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Unlike other tech giants who spend plenty of money and cash in courts on patent-related lawsuits, Tesla wants others to copy its technology to make electric cars, as the carmaker has announced that all its tech discoveries will be available to competitors free of charge, and lawsuit-free.
“Tesla Motors was created to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on the company’s blog in a post titled “All Our Patent Are Belong To You.” “If we clear a path to the creation of compelling electric vehicles, but then lay intellectual property landmines behind us to inhibit others, we are acting in a manner contrary to that goal. Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.”
Musk further revealed that Tesla patented all its discoveries out of fear that competitors with massive manufacturing capabilities and marketing power would be able to copy its technology and then “overwhelm Tesla.” However, it appears that wasn’t the case, as major manufacturers are yet to widely adopt zero emissions cars.
“Given that annual new vehicle production is approaching 100 million per year and the global fleet is approximately 2 billion cars, it is impossible for Tesla to build electric cars fast enough to address the carbon crisis,” Musk added. “By the same token, it means the market is enormous. Our true competition is not the small trickle of non-Tesla electric cars being produced, but rather the enormous flood of gasoline cars pouring out of the world’s factories every day.”
BMW has already talked to Tesla about the latter’s Supercharging technology, but not only, with both companies having confirmed the meetings.
“Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electro-mobility and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electro-mobility on an international level,” BMW spokesman Kenn Sparks told The Verge.
“For high-speed charging in particular, I think that’s a great area for commonality among manufacturers,” Musk said in a conference call on Tesla’s open patents initiative. “In fact, the team from BMW was visiting Tesla last night. We talked about potential ways to collaborate, and one of them was on the Supercharging network. We’re more than happy to have other manufacturers use our Supercharging network and / or to build superchargers and install them, and then maybe have some sort of cross-use agreement.”


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*Despite the opposition, J.C. Penny stuck in there with Ellen DeGeneres.
The comedian/talk show host expressed her gratitude and excitement that the company continued with their new campaign.
She said she’s “proud and happy” that the store stood by her side and said there is no such thing as a “pro-gay bandwagon,” as alleged by the One Million Moms group which encouraged the retail store to drop DeGeneres.
“They (One Million Moms) wanted to get me fired and I am proud and happy to say that J.C. Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson,” she said.
The group made up of conservative Americans claimed that J.C. Penny was trying to target a new group by “jumping on the pro-gay bandwagon.”
“Being gay or pro-gay isn’t a bandwagon. You don’t get a free ride anywhere. There’s no music. And occasionally we’ll sing ‘We Are Family’ but that’s about it,” she said.

domain: news


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Colours could become a unique way of creating music through a ring-style wearable instrument.
Sign in or buy a plan to view this innovation
Spotted: Music is one of the most common means of omnipresent technology in our daily lives. Headphones and mobile speakers have evolved into audio sunglasses and personalised car stereos to mean that there never needs to be a time when we are without audio. But what of creating music? A new wearable could enable users to play instruments that fit on their hands.
Sphero, the company behind Star Wars’ iconic rolling robots, have now turned their hand to developing musical, motion-enabled Bluetooth rings. Dubbed Specdrums, the products are part of a new STEAM initiative. A spin-off of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), the extra ‘A’ stands for Arts. Essentially the product is a sign of the push for technology to have more influence in creative, artistic fields. Specdrums are Bluetooth, MIDI-compatible, finger-worn, musical instruments, focused on musical creation.
They work by tapping variously coloured surfaces around the user. The ring then flashes and senses the colour, sending the data back to the paired phone app. This software then converts the input into a sound, thereby enabling real-time music creation. The conflation of audio and visual stimulus here adds a whole new level to artistic creativity. It can also function through multiple rings to offer greater flexibility to the creator.
Sphero began testing Specdrums’ integration into existing apps such as Garageband last year. Now coding advances have enabled a whole new spectrum of potential for the rings in the future. Specdrums began shipping on 15th January 2019, at a retail cost of €58 ($65) or two for €90 ($100).


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The Macau Metro Monitor, February 6, 2013
MACAU CASINOS DECLINE AFTER REPORT ON JUNKET CRACKDOWN Bloomberg, Macau Business
China’s government will start taking action this month to clamp down on junket operators that bring gamblers from the mainland to Macau, the Times reported, citing unidentified people in law enforcement. The action will involve police operations in six Chinese cities and is part of an anti-corruption campaign led by Xi Jinping, the Communist Party general secretary, the U.K. newspaper reported. “The squeeze has already started on a small scale, but the operators themselves believe that something bigger is coming within the next few weeks,” The Times quotes an unidentified Macau gaming industry source as saying.
SINGAPORE CONSUMERS LIKELY TO CUT BACK ON SPENDING IN 2013: SURVEY Channel News Asia
Consumers in Singapore were less confident in 4Q 2012, signalling a potential slowdown in consumer spending in 2013, according to a survey by global information and measurement company, Nielsen.


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Coastal Pacific returns
by Anonymous Author
KiwiRail’s iconic Coastal Pacific scenic journey will roll again between Picton and Christchurch from December 1. The service will run every day, except Christmas Day, until late April 1919.
The service has been on hold for two years, following the Kaikoura earthquake.
KiwiRail’s group general manager sales and commercial, Alan Piper, said the announcement would be welcome news to the people of Kaikoura because the Coastal Pacific plays a crucial role by bringing thousands of tourists into the area.
“Before the earthquake, the Coastal Pacific carried about 43,000 passengers into the Marlborough/Kaikoura regions during its summer season. These passengers are estimated to spend almost $35m in the two regions, supporting 300 local jobs,” Mr Piper said.
“KiwiRail is one of New Zealand’s largest tourism operators, delivering a million tourists around the country each year on its Great Journeys of New Zealand ferry and train services.
“We are delighted to confirm this well-loved service will be running again this summer, allowing thousands of travellers from around the world to once again enjoy this spectacular coastline by train.”
The Coastal Pacific service departs from Christchurch each morning and returns from Picton each afternoon.


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Sibirsky Cement starts lime flour production
Gornaya Kompaniya (part of Sibirsky Cement), which develops two limestone deposits in Buryatia, has mastered the production of lime flour. It is used in agriculture for the deoxidization of soils. Lime flour can recover the alkaline balance of the soil, stimulate the growth of the root system of plants and, as a result, increase the yield. It is suitable for carrots, tomatoes, beets, potatoes, clovers, alfalfa, buckwheat, onions and flax.
“To organize the production of a new type of product, we modernized the inactive packaging line of mineral powder,” said Mikhail Arkhipov, Managing Director of Gornaya Kompaniya. “At the end of 2019, we produced an experimental batch of lime flour for certification. In April 2020, we started production for mass sales.”
In May, stores in the city of Ulan-Ude received lime flour for retail sales. It is planned to supply flour to agricultural enterprises in the future as well.


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Smile TV uses facial recognition software to observe your expression while you watch -- and will only play content if you smile.
A new invention called Percept-D lets you click and scroll around the screen with facial movements, and even play games hands-free.
Give Mom the gift that keeps giving back: a top-notch smartphone. Indeed a modern handset is something she'll use every day and that will help keep family and friends in closer communication. Better yet, every time Mom picks up one of these superb devices, she'll likely smile and think of you.
Take the guesswork out of capturing the perfect selfie with a high-tech mirror that waits for a nice smile before it grabs a photo.
We couldn't get it outside into the daylight, but these indoor shots give you an indication of what this phone's camera can do.
The Oxford English Dictionaries observed a five-fold increase in the use of the word this year and awarded it an honored place in the current lexicon.
Artist spends three days assembling a crowdsourced collage of photos from around the world to promote an artistic new eBay venture.
The third-party keyboard app now offers 21 languages, emojis based on what you're typing, and new iPad keyboard themes.
At Corning's Gorilla Glass testing labs, the glassmaker that fronts Apple's iPhone tried to show that rival sapphire crystal isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Researchers have translated the behavior of slime mold into "emotions" and displayed them, just as you'd expect, on a creepy robot face.


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How Amazon’s One Medical Deal Makes Buying Doctor Practices More Expensive For CVS, Walgreens And Walmart
News Amazon will spend $3.9 billion on doctor-staffed clinics will make the business of buying primary care physician practices much more expensive for retail rivals.
Amazon’s proposed acquisition of One Medical comes amid an unprecedented period of competition for primary care doctor practices with Walgreens opening hundreds of physician-staffed clinics with partner VillageMD while Walmart launches its doctor-staffed clinics under the Walmart Health brand in several new markets. Meanwhile, CVS, which has long staffed its more than 1,100 in-store clinics with nurse practitioners is also rolling out more models that include physicians.
“Coinciding with physician workforce shortages, volatility, and workplace disaffection is the growing presence of non-traditional players such as retail outlets, insurance companies and private investor groups that now actively recruit physicians and/or acquire their practices,” the doctor staffing companies AMN Healthcare and Merritt Hawkins said in their recently released review of physician recruiting incentives.
Physician compensation is already on the rise as patients return to see their doctors in-person after the Covid-19 pandemic and government shutdowns caused practices and clinics to close in 2020.
The average starting salary from Merritt Hawkins’ 2019/2020 report for internal medicine physicians was $276,000, which tumbled to $244,000 in the 2020/2021 report at the pandemic’s peak and before vaccines against Covid were widely available. Though internal medicine starting salaries aren’t quite back to where they were before the pandemic hit, the average starting salary for 2021/2022 was $255,000.
With Amazon’s backing, One Medical will have a huge financial war chest to expand into a primary care market that already includes well-capitalized hospitals and health systems that are buying up doctor practices and the new retail rival entrants.
In the case of Walgreens, the company is opening hundreds of doctor-staffed clinics through its $6 billion investment in the primary care company VillageMD while CVS has an array of outpatient expansions in the works from creating in-store HealthHubs with hundreds of new items to forming relationships with physicians to adding new healthcare services to the more than 1,100 CVS MinuteClinics across the U.S. that are staffed by nurse practitioners.


