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Current Temp 31.0 °F
Wind : East at 8.1 MPH (7 KT)
Humidity : 76 %
Pressure : 1027.3 mb
Where is your fish coming from?
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Consumer concerns at the seafood counter rise with every environmental mishap. While the Food and Drug Administration says seafood from Japan is safe, there are still ways to stay savvy at the grocery store.
Everyday, the Price Chopper in South Utica on Genesee Street sells between 500 and 1,000 pounds of seafood. These days, when you purchase seafood, you can learn a lot by looking beyond the display case.
Trace Register is a software that tracks producers, processors, and retailers of wild caught and farmed seafood. It's the latest development in seafood safety.
Bill Blunt is the store manager at the South Utica Price Chopper, but he started his career working behind the seafood counter. Blunt has seen the seafood industry develop for the better over the last 20 years and he points customers to something called "C.O.O.L," the country of origin list.
That list shows customers where every piece of seafood comes from.
During last years Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Price Chopper immediately pulled red snapper off the ice, and in this system where every box is labeled with tracking numbers, the store can pinpoint exactly where a box of seafood comes from in the event of a recall.
"People are very conscious about their health and fish oil," Blunt said. "They get very conscious of disasters, so they want to make sure the seafood they are eating is quality and not coming from areas that are affected. It has been a big topic in the last 12 to 18 months."
The tracing system is making moving seafood from the ocean to your table, a little bit less of a mystery.


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Tesco bosses have revealed they have not ruled out an appeal against the decision to refuse permission for a new store to be built in Bridgnorth. It is a month since Bridgnorth District Council threw out the supermarket giant’s bid for a new store in Smithfield. Spokeswoman for Tesco, Carolyn Robinson, said the company had six months from the date of the decision to lodge an appeal. She said: “They are still reviewing the situation and no decision has been made at this stage either way."
Good luck Bridgnorth, we know how you feel.

domain: news


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In Italy, Venice is seeing some notable hotel development. First, Hilton's DoubleTree brand recently expanded its presence in Italy with the opening of the 203-guest-room DoubleTree by Hilton Venice North, which operates under a franchise agreement with owner DHotels srl and was designed by architects DHK Architects, Marco Piva and M2 Atelier. According to Hospitality.net, the hotel has Turkish and outdoor pools, and provides shuttle service to the historic part of the city.
Marriott International is set to open its first Italian JW Marriott hotel in Venice (and first resort in Europe) in March next year. The 266-room property, created in collaboration with Italian architect firm Matteo Thun & Partners, will be located on its own island with top views of St. Mark’s Square and La Serenissima. The JW Marriott Venice will be the brand’s sixth European hotel.
Amenities at the hotel will include a kid’s club and dedicated family pool, water sports and a rooftop pool with views across the lagoon to St. Mark’s Square, which can be reached by private boat. The hotel's spa, operated by GOCO Hospitality, is poised to be the largest in Venice.
Two other independent hotels in Venice will undergo renovation following a change in management: Hines Italia, an associate of the Houston-based developer, has won investor approval for a plan to revitalize both the Hotel Excelsior and the Grand Hôtel des Bains, which Property Investor Europe believes could end years of uncertainty surrounding the landmark hotels.
Hines took over the properties after winning management control of Est Capital’s Real Venice Fund I in February this year. According to Hines, Est had set about disposing of the fund’s properties amid unfavorable market conditions, rather than continuing its plan to redevelop, including the Grand Hôtel des Bains. Est bought the hotels from Starwood Hotels & Resorts at the start of 2008 for some €156 million in a deal that also included the Villa Cipriani in Asolo and some additional office, retail and storage facilities. Hines said a meeting of Real Venice I fund shareholders approved its plan and the regulatory amendments needed for it to begin redevelopment, and recent reports suggested that Hines was seeking to raise some €300 million to revamp the hotels.


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Congress Probes U.S. Response to Ebola, and More
What's News: Congress questions officials over U.S. Ebola response. New claims for jobless benefits fall to a 14-year low. Apple unveils iPad Air 2. Tanya Rivero reports. Photo: AP
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the stress testing USO's response to the Opel outbreak I'm Tanya Rivero and this is what's news ... I'm in a growing fears of wider transmission after to health care workers who treated an infected patients ... were diagnosed with the disease ... comments questions and several officials including CDC Director Tom Frieden ... said Thursday patients should not be concerned about Ebola unless living in West Africa where they had contact with in a bowl of patience ... and points out those people are already being monitored ... in the latest sign of an improving labor market the Labor Department says in a number of new claims for jobless benefits fell to a fourteen year low last week ... falling by twenty three thousand to a seasonally adjusted two hundred and sixty four thousand ... in the week ending October eleven ... this is well below the claims forecast by economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal ... and the lowest level since the week of April fifteen two thousand ... Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the AIPAC air to eighteen percent thinner than I've had a era and unveils the I pad many three ... in a bid to revive the slightest tablet market ... in addition the Apple Pay system will be available nationwide Monday ... he'll be able to buy things with just the top of that I found six or six Plus at more than two hundred and twenty thousand retailers in the US ... Apple also introduces new operating systems OSX insanity for free ... and will make ILS to eight point one available on Monday ... that's what's news I'm tiny Rivera oh for more on these stories in other news that it doubly SJ dot com or doubly SJ lie ...


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On November 19, 2015 Erin Cho conducted a workshop for XRCLabs accelerator participants by my notes called “Innovation of Meaning, Design and Brand” in which she started off by pointing out that “Brand Value determines profits: Apple iPhone—58% of price, iPad—48% of price.”
And before being challenged on the iconic stature of the brands she referred to, Ms. Cho pointed out that almost all sunglasses are made by the same company, so that the variability in price is not necessarily due to variability in the cost of materials, a polite way of saying that $400/$800 sunglasses are made by Ray-Ban.
She went on to say that the power of the brand “box/package” is that, while placing emphasis on the visual element, the brand is not just visual presentation (e.g. “the Tiffany blue box does not make the brand, the brand makes the Tiffany blue box”).
The sum of visual identity, history, promise and integrity in an identifiable entity creates a sum of the parts, all ending up in the consumer’s eyes as “what it means to me!”
Building a new brand invokes “meaning.” Innovation understood in the context of the ecosystem is the goal of a brand. “Target” once meant the democratization of luxury. Catalogs once meant democratization of style. Online sales once meant the democratization of price.
Design can be seen as the most important part of the delivery of meaning.
Coming back to Tiffany, Ms. Cho commented that the blue box is not just a nest of space for a product in blue, but Tiffany Blue is a nest of dreams.
She also talked about a brand of tea, for many people barely a commodity, that has created a presentation reinforcing product features and history. Innovative design creates greater ripple effects beyond just visual improvement, according to Ms. Cho.
She pointed out that radical innovation is pushed by technology, while incremental innovation is pulled by the market. “Most innovation fails,” according to Ms. Cho.
From Ms. Cho’s perspective, there is too much focus on attributes, because people do not buy products, but meanings. When meaning and radical innovation come together, this leads to success. The other part of the story—as time ran out—is that the target customer demographics are a part of the success story.
Erin Cho — Profile from Parsons’ website“Innovation is no longer an option in business,” says Erin Cho, associate professor of strategic design and management at Parsons. “Today’s marketplace is fiercely competitive, and companies must invest in creativity to thrive. That opens up career opportunities for those who can bring together diverse perspectives, facilitate collaborations, and come up with effective solutions.”
Combining business and innovation is a familiar practice for Cho. “My background is unique,” she says. “I trained in design and focused on business for my PhD. In my career, I delved into supply chain management, consumer behavior, design management, social enterprise, and brand development. Early on, I understood the value of merging different ideas and perspectives.”
According to Cho, design thinking is fundamentally transforming the way businesses develop solutions. Design thinking is a methodology derived from design industries that is used to creatively solve problems and facilitate innovation. “Every day, companies come up with new, unconventional methods of producing goods and delivering services to satisfy customer demands,” says Cho. “But innovation remains a risky business. Firms often expend significant resources on new projects that fail within three to six months. So we constantly challenge students to figure out the right way to innovate, and that means developing intuition, creativity, empathy, and a sharp business mind.”


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Marks & Spencer Targets Online Growth via Its Food Stores
Published By : 20 Feb 2014 | Published By : QYRESEARCH
Marks and Spencer, the largest clothing retailer in Britain is positive about the role that its growing food store network will play in boosting online sales of its home wares and apparel. The retailer, headquartered in London, has observed that delivery to those stores where customers order online and pick up those items the following day has driven a substantial amount of growth. These were the remarks of the head of the M&S ecommerce unit, Laura Wade-Grey during the unveiling of the revamped website of the company on Wednesday.
She said that the company has a number of its Simply Food stores across various convenient locations that has made them popular among customers. However, she added that the company needs to work on aligning customer perception given the fact that a customer will order items such as clothes online and pick them up from a food store.
In October 2013, the company had said that it has set a target of opening nearly 150 Simply Food stores over a period of three years. It already runs 427 stores in this format across various locations. Faced with ten consecutive quarters of declining profitability, the company is hopeful that it will be able to turn the downward graph around with its new website and a modish Spring/Summer collection.
According to estimates provided by the company, of the 29 million strong M&S customer base, nearly 6.5 million of them shop online. The company further added that it has 14.5 customers that only visit the ‘brick and mortar’ stores.
The new M&S website is laden with hordes of features such as a catwalk, a maxi zoom feature, and a 360 degree view of each product to enable customers to look at the details.


