers. They provide more powerful functions in a small computer. And powered by Intel’s processors they are supposed to make Intel enter the mobile devices market, that is expanding quickly and is supposed to be more than 40% of laptop market in 2015 (14).
At the same time, Intel developed processors for smartphones. These chipsets from the Atom family are consuming less power. And Orange - a European mobile network operator - released the first device powered by them in Q2 2012 (15). But for the time being few mobile devices are based on Intel’s processors, and because of the market organization this trend might be sustainable.
The last Intel’s move is an investment in its supplier ASML (16) that provides machines to manufacture processors. With this partnership, Intel wants to accelerate its development of new processors focused on power-consumption, as it is the key in the mobile devices industry.
If Intel’s current position is not final, this company has obviously missed the shift to mobile. This industry is now organized around few processors manufacturers, and Intel might have to work hard to try to increase its market share. After being the long-time leader in the computer industry it has to innovate and change its state of mind, moving from high speed to low power-consumption processors. The solution to enter a new disruptive market is often either to develop an ad-hoc company dedicated to this industry or to buy a firm already working on it. Considering the tremendous amount of cash Intel owns, the second solution might be the most relevant for Intel to enhance its position on the mobile processors market.
And it’s a key point as the computer industry is also moving fast to Cloud-computing (17). This new trend enables devices to be less powerful as all the softwares are run in huge data-centers which the devices are connected to through high-speed networks. Then even computers might not require Intel’s high-speed processors anymore. Those two strong trends are threatening Intel's business. And for the time being it tries to take care of its financial results by strengthening its position in servers’ processors, that is a high-margin market. But even mobile processors manufacturers are now providing chipsets dedicated to data-center, as the power-consumption is a key issue these huge warehouses full of computers have to deal with (18). Don't forget that the innovator's dilemma claims that new entrants always moved from low-end of the market to high-end of the market...
(1)Le Journal de la mobilité
(7)Comparison between Intel Core 2 Quad for Desktop and Intel Atom processors, Intel.com
(11)Roadshow Q2 2012, Slide 4, ARM.Com
(12)Roadshow Q2 2012, Slide 8, ARM.com


text:
Spotify has finally removed its 10,000 songbook size in the library, allowing users to add as much music as they like to their libraries without any restrictions, fixing the issue that has plagued music lovers in the service for years.
While Spotify has more than 50 million songs available to customers to stream at any time, to date, there is a strict limit of 10,000 songs that users can keep their “Music” collection on Spotify easily accessible.
Users have been calling on Spotify to remove the age limit, but the company has expressed disapproval, noting in 2017, “We currently have no plans to increase your Music limit. The reason is because less than 1% of users have access.”
The new system only works on the ability to save songs to your Sotify library. Individual playlists are still limited to 10,000 items, and users can download up to 10,000 songs from each of their five offline listening devices.
Spotify notes contain that it may take a while for the newly released limit to continue to customers, so if you still see an “old collection” error, you may need to wait a while.

domain: news


text:
Deutsche Bank analyst predicts AWS 2017 valuation of $160 billion (£104bn) on 2017 revenues of $16 billion (£10.3bn)
Amazon’s cloud computing business Amazon Web Services (AWS) has been heralded as the “fastest-growing enterprise technology company in history” in a note by Deutsche Bank.
Penned by Deutsche Bank analyst Karl Keirstead, the note predicts that AWS will hit revenues of $16 billion (£10.3bn) in 2017, meaning it could have a valuation of $160 billion (£104bn).
“We conclude that a 2017 revenue multiple of 10x seems fair for AWS, which given our 2017 AWS revenue estimate of $16 billion implies a valuation of $160 billion,” the note said.
“Measured by revenues, AWS is approximately 6x larger than its biggest rival Microsoft Azure and is arguably the greatest disruptive force in the entire enterprise technology market today,” the note stated.
It was in its most recent quarter that Amazon’s cloud business grew a whopping 78 percent year over year, hauling in $2.1 billion in revenue. Profits stood at $521 million in the last quarter.
These estimates from Deutsche Bank put AWS up there with the legacy giants. IBM currently stands at a valuation of $160 billion, whilst Oracle is at $170 billion. Considering these are whole companies in themselves, a division of Amazon which has only been operating since 2006 is no small feat.
“While Marc Benioff of Salesforce is an icon in the software industry,” it said, “Andrew Jassy of AWS keeps a relatively low profile and in our view may be the world’s most under-appreciated technology company head.”
But at this year’s annual AWS conference in Las Vegas, Jassy came out of his shell to speak to press.
“Every large technology company in the world is marching fast now to try and build a copy of what AWS has built,” boasted Jassy.
“That is not a surprise to any of us at AWS or to somebody that has worked on the business from the very start. We always expected there to be a lot of companies pursuing it.”
Earlier this year, IDC analyst David Bradshaw told TechWeekEurope: AWS has kept its pace of innovation high, continuously introducing new types of services and extensions to existing services, and I expect that we will see continued strong revenue growth in the company’s public cloud services in Europe as a result.”
But the note also complimented Microsoft Azure, Microsoft’s own public cloud offering. Keirstead said that Microsoft is the number two in the cloud infrastructure market, with estimated annual revenue of $1.4 billion.
But Azure, which accounts for around 2 percent of Microsoft’s whole revenues, has a long way to go before catching up with AWS.
Bradshaw told TechWeekEurope: “There is no shortage of competitors in the IaaS market, and some competitors have recently been growing even faster than AWS. However, they all have a long way to go before they can present a serious challenge to AWS’s market leadership.”
In October at its annual Re:Invent conference, AWS unveiled a raft of new services that it hopes will help it keep in front. They included an Internet of Things platform called AWS IoT, a physical storage box called Snowball that helps companies move massive amounts of data physically, and new instances for “demanding enterprise workloads”.


text:
All the while governments and mass media have been hypeing electric vehicles as the future of personal and public transport, we at Borrgart Blog and The Daily Stirrer, (wise old heads all, and some of them on young shoulders,) have been warning of the foul ups and disasters that are the inevitable consequence of listening to “sciencetits” (that’s not a typo), experts and academics.
Electric vehicles, like socialism, look great on paper but the realities are somewhat different, and one of the problems we have constantly warned of is that in their far left zeal to trash the economies of the free world and along with them, is that they have pressured our inept politicians into allowing China to esablish a monopoly on battery manufacture and gain control of the known reserves of certain materials such as cobalt, that are essential in production of electric vehicles.
Audi Suspends Electric Vehicle Production Due To Battery Shortage
Today in “news that affects all electric vehicle manufacturers but definitely not Tesla stock”, Audi has announced that it has suspended production of its e-Tron electric SUV effective February 20 and won’t resume until some point early this week.
The suspension has been a resolve of “resolving production issues”, which are mainly attributed to bottlenecks in battery supply, according to Business Insider. Audi uses battery cells that are made by LG Chem and ran into similar battery supply chain issues last year.
Making sure companies have a steady battery supply has become a priority for many EV makers. Names like Jaguar and Hyundai have also faced similar supply chain issues with batteries in the past. Other automakers, like GM, Toyota and Tesla are investing in joint ventures or building their own battery manufacturing facilities.
As one example, GM and LG Chem announced a deal last year where they would both invest a cumulative $2.3 billion into a battery factory in Ohio.
Audi said that the company sold roughly 26,400 of the SUVs last year but wouldn’t comment on delivery estimates for the upcoming year. The company reported sales of 5,369 e-Trons in the Americas last year, which represented 2.4% of sales in the region … Continue reading
Technology rules you
Electric cars too expensive
Electric car fireworks
More Fake News Supporting Electric Cars …
Billionaire Investor Erik Prince Launches Fund For Electric Car Metals
Don’t be fooled – Elon Musk’s electric cars aren’t about to save the planet
France to ‘ban all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040’


text:
Follow us on our tour through the arcane art of revising the U.S. gross domestic product
The fast-food business model just suffered a blow, and it could change everything from unionization to wages
Observers expect more GOP-controlled statehouses to find politically palatable ways to expand health insurance for the poor
Twitter's results weren't that much different from last quarter's. The big difference: expectations
A closer look at five of the 81 indicators that researchers use to rank nations in the Global Innovation Index
The chain is exploring opportunities in craft beer and making a greater emotional connection with diners
After Virginia Tech and Miami of Ohio shut down their regional full-time MBA programs, who’s next?
Cities including Seattle and San Diego are eyeing higher wage floors
By BW Staff
It has been a tough year, but the brands topping the 2009 BusinessWeek/Interbrand list of Best Global Brands have managed to weather the storm admirably. Here, find out more about the strategies of all 100 brands on the list, from Campbell's, slipping in at No. 100, to this year's No. 1, Coca-Cola.