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Current Edition >Last updated on Tuesday, February 5, 2013, 11:35 am
Tyson Foods Inc.'s latest sustainability report is its first to receive a grade of A from the Global Reporting Initiative, which pioneered the development of the world's most widely used sustainability reporting framework.
The grade means the Springdale-based meat processor's 2012 report met the highest level of transparency and disclosure recognized by the GRI.
"For us, sustainability is about trying to do the right thing in everything we do," Tyson president and CEO Donnie Smith said in a news release Tuesday. "It's fundamental to our core values, cuts across every aspect of our business, and supports our mission of making great food and making a difference."
The 2012 report is the fourth the company has produced since 2005, the news release stated.
Companies submit reports at the A, B or C level, indicating the extent to which the GRI's guidelines of sustainability reporting were applied.
According to the GRI website, application levels "do not give an opinion on the sustainability performance of the reporting organization, the quality of the report, or on formal compliance with the … guidelines."
Tyson's report outlined its accomplishments in the areas of animal well-being, water and fuel conservation, nutrition, hunger and disaster relief, and charitable giving.


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The North American Commercial Vehicle Show announced that it has adjusted the trade show's original dates to allow a more fluid schedule to benefit exhibitors.
On Monday, Sept. 25, the NACV show will open only to attendees who have received an invitation from one of the show’s exhibitors. The trade show is officially open to all attendees from Tuesday, Sept. 25 through Thursday, Sept. 28.
NACV is a new transportation industry show set to take place in Atlanta, Ga., that is jointly produced by Hannover Fairs USA and Newcom Media USA.
“Listening to our show committee, we backed everything up a day for a more fluid schedule, giving exhibitors a full day with their invited guests,” said Joe Glionna, president of Newcom Media. “Although we have adjusted the dates, the event will still run over four action-packed days. We are excited about offering our exhibitors the chance to conduct intensive one-on-one meetings with some of their key customers on Monday before the show opens to all attendees.”
NACV producers have also announced that 70% of the show’s exhibition space has been booked by top truck and trailer manufacturers as well as by commercial vehicle suppliers.
Booked manufacturers include Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar, Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks, as well as Great Dane, Utility, Hyundai and Manac. Confirmed suppliers include Bendix, Continental, Meritor, Eaton, Tenneco, Hendrickson, SAF Holland and Dana.
“The inaugural show is off to a very promising start,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of HFUSA. “We expect to fully book all of the exhibition space by early 2017 as the North American commercial vehicle industry has responded favorably to this dynamic new event and how we have positioned it to meet the industry’s evolving needs.”
Show organizers expect to open registration prior to Jan. 2017. For additional questions about the trade show, go to the show’s website: www.nacvshow.com.


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At their press conference this week at IFA 2014, Toshiba revealed a collection of new products to the world. One of their bigger announcements was the update to their Chromebook line with the new Chrombook 2, now with the option of a full HD display and more RAM, this is looking to be one of the better Chromebooks on the market.
They also announced a new Encore Mini Windows 8.1 with Bing tablet that’s looking to retail at €139 which is an extremely impressive price seeing as you’re getting Windows along with Office 365 Personal and a huge amount of OneDrive cloud storage. This tablet looks like the perfect accessory for any ‘back to school’ student who are keeping an eye on their budgets.
We also got the see some nice new portable wireless speakers with bluetooth and NFC functionality. We’re really liking the wood finish effect and can’t wait to test their sound quality.
For any Camelio X-Sport camera fans out there, you now have a range of new accessories for your adventures with the introduction of a new telescopic ‘Selfie’ pole, suction cup mounts, water bouy-like attachments and various other clip-on mounts.
They also announced two new laptops in the Satellite Radius 11 and Satellite CL10-B with the Radius 11 offering a 360-like screen which you can bend all the way around to the back to allow for a huge amount of ways to use the laptop. You can find the full press release below for the announcements along with other products that were announced.


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Kellogg’s has announced it is axing Ricicles from its range of breakfast cereals in a bid to cut sugar.
However the move has prompted outrage from fans of the sugary rice puffs, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment.
In the eyes of many adults, Ricicles were the cereal of their childhood, bringing back a wave of nostalgia with every spoonful.
The move was made as part of a wider raft of changes made by the cereals giant.
The three top-selling children’s cereals - Coco Pops, Rice Krispies and Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes - will be affected, with the aim of cutting the sugar content by between 20 and 40 per cent by the middle of 2018.
As well as Ricicles ceasing to exist, Kellogg’s has announced they will stop on-pack promotions that are aimed at children on Frosties.
According to Kellogg UK, the changes have been made in response to increasing interest from consumers in how to start the day in a healthy way, with more people being conscious of how much sugar they’re consuming.
The company plans to reduce the sugar content in Coco Pops from 30g per 100g to 17g, which is a reduction of 40 per cent.
“This is following a reduction of 14 per cent earlier this year, meaning that from 2017 to 2018, it will have halved the sugar in Coco Pops,” Kellogg’s said in a statement.
The new version is expected to hit shelves in July 2018.
The sugar content of Rice Krispies will be reduced by 20 per cent, and Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes by 30 per cent.
However the sugar content in cereals like Frosties and Crunchy Nut is set to remain the same, at 37g and 35g per 100g respectively, 11g each per serving.
Whilst a portion size is officially 30g, many people consume much more than that per serving.
The national guidelines for children aged seven to 10 from the government is no more than 24g of sugar a day, which equates to six sugar cubes.
One serving of the new version of Coco Pops will contain 5.1g of sugar, down from 9g in the current recipe.
However some nutritionists believe the cereal giant hasn’t gone far enough.
“ Any move to be helping the general public to make healthier choices is a good one,” Dr Anna Robins, a senior lecturer in exercise, nutrition and health at the University of Salford, told the BBC’s Wake up to Money programme.
“[But] I don’t think they’re going far enough to be making these cereals a healthy option in the morning.”
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Adult dating link
And 38% of Americans who are single and actively looking for a partner have used online dating at one point or another.
Compared with eight years ago, online daters in 2013 are more likely to actually go out on dates with the people they meet on these sites.
One in every ten American adults has used an online dating site or a mobile dating app.
Yet even some online daters view the process itself and the individuals they encounter on these sites somewhat negatively.
Around one in ten online daters (13%) agree with the statement that “people who use online dating sites are desperate,” and 29% agree that online dating “keeps people from settling down because they always have options for people to date.” Familiarity with online dating through usage by friends or family members has increased dramatically since our last survey of online dating in 2005.
Some 42% of Americans know someone who has used online dating, up from 31% in 2005.
At the same time, the proportion of Americans who say that they met their current partner online has doubled in the last eight years.
Some 6% of internet users who are in a marriage, partnership, or other committed relationship met their partner online—that is up from 3% of internet users who said this in 2005.


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SALT LAKE CITY — And there it was at last, the text message Eric Heininger had been waiting for.
His employer had made a direct deposit into his banking account and Mint.com had sent an alert to his phone telling him the money was available. It meant he could fill up the gas in his car and pay some bills.
Heininger, 27, just moved to Chicago, blogs on student loans at theloanvoice.com and is looking for work, so every dollar counts. He is part of a growing number of people who are using Mint.com and other money apps on their phones for instant access to information about their money, net worth, investments, budgets and even bad financial habits.
Mint.com has more than 10 million users with an average of eight financial accounts attached to the program — each account sending information to Mint on the fly. The app provides instant financial feedback, particularly for the two-thirds of Mint users who use the service on their mobile devices.
With instant notification, comparison, compiling and monitoring, consumers are starting to act differently than when financial updating came in the mail once a month. The new feedback makes consumers act almost as if they are using paper money again.
Paper or plastic
Karen Carlson, director of education and creative programs for InCharge Debt Solutions, a nonprofit based in Orlando, Fla., says money apps aren't the biggest change in how people interact with money. The biggest change is the shift in thinking about money as something tangible to thinking about money as something digital, something that is more an idea than something real.
Paying for something used to be a tactile experience — wallets got thinner, bills slipped through fingers, coins rattled and checkbooks had to be balanced in a book.
"Money is now flexible," says Carlson. "It is dynamic. We have overdraft protections so that we really don't need to pay attention, because money will be there even if it is not really there. … In the paper world, we had paper tools. In the digital world, we need digital tools. We need things like budgeting apps where we spend that same time with pencil and paper and a checkbook checking our balance and thinking strategically and negotiating with ourselves about what we need to buy."
She says a phone is different than even the digital monitoring consumers do on a desktop computer. A phone is always with you. It gives real-time alerts.
Vince Maniago, a group product manager at Mint.com in Mountain View, Calif., says if a person lost a wallet it could take them eight hours before they noticed, but a phone would be noticed in less than eight minutes.
"We are more connected to our phones than we are to our head, shoes and underwear," he says. "Phones are like a direct port into our brain."
That immediacy and connection is beginning to change people's financial lives.
When a person signs up for a money app service like Mint.com, the app collects personal financial information as a part of the service, including the last 90 days of financial information, Maniago says. The program analyzes how money is spent, categorizes it and tracks it. Ninety days after sign-up, spending for things like entertainment, bars and dining out drops for about 80 percent of the people who use Mint.
"Mobile brings it home to people," Maniago says.
Victor Rodriguez in Mesquite, Texas, used Mint.com to solve a mystery. He couldn't figure out where all his money was going. Mint told the recent PR graduate the ugly truth. "A lot of it went to fast food," he says. "It was horrible. I was appalled. I thought, 'Wow! $600 a month!' Now I don't spend as much."
Rodriguez also checks the app right before he shops and goes out for errands. Because he is still looking for a good job, he says can show it to family members who are helping him out. That way they can feel confident he is not wasting money.
"It gives me a sense of accountability," he says.
In Hull, Iowa, Sharla Kattenberg and her husband found their way into mobile money apps through trying to follow radio financial guru Dave Ramsey's advice to use an envelope system. The envelope system basically means dividing monthly cash into different envelopes with each marked for different purposes such as groceries, gas, entertainment and the like.
The Kattenberg didn't like the idea of using physical cash in envelopes, so instead they use the Easy Envelope Budget Aid app — a virtual envelope budgeting system.
Each virtual envelope is displayed as a bar which turns from green to yellow as the money is used up. If the bar goes red, that means a person exceeded the budgeted amount in that envelope.
This happened recently for Kattenberg when she hired someone to hang pictures in her home. The service would cost $170, but the household envelope only had $100 in it. She transferred money from the grocery envelope to cover the cost.
"We might be starving," she says, "but we'll have a pretty house."
When couples use a money app there are no secrets. Each person knows what the other person is up to.
"I know he'll see it," Kattenberg says, "and he'll see it right away."
Together but separate
Maniago with Mint.com, however, is noticing societal trends that are challenging his company's app to keep current with people's lifestyles. He says in the not-so-distant past, most couples who got married (himself included) would combine their accounts.
Now, he says, more newlyweds are keeping their accounts separate. This means Mint.com (and, by extension, other similar apps) need to be able to help couples not only understand where money is going, but also how to divvy up things like bills and varying balances in multiple accounts.
Some financial apps are like Mint.com and use established "bank level" web security protocols. Mint also doesn't allow any altering of accounts such as withdrawals, transfers or bill-paying. Other apps, such as the popular Pageonce, can be used to pay bills.
"We would absolutely recommend anybody thinking about using an app to, before inputting anything, do some due diligence. Do some research on the company," Carlson at InCharge Debt Solutions says. "Who are they? What is their security policy? Do some Googling. Look at their BBB profile."
But all that financial information in an mobile app may not be enough, says Carlson. She thinks the personal finance world is behind the diet world in focusing too much on information and not enough on behavior modification.
"The diet world doesn't say, 'We just need to educate people on nutrition and calories,'" she says. "There is a very a clear understanding it is a behavioral issue. We all know you have to eat less, you have to exercise more. We know this, but we don't do it because we have bad habits. We have behavioral issues we need to correct."
It is the same thing with personal finances.
Carlson thinks of a healthy living app that gives bubbly encouragement alerts such as, "Keep eating and exercising like you did this week and you'll meet your weight goal in a month."
Carlson says something similar for a financial app might be great. Such an app could encourage its users with alerts such as, "Save money like this weekly and you will have $7,000 in your account by the end of the year."
Or maybe something like, "You saved $500 this month. Forget what that healthy living app says and go treat yourself with a banana split."