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After high capacity, here comes high security. Corsair has introduced a new USB flash drive to succeed the Padlock series we first heard about three years ago. The new 8GB Flash Padlock 2 has some of the same security features as its predecessors, including a security keypad right on the enclosure, but Corsair has made several improvements.
For one, the new drive purportedly has a smaller and more rugged enclosure. Also, the Flash Padlock 2 lets users erases the drive's contents and define a new PIN code if they happen to forget their initial code, and Corsair claims to have "dramatically increased" the security of data transfers between the drive's processor and the USB controller.
The Flash Padlock 2 features a tandem of security systems: a customizable PIN code that locks down access to the drive, plus 256-bit AES encryption across the drive's contents. Corsair points out that the encryption prevents intruders from accessing data even if they pull the drive apart and try to probe the flash chips somehow.
The 8GB Padlock 2 is already available at Newegg for $54.99 with free shipping. Despite what the e-tailer lists in the product description, Corsair says it backs Padlock 2 drives with a 10-year warranty.
|Synaptics Clear ID FS9500 fingerprint sensors slip under phone screens||2|
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|VESA DisplayHDR attempts to demystify HDR-capable monitors||16|
|BenQ EW277HDR brings HDR10 in reach of mere mortals||5|
|Intel Pentium Gold chips now have Silver siblings||33|
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|Thermaltake's Nemesis Switch has enough buttons for all your macros||17|
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|Toshiba's latest hard drives store 14 TB without shingles||66|


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Mar 10, 2020SAN DIEGO
Qualcomm products mentioned within this press release are offered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a 5 percent increase in the Company’s quarterly cash dividend. The quarterly cash dividend will increase from $0.62 to $0.65 per share of common stock and will be effective for quarterly dividends payable after March 26, 2020. This dividend increase will raise the annualized dividend payout to $2.60 per share of common stock.
Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated, said, “We are pleased to announce an increase in our quarterly dividend, reflecting our continued commitment to returning capital to stockholders.”
Qualcomm is the world’s leading wireless technology innovator and the driving force behind the development, launch, and expansion of 5G. When we connected the phone to the internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our foundational technologies enable the mobile ecosystem and are found in every 3G, 4G and 5G smartphone. We bring the benefits of mobile to new industries, including automotive, the internet of things, and computing, and are leading the way to a world where everything and everyone can communicate and interact seamlessly.
Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business.


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Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan (part of KMC Astana Motors) will suspend production of Hyundai Assept and Hyundai Creta models due to the termination of supply of components from Russia, Interfax reported with reference to the press service of KMC Astana Motors.
Due to the geopolitical situation, the supply of components from the Russian Federation stopped in the spring. All this time the company worked on reserves, and also agreed with Hyundai Motor Company on an emergency quota for the supply of components from other countries. At the moment the issue of further supplies and new logistics chains is being worked out, the report says.
All components available at the plant have been mastered. New deliveries are not expected in the near future.
"Astana Motors" is the first company in Kazakhstan, which sells and provides maintenance service of cars since 1992. The subsidiaries of Astana Motors are the commercial vehicles plant Hyundai Trans Almaty and the passenger cars plant Hyundai Trans Kazakhstan.


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Blog: Food firms secure government funding for technology
Michelle Russell | 10 December 2012
Chilled foods group Bakkavor is one of thirty food manufacturers to have received UK government funding to drive efficiency in food technology.
The firms have received around GBP11M worth of funding from the UK Government, provided for the development of new technologies and processes. These could include increasing efficiency and reducing waste in the beef supply chain, increasing bread manufacturing efficiency and sustainability and introducing more energy efficient air distribution systems for cooling food factories.
Food and Farming Minister David Heath said investment in research and technology will help keep the UK at the "forefront of technology innovation".
He added: "In an increasingly hungry world these new technologies and manufacturing techniques will help the UK's food processing sector use fewer natural resources and be more efficient. It will enable the sector to fully explore its potential as a real engine for economic growth."
The grant funding is being provided by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, Defra, the Scottish Government, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
We hear a lot in the food industry about two interconnected trends: and social media and “foodie” culture....
Nestle, set to welcome a new CEO on 1 January, has announced more changes to the make-up of its senior management team....
Blue Bell Creameries is trying to win back the trust of consumers after a fatal listeriosis outbreak last year was linked to its products - but in recent days the US ice cream maker has issued another...
The UK's competition regulator has given the all-clear to Hain Celestial's bid to buy UK food and beverage group Orchard House Foods, nine months after the US group announced the deal....
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- Global Foodservice Market 2016-2020
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I must admit I’ve always been a little skeptical about this idea that diesel can be a “clean-burning fuel.” Anyone who has ever gotten stuck sitting behind a bus in traffic is likely to agree.
Thus it didn’t come as a complete surprise to find that Volkswagen has been cheating on its emissions testing over the last seven years. All that business about diesel burning clean AND offering better gas mileage seemed too good to be true.
Fortunately, Americans have never quite fallen for this line as much as Europeans. Diesels make up an incredible 53 percent of the automotive fleet in Europe, but it accounts for only 10 percent of all vehicles in this country. Europeans buy diesel mainly for gas mileage and are not too concerned about the pollution implications. A good diesel engine can get 36 miles to the gallon, while a gasoline engine usually tops out around 30, so there’s some logic to it all. Over the course of a year, that can save you upward of a thousand dollars.
But pollution standards are higher in this country, and that’s where VW ran into trouble. Back in 2005, the EPA was insisting that the company do something about NOx emissions, which are the major component of smog. In fact, the EPA banned the sale of diesels altogether in 2007 and 2008 because it couldn’t get any cooperation from the manufacturers in dealing with the problem.
At the time, the EPA was pushing a system called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCL), in which a liquid such as urea is used to capture the NOx gases. The urea runs out regularly, however, and has to be refilled. U.S. regulators were pushing for a system that would disable the vehicle if it ran out of urea. Volkswagen didn’t want to inflict this on its customers and refused to go along. That’s when the total ban occurred.
Two years later, however, VW came back with what it said was a new system called Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) that reduced the amount of oxygen available in the engine. Volkswagen engineers were even exuding that the air coming out of the 2009 Jetta was cleaner than the air going in. Green Car Journal was impressed enough to declare the Jetta its “Green Car of the Year.” (That honor, and the one VW earned for its 2010 Audi A3 TDI, have since been rescinded.)
Nitrous oxide and nitrous dioxide – the NOx pair – are not the product of gasoline combustion. Instead, they are formed when nitrogen and oxygen in the air encounter very high temperatures. This creates a conundrum. The higher the temperature of combustion, the cleaner the fuel is burning, which reduces carbon exhausts. But it increases to production of NOx gases. This is why it creates such problems for the manufacturers.
The EGR system may have reduced NOx pollution, but in fact what was really going on is that VW had installed “intelligent” software that was able to tell when the car was undergoing emissions testing rather than operating on the open road. The computer then changed the blend of fuel and temperature of combustion so that the NOx output was much lower. It was a diabolical plan, and more than a few people at VW must have known about it, but it succeeded over the next seven years. Emissions on the road during this time were up to 40 times higher than what was showing up in the laboratory.
Only last year did the International Council on Clean Transportation, a watchdog group that gets funding from both the industry and the government, start getting suspicious. They had long observed that VW diesels were emitting much more NOx gases on the road than was reported from the testing laboratories. They complained to both the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, which has even stricter standards. But it was another year before the EPA finally put the screws on VW and the company fessed up.
The revelation has put both the industry and the whole alternative-vehicle effort in a tailspin. Volkswagen will probably pay dearly for the deception. There are already studies claiming that the practice has caused $100 million in health damages. The figure seems exaggerated, but the company faces a raft of lawsuits. Some are questioning whether the world’s second-largest car company can survive.
“Selling large numbers of ‘Clean Diesels’ was central to VW’s scheme for cracking the American market, a weak spot, which in turn was a vital part of the plant to overtake Toyota as the world’s largest carmaker,” writes The Economist. “That grand strategy … now lies in ruins.”
The other question is whether diesel can survive as a technology. “If Europe stages a wholesale shift away from diesel, manufacturers could be forced to make a bigger than anticipated push into electric vehicles in order to comply with the EU’s 2020 targets on carbon dioxide emissions,” writes the Financial Times. Some are not disappointed. They see Europe’s diversion into diesel as a way of avoiding the much more difficult choices in reducing carbon emissions. Backers of ethanol and methanol are making their pitch.
As one commenter writes in MIT Technology Review: “VW just killed the passenger car diesel engine. VW has stopped selling all diesels in the US and Germany … putting a pox on other manufacturers [as well]. Cadillac was allegedly coming out with a diesel in 2016, but VW has sent that to the land of unicorns. Now the only road to redemption … lies exclusively in hybrids and EVs.”
Diesel will probably survive, but its role as an alternative fuel for small passenger cars is likely to be significantly diminished.
- What the Volkswagen scandal means for our health
- Jetta diesel owner: I shoulda bought the Volt
- Can algae become the new biodiesel?
- Why aren’t we using methanol?


