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A massive explosion in Lebanon on 4 August marked the latest in a series of crises that the country has gone through since October 2019. Compounding the humanitarian crisis from the blast is an ongoing popular uprising to oust a corrupt government, a financial crisis that has resulted in an 80% currency devaluation and a growing coronavirus pandemic. But for most YPO business leaders in Lebanon, the massive explosion at the Port of Beirut was particularly painful as it directly affected not only their businesses and property, but more importantly, the lives of their families and friends.
As volunteers clear the rubble amid a new lockdown to control surging cases of COVID-19 post-explosion, these business leaders have developed the ultimate crisis management checklist in preparation for more challenging times ahead.
Five chief executives — from the retail, manufacturing, trading and health sectors — share some of their survival tactics and lessons in resilience as many global business leaders continue testing their own crisis management readiness in the face of the coronavirus crisis.
Accept and act on the non-essentials
“Accept the situation, your feelings of being hurt and disappointed, and that your life as it was has changed. The faster you accept this, the faster you can cope,” says Christine Assouad, Founder and CEO Dunkin Donuts Lebanon and Semsom. “The piling up of the crises has made it especially difficult. But in each case, what proved important was not getting stuck in denial and moving fast in cutting the nonessentials in the business.”
In Assouad’s case, those non-essential expenses covered the tiniest of details, including stopping color printing, as well as optimizing unused space and putting on hold all marketing campaigns and consumer research to compensate for the increase in raw material cost since all supplies are imported.
“Today is about survival and cash flow. We kept food safety as part of our essentials. But since last October, we have had to close 10 stores, two of which were completely destroyed by the blast, and shut down three departments,” says Assouad. “Making decisions of closing stores and departments is always difficult. But accepting the reality and acting with speed proved important for the survival of the business.”
Strengthen crisis management preparedness
Having experienced years of war and violence, all the leaders interviewed had detailed crisis management plans to cover potential risks, and the blast provided an opportunity to stress-test these plans.
Hassan Sinno, President of ITCO, a vertically integrated lumber and building material company with headquarters close to the port in downtown Beirut, says that in terms of digital backup and servers, they were well prepared. His team was fully operational the day after the blast.
Similarly, for Nabil Makari, Managing Partner at NJO Holding S.A.L, and CEO of Retail Alliance S.A.L, “business continuity was always on the agenda. Corona(virus) had a small positive in that sense as confinement made us better at working remotely, and there was a crisis management group in all the retail shops.”
Richard Haykel, Chairman at Haykel Hospital, explains how the level of planning and testing that have been put in place before the blast paid off. “In Lebanon, everything has to have a backup plan, including planning different sources of electricity and phone networks,” he says “We have learned to add redundancies, the duplication of critical components or functions of a system, in everything. For example, we have done a lot of planning for the space outside the building, like turning one of the parking parks into triage if required.”
While no one could have expected the blast, these plans paid off. Assouad explains, “The team thought it was an earthquake, and they were trained to put their heads under the table if an earthquake happens. They reacted quickly and lives were saved by avoiding the falling glass. We will continue to plan for the worst and hope for the best in order not to get caught off guard.”
For Randa Mahasni, Managing Partner at Food & Drug Corporation (FDC) S.A.I., it remains uncertain if the company’s insurance policy, which includes the risks of war and political violence for property, will cover the damage caused. “We were told until the investigation on the cause of the blast is confirmed and how to classify it, we cannot expect a refund as insurance coverage is linked to the cause.”
“While Lebanese always expect ‘black swan events,’ this was even beyond the worst we could have imagined,” says Sinno. “We had insurance covering all kinds of risks, including war and business disruption. What we had not planned for is the solvability of the insurance company itself or even of the ‘cut through clauses’ they have with their reinsurers in case of insolvency.”
Meanwhile, with 80% of Sinno’s imports going through the Beirut port, the entire logistics chain got destroyed. “We are now struggling to develop our operation in the less cost-effective port of Tripoli. We have learned that diversification, be it in banking, insurance or even logistics, has to be thought through beyond borders, and that dividing the risk among several local companies is not enough,” adds Sinno.
Adaptability and agility
Since October, businesses had to adapt to the new way of working as a result of the multiplying crises. “All practices have changed, and the economy is turning into a cash economy. We are operating without banking facilities. Letters of credits and letters of guarantees don’t exist anymore,” says Mahasni, who is trying to navigate around these restrictions by leveraging her relationship with other industry leaders and stakeholders to try to find grassroots solution. “In light of the country’s risk and absence of bank facilities, many of our suppliers reviewed down our payment facilities and consequently we had to review down our facilities to the trade.”
Makari’s supermarket chain business was particularly hit as the central supply warehouse is located near the port.
“In times of panic, people rush to supermarkets. Stocks are getting depleted and we are unable to tap into our main warehouse, so we are currently looking at opening fulfillment centers across the country to refill stocks instead of centralizing in one location,” he says, “Another idea we are exploring is expanding the backdoor receiving area, the depot of each supermarket. We have to be creative, counterintuitive, while trying to remain cost efficient.”
Because of the devaluation of the currency and plummeting purchasing power of consumers, Makari has had to implement product rationalization, reducing by half the number of brands normally found on shelves. “A lot of space is not being utilized, so we are using the concept of ‘shop in shop,’ with other ‘pop up’ store fronts displaying items and services people need at this time,” says Makari, who has also accelerated the expansion of an e-grocery section since the blast.
Trying to create new opportunities has been an important part of managing the crisis for Assouad as well. “While you need to react to the latest immediate crisis, it is important to keep the future in mind, including trying to find opportunities for growth created by the crisis,” says Assouad, who has recently partnered with a large grocery store chain to help sell her products outside her stores. “This future growth mindset is as important as survival. I keep reminding my team that this will end and that we can emerge from crisis stronger.”
Today is about survival and cash flow . . . Making decisions of closing stores and departments is always difficult. But accepting the reality and acting with speed proved important for the survival of the business. ”
— Christine Assouad, Founder & CEO Dunkin Donuts Lebanon and Semsom share
Lead with compassion, and by example
A key thread in the coping strategies for all these business leaders has been showing empathy and compassion for their teams. Haykel, for example, has been helping place some of his locally trained nurses at hospitals in the Gulf countries for a year or two, to gain experience and a decent income, and come back when things settle.
Makari has also tried to motivate his team through engaging them in community service and in the strong civil society movement in Lebanon, including encouraging them to lead volunteering initiatives such as distributing food supplies. He says, “One of the ideas from the team was to distribute products that were partially damaged by the blast, such as dented cans of tuna, but still edible, to those in need. This has kept us going, knowing that we are lucky to have a business and be able to help has strengthened our company culture.”
Leading by example has also been a key driver for team building during times of crisis. “I lost my home and suffered from multiple injuries from the blast. But after two days, I was at work. As CEO, this sends a big message and motivated everyone to try to do their best,” says Makari.
Take care of yourself first
“While we try to keep our teams positive, there are also so many things at a personal level to deal with,” says Assouad. “I was very strong in the revolution (started last October) and was distributing doughnuts and coffee on the streets, but the energy gets depleted.”
After the blast, Assouad took five days off to go to the mountains and focus on herself and her kids, using this time to also connect with her YPO peer network to organize a fund to help those in need. She has also found a new way of recharging by working on her new YouTube channel that she founded at the start of the lockdown to mentor business leaders. “The YPO fund and the videos have helped give me positive energy. Business is shrinking, so I needed to find something that recharges and energizes me.”
The group expressed the same sense of crisis fatigue, with many admitting lack of sleep and the need to spend more time in nature, with the family or supporting peers.
“Focusing on myself has been very important, allowing me to take a step back and come back stronger. As CEOs, we need to accept that we are also human, and we need to make sure we are well first, as we can’t help anyone otherwise,” says Assouad.
“Something we often forget in coping with crisis is that you and your teams’ physical and mental wellbeing is what will, in the end, drive the business through a crisis. All material issues, no matter how big, will eventually be resolved one way or another.”