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League of Legends presents a short teaser of their upcoming champion Pyke, the Bloodharbor Ripper.
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Ben’s Chili Bowl is expanding again.
Borderstan’s sister site, Hill Now, reported earlier today that the landmark U Street eatery famous for its chili and half smokes will open a new location on H Street NE in just two weeks.
The store, located at 1001 H St. NE, is slated to open July 8 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and some “special guests,” said Vida Ali, whose family owns the Ben’s Chili Bowl restaurants across D.C.
Local politicians and comedian Bill Cosby have previously attended Ben’s Chili Bowl openings in the past.
Founded in 1958 by Ben and Virginia Ali, Ben’s Chili Bowl locations can be found on U Street NW and in Arlington, as well as at Reagan National Airport, Nationals Park and FedExField.
Photo of Ben’s Chili Bowl interior via Ben’s Chili Bowl


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Feb 16 (Reuters) - Canadian specialty pharmaceuticals company Paladin Labs Inc posted a higher fourth-quarter profit helped by increased sales of certain key drugs.
The Montreal-based company expects full-year revenue of at least C$140 million.
For the October-December quarter, net income was C$15.8 million, or 76 Canadian cents a share, up from C$13.9 million, or 71 Canadian cents a share, a year ago.
Revenue rose about 14 percent to C$37.1 million.
Total sales of drugs Tridural, Trelstar, Testim, Metadol, and Plan B increased 10 percent for the quarter, the company said in a statement.
Shares of Paladin closed at C$45.15 on Wednesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.


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A prescient group of investors piled up staggering profits
during the 2008 financial crisis by shorting the subprime
industry. Now, many investors say they see the same opportunity
in bricks-and-mortar retailing in the U.S., which has been
thrust into an accelerating pace of decline as it faces
competition from Internet and e-commerce giants like Amazon.com
Inc. (AMZN). The retail
industry’s decline is presenting what amounts to the next big
short for investors who excel in the art of short selling.
The Next Big Opportunity
Events seem to confirm that diagnosis. Right now, 18% of U.S.
retailers, twice as many as of the start of 2017, have bond
ratings of CCC or lower, placing them among the highest risk junk credits,
per a recent FT article. Additionally, at
least 19 major U.S. retailers have filed for bankruptcy
protection so far in 2017, per CNBC, with privately-held Toys “R” Us
Inc. as the latest high-profile casualty.
“We think the magnitude of this short could be bigger than
subprime,” Stephen Ketchum, founder and CEO of $13 billion
hedge fund Sound Point
Capital Management LP, said in a detailed FT story on the industry’s
crisis in July.
In his remarks to the FT, Ketchum likened online merchant
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) to
an iceberg and retail to the Titanic. Neither he nor the FT
singled out specific retailers, but the shares of many big
names have taken on water during the past 12 months. These
companies’ future will be determined by how the shakeout
unfolds. In the past year, Macy’s Inc. (M) has fallen 43%; Kohl’s Corp.
(KSS), -2%; JCPenney Co.
Inc. (JCP), -61%; Target
Corp. (TGT), -15%; Sears
Holdings Corp. (SHLD),
-38%; and Nordstrom Inc. (JWN), -17%. Bucking the trend so far
is upscale jeweler Tiffany & Co. (TIF), up 29%.
To be sure, some investors are finding a contrarian play in
retailing, a third FT article reports. Cole Smead, a
portfolio manager at $2.2 billion equity fund Smead Capital
Management, has accumulated shares of Target, which he sees as
attractively priced relative to free cash flow. This ratio
currently is 9.0, per Investopedia data. Meanwhile, other fund
managers mentioned by the FT have scooped up shares of Macy’s
and JCPenney, whose current price to free cash flow
ratios are 9.6 and 12.4, respectively. (For more, see also:
Retail Stocks Hammered By Amazon May Be Good Buys.)
Reasons to Short Retail
But stock investors face enormous risks in the retail space.
The dramatic rise in online shopping is just one problem
besetting traditional brick-and-mortar stores, and the shopping
malls in which many of them are located. The other is
overbuilding and overexpansion. “This created a bubble, and
like housing, that bubble now has burst,” is what Richard
Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN), said earlier this year, per
the FT. He went on to say that the vicious circle of store
closures and declining rents in retail malls is likely to
accelerate. With growing numbers of vacant storefronts,
shoppers have less reason to visit these malls, leading to yet
more store closures. Urban Outfitters, by the way, was removed
from the S&P 500 Index (SPX) earlier this year, due to
cap. Its share price has fallen 37% during the past 12
Earlier this year, Bank of America Merrill Lynch released a
report estimating that U.S. retail floor space has fallen 10%
since 2010, during which department store revenue fell by 18%,
per the FT. As evidence of the overbuilding cited by Richard
Hayne of Urban Outfitters, international accounting and
consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers calculates that the U.S.
has about 24 square feet of retail floor space per capita,
versus 11 for second-place Australia, and somewhere between
only 2 and 5 in Europe. also per the FT. In 2016, 82.6 million
square feet of retail floor space were lost in the U.S., an
eight-year high, and announced closures for 2017 already had
approached that number by mid-year, the FT adds.
Too Many Stores
Meanwhile, recent research by IHL Group, which serves the
retail and hospitality industries, indicates that the U.S.
actually will have more retail stores at the end of 2017 than
at the beginning, according to Forbes. More than offsetting
the number of closures announced by bankrupt electronics
retailer Radio Shack and various apparel stores is an
aggressive expansion binge led by discount and convenience
stores, most notably: Dollar General Corp. (DG); Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR); 7-Eleven Inc., a division of
Japan-based Seven & I Holdings Ltd. (3382.Tokyo); and
Circle K, a division of Toronto-listed Alimentation Couche-Tard
Inc. (ATD.B). The locations being vacated by failing retailers
typically are not suitable for these growing store categories,
hence the increased number of empty storefronts even as the
number of stores increases, Forbes notes.


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Legal marijuana a boon for Canton generator company
In 2012, when the drives to legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts and recreational marijuana in Colorado were underway, Michael Molway said eh was attending a conference in Savannah, Georgia, focusing on the future of electric energy markets across the nation, Wicked Local reported.
Molway, owner of FM Generator, of Canton, offered his opinion about the opportunities that the prospective cannabis industry might present to generator supply and service companies if voters said yes to legalization.
“The room went silent for a second, and the attendees, who were from all over the country, looked at me in amazement,” he said. “The moderator eventually said the topic was too controversial, and the discussion moved on to other topics.”
Six years later, 30 states have legalized for medical marijuana and eight more have legalized recreational, and with the intense energy needs required by cannabis growers, the hypothetical opportunities for generator set suppliers have become quite real, Molway said.
This comes as no surprise to Molway. A biochemistry major in college, Molway said he came back from the Savannah conference and did some research on the cannabis industry. He quickly realized that cultivators, particularly in cooler climates like the Northeast, would require significant backup power to protect their fragile crop during power outages.
“Since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, there is not interstate commerce allowed,” Molway said. “That’s actually a good thing for Massachusetts and our company because it means that all legal cannabis has to be grown in state. With our cooler weather, limited daylight in winter, and propensity for storm-related power outages, cultivators need dependable power. Loss of power because of a nor’easter could result in the loss of a very expensive crop.”
Generators have been used in greenhouses for years, mainly to generate light and heat. But cannabis cultivation sites depend on generators to power much more, including humidity control technology, irrigation machinery, a wide range of processing equipment and complex security systems.
The existing medical cannabis industry here, and the state’s burgeoning adult-use industry, has meant new business for Molway’s company. FM Generator has installed generator sets at cultivation and dispensary sites throughout the state. Molway estimates that cannabis-related equipment sales and servicing makes up about five percent of his business. He expects that number to grow as the industry finds its footing.
“There’s no reason to think that Massachusetts will be any different than Colorado, Washington, Oregon and other legal states,” Molway said. “The legal cannabis industry is thriving in those states, creating jobs and new revenues and new business opportunities for generator suppliers and lots of other industries.”
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has begun issuing cultivation and retail licenses. The new industry is estimated to hit $1.6 billion in sales by 2020 and to return more than $285 million in new tax revenue to the state.


