text:
Macau government earmarks US$13 million to support tourism sector Link copied
Macau, China, 13 Apr – The government of Macau is going to grant around US$12.5 million (100 million patacas) in
Macau, China, 13 Apr – The government of Macau is going to grant around US$12.5 million (100 million patacas) in subsidies over the next six months to help the tourism sector, Manuel Costa Antunes, the Director of Macau’s Tourism Services, said at the end of meeting aimed at studying proposals to help the tourism industry.
Antunes said proposals include subsidies for travel agents and tour operators so that they can offer a two-night stay for each visitor as part of their promotional packages for Macau. These subsidies could go into effect as soon as May.
Macau airlines Air Macau and Viva Macau and 14 others that use Macau as a stop-over are also going to be included in the subsidies aimed at promoting Macau, consequently attracting more tourists.
In a Macau Tourism Development Committee meeting, which took place on Thursday, it was decided that US$750,000 (6 million patacas) will be used to support tourism in the Chinese province of Sichuan, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2008.
The government of Macau has already conceded an estimated US$2.5 million (20 million patacas) to support tourism in the region.
Statistics from Macau’s tourism sector show that the tourist packages created for visiting Sichuan have resulted in 500 visitors from Macau to the Chinese province per month.
Antunes said that six months after the subsidies go into effect, a new analysis will be made in regards to the situation and new measures will be taken.
Macau’s head of tourism also said that in the first three months of 2009 the region saw a drop in the number of visitors, in hotel occupancy and in business tourism, namely trade fairs and business meetings.
Antunes added that the number of tourists from South Korea that visited Macau fell, though said that the number of visitors from Hong Kong increased.
"Even though the tourism industry has not been greatly affected by the international economic crisis, we must prepare ourselves for any potential future crisis and take measures to anticipate a possible impact from the financial tsunami in Macau," said Antunes.
According to official data, 3.5 million tourists entered Macau in the first two months of 2009, which represents a drop of 8.5 percent against the same period in 2008.
The number of visitors from mainland China fell 15.8 percent, from Taiwan the figure dropped 7.9 percent, and from South Korea the number decreased 50.42 percent.
The number of tourists from Japan increased in the first two months of 2009 by around 13.9 percent, and from Hong Kong this figure also increased, specifically by 6.7 percent.


text:
AutoGuide News Blog
The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
The sports car being collaboratively developed by Caterham and Renault will launch in 2016.
Caterham’s scheme to sell cars outside its traditional sports car niche is moving forward, but the brand won’t abandon its sports car heritage.
Sports cars and aerodynamics typically sit together as a matter of necessity, but Caterham has historically ignored that idea. Not so anymore.
Besides partnering on a sports car, it looks like Renault and Caterham are also expected to produce a small crossover and a city car together.
British sports car manufacturer Caterham will offer a new entry-level version of its Seven sports car for under £17,000 (about $25,800).
Renault and Caterham will revive the Alpine badge, which will adorn new sports cars that the brands will design and build together.
Renault’s sports car caught made a splash big enough to justify production, or so it seems.
With the British Grand Prix kicking off this weekend, Caterham Formula One drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov decided to flex their driving skills in conjunction with the Queen Park Rangers (QPR) football team.
Dyson Racing, reigning American Le Mans Series (ALMS) LMP1 champion team, will take possession of the first production Caterham SP/300.R over a year after it was revealed in partnership with Lola Racing.
Final assembly of the SP/300.R will take place at Dyson Racing’s facility in New York, where they are also the official U.S. distributor for Caterham Cars. The first production model will be used as the company’s demonstration cars with several more production models heading to America in a few weeks.
Dyson Racing played a pivotal role in developing the SP/300.R race car, sending former Le Mans 24 hour winner Guy Smith and its technical director, Peter Weston, out to Caterham’s test sessions during product development. The goal of the Caterham race car is to mirror the technology and appearance of the Lola Le Mans prototype, but in a more affordable fashionable.
“Like many of our customers, we can’t wait to get our hands on the SP/300.R. As in the UK, the popularity of track day driving is rocketing and the new vehicle is ideal for anybody who wants a reliable and cost-effective vehicle with very serious but accessible performance,” said Chris Dyson, Dyson Racing Team Vice President and Sporting Director.
Check out two videos on the Caterham SP/300.R after the break.
Caterham boss Anser Ali recently confirmed during an interview with Car Magazine that the company has plans for an affordable sports car to go on sale by 2015 that will have at least three models, including a racing variant.
Ali confirmed to Car Magazine that they have financial backing to bring a second Caterham to market which will sit alongside the iconic Seven. The new model will feature fixed doors and a roof. They plan to offer at least a coupe and convertible variants with hopes of a third model choice.
The new model will be built from the ground up. “We’re starting from scratch in terms of the platform technology and powertrain,”Ali said. “We’re not trying to take the Seven and make it slightly bigger, slightly higher, slightly wider.”
Caterham is hoping this new model will help the automaker expand sales beyond 500 units per year. Ali hopes to achieve five times their current sales by appealing to customers in new markets. The U.S. in the cross hairs, but Caterham is counting mostly on Chinese consumers to boost their numbers.
Even though very few details about this new model were revealed, Caterham did say that it hopes the new model weighs less than 2,200 lbs. Engine details remain scarce, but Ford may be a candidate considering their engines are used in the Seven.
[Source: CAR Magazine]
Try this little experiment: put a pair of headphones on if you can, or just turn the volume up. Skip to the bottom of the page and watch the video, but do it with your eyes closed. Come back and read the article after that.
It’s the kind of outside-the-box thinking one might hope for with a brand launching into Formula One racing for the first time. Although the Lotus name has been around in F1 since 1958, there’s an important distinction: Team Lotus and Lotus weren’t exactly the same group.
The name disappeared from the sport between 1994 and 2010 when it came back under license to Tony Fernandes, an entrepreneur best known for turning once-failing Air Asia into a successful publicly listed company. For the upcoming year, Lotus will run under their own name, while Fernandes’ team will re-emerge as the Caterham F1 Team.
The Caterham CT01 car made the news last week after its photos leaked a day early onto the internet. We don’t have much information on the Lotus car yet, but we do know that 2007 Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen will be at the wheel.
Watch the teaser below.
The first glimpse of what will probably be the new face of F1 race cars leaked into the media yesterday after some subscribers to British F1 Racing magazine got their issues in the mail a little early.
The February edition was intended to debut the new Caterham F1 car, dubbed the CT01, but it didn’t take long for the photo to leak after people got their copies.
This is Caterham’s first solo entry into F1 racing. For the past two years they ran under the Lotus name, but that isn’t what all the fuss is about. Instead the internet is abuzz with speculation that the hideously shaped nose prominently displayed in the photo will be a widespread feature in 2012 F1 cars thanks to new regulations concerning the nose area.
The Caterham team quickly realized that their images had been pilled across the web and promptly released a cleaner looking photo which you see below. They tweeted their plans to release more pictures today, which are available in the gallery below.
Along with the new pictures, the team tweeted a link to the full interview which answered our questions about the ugly new nose design. Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer for Caterham F1, confirmed that the new “stepped” nose exists to comply with new standards limiting nose height.
Otherwise the CT01 retained its former Renault Sport F1 engine and Red Bull Technology gearbox. Gascoyne also said the move to ban blown diffusers helped them catch up to other teams designs.
Tell us what you think of the car in the comments section below.
GALLERY: Caterham F1 CT01
Fans of Formula 1 racing and Lotus must have spent this year feeling a bit confused regarding who they should support, since there were two teams going by the name Lotus.
There was Team Lotus, a private team founded by Tony Fernandes (who also owns Caterham Cars), and then there was Group Lotus which was run by Lotus (the guys who make the cars) and their parent company Proton.
The two teams fought over the naming rights. Group Lotus said that the name Lotus belongs to them, while Team Lotus said that their name has always operated in motorsports as a separate entity to the road car business.
Who gets what naming rights was up to the courts to decide, and the verdict is in. Group Lotus is to keep the rights to the Lotus name in motorsports, which means they now own the rights to the Team Lotus name also.
In what is being described as a amicable settlement between the two parties, the former Team Lotus, which is also owned by 1 Malaysia Racing Team, will rename themselves as the Caterham F1 Team for the 2012 season.
Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said at the announcement that, “On behalf of Group Lotus and Proton, I would like to express how pleased we are that this matter is finally closed and we can now focus on looking forward to the future.”
The new deal will also lead to a working relationship between the two parties over future automotive projects.
Caterham, a company that started out life as a Lotus dealer, who got the manufacturing rights to the Lotus 7 and has been producing the car for over 30 years now, will now be its own force in Formula 1. Recognition of the Caterham brand will thus grow on a global scale.
There used to be a time when China was an “export-only” nation. But with China all the rage, foreign companies are making their way into this burgeoning market, and Caterham Cars is the latest entrant.
Caterham Cars has just signed an exclusive deal with Courtenay Trading International (CTI) as its exclusive importer. CTI will appoint six dealers in China, in some of its key provinces, and hopes to sell between 30 and 50 cars in its first year.
All of the current line of Caterham Seven’s will be offered, including the rapid Superlight R300 and the CSR 175. Models like the SP/300 R might be introduced at a later date.
On this occasion, Caterham Cars’ International Business Manager, David Ridley, said: “We are engaged in one of the most exciting new chapters in the Caterham Cars story and our entry into the Chinese market is another tangible sign of how Caterham is striving to become a truly global brand.”
While Caterham has been present in the Far East, namely Japan for quite a long time, this is the first time customers in China will be able to park one on their driveway. The first Sevens are scheduled to arrive in China in January 2012.

domain: news


text:
Lear Corporation reported fourth quarter sales of $3.2bn, up 15% from a year ago and operating earnings of $150m, up 30%. Earnings per share was $2.38.
Full year sales rose 23% to $12.0bn and operating earnings were $627m ($8.83 a share).
In the fourth quarter, global industry production improved 9% from a year ago, reflecting primarily growth in the emerging markets and industry recovery in North America, Lear said. For the full year, global industry production increased 25% to a record 71.5m vehicles, reflecting industry recovery in North America and Europe and continued rapid growth in the emerging markets.
Lear expects 2011 net sales in the range of $12.6 to $13.0bn and core operating earnings of $700 to $740m.