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September 27, 2021 13:13
Hyundai's new subcompact SUV Casper is on the track to become a mega hit as pre-orders have set a record in the first 10 days.
Hyundai sold 18,940 Caspers on the first day of pre-orders on Sept. 14, a record for the carmaker's combustion-engine cars and way more than this year's entire production target of 12,000 cars for the SUV. Pre-orders reached about 25,000 as of Sept. 23.
The Casper is made by Gwangju Global Motors, a joint venture between Hyundai and the city of Gwangju.
Eighty percent of workers at GGM, which was launched in April, are in their 20s and 30s, and they are paid W35 million a year, which is half what their peers at Hyundai proper earn (US$1=W1,180).
GGM has no labor union and workers agreed not to hold wage disputes until the automaker reaches a cumulative output of 350,000 cars. But the biggest difference is that its cars are sold exclusively online, bypassing expensive dealerships altogether.
Whether the Casper alone can revive the subcompact market here remains to be seen. Since peaking at 200,000 vehicles in 2012, subcompact sales declined to 97,343 by 2020. Until the Casper came out, only three subcompacts had still been available in Korea -- Kia's Morning and Ray and GM Korea's Spark.
In the first eight months of this year they fell another seven percent on-year to 60,664 cars. But the success of the Casper has raised hopes of a revival for the practical little city zippers.
One industry insider said, "Sales of subcompacts plummeted almost 40 percent last month after remaining at between 7,000 to 8,000 vehicles. The initial popularity of the Casper appears to stem from some of the demand for existing subcompacts shifting to the new model."
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com

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The surge in illegal downloads has continued to hit worldwide sales of recorded music although US market growth for the first time since 1999 indicates a corner may have been turned.
The figures, released yesterday, showed a drop in worldwide sales of 1.3 per cent to £17.7 billion with Britain recording a 1.6 per cent slump.
The study, released by trade group the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry, does not include digital downloads or mobile phone ringtones, which music companies say would have made 2004 sales flat against 2003.
Global compact disc sales, still one of the most closely watched numbers to discern the health of the industry, were down 0.9 per cent from a year ago compared with a 9.1 per cent drop in 2003.
Music sales around the world have been slammed by rampant CD piracy, illegal downloading, poor economic conditions and stiff competition from video games.
However it was the slowest rate of decline in five years, and the industry remains hopeful that some badly hurt countries have turned a corner and that legal efforts to stop piracy are finally working.
Recorded music sales in the US, which accounts for about 36 per cent of the world total, increased 2.3 per cent.
The rest of Europe struggled with France falling 14.8 per cent, Spain 12.5 per cent and Germany 4.2 per cent.
The IFPI said the number of tracks downloaded surged to more than 200 million in the four biggest markets - the United States, Britain, France and Germany - a tenfold increase from 2003. However, global data is still relatively inaccurate.
Andrew Jeffries, programme controller for Birmingham-based radio station Kerrang, said the rise in legal downloading could be a sign of regained faith in the music industry.
He said: "The discerning listener is willing to pay for quality that is often not there with illegal downloading.
"In the rock world, people pay for their music. They go to gigs and fans still value albums. I think that the manufactured pop bands may have more trouble than the likes of U2 in convincing fans to stop downloading illegally."
Mr Jeffries' comments were reflected in the best-selling albums list for 2004, which included acts such as Usher, Norah Jones, Eminem and Green Day.
The four music majors - Vivendi's, Universal Music, Sony BMG, EMI Group and Warner Music - dominated the market with only two of the top 50 albums coming from independent record companies.
Eight albums sold more than five million copies in 2004, including Usher's Confessions and U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, compared with five in 2003.


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Entries in 'gpus' (4)
What AMD believes will be the next era of PC graphics cards will be unveiled on June 16th.
It may not be one of its headline features, but an intriguing rumour concerning Microsoft’s DirectX 12 suggests that users will be able to use wildly different graphics cards in ...
American custom PC manufacturer Origin PC has announced that it is to cease offering AMD graphics cards in its machines.
The graphics card war looks like it’s getting ugly.


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Amazon Engineer is offering free access to computer science courses while students are locked out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The sponsored course are for independent learners grades 6-12, and teachers who are remotely teaching this age group. Parents can also access this curriculum.
“Amazon knows that right now schools in the Detroit area are experiencing disruption during this pandemic and wants to help. Year round, Amazon is committed to ensuring more students and teachers get access to a computer science education through its Amazon Future Engineer program, and now that mission is more important than ever,” Amazon said in a statement.
In addition, Amazon Future Engineer is offering a virtual robotics program through partners CoderZ. The fully sequenced course accommodates age levels from second grade with block-based coding to high school with text-based coding.
Amazon Future Engineer also is providing access to EarSketch, a free program that helps students learn to code through music. Grammy-award winning artists Ciara and Common have both provided studio-quality music STEMs that students can remix from home using code.
To access these programs, go to amazonfutureengineer.com/free-courses to sign up and to check out more free computer science programming being added by the Amazon Future Engineer team.
Go to blog.aboutamazon.com/company-news/amazon-future-engineer-offers-free-and-creative-coding-coursework for the full blog post about these new offerings and additional ways Amazon is supporting community members, employees, and customers affected by COVID-19.
— Macomb Daily staff


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Stockholm, Sweden, July 13, 2011 --(PR.com
)-- Swedish agency MediaAnalys is now the largest SEO company in Sweden (according to MA-NKI Feb 2011).
The company made for 2010 a turnover increase of 25 percent from 34 to 42 million Swedish kronor (SEK). Also, a profit increase from 0.9 million to 7.5 million.
MediaAnalys offers solutions for online marketing mainly for Scandinavia with a focus on search engine optimization and sponsored links. MediaAnalys did get a new owner structurein 2010. In today's ownership structure there are investors, like for example the Media group GotaMedia, ShortCap, Artos and Mannerheim Invest. The focus for 2010 has been on streamlining the organization and putting in the new ownership structure.
"2010 has been an eventful year for MediaAnalys. We bought back ownership from Getupdated and was thus able to make a fresh start and take up our own guidelines for how the company should be running. Working more efficiently the company have managed to extend sales by 25 percent while profits have increased significantly," said Henrik Zobal, CEO of MediaAnalys.
During the year 2010 MediaAnalys has received several prestigious assignments and initiated collaborations with clients such as Anticimex, Lifebutikerna and Svenska mäklarhuset.
"We see that companies in virtually all industries are increasing their investments in marketing over the internet. Our estimates are that 2011 will become an even better year than 2010," says Henrik Zobal.
In 2011 MediaAnalys strategy is to further strengthen the company's offering to the market and continue the goal towards becoming a leader on the Nordic market.