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March 30, 2018, 8am PDT
In an interview, urbanism scholar Emily Talen discusses what it would take to restore "main street principles" to American towns and cities. Understandably, small retailers play a big role.
August 26, 2013, 11am PDT
In recent months, a massive speed-camera program has been causing quite a stir in the tiny town of Elmwood Place, Ohio.
March 14, 2013, 11am PDT
Jordan Rane profiles 8 historic towns from across the country that have overcome significant challenges to become desirable destinations once again.
February 4, 2013, 2pm PST
Kaid Benfield pens a provocative column in which he suggests that the traditional American Main Street is a thing of the past, and may no longer fit our modern retail economy. Are traditional main streets still worth preserving and emulating?
January 11, 2013, 1pm PST
Despite their more traditional, mixed-use development patterns, the UK's town centers are not immune from declining "high streets" as a result of the poor economy, and the attractions of shopping centers and online retail. How can they fight back?
April 19, 2012, 8am PDT
Writing in Travel + Leisure, Wayne Curtis surveys 15 of America's greatest Main Streets.
December 7, 2011, 7am PST
Canadian cities are increasingly investing in cultural centers in their downtowns in order to create attract people and spur investment.
May 28, 2011, 11am PDT
Sharon McMillan explains how her town - Unionville, Ontario - gave New Urbanism "a great big hug" back in the 1970s, and has benefited ever since.
January 13, 2011, 12pm PST
The Commercial District Advisor and LISC have selected five businesses as "The Best Chains on Main", recognizing their commitment to economic revitalization and dedication to improving their communities.
The Commercial District Advisor
November 9, 2010, 8am PST
Roberta Brandes Gratz pays a visit to Mt. Morris, New York, a town that many are looking at as a prime example of economic revitalization.
October 4, 2010, 8am PDT
Rick Wright is the Executive Director of MainStreet Oceanside, and is attending the California Downtown Association conference. But Rick also edits MiceChat, a blog for Disney obsessives, and this week he features Main Streets, Disney and otherwise.
July 9, 2010, 12pm PDT
The Project for Public Spaces has begun to publicize improvements it has made to main streets across the country with a new web feature, reports Kaid Benfield.
Sustainable Cities Collective
May 14, 2010, 7am PDT
The National Main Street Conference was in Oklahoma City last week. Bob Phipps, a retail consultant, talks about what he got out of the event.
March 11, 2010, 5am PST
Why do Main St. redevelopments get it wrong so much of the time?
February 16, 2010, 5am PST
Pleasantville, NY may be affluent and amenity-rich, but it isn't immune to the economic downturn. Now some suggest the town should sacrifice character for economic opportunity.
December 15, 2009, 2pm PST
Vancouver, Washington's Main St. had languished for years, until city officials turned the street back to two-way traffic. Everyone was surprised at how much difference it made.
November 29, 2009, 7am PST
In Ashtabula, Ohio, City Manager Tony Cantagallo is incensed that a handful of downtown businesses neglecting their storefronts are holding back the attempts to revitalize Main Avenue.
October 26, 2009, 12pm PDT
What does Main Street America look like today? A journalist, a public radio producer, and two Harvard PhD students set out to visit actual Main Streets across the country to find out.


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AUB launches 3D secure services
Manama, September 26, 2012
Ahli United Bank (AUB) has partnered with Arab Financial Services, the electronic payment processing provider in the region, to launch 3D Secure Services for the bank’s cardholders in Bahrain.
3D Secure is a free and automatic service which provides an added authentication layer, making online transactions safer and more secure, said a senior official.
“Consumer confidence is vital for using cards for purchases online and we are pleased to introduce this latest protection feature as part of our on-going commitment to making payment channels through the internet as safe and secure as possible for our valued customers,” remarked Shafqat Anwar, AUB deputy group chief executive operations and technology.-TradeArabia News Service


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American technology company IBM and leading financial services corporation Visa collaborated on an innovative project that brings the point of sale (POS) everywhere.
The tech and finance behemoths joined forces in turning automobiles, appliances and all other devices connected to the internet of things into points of sale.
“As the devices begin to get more and more connected the point of sale is everywhere and that is what we are so excited about. The Watson IoT platform will make it really simple for developers to pull the payment application into their devices using the APIs that IBM exposes,” says Avin Arumugan, SVP, Internet of things, Visa.
The Watson IoT cognitive technology platform allows the businesses to communicate to all wearable connected devices everywhere Visa’s payment services are accepted.
“IBM and Visa are bringing together the businesses of the internet of things combined with the technology of the internet of things”, stated IBM’s General Manager, Harriet Green.
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Record Sport understands the SPFL are auctioning off a three-match package for the latter stages of the competition at a cut-price £50,000.
Hampden bosses are in advanced discussions with a number of potential bidders, all vying to have their brand attached to what will be the first Old Firm showdown in three years, on February 1.
As part of the package the other Hampden semi between Aberdeen and Dundee United will be sold off to the same buyer who will then also have the option of sponsoring the final on March 15.
The news will come as a timely boost to SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster who just last week was lampooned by sporting mogul Barry Hearn for his failure to tie up a commercial partner for Scotland’s professional league.
Doncaster has been in detailed discussions with a number of companies who are ready to hand over their cash and it’s expected all rival bids will be put before the SPFL board, possibly as soon as this week, before a final decision is rubber-stamped and made public.
But the figures involved – relatively small in the world of sport – are sure to raise a few eyebrows. Sources close to the deal insist the SPFL have offered the package out a bargain rate to showcase what their product can do for a prospective client.
And with time a factor they want to reel in a partner hoping that next time, the deal will be more lucrative.
The game’s leaders have come under fire for failing to land a sponsor for the league and league cup competitons since the SPL and SFL merged in the summer of 2013.


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Supplies of mandarins in North America are undergoing the transition between the domestic crop and imported product.
In California, mandarin supplies are just finishing up. “We’ve probably got another two to three weeks of harvest and we’ll have supply a little bit after that,” says Casey Creamer of California Citrus Mutual based in Exeter, CA. “We’re ending just a tad later than normal.”
Creamer notes that on volume, California does have slightly more volume than the 2020 crop. “There’s a little bit more fruit on the tree and we also had some acres coming into production,” he says. Early on in the season, smaller sizing on the California fruit was a concern. However, growers took larger sizes off the tree to allow the smaller fruit to size up.
California mandarin supplies are just finishing up with another two to three weeks of harvest. Photo: California Citrus Mutual.
While demand in 2020 with COVID-19 was good on citrus items such as oranges and lemons, Creamer notes that that strength in demand didn’t necessarily carry over to mandarins. But he says this year demand has been good on the fruit.
As for pricing, it has been slightly lower this season. “I think it’s because we’ve got a little bit more acreage and growers have responded to an increased demand for mandarins. At the same time we’re also seeing imports coming in at the beginning of their season and the end of our season,” Creamer says.
One thing California citrus growers (and other commodity growers across North America) are still dealing with are supply chain issues--everything from accessing containers, increases in transportation costs, short supplies and more. “These are all driving our production costs higher. There’s a complete upheaval of the supply chain and you can put band aids on it but really, our entire supply chain is under stress,” Creamer says.
Imported mandarins are coming in largely from Peru currently. Photo: Gold Cup Fresh.
Imports shipping already
Meanwhile imported mandarins have already been coming in for 1.5 months, largely from Peru.
“They’ve had good reception. We expect a good quality season and an increase in the volume from Peru,” says Tomas Urdapilleta of Miami, FL-based Gold Cup Fresh, a grower and importer of citrus, avocados and grapes. Peru has already finished shipping early mandarins such as clementines and are now switching to W. Murcotts. The W. Murcotts should begin availability in the beginning of July and Urdapilleta adds that its Peruvian farms are increasingly moving to growing seedless W. Murcotts.
As for this year’s crop from Peru, it’s about 10 percent larger than last year and there’s good sizing for retail bags. “Peru has more production because there are more trees coming into production. It’s not only Peru--it’s also Chile. South Africa is also coming with more production,” Urdapilleta says.
Tomas Urdapilleta (left) and Frank Telge of Gold Cup Fresh. Photo: Gold Cup Fresh.
Growing mandarin programs
Given the greater supplies of fruit from not only Peru but imminently other supplying regions such as Chile and South Africa, Urdapilleta notes it’s going to be important to have fruit already sold or as part of programs.
Given the greater volumes, movement could be an issue for imported supplies. “The demand last year was higher, and the market stable during the larger part of the season. But we haven’t seen that during the first part of the year,” Urdapilleta says.
That said, he anticipates pricing should be accessible enough to help boost consumer demand. “We can expect some price increases during the coming weeks, before the bigger volumes from Peru, Chile and South Africa hit the market in July,” says Urdapilleta.
Indeed, looking ahead, managing the upcoming volume will also help with movement. Chile had a slow start but is currently shipping clementines and it’s anticipated a large volume of the fruit will come in the next two to three weeks. He notes that Chile generally is seeing larger volumes on smaller sizes.
“So combine that with W. Murcotts from Peru plus volumes from South Africa, it’s going to give us a challenging season,” says Urdapilleta.