text:
Lorraine Gilchrist, a cleaner at the Nestlé Girvan factory, was keen to contribute to the site’s fundraising efforts for their partner charity, Action for Children.
Lorraine, who is also a childminder, put her thinking cap on and came up with an idea that the 11 children she looks after could contribute to.
Lorraine and the children, including four whose parents actually work at the Nestlé factory, rustled up some festive baking to sell to their parents and Nestlé employees.
Ranging from 2 to 12 years old, Kyle, Billie, Charlie, Kieran, Oliver, Ryan, Aiden, Connor, Kayla, Devon and Charlie all helped Lorraine to make dozens of chocolate chip cookies, mincemeat pies and butter shortbread raising just over £60!
Since June 2012 Nestlé has raised over £3500 through various fundraising events and Lorraine’s efforts are very much appreciated by the site.


text:
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A campaign informing New Yorkers about the state’s cannabis law launched a new round of public service advertisements Wednesday.
The new wave of the “Cannabis Conversations” campaign will run on television, radio, billboards, transit, and social media. It will detail the potential dangers of impaired driving, the risks of youth cannabis use, how to safely store cannabis in your home, and how to respectfully consume cannabis in public.
April 20 is widely recognized across the world as an informal cannabis holiday during which the drug is often openly consumed, historically in protest of criminalization and increasingly in recognition of the successful, long-fought effort to end cannabis prohibition and its disproportionate enforcement.
“Part of us building the strongest cannabis industry in the nation is making sure New Yorkers have relevant facts at their fingertips, and we remind all New Yorkers as they join 4/20 celebrations today that it’s never safe to drive high, you shouldn’t consume cannabis in disruptive ways, and cannabis can damage growing brains in youth,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The first PSA in the public health campaign, announced April 4, introduced New Yorkers to the concepts of who can consume, where to consume, and how to consume safely. All the PSAs are available at New York State’s dedicated cannabis website.
New York State’s cannabis law requires public health education campaigns that inform New Yorkers of the new law and the impact of cannabis use on public health and safety.


text:
Wholesale gas prices fall as retail costs rise
In regard to your recent article on energy prices (News, September 2), I notice that the latest price hike by Power NI, with presumably Phoenix Gas to follow suit, has been justified by the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator Shane Lynch as a "direct result of wholesale energy costs". This is bunkum.
I did a quick check of my own: wholesale gas prices have been steadily falling since 2008, while the retail cost to the consumer has been increasing year by year. Wholesale gas prices in 2010 were at 2004 levels, having peaked in 2008.
The Utility Regulator is basically trotting out the mantra of the energy companies themselves.


text:
Snapchat is changing the game when it comes to photo sharing—with the help of augmented reality. They launched what they call World Lenses, which puts animated objects in the real world—think of it in similar terms as Pokemon Go. (Except Snapchat has a vomiting rainbow cloud, which is also pretty cool.)
This feature gives users a chance to interact with their surroundings through their phone in a brand new way.
Read more: 18 artists to follow on Snapchat
And, of course, the different filters offer a realm of possibilities. Currently available are the “OMG,” “Cute,” “Gross,” “Love” and “Hello” floating words, along with the Smiling Rainbow, Crying Cloud, Kissy Faced Popsicle and Cheeky Coffee. According to The Verge, these filters will change daily.
Snapchat explains how it works in more detail: “While Snapping with the rear-facing camera, simply tap the camera screen to find new Lenses that can paint the world around you with new 3D experiences!”
They’re totally movable around the screen, and as Mashable reports, it’s only a matter of time until Snapchat’s competitors, Instagram Stories and Facebook Camera, follow suit.
Check out the video below to get a better idea of what exactly “World Lenses” are:
Are you excited to try the new World Lens filters? Let us know in the comments below!


text:
Now that we understand the benefits of Electrum, we can start using Electrum. Before use, prepare pens and paper to facilitate the recording of safety seeds.
For example, if a child is interested in some new video games, he or she must write a short paper explaining why he or she wants to buy them. As for the tablet, he would also sit down with the child and work out how much it would cost to meet the basic cost of the child's needs. If the child wants to buy something more expensive, he will agree to pay a sum in advance, but over the next few months, the child will have to pay it back with pocket money until it is paid off.
The more poor the family conditions, the more parents should pay attention to the child's preaching, the so-called "word preaching" is to use words to affect the child, with action to infect the child.
Dash releases Dash Electrum 126.96.36.199 version
With the second child policy dividend, the mother and child industry scale continues to grow, the mother and child consumption of the main group younger, they pay attention to personality, experience, face value, IP, quality, innovation and other keywords become the mother and child consumption market and brand future growth point.
In August-September, Bitcoin wallet Electrum was hacked twice, and according to multiple sources, at least 1,450 BTCs worth $11.6 million were stolen from phishing attacks that faked Electrum upgrade tips.
"Electrum DDoS botnet infects more than 152,000 hosts" - Jett.
Chain News, lightweight Bitcoin Wallet Electrum announced that the next version will support Lightning network payment, implemented using Python, Electrum as a Lightning network node, wallet users do not need to run lightning network nodes to make payments, electrum lightning network nodes have been merged into the Electrum master branch.
According to The Next Web, the attackers even implemented their own Electrum servers, which hosted the attacked Electrum.
The search message circulated online, calling on insiders to contact the "father of the child" and "re-pay"
Electrum - Lightweight Bitcoin client.
UBTC Electrum supports transfer-to-contract UI interface (test chain)
Bitcoin Wallet Electrum now supports Lightning Online Payments According to Coindesk July 11th, Bitcoin Wallet Electrum now supports Lightning Web Payments. It has previously been reported that Bitcoin Wallet Electrum has released a beta version of Electrum 4.0, adding support for the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
electrum pay child
DeViable Security Labs hereby suggests that versions of Electrum below 3.3.4 are vulnerable to such phishing attacks, and users using Electrum Wallet are requested to update to the latest version of Electrum 3.3.8 via the official website (electrum.org), which has not yet been officially released, and do not use the link in the prompt to avoid asset losses.
The cryptocurrencies wallet Electrum was hacked and lost 250 bitcoins.


text:
Herbal Myths Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. If you read the news a lot, you might think that dairy products are dying as consumers turn to plant-based beverages that call themselves “milk.”
The narrative for several years, according to Alan Bjerga (BEER-guh) Senior Vice President of National Milk
Federation of Producers, has been that plant-based beverage sales are up and milk consumption is down, but that is changing…
BJERGA… “Vegetable drinks are down, in terms of consumption. Their volumes are down from a year ago. This has been the case since at least February. It’s not a flash in the pan.
Which, according to Bjerga, had to happen…
BJERGA… “People don’t drink these drinks like they used to and when they drink more than one drink, say oats for example, it comes at the expense of another kind of herbal drink . They cannibalize their own audience now. These are all indications of a maturing market and that image of the rambling upstart simply does not hold anymore.
Like other new products, Bjerga says they grow until the novelty wears off…
BJERGA… “We are starting to see that in plants. This is to be expected. This should also have been expected from the start, but some people bought into the marketing hype. The cap on those drinks was never going to come close to real milk, you know, which is made from dairy.
Tune in tomorrow to learn more about the myths of plant-based drinks and why dairy milk isn’t going anywhere.


text:
Sign up for Equitymaster's free daily newsletter, The 5 Minute WrapUp and get access to our latest Multibagger guide (2017 Edition) on picking money-making stocks.This is an entirely free service. No payments are to be made.
Tata Motors is India's largest CV manufacturer, with an overall domestic market share of 59.4% in FY12 and the second largest producer of passenger vehicles (13.1% in FY12). In 2008, the company acquired two iconic brands, 'Jaguar' and 'Land Rover' from Ford for a total consideration of US$ 2.3 bn and this is likely to transform it into a global player in the passenger vehicles space. It is also credited with the launching of 'Nano', the world's cheapest car till date. Tata Motors is also the first company in the Indian automobile sector to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
|American Depository Receipts||Apr 24, 2017|
|Price (US$)33.72||Open (US$)34.26||High (US$)44.79||Low (US$)27.95|
|% Change1.36||Volume1,770,045||Value (US$)899,717||52-Week H/L36.80 / 20.00|
Tata Motors Ltd has announced its financial results for the third quarter of the financial year 2016-17 (3QFY17).
Tata Motors Ltd has reported a 19% YoY and 202% YoY growth in sales and net profits for the quarter ended March 2016.
Ashok Leyland Limited has announced its financial results for the third quarter of the financial year 2016-17 (2QFY17).
Mahindra & Mahindra has announced its financial results for the third quarter of the financial year 2016-17 (2QFY17).
Maruti Suzuki Ltd has announced its financial results for the third quarter of the financial year 2016-17 (3QFY17).More Views on News
Rohan and Kunal present you the discussions with professor Sanjay Bakshi in his virtual classroom.
Why HDFC Bank beat the Sensex by nearly 3 times.
The link between the Indian economy and the stock market is weak, and the stock market is not a reflection of the Indian economy.
An elephant and six blind men will tell you more about the markets than any financial newspaper or channel.
The MFU platform offers ease, convenience, and speed of transacting in various mutual fund schemes.More


text:
“Have things gone a bit too far?”
“Where should the anger be directed? Not at the parents, but at the what? The manufacturers.”
“Psychologists’ offices might get more crowded this holiday season, just in time for Christmas.”
“I feel…maybe exploited.”
These read like quotes from a sensational report on violence in video games. But this early instance of video game outrage from 1991, which I came across while putting together another post, is about something else entirely: the fact that Nintendo dared to produce a new console, the Super Nintendo, which the report claimed cost “twice as much as the old system, and you can’t mix and match.”
This was a year before the first popular first-person shooter — Wolfenstein 3D — and Mortal Kombat, when the violence in video games debate was barely a twinkle in the eye of an earnest, concerned broadcast anchor, gravely citing the various ways you could dismember an opponent as Johnny Cage. So the only popular discontent to be mined by the media was squarely consumerist.
Of course, the way the mainstream media talked about video games back then was hilarious — “for the money, the company promises better pictures, sound, and adventures” — but it’s also a picture of a time before yearly updates to gadgets were anywhere close to normal. Could you imagine the discomfort if Apple took two years to release a new iPhone or iPad? The parents in this video are fuming that Nintendo released a new console after six years.
- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said he's voting for Hillary Clinton, joining a growing list of top-ranking Republicans who are breaking rank.
- Apple's annual sales have fallen for the first time in 15 years... but the company still makes $100M every day 🍎📉
- The New York Giants have released kicker Josh Brown after he admitted to abusing his wife in his journal.
- The first Gilmore Girls trailer is finally here and it looks like Luke and Lorelai are together 💛☕