text:
Apple Watch Series 4 will now help users in the US take an electrocardiogram (ECG) right from their wrist, capturing heart rhythm in a moment when they experience symptoms like a rapid or skipped heart beat and helping to provide critical data to physicians.
“New electrodes in Apple Watch Series 4 now enable customers to take an ECG directly from the wrist,” Apple said in a statement on Thursday.
“Starting today, the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 marks the first direct-to-consumer product that enables customers to take an electrocardiogram right from their wrist,” added the Cupertino-based tech giant.
The irregular rhythm notification feature on Apple Watch can now occasionally check heart rhythms in the background and send a notification if an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be atrial fibrillation (AFib) is identified.
When left untreated, AFib is one of the leading conditions that can result in stroke, the second most common cause of death around the world.
“Apple Watch has helped so many people around the world and we are humbled that it has become such an important part of our customers’ lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer.
“With the release of these heart features, Apple Watch takes the next step in empowering people with more information about their health,” he added.
Apple worked with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for several years to receive “De Novo” classification for the ECG app and the irregular heart rhythm notification.
Both the features are now available as part of a free update to watchOS 5.1.2.
To take an ECG recording at any time or following an irregular rhythm notification, open the new ECG app and hold your finger on the Digital Crown. As you touch the Digital Crown, the circuit is completed and electrical signals across their heart are measured.
“After 30 seconds, the heart rhythm is classified as either AFib, sinus rhythm or inconclusive. All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored securely in the Health app on iPhone. Users can share a PDF of the results with physicians,” Apple informed.
All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored securely in the Health app on iPhone, said Apple.
Using the optical heart sensor in Apple Watch Series 1 or later, the irregular rhythm notification feature will occasionally check the user’s heart rhythm in the background for signs of an irregular heart rhythm that appears to be Fib and alerts the user with a notification if an irregular rhythm is detected on five rhythm checks over a minimum of 65 minutes.
“The role that technology plays in allowing patients to capture meaningful data about what’s happening with their heart, right when it’s happening, like the functionality of an on-demand ECG, could be significant in new clinical care models and shared decision making between people and their healthcare providers,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.
The ECG app’s ability to accurately classify an ECG recording into AFib and sinus rhythm was validated in a clinical trial of around 600 participants.
The irregular rhythm notification feature was studied in the Apple Heart Study with over 400,000 participants, said Apple.


text:
Veasey Introduces Bill to Make Healthy Food Options Attainable For All
Washington, D.C. – As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday we must remember the many Americans who live with limited access to affordable and nutritious food. That is why Congressman Marc Veasey introduced H.R. 6343, the Farmers Markets for Food Deserts Act, to ensure that families living in food deserts have reliable access to fresh and nutritious foods year-round.
The Farmers Markets for Food Deserts Act would help encourage the creation of healthy food options by allowing farmers market vendors in food deserts to deduct the sales of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and grains from their federal taxes. In addition, the bill allows permit fees paid by farmers market organizers to obtain the space for markets in food deserts to be eligible for priority grants from the USDA’s Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP).
“Being able to make healthy and nutritious meals for our families is critical to eliminating health disparities in our community,” said Congressman Marc Veasey. “By providing incentives to local farmers to participate in farmers markets, we have the ability to ensure everyone can attain healthy habits.”
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 29.7 million people live in areas that are more than 1 mile away from a supermarket. Nearly 31 million children 17 and under (from families of all income levels) live further than a mile from a grocery store or food retailer that regularly supplies fresh fruit and vegetables. In both urban and rural neighborhoods, a healthy diet may be hard to obtain due to a lack of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. In addition to a lack of affordable and healthy foods, many of these individuals without access to an automobile are forced to rely on convenience stores, corner delis and quickie marts that provide a wealth of processed foods such as snack cakes, chips, and soda.


text:
Menards is planning to open a 240,000-square-foot store in Tipp City, Ohio, according to the Tipp City Herald. The grand opening is set for June 17.
The new store sits on 20 acres purchased by Menards, which also owns an adjacent parcel of 24 acres, according to the newspaper. The additional land is zoned for commercial use, the report said.
With a population of approximately 10,000 people, Tipp City serves as a bedroom community to Dayton, Ohio, ten miles to the south.
The third largest home improvement chain by sales, Menards now operates 239 big-box stores in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota.


text:
For more than a decade, customization has been a major buzz word in the consumer products world with companies allowing us to select our own personalized scent or design our own teas and coffees. This week, customization comes to the world of stamps. Photo.stamps.com has made an arrangement with the U.S. Postal Service to allow people to design their own stamps on computer and have them printed out by the Santa Monica, California based company. A sheet of 20 self-adhesive 37-center stamps costs $16.99, more than twice what it would cost to buy the ones with the American flags on them down at your local post awful.
The Post Office has waived its long standing restrictions on depicting people who have not be dead for 10 years or longer so you can make stamps of your friends and loved ones while they can still appreciate the sentiment. The company sets limits on nudity, abusive, and copyrighted material, meaning that it would be hard to use the stamps to recognize famous people who reflect our own perspectives or interests. Of course, the enforcement of these rules are only going to be as good as the poor smuck who has to set there at the plant and monitor what people are printing out. That means you probably won’t get away with a Arnold Swartzenegger stamp but may well be able to honor lesser known actors from obscure television shows. News reports say that during the first week pictures of babies, pets, and family groups were most popular.
USA Today, where I first read about this story, presumes that there will be little collector interest from these stamps since anyone can print them at any time, but one can imagine that if public figures printed their own stamps, there would be healthy interest in collecting this limited good, whether or not resale of the stamps is above or below ground.
So far, the focus is on photographs. It is not clear from the site whether parents can, say, print up a stamp to show off their children’s artwork. Nothing on the site prohibits it, as far as I can see, but none of the news reports mention what I would see as one of the most likely uses of this program.
Here’s an interesting case to consider: suppose that I print out stamps of my family snapshots at Disneyworld. Can I be sued by Disney? Don’t laugh, given a number of recent cases involving attempts to print unauthorized postcards of public buildings. Who owns the likenesses of places remains a heated public debate, so even your family snaps may not be fully owned by you.
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
Every year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now.
Scientists are finding signals of long covid in blood. They could lead to new treatments.
Faults in a certain part of the immune system might be at the root of some long covid cases, new research suggests.
AI for everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT reached mass adoption in record time, and reset the course of an entire industry.
OpenAI teases an amazing new generative video model called Sora
The firm is sharing Sora with a small group of safety testers but the rest of us will have to wait to learn more.
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.


text:
It is no secret that sports is big business. It is one of the central arguing points around college athletes being under-compensated for the amount of money the school can bring in with their play. We all know professional sports franchises can make a ton of money as well and have seen sports teams valued at over $1 billion dollars regularly.
No one really thinks about the money side of things when it comes to national sports teams competing in Olympics and tournaments like the World Cup. So it is kind of surprising to see the financial impact that missing the World Cup would have on Mexico.
From Business Insider:
The total cost of Mexico missing the World Cup would be $600 million in lost TV, merchandise, sponsorship and other revenue, according to DreaMatch sports marketing expert Rogelia Roa.
TV broadcasters would take a hit on ad revenue, and not just in Mexico. Televisa and TV Azteca paid a reported $100 million to broadcast the tournament in Mexico.
It’s not just TV money either. Shirt sales for Adidas, travel companies, and other sponsorships will also be affected. Adidas says that Mexico was the company’s best-selling international jersey at the last World Cup, with 1 million shirts sold.
Mexico currently sits in fourth place which would have them play New Zealand in a play-off for a World Cup berth. They should at least hold onto that situation, but there is a scenario where Mexico could be eliminated and miss out on the World Cups.
It would require Costa Rica to win, and Panama to blow out the U.S., who already qualified and won’t field a full-strength team.
It isn’t limited to Mexico either, it could impact the U.S. as well, with their large Mexican population. Univsion paid $325 million to broadcast the South Africa and Brazil World Cup tournaments in Spanish in the U.S..