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Huawei P20 Pro and P20 Lite, the two premium smartphones from the Chinese company, will be officially launched in India on April 24. Ahead of the launch, the company has confirmed that its flagship devices will be available exclusively on Amazon India.
Huawei P20 Pro: Specifications, Features
Huawei P20 Pro is the flagship phone, design to compete with Galaxy S9 and the Apple iPhone X and Google Pixel 2 XL. The focus on the P20 Pro is with the camera, which has three sensors at the back. Like the Apple iPhone X, Huawei P20 Pro has a notch on the front display. The phone comes with a 6.1-inch Full Vision OLED display with ultra thin bezels and resolution of 2,240 x 1,080 pixels. Colour options of the Huawei P20 Pro are black, midnight blue, pink gold and twilight. However, Huawei has managed to add a button on the front of the device, which has the fingerprint scanner embedded inside.
The P20 Pro runs the Kirin 970 octa-core processor coupled with with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone is already on EMUI 8.1 based on Android 8.1. Battery on the P20 Pro is 4000 mAh with wireless charging support. Coming to the camera, this is the USP of the phone. Huawei P20 Pro’s camera comes with a Leica-branded triple lens system. The camera on the back includes a 40MP RGB sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP sensor with telephoto lens.
Huawei P20 Pro: Expected price in India
The Huawei P20 Pro was launched in Europe at a price of Eur 899. On conversion that is nearly Rs 73,000 plus. The Huawei P20 Pro could sport a hefty price tag when it launches in India, nearly Rs 60,000 plus easily.
Huawei P20 Lite: Specifications and Features
Huawei P20 Lite is the more budget friendly variant. It has a 5.84-inch Full HD+ Full View display, and is powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 659 SoC. The RAM is 4GB and it comes with 64GB storage, which is expandable. The Huawei P20 Lite is on EMUI 8.1 software as well with Android 8.0 Oreo. The smartphone has a notch on the front and vertical dual rear cameras. However, unlike the Pro variant, this has dual rear cameras, there’s no third lens. The smartphone’s camera is 16MP and 2MP on the back with option for Bokeh. The battery is 3,000mAh with fast charging support.
Huawei P20 Lite: Expected price in India
Huawei P20 Lite was launched in Europe at a price of 369 Euros, which is comes to Rs 30,000 on conversion. However, the phone could launch at a more budget friendly price of Rs 20,000 when it is introduced in India.


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On June 10, 2016, an Alabama-based car dealership, Turnbull Automotive, filed a lawsuit against the Centerville, Virginia-based company, Carfax, on behalf of itself and all other individuals and entities who have been subject to intermittent, arbitrary increases in subscription fees with the company over the past four years. Carfax subscribers are given access to information on the repair history of used cars. The plaintiff claims that the defendant, Carfax, has been significantly and arbitrarily increasing subscription fees with no justification given to consumers in violation of Virginia consumer laws. Plaintiff contends that his company subscribed to Defendant’s services in 2012 for $250 per month and was subject to such significant fee increases every year that by April 2016, the monthly fee had risen to $569.
Turnbull is seeking more than $5 million in damages.
Counsel Financial, the market leader in the attorney lending industry, has provided over $1.5 billion in working capital credit lines and other innovative financial products to the plaintiffs' bar since 2000.
6400 Main Street, Suite 120 Williamsville, NY 14221+ 1 800 820 4430


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By JINA AMBA
JIMI farmer Samson Tun believes that the district in Jiwaka can produce cocoa, vanilla, rice and copra if more attention is given to these income-generating crops.
Tun is a member of the Jimi women and youth in agriculture association responsible for the cocoa nursery, rice seed distribution and peanut seed production.
The association is yet to be registered.
They are from Kosap in Upper Jimi.
Tun said the association was focused on the cocoa nursery and supplying them to farmers.
It has already supplied 30,000 since they started the project in 2016.
Other crops grown in Jimi are coconut, betel nut, rice and vanilla.
Tun said the climate was also good for rice, coconut, betel nut and vanilla.
The association recently received a rice mill from the National Agriculture Research Institute in Lae.
The farmers are now milling rice to sell to villagers.
Association members displayed the products when Prime Minister James Marape visited Jiwaka last week.
Marape and other cabinet ministers saw for themselves what the association members were producing.
Janet Tap has been selling products that she makes such as oil, soap and spices from plants she grows at her home in Waraka, Jiwaka.
Tap said Marape and his delegation tasted some of the food on display.
She uses turmeric, red pandanus, moringa, noni, ginger, garlic and onion to make soap, oil and spices.


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Patrick Hall of Bright Blue argues the government's welcome Environment Bill can afford to take a tougher line on tackling black plastic
Tuesday's publication of the Environment Bill was a welcome one, and it is heartening to see the Government truly determined to tackle our plastic waste problem. The Bill's initiatives include introducing...
Cosmetics company inks 22MW Virtual Power Purchase Agreement to supply more than half its electricity needs
Luxury fashion chief says businesses should pump more cash into conservation efforts
Innovation in battery technology and economies of scale will make Volkswagen's latest electric vehicle significantly cheaper to produce, company claims
AECOM's Robert Spencer urges business support for an innovative project aimed at curbing waste in the construction industry


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FM22 is less than a month away, which means it's time to take your suit to the dry cleaners and get ready for another year of ups and downs.
Here's everything we know about this year's stripped-back version of FM22.
LATEST - New Features Revealed
The official FM YouTube channel recently sat down to discuss some of the new features coming to FM22. Whilst it remains to be seen how many of these features will be arriving on FM Touch, we've been assured that new information will be released soon.
Check out this video for more details:
FM Touch has always been a handy alternative for fans of the game, offering a more streamlined version for players that wanted a quicker experience of the football management simulator.
However, it's now been announced that this won't be happening.
Instead, it's been confirmed that FM Touch will only be releasing on the Nintendo Switch.
Why FM22 Touch won't be available on PC
FM Touch has always provided a stripped back version for PC players, but not this year.
The developers have cited the pandemic as the reasoning behind this difficult decision, which is bound to be disappointing news for many long-term fans of the series.
Where can you play FM Touch?
FM22 Touch will be released solely on the Nintendo Switch, with PC players being given the alternate option of downloading the Xbox version via Steam or Xbox Game Pass.
The developers have announced that a version of the 'versus' mode - available on FM Touch - will be implemented into the standard version of the game early next year.
Whilst it has no doubt been a difficult decision for the developers to make, it's been done to ensure the best overall experience for players on all devices
Miles Jacobson confirmed that the decision was 'best for the studio and the wider FM community'
There is no word on whether FM Touch will return to PC.


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PROVO, Utah – MoneyDesktop, the provider of the popular online personal financial management solution, announced this morning it has acquired MoneyReef, a Provo-based start-up creator of Reimburse, a mobile budgeting service.
Reimburse allows users to manage their expense reports and receipts on their mobile devices.
Four of MoneyReef’s eight-person team will be joining MoneyDesktop’s 71 person team, including two of the three co-founders.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
It is the second acquisition in the past eight month for MoneyDesktop, which contracts with more than 300 credit unions and banks. Last November it acquired MyJibe, a web-based budgeting, planning, and personal financial management platform.
MoneyDesktop is currently making final adjustments to its iPad application, which it briefly demoed during the FinovateSpring 2012 conference. MoneyDesktop's iPad application is expected to be available in the app store in the third quarter.


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Proto Labs Inc. is sharpening its focus on Hubs, the Amsterdam-based manufacturing network it acquired in 2021. Now rebranded as the Protolabs Network, the network of over 250 manufacturers has a new global brand for selling such digital manufacturing services as 3D printing and injection molding.
“We’re building a business model that the manufacturing industry has never seen before, and customers are beginning to harness the full potential it offers,” says Rob Bodor, Protolabs’ president and CEO. “In the third quarter of 2023 alone, revenue fulfilled through Protolabs Network increased over 80% year over year.”
“This is the future of the industry — manufacturing that is completely tailored to what customers need, when they need it, and at the price point they want,” said Pjotr Horowitz, managing director for Protolabs Network. “It’s exciting to be on the frontlines driving that evolution.”
Protolabs says it reached record Q3 revenue of $23 million in the Hubs network business, as Protolabs total revenue grew 7.1% to an all-time high $130.7 million.
Protolabs’ services include:
- Injection molding
- 3D printing
- Sheet metal
- CNC machining
CNC machining is a manufacturing process in which pre-programmed applications dictate the movement of factory tools and machinery. The process enables three-dimensional cutting tasks to be accomplished in a single set of prompts.
Paul Demery is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. [email protected].
Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 B2B News, published 4x/week. It covers technology and business trends in the growing B2B ecommerce industry. Contact Mark Brohan, vice president of B2B and Market Research Development, at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @markbrohan.Favorite


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Merck and Schering-Plough have temporarily pulled the plug on their popular ad campaign for Vytorin just days after releasing news that the cholesterol-treatment didn’t reduce arterial plaque in a recent clinical trial. Trial results showed that the billion-dollar drug worked no better than Zocor, a cheaper drug found in Vytorin, the Associated Press reports.
Vytorin, however, was never approved as a plaque reducer. The drug is used to lower LDL cholesterol, thereby decreasing the risk of congenital heart failure. The clinical trial was performed to determine whether the drug could also be used to lower fatty plaque in veins and arteries, but the results weren’t positive.
A spokesperson for the drug companies stated that the ads were stopped “in light of mischaracterization and misinterpretation of the ENHANCE trial results.” Print advertisements will not be discontinued.
The “food and family” campaign for Vytorin is regarded as one of the best DTC campaigns, garnering numerous awards and recognitions over the last two years. The ads pair food items and family members that kind of resemble each other. The ads simply state that there are two sources for cholesterolâ€”food and family. The ads are the perfect illustration for the slogan.
“We found that ‘food and family’ was a very easy catchphrase for people to remember,” said Tamara Neufeld, DDB management supervisor, in an interview with Pharm Exec last year. “And when we looked at pictures, we started to see this great resemblance: ‘Whoa. He kind of looks like a ham. And this person looks like an apple pie.’ It was fun.”