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Tag Archive for "Global Warming"March 27, 2012
Obama To EPA: Please Immediately Cause The Skyrocketing Electricity Prices I Promised During The Campaign
As if skyrocketing gasoline prices were not enough to cripple the average American family’s finances, failed President Barack Obama is about to set electricity prices skyrocketing right behind them, all to fight phony global warming that was never caused by human activity and reversed course more than a decade ago.
Hello, I’m Mitt Romney. I’ve got money to burn, so I’ve decided to mount a Republican nomination campaign and then see how many challenges I can create before I successfully prevent myself from having any chance of winning.
Failed President Barack Obama stopped by Bucks County to praise a foreign-owned company that produces 1st century based technology as holding “the future of American Energy.”
Despite the hype and tons of taxpayer cash, demand for plug-in toy cars is embarrassingly low.
3 Packs of o.b. tampons that usually sell for about $9 are reportedly going for upwards of $76 on eBay, and I say “reportedly” because I’m not about to perform my own search and have that weirdness in my browser history, after the brand mysteriously disappeared from store shelves.
If a steady diet of TastyKakes is essential to maintaining your fat ass and the fat asses of your fat-assed kids, you may want to head to whatever shopping establishment you’ve been using as your personal feeding trough and stock up. Tasty Baking Company is seeking a partner to avoid having to liquidate, despite millions of dollars in government grants, tax breaks and low-interest loans.
Need proof that Democrats are in a panic? Look no further than the incoherent ramblings of West Virginia Democrat Congressman Nick Rahall, answering questions from the editorial board of his hometown paper.
Ugly-assed eyesores like solar panels and windmills (yes, in the 21st century) will soon be cropping up in Lower Southampton after the Township’s ruling class approved two ordinances last night.
Noted scientist and recipient of a doctorate in Shut The Eff Up Paul McCartney says people who doubt that Global Warming is man-made are like Holocaust deniers.
I think Barack Obama found an ass to kick: Lindsey Graham’s. And it seems like, when he did, Graham’s head finally fell out of it.


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The United Kingdom’s video streaming market showed a tentative recovery in the fourth quarter of 2022, with subscriber numbers on the rise after a sharp decline earlier in the year, when cash-strapped households sought to save money, according to data released on Monday by the industry. According to market researcher Kantar, between October and December, the number of British households with at least one paid video streaming service increased by 55,000 to 16.24 million, or 56% of all households.
The growth was primarily driven by Prime Video, AppleTV+, and Paramount+, as opposed to Netflix. 5% of British households, according to Kantar, signed up for a new streaming subscription in the final quarter of the year.
The recovery followed a 12-month period in which one million British households abandoned the subscription video-on-demand market in favour of spending money on necessities such as food and energy. “Prime Video had a strong fourth quarter, with more households signing up for Prime memberships and using the Prime delivery service in advance of the Christmas holidays,” said Dominic Sunnebo, global insight director at Kantar, Worldpanel Division.
However, the recovery may be temporary, according to Kantar. The percentage of consumers planning to cancel one or more video-on-demand services in the next quarter increased to 12 percent from 10 percent in the third quarter of 2022, indicating that short-term subscribers seeking to cover the holiday season may soon cancel.
Obtaining an accurate gauge of the British economy is currently difficult. Inflation-stricken consumers in the United Kingdom reduced their spending in December by the greatest amount in at least 25 years, and consumer confidence is at an all-time low.
Several major British retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer, reported stronger-than-anticipated Christmas sales, while airlines reported robust summer bookings. Additionally, unemployment is near its lowest level in nearly 50 years.


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Corvette Z06 Owner Loses His Life to a Drunk Driver
This week, Michael Campbell, a fellow Corvette owner known by one of our forum members, was driving home and was hit head-on by a drunk driver going the wrong way on Interstate 65 in Nashville, Tenn.
Here’s a meme I stumbled upon that was posted by Corvette Forum member “EVL-Z06”. What do you think? Is this photo illustration accurate?
These 14 greatest “Corvettes of the Weeks” amount to a picturesque look back on a fantastic 2014.
Here are the top 13 Corvette wallpapers of 2014. It’s the best in Corvette imagery.
What happens when a Corvette C6 Z06 walks into a race with a Dodge Viper TA, a Huracan, and a supercharged Mustang? Let’s find out.


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Community Bank N.A. Has $5.80 Million Holdings in The Coca-Cola Co (KO)
Community Bank N.A. decreased its holdings in The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 125,523 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,050 shares during the quarter. The Coca-Cola accounts for about 1.1% of Community Bank N.A.’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Community Bank N.A.’s holdings in The Coca-Cola were worth $5,797,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of KO. C WorldWide Group Holding A S raised its stake in The Coca-Cola by 873.0% in the 2nd quarter. C WorldWide Group Holding A S now owns 7,630,919 shares of the company’s stock worth $334,692,000 after purchasing an additional 6,846,641 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Advisory Inc. acquired a new stake in The Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter worth about $206,654,000. Natixis raised its stake in The Coca-Cola by 218.3% in the 2nd quarter. Natixis now owns 4,080,146 shares of the company’s stock worth $178,955,000 after purchasing an additional 2,798,257 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in The Coca-Cola by 47.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 5,934,198 shares of the company’s stock worth $274,099,000 after purchasing an additional 1,907,604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Unigestion Holding SA acquired a new stake in The Coca-Cola in the 2nd quarter worth about $78,078,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.51% of the company’s stock.
Several brokerages have weighed in on KO. TheStreet upgraded shares of The Coca-Cola from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 17th. Gabelli restated a “hold” rating on shares of The Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $50.00 target price on shares of The Coca-Cola in a research report on Thursday, July 26th. Morningstar set a $49.00 target price on shares of The Coca-Cola and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 6th. Finally, Macquarie set a $50.00 target price on shares of The Coca-Cola and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $51.43.
The Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 30th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $8.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.20 billion. The Coca-Cola had a net margin of 8.70% and a return on equity of 43.12%. The firm’s revenue was down 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.50 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Co will post 2.08 EPS for the current year.
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 14th. Investors of record on Friday, November 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.13%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 29th. The Coca-Cola’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 81.68%.
In related news, SVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 10,000 shares of The Coca-Cola stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.98, for a total transaction of $479,800.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 92,645 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,445,107.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Brian John Smith sold 43,000 shares of The Coca-Cola stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total transaction of $2,064,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 123,908 shares in the company, valued at $5,947,584. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 251,892 shares of company stock worth $12,299,075 over the last ninety days. 1.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
COPYRIGHT VIOLATION WARNING: This article was first published by The Cerbat Gem and is the sole property of of The Cerbat Gem. If you are reading this article on another site, it was stolen and reposted in violation of U.S. and international trademark and copyright legislation. The legal version of this article can be viewed at https://www.thecerbatgem.com/2018/11/14/community-bank-n-a-has-5-80-million-holdings-in-the-coca-cola-co-ko.html.
The Coca-Cola Profile
The Coca-Cola Company, a beverage company, manufactures and distributes various nonalcoholic beverages worldwide. The company provides water, enhanced water, and sports drinks; juices; juice, dairy, and plantbased beverages; teas and coffees; and energy drinks. It also offers concentrates, syrups, beverage bases, source waters, and powders/minerals, as well as fountain syrups to fountain retailers, such as restaurants and convenience stores.
Further Reading: How can you know how many shares are floating?
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Drive DeVilbiss targets sleep
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. – A combined Drive DeVilbiss is significantly ramping up its presence in the CPAP market.
Already this year, the companies launched a next-gen version of the DeVilbiss IntelliPAP2 AutoAdjust CPAP in February, and a patient engagement SmartLink App in April.
“DeVilbiss has a long history in the CPAP space, dating back to 1989, when the therapy was first entering the market,” said Mitch Yoel, executive vice president of business development for Drive DeVilbiss. “Drive is leveraging this industry experience and these engineering resources to grow and expand the suite of products and tools available to HME providers.”
Drive bought DeVilbiss about a year ago, allowing the company to expand its presence in the oxygen therapy market and enter the sleep therapy market.
Knowing that competition is stiff in the CPAP market—with Philips Respironics, ResMed and Fisher & Paykel known as “the big three”—Drive is giving DeVilbiss the muscle it needs to be more of a contender, Yoel says.
“The PAP market needs a product and technology end-to-end option with the sources and scale to be relevant in a market dominated by a few large manufacturers,” he said. “Drive is bringing resources, scale and market insights.”
With connectivity the driving force in the CPAP market right now, the combination of the IntelliPAP2, which is Bluetooth enabled and uses a patented SmartCode technology to allow patients to remotely report usage and efficacy data to providers, and the SmartLink App, which makes it easier for those patients to engage with the IntelliPAP2, Drive DeVilbiss is right on target, Yoel says.
“With the launch of the IntelliPAP2, Drive DeVilbiss has one of the most advanced CPAPs available on the market today,” he said. hme