text:
just the round-up - The week in drinks
The most popular stories of the week on just-drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
CHINA: Diageo signs deal to control China's ShuiJingFang spirits group
Diageo has signed a deal to take a controlling stake in China's Sichuan Chengdu Quanxing Group, paving the way for the drinks giant to acquire one of the country's leading white spirits producers.
CANADA: PepsiCo launches “brighter mornings” Tropicana campaign
PepsiCo is to launch a marketing campaign for its Tropicana juice brand in Canada, with a focus on the remote Arctic town of Inuvik.
US: E&J Gallo Winery sued over Pinot Noir scandal
E&J Gallo Winery is facing a lawsuit over the wine firm's link to the Pinot Noir wine fraud scandal in France.
CHILE: Earthquake halts Concha y Toro wine production
Heavy damage to wineries and vineyards caused by one of the worst earthquakes in Chile's recent history has forced Vina Concha y Toro to suspend wine production and logistics operations.
UK: Carlsberg signs Tetley's beer deals
Carlsberg has signed deals to split brewing of its Tetley's beer in the UK between Molson Coors and Marston's.
UK: Drinks industry fears duty tax hike
There is growing pressure from UK Government ministers for a significant hike in duty tax on spirits in the upcoming UK Budget, according to drinks industry leaders.
Focus - BELGIUM: A-B InBev to expand cost savings beyond 2011
Anheuser-Busch InBev has said it is working on a fresh round of cost savings beyond the close of its current synergies programme in 2011.
The Coca-Cola Co has reiterated that there is no link between the firm and acts of violence allegedly committed against union leaders and family members of its drinks bottlers in Guatemala.
CANADA/US: Molson Coors targets "smart" acquisitions
The CEO of Molson Coors has said that the brewer is on the lookout for "smart" acquisitions.
EUR: European Court delivers minimum pricing ruling
Scottish plans to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol have been dealt a blow by a ruling from the European Court of Justice.
Drinks companies, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, have targeted their efforts at the developing markets of the world in recent years. Not only has the trend reaped rewards in terms of sales, but mul...
Is beer good for you? The health benefits and drawbacks of beer have long been studied and debated. But is beer good for your country? Most definitely, conclude Larry Nelson and Frank Zappa....
- How to turn a domestic spirit into a global brand
- Mahou San Miguel - just the Facts
- Whatever happened to binge Britain? - comment
- A game of two halves for Remy Cointreau - Analysis
- Britvic's FY Performance by Region - Focus
- Captain Morgan distillation trial queried by USVI
- Sazerac sues Brown-Forman over Tennessee Fire
- Beam Suntory to sell brandy & sherry to Emperador
- This week in spirits & wine
- Craft, imports near 50% share in US on-trade
- Global Beer Trends 2015 : Global Beer Trends and Long-term Forecasts
- Global sparkling wine insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global Beer Market 2015-2019
- Global Wine Market to 2019 - Market Size, Development, and Forecasts


text:
Profimex Market Review Update – January 14, 2021
Epic Games to Convert Mall to Global HQ
The American video game and software developer, Epic Games, recently purchased a 980,000 SF, distressed shopping mall in Cary, 10-miles away from Raleigh, North Carolina. The seller, Turnbridge Equities, acquired the asset last year with the plan to revitalize the struggling mall into a mixed-use development, including office, retail, residential, and hospitality. Instead, the new owner is planning to convert the 87-acre property into his new global headquarter, consisting of both office and retail space.
Pandemic Spurs Most Bankruptcy Filings Since 2009
2020 has been an extraordinary year that impacted various sectors of the US economy, distressing small, medium, and large companies nation-wide. There have never been more large US firms, filing for bankruptcy than in any other year since the global financial crisis. According to Bloomberg, 244 firms in the energy, retail, and consumer services sector filed for bankruptcy, compared to 293 in 2009.


text:
We heard earlier reports of Apple’s iPad mini starting production in Brazil, but now according to the Wall Street Journal, their sources note the smaller iPad has started production by suppliers in Asia:
Apple Inc.’s Asian component suppliers have started mass production of a new tablet computer smaller than the current iPad, people with knowledge of the situation said, as the Silicon Valley company tries to stay competitive against rivals such as Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. that are offering smaller, less-expensive alternatives to the iPad.
Two of the people said the smaller tablet will have a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display with a lower resolution compared with the latest iPad model that came out in March.
The sources further note LG and AU Optronics started mass production of the LCD display panels last month.
Apple is rumoured to have an October media event with invitations possibly being sent out on the 10th for the new iPad and have availability ready for the holiday quarter.
The WSJ is typically well-connected to solid sources for leaking tidbits of information regarding Apple’s upcoming products.
**Want the BEST new iPad protection? Order your invisibleSHIELD by ZAGG, the strongest protection for your new iPad backed by a 30 day money back guarantee, lifetime replacement warranty, and FREE shipping! Use coupon code 'iphoneinca' for 20% off your purchase! Order today!**
Posted under: iPad News


text:
‘It’s deeply offensive’ - Antique shop sells Nazi mementos and trousers made at Auschwitz
- Credit: Archant
A Norwich antique shop has been labelled offensive for selling Nazi memorabilia and £600 trousers made at Auschwitz.
Ellen Nierop, from Norwich, says she confronted the owner of St Gregory's Antiques and Collectables in Pottergate on Remembrance Sunday after spotting 'a Nazi display cabinet'.
Ms Nierop says she was 'deeply offended' by the items – which include SS trophies, knifes and stamps – as her relatives were Dutch Jews murdered at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
At the antiques shop, which is in the former home of a medieval church, dealers pay a fee to rent the cabinets.
When Ms Nierop challenged the owner on his decision to allow the items in the shop, she claims he said they were being sold on behalf of a Polish man and that she should leave if she felt offended.
You may also want to watch:
She says he also told her that the memorabilia was of 'historic value' and they were collectable items.
Ms Nierop said: 'I decided to pop in to St Gregory's to get some Christmas stuff on my way back through the city.
- 1 Widow fighting for wedding refund
- 2 Police break up house party with 28 people crammed into flat
- 3 Owner of new pet shop says he will put animal welfare before sales
- 4 Norwich shop worker beaten with hammer in row over phone refund
- 5 Mother still 'grieving' for son who suffered life-changing brain injuries in crash
- 6 Tributes to high street mechanic known as a 'local legend'
- 7 Garden centre launches outdoor eating with wood-fired pizza and waffles
- 8 MPs join the call to suspend gallbladder surgeon
- 9 Hollywood actors use Norwich hair salon
- 10 Teen in serious condition after bank holiday crash
'I walked inside and on the right were children's games and on the left Nazi memorabilia and I was horrified and deeply offended.
READ MORE: City pub that closed more than a decade ago put on market for £360,000'My relatives were Dutch Jews executed in Belsen, and once I saw the display I took it very personally as it's a whole family line that was wiped out that I never got to know.
'He said the items were of historic value and people collect them – which is true, but considering the climate right now it's very inappropriate, as I'd also been at an anti-fascist demonstration in Norwich on Saturday.'
Ms Nierop's find comes after trousers were spotted for sale in St Gregory's for £600 with 'no system corresponds to Auschwitz manufacture' written on the label.
The owner of St Gregory's Antiques has refused to comment.
Ms Nierop said: 'It's an insult to everyone. They were one of the biggest mass murderers in history.
'There would be a massive outcry if it was Ian Huntley, Fred West or the Islamic State instead – but the fact is the far right is growing in this country.'


text:
A shop in the borough full of pre-loved items is getting a second lease of life.
Following a successful trial in October, a pop-up store filled with rescued treasures destined for the dump is opening in Wallsend.
Staff at the Household Waste Recycling Centre, run on behalf of North Tyneside Council by SITA UK, have sorted through items brought in by residents.
A proportion of the profits will be donated to the council chairman’s charities – Help for Heroes and the Injured Rugby Players Foundation.
Council chairman Coun Janet Hunter said: “Not only will these two causes benefit, but people can pick up a bargain while helping the environment. It is fantastic so many items are being diverted from landfill and more ideas are being developed to recycle waste.”
Items on sale in October included furniture, sports equipment, garden tools, toys, books and bikes; and similar goods will be on sale when the shop opens its doors on December 7.
SITA UK regional manager Anna Bell said: “We aim to recycle as much of the waste delivered to the site as possible, but it is sometimes better to re-use items rather than recycle.
“We hope the opportunity to purchase these goods at a fraction of what they may cost new will help people during the current economic downturn as well as help the environment by reducing amount of waste that is sent to landfill.”
The pop-up shop will be open from 9am to noon on December 7.


text:
Netflix's Lobbying Expenses on the Rise
The video rental company -- known for the bright red envelopes in which its ships DVDs out to customers -- has also been increasing its footprint in the nation's capital.
During the second quarter of the year, Netflix spent $110,000 on federal lobbying, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of documents filed Wednesday with the Secretary of the Senate.
That's up from $80,000 during the first quarter of 2011 -- and it's up from just $10,000 one year ago. Furthermore, two years ago, Netflix was conspicuously absent from the D.C. lobbying game.
This sum represents the first time in company history that Netflix has spent more than $100,000 on quarterly lobbying expenses.
Between 2005 and 2007, Netflix was a client of lobbying powerhouse Patton Boggs, although its expenditures on lobbying during that period were minimal -- less than $10,000 every six months. In the third quarter of 2009, Netflix hired the Monument Policy Group, which it continues to retain.
In December of last year, as OpenSecrets Blog previously reported, Netflix hired its first in-house lobbyist: Michael Drobac.
Drobac is a former aide to Sens. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.). He began working as a lobbyist in 2006 and worked for Expedia immediately before joining the Netflix operations.
Earlier this week, Netflix also retained the services of the Franklin Square Group and Kountoupes Consulting.
Market analysts predict Netflix will earn $3.26 billion in revenue for the year -- a rise of 50 percent above the company's $2.16 billion revenue last year.
The new moves also come at a time when the company is changing how it delivers content to its customers.
Much to the ire of many Netflix customers, earlier this month Netflix announced new rates, separately their DVD rental services from their online-streaming options.
Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment for this story.
When reached by OpenSecrets Blog, Drobac, Netflix's in-house lobbyist, declined to comment.