text:
SBJ today puts a bow on sponsorship categories to watch in 2022 across esports with a focus on cosmetics.
If the Valorant Game Changers championship does not have a makeup or skincare brand as a presenting sponsor next year, it will be a monumental missed opportunity by Riot Games. Women’s esports currently lags well behind its male-dominated professional counterpart, but even the limited commitment by teams to marginalized genders has yielded sponsorship returns. Dignitas signed NYX Professional Makeup over the summer and Gen.G has seen success with its own women’s initiative, partnering with both Benefit Cosmetics and Bumble.
Valorant is miles ahead of any other esport in supporting a dedicated ecosystem for women’s teams. In fact, it's the only game whose publisher will provide women with an in-person championship in 2022. Riot must also lead the way in showcasing the opportunity for brands in this space and the potential return for the publishers who support these programs.
Obviously, the end goal is a world where esports teams are co-ed and brands of all categories and target demographics can partner with pro organizations and leagues. Until then, cosmetics brands have already proven a willingness to support women’s esports initiatives, and it’s only natural that they would accelerate their involvement as Riot continues to expand the Game Changers program and more teams invest in women’s rosters.
Previous entries for sponsorship stories to watch in 2022:


text:
Gearing up in Frisco
Frisco’s Rod Run
What: A car show for those who love all types of old cars – classics, antiques, muscle cars, sport cars, trucks and more.
When: Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (the move in begins at 8 a.m. and departure at 4 p.m.)
Where: Frisco’s Main Street, between Second and Madison
For more information or to register for the event, contact Rich or Marilyn Lofton at 303-371-8462 or the Tubbs at (970) 668-8329.
FRISCO – David Tubbs is hoping for a traffic jam on Main Street Saturday – maybe 100 cars or so between Second and Madison.
“The more, the merrier,” said his wife, Carla.
The couple is working with Frisco to organize the town’s new Frisco Rod Run – a car show open to all types of car enthusiasts. Unlike some car shows which are geared for a certain type of show car only, David Tubbs said this car show is different.
“It’s open to any cars, not just ‘Vettes,” David said. “We just want car enthusiasts – anybody that wants to show off cars or see cars.”
David said he’s been a car lover for approximately 30 years now. He and Carla had a 57 Chevrolet for several years before selling it “for much too cheap”, he said. It wasn’t until their son, Brett, purchased a ’69 Chevelle that the Tubbs wanted to buy another car for themselves.
“We started working on his car and got the fever again,” David said.
About two years ago, the Tubbs joined the Hot Rods, Customs, Classics Car Club in Denver. They said it was primarily to meet other car lovers with whom to cruise. The club is hosting Frisco’s Rod Run with the town of Frisco.
Between David, Carla and Brett, the Tubbs will be entering three cars in Saturday’s event – all Chevelles (1966, 1968 and 1969).
So far, 30 cars have been pre-registered for the Rod Run, but the Tubbs said they’re hoping for 100 to 150 participants.
David said cars of all kinds – and in various stages of restoration or conditions – will be displayed at the show. He expects to see antiques, classics, customs, hot rods, muscle cars, sport cars, street cars, 4-wheel drives, and trucks. Some will be originals, while others have been modified for the street. Still others are in the process of being restored – like Brett’s, which is in “velvet” (primed, not yet painted).
This year, Frisco has provided two blocks on Main Street, between Madison and Second, for the car show. The Tubbs said they hope to see the event grow in future years to include several hundred cars or “as many as we can stuff in the street,” Carla said.
Meanwhile, the Tubbs are trying to spread the word to car fanatics – from gearheads to trailer queens and anyone in between. They said they know of numerous old cars in the county and hope locals will come show off their vehicles.
“It’s more for car enthusiasts that drive their cars, love their cars and want to show them,” David said. “It’s neat to go to some of these car shows because you see everything … not just one particular car.”
According to the Tubbs, the proceeds from the $15 entry fees will be used for the car show. All participants will receive a free T-shirt and those who pre-register also will receive a dash plaques. Additionally there will be door prizes, a “Best in Show” competition, and games for kids.
Participants will be asked to choose their favorite car, and the top 10 will receive “Best in Show” plaques or trophies, Carla said.
Car enthusiasts can register the day of the event, but Tubbs encourages pre-registration so they can better plan for a successful event.
The Tubbs held a Rod Run in Dillon last year, but they moved it to Frisco because Dillon lacked the room they needed. Frisco has agreed to make the Rod Run an annual event, they said.
Lu Snyder can be reached at 970-668-3998 x203 or email@example.com
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
As a Summit Daily News reader, you make our work possible.
Now more than ever, your financial support is critical to help us keep our communities informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having on our residents and businesses. Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.
Your donation will be used exclusively to support quality, local journalism.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.
User Legend: Moderator Trusted User


text:
Amazon lets authors mute Kindle books read-aloud feature
Amazon is yielding to concerns of authors by letting them selectively silence a read-aloud feature in Kindle 2 electronic book readers that hit the market in February.
The US Authors Guild had warned that the new Kindle feature could pose a "significant challenge" to the publishing industry and hinted at possible legal action by saying they were studying the matter closely.
"Kindle 2's experimental text-to-speech feature is legal: no copy is made, no derivative work is created, and no performance is being given," Amazon said late Friday in an announcement posted online.
"Nevertheless, we strongly believe many rightsholders will be more comfortable with the text-to-speech feature if they are in the driver's seat."
Amazon said it is making modifications to allow those holding rights to written works to decide on a title-by-title basis whether to allow Kindle 2 devices to read passages aloud using text recognition software.
"We have already begun to work on the technical changes required to give authors and publishers that choice," Amazon said in the written release.
"With this new level of control, publishers and authors will be able to decide for themselves whether it is in their commercial interests to leave text-to-speech enabled. We believe many will decide that it is."
Amazon contends that Kindle devices encourage reading, and that the more people read the more books they will buy in an outcome beneficial to authors and copyright holders.
The Authors Guild maintained that while it considers the quality of the Kindle 2's audio feature "serviceable" it feared that Amazon was "undermining" its members' exploits in a billion-dollar audiobook market.
"Bundling e-books and audio books has been discussed for a long time in the industry," it said. "It's a good idea, but it shouldn't be accomplished by fiat by an e-book distributor."
Amazon said the experimental "Read-To-Me" feature "converts words on a page to spoken word" so customers have the option to read or listen.
(c) 2009 AFP


text:
The Galaxy S5 and earlier Galaxy smartphones had replaceable batteries and storage expansion slots. But the new GS6 says goodbye to that flexibility in favor of a sleeker design.
Don't look for Google to run a large-scale network. Instead it's teaming up with wireless carriers, as it does with hardware makers for Nexus devices.
The world's most valuable company joins Wall Street's pre-eminent stock index, a key metric of the nation's economic performance.
By contrast, Microsoft's most recent public count in November noted Xbox One sales at around 10 million, though that figure is likely much higher after a strong holiday-shopping season.
Demonstrations at Mobile World Congress show the growing momentum toward the launch of faster, more responsive mobile networks in 2020.
StoreDot's sci-fi battery tech -- which charges a phone completely in mere moments -- should pop up in a smartphone before the year's out. And electric cars could be next.
All things considered, the OCZ ARC 100 series is an excellent upgrade to a sluggish computer, thanks to good performance and affordable pricing.
Don't worry about that whole Superfish thing; there's no Windows, and therefore no spyware, on this laptop.
On January 25, 1915, AT&T completed the first transcontinental telephone call in the US, after completing the challenging stretch from Denver to San Francisco.
In 1915, Alexander Graham Bell and assistant Thomas Watson again teamed up for a historic phone call, this one from New York to San Francisco.


text:
ASU Hosts Guitar Activist
Angelo State University will host guest speaker Dave Carroll, author of “United Breaks Guitars: The Power of One Voice in the Age of Social Media,” at 7 p.m. this Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Room 100 of the Mathematics-Computer Science (MCS) Building, 2200 Dena Drive. The singer-songwriter from Halifax, Canada, drew international attention after his guitar was broken during an airline trip and he took to social media to launch a campaign protesting the customer service he received. The 2009 YouTube recording of his song, “United Breaks Guitars,” went “viral” and a new era was launched for customer-business relations. Carroll, now a professional speaker as well as entertainer, also co-founded Gripevine.com, an online customer complaints resolution platform that brings consumers and businesses together in a mutually beneficial way.
His appearance, sponsored by the University Center Program Council, the Student Organization Leadership Fund, the Lambda Pi Eta communication honor society and the Communication Graduate Student Association, is free and open to the public. More information on Carroll is available online at www.davecarrollmusic.com.


text:
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Deloitte's 2016 UK Mobile Consumer Report is out 'There's No Place Like Phone'
From the executive summary (emphasis my own and some minor edits):
"This year’s report marks the end of the smartphone growth era, and the start of its consolidation. A mere nine years after the launch of the first full touchscreen smartphone, adoption is nearing a plateau, at 81 per cent of UK adults, and 91 per cent of 18–44 year olds.
The smartphone user base is approaching an unprecedented peak. No other personal device has had the same commercial and societal impact as the smartphone, and no other current device seems likely to. While the base may plateau, relentless innovation continues at device and network levels. Devices are likely to incorporate more functionality and get even faster. Biometric sensors, particularly fingerprint readers, are likely to see widespread adoption.
Over a quarter of smartphones now have a fingerprint reader, of which three quarters are in use. The majority of phones are now connected to 4G, and cellular networks are getting ever faster, with headline speeds now at over 300 Mbit/s.1 As speeds rise, ever more latent, high bandwidth applications become viable. It is now as easy to read the news on a phone as it is to live stream a breaking news event from a smartphone.
Businesses and consumers are still determining how best to use these devices. For the former, a common dilemma is over whether to use apps or websites. The typical UK user downloads 20 or fewer apps.
Our research suggests that apps are not the right approach for every business.
Consumers, who collectively look at their smartphones 0.4 trillion times per year, still need to identify how to use their devices in a balanced way, at a level that suits them, their other halves and colleagues. It is the sleek digital Swiss army knife that can be used at every stage of the day. How people will use their devices to communicate will be driven by consumers.
The traditional voice call has become steadily less popular over the last four years, and usage of email, social networks and instant messaging has risen in tandem."
Click here for the PDF.