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Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant is set to mimic the voices of the dead, according to Rohit Prasad, Amazon senior vice president and hHead scientist for Alexa.
Prasad, during the company’s re:MARS conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, described Alexa’s capability to “synthesize short audio clips” and create speech from them, TechCrunch reported.
In his speech, Prasad discussed how a dead grandmother’s voice could be used to read their surviving child a story at night, according to TechCrunch.
“This required inventions where we had to learn to produce a high-quality voice with less than a minute of recording versus hours of recording in the studio,” Prasad said.
“The way we made it happen is by framing the problem as a voice conversion task and not a speech generation path. We are unquestionably living in the golden era of AI, where our dreams and science fictions are becoming a reality.”
Details are unclear as to when the company will introduce the technology to Alexa, Reuters reported, but Prasad said its goal is to “make memories last,” considering the millions who have lost loved ones in the COVID-19 pandemic.


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As we enter the final quarter of 2023, many tax authorities continue to impose new rates and rules on a range of goods and services.
Meanwhile, many more announcements are being made regarding changes due to be implemented in the new year.
Here’s our latest round-up of VAT updates that have been confirmed so far in October:
VAT and customs duties are no longer levied on boats and yachts registered in The Bahamas. Previously, both taxes were applied at 10% each.
VAT on products related to agriculture, forestry and livestock farming will be reduced to 13%, while a new rate of 4% will be introduced for additional specific goods and services.
Legislative changes have been passed in 18 states to ensure the introduction of GST at 28% on online gaming, horse racing and casinos from 1st October.
The temporary VAT cut on gas has been extended until 31st December 2024. It means gas will continue to be taxed at 5% for a further three months. The reduced rate was introduced in 2021.
A proposal has been made by the National Treasury to increase Kenya’s VAT rate to 18% to bring it in line with other East African Community member states. Kenya’s standard rate is currently set at 16%.
Draft measures have been approved by the Latvian cabinet to increase the threshold at which businesses must register for VAT from €40,000 to €50,000.
The government has announced a new reduced rate of 12% has been created and will apply to certain services, such as hiring of pleasure boats, healthcare services that are not exempt and management of credit guarantees. It will come into effect on 1st January 2024.
A ruling by the Court of Appeal in Den Bosch has deemed alcoholic drinks served during intervals in Dutch theatres are subject to VAT at the reduced rate.
The federal government has announced it will waive VAT on diesel for six months.
The temporary 0% VAT rate on essential food items has been extended until the end of the year.
New draft legislation has been proposed by the Romanian Ministry of Finance for the introduction of mandatory real-time reporting and Electronic invoicing - widely referred to as e-invoicing - is the exchange of a digital document between a supplier and a buyer. E-invoices are issued, transmitted and received in a structured data format that enabled automatic and electronic processing. They contain data in a machine-readable format so that an AP system can read an invoice without manual data entry, leading to faster and more efficient invoicing. from 1st January 2024 and 1st July 2024 respectively.
Economist Azar Jammine has predicted the South African government may soon be forced to increase the country’s VAT rate in the latest blow to consumers.
Multiple simplifications and small changes have been made to the Slovakian VAT Act to bring it into line with the EU’s VAT Directive and ensure compliance with recent rulings made in the European Court of Justice.
A number of VAT reductions have been introduced in recent months as Turkey looks to reduce the effect of price increases on consumers. Items such as certain restaurant services, land and seeds have all been the subject of lower rates.
Zambian authorities have included plans in the 2024 Budget to tackle VAT fraud by introducing Electronic invoicing - widely referred to as e-invoicing - is the exchange of a digital document between a supplier and a buyer. E-invoices are issued, transmitted and received in a structured data format that enabled automatic and electronic processing. They contain data in a machine-readable format so that an AP system can read an invoice without manual data entry, leading to faster and more efficient invoicing.. The aim is to prevent taxpayers using fake input invoices and therefore ensure only registered businesses are able to reclaim VAT.


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SAN ANTONIO – With vaping becoming a popular item among the younger generation, some companies are capitalizing and have created vitamins you can vape.
There are new vape pens that contain Vitamin B12 instead of nicotine.
B12 helps keep nerve and blood cells healthy, but health experts say, despite the emerging trend, the water soluble vitamin is best when consumed as food.
As far as vaping B12, personal trainer Dustin Castro said: “I like the concept. People like convenience. Anything that's going to keep people away from nicotine and smoking.”
“I know for a fact that what I take works. I need to find out if this works,” Castro said.
Faysal Ahamed, owner of Smoke Shadowz shop, said he would consider selling vitamin vape pens in his store.
“Sixty percent of sales are now vaping.” Ahamed said.
Like many, Ahamed believes vaping is a safer alternative to smoking, but Dr. Colleen Bridger, director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, is against the concept altogether.
“I think it's a bad idea to inhale anything but air,” Bridger said. “We do know that research has shown some of the fruit flavorings used in electronic cigarettes can cause respiratory illnesses.”
Bridger said the best way to get B12 is through a balanced diet.
“Things like meat, eggs, fish are all good sources of vitamin B12,” she said.
Anyone can order the B12 vape pens online. The Food and Drug Administration does not recommend vaping dietary supplements.


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Tucker: Warren’s plan for US workers sounds like ‘Trump at his best’. Economic nationalism trumps libertarian theories. To be fair, those theories assume a world with freedom of capital and movement of people, of high-functioning, high-trust individuals — a world that we don’t have.
My understanding of things has changed a lot only recently. We have not had an American president champion Americans since Reagan.
All four presidents we have had since then have hurt American workers, while the elites prospered. How many factories did they close with their trade deals? How many jobs were lost? Isn’t it possible that these four presidents have created the despair that invigorated the opioid crisis? Letting China into the WTO was a terrible thing. Biden even says we are not competing with China, which proves he is the village idiot.
Isn’t it time that we had a president that championed Americans for a change? I think we might just have one now. The Chamber of Commerce still wants the cheap labor that comes across the border that undermines American workers and their wages. Why hasn’t E verify been implemented to protest American and fine companies that hire illegals?
This is not just a Republican/Democrat thing. One is as bad as the other. The elites come first. Be an American president first.
America’s Demise In One Simple Chart – The Path To A FIRE Economy, by Global Macro Monitor.
The U.S. economy jumped the shark in 1990 when FIRE [finance, insurance, and real estate] overtook the manufacturing sector in terms of its contribution to GDP.
Paper shuffling overtook making real stuff back in 1990.
In the same vain, it’s often overlooked that the main export of the US is US dollars. The US manufactures US dollars, and the rest of the world sends the US real goods and services in order to obtain them. The rest of the world mostly uses US dollars for trade — for example, oil is bought and sold in US dollars, and Australia needs US dollars to buy oil from Saudi Arabia.
So there is an extra demand for US dollars that no other currency has, which drives up its price. Which makes American labor more expensive than elsewhere. It’s the curse of having the world’s reserve currency — the US gets “free” stuff, but loses competitiveness.


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4 years ago
More efforts should be made to stabilise and improve trade, China says
China’s commerce ministry said on Friday that more efforts should be made to achieve the goal of stabilising trade while improving its quality, adding that the trade environment is growing more uncertain and challenging.
The domestic economy still faces downward pressure and some structural issues remain to be resolved, the ministry said in a statement summarising the foreign trade trends for this year, reports Reuters.
The statement made no mention of the United States or China’s trade disputes with it.


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Apple's iPhone 9 is coming soon as '2020 iPhone SE' in red, white, black
UPDATE 2: Apple has announced the iPhone SE 2020 (aka iPhone 9). You can find all the details in our official iPhone SE 2020 news story.
UPDATE: Apple has listed a Belkin InvisiGlass Ultra screen protector as compatible with "iPhone SE / 8 / 7," adding more water to the iPhone SE (2020) naming scheme rumor mill. Original story below.
The iPhone SE name is back in Apple's accessory pages
The iPhone 9 announcement will finally put an end to months of conflicting reports and rumors. It's expected to take place in the near future but ahead of that 9To5Mac has obtained further information.
It won't be called the iPhone 9 or iPhone SE2
Apple’s upcoming smartphone has been referred to countless times as the ‘iPhone 9’ in recent months. Before that, many called it the ‘iPhone SE2,’ but new details shared by a highly trusted reader of 9To5Mac suggest both could be wrong.
The Tim Cook-led company is reportedly planning to market the new device as the ‘2020 iPhone SE’ when it hits shelves later this month. That means Apple will be positioning it as a direct successor to the original model.
Regardless of whether you think the new phone is worthy of carrying the iPhone SE name or not, Apple’s rumored branding strategy actually makes perfect sense from a marketing perspective.
The latest iPhone model is marketed as iPhone 11 and that number quickly shows customers it's newer than the iPhone XS/XR, iPhone X, and iPhone 8. But if Apple were to market its new device as the iPhone 9, some customers could be led to believe that it’s two generations older.
Greenlighting the iPhone SE2 name, on the other hand, doesn’t make much sense long-term. The reason being that numbers eventually make branding more confusing, and if Apple has no plans to update this particular hardware on a yearly basis, there is no need to add one.
Such a strategy has been successfully implemented by Apple on the iPad series in recent years. The extensive tablet lineup now receives refreshes around every 18-24 months.
Three colors, five cases, and a 256GB version
The same reputable source claims the 2020 iPhone SE will be made available in three colors at launch – White, Black, and PRODUCT (Red). These options look set to be paired with at least five official cases including Black and White Silicone cases, and a Leather version in Red, Black, and Midnight Blue.
Customers will have even more choice when it comes to choosing the storage variant. The 2020 iPhone SE is reportedly being planned in a 64GB variant, although like the iPhone 11, pricier variants with 128GB and 256GB of storage are said to be on the way.
9To5Mac unfortunately couldn’t corroborate the official 2020 iPhone SE pricing, yet countless reports have mentioned at $399 starting price in the United States. If true, that would make it $50 cheaper than the iPhone 8 it replaces.
2020 iPhone SE announcement and release date
Regarding the new iPhone SE announcement date, this is actually where things get confusing. Apple was originally planning to unveil the device at a March 31 event but was forced to shelve the plans over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 iPhone SE was then delayed until June before Apple made a U-turn and rescheduled a launch in April. Tipster Jon Prosser says the announcement will happen on April 15 and shipments should begin April 22.
9To5Mac, on the other hand, can’t corroborate this information. It says Apple is ready to start accepting orders very soon and suggests an announcement could even happen tomorrow, April 3, although that isn’t confirmed.
On a related note, there’s word Apple’s preparing a Plus-branded variant of the new iPhone SE. Unfortunately, Jon Prosser says mass production hasn’t finished, which means there is a chance it won’t be unveiled until a later date.