text:
Škoda previews updated Karoq with design sketch renders
Škoda has released to sketch renders that preview the renewed Karoq compact SUV, featuring a new front end and redesigned LED headlights and tail lights.
Maserati Ghibli celebrates 55th anniversary
On 3 November 1966, the Maserati Ghibli made its debut on the world stage, at the Ghia stand at the Turin Motor Show.
Škoda previews India-targeted Slavia with design sketches
Škoda has revealed the preview sketches of the Slavia, a classic sedan designed for the Indian market with a coupe-like silhouette.
New Hyundai Santa Cruz: preview design renders
Hyundai has released the first teaser images of the upcoming 2022 Santa Cruz, set to debut at an online event on April 15, 2021.
Hyundai previews Ioniq 5
Hyundai Motor Company has unveiled the first preview images of the Ioniq 5 midsize CUV, the first model in its Ioniq dedicated BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) lineup brand.
Set to be launched within the end of the year, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class features a 18cm longer wheelbase a two-tone paint finish and and a host of exclusive onboard technologies.
Ferrari Roma wins Car Design Award
The Ferrari Roma has won the Production Cars category of the Car Design Award, which ran from 1984 to 1997 before being relaunched in its current form in 2016.
Jeep Grand Wagoneer Concept
Jeep has unveiled a near-production concept that previews the upcoming Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer premium SUV models, set to be launched in 2021.
Hyundai reveals all-new Tucson with parametric design themes
The all-new Hyundai Tucson features short and long wheelbase versions, and the "Parametric Hidden Lights" distinctive lighting design signature.
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Mercedes-Benz has revealed the new S-Class, featuring a cleaner design, elongated proportions with high aerodynamic efficiency and a host of advanced technologies.
Skoda Enyaq: Design Sketches and Interviews
The official design sketch renders and design interviews on the new Škoda Enyaq, the electric SUV that will be revealed on September 1st during a virtual event.
Volkswagen ID.4: design preview
Volkswagen has released a set of design sketches that anticipate the look of the ID.4, the electric compact SUV set to debut next month.
Mini John Cooper Works GP: the design
An overview of the design of the new MINI John Cooper Works GP, a limited edition model inspired by the brand's racing heritage.
New 500: the first all-electric Fiat
FCA presented the all-new Fiat 500, its first all-electric model featuring an evolution of the iconic design, a fast charger, advanced connectivity and level 2 autonomous driving system.
Skoda Octavia vRS iV: preview design sketches
At the 2020 Geneva Motor Show Škoda will present the Octavia vRS iV, a sporty variant of the fourth generation sedan model.
Volkswagen to unveil the new Golf GTI and GTD in Geneva
At the 2020 Geneva Motor Show Volkswagen will unveil the near-production versions of the GTI and GTD variants of the eight generation Golf.
New Kia Sorento: preview design sketches
The official sketch renders released by Kia for the upcoming all-new Kia Sorento, set to make its debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show.
Lotus launches the Evora GT410
Lotus has announcd the expansion of the Evora line-up with the second model, the GT410, which has a focus on usability and a slightly reduced price tag.
30 DAYS LEFT!
CIRCUL-A-THON Design Challenge by SABIC
This competition is open to students and professionals – and asks for their most compelling and futuristic circular designs. $50,000 in prizes are up for grabs!
Deadline for Submissions: April 1st, 2023
Get all the updates with our weekly newsletter!


text:
Dow Jones and S&P aim for new records, Disney jumps
US stocks made another run for new records as investors end a busy week that included a solid quarter at Disney.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose over 60 points, or 0.18%, while the S&P 500 rose 0.04% and the Nasdaq was little changed. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 both closed in record territory in each of the previous three sessions.
Prices of imported goods rose at a slower pace than expected last month, increasing 0.3%, while exports rose 1.3%, beating estimates.
Investors will also receive the University of Michigan Preliminary Consumer Confidence Index for August at 10 a.m. ET.
In stocks, Walt Disney Co. reported profits and revenues above Wall Street estimates as its theme park business in the United States returned to profitability. The entertainment giant’s Disney + streaming service said the number of subscribers was up 12% from a year ago.
Airbnb Inc.’s net loss was down 88% from a year ago as revenue and bookings exceeded analysts’ expectations. However, the online accommodation market has warned that the delta variant could impact bookings for fall.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he hopes production on the electric vehicle maker’s Berlin Gigafactory begins in October. However, the German environmental agency has not yet given its final approval, which means the production ramp could be postponed until later this year or next year.
In space news, Virgin Galactic shares were the center of attention after Sir Richard Branson disclosed in an SEC filing the sale of shares August 10-12 this week selling “10,416,000 common shares in a series of transactions priced from $ 25.51 to $ 34.76 per share in open market transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, “the record details.
As part of the mergers and acquisitions, Kansas City Southern rejected a $ 27 billion offer from Canada Pacific Railway and said it would postpone voting on a $ 29 billion deal with Canada National Railway Co. unless regulators do not comment on the “vote of confidence” of the transaction.
In commodities, West Texas Intermediate crude oil slipped 8 cents to $ 69.01 a barrel and gold jumped $ 10 to $ 1,761.80 an ounce.
Overseas markets have been mixed with strength in Europe and weakness in Asia.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS
European stock markets were all higher, with the German DAX 30, the UK FTSE 100 and the French CAC 40 all gaining between 0.3% and 0.4%.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 slipped 0.14%, China’s Shanghai Composite fell 0.24%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell 0.48%.


text:
2020 Yamaha MT25 adorns the ‘dark’ theme similar to the smaller MT15. It looks real aggressive now..
Similar to the R25 and R3, Yamaha has created two different motorcycles MT25 and MT03 on the same platform. These are sold in markets depending on which one suits which market. Like for instance, the Jap thinks that the R3 is more suited for markets like ours.
In a latest update, Yamaha has officially launched the 2020 MT25 in the Malaysian market, revealing how will the updated model look like. It, surely, is a lot more aggressive in styling and gets a front headlamp similar to the MT15 family – with predator like DRLs along with a projector lamp. The fuel tank has also been changed to accommodate new air scoops.
The new MT25 continues with the same twin cylinder, liquid cooled, DOHC, 249 cc engine which produces 35.1 PS of peak power at 12,000 rpm and 22.6 Nm of max torque at 10,000 rpm.
2020 MT25 Price
The new MT25 has been priced at RM 21,500 which roughly translates to about 3.83 Lakh in INR. Yamaha also sells its faired sibling R25 in the country and it is the newer-gen model that is available there.
The new MT25 is offered in two color options in Malaysia -Ico Fluo and Yamaha Blu. Other features include digital LCD instrumentation, inverted front forks, dual channel ABS, LED side blinkers and tail lamp, etc. It will be available from this month onwards.
There have been reports that Yamaha may consider bringing the MT03 in India since the R3 was already sold here. However, now even the R3 has been discontinued since it does not adhere to the latest Bharat Stage 6 emission norms. Since the focus is on premium motorcycles, there are chances that the R3 will return in a new guise but there is nothing concrete on its street naked sibling yet.
Is Yamaha Making Tracer 250? Render Pics Surface
2020 Yamaha MT25 Pics
Yamaha May Launch a 300cc ADV if There is Demand…
This 2025 Yamaha Motorcycle Will Run On WATER!


text:
Google has hired a Washington, D.C. lobbyist to represent its interests on legislative matters. It said the hire marks the beginning of a concerted program to influence U.S. policy on issues like copyright and regulation of the telecommunications sector.
“It seems that policymaking and regulatory activity in Washington, D.C. affect Google and our users more every day,” wrote Andrew McLaughlin, senior policy counsel, in a post to the company’s official blog. “It’s important to be involved — to participate in the policy process and contribute to the debates that inform it. So we’ve opened up a shop there.”
Google’s first Washington staffer is Alan Davidson, who has been associate director at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT). Davidson’s work for the CDT has focused on free speech online, broadband, the creation of standards, and international jurisdiction. He is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s program in communications, culture, and technology.
His work in the private sector included a stint as a senior consultant to Booz-Allen & Hamilton, building information systems for NASA’s Space Station Freedom Project.
Google’s statement did not address the company’s stance on some legislative issues that could affect its business model, now and in the future. These include topics such as the use of consumer data and trademark use in online advertising. Geico and Google last month settled a long-standing trademark suit, leaving questions about the legality of using trademarked terms in ad copy.
Representatives of the company could not immediately be reached for comment.
Mother’s Day is big business for brands of all kinds. The National Retail Federation reports Americans spent upwards of $170 each on gifts ... read more
In this week’s #ClickZChat, we talked about location marketing, NFC, beacons, and their usefulness for marketers. I’ve pulled together as many stats relating to ... read more
The growth of adblocker usage is one of the major problems affecting publishers today, as it has the potential to cut into ... read more
As both a Googler and ClickZ team member, I recently attended and participated in the always-inspirational ClickZ Live New York event. Along ... read more


text:
- Corpse Party, Grandia II, Trails in the Sky, more on sale at GOG.com
- Deck13 narrates 14 minutes of gameplay from The Surge
- Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition launches through early access
- Sea of Thieves alpha getting gravity, islands, more in next update
- Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy to be released this June for PS4
Fancy A Date?
Daily Archives: April 11, 2013
The upcoming crossover strategy role-playing game from Namco Bandai, Project X Zone, will be hitting store shelves on June 25. The coloration features over 50 characters from Capcom, Namco Bandai, and Sega franchises, including Street Fighter, Tekken, and Valkyria Chronicles, trying to seal a rift that’s merging their universes. Namco Bandai also announced that launch copies will be Limited Edition releases with a free mini-art book and soundtrack.
A new downloadable free-to-play entry in the Ridge Racer series was announced today by Namco Bandai, Ridge Racer Driftopia. Not much else was revealed, other than that Bugbear Entertainment, developer of last year’s Ridge Racer Unbounded, is heading up development and that the focus will be on “the series’ irresistible signature drifting”.
A new trailer has launched for Dishonored’s upcoming second DLC pack, The Knife of Dunwall. The two-minute-long video begins with the events at the beginning of Dishonored, and then follows Daud, the Empress’s killer, in his quest for revenge. Daud will visit new districts and wreak havoc with his band of mercenaries, the Whalers, as well as gain access to new weapons, items, and abilities.
Namco Bandai has revealed that they will be releasing a Collector’s Edition of Tales of Xillia. The $99.99 premium set will be available alongside the standard version on August 6, and include an art book, a figurine of Milla Maxwell, and a soundtrack with a handful of selected tracks. Seven new screenshots were also released, and have been posted below.