text:
After four consecutive quarters of revenue decline, Apple broke the development and reported its first interval of income progress as we speak. In its earnings report for the first quarter of the financial year of 2024, the corporate introduced a quarterly income of $119.6 billion, which is a rise of two % from the identical interval final 12 months.
As well as, Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner mentioned its “put in base of lively gadgets has now surpassed 2.2 billion, reaching an all-time excessive throughout all merchandise and geographic segments.” This quarter contains cash introduced in from the gross sales of the iPhone 15 line launched in September 2023, which had an apparent impression on efficiency.
“Right now Apple is reporting income progress for the December quarter fueled by iPhone gross sales, and an all-time income document in Providers,” Cook dinner mentioned. He famous the corporate hitting “all-time income data throughout promoting, Cloud providers, fee providers and video in addition to December quarter data in App Retailer and Apple Care.” Cook dinner recapped some updates made to the Apple TV app, in addition to TV+ content material incomes nominations and awards.
Cook dinner went on to remind us through the firm’s earnings name that tomorrow is the launch day for the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset, calling it historic. After saying that Apple is devoted to investing in new applied sciences, Cook dinner added that the corporate can be sharing extra about its developments in AI later this 12 months.
Merchandise within the wearables, house and equipment classes did not fare properly on this quarter, although gross sales within the Mac division did improve 12 months over 12 months. iPad gross sales particularly dropped 25 % over the identical interval final 12 months, although Cook dinner attributed that to a “troublesome evaluate” to the massive numbers recorded within the first quarter of 2023 resulting from new fashions with refreshed Apple Silicon. Contemplating the corporate didn’t launch a brand new iPad mannequin in 2023 in any respect, this isn’t shocking.
Cook dinner continued by highlighting developments like Apple opening its a centesimal retail location in Asia Pacific and updates on its sustainability efforts. He wrapped up by saying “Apple is an organization that has by no means shied away from huge challenges,” including “so we’re optimistic in regards to the future, assured in the long run and as excited as we have ever been to ship for our customers.”
This text accommodates affiliate hyperlinks; should you click on such a hyperlink and make a purchase order, we might earn a fee.


text:
20 November, 2021
Car Boot Sale makes debut in Kilcoy
THE Kilcoy Anglican Church staged its inaugural ‘Re’ Market Car Boot Sale on Saturday, November 20.
Recycling, reselling and repurposing items was the theme, while music and food was also on offer.
Keep an eye out for more details in the November 25 edition of The Sentinel News.


text:
Bank Al Etihad Announces Launch of Accelerate SME Jordan
Bank al Etihad, in collaboration with Thomson Reuters, has announced the launch of Accelerate SME Jordan, a digital platform that serves as the single gateway to the SME ecosystem in the country. It provides startups and SMEs with access to the most comprehensive source of business resources, services and funding solutions and is designed to help organizations reach their business goals.
Accelerate SME Jordan is free to join. Startups, entrepreneurs and business owners can freely access resources including relevant news, industry insights and intelligence for the Jordanian market, in addition to a selection of business tools, templates and advice guides. The platform also provides a curated marketplace of discounted business services tailored for SMEs as well as funding solutions from Bank al Etihad. Being a digital platform, Accelerate SME Jordan offers its users an online community hub to network with other business owners and entrepreneurs. Additionally, the platform allows users to measure their company’s financial health and benchmark it against their peers with the portal’s Trust Rating.
Accelerate SME Jordan was designed to address the challenges facing the SME sector in the Kingdom, namely how aspiring entrepreneurs struggle with setting up a new business, getting access to funding for expansion, growing their business and winning new customers. SMEs are considered the backbone of Jordan’s economy, whereby they constitute around 95% of the national economy and employ nearly 70% of the private sector's workforce.
“Bank al Etihad has always been committed to enhancing its position as the ideal financial partner and number one supporter of entrepreneurs and SMEs on the fast-track to sustainable growth,” said Nadia Al Saeed, CEO, Bank al Etihad. “We believe in supporting and celebrating the Kingdom’s brightest minds, innovative startups and the visionary business leaders of tomorrow.”
“We recognize that today’s SMEs and entrepreneurs are the success stories of the future,” noted Nadim Najjar, Managing Director, MENA Thomson Reuters. “We want to leverage our capabilities and partnerships with leading organizations to help support the SME ecosystem.”
In turn, Tina Ghanem, Head of Accelerate SME, Thomson Reuters, said, “We are very excited to partner with Bank al Etihad, a trailblazer for Jordanian SMEs. We know that through this partnership, Accelerate SME Jordan can help connect and support the vibrant startup ecosystem in Jordan.”
Bank al Etihad
Bank al Etihad was founded in 1978 as a public shareholding company, and has been moving steadily towards boosting its financial status and profitability.
The Bank continues to implement its calculated strategy of client base expansion, risk diversification through widening its range of services and targeting groups from both the retail and corporate sectors.
The Bank attracts a qualified team of young Jordanian professionals and combines a team of experts working relentlessly to further enhance the Bank’s overall achievements, striving for more progress and prosperity to achieve the Bank’s ambitious objectives for the coming years.


text:
Egypt-based marketing CRM platform Gameball has closed a US$3.5 million seed round to accelerate product commercialisation, enterprise customer acquisition and strategic hiring.
Founded in 2020 by Ahmed Khairy, Ahmed El Assy and Omar Alfar, Gameball is an all-in-one customer intelligence and marketing CRM platform that helps consumer brands create personalised engagement with customers and monetise their customer base.
The US$3.5 million seed round was led by 500 Global, P1 Ventures and Launch Africa Ventures, and also included Seedra Ventures, Arzan Ventures, Propeller and Core Vision alongside regional angel investors.
Gameball’s marketing solution gives omnichannel retailers a 360-degree view across all customer touchpoints and journeys. Its suite of products empowers businesses to analyse customer behaviour, leverage first-party data, identify monetisation opportunities, and execute retention strategies.
Its fully integrated marketing suite equips marketers with customer analytics and segmentation, incentive and loyalty management, and cross-channel messaging, helping drive customer conversion and personalised engagement, while providing rich data and insights for brands.
Since its launch, Gameball has served more than 7,000 businesses and 20 million consumers, and it processes over US$260 million worth of transactions every month. As part of its growth strategy, Gameball will operationalise teams in Saudi Arabia, Germany and the United Kingdom while investing in the commercialisation of its product.
“This seed round brings on board renowned investors who will help fuel our growth, marking a critical milestone for us, as we evolve into a truly global platform,” Khairy said.


text:
Vita Set to Launch on December 17th in Japan
It looks like the PlayStation Vita will be arriving in Japanese retailers this December. A Sony rep has just announced the official release date during Sony’s Tokyo Game Show conference.
Sony has yet to provide gamers with release dates for territories outside of Japan, and considering Tokyo Game Show’s Japanese focus, we likely won’t be getting a firm release date during the show, but we do know that the handheld won’t be out this year in Europe or the United States.
It is comforting however, to have a solid release date for the handheld, even if it’s only for Japan. There’s no doubt that importers have a lot to look forward to this December when the system launches on the 17th, especially considering it is supposed to be region free.


text:
Latest Metabolism Stories
BLAINVILLE, QC, March 30, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - Medunik Canada, a Canadian pharmaceutical company specialized in rare
DALLAS, March 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The global metabolic testing market is expected to reach $475.75 million by 2019 from $332.78 million in 2014, growing at a CAGR
The interdependence of genetic material, proteins, and fatty lipids have long created a sort of paradox when it comes to trying to figure out how life on Earth originated, but a new study has proposed that all three factors originated from a pair of simple compounds.
System of Micronutrients & Digestive Formulas Promotes Inner Balance, Mental Clarity, and Balanced Relationship With Food New York (PRWEB) March 17, 2015
Tests of an experimental new drug in mice has found that it can effectively convert “bad” white fat into “good” brown fat, leading the rodents to lose weight and fat, scientists from the Houston Methodist Research Institute have discovered in a new study.
Oxford Biomedical Research, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company located in Oakland County Michigan, has obtained exclusive rights to a novel catalytic system, called CypExpres™ that
Metabolic Fire reviews have been popping up all over the Internet and HealthyandFitZone.com reveals the truth about the product that is designed for people over 40. Houston,
In the final part of our coffee series with Bulletproof CEO and NYT bestselling author Dave Asprey, we dive into his philosophy of blending in grass-fed butter to his cup of joe.
- Forsooth! indeed! originally a parenthetical phrase used in repeating the words of another with more or less contempt or disdain.