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Although no one is quite sure what will come out of Apple's announcement on Wednesday (the smart money favors some sort of tablet that looks like a super-sized iPhone), consumers are already weighing in on what they would like to see and what they might not pay for.
"The big question will be whether it will live up to the expectations, or if it's been overrated and overhyped," Andrew Eisner, director of content for consumer electronics shopping site Retrevo.com, tells Marketing Daily. "I think the big question will be whether it will be a Kindle killer."
Those expectations are already set pretty high. In mid-January, the company surveyed its customers about what qualities they were looking for in an Apple tablet. Overwhelmingly, consumers have already set a price expectation, with 70% saying they wouldn't pay more than $700 for the device. "They came back loud and clear that that was the threshold," Eisner says. "The question now is, are they going to bring out two versions -- a smaller one at a lower price point and another one with all the bells and whistles?"
That price point expectation could be important as Apple ran into pricing issues with the iPhone at launch. Initially, the phone was priced at $599, but the company shortly thereafter cut $200 off the price, angering many of its most loyal customers who paid a premium for the device.
At the same time, consumers also have high expectations for the new product's battery life. According to Retrevo, 75% of consumers said the tablet would need a battery life of more than six hours. Another issue: wireless coverage and pricing. According to the survey, 44% of respondents said they would not buy the Apple tablet if it required a monthly data plan (although 39% also said the device would have to have 3g or better connectivity), particularly if that plan was exclusive to the iPhone partner AT&T.
"Some people said it would be a deal killer if it were AT&T only," Eisner says. "At least with the Kindle, you don't have the insult to have to pay $30 a month for a data plan."
The top feature people would like on their dream tablet? Solar charging. According to the survey, 40% of women and 33% of men would like to see solar power available on the tablet (beating out features such as a video camera or 4G connectivity). While it's unlikely that such a feature will be included with the new tablet, such peripherals could come from third-party accessory developers.
Regardless of what consumers may be saying they want, Eisner notes the survey responses all came before Apple released any information about its tablet. If Apple truly does introduce a must-have product, people will find a reason to get one, he says. "I think you'll always find the early adopters and Apple fanatics will buy it no matter what price," he says.


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Amazon: Yes, we'll open a huge distribution center in DuPont
Amazon.com on Friday announced plans to open a 1 million-square-foot distribution center in DuPont, southwest of Tacoma in Pierce County.
The company said the development will create hundreds of full-time jobs when it opens next fall. Investment in the project will exceed $100 million, according to an Amazon news release.
Seattle-based Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) said employees will pick, pack and ship larger items from the center to customers — anything from canoes to televisions.
Duke Realty, a commercial real estate developer based in Indiana, is building the project. Duke paid $26.1 million for 92 acres where the warehouse is being built.
Until now, secrecy surrounded the project that was codenamed Project Granite. The Puget Sound Business Journal first reported on the development more than a week ago, but company and city of DuPont officials would not confirm persistent rumors among commercial real estate brokers that the online retailing giant was the project tenant.
City officials cited a confidentiality agreement they said prohibited them from talking about the tenant. Later, they said they could not find the agreement, but still declined to say whether Amazon would occupy the center.
Marc Stiles covers commercial real estate and government for the Puget Sound Business Journal.
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April 16, 2015
SoftNAS expands its cloud storage with the Cloud File Gateway virtual appliance to move on-premises unstructured data into Amazon S3.
February 11, 2015
VMware's Virtual SAN shares the bronze medal with Scality's Ring 5.0 in the 2014 Products of the Year storage system software category.
February 04, 2015
Enterprise Strategy Group storage analyst Mark Bowker said VMware's EVO: RAIL initiative should spur greater innovation by 'disruptive' hyper-converged storage startups in 2015.
February 03, 2015
EMC combines VMware's VSAN hyper-converged software with its internal data protection and cloud features for its Vspex Blue appliance.
February 02, 2015
VMware says VSAN 6 hyper-converged software will be released as part of vSphere 6, support all-flash nodes for better performance and scale to 64 nodes in a cluster.
January 09, 2015
Vendors that describe their products as ‘software-defined storage’ dominated the 2014 Products of the Year storage system software category.
December 31, 2014
Hyper-converged, all-flash and cloud storage formed a three-legged stool of dominant storage news in 2014; Symantec stunner added an element of surprise
December 19, 2014
We take a look back at the most-read content on SearchVirtualStorage during 2014 to see what trends are shaping the industry.
December 15, 2014
Now that VMware's VSAN has been generally available since March, we take a look back at analyst and customer feedback to see what we've learned about software-defined storage.
December 03, 2014
NetApp Integrated EVO: RAIL Solution combines VMware's Virtual SAN hyper-converged software with NetApp Data Ontap operating system and cloud storage.


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Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) stated on Thursday that it has received over 5,000 bookings for the latest variants of its iconic Fortuner line-up. These 5,000 bookings include the ones for the top-spec Legender trim. Toyota has also stated that it has already started shipping the premium SUV to its dealer partners across the country.
Japanese carmaker Toyota had launched 2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift in India on January 6. This included a high-end trim of the model known as Legender.
TKM Senior Vice-President Naveen Soni, in a statement, said: "The sheer number of enquiries and bookings for both the Fortuner and Legender reiterate our belief in the customer-first approach".
"Both the SUVs were created purely based on customer feedback, thus helping us garner a good response", Soni stated. "The company is working hard to ensure the quickest possible delivery time so that the customers can experience the SUV at the earliest."
Toyota also noted that the Fortuner range continues to dominate the SUV market segment. It has over 53 per cent market share in the segment and this percentage is likely to increase with the introduction of the new version of the Fortuner, according to TKM. The new version has drawn in immense customer responses over its bold styling and advanced features, according to the carmaker.
"The overwhelming customer response is also a testament to the rapidly growing preference for SUVs in India, enabling the Fortuner to strengthen its leadership position in the highly competitive segment," Toyota noted in its statement.
The starting price for the 2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift is Rs 29.98 lakh. This is the price tag for the base petrol variant of the car. The price of the top-most variant - four-wheel drive (4WD) diesel automatic variant is Rs 37.43 lakh. Legender variant of the SUV has been priced at Rs 37.58 lakh. (All these are ex-showroom prices in Delhi).
Toyota has given its iconic Fortuner a facelift after four years. The 2021 Toyota Fortuner facelift comes with new looks, even more features and overall performance upgrades over the previous models.


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Proceeds from profits at the India-Myanmar Charity Bazaar held in India House on Saturday will go to help the rehabilitation efforts in Rakhine, Indian Ambassdor Vikram Misri said.
He told Mizzima that initially the proceeds were destined to go to the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation named after the mother of State Counsellor Aung Sang Suu Kyi.
“But we decided later that much of it should go to help the rehabilitation efforts in Rakhine,” Vikram Misri told Mizzima on the sidelines of Charity Bazaar put together by the Indian Women Association.
The Association’s chairperson Dolly Misri, the wife of the ambassador, said there were 41 stalls in the Charity Bazar held on the grounds of the India House.
“It is a festival of Indian food, textiles and beauty products. You even have mehendi and nails done up Indian style in stalls here,” Liza Mahanta of the Indian embassy said.
“And we have Burmese stalls as well, to showcase our growing bilateral relations,” Dolly Misri said adding that the charity bazar was a celebration of Indian diversity.
“This is soft diplomacy,” she quipped when speaking to Mizzima.


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Now that Tesla Inc. (TSLA) - Get Report has passed regulatory production requirements and the first cars will be on roads by July 28, investors again need to ask where it will get the money to come through on its promises.
The company's shares have risen more than 40% in the roughly four months since last selling stock to the public.
In that sale, Tesla raised about $3 billion, which was in line with analysts' estimates for 2016's need at the company. Of that, $402.5 million came in the form of 1.54 million shares of stock.
Assuming the company will need more capital once it begins production, and eventually works toward selling 500,000 cars per year by 2020, a large follow-up secondary offering would dilute Tesla's shares and likely lead to a drop in its share price.
One investor, who is short Tesla's shares, suggested last month that he believed the issuance this time around will be for a much larger amount than the last, based on the company's financial needs for the coming months. A large follow up secondary offering would dilute Tesla's shares and likely lead to a drop in its share price.
But Tesla chief Elon Musk has never been too bothered about dilution, and neither, it seems, have its investors
Prices for the Model 3 start around $35,000 making it the cheapest Tesla model. The company unveiled the model last year, saying the production version would be shown off in July, since then the car has received more than 400,000 pre-orders, making it arguably the most anticipated new car launch in automotive history.
Tesla shares closed down $8.99, or 2.5%, Monday at $352.62, as concerns over light deliveries in the second quarter weighed on the stock.
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Visit here for the latest business headlines.