text:
Funds2Orgs, the U.S.-based shoe drivie fundraising enterprise founded by Wayne Elsey, announced the launch of a niche initiative geared toward athletic footwear.
The new subsidiary, Sneakers4Funds, will focus on athletic shoe fundraising for schools, PTA/PTO organizations and sport teams. Schools and organizations collect gently worn, used and new athletic footwear. In exchange for the shoes, Sneakers4Funds works with sponsoring partners across the U.S. to helps them raise money.
The footwear collected during Sneakers4Funds athletic shoe drives become inventory for micro-entrepreneurs in 25 developing countries who earn a living by repairing, cleaning and selling the shoes in their local communities at a fraction of the original price.
In a statement, Elsey said, “Due to the incredible amount of experience we have working with schools and school groups across the country, we are excellently positioned to serve this market very well. Our experience shows us that educational institutions and youth groups can do very well in fundraising by gathering gently worn, used and new athletic shoes.”
To celebrate the launch, Sneakers4Funds created the “30-Day Strive4Good Challenge.” Schools and organization that agree to hold an athletic shoe drive can nearly double the money Sneakers4Funds will pay them for the athletic footwear they collection.


text:
You are here
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- An estimated 1,000 or more retail fueling stations across Florida didn't upgrade fuel storage tanks in time for a state-mandated deadline Dec. 31, and have been forced to close, according to a report in the Fort Myers News-Press, citing the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The DEP was charged with enforcing the deadline for upgrading single-walled underground storage tanks (UST) and piping to double-wall systems; and replacing above-ground storage tanks without a secondary spill containment beneath the tanks. According to the DEP, the Dec. 31 deadline is considered met as long as the single-wall tanks have been removed, according to a report in the Destin Log. The state's legislature passed the law in 1992, as a way to protect groundwater supplies.
More than 80 percent of all retail gas stations and convenience stores have completed the upgrades, according to DEP estimates cited by the paper. Those that have not completed the upgrades must close and not reopen until the upgrades have been made, the report stated.
However, many small station operators lacked cash and could not get financing to pay for the tank upgrades, which cost $200,000 to $400,000, Pat Moricca, president of the Florida Gasoline Retailers Association in Longwood, told the News-Press.
The deadline is providing opportunities to some Florida businesses. Warren Sands, who in December opened a Valero station with a Dunkin' Donuts quick-service restaurant in Bayshore.
Despite the recession, "we're very pleasantly surprised by the response," Sands told the paper. His Miami-based Sands Petroleum Development offers tank-upgrade services and is expanding its portfolio of convenience stores and service stations through new construction or renovation, the report stated.


text:
A big boost in Halal-certified red meat exports this season with a 13% rise and somewhat ironically most product going to non-Muslim markets. New Zealand exported a total of 471,072 tonnes of halal product compared to 417,323 tonnes during 2019-2020, with China at 341,618 tonnes the largest market. The US was next with 20,042 tonnes. Demand has more than doubled since 2015 when halal-certified red meat exports totalled 232,328 tonnes. Meat Industry Assn CEO Sirma Karapeeva says the biggest challenge is finding 250 qualified Muslim butchers to keep halal processing at capacity. New Zealand’s Muslim community is very small with only 100 New Zealand resident halal workers recruited each year and 150 halal butcher positions around the country. Sirma Karapeeva says that number is less than one per cent of the total meat industry workforce, but contributes to around 40 per cent of the sector’s export revenue. She wants the Government for an enduring solution that allows migrant halal butchers into NZ under special visas to keep the industry alive.
- Energy Costs Forcing Some Indoor Vegetable Growers To Shut Their Doors, Or Change What They Grow
- Bad News Last Week With European Free Trade Agreement But The Good News, NZ’s Red Meat Hit $1.1 billion In Export Sales During May
- Rabbits Beware The Otago Regional Council Is Out To Get You
- NZ’s Best Honey Producers Named At Apiculture New Zealand National Honey Competition
- More And More Sheep And Beef Farms Being Sold To Overseas Interests And Will Be Converted To Forestry


text:
The L’Occitane Group has survived the bankruptcy of its American division, a “turbulent macroeconomic environment” and the exit of its Russian activities to post a record annual net profit.
The French cosmetics group, listed in Hong Kong and making more than 40% of its global sales in Asia, says its net sales amounted to $1.9 billion for the year to March 31, an increase of 15.8%. Net income of $256 million increased 57.5% year-on-year and the company’s operating profit margin increased 3.3 points to a record 17.4%.
Chairman Reinold Geiger said the results demonstrate the resilience of the group’s brands and teams, as well as its ability to withstand and overcome market turbulence.
“The group’s commitment to building trust, sustainable growth and profitability has continued to strengthen L’Occitane en Provence’s position in the global high-end beauty market.
While L’Occitane’s eponymous brand accounted for 76.8% of total sales, the company’s new Elemis brand recorded growth of 37.4%, increasing its share of group sales by 2.3 points in one year. year only, at 12.5%.
“Elemis [is] a key contributor to improving the group’s operating profitability through a highly successful digital-focused global expansion strategy,” Geiger said in a stock filing.
By region, L’Occitane’s sales growth was driven by China (up 16.8%), the United States (13.5%), the United Kingdom (21.4%) and Hong Kong (24%). Growth in all other regions was 16.1%.
As Covid-19 restrictions in Europe and the Americas were gradually lifted during the year, L’Occitane saw a strong rebound in footfall through retail channels, while online channels are remained “dynamic”.
“Travel retail businesses, spas and cruise ships have also benefited from the return of local and international travellers. However, towards the end of fiscal 2022, macroeconomic conditions became challenging, with a resurgence of Covid-19 outbreaks in many key markets and the geopolitical situation in Ukraine and Russia,” he said.
The company ended the year with 3,068 outlets, up from 3,088 year-on-year.
The company said it does not expect any significant gain or loss from its withdrawal from Russia.


text:
Seven-year-old Blake Karlson doesn’t need a recipe to make her now-famous Christmas sugar cookies.
Now that she has made more than 310 dozen of them, with the help of her mom.
“We baked over 3,700 cookies to raise money for Toys for Tots and Teens,” said Jen Karlson, Blake’s mom. “I took about 14 plus hours of baking and probably another 16 hours for icing, packaging and delivering.”
It’s becoming a family tradition. Blake and her mom cooked up the idea last year to hold a charity cookie sale when Blake realized some kids might not be getting a new toy for Christmas.
“If they have great ideas, why not show them they can do it?” said Karlson.
This year the young baker was able to raise and donate almost $3,000 to the Summerland Fire Department’s annual Toys and Toonies for Tots and Teens Toy Drive.
Blake was able to deliver the cheque in person at the Fire Department and check out the fire trucks while she was there.
Even though this year’s fundraiser is over, the bakers are already planning and setting next year’s fundraising goal.