text:
Rumors Fly of HP Axing Voodoo
At any rate, Techgage wrote a piece in which they cited the typical 'insider close to the situation.' According to that article:
An e-mail is apparently being circulated throughout the company noting layoffs, although the number of people to be culled is unclear. However, VoodooPC itself wouldn't have that many employees to begin with, so any layoffs could be a sign of what's to come.
The article also noted that VoodooPC was returning product, such as power supplies to their suppliers.
Crave managed to pry information out of HP, receiving the following:
HP spokeswoman Marlene Somsak said it would be "incorrect" to say HP is shutting down Voodoo, but didn't offer a denial that jobs will be or have been cut.
"We continually assess and rebalance the size of our work force relative to the business environment and market conditions," she said. Beyond that, she said HP had no comment.At the same time, Gizmodo got the following response, from no less than VoodooPC founder Rahul Sood:
HP is working on a plan to better leverage its existing resources to bring Voodoo products to market faster and make them more accessible to consumers. I can assure you that Voodoo employees and champions of the brand will continue to work on the conceptualization, design and development of Voodoo products.
Hmmm. But wasn't that what they were doing earlier? Based on these items, it looks like something is happening. Whether it leads to layoffs or the shutting down of VoodooPC as Techgage posited, will remain to be seen.
But as they were definitely makers of "hot hardware," how would you readers feel if VoodooPC were to be put out to pasture?


text:
Telco vendor Huawei is holding a three-day event in Auckland ahead of the government’s decision on who it will partner with in the $1.5 billion Ultra Fast Broadband network.
Huawei's Sydney-based government and media relations manager Luke Coleman says the September 15 to 17 event is for telcos, lines companies, independent fibre providers, media and government representatives. It will comprise of technical workshops, an exhibition, and a day-long conference that will be opened by Crown Fibre Holdings chief executive Graham Mitchell and feature a session on the UFB’s network architecture by chief technology officer John Greenhough.
Huawei is the vendor for 2degrees’s mobile network, but the company is hoping to supply fixed- line fibre broadband infrastructure and beat competitors Alcatel Lucent, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens to become the technology partner of the successful bidder or bidders in the UFB.
Huawei’s profile was raised locally when Prime Minister John Key suggested in a TVNZ interview in July that it could be a possible partner in the UFB. “Huawei is a big player, they're bigger round the world, they've got a huge partnership in the United Kingdom for instance. No one's saying they would be the final selected partner in New Zealand but they've certainly got the capacity if they wanted to, to come in and look at doing something like that,” the Prime Minister told television interviewer Guyon Espiner.
Other speakers at Huawei’s upcoming conference include David Storrie, chief executive of Nucleus Connect, the company that is designing, building and operating the active infrastructure for Singapore’s next generation broadband network, as well as Khoong Hock Yun, assistant chief executive of the Singapore regulator overseeing the build. In addition Huawei’s network products CTO Daniel Tang, “the brains behind Huawei’s design for the Singaporean fibre network”, according to Coleman, will also speak.
In the invitation to media, it states there will be a tour of the company’s ‘IP Time’ experience centre in Auckland, which features live demonstrations of in-home and portable devices for use in e-Health, e-commerce and e-education.
Coleman says the company has around 20 staff in New Zealand, and 250 in Australia. It is currently recruiting for a government and media relations expert to be based in Wellington.


text:
Amid rising complaints from air travellers, the Centre has called a meeting on November 8 with senior officials of all airlines and travel portals to discuss grievances related to 'refund not given after ticket cancellation' and showing every seat as 'paid' despite free web check-in, among others.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, in a media briefing, said about 10,000 complaints related to the airline sector has been received through the government's National Consumer Helpline in the last one year.
About half of the complaints are related to "ticket cancelled but no refund received from airlines". Some of the major grievances also include airlines showing every seat as paid despite free mandatory web check-in, he said.
"These complaints are just a tip of the iceberg. We have called a meeting on November 8 to discuss these consumer grievances with all airlines, travel portals and consumer organisations," Singh said.
While booking a ticket either through airline websites or travel portals, he said, the department has noticed that many of the consumers are not happy with the interface and they think they are "misled and cheated".
"Airlines say 'free web check-in' but 'seats are paid'. Once a traveller has paid the fare and the airlines has issued a confirmed ticket then all the services have to be fair and to the advantage of the consumers. You cannot take consumer to a ride," he said.
The ministry has nothing to do with the business model of airlines or travel companies, but "we are saying that when a consumer has a confirmed ticket then he should not put to further inconvenience in form of these things (paid seat) which are making life difficult for air travellers".
The secretary said there has been expansion in air travel and many people are getting affected due to such trade practices.
"We hope that we will be able to persuade and convince the airlines and travel companies in case they are indulging in some practices which is not fair they should refrain from doing it," he added.


text:
You may have heard the murmurings about shipping delays this holiday season, or you may just be concerned since, due to shutdowns, more people are shopping online, and you’re not wrong to have questions.
Parcel delivery services are indeed struggling to keep up with shipments because of the surge in online purchases during the pandemic, and while these companies are increasing their services and capacity as fast as possible, with both UPS and FedEd adding tens of thousands of employees, it’s still a good idea to plan ahead for the holiday shopping season.
The best thing you can do: shop early.
“We advise in taking advantage of early deals so that packages arrive on time,” said Sara Skriboll, Austin, Texas, based resident shopping and trends expert for savings site RetailMeNot.
And you won’t be alone starting early. “According to RetailMeNot data in fact, 75% of Americans already prefer to complete all holiday shopping as early as possible,” said Skriboll.
Online giant Amazon is also making it easy for shoppers to save big and shop early with their Holiday Dash deals event with Black Friday-worthy deals dropping daily, which started in mid-October.
Leaning into this longer holiday shopping season, an Amazon spokesperson also explained that this year’s return window is also longer than ever. Items shipped between October 1 and December 31, 2020 will be eligible for return until January 31, 2021. And to make returns even easier, more than 5,800 locations — from retailers including Amazon Books, Amazon 4-star, the UPS Store locations, Kohl’s and, new this year, Whole Foods Market — will offer label-free, box-free returns.
Amazon is already offering deep savings, according to a spokesperson, which you can browse via their Holiday Gift Guides. Savings include up to 40% on Star Wars toys, up to 30% on Hot Wheels toys, up to 30% on Funko POPs!, up to 30% on arts and crafts sets, up to 50% on premium beauty brands, up to 20% on Fitbit Activity and Fitness Trackers, up to 30% on TaoTronics Headphones, and many, many more deals that make shopping early the smart choice.
Walmart is kicking off its “Deals for Days” event, which promises Black Friday prices when you order online, with big savings on Chromebooks (save $120), Keurig K Cup Brewers (save $24), HP Pavilion laptops (save $160) — and more deals to be announced all month long.
Prime membership on Amazon may also help get presents to your door (or theirs!) more quickly. With free delivery on millions of items for all Amazon customers, plus millions of items eligible for fast, free delivery with no minimum purchase for Prime members, you can spend more time finalizing their gift list, and less time worrying about how they’ll get it in time.
There’s also the option of avoiding shipping altogether. For that, Skrilboll notes the option to buy online and pick up in-store (BOPIS), as well as curbside pickup. Especially, she said, “if you’re running late and costs are too high.”
“The surge in online shopping this year comes with some concerns for shoppers: shipping delays and inventory issues,” Skrilboll noted. “BOPIS and curbside have risen to the top of our list as problem solvers. Buying online and picking up in store empowers shoppers to browse, shop and save money online, and then pick up their items in a safe and timely fashion — sometimes without even leaving your car. Many merchants even offer ‘contactless’ curbside pickup amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Big, holiday friendly stores like Walmart, Target and Macy’s offer easy shopping online that you can pick up either in the store or curbside. How does it work? Do your shopping on their site, then select pickup when checking out, and they’ll let you know when your order is ready. In an order we tested with Target, our purchases were ready to be picked up in under four hours. Not bad, and we didn’t have to deal with shipping or going inside the store.
Also, if you’re short on space but want to shop early, some stores will hold your gifts for you. “Most stores will hold your purchase for a certain amount of time, so be sure to read the fine print and check the store’s policy before purchasing to ensure you can make the deadline and see if you’d be able to get an extension,” Skrilboll said.
Some retailers, like Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Sephora, are also trying alternative delivery options, including sending orders from local stores via couriers working for companies like Instacart and Shipt. Again, read the fine print, as these offers vary by location.
If you’re shopping for Christmas, and want your package in gift recipients’ hands by Christmas morning, we’ve pulled together shipping deadlines for FedEx, UPS and the USPS, according to the USPS’s recently-released dates, dates from FedEx and EasyShip. Of course, while these dates are a good starting point, they are subject to change as the demand grows during the season, so be sure to check the links posted or call for more information.
- FedEx Ground/Home Delivery: Saturday, December 19
- FedEx Express Saver: Monday, December 21
- FedEx 2Day: Tuesday, December 22
- FedEx Overnight: Wednesday, December 23
- UPS Ground Shipping: Wednesday, December 16
- UPS Next Day Air: Friday, December 18
- UPS 2nd Day Air: Friday, December 18
- UPS 3 Day Select: Saturday, December 19
- USPS Retail Ground: Thursday, December 15
- First-Class Mail: Friday, December 18
- Priority Mail: Saturday, December 19
- USPS Priority Mail Express: Wednesday, December 23
However, warns Satish Jindel, president of Ship Matrix, a company that helps retailers manage their shipping operations, these dates aren’t so straightforward. “Due to demand exceeding the capacity by 7.2 million parcels per day, it will add extra delivery days such that a three-day delivery schedule could be four days on many packages,” said Jindel.
Skrilboll agreed, adding that “for the most part, retailers always try to stick to their word and policies on shipping expectations. Given this year has already presented it’s fair share of setbacks, especially in the shipping industry, it’s always beneficial to plan ahead.”
In other words, give your packages extra time by ordering early. (We can’t say this enough.)
If you’re shopping early — before December 18 — you don’t have to pay more for expedited deliveries, according to Jindel. Up until then, standard delivery options should get your package to the recipient in time.
“After that, depending on where the retailer is shipping from and where the consumer is located, it would be worth paying for express shipping using two-day service,” said Jindel.