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Coffee stations like this one at Gotham West Market are an example of mini-shop foodservice.
To spice up foodservice in 2014, supermarkets will take inspiration from pop-up restaurants and food halls like Eataly, according to Brian Darr, managing director of Datassential. Similar to pop-up restaurants, retailers can create pop-up shops inside their stores. In the past year, a Whole Foods Market in New York has hosted a rotating roster of local vendors from Brooklyn’s Smorgasburg food market. “It’s an easy way to do — especially like with Smorgasburg — ...
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Latest Business News
Important News Items for Investors to Start Their Trading Day
Dow Keeps Winning Streak Going
The Dow continued its impressive winning streak on Tuesday, marking its twelfth-consecutive positive session. However, the future of this streak depends on what the Federal Reserve announces on Wednesday during their latest rate decision. While another rate hike is almost guaranteed, investors will be closely monitoring the Fed's outlook on inflation and their future steps. In addition to the Fed's decision, Wednesday will also bring earnings reports from Coca-Cola, Meta, and Boeing.
Strong Quarterly Results Boost Alphabet Shares
Google parent company Alphabet reported better-than-expected quarterly results on Tuesday, driven by the strength of its cloud business. The Google Cloud unit saw a significant revenue increase of 28% year-over-year and turned an operating profit. As a result, Alphabet's stock surged by more than 6% in after-hours trading. The company also announced that CFO Ruth Porat will transition to the role of president and chief investment officer once a successor is found.
UPS Avoids Strike with Teamsters Union
In a positive development, delivery giant UPS reached a new contract agreement with the Teamsters union, eliminating the threat of a crippling strike. The agreement came after both sides returned to the bargaining table on Tuesday and will now be subject to ratification by union members. With the current contract set to expire at the end of the week, reaching a deal was crucial to avoid disruption in UPS operations.
Microsoft Beats Expectations, But Shares Drop
Microsoft reported stronger-than-expected profit and revenue for its fiscal fourth quarter. However, the company's stock fell in extended trading due to a lighter revenue projection for the current quarter, which didn't meet Wall Street's consensus. Microsoft also provided a forecast for its artificial intelligence services, expecting a significant revenue impact in the second half of the fiscal year.
Coca-Cola Exceeds Expectations and Raises Outlook
Coca-Cola delivered higher-than-projected earnings and revenue, surpassing Wall Street's expectations. The company also increased its outlook for the year, citing the strength of its first-half results and the resilience of its business. CEO James Quincey expressed confidence in raising the guidance, highlighting the positive impact of price hikes on the company's beverages.
In summary, investors will be following the Federal Reserve's rate decision and the earnings reports from Coca-Cola, Meta, and Boeing. Additionally, strong quarterly results boosted Alphabet shares, UPS reached a new contract agreement with the Teamsters union, Microsoft beat expectations but saw its stock drop, and Coca-Cola exceeded expectations and raised its outlook.
Conclusion: Potential Impact on New Businesses
The latest news items in the financial market have significant implications for investors, but they also offer valuable insights for new businesses and startups. Here's a "hot take" on how these developments may impact new businesses:
1. The Federal Reserve's rate decision and outlook on inflation could affect the borrowing costs for new businesses. If interest rates rise, it may become more expensive for young ventures to secure financing and expand their operations. Entrepreneurs should closely monitor the Fed's announcements and plan accordingly.
2. Alphabet's strong quarterly results, especially in its cloud business, highlight the growing importance of digital services. Startups that offer cloud-based solutions or focus on digital technologies may find increased demand and investor interest, given Alphabet's positive performance. This presents an opportunity for new businesses in the tech sector to gain momentum and attract capital.
3. The successful contract agreement between UPS and the Teamsters union is a positive sign for businesses relying on logistics and transportation services. Averted labor disruptions ensure that supply chains and delivery operations can continue without interruptions. Startups in e-commerce or any industry heavily reliant on timely deliveries should take note of the importance of maintaining good relations with their workforce and adopting effective labor management practices.
4. Although Microsoft's stock dropped due to revenue projections, their emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) services could benefit new businesses in the tech industry. As Microsoft expects a significant revenue impact from AI in the coming months, startups involved in AI development or leveraging AI technologies may see increased market opportunities and potential collaborations with Microsoft in the future.
5. Coca-Cola's strong financial performance and increased outlook suggest a positive consumer sentiment and potential growth in the beverage industry. Startups in the food and beverage sector can take inspiration from Coca-Cola's success and consider strategies to capitalize on consumer preferences and market trends.
In conclusion, staying informed about market trends, economic decisions, and the performance of established companies offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and new businesses. By analyzing these developments and adapting strategies accordingly, startups can position themselves for success in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
Article First Published at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/26/5-things-to-know-before-the-stock-market-opens-wednesday-july-26.html


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Henrietta, N.Y. – The New York State Assembly wants to expand the bottle bill. The measure could add sports drinks, energy drinks, some fruit juices and teas.
“All the products that don't have a five-cent return on them, it’s making it to the garbage,” said Lawrence Kinsella, owner of the redemption center Recycling Makes Cents in Henrietta. “It needs to have five cents on it so more people and the consumers will return it.”
The more beverage containers that have a deposit, the more that will be returned and recycled, said Kinsella.
But this change in the law could also help businesses. Kinsella gets three-and-a-half cents for each refundable beverage container.
“I get 300 to 500 iced teas a day that are not redeemable for the nickel,” said Kinsella, who recycles each non-refundable beverage container that comes into his shop.
Across town in Spencerport, sorting more than redeemable beverage containers is part of daily business for Ridge Nickelback.
They expect that adding more beverage containers to the deposit list would bring in more business.
“I think people would definitely attempt to bring them in more often, and it would definitely help our business because we see a lot of them,” said beverage container assorter Brittany Depasquale.
State Democrats project this expansion would bring in $5 million annually. They want that money to go to the state's Environmental Protection Fund. But critics say expanding the bottle bill is just another tax on consumers.


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Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has joined forces with Crocs to make a rather unusual product: fried chicken-themed clogs.
Featuring a realistic fried chicken pattern, the clogs will be available for purchase in the spring for 59.99 US dollars. Those interested can sign up on Crocs.com to receive a notification when the clogs are released.
"As Crocs continues to create new, unexpected brand collaborations, we're thrilled with this 'bucket list' partnership with Kentucky Fried Chicken that will bring fans an unbelievably fun and fashionable take on our classic clog," said Terence Reilly, Crocs Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer in a statement.
This is not the first time KFC ventures into fashion. In 2018, the fast food chain launched a clothing line in Australia and collaborated with Japanese designer Nigo on a streetwear collection in the US.
Pictures: courtesy of KFC and Crocs


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As Bloomberg reported on Monday, the signed document that founded Apple in 1976 will be auctioned off by Sotheby’s in an approaching books and manuscripts auction. The original draft consists of three pages and contains the signatures of Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve Wozniak. In the December auction, it is the third most expensive lot being sold, expected to bring $150,000.
While working at Atari Inc., Wayne, to whom the contract originally belonged, met Jobs and was subsequently promised a 10% stake if he could talk Wozniak into joining Apple. The official paperwork was drafted by the three founders on April 1st, 1976, establishing the emerging techgiant.
However, Wayne withdrew as a partner on April 12th, with $800 for his share of the company. According to Sotheby’s, he later received one more payment of $1500, though his original stake would have been estimated at $2.6 billion by the end of 2010.
The document was sold to the auction house in the mid-1990’s by a manuscript dealer, who obtained the founding contract from Wozniak. As head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, Richard Austin notes, it was just before Jobs rejoined Apple that everyone thought to be “pretty much finished” at the time.
Many saw Jobs as the driving force behind the company’s drastic turnaround in becoming one of the world’s largest companies. Apple ex-CEO’s untimely death last month generated a huge amount of media, which partly prompted Sotheby’s to sell the document.


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Should Microsoft Embrace Both Android and Firefox OS?
If you turn the clock back to the days when Microsoft scrambled for maximum market share for its Internet Explorer browser, you'll remember that the company often squared off with Mozilla and its open source Firefox browser. The two companies have a history that includes some animosity. Likewise, Microsoft currently squares off with Google in a number of product categories.
But when it comes to Microsoft's entries into a couple of important product categories--including smartphones and tablets--its best advice may be to align with Mozilla and Google. It could do so by embracing both Android and Mozilla's Firefox OS.
This week, I made the point that by using technology from BlueStacks Player, or similar emulation technology, Microsoft could give users of its new Surface tablets access to the already robust ecosystem of apps for Android. This would instantly solve a problem that Microsoft has: It doesn't have the teeming app stores that both Apple and Android have after years of succeeding in the smartphone and tablet markets.
In smartphones, Microsoft is far behind Apple and players on the Android phone scene. On ReadWrite Mobile, Matt Asay makes a good case for why Microsoft might benefit from aligning with Mozilla on its open Firefox OS platform for smartphones:
"...as Samsung has shown with Android, one needn't own an OS to profit from it. Samsung's operating profit in its fourth quarter rose 89% to hit $8.3 billion. That's real money that even Apple can't sniff at."
"Why not throw [Microsoft's] weight behind Mozilla? Mozilla has taken on a huge task, one that Microsoft's engineering and financial resources can help to accelerate. And while Mozilla is unlikely to give any special favors to Microsoft in terms of distribution, the very fact of embracing and distributing Firefox OS would give Microsoft influence in the Firefox OS community. That's how open source works: being the source of code matters as much or more than owning source code."
Indeed, Microsoft's vast engineering resources and its money could give Firefox OS a huge boost, but, more importantly, Microsoft's alignment with Mozilla would send a message about the Redmond giant's newly friendly attitude toward open source and open standards. In the data center, where Microsoft is focused on virtualization, the company is already learning that it has to embrace Linux and other operating systems that it does not own.
If Microsoft were to back both Firefox OS and Android--placing promising bets in the smartphone and tablet spaces--that would represent a double-whammy on the open standards front. I'm aware that some may scoff at the likelihood of this, but Microsoft has not been a leader in important mobile tech categories, and radical moves on the open source and open standards front could change all that.