text:
November 11, 2013 |
BERLIN / FRANKFURT: German ski legend Rosi Mittermaier passed on racing tips at Austria's Zillertal resort last winter to a group of 10 students who all had one thing in common: they owned a BMW 7-Series sedan. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, the world's biggest maker of premium cars, last year began offering perks that money can't buy to owners of its flagship model in a bid to keep its most profitable clients loyal. Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz quickly followed suit with a similar programme of its own. Both were responding to down-market shifts by the more exclusive Maserati and Jaguar brands as competition for elite buyers intensifies.
April 21, 2008 |
NEW DELHI: World's largest truck maker Daimler AG and India's Hero group said on Monday that they will invest Rs 4,400 crore in the next five years through a joint venture to develop and manufacture commercial vehicles in India by 2010. The two companies have signed a joint venture agreement in which the German partner will have 60 per cent stake and the rest will be with the Hero Group in a company named Daimler Hero Motor Corporation (DHMC). As a part of the agreement, Daimler will invest Rs 1368 crore while the Hero Group will put in Rs 900 crore.
October 10, 2010 |
CHENNAI: The world's largest truck maker Daimler on Sunday said it will almost double its production capacity to 70,000 units annually at the upcoming Indian facility, but a final decision in this regard will be taken only after 2014. The company is investing Rs 4,400 crore through its wholly-owned subsidiary -- Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV)-- for a new facility at Oragadam in Tamil Nadu, with an installed capacity to produce 36,000 units per annum.
January 7, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will assemble more models in India with an eye to becoming more price competitive in the world's second-fastest growing car market, a top executive of its Indian unit said. Mercedes-Benz India , the wholly owned subsidiary of Stuttgart-based Daimler AG , will start assembling the B-Class hatchback and the M-Class SUV at its Pune plant later this year to benefit from the lower tax regime for locally-produced vehicles.
April 1, 2013 |
MUMBAI: Daimler India Commercial Vehicle, ( DICV) a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG on Monday announced the integration of Mercedes Benz Bus Division with itself. The sales of Mercedes Benz buses was handled by Mercedes Benz India Private Limited , post the integration DICV will take over the responsibility. The organisation for Buses has been transferred to DICV and will now operate from DICV's manufacturing plant at Oragadam, near Chennai. The Daimler Bus division at DICV is headed by Markus Villinger . Llistosella, MD & CEO , DICV said, "The alignment of the Bus division with DICV is a logical step in integrating the Commercial Vehicle divisions of Daimler into one cohesive unit.
July 17, 2014 |
FRANKFURT/GERMANY: Germany's Daimler AG unveiled a new version of its tiny, two-seat Smart model Wednesday in hopes the car won't just get admiring glances with its unusual design _ but make a bigger contribution to profits as well. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche and Smart division head Annette Winkler introduced the new Smart Fortwo at Berlin's Tempodrom event center. The new version is the same length as its predecessor at only 2.7 meters, or 8 feet 10 inches, and keeps its two-tone color scheme.
April 7, 2010 |
BRUSSELS: Auto giants Renault, Nissan and Daimler launched a partnership on Wednesday to save billions of euros and accelerate sales of low-pollution electric cars. ( Watch ) Renault-Nissan and Daimler AG, which makes the luxury Mercedes-Benz line and the Smart brand aimed at crowded cities, will exchange shares and technology as the auto industry bids to bounce back after recession. The tie-up pulls together a French group, Renault which has been tied to Nissan for 11 years and makes a wide range of cars, and the prestigious German group of Daimler.
December 12, 2008 |
MOSCOW: Daimler AG, the world's largest truck maker, will buy a 10 percent stake in Russian truck maker OAO Kamaz in a $300 million deal signed on Friday, the head of the German company's truck division and other officials involved said. The purchase is part of a strategic cooperation agreement that brings together Daimler, Kamaz and two of the truck company's shareholders, state-owned conglomerate Russian Technologies and Moscow-based investment bank Troika Dialog.
March 26, 2010 |
SHANGHAI: China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, Asia's biggest refiner, acknowledged Friday that German automaker Daimler AG had allegedly paid bribes to one of its staff, and urged the government to tighten oversight of lawbreaking foreign companies. The case is part of a wider one in which Daimler is accused of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes through subsidiaries to officials of at least 22 foreign governments, including China. It comes as four employees of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto await a verdict from a Shanghai court in a bribery and commercial secrets case that has highlighted China's handling of corruption charges against foreign companies.
June 30, 2014 |
MEXICO CITY/MUNICH: Germany's BMW said it would make an announcement in Mexico on July 3, all but confirming a widely expected decision to build a new factory to meet growing demand for premium cars, shortly after its rival Daimler announced similar plans. "A decision will be made public," a spokesman for the Munich-based auto maker said on Monday when asked if it would make an announcement about a factory in Mexico. BMW declined to comment further beyond saying the announcement would be made in Mexico on July 3. A decision to build a factory in Mexico would come on top of BMW's plans to invest $1 billion to expand production capacity at its factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, by 50 percent.


text:
As we continue to enter the digital age, a new Internet age is emerging: web3.
Much of it is (and probably is) up in the air, but one question we can try to answer now is what it means for marketers.
Let’s break down what web3 is, when it launched, and how it will impact marketers in the short and long term.
What is Web3?
Web Three, or the third generation of the internet, is a vision for a more decentralized web that puts power in the hands of users rather than big tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Netflix. It is built on a blockchain using existing infrastructure with the goal of making the internet more accessible, private and secure for users.
To understand what it is, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
In the late 90’s, the world was introduced to the first version of the Internet. It’s not as complicated as it is today, with just basic fonts, grey buttons and blue hyperlinks. Very reminiscent of how websites load into HTML today.
It then morphed into Web 2 around 2005, a phase in which consumers could consume content in unprecedented ways on blogs and, later, social media.
However, as the Internet has grown, so have the methods businesses use to market to consumers online. This has led to growing privacy concerns among consumers, who struggle to trust the data in the hands of brands.
While the FTC has put some guardrails around data privacy, there are still plenty of issues that keep consumers on their toes.
Take a look at the evolution of Amazon. What was once an online bookstore has been transformed into a tech conglomerate with a foray into e-commerce, digital streaming, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
Delving into the business, comedian Hasan Minaj argued on his Netflix show “Patriot Act” that Amazon controls the most important commodity of the 21st century: data.
“Data about how we spend our money and what parts of the internet we’re using,” he said.
For many, this is a scary realization. That’s where Web3 comes in.
The goal is that this new iteration of the internet will enable consumers to own and operate technology platforms themselves, rather than relying on big tech companies to sacrifice their data.
How does this actually work? Through cryptocurrencies (also known as tokens) and blockchain.
Essentially, when you own a coin, you own a piece of the network called a blockchain. The more tokens you own, the more control you have over the network and its direction.
On a day-to-day basis, tokens will play a role in most, if not all, digital interactions, from social media and gaming to digital art and events.
Critics of this approach say it’s just a covert attempt at decentralization, as power remains in the hands of the few with the most money.
When will Web3 launch?
Short answer: we don’t know. Discussions about web3 have been going on for years, but it’s still in its infancy.
Much of the infrastructure needed to make it a reality is still under construction, and there is no firm timeline for when it will be completed.
So why the sudden humming? Well, cryptocurrencies are booming right now. In fact, according to a New York Times article, venture capitalists invested more than $27 billion in crypto-related projects in 2021.
So the idea of building the internet around it got everyone talking.
How Web3 Impacts Marketers
1. Limited access to user data
In the short term, web3 could mean more data privacy for users.
Currently, companies make money based on the data they collect from users. Either use it to support their marketing strategy or sell it to third parties.
Proponents of web3 argue that, given the enormous value of data, consumers should take a more active role in how their data is used and with whom it is shared.
Will this make it harder for marketers to collect consumer data? possible. This will force marketers to be more transparent about data collection and use, while finding new and creative ways to reach target audiences.
2. A more community-centred approach
Web3 is all about redistributing power to ordinary consumers.
The idea is that instead of sitting in the passenger seat, consumers will decide and promote the ideas they are most interested in. With this shift, marketers will have to rely more on building a strong community.
As distrust of brands and the way they use data increases, community is more important than ever.
3. Greater reliance on content creators
Currently, many content creators feel at the mercy of the platforms they publish on, which have strict guidelines on what they can publish to limit their earning potential. Web3 will give them full autonomy.
In a CMS Wire article, Charlie Neer of MIQ, a leading programmatic media partner, explains the shift.
“Currently, when a person downloads a song, the creator gets a fraction of the total revenue, and the host (think Spotify or Apple Music) is like a bandit,” said the chief revenue officer. “The same goes for creators on YouTube, Twitch, etc. This will change rapidly with the Web 3.0 revenue model, and content creators will be in control.”
Of course, we are still a long way from web3 becoming a reality. However, this is something marketers need to be aware of and pay close attention to.


text:
Self-Professed Diva Kimba Williams And Doctor Barbara McLaren Created Kushae As A Natural Feminine Care Brand For Today
Kimba Williams and Barbara McLaren could hardly be more different. Williams, a former pharmaceutical sales consultant with a megawatt smile and confidence to match, is a self-proclaimed diva never at a loss for words or ideas. McLaren, a veteran OB-GYN with a studied manner, is considered with her comments and deliberate in her decisions.
“I have a big personality and am just large about everything. She’s rational and has a clinical mindset. She’s the good angel to my bad angel,” says Williams. McLaren acknowledges, “I’m the calming factor.”
For all their differences, Williams and McLaren have several similarities: They both have vulvas and vaginas, and aren’t afraid to discuss them (for proof, check out their YouTube videos exploring the topics chafing, odor and tightness). And they both prefer natural products over the alternatives. Williams dove into natural products after noticing mainstream medicine wasn’t a panacea – “I got sick and tired of seeing people dying,” she says – and McLaren turned to them upon receiving a breast cancer diagnosis with no family history of the disease.
Now, Williams and McLaren share a business, Kushae, a new natural feminine care brand that builds on their aligned interests and divergent strengths. It’s starting with four products – Natural Feminine Deodorant Spray, Natural Feminine Soothing Cream, Protective Feminine Skin Balm and Gentle 2-n-1 Foaming Wash – that respond to consumer demand for feminine care merchandise as well as McLaren’s learnings from her practice.
“I hear women’s complaints, and there’s a recurring theme that comes up over and over again: Women have issues of vaginal dryness and irritation,” she says. “We ended up with the four products by talking to each other about those common complaints and finding products that did what we wanted them to do for them with ingredients from our garden or kitchen.”
When McLaren and Williams, who met on a girl’s trip to the Caribbean in 2016, began developing Kushae’s products, they had a clear list of ingredients their formulas couldn’t have, including glycerin, alcohol, mineral oil, sulfates and parabens. Williams, a proud granola mom with an understanding of botanicals, then offered up a list of ingredients she desired for the formulas such as calendula, aloe vera and marshmallow root.
“I hear women’s complaints, and there’s a recurring theme that comes up over and over again: Women have issues of vaginal dryness and irritation. We ended up with the four products by talking to each other about those common complaints and finding products that did what we wanted them to do for them with ingredients from our garden or kitchen.”
The goal was to create nourishing formulas that avoid abrasive or potentially-cancerous ingredients. “The formulas are our own. We came up with 95% of what we wanted, and relied on a chemist for compatibility and stability,” says Williams, adding, “We really want women to know that they have to be vigilant about reading labels. You can put all-natural on labels and literally be talking about the water.”
Early on, Natural Feminine Deodorant Spray and Gentle 2-in-1 Foaming Wash are the bestsellers. However, McLaren’s favorite product is the Protective Feminine Skin Balm, a moisturizing remedy for vulvar skin discomfort. “I’m the biggest user,” she says. The products are priced from $14.99 to $29.99, a range Williams pegs at roughly 30% above mass brands, notably Summer’s Eve and Vagisil. She believes the wellness-oriented consumers Kushae is directed at are willing to pay a premium for products suiting their lifestyle preferences.
Williams and McLaren invested $40,000 to get Kushae off the ground. Their first-year sales goal is $100,000. The brand has entered Amazon, Blk + Grn and Cambridge Naturals, a store in Boston, where Kushae participated in the accelerator MassChallenge. Williams and McLaren aim to spread the brand’s distribution nationwide and expand it internationally by 2019.
“Feminine care is still a very exciting space, and there aren’t a lot of entrants with a suite of products like ours, and that’s what makes us interesting to retailers and distributors,” says Williams. “We’re a brand that women can trust for all their feminine care needs.” Kushae is expected to grow its product portfolio next with Natural Feminine Cleansing Cloths. Body wash, body lotion and lubricant are future possibilities.
“Feminine care is still a very exciting space, and there aren’t a lot of entrants with a suite of products like ours, and that’s what makes us interesting to retailers and distributors. We’re a brand that women can trust for all their feminine care needs.”
Kushae’s design emphasizes its nature-meets-science positioning. It has pink and black lettering on white bottles, tubes and jars. “Some of our competitors have bright yellows and funky purples. Our message is that we’re the only doctor-formulated solution on the market for feminine care. The clean and clinical look conveys that,” says Williams. The brand name, a spin on coochie like Tarjay is a spin on Target, and the logo, a stylized vagina, convey Kushae’s purpose. Williams says, “We wanted to be bold, and let women know they’re in the right place if they’re looking for feminine health, but we don’t want to be crass.”
Williams, a resident of Lake Worth, Fla., and McLaren, a doctor in San Antonio, Tex., text and FaceTime to converse about choices for their brand, whether it’s the logo, product labels or long-term vision. “I’ve seen solopreneurs, and it’s much easier to have someone who’s an expert in the field that you can bounce your ideas off of,” says Williams. The partnership between her and McLaren works despite of and perhaps due to their contrasting dispositions. McLaren says, “We tend to agree on mostly everything. That’s the weird thing about it.”