text:
The Audi Q1 SUV will come to market in 2016, although we assume that the final production model will be somewhat toned down from the visual featuring wheels from a monster truck.
The Infiniti EMERG-E is the brands first mid-engined, range-extending electric sports concept car, with emissions of just 55 g/km CO2, a 0-60 mph time of 4.0 seconds and a 300 mile range.
The Toyota FT-Bh concept has a full hybrid powertrain featuring a two-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine, resulting in 134.5 mpg and 49 g/km CO2 emissions.
The Mazda Takeri concept car will be unveiled its the first time in Europe at next months Geneva International Motor Show.
The Nissan INVITATION concept, with expected sub-100 g/km emissions, will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.
The concept car Citroën Tubik is inspired by the old Type H or TUB van, but with the modern twist of a Hybrid4 full-hybrid diesel drivetrain and four-wheel drive.
The four-door, four-seat fastback Ford Evos Plug-in Hybrid Concept will make its global debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The Audi A3 e-tron plug-in petrol-electric hybrid concept is being revealed at the Shanghai motor show.
The stylish MINI Concept Rocketman city car will be on show again, this time at the Shanghai Motor Show that takes place from 23rd to 28th April 2011.
The new Lexus LF-Gh GT hybrid concept will make its global debut at the 2011 New York International Auto Show.


text:
Cell phones are one of the few products that have found mass success in developing countries; there are 600 million mobile subscribers in India out of the 1.2 billion population. So why not use the model to sell other stuff, like solar power? That’s the idea behind Simpa Networks, a startup based in Bangalore, India.
Simpa Networks is taking advantage of the popularity and standardization of pay-as-you-go cell phone plans and mobile payments in developing countries like India, and the group has launched a home solar system for off-grid customers controlled by a mobile, pay-as-you-go system. Customers pay for only the electricity produced by the solar panel at their home, in addition to a small upfront payment for the system.
The basic solar system size Simpa sells is around 25 watts to 50 watts, which can power a couple of CFL lights, a mobile phone charger and maybe a fan or a TV cable box, Simpa Co-Founder Jacob Winiecki told me in a phone interview. Remember, these are off-grid, often rural homes that don’t have access to the power grid, and the households commonly live on $4 or less a day. These customers often don’t have predictable income and are often farmers who only get paid when they sell their goods at the end of the growing season.
Simpa doesn’t make or install the solar panels, but works with a partner — Selco India — which installs a Simpa-powered solar system for Simpa’s customers. The customer pays a certain amount of their choosing as a down payment for the hardware — say, 10 percent of the total cost of the solar system (the total cost of the system can be between $200 and $300).
The customer then also pays for the solar power as they go, using purchased pay-as-you-go cards (similar to the kinds you’ll find for cell phone minutes in every gas station) commonly in the increments of 50, 100, or 500 rupees. Customers type the code on the cards into the keypad on the Simpa box, which unlocks the system. Over time — usually two or three years — the customer has paid off the system, then owns it outright and can use the solar power for free.
Simpa’s business model
The payment system is attractive to these customers, because many of them don’t have enough savings to buy a solar system outright, or can’t take out a loan to buy a system outright. Getting into debt isn’t something that many of these customers are willing to do, so pay-as-you-go makes sense to them. These customers are also very used to paying for cell phone minutes with cards.
But these customers are really interested in getting a better option for energy. Most of them currently use kerosene for lamps, or diesel or wood burning — all these things are more hazardous to health and more expensive than grid power and off-grid solar. These customers often end up paying a lot more per capita and per their income than someone with grid-connected power.
There are a few things that need to happen for Simpa to actually make money off this philanthropic-sounding business model. Simpa screens potential customers for those who will use a certain amount of electricity — for instance, those who have a few cell phones per household instead of one. That’s because if the customer gets a solar system installed but then doesn’t use the power and pay off the system, Simpa doesn’t make money. Simpa makes money by taking a small cut of the watt hours used per system, as well as the markup on the hardware.
Since Simpa is the payment system as well as the solar business model I could see the company working as the enabler for all sorts of clean power products in the developing world, like rural wind turbines.
Simpa is about a year old and has raised a seed round of $1.3 million from angel investors (which it is calling a Series A round) to launch its product commercially. Winiecki tells me that there are about 50 Simpa systems installed in the Bangalore area so far, and about 8 customers are within months of paying off the systems.
Up next: Simpa is looking to raise a next round of equity funding of $4 million, which the company is looking to close by March, and which Simpa hopes will get them to the break-even point of selling 5,000 solar systems a year. Simpa also needs to borrow money to pay for the solar systems.


text:
Animation studio Technicolor Digital Productions has established a new video game art and animation team dedicated to working with game publisher Rockstar Games.
The Rockstar Games-dedicated unit will leverage a segment of Technicolor’s team of game artists and animators, as well as the studio’s technology infrastructure to develop new game projects.
“This partnership reinforces Technicolor’s strong commitment and strategy to growing its art and animation business for the video game industry and we are proud to work with cutting edge industry leaders like Rockstar Games,” says Tim Sarnoff, president, Technicolor Digital Productions.
Based in Bangalore, India, Technicolor creates CG animation for television, direct-to-video, commercials, video games and location-based entertainment for clients including DreamWorks Animation, Electronic Arts, Mattel, Nickelodeon, Sony Computer Entertainment America and Square Enix.
Previous collaboration with Rockstar has led to the recent game titles “Red Dead Redemption,” “L.A.Noire” and “Max Payne 3.”


text:
Subscribers Special. 'One of the themes of this tour & album is uncertainty…' Propaganda 18, latest addition to our digital collection.
Coming April 23, 40th anniversary release on a limited edition 12" vinyl EP.
Edge, Bono and Gavin Friday among artists remembering Hal Willner.
Edge and Bono recorded a new version of Walk On as activists and artists around the world pledged support for Ukraine.
"Rock 'n' roll, if it's anything, it is the sound of liberation," Bono made Fulbright Laureate in Washington DC.


text:
Promises great things for upcoming UV500 series
Kingston has announced that it has shipped over six million SSD units based on Marvell controllers, as well as announcing the upcoming UV500 series, which will be the company's first 3D NAND SSD based on Marvell's newest 88SS1074 controller.
Optical mouse with 3200 DPI and six buttons
Earlier this week Kingston’s HyperX performance product division announced its first-ever gaming mouse, the Pulsefire FPS. The device was designed by top engineers in the HyperX labs and is a recipient of this year’s prestigious 2017 RED DOT award.
Flash will save everyone of us
Kingston Digital, which is the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology, has revealed that it has its paws on 16 percent of the global channel SSD unit market in 2016.
Coming in 2TB and 1TB versions
Although it is not as small as some flash drives around, the new Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate Generation Terabyte (GT) comes in impressive 2TB and 1TB capacities.
More overclocking headroom than some higher-rated kits
Kingston Technology’s HyperX product division is one of those memory brands that has consistently ranked high with gamers and overclocking professionals for its ability to deliver tight timings, reliable performance, and quality heatsink designs that deliver stable temperatures for a variety of high-bandwidth applications.
Flash for data centres
Kingston Digital, which is the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company has announced a new range of memory products for data centres.
Marvell controller with TLC NAND
Kingston Digital, the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, has announced that it has started to ship its new "ultra value" UV400 SSD series.
HyperX Cloud Revolver pre-order tomorrow
HyperX, a division of Kingston has told us that its HyperX Cloud Revolver headset will ship May 9 and is available for pre-order tomorrow.
Says SODIMM to rivals
Memory maker Kingston HyperX has just added some 16 GB DDR4 modules to the SODIMM lineup. Now you can grow memory kits up to 64 GB.
Offering up to 350/250 MB/s of performance
HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, has unveils its newest HyperX Savage USB 3.1 flash drive.