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India to become world's most populous nation
January 19, 2023 - India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous country this year, and could become the third largest economy by 2028.
Even though its population growth has slowed to 1.2% since 2011, down from 1.7% in the previous decade, India’s population will pass China’s 1.4 billion sometime in 2023.
China’s demographic decline, with its decreasing and ageing population, combined with geopolitical tensions, could enable India, with its youthful, educated workforce, to supplant China as the “world’s factory”.
India’s economic growth of 5.5% over the last 10 years has already enabled it to overtake the UK as the fifth largest economy, and it is expected to pass Germany and Japan within the next 5 years according to the IMF.


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What you need to know
- Rene Ritchie has released his short-term review of the new 27-iMac.
- The video goes over the nano-texture display, new webcam, and more.
- The new iMac was announced a few days ago.
The new 27-inch iMac is here, and iMore alumni Rene Ritchie got his hands on one to put together a full review.
Apple announced the new iMac a few days ago in a press release. The new computer received "faster Intel processors up to 10 cores, double the memory capacity, next-generation AMD graphics, superfast SSDs across the line with four times the storage capacity, a new nano-texture glass option for an even more stunning Retina 5K display, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, higher fidelity speakers, and studio-quality mics."
Apple has brought the nano-texture display from the Pro Display XDR to another Mac for the first time. Ritchie says that, despite the price increase, the upgrade worth it for those who need it.
The new iMac has also, finally, gotten an upgrade to its webcam. The camera has gone from the old 720p FaceTime HD camera to a new, smarter 1080p FaceTime HD camera. Ritchie says that the new hardware upgrades, even more than the higher resolution, really make the new camera shine.
You can check out Rene Ritchie's full review below:
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.


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The number of major high street administrations surged in 2011, creating a sharp increase in both store closures and job losses.
According to research conducted by The Retail Database for its new Administration Watch, in 2011 major high street multiples closed a total of 909 stores as a result of falling into administration - a 144% increase on the previous year.
The corresponding loss of jobs, inclusive of head office and warehouse positions, was estimated to be 14,892 - a 210% increase on 2010. The sharper rise in job losses compared to store closures in part reflects the closure of large scale stores such as TJ Hughes, in which the shutting of one unit not only leaves a large hole in the high street, it also leaves a much larger number of people out of work.
Despite a marked downturn in the economy during the second half of the year, Junewas the worst month for retail failures with the likes of Habitat, Jane Norman and TJ Hughes falling into administration, leading to a large number of store closures and job losses.
The outlook for 2012 is one of continued difficulty for the retailing sector. January has already seen some high profile casualties in the form of La Senza, Peacocks, Pumpkin Patch, Blacks / Millets and Past Times. Although not all store closures and job losses associated with these administrations have been decided yet, the figures for this month have already surpassed January 2011.


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Finding parking space can be a very stressful experience, and it’s been the cause of so many delays, including, but not limited to commuters showing up late to work due to a sheer lack of parking. But a group of German engineers has found a way around this ever-present problem. And it’s a “flexible” electric car that could drive sideways, or even shrink itself just so it could squeeze into a parking space.
Bremen-based DFKI Robotics Innovation Center came up with the EO Smart Connecting Car 2, a vehicle that’s been in the works for several years since the first version’s original unveiling in 2012. And on this second version of the Smart Connecting Car, the engineers have come up with a way to make the vehicle drive sideways, thus allowing it to sneak into tight parking spaces, apart from having each wheel powered by individual motors. Other than that, it drives like your normal car would, despite the peculiar appearance.
And it also works very quickly when “contorting” itself. “The whole process — the transition between normal driving and driving sideways — takes about four seconds,” commented project manager Timo Birnschein. “It is able to reduce its own size by about 80cm, which makes it almost as small as a bike in length. And with this kind of feature you can go into very tiny parking spaces,” he continued, explaining its shrinking feature. “You are still able to turn on the spot, you are still able to drive sideways and you are still able to connect to charging stations, for example.”
The EO Smart Connecting Car 2 won’t set any track records, as it only has a top speed of 40 mph. And it can only go 30 to 44 miles on a four-hour battery charge. The main thing about this “micro car for a megacity” is that it can move sideways, and also shrink itself, but it may be some time before it’s fully ready for city streets. Birnschein and his team are also working on autonomous features such as the vehicle’s auto-pilot and self-parking capabilities.
“(It) is very comparable feature-wise to the first prototype,” Birnschein related. “The second version is much more reliable and almost road-legal. It’s not really, but it’s almost there and we are trying to bring this car to the road — but it’s a big hassle to be honest because we have so many new technologies in the car that the technical advisory guys are skeptical.”


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6309 Monarch Park Place, Suite 203
Niwot, CO 80503, USA
Phone (303) 443-5060
Toll free (888) 742-5060
Lawson Products Inc. (NASDAQ:LAWS), Chicago, IL, has opened a Bolt Supply House branch in Vancouver, British Columbia, giving the division coverage in all four Western Canada provinces.
The 12,000 square-foot facility in the Port Kells industrial area of Surrey, British Columbia, stocks fasteners, power and hand tools, abrasives and safety products. The location will be led by branch manager Kevin Neal, the company said.


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They were cool in the 80's and now backing their way back to the fashion world. Fresh off the runway, celebrities are sporting the fashion trend.
Most recently, Kendall Jenner and Leonardo DiCaprio have been seen wearing this fad.
Are Fanny Packs still cool? Would you rock one?
Read more about the fanny pack comeback HERE
Source: ABC NEWS


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TVA Halts Solar Incentive Program
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is halting an incentive program for businesses and homeowners to install solar power, according to a report on newschannel5.com.
The incentive program had provided customers with a 30 percent tax credit for using solar energy in addition to a credit to their electric bill. According to the report, the TVA has said it has already spent $31 million of the $50 million in the program’s fund since the incentive was created 14 months ago. The TVA has said it is putting a moratorium on the program due to excessive demand, particularly from major consumers of electricity. The program currently has pending applications worth $100 million pending.
The moratorium could create huge funding problems for solar installation companies that were depending on the credits to fund new installations. The TVA has said it is working on a short term solution before a decision can be made on whether to expand the scope of the program. That decision would have to wait until August.
Smyrna Rexall in Smyrna, Tennessee, recently decided to install solar panels on the roof of its retail store when its electricity bill doubled after moving its business into a bigger space. Michigan’s Detroit Edison is also offering $25 million in incentives for businesses and homeowners to install solar power.
Energy Manager News
- In Duluth, This Month’s Utility Bills Include a Little Something Extra
- PSEG Surreptitiously Starts Retail Energy Supplier
- New Refrigerant Rules Will Have Long Term Impact
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Alphabet Inc.'s Google's has made further investment into Europe.
The global giant already has a large facility in the Netherlands (within the northeastern town of Eemshaven) but this week announced the purchase of 70 hectares of land in Noord-Holland for an undisclosed amount.
Earlier this year Google revealed it would be investing a whopping 500 million Euros to expand its existing data center in the Netherlands after already spending 600 million Euros to construct it.
In terms of the new plot of land, Google has indicated that it is still on the fence about whether to build on the site but that it wants to keep its options open and a decision will be made soon.
"We want to ensure that we have options to continue to expand our data center presence in Europe if our business demands it," Google spokesman Mark Jansen said Thursday.
There is no doubt that data center real estate in the Netherlands is highly sought after, with many tech companies including Microsoft already establishing data centers in the area. According to the Netherland's foreign investment agency, drawcards include the country's central location and relatively cheap supply of sustainable energy.
Interestingly though, in May this year the Dutch Data Center Association released a report that asserted the country had a shortage of electricity in areas where data centers are concentrated, particularly dire in and around Amsterdam.
However, the Dutch minister of economic affairs rubbished these claims and asserted there is no issue of power shortage.
The cloud race is well and truly under way with tech companies battling to establish more and more data centers as both businesses and consumers store a greater quantity of data online – as well as demanding rapid access to it.
Google is currently just behind Amazon.com and Microsoft when it comes to cloud services, but is working to rectify its position after announcing that the bulk of the US$7.7 billion in capital expenditures last quarter was allocated toward infrastructure to extend its cloud and artificial intelligence efforts.
Europe certainly seems to be an area of interest for the search giant after recently purchasing plots of land in Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg and earlier this announcing further investment into its Belgian site.