text:
Chairman of China's Geely Has 9.7% Stake in Daimler -- 3rd Update
By William Boston and Robert Wall
BERLIN -- The billionaire chairman of Chinese car maker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. has accumulated a 9.7% stake, valued at about $9 billion, in Germany's Daimler AG, the biggest overseas investment yet by China Inc. in the West's automotive industry.
The move by Li Shufu, referred to by associates as Chairman Li, is his most ambitious so far as he tries to create a global Chinese auto maker that can compete with industry heavy hitters Volkswagen AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Co. Geely bought the Volvo car brand in 2010 and has more recently acquired stakes in car makers in Britain and Malaysia.
Mr. Li's investment in Daimler will likely give him a seat on the board and an inside perspective on Daimler's premier Mercedes-Benz car brand -- the company widely credited with inventing the automobile. Still, it is too early to say if the move is the first step in a more strategic alignment of Daimler and Geely Automotive that would give Geely access to Daimler's advanced technology in electric vehicles and self-driving cars.
The investment wasn't made directly by the company, which has bought into a series of foreign car companies in recent years as it simultaneously ramps up and upgrades its domestic car business, but by Mr. Li himself, according to a filing in Germany late Friday.
Daimler said it welcomed the investment as a "vote of confidence" in its future. The German car maker didn't say whether Mr. Li would get a board seat, but said it looked forward to discussing the investment with him.
The acquisition is the latest in a series of methodical bets that Mr. Li has made in his quest to transform Geely, once derided as the maker of low-cost, low-quality cars not fit for world markets, into China's first global automotive player.
Mr. Li's investment in Daimler is also another milestone for China. Within little more than a decade, China has evolved from a nation of bicycles to become the world's largest automotive market, with sales of 27.4 million new light vehicle last year. That compares with 17 million new cars sold in the U.S. and 20 million in Europe and Russia.
China has also become the world's biggest market for electric vehicles, a key technology for the future. Beijing has ambitions to leapfrog the West by developing trend-setting technology for electric cars.
After a humbling trip in 2007 to Detroit, where Mr. Li introduced the Geely brand to America, he turned his attention to building a global empire through acquisitions.
In 2010, when Ford Motor Co. was reeling from the financial crisis, Mr. Li bought its struggling Volvo Cars unit, based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Over the next few years, Mr. Li helped steer Volvo back to profitability, determined to make it a global premium brand.
After years of heavy investment from Geely, Volvo is now a thriving -- if still small -- high-end car maker. More recently, Volvo and Geely have pushed aggressively into electric-car development. Volvo promised last year to roll out electric or hybrid-electric engines in all its new models starting in 2019. Geely Holding in 2013 bought London Taxi, which makes electric-utility vehicles and taxis.
Back in China, Geely Automotive has become the top domestic brand in the country. Instead of turning out cheap and undependable models, it began drawing Chinese customers away from some of the big Western brands that had set up shop in China.
More recently, Geely put its overseas ambitions into high gear. In May 2017, it agreed to buy a 51% stake in British sports-car brand Lotus and a 49.9% stake in struggling Malaysian car maker Proton Holdings Bhd. In December, Geely acquired 8.2% of Volvo AB, the Swedish truck maker.
Hakan Samuelsson, the chief executive of Volvo Cars, describes Mr. Li as a strategic thinker who is carrying out a grand plan to create the first global player from China.
"What is the most credible Chinese global brand? Three years ago, no one would have thought it would be Geely," he said in a recent interview.
Associates of Mr. Li say he often tells them the challenge for Geely isn't to compete against Ford and GM, but against Alphabet Inc.'s Google unit and Apple Inc.
Daimler is one of the most advanced technology companies in the world, a household name with massive stores of automotive patents and know-how. It is on the front lines of the auto industry's efforts to defend itself against Silicon Valley, which is encroaching on auto-industry turf with the development of car-sharing, ride-hailing services and self-driving vehicles.
Gang Wei, co-CEO of China Euro Vehicle Technology AB, the research-and-development center in Gothenburg that is owned by Geely Holding, said Mr. Li "is a strategic person first, an entrepreneur second."
A Daimler spokesman said the company doesn't know what Mr. Li's longer-term goals are, or exactly why he invested in their company.
A closer association could be a boon for Daimler, too. The Stuttgart-based company already has links to China through a joint venture with BAIC Motor Group. The two agreed last year to make electric vehicles for the Chinese market.
The investment, though, could cause waves in Germany. The government there has become increasingly anxious about a wave of Chinese investments and takeovers of its companies. Last year, Berlin tightened scrutiny of foreign direct investment.
Write to William Boston at email@example.com and Robert Wall at firstname.lastname@example.org
Corrections & Amplifications
This article was corrected February 25, 2018 to reflect that Gang Wei is co-CEO of China Euro Vehicle Technology AB. The original version of this article incorrectly identified him as co-chairman.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 23, 2018 19:36 ET (00:36 GMT)Copyright (c) 2018 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.


text:
Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city cooperates with JD to usher intelligent life era
Updated : 2019-06-14Print Print
Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city recently signed a cooperative contract on intelligent technology applications with JD Group, a leading enterprise in unmanned technology. JD delivery robots were introduced to the ecological town as a pilot of intelligent unmanned technology applied in a complex urban environment. Another application of the intelligent technology -- an unmanned supermarket co-founded by the two sides -- has also been opened.
Situated in Tianjin Binhai New District, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city was co-built by the Chinese and Singapore governments, and is China’s first demonstrative area for green development.
JD delivery robots have attracted great attention since they were put into operation. Their automatic drive core technology allows them to automatically avoid barriers and pedestrians and turn corners, while their advanced AI, environment-sensing, high-precision positioning and decision control technology means they can deliver packages smoothly in the ecological town’s Wantong district, Wanke district, administrative committee area and animation park. Later, the delivery robots will be used in all of Eco-city.
Xiao Jun, VP of JD Group, said that JD ran intelligent logistics projects of unmanned warehouses, unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned road vehicles in 2017 and will expand intelligent projects to more areas. “The cooperation with Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is a way to assist Tianjin’s construction of an intelligent urban service system, potentially making it the first city in the world driven by intelligent logistics,” he added.
JD’s unmanned supermarket has also attracted many visitors. The 170-square meter-supermarket has more than 800 commodities including food, beverages and articles for daily use. It is equipped with face recognition, intelligent pricing, unmanned cash registers and many other advanced technologies. Customers can correlate their ID information with payment information, and enter the supermarket by the face recognition system. When they are finished shopping, they can pay by scanning the codes on their chosen products.
The supermarket in Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city is the first unmanned automated supermarket in North China to rely on the Internet of Things, AI and biometric Identification. Different from Beijing JD’s headquarters store, the unmanned supermarket is three times as large as the headquarters’ and uses improved facial recognition technology so that the shopping process is simpler, safer and more convenient. It's also the largest unmanned supermarket JD has ever operated.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city. Over the past 10 years, Eco-city has made a lot of effort to attract and nurture internet high-tech projects. So far, it has attracted 1,300 internet enterprises and the industrial aggregate effect has steadily improved. At the same time, Eco-city is pushing forward green and intelligent construction according to the requirements for a national green development demonstration zone, fully implementing the intelligent application projects.
JD’s intelligent delivery project and unmanned supermarket have further enriched Eco-city’s intelligence and upgraded its pilot demonstration role.
According to its director Eco-city’s next step will be to further cooperate with leading enterprises on 5G trials, urban data resources, standardized residential community systems and slow road systems, trying to construct a prosperous and livable intelligent city.
In the mean time, Eco-city will launch pilot projects on intelligent transportation, smart houses and energy supply. Eco-city is mapping out a strategy to construct a fully intelligent city in the next 5 years. The planning is expected to be finished in the first half of this year.


text:
The first European Mac User Group Forum sponsored by Apple will be held on Sept. 29, 10:30 a.m., in Paris in conjunction with Apple Expo.
Presentations will be given by Pascal Cagni, VP of Apple Europe, and Tessa Kreighbaum, User Group Program Manager Apple Europe. Presentation topics will include Mac OS X, Microsoft, 4D, Adobe, and Apple Software Managers, according to Chuck Joiner, editor-in-chief of
The MUG Center, the resource site for MUGs. Seating is limited.
Meanwhile, there’ll be a MUG dinner on Friday, Sept. 28, at the Apple Expo. The event will be informal and provide an opportunity for MUG enthusiasts to meet and discuss options for improving the user group experience in Europe, Joiner said. There are already commitments from MUG leaders from Turkey, Germany, France, Italy and England, as well as Garr Reynolds, Apple’s User Group Program Manager.
Apple Expo 2001 will be held at the Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles, Sept. 26-30. CEO Steve Jobs will give the opening keynote address at Apple Expo 2001 in Paris on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9:00 a.m. (CET) in the Palais de Congres.
MUGs (Mac User Groups) are good places for making new friends, finding Mac-loving buddies, boning up your technical expertise, finding solutions to technical problems, and sometimes finding a good deal on used hardware. For more info on MUGs, and to find the location of the one nearest you, go to
Apple’s User Group Web page.