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Wall Street analysts expect AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR) to announce $701.88 million in sales for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Five analysts have issued estimates for AptarGroup’s earnings. The lowest sales estimate is $695.40 million and the highest is $708.70 million. AptarGroup reported sales of $665.78 million in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 5.4%. The business is scheduled to issue its next earnings results after the market closes on Thursday, November 7th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that AptarGroup will report full year sales of $2.90 billion for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $2.89 billion to $2.95 billion. For the next year, analysts expect that the company will post sales of $3.05 billion, with estimates ranging from $2.96 billion to $3.12 billion. Zacks Investment Research’s sales calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side research analysts that follow AptarGroup.
AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.02. AptarGroup had a net margin of 7.63% and a return on equity of 18.51%. The business had revenue of $742.66 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $752.11 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year.
Shares of NYSE:ATR traded down $0.28 on Monday, reaching $120.26. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 294,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 295,357. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $121.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.08. AptarGroup has a 52-week low of $88.26 and a 52-week high of $126.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 2.11 and a quick ratio of 1.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.07, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.76.
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 31st were paid a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, July 30th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.20%. AptarGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.00%.
In other AptarGroup news, insider Gael Touya sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.93, for a total transaction of $1,199,300.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Marc Prieur sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.27, for a total transaction of $242,540.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 5,760 shares in the company, valued at $698,515.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ATR. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in AptarGroup by 106.1% during the second quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 881,861 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $109,649,000 after buying an additional 454,013 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of AptarGroup in the first quarter valued at approximately $19,571,000. Nuveen Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AptarGroup in the second quarter valued at approximately $20,911,000. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of AptarGroup by 23.3% in the first quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 821,758 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $87,429,000 after purchasing an additional 155,135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TimesSquare Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AptarGroup in the first quarter valued at approximately $15,693,000. Institutional investors own 87.87% of the company’s stock.
AptarGroup, Inc provides a range of packaging, dispensing, and sealing solutions primarily for the beauty, personal care, home care, prescription drug, consumer health care, injectable, and food and beverage markets. The company operates through three segments: Beauty + Home, Pharma, and Food + Beverage.
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Unless you’ve been living in the ice cave with old Spock, you’ve been watching radical changes take place in media, among them the rise of blogs. To that end, two years ago we launched Earth2Tech as part of the GigaOM network. Here on Earth2Tech we focus on the cleantech industry by applying our traditional journalistic skills (fact-checking, smart analysis) to the new, fast-paced blogging medium. But our company is constantly evolving, too.
To meet what we see as a growing demand for more accessible, lower-cost, valuable market data, today we’re launching GigaOM Pro, a subscription-based community that provides a new way to access technology market research. GigaOM Pro users have access to long-form reports, in-depth analysis, quarterly industry wrap-ups and curated market data from the top analysts in the field (for cleantech fans that includes Clint Wheelock from Pike Research) as well as from our GigaOM editorial team (including myself, Josie and Celeste from the Earth2Tech crew). Users get all this high-level market research, backed by user-generated content from community members and an interactive site for — OK, here’s the sales pitch — an introductory price of $79 a year. Think of it as having access to easier-to-read — and more entertaining — analyst reports in an online space where you can debate their finer points with your smartest friends, all for less than the cost of a pair of sneakers.
GigaOM Pro will focus broadly on trends in information technology — including Internet infrastructure, mobile communications and connected consumer electronics — but most interesting for Earth2Tech readers, there will be an entire section devoted to Green IT (my personal favorite, as you can probably guess from all my stories on wireless smart grid services). Earth2Tech contributor Celeste LeCompte (she’s done some of our top-notch Cisco smart grid coverage) will be in charge of the Green IT section and will be working with researchers, analysts and fellow journalists to produce content and curate interesting links to stories across the web. Josie and I have already written some analysis pieces, dubbed “Long Views” (subscription required). Josie’s written about how location-based services are creating new opportunities for transportation companies and how electric vehicles are giving “Mobility as a Service” a jumpstart, and I’ve taken a look at the opportunities for telcos to get in on wireless communication for the smart grid, and why SAP’s purchase of carbon software company Clear Standards is a big deal.
The Earth2Tech coverage you’ve been coming back to us for will remain the same, but if you’re looking for a simple, low-cost way to add market research to the equation, check out GigaOM Pro.


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If you own a car, odds are, you've gotten a phone call warning you that your warranty is set to expire, but beware, some of these calls may be a scam. These companies calling you are often times 'not' your car manufacturer, but warranty extension companies and with dealerships around the country closing, these companies are looking to take advantage. Nan campbell of the better business bureau says if you have warranty questions, you should check with your automaker. She says "your manufacturer should be the first one you go to about any warranty issues." There are some things you can do to keep from getting these calls. The b-b-b suggests you first register your home phone and cell phone with the federal and state 'do not call' lists. Also, if you do decide to buy an extended warranty, check out the company first with the BBB.
A frightened dog was rescued on Sunday from a guardrail along a busy
highway. Animal Care Services said the pit bull-type dog was found
padlocked with a weighted chain to the guardrail on the I-10 access road
near West Avenue.


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Zhejiang-based company to take 49.9% stake in Malaysian carmaker
Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is to buy 49.9 percent of Malaysia's largest car manufacturer Proton, with a final agreement expected to be signed in July, a move that will speed up its inroads into the Southeast Asian market.
The forthcoming acquisition is part of a binding contract it signed with Proton's parent company DRB-Hicom, Geely said on Wednesday, although the value of the deal was not released.
The Chinese automaker, which will be Proton's only foreign partner, will also enjoy a 51 percent share of Lotus, a British sports carmaker owned by Proton.
Geely said the agreement laid the foundations for a wider framework for it to explore joint synergies in areas such as research and development, manufacturing and market presence.
Proton, founded in 1983 by Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, was once one of Malaysia's flagship companies. However, it has been struggling with falling sales in recent years.
Proton sold around 72,000 cars in 2016, a 54 percent slump from its record high of 158,700 vehicles in 2011.
Last year, the carmaker received 1.5 billion ringgit ($338.2 million) in government aid on the condition that it pursued a turnaround plan and sought a foreign partner.
In addition to Geely, several other companies expressed interest, including French carmaker PSA Group, Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp and French carmaker Renault Group.
Li Donghui, executive vice-president of Geely, said: "With Proton and Lotus joining the Geely Group portfolio of brands, we strengthen our global footprint and develop a beachhead in Southeast Asia."
Li said Geely will help restore Proton to its former glory with its technology and management resources, and also aim to unleash the full potential of Lotus cars and bring it into a new phase of development.
Lotus has formed a joint venture with a Guangdong-based company to localize production of its cars in China, with the first model set to roll off the assembly line in 2019. But analysts said that Geely's main goal in the short term was to make inroads in Southeast Asia.
Yale Zhang, managing director of consulting firm Automotive Foresight, said acquisition is the best way for Geely to get a foothold in the region that has long been dominated by Japanese brands.
Proton's manufacturing facilities will also qualify the Chinese automaker to ship vehicles tax-free anywhere among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with a combined population of more than 600 million people.