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From left, Robert Walsh, Joshua Howard, and Jonathan DeSocio, all of Syracuse, browse through used DVDs Friday at The Sound Garden in Armory Square. Store owner Bryan Burkert says Syracuse's secondhand dealer ordinance may force the store to leave town.
(ellen blalock | firstname.lastname@example.org)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – For 16 years, The Sound Garden independent record store has been a popular fixture in downtown Armory Square, a funky flea market of music amid the area's bars, bistros and boutiques.
The rambling store attracts people in search of new and used CDs, vinyl records, video games and DVDs. Downtown business boosters love it.
But now a citywide effort to stop thieves from fencing stolen goods threatens to push The Sound Garden out of Syracuse, owner Bryan Burkert said.
The Common Council recently revised Syracuse’s out-of-date secondhand dealer ordinance, which was adopted in 1962 to force pawn shops and secondhand stores to provide police with information about stuff they buy from the public.
As a result of the council’s revision, the ordinance requires sellers of secondhand CDs, video games and DVDs to comply for the first time, vastly increasing their record-keeping obligations.
Burkert said if he cannot get the ordinance changed, he will pull up stakes and move The Sound Garden elsewhere. “We can’t comply with the law,’’ he said.
Burkert, who resides in Baltimore, flew to Syracuse twice in recent weeks for meetings with members of the Common Council, trying to persuade them to exempt CDs, DVDs and similar media from the ordinance. His Syracuse attorney, Robert Romeo, said he is drafting a proposed amendment and will deliver it early this week to the council in hopes of finding a sponsor.
Thus far, The Sound Garden’s arguments have not persuaded Councilor Jake Barrett, who chairs the public safety committee. Barrett said he is open to discussing modest amendments, such as allowing The Sound Garden to stay open past the 8 p.m. curfew for secondhand dealers. But he believes the store should generally comply with the ordinance.
“The chair of the public safety committee has no intention of issuing a waiver,’’ Barrett said. Burkert said other councilors seemed receptive to discussing a change.
For most of its life in Syracuse, The Sound Garden could safely ignore the secondhand dealer ordinance. The store only recently began selling vinyl records. And until it was revised, the old ordinance only covered music stores if they sold “tapes, records and cassettes.’’ When the councilors revised the ordinance last June, they made it apply to all goods except those specifically exempted, such as books. Police started reaching out to newly affected businesses this year.
Syracuse regulations now require The Sound Garden to number, tag and describe every CD, LP, video game or DVD the store buys from customers. Each item must be entered into a computer database along with the name, birth date and address of the person who sold it. Each item must be held seven days before it can be sold.
The Sound Garden acquires up to 15,000 items per month, Burkert said – roughly 500 a day. Although the store pays an average of just $2 per item, Burkert said he’d have to hire full-time staff to enter them all in the online database used by police.
“Every day, technically, we’re breaking the law,’’ Burkert said. That’s a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. Syracuse Police Capt. Richard Trudell said police are trying to work with dealers newly affected by the ordinance, including The Sound Garden, to bring them into compliance. Used cell phone stores also are new to the law, he said.
Burkert said many cities exempt music and movie media from secondhand dealer laws, just as they exempt used books. That’s the case, for example, in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, site of the original Sound Garden store. “We’re no different than used books,’’ he said.
But Capt. Trudell said there is a difference: Syracuse cops get reports of stolen CDs and DVDs, but not stolen books. “We don’t have a problem with book stores,’’ he said.
Big Box retailers like Walmart and Best Buy regularly report shoplifting that involves CDs and DVDs. Some of the merchandise finds its way to Armory Square, Trudell said. He cited five instances since 2010 when thieves sold stolen items at The Sound Garden. Most recently, a woman was charged with petit larceny last November after confessing to stealing a dozen videos from Sam’s Club and selling them at The Sound Garden.
During that same three-year period, Burkert estimated, The Sound Garden bought items from customers about 36,000 times. The ratio of thefts to legitimate sales is tiny, he said.
Merike Treier, executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, said she hopes the council will work out some compromise that helps The Sound Garden. "That's one of those businesses we're proud to have,'' she said.
Besides selling physical music, The Sound Garden sells concert tickets and occasionally hosts its own concerts. On Wednesday nights during the summer, employees hang an outdoor screen from the roof and host the "Flicks on the Crick'' movie series. Burkert said the eight-week series costs him about $5,000.
Hundreds of record enthusiasts crammed into the store Saturday during national Record Store Day, when limited editions of vinyl records were available. A line started forming outside the store Friday night.
A Buffalo native, Burkert, 44, founded The Sound Garden 20 years ago in the Fell's Point neighborhood of Baltimore. In September 2010, Rolling Stone magazine rated it the second best record store in America.
Burkert opened a second store in December 1996 in Syracuse, largely because his financial backer, Bruce Miller, was a native of this area. Miller now owns the San Diego Gulls junior hockey team.
Burkert said he loves “the vibe’’ of the Syracuse store, and the variety of people who shop there.
“I don’t want to leave,’’ he said. “I like that store a lot.’’
Contact Tim Knauss at email@example.com or 315-470-3023.


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On her recent Women & Money podcast, Orman advised her listeners on how to invest in Bitcoin and shared why she thought the cryptocurrency would perform well in the future. In terms of how to get into Bitcoin and how much to invest, Orman advised: “I think it is something that is held for the long term or has a dollar average cost with very, very small amounts.” While the amount can vary from person to person, she gave as an example that it could be an investment of $ 100 per month.
As Orman speaks to a general public, and not crypto experts, as to where to buy BTC and other cryptocurrencies, Orman mentioned the Nasdaq-listed Coinbase exchange and Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange. Previously, I had recommended Paypal. However, the company does not currently allow users to transfer cryptocurrencies outside of its platform.
He also spoke about Tesla, The company of Elon musk, which started accepting BTC in March but suspended it due to environmental concerns. However, Musk recently said that Tesla will likely start accepting BTC again.
Furthermore, he noted that cryptocurrency could become a payment mechanism, explaining: “It seems that the direction Bitcoin is heading is that unlike gold which cannot be used to make a purchase, people are starting to prepare so that cryptocurrencies are not just something like gold. Really, it would possibly become a payment structure. “
Orman added: “Now, if that happened when people are starting to take cryptocurrencies as payment, then Ethereum is a great place for you to look in terms of investment as well.”
“Personally, I think that as time goes on, something will have to change with the way we use the currency. So you just have to put money there to see what happens. “


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“Until now, the process of converting Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin into euros and then into pound sterling, via international bank transfer, took several days. Customers will now be able to transfer pound sterling and use it to directly buy and sell these cryptocurrencies,” Zeeshan Feroz, CEO (UK) at Coinbase says in a blog post.
He adds: “We’ve worked hard over the last few months to add GBP support for Coinbase customers across several of our product offerings in the UK. We’ve also taken major strides towards our goal of making Coinbase the most trusted and compliant brand in the space. These steps include obtaining an e-money licence for our fiat operations from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), adding support for the Faster Payment Scheme, and becoming the first cryptocurrency trading platform to obtain a bank account with a major UK bank.”
Coinbase, Coinbase Pro and Coinbase Prime GBP support is now live for some customers, with roll-out continuing in the coming weeks.
New compliance role
Earlier this week, Coin Rivet reported that Coinbase had hired Jeff Horowitz, formerly of BNY Mellon company, Pershing, as Chief Compliance Office.
As regulators around the world increase their scrutiny of the crypto sector, the venture said the new position reflected its “commitment to compliance, as well as its recognition that companies require seasoned teams to deal with regulatory requirements in different countries”.
“As Coinbase – along with the cryptocurrency space as a whole – grows and matures, continued regulatory compliance across all the varying jurisdictions globally will be critical,” Asiff Hirji, Coinbase President and Chief Operating Officer, said in a blog post.
He continued: “Adding Jeff to our team is one more important step along this journey. His experience, vision and judgement will be incredibly valuable as we continue to expand into new markets, and add new services such as Coinbase Custody and our recently announced acquisition of a licensed broker-dealer.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author should not be considered as financial advice. We do not give advice on financial products.


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New York-based Tiffany & Co. says U.S. sales declined in the third quarter, contributing to a 1 percent profit decline. Still, the results topped its expectations, leading the luxury-goods retailer to raise its full-year forecasts.
For the third quarter that ended October 31, the company reported higher-than-expected net sales of $598 million, a 3 percent decline compared to last year, and net earnings from continuing operations of $0.34 per diluted share. On a constant-exchange-rate basis, which excludes the effect of translating foreign-currency-denominated sales into U.S. dollars, worldwide net sales dropped 5 percent and comparable store sales were down 6 percent. Year-to-date net sales are $1.728 billion, or 14 percent below last year.
"We were pleased to see that the rate of sales declines in the U.S. lessened as the quarter progressed,” says Michael Kowalski, chairman and ceo. “At the same time, many countries in Asia-Pacific and Europe achieved considerably better-than-expected sales. These results, combined with ongoing expense restraint, contributed to earnings above our prior expectation."
On a regional perspective, Tiffany sales in the Americas were down 9 percent for the third quarter, while comparable U.S. store sales declined 10 percent. In the Asia-Pacific region, sales increased 10 percent with comparable store sales dropping 3 percent. European sales grew 12 percent in the third quarter and comparable store sales were up 9 percent.
The company operates 215 Tiffany & Co. stores and boutiques, including 90 in the Americas, 100 in Asia-Pacific and 25 in Europe.