text:
Coronavirus Florida: Jupiter gym company sued for charging members ... What’s your gym doing?
TO OUR READERS: This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to The Palm Beach Post. If you want breaking coronavirus news directly in your inbox, sign up for our Coronavirus Newsletter.
JUPITER — As New Yorkers draw the ire of Palm Beach County residents for fleeing south from the coronavirus, a Jupiter company is garnering its share of outrage in the Big Apple.
A class-action lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of New York Sports Clubs member Mary Namorato accuses Jupiter-based Town Sports International Holdings of charging customers for membership despite closing New York Sports Clubs locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on March 16.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, says the company has refused to honor many customers’ requests to cancel their memberships and has made the cancellation process “virtually impossible.” It asks for class-action status and monetary relief.
>> Florida coronavirus statistics made simple
By the end of last year, the company whose executive office is on U.S. 1 owned 186 fitness clubs serving 605,000 members, it said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In South Florida, the company owns Palm Beach Sports Clubs, with locations in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and Port St. Lucie. Memberships range in cost from $24.99 to $99.99 per month.
Members here have posted gripes similar to those in New York on Facebook and Yelp.
Georgette Gill, a Jupiter resident and self-described “gym rat” who works out at the Palm Beach Gardens location seven days a week, said she’s inquired multiple times about the billing situation.
She’s only received a generic response that didn’t answer her question, Gill said.
Gill said she’s billed the first week of each month, so she hasn’t been hit with any surprise fees since the fitness clubs closed down.
She has a plan: If she’s charged next month, she’ll call her credit card company to dispute the payment. But she doesn’t want to cancel her membership outright.
“I feel for everybody,” she said. “Like all these people you go to for services. ... But on the other hand, I’m not going to pay if you close. I’m not sure what the appropriate answer is.”
Palm Beach Sports Clubs and Town Sports International Holdings did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
The SEC filing, published before the Florida clubs were closed on March 21, identified ways Town Sports International Holdings had taken action in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
>>Polo Club in Boca Raton alerts residents to 10 cases
The company said it laid off all non-executive employees at clubs that were ordered closed and that it would try to negotiate rent relief with its landlords. It added that it expected a “a significant increase in membership terminations.” The company’s revenue totaled $467 million last year against $473 million in expenses.
Accusing Town Sports International Holdings of “corporate greed,” attorney David E. Gottlieb said in a statement that public entities like the New York Attorney General’s Office and the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs should take action against the Jupiter company.
>>Publix offers free rent to tenants in shopping centers it owns
“TSI must do right by New Yorkers who are at the epicenter of this global crisis by freezing all gym memberships effective immediately, honoring all written or verbal membership cancellation requests, and issuing refunds to those members who were fraudulently charged fees for gym memberships that they are now unable to use,” said Gottlieb, partner at the law firm Wigdor LLP.
The Palm Beach Post reviewed Palm Beach Sports Clubs’ website and social media accounts on Monday and did not find any mention of how the fitness center is handling membership dues.
Other gym chains with a footprint in Palm Beach County have posted this information online.
Planet Fitness says it charged some members shortly before company leaders decided to close all locations.
The company said it has since frozen all memberships. If you pre-paid for a year, the number of days your gym is closed will be tacked on at the end of your membership term.
>>What does the coronavirus infection do inside your body
Youfit Health Clubs
The company’s owner and CEO announced in a letter posted to Twitter on March 17 that he would close all gym locations. Once locations reopen, Youfit will review all membership billing accounts and issues on a case-by-case basis, Rick Berks wrote.
>>Liquor stores are considered ‘critical business’? Someone will drink to that
The gym chain says on an undated page of its website that all membership dues have been frozen until one or more locations in a given market reopen. If you have a paid-in-full membership, the closing time will be tacked onto the end of your term.
Boca-Raton based Orangetheory posted a letter from company leaders onto its website March 16 saying that membership dues would be frozen immediately for any corporate- or franchise-owned location that closes.


text:
In a groundbreaking shift, Apple Inc.’s iPhone has seized the crown from Samsung Electronics Co., emerging as the top-selling smartphone series globally in 2023. This marks the first time since 2010 that South Korea’s tech giant has conceded the leading position.
Apple’s remarkable success is not confined to a single quarter but spans the entire year, showcasing its resilience in the face of a broader industry downturn.
According to research firm IDC, the iPhone secured a remarkable fifth of the global market, with nearly 235 million shipments last year. In contrast, Samsung faced a double-digit decline in shipments, totaling 226.6 million, placing it second on the list, trailing behind Apple and surpassing other competitors like Xiaomi Corp.
While Apple has traditionally dominated the holiday quarter, its year-long surge ahead of Samsung is unprecedented. This shift suggests that Apple is navigating the industrywide slump more effectively than its counterparts. The company’s success can be attributed to aggressive promotions that have successfully lured consumers towards premium devices.
Despite a lukewarm reception for the iPhone 15 in China, Apple managed to expand its shipments in 2023. China, being its largest international market, posed challenges with Huawei Technologies Co.’s growing popularity and an expanding ban on government use affecting iPhone sales.
IDC research director Nabila Popal notes, “While we saw some strong growth from low-end Android players like Transsion and Xiaomi in the second half of 2023, the biggest winner is clearly Apple.”
Apple’s triumph comes amidst increased regulatory challenges and revived competition from Huawei in China. Nevertheless, its ongoing success is largely attributed to the growing trend of premium devices, constituting over 20% of the market.
The elevation in smartphone prices has been facilitated by enticing trade-in offers and interest-free financing, with Apple being the sole player in the global top three to achieve growth, recording a 3.7% increase.
However, Apple is not entirely immune to the broader decline, especially in China where sales of the latest-generation iPhone have significantly decreased compared to its predecessor.
Local tech giant Huawei, recovering from US sanctions, has regained market share by introducing the Mate 60 Pro smartphone powered by an advanced made-in-China processor. To counter this, Apple recently introduced rare discounts on the iPhone in China, up to 5% per handset, in an effort to mitigate further sales erosion.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - U.S. electric sports car maker Tesla Motors filed for an initial public offering of up to $100 million, aiming to cash in on growing investor interest in battery-powered vehicles and green technology.
The IPO filing on Friday from the six-year-old start-up, best known for its $109,000 all-electric Roadster, marks the first public offering from a U.S. automaker since Henry Ford's Ford Motor Co F.N made its share debut in 1956.
It also represents a landmark in the resurgence of electric car technology that most carmakers until recently had dismissed as impractical.
Tesla’s IPO, with underwriters including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank Securities, should generate enthusiasm for IPOs generally, analysts said.
“People are going to be watching this one move through the pipeline,” said Matt Therian, analyst with Connecticut-based IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. “It’s probably a good sign for the IPO market.”
Ben Holmes, founder of Morningnotes.com, said an IPO is sometimes the best form of advertising, especially if the deal is successful, for companies like Tesla.
“Venture-backed deals were kind of derailed and this might be what we call a bell cow -- a deal that’s so steady and so well-done and so impressive it brings other deals to market that were waiting,” he said.
Reuters reported in November that Tesla was preparing to file for an IPO.< ID:nN20238220>
In the nine months ended September 30, Tesla said, it lost $31.5 million, down from a loss of $57.3 million in the same period a year earlier. Revenue jumped to $93.4 million from
The company said it would continue to post losses until it begins making “significant” deliveries of the Model S, which is not expected to launch until 2012.
Tesla, in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, did not provide details on IPO pricing or its timing.
COMPETING WITH ESTABLISHED AUTOMAKERS
Tesla will compete with established carmakers such as Ford, General Motors and Nissan Motor Co Ltd 7201.T, all of which are racing to launch electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Tesla is a small player with a high-end market and limited production, but hopes the Model S electric sedan will broaden its potential market.
It has received about 2,000 reservations for the car, which is being designed as a four-door, five-passenger premium sedan with an additional third row with two rear-facing child seats. It has a base price of $49,900.
The appetite for IPOs has picked up since mid-September this year, with a robust pace of new filings.
Tesla's IPO would follow the successful debut of lithium-ion battery maker A123 Systems Inc AONE.O, whose shares rallied 50 percent on their first day of trading on September 25.
The company, named after scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla, said in the filing it had sold 937 Roadsters in 18 countries since it was founded.
Chairman Elon Musk has often expressed a desire to take his company public and had previously targeted late 2008 or 2009, but financial market turmoil after Lehman Brothers collapsed in late 2008 virtually shut down the IPO market.
Musk, an entrepreneur who made hundreds of millions as co-founder of online payments service PayPal and whose current ventures include space exploration company SpaceX, makes a base salary of just $33,280 a year, according to the filing.
But he took $175,000 in reimbursements from Tesla for using his private jet.
Tensions between shareholders, regulators and company executives over perceptions of inflated salaries for managers have risen in the recession. But Tesla’s filing showed that Musk had used his own plane without compensation since 2009’s second quarter.
“From time to time, Elon Musk uses his private airplane for Tesla business travel. Beginning in the second quarter of 2009, we agreed to pay for certain third-party operation expenses incurred in connection with the use of Mr. Musk’s private plane,” the filing read.
“These operation expenses include fuel charges, landing fees and other related expenses. Through December 31, 2009, we paid approximately $175,000 for such expenses. Prior to the second quarter of 2009, Mr. Musk paid for such business travel expenses without reimbursement.”
Tesla's investors include Google Inc GOOG.O founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
Others include Daimler AG DAIGn.DE; Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments AABAR.AD, which owns a Daimler stake; and venture capital funds Draper Fisher Jurvetson, DraperValor Equity Partners, Technology Partners, The Westly Group and Compass Venture Partners.
Additional reporting by Laura Isensee and Alexander Haislip in Los Angeles; editing by Leslie Gevirtz, Gary Hill
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.