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The European Gaming and Betting Association has launched a sector-specific Code of Conduct on Data Protection in Online Gambling which will strengthen the trade body’s commitment to EU GDPR regulations.
The code of conduct, which will be followed by all EGBA members, will set out a number of data protection measures to ensure that the industry maintains its dedication to best data protection practices.
Compliance with the code will be monitored by an independent third-party monitoring body, and will introduce specific measures and best practices on:
- Enhancing portability rights – including rules to enable customers to transfer their personal data from company to company in an easier and secure way (including rules for player account registration, transactions history, marketing preferences, etc).
- Protecting against breaches of personal data – online gambling companies are required to introduce a plan to prevent and/or mitigate against breaches of personal data.
- Establishing VIP accounts – how companies should establish player accounts for “VIP” customers in a way which respects privacy and the use of personal data.
- Safer gambling – how companies should balance a customer’s privacy rights against the need to protect them from problem gambling.
- Direct marketing – guidance on how to protect customer data during direct marketing and to prevent self-excluded customers from receiving direct marketing.
- Detecting fraud – measures to prevent fraud and ensure data is used to comply with applicable laws.
Maarten Haijer, secretary general, EGBA, commented: “On the 2-year anniversary of the GDPR, issues around data protection, privacy and the use of personal data are still a concern for many European citizens. That’s why we’re pleased to introduce this new code which demonstrates the online gambling sector’s commitment to protecting the personal data of our 16.5 million customers and supporting the success of the GDPR.
“We’re pleased to be one of Europe’s first industry sectors to introduce a self-regulatory code which supports compliance with GDPR. Data, and how it is used, is playing an increasingly important role in how citizens and businesses interact online – and the online gambling sector is no different.
“This code outlines how online gambling companies should ensure their customers understand how their personal data is being used and provides important guidance on how companies should use personal data in their interactions with customers, including how they identify and address problem gambling behaviour in their customers.”


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The Victorian government has recently released a series of recommendations for regulating the gig economy, and we need to make sure that those recommendations are approved by the workers who will be impacted by any changes.
It is due to the incredible campaigning of gig economy workers that we have put this issue on the political agenda. For years, workers have bravely spoken out about the underpayment, safety issues, and unfair treatment they experience on platforms like Uber, Deliveroo and Airtasker.
We know what the problems are, and now we have the opportunity to drive the solutions.
We're inviting any Victorian gig economy workers to join an online consultation session to share your thoughts and tell us what changes would improve your working life.
The Victorian government has indicated it is willing to implement changes to regulate the gig economy and ensure a fairer deal for workers who use platforms like Airtasker, Uber, Deliveroo, and Care.com.
Join us for an online consultation session where organisers across the union movement can share our legislative and policy ideas for regulating the gig economy and respond to the recommendations recently released from the Inquiry into the On Demand Economy.
Please note: This consultation session is for union officials only. Dedicated consultation sessions with gig economy workers will take place across September and can be found here:


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Free items for all players to celebrate Robocraft’s long-awaited launch after 3 years in Steam Early Access.
Freejam is pleased to announce that the celebrated free-to-play robot building and battling game Robocraft is set to exit Steam Early Access and officially launch as a full release product on Thursday, 24th August.
To mark the launch, Freejam will reward every player in Robocraft’s 12 million strong community with in-game crates bursting with new items and a selection of 4 exclusive Pilot Seat cosmetics – based on when their account was created. There’s also time for new users to be eligible to get some of these rewards. All they need to do is create an account and play Robocraft before launch day.
“Robocraft attracted a cult following as soon as it appeared on Steam and the game has changed a lot over the years,” reminisced Freejam CEO and Game Director, Mark Simmons. “Our fans have been consistently patient and supportive throughout Robocraft’s continued evolution. We wholeheartedly thank them for their passion and support as we officially launch our first game as a studio.”
The rewards will launch as part of the ‘1.0’ update which also features new animated cosmetics, more usability improvements to the Community Robot Factory (a hub where players can upload their own robot designs and sell them to others for in-game currency), new Rail Impaler weapon and a myriad of other improvements.
After 3 years in Steam’s Early Access program, Robocraft is finally set to be released as a full 1.0 product and Freejam cordially invites everyone to begin their robot building career by visiting Steam (http://store.steampowered.com/app/301520/Robocraft) or robocraftgame.com.
To keep track of the game’s latest updates, visit robocraftgame.com or follow us on Twitter (@Robocraftgame) and Facebook (Facebook.com/robocraftgame).


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We return like every morning with the latest news from the previous day, with a compilation of everything that happened yesterday, May 16.
We have analyzed the new Logitech mouse, Logitech Pro X Superlight, with specifications and a design that position it as an excellent mouse.
In addition, we have also analyzed the TCL NXTPAPER 10S tablet.
And also this morning we have been able to know in great detail everything about the cameras of the future Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The new high-end processor already has a presentation date: this is all we know about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+. read the news
Steam Deck has competition with a much more powerful chip, this is Ayaneo 2, the Windows 11 portable console. Read the news
5 Samsung mobiles that we have tested lately and they perform at a very good level. read the news
Filtered the camera specifications of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Read the news
This is how the new vivo S15 and S15 Pro are: metallic body design that reminds us of the iPhone 13. Read the news
The POCO F4 Pro can be seen in real images confirming its existence. read the news
TCL NXTPAPER 10S, analysis and opinion. read the news
How to fix hard drives that won’t boot or have corrupted data on Windows, Linux and Mac. Read the news
Logitech Pro X Superlight, analysis of the ultralight gaming mouse. read the news
10 default Windows 11 privacy settings you should change. read the news
The best accessories to create TikTok videos at home. read the news
The folding screens of the future will be able to bend in two different directions. read the news
7 applications that you probably do not know and you have to install on your Android phone. read the news
The iPhone can now be used as a dataphone: this is how Tap to Pay works. read the news
Twitter Data Dash: this is the Twitter game that tries to explain the privacy policies of the social network. read the news
One of the best watches we have tested (and it has WhatsApp) drops in price and far exceeds the Apple Watch. read the news
Instagram’s new feature would allow you to create a private chat during a live broadcast. read the news
The clock that gives the hours of the whole world at the same time. read the news
Why is a horse euthanized when a leg is broken? Is it still being done? read the news
The Xiaomi robot vacuum cleaner that also scrubs, reduced by 70 euros. read the news
These are the exceptions that exist to be able to jump a red light and not be fined. read the news
They catch the Civil Guard using cardboard cars to dissuade drivers. read the news
entertainment and gaming
Black Mirror confirms a sixth season on Netflix betting on greater cinematographic scope. read the news
Elemental is the new Pixar movie and we already have a release date for this wonderful story. read the news
This has been the May 16 tech news roundup. We hope you have a good day!
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism