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Court threat over Rover
A LEGAL battle is looming between two Chinese groups over the future of Rover, despite a takeover deal last week which would secure 2,000 UK jobs.
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, which lost out in Friday's sale of Rover to Nanjing Automobile, has vowed to go to court if necessary to stop its rival producing cars without its permission.
Rover administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers announced the sale of both MG Rover Group and its engine producer, Powertrain, to Nanjing for what is believed to be £50m.
But while Nanjing vowed to continue production in the West Midlands, potentially creating up to 2,000 jobs, SAIC could yet scupper the deal by defending its intellectual property rights. SAIC spent about £67m last August to buy the rights to the Rover 25, 75 and K-series engines.
The company could challenge Nanjing's plans to produce cars based on these designs without its permission.
A source said: 'We are disappointed. Our offer was higher. We are considering our position and reserving all options.'
Administrator Tony Lomas, who has been aware of issues surrounding the intellectual rights, said on Friday that his decision to sell to Nanjing was based on the number of conditions attached to the SAIC bid.
Nanjing said it intended to produce MG sports cars in the UK, which it hopes will circumvent the issues of intellectual property.
A spokesman said: 'We strongly believe that the intellectual property we are buying will enable us to produce both existing and newly developed MG cars.
'Nanjing certainly has no intention of infringing the intellectual property of anyone else.'
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The “Retailtainment” Trend: No Signs of Slowing Down as published by Park World Magazine, November 2019 By Nuresh Maredia It’s no secret that the face of retail is rapidly changing. America’s malls are facing the fallout from not just the rise of e-commerce but also an overabundance of retail space and changes in consumer behavior.
As published by Park World Magazine: The American shopping mall has seen rapid growth over several decades since the 1950s. These retail havens were anchored by large department stores that attracted shoppers and made the American mall popular with the masses, but the rise of e-commerce and the explosion of online shopping have changed the
Due to the energy boom, Houston rebounded from the recession and the proof is in hotel development.


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- Tesla will supply its Megapack battery technology for the project, which is due to start operating in summer 2022
- Global Engineering will be the operator, selling power to the wholesale electricity market, balancing market and capacity market, while Ene-Vision will handle engineering, procurement and construction
As per a report by Reuters, Tesla Inc said it will join hands with Japanese companies to build an energy storage facility using its rechargeable battery in Hokkaido in northern Japan to help stabilise the power system.It will collaborate with Japanese power retailer and aggregator Global Engineering and engineering firm Ene-Vision to build the energy storage facility connected to the grid with 6,095 kilowatts hour (kWh) capacity that could power about 500 homes.
Tesla will supply its Megapack battery technology for the project. It is due to start operating in summer 2022. Global Engineering will be the operator, selling power to the wholesale electricity marketand Ene-Vision will handle engineering, procurement and construction.The project is estimated to cost around 300 million yen ($2.7 million), according to an official at Global Engineering.
The report added that Global Engineering said that it aims to help further expansion of renewable energy and to reduce costs by absorbing fluctuations and stabilising output through the use of generators and storage batteries,


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It was days after spring break when freshman University of Massachusetts student Joelle Sanford received a phone call from her bank notifying her of possible fraudulent activity with her credit card account. Sanford went online to check her account and was stunned when she noticed that $600 was charged under her name. Later that day, Sanford realized that the thief had more than just her credit card information – the thief had her identity.
Credit card theft is a very serious crime.
The SRIS Law Group Massachusetts credit card theft defense attorneys can defend you against any type of credit card fraud charge.
Our Massachusetts credit card fraud defense lawyers have the experience to defend you against any type of credit card theft charge.
Contact a SRIS Law Group Massachusetts credit card theft defense lawyer in Massachusetts.


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Tesco has come up with a plan to wean Britain off its addiction to free plastic bags by rewarding customers financially for taking back old bags to its shops.
Britain's biggest supermarket chain said yesterday that from 14 August anyone reusing old carrier bags would receive extra points in its Clubcard loyalty scheme. Tesco - regularly damned for its record on the environment - aims to reduce the number of bags it gives away annually from four billion to three billion by 2008. But environmental campaigners described the move as "PR spin".
A television advertising campaign to cut bag use will feature celebrities including Martine McCutcheon, Frankie Dettori and Alan Titchmarsh.
There is growing concern about the damage done by Britain's use of carrier bags, which are made from oil, cause litter and pose a threat to marine life. The country uses up to 17 billion plastic carrier bags.
Ikea has begun charging 5p a bag and last month Lord Rooker, the environment minister, suggested supermarkets could be limited to using only plain bags to make them less attractive to distribute. Other proposals being discussed include a tax, such as that introduced in Ireland where a levy of 15 cents a bag led to a 90 per cent fall in the number used.
Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco's chief executive, said that research showed his customers wanted a carrot rather than a stick to solve the problem. He said: "Carrier bags are an important part of the shopping trip, providing convenience for millions of customers, especially those who walk to our stores. But we know that many people are concerned about how many bags they use." The proposal follows a 10-point Community Plan announced by Tesco in May, which includes increasing recycling, installing windmills at stores and, from next month, introducing degradable plastic bags.
Friends of the Earth's supermarket campaigner, Sandra Bell, said that Tesco's latest plan showed that the store chain was "more interested in PR spin than substance".
She added: "This is typical of the greenwash that Tesco has been churning out over recent months," she said. "Even if it meets its target to reduce the number of bags being used, Tesco will still be handing out three billion plastic bags a year. And this is just a drop in the ocean compared to the mountains of packaging waste the chain creates." Although Tesco might reduce energy use per store by 2010, the overall amount it used would increase because of its expansion. She added that Tesco's degradable bags were still made from oil.
She said: "Until it sets ambitious targets for reducing the mountains of food packaging that it is responsible for, it cannot claim to be making a serious commitment to tackling waste."Reuse content


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Two of the nation’s leading ingredient producers have changed their names and merged, but vow that the name will be the only thing that will change. Corn Products International and National Starch will, as of June 4th 2012, be known as Ingredion – a change that Ingredion Chairman, Ilene Gordon, says, “better reflects the ingredients we supply and the markets we serve”.
Based out of Westchester, IL Corn Products International, once known as a corn refining company, acquired National Starch in 2010. This acquisition, along with others, has broadened the company’s scope to include other ingredients and other processes which is part of the reason for switching names. The company has vowed with this transition to continue to provide the same quality service and same quality food ingredients that they always have.
Here at Bremer Authentic Ingredients, we will continue to supply the high-quality products from Corn Products International and National Starch, now Ingredion. We are excited for their transition and congratulate them in their great success over the years. We also want to let all of our buyers know that during this transition there will be no affect to you, everything will remain available!


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The petition has been launched by Fiona Anderson, and she urges people in the town to fight the proposed closure.
The petition says: "Marks and Spencer Wokingham is a vital asset to our town.
"Based right in the town centre, unlike other supermarkets on the outskirts of town, it’s well used by everyone: the elderly, workers, mums and dads, families.
"It has easy access for pedestrians, for all those who don’t have cars and there are plenty of us!
"The staff are friendly and approachable, and it carries M&S branding for the things we've all come to love about M&S, from Percy Pigs to those moreish butter mints to quality you can expect.
"With all the current demolition in Wokingham in Peach Street, there is hardly nothing left to make Wokingham a town centre we want to be proud of and visit.
"Peach Street is nearly dead, yet it's a vital thoroughfare in Wokingham.
"Thousands pass through its one way system every day.
"Head office also says we can visit the new store they’re opening in Bracknell, but why should the people of Wokingham or visitors to Wokingham have to travel to Bracknell?
"Bracknell is not our town.
"Besides Wokingham, head office is closing five other stores, yet OPENING 36 NEW ONES. Why should Wokingham always be put on the list for closures? Once gone, it will be missed."
MP John Redwood is also opposing the plans.
Writing on his blog, the long-serving Tory wrote: "I have written back to Marks and Spencer asking why they think they need to close the store, and why they are pessimistic about its future turnover and profitability.
"They need to examine their merchandising and marketing strategy for what should be a successful and profitable store.
"They also need to take into account the growth of Wokingham and the surrounding area as new housing goes in."
Later in the week, he wrote again, saying: "Your sales figures and market research will of course inform your judgements about the retail offer that would work best for your business.
"There does seem to be more direct competition on food than on some of your standard textile lines which might have a bearing on how best to trade your current unit.
"I would be happy to help find a way to keep it open to serve future Wokingham customers.”
Wokimgham man Anthony Pickton Clarke also wants people to support any activities fighting the proposed closure.
He said: "We have to be passionate and do what we can to save Wokingham’s M&S.
"This would be a huge loss to the town and we need to fight it.
"I’d like to know what’s being done in the area and I’d like to support it."
A Marks and Spencer spokeswoman said: "Proposing to close the store was a difficult, but necessary decision and not one we have taken lightly.
"We are now working closely with our colleagues on the consultation and if the closure goes ahead, the majority would join the Bracknell team and continue to serve our customers just a few miles away."


text: The UPS drivers are taking a sigh of relief tonight. They're busiest season is finally over. For the past few weeks UPS has been rushing to get Christmas packages to families across the country. Normally they ship around 15 million packages a day but last week on their peak day they shipped 22 million. Today was the last day to ship items before Christmas and the Lufkin UPS office was doing their part to make sure East Texans got their presents on time.