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BlackBerry Philippines has launched in the local market their newest smartphone, the BlackBerry Z3.
“The Philippines is a key market for BlackBerry Z3,” Cameron Vernest, BlackBerry managing director for Singapore and the Philippines, said in a press release. “This device gives users more ways to connect, share and communicate, providing the best tool for secure, reliable communications and collaboration.”
BlackBerry said that the Z3 will be sold for P10,990.
The BB Z3, which has a 5″ touch display, runs on BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1, which also supports applications for Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).
BlackBerry Z3 Specifications:
- 164 g / 5.78 oz
- 540 x 960 qHD resolution
- 5 inch screen, 16:9 aspect ratio
- dual core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm
- 1.5 GB RAM
- 8 GB storage, with up to 32 GB MicroSD support
- 2,500 mAH non-removable battery
- 5 MP rear camera, 1.1 MP front camera
- 3G/HSPA connectivity


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Warning: Fraudsters send out letters claiming to be from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau
Action Fraud is warning people to be wary following reports of a letter claiming to be from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).
The letter is being sent to victims of fraud offering them the opportunity to have their money returned. To receive the money, it asks them to send their personal details to a South African bank. However, it uses the NFIB branding and the name of the City of London Police’s Commissioner to appear credible. The fraudsters are sending these letters so that they are able to gather bank details and defraud people who have already fallen victim to fraud.
Protect yourself from fraud recovery fraud:
- Be ready for fraud recovery scams if you’ve been a victim in the past. Challenge any letters from people you don’t know or companies you’ve never contacted. Clarify any letters directly with the relevant organisation.
- If you’re asked to pay, or give your bank account details, end all contact.
- Ask how they found out that you had been a victim. Any report of fraud is protected by law and can’t be shared with anyone else outside of law enforcement agencies.
City of London Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe said: “This fraudulent letter is clearly not something that the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau would send to the public. It takes advantage of peoples’ trust in order to steal money from those who have already fallen victim.
“By using recognised organisations, including the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau’s branding and the City of London Police’s reputation, the fraudsters are attempting to appear credible. If you are unsure about a letter you have received from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, please contact Action Fraud directly before giving away any of your personal details.”
ActionFraud is the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre.
We provide a central point of contact for information about fraud and cyber crime.
The easiest way to report fraud and cyber crime is by using our online reporting tool.Report
Latest News from
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Victims lost £41 million to romance fraud in 201713/02/2018 16:20:00
New statistics released ahead of Valentine’s Day prove that the UK is continuing to lose huge amounts of money to romance fraud – with victims conned out of £41 million in 2017 alone.
Cost of car insurance fraud to victims revealed in new police campaign05/02/2018 16:05:00
The City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED) has launched a national awareness campaign today (Monday 5 February 2018) to warn motorists about the dangers of buying fake car insurance from fraudsters, also known as ‘ghost brokers’, who are potentially leaving thousands of unsuspecting victims driving without insurance.
Fraudsters pose as Financial Ombudsman Service staff with fake compensation05/02/2018 09:25:00
We're warning people to watch out for fraudsters claiming to be from the Financial Ombudsman Service.


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“The economic situation is a more important subject than the veil,” says Zahra who, like many Iranian women, is mainly concerned about inflation, a year after the start of the vast protest movement that shook Iran.
Interviewed on a street in Tehran, the 41-year-old housewife admits that it is difficult to make ends meet while prices have increased by almost 50% over the past year, much more than salaries.
“Life is hard for people and it becomes more complicated every day,” also testifies Raha, a 34-year-old accountant who does not wish to give her last name.
In such a context, she hopes that the government will "focus on improving the economic situation" rather than on the wearing of the veil which "is a secondary subject and a personal question".
The debate on the obligation of the hijab returned in force after the shock caused by the death, on September 16, 2022, of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old young woman arrested for non-compliance with the strict dress code of the Islamic Republic.
This death triggered one of the strongest protest movements since the start of the Islamic Republic in 1979, resulting in the deaths of several hundred people and the arrest of thousands of others.
Faced with the disobedience of many women who no longer wear the veil in public, the authorities have announced a strengthening of controls and sanctions, which is provided for in a new law currently under discussion in Parliament.
“This bill pleases some, but not the general population,” says Fatemeh, a 43-year-old housewife, interviewed by AFP.
The authorities "should take care of economic problems. Then they can look at social issues," says Raha. “If the economy improves, people will be more inclined to respect the laws of the country,” she believes.
Likewise, Zahra says she has “no problem wearing the hijab”. “But I would be happier if the living conditions were better,” she confides.
At the start of the year, Iranian President Ebrahim Raïssi stated that his priority was "improving the livelihoods of the population" and "controlling inflation", which stood at 46.7 % at the end of August.
The conservative president had placed the responsibility for part of the economic problems on the “enemy” who “is trying to impose despair on the people”. He thus targeted the West, especially the United States, which has imposed severe economic sanctions on Iran since 2018.
A year later, gloom persists in the Grand Bazaar, the immense commercial heart of Tehran frequented by all social classes even if the wealthiest prefer the "malls" of the chic neighborhoods in the north of the city.
In the maze of bazaar aisles, activity remains bustling and the stalls are overflowing with colorful products, but the merchants look grim.
“The bazaar is crowded, but a lot of people come to have fun or simply ask for the latest prices,” says Mehdi, a trader.
“The situation is worse than a year ago, and it will get even worse,” adds Mohsen, who sells men's clothing. “People’s priority is to pay for their accommodation, then their food.”
Another shopkeeper, Mohammad, 41, notes that buyers are increasingly favoring products “made in Iran” while imported products are rarer because of sanctions, and more expensive due to the 66% drop in price. rial, the national currency, in one year.
“Today, most of the items available, such as pots and cutlery, are made in Iran,” says this crockery seller.
09/12/2023 05:13:10 - Tehran (AFP) - ©2023 AFP


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Now we know this is really short notice, but tomorrow BlackBerry will be hosting Designer and Developer Mashup in NYC. The Designer and Developer Mashup is a relaxed casual networking event that will take place at West 3rd Common in New York City Wednesday July 24th from 8-10 PM. Check out the information below: We […]
BlackBerry has announced a major update to Sencha Touch BlackBerry 10 Theme, this update is coming this week during SenchaCon. Sencha Touch developers can now create HTML5 apps that are nearly indistinguishable from native Cascades apps. Get a free copy of Sencha Architect valued at $399 and a BlackBerry Dev Alpha B device for “Qualified […]
So BlackBerry has gone viral with live jam conferences, BlackBerry developers who attend will experience a live video feed that enables them to both see and interact with presenters and other developers! Being a developer myself this is exciting to see and I’m stoked about it! Virtual Conference This interactive virtual conference is custom-designed for […]
The independent authority on web design and development in Canada, bestwebdesignagencies.com, has named the ten best Blackberry development companies for July 2013. Ten Best Blackberry Development Companies in Canada Named by bestwebdesignagencies.com for July 2013 (PRWEB) July 11, 2013 – The independent authority on web design and development in Canada, bestwebdesignagencies.com, has released their list […]
Last month BlackBerry offered student to take part in a developer event called BlackBerry Jam Camp. The students will be able to create a Built for BlackBerry app and get a chance to win either a BlackBerry Z10 or Q10. The course is a two day event, but students that attend will continue to get […]
BlackBerry announced a program called the BlackBerry Certified Builder, which was aimed towards developers and allows developers to be certified once they pass the program. In addition to this program BlackBerry announced an additional program called the BlackBerry Enterprise Developer Expert. This new exam will prove that you have the upper echelon of knowledge when […]
BlackBerry has released Built For BlackBerry WebWorks “Bootstrap” sample. The sample makes it easier for BlackBerry 10 app developers to make Built for BlackBerry certified apps. Chad from BlackBerry actually created the sample “to focus more of your time on the functionality of your app, rather than the actual UI and setup.”
Vision Mobile is looking for app developers to participate in the survey. It’s only 10 minutes long and they are asking questions about app development, platforms and HTML vs. native development. And more specific questions like which platforms generate most revenue?
Now that the lucky few, we in the US are still waiting, who have picked up their new BlackBerry 10 device you can pick up FlyCraft! I was lucky enough to get my hands on a prerelease Z10 device and I have the game running on it already! Hit the jump to download this awesome […]
BigHand to showcase the enterprise legal dictation app on the new BlackBerry 10 platform at LegalTech New York 2013 Chicago, IL, January 23rd, 2013 – BigHand, a global leader in voice productivity technology and workflow digital dictation for the legal marketplace, today announced the launch of BigHand for BlackBerry 10. To coincide with Research In […]
I’ve been pals with @ShashwatPradhan and a fan of his apps for awhile now. Shashwat Pradhan is a tech enthusiast, app developer and avid gamer. Shashwat is also a white hat hacker and a DJ in his free time–while being the co-founder of Decoding ( http://decodingtech.com ) the same ones we told you about that were developing ‘Retro-Style’ […]
So the UI Guide for BlackBerry 10 was updated today with plenty of images. This actually goes with the Gold SDK that was released today. Along with the new images, they have also added guidelines what the new BlackBerry 10 icons look as well as breakdowns of Active Frames design.
NerdBerry sat down to discuss with up and coming BlackBerry Dev Andre Weier about his recent exposure to the BlackBerry Platform and his experiences transitioning his Flash games to the PlayBook and subsequently BlackBerry 10! We asked 8 questions and got 8 great answers. We talk BlackBerry, BETA opportunities, the launch of Flakes in BlackBerry App World and […]
During the keynote at BlackBerry Jam Asia 2012, Research In Motion released some awesome statistics. All the way back to October 65% BlackBerry developers are satisfied with Research In Motion’s platform for development. Out of that 65%, 57% stated they would recommend BlackBerry 10 a development platform!
BlackBerry 10 Mini Jam – 24. NOVEMBER – MARIBOR / FERI Developers show great interest and expectation of BB 10 evolution The BlackBerry 10 Mini Jam developer conference held by BlackBerry Developer Group Balkan at the Maribor Faculty Of Electrical Engineering And Computer Science was attended by more than 200 developers who only wanted to know […]
RIM has been generous thus far with helping out developers for their apps before the launch of Blackberry 10. They have already opened two tech centres in the UK. Now they are starting up Developer Relations tomorrow, answering questions for specific developer audiences each day of the week. Hit the break to see the schedule!
Wikitude takes home both “Best Augmented Reality Browser” and “Best Developer Tool or Platform” awards at the Augmented Planet Readers Choice Awards 2012. SALZBURG 06 November 2012 – Wikitude, the world leader in augmented reality experiences is happy to announce their win of both the “Best Augmented Reality Browser” and the “Best Developer Tool or […]
Mobile Link They said it could not be done, oh but it was!! Charilaos Kalogirou has done the impossible they have developed a full features game for the BlackBerry PlayBook in under 30 days! Use your imagination to create any flying machine you want. You can built the perfect flying machine and soar through the […]
Back in May @alexkinsella put up a post on the BlackBerry Developer Blog about Cascades Builder an extension to the QNX Momentics IDE (integrated development environment). The post highlights how the tool helps developers be more efficient with things like Photoshop integration, source editing and live previews. In typical BlackBerry fashion the post doesn’t stop there, there are hints of things to […]
Research In Motion has just released three more webcast set for November 6th, 7th, and 8th. The developer webcast series includes 10k Developer Commitment, Built for BlackBerry: Part one and Built for BlackBerry: Part two. 10k Developer Commitment BlackBerry 10 is a revolutionary new mobile platform. Sometimes revolution makes people cautious and that’s a key […]