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In the growing age of technology, companies have to continuously adapt their devices to meet consumers’ needs and expectations. Consumers access Amazon Alexa when they purchase Amazon products such as the Echo or Echo Dot. Alexa is to Amazon what comparatively Siri is to Apple. While Alexa is capable of answering human demands and questions, it has reached this level of complex conversation not only through human interaction but also with the assistance of Amazon employees. According to researcher Canalys, approximately seventy-eight million people purchased smart speakers in 2018 alone. The high demand for voice technology such as Alexa has created a need for detailed-oriented, human responses from each device.
Amazon faces privacy concerns by hiring specific employees to listen to the voice recordings obtained through Alexa. These employees are not hired to “spy” on Amazon users, but they are a way to train Alexa’s software to have greater knowledge for the human language and to respond to consumers with a higher level of accuracy. An Amazon job posting described the relevant position as, “Every day she (Alexa) listens to thousands of people talking to her about different topics and different languages, and she needs our help to make sense of it all … This is big data handling like you’ve never seen it. We’re creating, labeling, curating and analyzing vast quantities of speech on a daily basis.” Under this job posting, employees were hired specifically to analyze Alexa voice recordings.
What do these privacy concerns mean for Amazon in the future? With Amazon Alexa continuously needing to adapt and improve, there will remain the need to use a system for collecting voice data from its existing customers. This poses the problem for consumer trust and could create excess lawsuits. On the one hand, people do not purchase an Amazon product with Alexa to be listened to in the privacy of their home. However, Alexa will only improve with human interaction and analyzing these recordings creates the best product that consumers want to purchase. The Amazon employees that work with this data have signed non-disclosure agreements and cannot reveal any information regarding what they hear in their work. The employees must use internal chat rooms among each other if problems arise interpreting the recordings. Some employees have reported hearing criminal acts such as what appeared to be a sexual assault, but Amazon’s confidentiality protocol does not allow for this information to be released; even though Alexa could be listening, all voice recordings it collects will never be heard by the public.
There will always be a fine balance between the appropriate levels of privacy versus product advancement for Alexa, but Amazon has created policy to increase consumer trust. These simple safety measures include the wake word “Alexa” must be spoken to trigger Alexa to begin a conversation and the blue light indicator on the device shows when it is recording. Consumers also have the ability to turn off the microphone and camera on their device, and they can speak statements such as, “Alexa, delete everything I said today,” to delete previous voice recordings. With these precautions in place, privacy concerns will continue to arise, especially in cases where children, neighbors, etc. are being recorded by Amazon Alexa and its competitors without purchasing the products. It will be a continuous search for the balance of privacy that consumers are willing to forfeit for cutting-edge technology in the home.
J. Logan Rigsbee
November 1, 2019


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OK, now you can panic just a bit and dust off that investing playbook that has been buried since the 2008-2009 financial crisis.
Oil prices tanked more than 20% on Monday following Saudi Arabia’s surprising decision over the weekend to slash prices. That unnerved an already jittery stock market — the Dow Jones Industrial Average crashed about 1,500 points in early trading after a brief halt near the open as circuit breakers were triggered. The Dow at one point dropped close to 2,000 points.
All in all, the great bull market is at risk from what some pros believe is a rolling financial crisis at the hands of the coronavirus outbreak.
Since I don’t know what notes are on your 2008-2009 financial crisis playbook, allow me to share mine. Back then I was a sell-side equities analyst covering hardline and softline retailers, or in plain speak — retailers such as Costco to Abercrombie & Fitch, a teen apparel destination.
Tip 1: Value may not be value.
Back in late 2008 and early 2009, countless pundits said bank stocks represented tremendous values. Most of the big banks by then were trading below book value, which on the surface appeared to be a screaming buy. But a screaming buy they were not as banks had balance sheets riddled with opaque assets worth next to nothing as the housing bubble burst and consumers went financially bust. Moreover, the long arm of the government lurked to upend bank business models for their reckless ways (we remember you, Barney Frank).
The same reasoning could be applied to cruise line stocks like Carnival Cruise Line trading on low single-digit price-to-earnings multiples. These companies will likely have to deal with a fundamental shift in how human beings view cruising for years thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. That will spell several years of pressured profits as cruise line price tickets fall below optimal levels and deal with still elevated fixed expenses.
Heck, an ExxonMobil — which crashed 17% Monday on the Saudi Arabia shock decision to slash oil prices — may not yet represent a major value even with a dividend yield of nearly 9%. All oil producers and their supply chain could see their bottom lines rocked well into 2021 due to oil hovering below $35 a barrel.
Bottom line: Value is in the eye of the beholder, a cheap stock could get much cheaper.
Tip 2: The consumer does not rush into the fray and automatically save the day.
Another well worn line of thinking back in 2008-2009 was that the U.S. consumer would swoop in to save the day. “The U.S. consumer represents 70% of the U.S. economy and they will be out there spending amid lower gas prices,” is a line lazy pundits used with extreme frequency at the time. Obviously that was totally wrong as major retailers were financially pounded as consumers boosted savings rates and ate at home instead of the food court mall. They didn’t resurface in earnest until the holiday season of 2010, more than a year after the market bottomed in March 2010.
Be careful right now not to buy into the logic that U.S. households have strong balance sheets. Most in fact do after an 11-year-old bull market in stocks and higher paying jobs. But to think consumers won’t change their spending behavior with the stock market getting torched and coronavirus spreading is dumb. In turn, piling into consumer-centric stocks at the moment is also likely a wrong move as inventories pile up due to slowing demand and the companies struggle to unwind costs.
Bottom line: The U.S. consumer isn’t immune to nasty market headlines and can’t be relied upon to save the global economy.
Tip 3: A market in crisis bottoms when fiscal policy unites with monetary policy.
Remember the Troubled Asset Relief Program, aka TARP? How about Ben Bernanke uncorking something unconventionally at the time in quantitative easing? These were essential moves to arrest plunging stock markets and set the foundation for more stable investing conditions. By and large, they worked.
The problem currently is that the Federal Reserve has taken the coronavirus situation on its back. Fed chief Jerome Powell slashed interest rates by 50 basis points in an emergency meeting a week ago. Where is the Trump administration on the unfolding crisis with a form of stimulus? Unclear on that, and the market doesn’t like it and realized the Fed can’t do this alone.
Bottom line: Fiscal and monetary policy must work together, it’s hard to imagine a market bottom without the two joining forces.


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Google and On Demand Books Bring 2 Million Titles Back Into Print
As a result of an agreement with On Demand Books, Google will bring more than 2 million book titles in its digital library back to life as paperbacks. Google has granted On Demand, the maker of the Espresso Book Machine, immediate access to these files.
The Espresso Book Machine is a high-speed, automated book-making machine that can print, bind and trim a paperback book, with a full-color paperback cover, in a few minutes. The machine is available in about a dozen locations worldwide, including libraries and trade and campus bookstores, and already offers about 1.6 million titles.
"With the Google inventory, the EBM will make it possible for readers everywhere to have access to millions of digital titles in multiple languages, including rare and out-of-print public-domain titles," says Jason Epstein, chairman and co-founder of On Demand Books.
"… In a matter of minutes, you can get a paperback book identical to the one you can get in a store at point of sale," adds Dane Neller, CEO and co-founder of On Demand. "In addition to readers, On Demand Books will bring substantial benefits to authors, retailers and publishers. It has the potential to change the publishing industry."
According to the Associated Press, On Demand and Google each will get $1 of every sale; Google says it will donate its proceeds to charity. The books published by the Espresso Machine will have a recommended sale price of $8 per copy; however, the final pricing decision will be left to each retailer.