text:
CVS Health‘s fourth-quarter earnings beat Wall Street’s expectations on Tuesday as pharmacy sales got a lift and the drugstore chain expands Covid-19 testing and vaccines.
Shares of the company were down about 3% early Tuesday.
Here’s what the company reported for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with what analysts were expecting, based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:
- Earnings per share: $1.30 adjusted vs. $1.24 expected
- Revenue: $69.55 billion vs. $68.75 billion expected
The drugstore chain reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $975 million, or 75 cents per share, down from $1.74 billion, or $1.33 per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, it earned $1.30 per share, outpacing the $1.24 per share expected by analysts surveyed by Refinitiv.
Revenue rose to $69.55 billion from $66.89 billion a year earlier. That’s higher than analysts’ expectations of $68.75 billion.
CVS also shared its full-year guidance for the upcoming fiscal year. It projected earnings per share ranging from $6.06 to $6.22 and full-year adjusted earnings per share to $7.39 to $7.55. Its full-year cash flow from operations is projected at $12 billion to $12.5 billion.
The company cautioned that its fiscal first quarter will be its lowest earnings quarter for the year because of the weaker flu season and investments to its Covid vaccine program.
For CVS, the pandemic has brought benefits and downsides. On the one hand, the global health crisis has caused some people to skip trips to the store and doctor’s office. That has weighed on its front-of-store sales and led to fewer new prescriptions. On the other hand, it has given the drugstore a chance to show off the health-care services it provides, such as telemedicine and its MinuteClinic, and gain new business opportunities like drive-thru testing.
Same-store sales grew 5.3% during the three-month period compared with the same time a year earlier. They jumped by 7.5% in the pharmacy division, as prescription volume rose but were down by 1.8% in the front of store, as customers cut back on visits and did not need to buy as much flu and cold medication during the pandemic.
CVS is taking on a larger role in the administration of Covid vaccines at its stores. Last week, the federal government shipped doses directly to retail pharmacies’ stores — including CVS locations in 11 states.
On a Tuesday call with investors and analysts, CVS Chief Executive Karen Lynch said about 8 million consumers came to CVS for the first time because of Covid testing. She said it anticipates it will reach millions of new customers with Covid vaccines, too.
“We will use this opportunity to shape a health experience that demonstrates the value we bring,” she said. “It will create the opportunity to expand our customer base while deepening relationships with current customers.”
She described the federal program with CVS and other pharmacies as “the linchpin of the Biden administration’s plan to vaccinate 300 million Americans by the end of the summer.” She said CVS has the capacity to administer 20 million to 25 million doses per month, depending on supply.
CVS said it has administered about 15 million tests nationwide. It has also given more than 3 million Covid vaccines in over 40,000 long-term care facilities.
The drugstore chain and its competitor, Walgreens, struck a deal with the federal government in October to provide the shots to staff and residents at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. It began vaccinations in December and plans to complete both doses at the long-term care facilities in mid-March.
CVS owns health insurer, Aetna, which it acquired in 2018. As the country’s largest pharmacy chain and a major insurance player, it has combined those assets to drive sales and lower costs. It has turned over 650 locations into HealthHubs, where people can go to manage their diabetes, meet with a therapist for behavioral health or even participate in a yoga class. Some Aetna insurance plans encourage members to go to MinuteClinics instead of another health-care provider by having zero copay for the visits.
Lynch said it is accelerating investments into a wider range of services, beyond just filling prescriptions. She pointed to a program that brings kidney dialysis services into the home to reduce hospital admissions and an oncology program that matches people to clinical trials.
Next year, she said the company will reenter the individual public exchange created by the Affordable Care Act, which allows people to buy their own health insurance plans. She said it will be the company’s first branded CVS Health Aetna product.
As of Friday’s market close, CVS shares were up less than 1% over the past year. The company’s stock, which has a market value of $97.13 billion, touched a 52-week high of $77.23 in mid-January. It closed at $74.21 on Friday.


text:
You are here
As demand for local produce remains sky-high 365 days a year, progressive grocers are finding increasingly innovative ways to satisfy their customers? appetite for greens and herbs grown close to home.
Some, like Sunbury, Pa.-based Weis Markets and Ahold USA?s Landover, Md.-based Giant Food division, are partnering with local farmers to keep stores stocked with the freshest seasonal local fare. Weis Markets launched its annual Your Neighbor?s Our Farmer local produce program in late July. The campaign celebrated the contributions of 13 local farmers who provide produce to some of its 163 stores.
As part of the promotion, banners featuring photographs of the farmers were displayed in Weis? produce departments by region, as well as in weekly circulars.
Weis has said that it will purchase more than 25 million pounds of locally grown produce from nearly 150 farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and New York in 2014.
This past summer, Giant Food revealed a partnership with more than 63 local farmers to bring a bounty of fresh produce to its customers. To promote these local offerings, the 169-store chain features a map on its website that lets customers know where the produce is grown. The site also posts videos of local farmers. These efforts convey a farm-to-table progression that has customers coming back for more.
While many supermarkets have become pros at summertime sourcing of local produce, maintaining a year-round supply of certain local fare is simply impossible ? or is it?
In December 2013, Whole Foods Market opened the doors of its Gowanus store in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, which features the nation?s first commercial-scale greenhouse farm integrated within a retail grocery space. The Austin, Texas-based natural food retailer partnered with Gotham Greens, of New York, to build a 20,000-square-foot, pesticide-free greenhouse on the roof of the store.
Gotham Greens CEO Viraj Puri recently told Bloomberg news that the hydroponically grown lettuces, arugula and basil planted in the Whole Foods greenhouse are growing at a rate 20 times per unit area, compared with conventional farming. The greens and herbs can be sold in the produce department the same day they?re harvested.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants that involves recirculating nutrient solutions in water instead of using soil, to achieve faster, more reliable yields than conventional farming. Hydroponics also uses far less water ? as much as 90 percent less ? than commercial agriculture.
Whole Foods is one of Gotham Greens? 50 retail partners. Puri also told Bloomberg that Gotham is projecting 100 percent growth this year, and 300 percent growth by 2015. The company, according to the CEO, has been profitable from day one.
Hydroponics for Hire
?Local is the fastest-growing category in the produce aisle. It?s essentially the hottest trend in the industry, and it?s eclipsed organic in terms of what customers look for in a supermarket,? asserts Toby Tiktinsky, director of business development for BrightFarms Inc., also based in New York.
The company, whose mission is to reduce the environmental impact of growing produce and increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables to consumers, designs, finances, builds and operates hydroponic greenhouse farms near an increasing number of supermarkets, providing them with locally grown produce year-round.
?There?s no upfront cost to our retail partners,? explains Tiktinsky. ?They do not invest in building the farm; rather, they commit to purchasing our produce upon delivery.? He further notes that a sophisticated greenhouse farm costs between $3 million and $4 million.
BrightFarms, which launched in 2011, made history when it signed the grocery industry?s first long-term produce purchase agreement (PPA) with McCaffrey?s Market, a grocer with four locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A 56,000-square-foot greenhouse in Bucks County, Pa., supplies McCaffrey?s, as well as Montvale, N.J.-based A&P, with such greens as spring mix, baby kale and arugula. The produce is packed by BrightFarms in clamshells that feature both its logo and that of the respective retailers.
As supermarkets look to diversify their produce supply and satisfy the rising demand for locally grown products, companies like BrightFarms are experiencing exponential growth. This month, the greenhouse guru is breaking ground on a farm in Washington, D.C., that will supply Ahold USA?s Giant Food stores.
Another BrightFarms greenhouse, slated for St. Louis, will grow fresh greens for the 99-store Schnucks chain. Homeland Grocery, of Oklahoma City, is awaiting a BrightFarms greenhouse, and Milwaukee-based Roundy?s has also signed on for a facility to supply its Mariano?s Fresh Market stores in the Chicago area. Additionally, BrightFarms is working with an as-yet-unnamed retailer in Kansas City, Mo., and Minnesota-based Supervalu has committed to a greenhouse in the Twin Cities area.
All of the greenhouses will be completed in the next three years, according to Tiktinsky, who adds that BrightFarms is moving to a new standardized 120,000-square-foot greenhouse model that can be replicated efficiently. When the six new greenhouses are complete, the company will operate 776,000 square feet of hydroponically grown produce.
BrightFarms is currently growing greens and herbs, but plans are underway to implement a vine system for growing tomatoes.
Tiktinsky contends that the advantages of growing hydroponically are many. ?It?s more productive and efficient per acre than field farms. All of the water is recirculated, and we capture rainwater as well. Plus there?s no environmental impact from runoff,? he explains. While BrightFarms has supplemental lighting that?s primarily used in the winter, the sun is its main source of light for the plants.
?I think hydroponics will play a much greater role in agriculture,? predicts Tiktinsky. ?As the world?s population continues to increase and climate change becomes more of a problem, hydroponics and indoor growing allow you to grow more in a lot more areas. I think you?ll see more and more crops grown this way.?
At The GrowHaus, a nonprofit indoor urban farm, marketplace and education center in Denver, greens and herbs are cultivated using both hydroponics and aquaponics in a 20,000-square-foot greenhouse.
The facility features a 5,000-square-foot commercial hydrofarm that grows fresh leafy greens for distribution throughout its neighborhood, local restaurants and markets, including Whole Foods.
?We can?t produce enough,? says Coby Gould, executive director of The GrowHaus. ?If we can grow it, we can sell it.?
The hydrofarm, fully operational since October 2012, produces an average yield of 1,500 heads of Bibb lettuce per week. The GrowHaus will add an additional 2,000 square feet of hydrofarm to its operation next year, along with 400 square feet devoted to mushrooms.
Aquaponics combines aquaculture, or the cultivation of fish, with hydroponics in a recirculating system. The GrowHaus? 3,200-square-foot aquaponics system produces fresh fish, including tilapia and bass, as well as salad and cooking greens, culinary herbs, and fruits and vegetables year-round. The nutrient-rich water from the fish tanks provides constant fertilizer for the plants, while they in turn clean and filter the water that returns to the fish tank.
When it comes to cultivating a hydroponic farm, ?do it right the first time,? advises Gould, who says partnering with experts in the field is essential. ?Generally, you can expect that it will take at least six months from the start to when you are actually at production rates, so you also need to allow for that in the budget.?
While costs depend upon the scale and type of hydroponic greenhouse farm, The GrowHaus got up and running for $150,000, including labor and materials. It started with hydroponics in 2011, added aquaponics the following year and opened its small on-site market, which primarily serves the local community, last year.
?Our mission is to create a community-driven system for a local food economy by creating a hub where we are a supplier, aggregator, distributor and educator of local food,? explains Gould. Selling its local greens to Whole Foods, upscale local markets and some of Denver?s most popular restaurants helps to offset the costs associated with supplying its food-insecure neighborhood with affordable fresh produce.
?I think that it?s pretty clear that our agricultural system needs to change, and it is changing,? asserts Gould. ?It?s not just about providing people with food, it?s about providing people with good food.?
While he sees hydroponics and aquaponics as ?interesting alternatives? to traditional agriculture, he doesn?t envision them as primary food resources. ?What is needed is to diversify the way we are growing food,? he says.
As for the future of the local movement, Gould believes it?s here to stay. ?Eating local and knowing where your food comes from shouldn?t be a trend,? he says. ?It should be, and is becoming, the norm.?
?As the world?s population continues to increase and climate change becomes more of a problem, hydroponics and indoor growing allow you to grow more in a lot more areas.?
?Toby Tiktinsky, BrightFarms Inc.
?Eating local and knowing where your food comes from shouldn?t be a trend. It should be, and is becoming, the norm.?
?Coby Gould, The GrowHaus