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After Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) reported its third-quarter results, its leadership team shared some important information with investors during the subsequent conference call. Here are the highlights for long-term shareholders.
1. Coca-Cola is adapting
Now while we see various opportunities and challenges in each of our markets, one thing is consistent across all of our businesses: the consumer landscape is changing. We see an increasing number of small and fast competitors. Consumers' desires are revolving, whether they're seeking low- or no-sugar options, drinks with functional benefits or simply more variety. In order to thrive in this kind of environment, we need to be more entrepreneurial and agile to take intelligent risks and build a broader, consumer-centric portfolio. -- CEO James Quincey
Rather than simply a soda business, Coca-Cola sees itself as a "total beverage company." It's expanding into new categories, such as its recent acquisition of the U.S. rights to Topo Chico, a premium sparkling mineral water from Mexico that has earned a strong following in Texas. Coca-Cola is also using a more localized approach, in which it tailors its product lineup based on consumer tastes in each market. In turn, the company believes that these strategies will allow it to be more flexible and better able to adapt to changing consumer preferences.
2. Establishing a beachhead in adult beverages
[W]e're looking at opportunities in growing premium segments such as adult craft beverages. As you know, more consumers, most notably adults, are seeking unique and distinct products with sophisticated flavors, quality ingredients, and smaller-scale crop production. Mixes are seeing a resurgence in many parts of the world as part of this trend. -- Quincey
Coca-Cola is already a global leader in bottled water, fruit juices, and sports drinks, and now it's setting its sights on the adult-beverage market. The company recently introduced a line of premium mixes that can be added to alcoholic beverages. But while these mixers may add an element of growth to its business, the more intriguing question is whether they signal a larger move into the alcoholic-beverage market in the future.
Rumors have swirled in regard to a potential merger between beer giant Anheuser-Busch Inbev (NYSE:BUD) and Coca-Cola. Such a blockbuster deal could be difficult to pull off and would face regulatory scrutiny. Yet Coca-Cola's recent moves into the adult-beverage category may suggest that a deal could be more likely than many investors currently expect.
3. Soda remains an important growth driver
Now while innovating and growing small brands in these new categories is critical, it is only part of the equation. That's why we're continuing to invest in our core billion-dollar brands to drive relevance. We increased our media investments behind our sparkling brands before moving aggressively into non-sparkling categories, and we will continue to innovate within these core brands as well. For, in the end, a healthy core will fuel our expansion as a total beverage company. -- Quincey
One example of a soda brand currently enjoying success is Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Coke relaunched the brand in the United Kingdom last year with a reformulated product, new packaging, and an aggressive marketing campaign, which has resulted in "double-digit" growth. Encouraged by these strong results, the company rolled out Coke Zero Sugar to other markets around the world, including the U.S., in the third quarter. Since that time, Coke Zero's sales trends in the U.S. have seen a "meaningful acceleration." Moreover, year-to-date global volume and revenue for the brand is "growing double digits."
4. Refranchising its way to greater profits
As we approach the end of 2017, we're nearing the completion of the refranchising process. In the U.S., our refranchising will be complete when the Tri-State Operating Unit and the West Operating Unit transactions close, which we expect to be in the coming weeks. This will leave Canada to be refranchised, and our expectation is to transition to a partner in 2018. Also, in early October, we closed on a transaction that makes our company the majority owner of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. As we'd previously disclosed, we're in discussions to refranchise this territory and also expect this to happen in 2018. -- Quincey
Subsequent to its earnings call, Coca-Cola announced the completion of the refranchising of its bottling operations in the U.S. Now the company is turning its sights on its remaining international bottlers.
These refranchising efforts -- in which Coca-Cola sells its company-owned bottling businesses to third-party partners -- have weighed on revenue, including a 15% decline in comparable net revenue in the third quarter. However, they're also helping to boost Coca-Cola's profitability; comparable gross and operating margins increased more than 150 and 400 basis points, respectively, primarily because of the cost savings associated with bottler divestitures. As such, Coca-Cola is now a higher-margin, more capital-light business, which should allow it to produce stronger returns on invested capital.
5. Coca-Cola is a cash-generating machine
We generated $4.7 billion in free cash flow year-to-date and have returned that excess cash to our shareowners. Year to date, we've returned $3.2 billion in the form of dividends, reflecting a 6% increase in our dividend this year and $1.7 billion in net share repurchases. -- CFO Kathy Waller
Coca-Cola excels at turning sugar water into cash for investors. The company extended its streak of annual dividend increases to 55 years earlier this year -- a streak that's likely to continue for many years to come. And with its bountiful current yield of 3.2%, Coca-Cola makes for an intriguing stock for income-focused investors to consider.


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02 August 2022
Smart glasses have been a fascinating tech product category for a long time but we are yet to see an offering that has been well-received by the masses. There are different companies putting in efforts but are yet to hit the bull's eye. Xiaomi is the newest player to join the club as it has announced Xiaomi Smart Glasses.
Xiaomi has described its smart glasses as "an engineer’s look into an advanced future". It is said to weigh just 51 grams and makes use of MicroLED display technology. It is capable of showing messages and notifications, making calls, navigating, capturing photos, and translating texts. It should be noted that glasses will only show priority-based notifications so that you do not get annoyed by seeing every single alert on the display.
As per the official announcement, the team opted for MicroLED as it is capable of offering brighter displays and deeper blacks similar to an OLED panel. But it does offer additional benefits like a higher pixel density and better durability while having a simple structure at the same time.
The display chip is roughly the size of a rice grain and measures only 2.4mm x 2.02mm. It has an individual pixel size of 4μm which helps with perfectly fitted placement of the display inside the glass frames. It should be noted this is a monochrome display as Xiaomi wanted to ensure that sufficient light reaches the eyes even in harsh direct sunlight conditions. The panel is said to reach a peak brightness of 2 million nits.
The Xiaomi Smart Glasses feature a 5-megapixel on the front that can be used for clicking photos. It can be also used for translating text written in photos. There is an indicator light to let others know if the user is clicking a pic. Another handy feature is that it can be used for transcribing audio into text with real-time translation support. It should be noted that is currently only in the conceptual stage and there is no concrete timeline for it becoming a reality.


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Many technology stocks plummeted in 2021. Cathie Wood’s high-growth, tech-stock-focused exchange-traded fund ARK Innovation suffered a 24 percent loss in value last year. That was during a period when the S&P 500 was up 27 percent, or more than double its historical averages.
The tech sector is also stumbling out of the gate in 2022, down nearly 10% versus an essentially flat index. The two technology companies listed below were once high-flying stocks that lost 50% or more of their value last year.
Alibaba reported a 33 percent year-over-year increase in commerce-segment revenue for the six months ending last September. It reached $54.5 billion and accounted for 86 percent of total sales for the period. In addition, the segment was responsible for all of Alibaba’s operating income. Hence, it adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Even after excluding a late-2020 acquisition in the division, Alibaba’s revenue was 20% higher for the six months.
The e-commerce giant sold $84.5 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) during the 2021 Singles Day, an 11-day consumer spending extravaganza. Amazon.com reported a record $11.2 billion in sales during its two-day Prime Day event.
Because the company is so large and still growing, Beijing has begun to target it after Jack Ma criticized regulators. Due to the crackdown, Ma went underground for a while. However, Alibaba was still penalized for monopolistic behavior, receiving billions of dollars in fines for various infractions.
The stock has dropped 50% from its 52-week highs (it had been much lower until recently). Even Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway thought the stock had become too cheap to ignore and began buying up shares. The store is currently trading at 19 times trailing earnings and a whopping two times next year’s estimates.
Alibaba also recently announced a turnaround plan to reinvigorate sales growth by targeting older shoppers, adding more VIP members (who tend to spend more than non-members), and increasing advertising efficiency with artificial intelligence and automation.
Even a broken Alibaba is still a massive growth machine that appears to be ready to run again.
Fastly a leading cloud-services provider has been working hard to regain its footing since a service outage last summer knocked much of the internet offline. Thousands of government, social media, and news websites went down, leaving users in the dark and disconnected.
Aside from that blunder, Fastly is also dealing with costly investments it needs to make in its content-delivery network, which, combined with growing employee headcount, has taken a heavy toll on its bottom line.
Fastly has never made a profit. The third-quarter net loss was $56 million, or $0.48 per share, compared to $24 million, or $0.22 per share, the previous year. Even after adjusting for inflation, losses increased from $0.04t to $0.11 per share.
Nonetheless, its business is expanding. Revenue increased by 23% to $87 million, and the company remains committed to reaching $1 billion in annual sales by 2025. Fastly’s clientele continues to grow as businesses move their data to the cloud, reaching nearly 2,750 customers at the end of Q3.
The introduction of the metaverse, a virtual world where people can interact with one another and with businesses and brands, may provide Fastly with one of its most important levers to pull for future growth.