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Visitors to the Turks and Caicos this winter will find several additions on the Providenciales skyline as well as packages and incentives to sweeten the deal and help cushion the impact of a failing economy.
Winter season business is taking a hit right now, with many properties, from budget to luxury, reporting a downturn in advance bookings of up to 50% compared with the same time last year.
Although peak season rates haven't dropped, minimum-stay requirements and blackout dates have been eliminated at many resorts. Value-added features, such as free nights, a massage or a tour, appear to be the rule rather than the exception.
Wayne Garland, executive chairman of the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board, said that "hoteliers project last-minute bookings. We expect a slight upswing now that U.S. elections are over."
The luxury market fills a lot of rooms on Providenciales. New offerings this year and the debut of several more in 2009 and 2010, coupled with increased airlift from some U.S. gateways, "signal that investors and airlines are confident that our destination can fill seats and beds," Garland said.
The 22-acre, 115-room Seven Stars Resort on 12-mile-long Grace Bay beach opened in July. The owners appear to have spent their $100 million well, with solid construction and an emphasis on staffing.
Jeffrey Boland, director of operations, said the resort had no prior winter season as a basis of comparison, but "we know that the economic situation already has impacted us. We've seen a slowdown in bookings."
Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort & Spa will debut its $125 million, 162-suite Italian Village expansion project on Jan. 20.
Butch Stewart, chairman of Sandals Resorts, said that the hotel company "projects a strong winter at all our properties, due to the support of our travel agent partners."
Opening this month is Leeward Resort & Marina, alongside Nikki Beach Resort on Provo's northeastern tip. The $400 million yacht destination resort includes a 130-slip marina; a beach; swimming pools and hydra spas; a fitness center; restaurants; shops; and the private Turks & Caicos Yacht Club.
Joining the luxe roster in February is the Estate at Grace Bay, an extension of the Grace Bay Club that includes 22 residences, housed in two six-story buildings with two units per floor. Four units remain on the market, with prices from $3.5 million each.
Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay, scheduled to open in late 2009 on Provo's southwestern coast, will include 25 hotel suites, 17 villas, 78 apartments and a 22,000-square-foot spa. Unit prices start at $1.2 million.
The Meridian Club, a private island retreat on Pine Cay, renovated its 12 guest rooms and added four boats for guest transport and snorkeling.
Airlift continues to grow, even as other destination see cutbacks in service. "US Airways is boosting its lift to Turks and Caicos from Boston, Charlotte and Philadelphia," said Ralph Higgs, director of tourism marketing at the tourist board.
Delta also will up its flights from Atlanta to Provo beginning Dec. 20.


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Amazing Fact of the Day: Just Apple's iPhone Alone is Now Bigger Than All of Microsoft
"Apple's iPhone business alone is now bigger than Microsoft. Not Windows. Not Office. Microsoft. Think about that. The iPhone did not exist five years ago. And now it's bigger than a company that, 15 years ago, was dragged into court and threatened with forcible break-up because it had amassed an unassailable and unthinkably profitable monopoly.
The iPhone also appears to be considerably more profitable than Microsoft. In the December quarter, Apple's iPhone business generated $24.4 billion of revenue. Microsoft's whole company, meanwhile, from Windows to Office to servers to XBox, generated $20.9 billion (see chart above).
If we assume that Apple generates the same operating profit margin on its iPhone business that it generates on its overall business--38%--the iPhone business generated about $9.3 billion of profit in the December quarter. All of Microsoft, meanwhile, generated only $8.2 billion."
MP: Let's hope that the Apple iPhone's phenomenal success doesn't trigger any government antitrust investigations, Congressional inquiries into "windfall profits," or legislation calling for a "Reasonable Profits Board" to control Apple's profits.


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02 December 2021 – Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ratified city council resolution no. 563, series of 2021, allowing the display of indigenous or locally made products cum promotion of entrepreneurial skills at the Igorot Park by local entrepreneurs and livelihood associations from December 1 to 24 in line with the Summer Capital’s economic recovery initiatives.
The measure states that the city’s economic recovery initiative encourages active participation from local entrepreneurs and various groups oriented with livelihood projects and programs with the penultimate goal of ‘arising as one’ from the economic debacle due to the pandemic.
One of the present administration’s service-core agenda is ‘strengthening livelihood and entrepreneurial services’ that intends to actively promote entrepreneurship in the locality by encouraging local product producers to be more innovative and market-oriented while abating unemployment and helping the city’s economy.
It states that Baguio, being a melting pot and creative city also hosts budding and established entrepreneurs with some belonging to various Indigenous Peoples’ aggrupation and non-IPs but have enthusiastically embraced culturally-rooted life practices.
“One of the most adversely affected by the pandemic are those sectors involved in start-up entrepreneurship and livelihood initiatives that resulted to enormous loss of jobs and sources of income of many that also affected the well-being of their whole family,” the resolution states.
It states that the activity, which serves to encourage community participation, is in support of the city’s resiliency program and strategic implementation of its economic rebound measures.
“Social resiliency requires people capacitation by providing them wide-ranging opportunities to regain their collective confidence and allowing them to exercise their entrepreneurial skills while promoting further their level of creativity and fostering unique culture through indigenous, culturally-inspired and locally-made products and artistic brands,” the measure states.-Gaby B. Keith


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Wrapping up Q2 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the gig economy stocks, including Fiverr (NYSE:FVRR) and its peers.
The iPhone changed the world, ushering in the era of the “always-on” internet and “on-demand” services - anything someone could want is just a few taps away. Likewise, the gig economy sprang up in a similar fashion, with a proliferation of tech-enabled freelance labor marketplaces, which work hand and hand with many on demand services. Individuals can now work on demand too. What began with tech enabled platforms that aggregated riders and drivers has expanded over the past decade to include food delivery, groceries, and now even a plumber or graphic designer are all just a few taps away.
The 4 gig economy stocks we track reported a weak Q2; on average, revenues missed analyst consensus estimates by 2%, while on average next quarter revenue guidance was 2.44% above consensus. Technology stocks have been hit hard by fears of higher interest rates as investors search for near-term cash flows and gig economy stocks have not been spared, with share prices down 19.8% since the previous earnings results, on average.
Based in Tel Aviv, Fiverr (NYSE: FVRR) operates a fixed price global freelance marketplace for digital services.
Fiverr reported revenues of $89.4 million, up 5.15% year on year, in line with analyst expectations. It was a weak quarter for the company, with slow revenue growth. In addition, the total number of active buyers was flat year on year.
“We continue to push forward towards executing our long-term strategy and are excited about our recent product launches that we believe will create a step function change in how businesses can engage with freelancers,” said Micha Kaufman, founder and CEO of Fiverr.
Fiverr achieved the strongest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. The stock is down 13.6% since the results and currently trades at $24.64.Is now the time to buy Fiverr? Read our full report on Fiverr here.
Best Q2: Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT)
Founded by Logan Green and John Zimmer as a long-distance intercity carpooling company Zimride, Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) operates a ridesharing network in the US and Canada.
Lyft reported revenues of $1.02 billion, up 3.04% year on year, missing analyst expectations by 0.17%. It was a mixed quarter for the company, with optimistic revenue guidance for the next quarter but slow revenue growth.
The stock is down 9.25% since the results and currently trades at $10.5.
Is now the time to buy Lyft? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.
Weakest Q2: Angi (NASDAQ:ANGI)
Created by IAC’s mergers of Angie’s List and HomeAdvisor, ANGI (NASDAQ: ANGI) operates the largest online marketplace for home services in the US.
Angi reported revenues of $375.1 million, down 27.3% year on year, missing analyst expectations by 6.79%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with declining revenue and users.
Angi had the weakest performance against analyst estimates. The company reported 6.86 million service requests, down 19.3% year on year. The stock is down 49% since the results and currently trades at $1.98.
Born out of a winter night thought: "What if you could request a ride from your phone?" Uber (NYSE: UBER) operates a global network of on demand services, most prominently ride hailing and food delivery, and freight.
Uber reported revenues of $9.23 billion, up 14.3% year on year, missing analyst expectations by 1.16%. It was a mixed quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' revenue estimates and slow revenue growth. On the other hand, free cash flow was solid, and so was profit guidance for the next quarter.
Uber pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The company reported 137 million users, up 12.3% year on year. The stock is down 7.5% since the results and currently trades at $45.75.
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The Colonel has gotten into the gaming business.
KFC announced Wednesday the release of its KFConsole, a gaming console in the shape of the fast-food chain’s familiar Bargain Bucket of chicken.
While many believed the release of the KFConsole to be a gag, it is, in fact, real. CNN Business confirms that KFC created the gaming console under its KFC Gaming branch in partnership with Cooler Master, a computer hardware manufacturer based in Taiwan.
“The KFConsole has arrived,” states the Cooler Master website. “Forged from the fires of the KFC ovens and built by Cooler Master from the ground up, there has never been a tastier way to experience the latest titles in stunning 4k, 240fps.”
The future of gaming is here.
— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) June 12, 2020
The “tasty” factor that the KFConsole brings is its built-in “Chicken Chamber.” The chamber slides open from within the console, using natural heat and airflow to keep the hungry gamer’s chicken warm as they play.
The KFConsole also isn’t without its gaming capabilities. Cooler Master further explains that the gaming console has other items such as the Intel Nuc 9 Extreme Compute Element to keep space open for games and to drive performance.
Additionally, the KFConsole has VR capabilities; ray tracing; “smooth and fluid” gameplay; and 4K-TV gaming. It even guarantees gameplay speeds that are about six times faster than your average console, all thanks to two Seagate BarraCuda 1TB SSD.
The Cool Master website continues, “Our expert Mod team, [led] by the legendary Swedish craftsman ‘Timeplay,’ set about building this awesome beast and boy did he deliver!”
The official release date and pricing of the KFConsole has not yet been announced.