text:
Northwest Houston businesses working through COVID-19 resurgence
Texas is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases, with more than 30,000 cases confirmed in Harris County, and a mask mandate issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, but businesses in northwest Houston are still going.
“Overall, it’s eerily quiet,” Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bobby Lieb said. “With the new spike and having those cases being exponentially greater than the first wave, people have kind of gone back into shelter again.”
Lieb said conversations he’s had with businesses have been less about the virus and more about getting business going again. Before the pandemic, the chamber had been focusing on initiatives like creating a management district for Cypress Creek Parkway, and he said they are trying to get back to issues like that while coping with the pandemic.
“It’s just gonna push out our timeline,” Lieb said about the pandemic affecting chamber business. “It’s not stopping us; it’s just slowing us down.”
Bruce Hillegeist, Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce president, said everything seems uncertain right now.
“We’ve thought the virus was being maintained…but now it’s a resurgence,” Hillegeist said. “The reality is that we’ve got to do something to really completely do away with this virus and make sure it doesn’t come back again.”
Hillegeist said businesses in Tomball are struggling right now, but the attitude is still positive.
“Things change day to day,” he said. “Regulations change and people are confused. It’s just this confusing, uncertain time and everyone wishes it would be over.”
Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce President Leslie Martone said businesses she has talked to are pivoting again due to the increase in coronavirus cases, and some going to only curbside service again.
“As a chamber, we want everybody to be safe and want them to do the right thing,” Martone said. “We’re encouraging people to wear masks.”
Martone said Harris County Precinct 4 provided area chambers with masks to provide to their own local businesses to help enforce the mask requirement in Harris County.
“These businesses don’t want to get fined but at the same time they don’t want to turn away business,” she said. “Providing them masks to hand out has helped them.”
In Spring, restaurants are still open and serving, and Elm & Magnolia Co-Owner Joe Macri said they are still doing dine-in business at their restaurant at 206 Magnolia St.
“It’s really hard—business isn’t great, that’s for certain,” Macri said. “The one thing we benefit from is we have nearly an acre of yard right behind us where we recently put a stage and we’re doing live music.”
The restaurant also has a covered deck where they try to seat customers, but that’s become harder as the weather has become hotter, he said.
“Unfortunately, you know, everyone that’s been affected in bars and restaurants missed out on the most beautiful spring in Houston,” Macri said. “The weather was awesome.”
Jessica Lynn owns Ellen’s Café, in the process of being renamed Lynn’s Table, at 307 Gentry St. in Old Town Spring, and said there are still people coming by to eat, but there has been a decline in business.
In Old Town Spring, Lynn said there are still people out and about walking the area.
“I think because we’re outside and most people can be outdoors and social distance quite nicely there is a fair amount of street traffic, people enjoying being outdoors and they feel safe and sound here,” Lynn said. “You can be out here and walk around and never walk in a store if you don’t want to and you’re still enjoying things.”


text:
The occupancy rate indicates how full WeWork locations are. If every desk at every location was filled, then they would be at 100% occupancy. The lower occupancy rate means they have more open spaces or fewer renters in some of their locations.
The lowered occupancy can partially be attributed to their 52 new locations that opened toward the end of 2019. Many of these locations were already under construction when WeWork’s troubles began, and they continued to open through the end of the year. Some think these new locations are just adding to their financial troubles.
Paul Leonard, a managing consultant at CoStar, told Vox, “They are always going to have to be looking for some strategic moves, but I don’t think they should be expanding at this point. They should be focusing on some locations and maybe moving out of others.”
“They should be focusing on some locations and maybe moving out of others.”
The Information reported last month that WeWork execs have been trying to get out of as many as 100 leases around the world. WeWork has not confirmed they are closing any locations.
WeWork has not announced which locations might be on the chopping block, but we will keep you up to date on new developments and any updates on whether WeWork Las Vegas is closing.


text:
Main Street Property Slated for Redevelopment to be Auctioned
The property at 328 Main Street was up for a complete facelift. The property will be auctioned off March 29.
A property on Main Street in Reisterstown that was slated for a two-story brick building and 12-bay auto service shop will be auctioned off on Friday, March 29.
328 Main Street, the current location of Bart’s Motor Works, will be auctioned by Alex Cooper Auctioneers on Friday, March 29, at 11 a.m. at the property.
The property, which houses Bart’s small garage, a trailer and always has dozens of cars awaiting repair sitting in its lot, would have been completely redeveloped.
Plans called for a 5,000-square foot, two-story brick building and a 12-bay auto shop in the back. High-end pre-owned vehicles would have been sold on the first floor of the building, and the second floor would have been offices. Up to six vehicles would park in front, according to David Karceski, a lawyer, and Robert Hanna, an engineering consultant, both of whom represented the garage’s owners at a meeting in December of the Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Coordinating Council.
Developers could not be reached for comment.


text:
Lyndal Thomas, founder of LyndalT, began selling artisan flowering tea and glassware in Sydney 14 years ago, expanding into fine china in 2015. For most businesses two years of Covid has been tough and like many other people in the industry Thomas was very excited to exhibit at the Sydney Gift Fair, which was held from 18 to 21 February.
“It has been lovely to be back and meet some old favourite clients,” she enthuses.
“They have been all happy to place an order and see the latest collection because I haven’t seen them for two years.
“We have a new range of heritage colours. Previously we had pastel and bold primary colours, so now we have the new mustard, aubergine, crimson, lavender, mint green and olive green. The response has been fantastic.”
Thomas says she has noticed a significant change in the kind of buyers attending the fair compared to before the pandemic.
“It has been a mixture of buyers—two thirds have been existing, a third have been new and a lot of those have been online-based, which is remarkably different to two years ago when we last exhibited.
“Pleasingly, the orders have been on the larger size and that could partly be due to the higher number of SKUs since we doubled the number of colours within the range. There has definitely been some good spending over the last four days, that is for sure.”
One of LyndalT’s latest collections, a limited design range, is a collaboration with Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. A donation of $5 for each product sold from this collection will be given to Arterie, an art and craft initiative for patients and their families coping with cancer treatment, a cause very close to Thomas’ heart.
She has been involved with Lifehouse since 2017. “A cup of tea can make all the difference between feeling overwhelmed and being reassured. Drinking tea from fine china is a special invitation to calm nerves and offer inclusion within a community.
“Staff can share teatime with a colleague over a cuppa which is both supportive and restorative, enabling a moment to converse and talk about what’s going on in life.
“I enjoy going to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. It is a positive institution where specialists and community come together to fight cancer, providing hope.”
Thomas adds she loved her experience at the Sydney Gift Fair and all the positive feedback regarding her brand.
“The AGHA fair has been a really lovely community—the support is beautiful and we all share the same problems. As a result, I have come away with a lot more solutions, so it is great to work with like-minded businesspeople.”