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The 2D sandbox adventure game Terraria continues to flourish on the market. The latest accolade for the popular game has seen it surpass 1.3 million full-game downloads on iOS and Android devices since its release in August and September of 2013, respectively.
Publisher 505 Games also revealed that the game has been download over 1 million times combined on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PS Vita since its 2013 release.
The games creator, Andrew Spinks, has already talked about plans for the game’s sequel which has yet to begin development. With the continued successes of the original, the development team may have a bit more cash than originally expected to produce Terraria 2.
Terraria is available on PC, iOS, Android, PS3, Xbox 360 and PS Vita.
The press release announcing the milestone can be found on the next page.
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If any type of vacation is most conducive to a pandemic, it might just be camping.
The numbers back that up.
James Bradley’s family has owned Summit RV since 1976. During this past spring and the current summer, Bradley said business has been strong.
“We’re seeing quite a few more new people entering the market, which is really great,” Bradley said. “We’re seeing more people who RV’ed in the past returning.”
As Bradley noted, there is a bevy of campground options in the tri-state area.
James Ramey, owner of Pioneer Used Auto and RV sales in Lavalette, said he saw the most sales of his career in the last two months.
“On Jan. 1, I had a million dollars of inventory of new campers,” he said. “Today, it’s barely over $100,000.” That translates to having 45 campers on Jan. 1 and only three now.
“When this hit in March, I was terrified I was going to lose everything,” he said, noting it’s typical to sell two or three campers a month. “But we sold two or three campers a day. It was unbelievable. We put them online and reduced the prices and they sold absolutely the fastest I’ve ever seen. We had people come from North Carolina to buy.”
He said all types of campers are selling, but bunker-house style is the most popular. Costs range from $20,000 to $60,000.
While the pandemic was the reason he was concerned about slow sales, it’s also the reason sales have been swift.
“People are afraid to travel and the only way they feel safe is to go to campgrounds where they can keep their social distance,” Ramey said.
Despite their popularity, he said he has no plans to sell RVs again.
“You don’t know what’s going to happen next,” he said.
J.C. Spearry, general manager of Patriot RV, said he refers to the interest in camping as the “COVID Camping Craze.”
“Sales are up 160% since May 11,” he said. “We usually have about 300 vehicles and right now, we have 54.”
He said inquiries to the 2-year-old business have come from phone calls, the website and social media platforms.
“From May 11 through July, we were getting 28 inquiries a day from whatever outside source,” Spearry said. “Since July 28, we’ve been averaging 48 calls a day.”
He said they expected healthy sales this year and was prepared for growth, so he ordered plenty of campers for the year.
“That saved us,” he said. “But the problem is I bought (inventory) for the year, not a few months.”
Many of these customers have never camped.
“We’ve never sold to so many first-time campers,” Spearry said. “I bet more than 50% have been first-time campers.”
He said they typically spend an hour and a half with buyers, showing them how to maintain and work the vehicle, and with those who are buying for the first time, he even encourages them to shoot video of some procedures.
“Everybody is looking for a value-priced camper with bunk beds,” he said. Most are 23- or 26-feet long. “They are economical for families and they can still have small payments.”
Most of Patriot’s campers range in price from $19,000 to $22,000. Who’s looking to buy varies widely.
“There are two ends of the spectrum,” Spearry said. “Families with kids for one, and the other end of the spectrum is middle-aged and older couples looking for couples campers with queen-sized beds, kind of small, not a bunch of other beds because they’re in that sweet spot where they’re highly susceptible to COVID.”
Inventory of used vehicles also is down. The usual 45 or 50 is down to nine.
“I got three in yesterday and they’re all sold already,” he said.
The pandemic, of course, has spurred a lot of interest in camping among those who want to stay away from hotels, motels and other people.
Some, though, are ready to break away from camping with their parents and take their own children closer to nature for vacation, Spearry said.
Whatever their reasons for camping, Spearry said he encourages camping hopefuls to compromise if it will get them camping sooner.
“If people are looking to start building memories with their families and enjoy the outdoors, they need to compromise,” he said. “Get something and get out there and start making memories.”
At Setzer’s World of Camping in Huntington, sales have been brisk, but owner owner Lynn Butler said she doesn’t have figures to show the increase.
“We are considered an essential business so we didn’t shut down, but there was a period of time (during the pandemic) that we weren’t selling much,” Butler said, noting they continued to provide service and parts. “There are people who work out of town and stay in a camper for their home.”
She said they sold to a few nurses who needed dressing rooms and places to stay to keep separated from their famillies.
As of May, sales began to pick up and they’ve stayed up.
“We’re selling mostly mid-priced to lower-priced, entry-level campers with bunk beds,” she said. “We’re selling to a lot of families and first-time campers who are using this for their vacation. They don’t want to fly or go to Myrtle Beach or stay in a hotel.”
She said inventory is difficult to keep, she believes, because manufacturers and parts supplies have scaled back to allow for social distancing.
Butler said she’s glad people have realized camping is a safe way to vacation during the pandemic.
“I feel like that was a very safe place for people to be,” she said. “Staying in a camper, eating and cooking in your trailer and using the bathroom in your trailer, it doesn’t pose a danger to other people.”
(606) 326-2664 |


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Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA) was once the leader in social video games thanks to popular titles like FarmVille and Mafia Wars, but the company fell on hard times when games shifted away from Facebook's platform and to mobile devices. Browser games are a thing of the past, and more than 80% of Zynga's sales now come from mobile, but this achievement exists in the context of a 41.5% revenue decline over the last five years and an uncertain future for the company.
Zynga has seen several leadership changes over the last two years, along with corresponding shifts in visions for how to best get the business back on track, but it now seems to be making some progress under CEO Frank Gibeau -- a former leader of Electronic Arts' mobile division. Here's a look at Zynga's comeback strategy with quotes from the company's most recent earnings call as per a transcript provided by Thomson Reuters.
Getting more out of live services
The mobile games market is intensely competitive due to the vast range of content available and the high cost of customer acquisitions, so Zynga is prioritizing getting the most out of its existing products -- or what the company calls "live services." The games maker views focusing on content and feature updates (what it calls "bold beats") for core titles as a low-risk, high-reward strategy that will allow it to quickly build to sustainable profitability. Here's Frank Gibeau on the implementation and benefits of the bold beat strategy:
Zynga Poker exemplifies the potential benefits of this approach, having managed to grow mobile revenues 63% year over year in the company's last quarter, at least partially thanks to new game modes. The company's CSR Racing 2 (which launched in June 2016) provides another example of success for its bold beat strategy, reentering the top-15 grossing-iOS-games chart in April thanks to a content update that tied in with Comcast's The Fate of the Furious film.
By focusing on its live services, the company expects that it will finally be able to increase margins substantially and achieve consistent profitability. Last quarter saw Zynga generate $16.7 million in EBITDA and $29.7 million if earnings on its deferred revenues are taken into account. That brings the company's EBITDA margin to 14.3 % -- not bad, but the company sees maximizing the value of its core franchises allowing it to rapidly ramp margins -- hitting 20% in fiscal 2018 and, eventually, climbing north of 30%.
Acquisitions playing big role
For a relatively young company, Zynga has wracked up a lengthy acquisitions history, and the level of success achieved from previous and future deals will likely have a big impact on performance. The company recently launched Crosswords With Friends, which is the first game to come from its acquisition of PuzzleSocial, and the extent to which it can sustain and grow the CSR Racing and Dawn of Titans franchises (from development studio NaturalMotion which Zynga acquired for $527 million in 2014) will have a significant impact on future earnings.
Zynga also recently purchased Harpan and its four solitaire games for $42.5 million and expects the addition to have a significant impact on performance in the remainder of the fiscal year. Check out Gibeau's comments on the Harpan deal for an idea of what Zynga is looking for in acquisitions:
Zynga has roughly $720 million in assets on the books and no debt, so it has room to make additional acquisitions and build its position in categories that offer growth avenues and synergies with its existing product line. The company's focus on games that have already broken into the mobile market and ample cash position suggest that acquisitions will continue to be a central part of its growth strategy.
Live services are the focus, but new games are coming
In the near term, Zynga is prioritizing the evolution of its existing live services, but it's not completely eschewing new game development. Gibeau's comments in the quote below make it clear that new games are in the works even if they're not the company's chief focus:
Based on the company's comments, it seems likely that new games from Zynga will revolve around proven concepts and that these projects will be relatively small scale in terms of development resources. Creating digital versions of board games, card games, and word games seems to be the company's strategy for internal game development -- efforts that are relatively inexpensive to produce but have the potential to build sizable user bases and appeal to players of existing games like Zynga Poker and Words With Friends.