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JANUARY 17, 2020
FUTURES UNABLE TO HOLD ON TO NEW HIGHS
- Spot Market Prices Up at The Seam
- Trade Deal Signed, Contains Few Surprises
- Equity Markets Reach New All-Time Highs
- Export Sales Improve
It was a wild week of trading in the futures markets. March cotton made consecutive new highs to start the week, reaching 71.96 cents per pound on Monday. Unfortunately, prices fell back on Wednesday, and March futures settled at 70.22 cents Thursday, down 47 points for the week. Average daily trading volume was strong, and the number of open contracts continued to surge. Open interest added 15,755 contracts to finish the week at 251,621 which is the highest level in 11 months.
Through late Thursday afternoon The Seam’s G2B platform traded more than 90,000 bales during the week. The average price received by producers was 62.74 cents per pound, up 108 points from the previous week’s average. The average premium over the CCC loan was 11.01 cents per pound, up 83 points from the previous week’s average. G2B offers stood at 259,000 bales.
President Trump and China’s Vice Premier Liu He signed the “Phase 1” trade deal on Wednesday. The text of the agreement was released as promised shortly after the signing. There were few surprises in the text which broadly reflected the comments and information that administration officials had already released to the public. As far as agriculture is concerned, the gist of the agreement is that China will open up to imports of many new things, will cut red-tape on many others, and will endeavor to purchase a combined value of U.S. agricultural goods in 2020 that is $12.5 billion more than in 2017 and in 2021 that is $19.5 billion more than in 2017. In 2017, the value was $24 billion. The deal provides some wiggle room to China if market conditions make hitting the targets impossible (e.g. a supply shortage), but the expansion of purchases to many categories that had previously been restricted should make it a lot easier for China to hit the target.
Traders often use the phrase “buy the rumor, sell the fact” to describe the buildup of buying before a bullish report that turns into selling upon release on the actual information. That phrase has been used to describe the action in the commodity markets this week as the signing of the U.S./China trade deal seems to have precipitated a minor sell-off in the very commodity crops that China has committed to buying. On the other hand, equity markets have continued to make new all-time highs in apparent relief of tension. The Senate’s passage of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) on Thursday was almost lost in the noise but also provided some support to the markets.
Without much volume to China, U.S. exporters were still able to book another 232,900 bales of Upland commitments to the export market in the week ended January 9. Pima sales also were healthy at 34,400 bales of which 13,200 were to China. Shipments rebounded to 309,400 bales of Upland and Pima combined, recovering from the slow pace of the holidays. Shipments are expected to increase during the next few weeks as we enter peak shipping season. While traders will be watching this figure closely, new sales to China are now the watch point for most traders with the U.S./China deal signed and behind us. Note that next week’s export sales report will be delayed because of the federal holiday.
RMA YIELD PRICES
Counties in Texas with a sales closing date of January 31, 2020, will have a yield price of 71.00 cents per pound for conventional grown cotton as released by RMA. Calculations for this period use the December 2020 futures prices from 12/15/2019 through 1/14/2020. The 71.00-cent price is 3.00 cents per pound lower than the 2019 price for the same area.
IN THE WEEK AHEAD:
- Friday (January 17) at 2:30 p.m. Central – Commitments of Traders
- Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Central – Cotton-On-Call
- Friday at 7:30 a.m. Central – Export Sales Report


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Facebook and Apple beat expectations
Social media giant warns of hit to revenue this year from Apple’s app privacy pop-ups
Feuding tech giants Apple and Facebook both reported very strong results after US markets closed on Wednesday. Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Apple posted sales and profits far ahead of Wall Street expectations and announced a $90 billion share buyback as customers continued to upgrade to 5G iPhones and snapped up new Mac models with Apple’s house-designed processor chips.
Sales to China nearly doubled and results topped analyst targets in every category, led by $6.5 billion more in iPhone sales than predicted and Mac sales about a third higher than estimates. Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the company sees an economic recovery coming.
Facebook beat market expectations for quarterly revenue, powered by higher ad spending by businesses during a pandemic-induced surge in online traffic.
Total revenue, which primarily consists of ad sales, rose to $26.17 billion in the first quarter ended March 31st, beating analysts’ average estimate of $23.67 billion.
The world’s largest social media company said in its outlook that it expected second-quarter revenue growth to be stable or grow moderately, but warned that the third- and fourth-quarter growth rates could “significantly” decline when compared with past periods of increasingly strong growth. It cited that a new pop-up privacy notification from Apple could hurt the business during the second quarter.
Facebook’s monthly active users rose 10 per cent to 2.85 billion, matching analyst expectations. Net income for the fourth quarter came in at $9.5 billion, or $3.30 per share, compared with $4.9 billion, or $1.71 per share, a year earlier. Analysts had expected a profit of $2.37 per share. – Reuters


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- Google offers a glimpse at the upcoming smart speaker.
- The device already received certifications for the launch.
- It will be official later this year.
Google will host its Made by Google event later this year where the company will launch new hardware products including the upcoming Pixel 5 series. Now it seems that the company is excited to showcase its upcoming product as the company teased its upcoming smart speaker called Nest Home and the same also received certifications.
Having said that, the images of the upcoming Nest Home surfaced on the Japanese database website and that gives us a perfect idea about how the device will look like when it will be officially announced. Going through images, we can see that the upcoming device will have a soft design with the rounded corners and the same is covered with the fabric which we are familiar on the Google smart speakers.
Moreover, Google also confirmed that the device will available in three colour options – gray, pink, and a bluish gray, and the same revealed through the short teaser video.
The company will host the event in October and that means we have plenty of time to get more information about the same in the coming months and we recommend you to stay tuned with us for more interesting news at your fingertips.
Read interesting news, reviews as well as tips & tricks on TechnoBugg website, and stay updated with the latest happenings of the tech world on the go with Technobugg App.


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This week, under the tents in Bryant Park, a now-familiar spectacle will play out. In between supermodel outbursts, the Calvin Kleins of the design world will apply the finishing touches to pricey garments, while editors and buyers-accustomed to this glamorous game of hurry-up-and-wait-try to abide yet another late start.
All of the very calculated excess of "Seventh on Sixth" is in stark contrast to the scene just yards away behind the walls of the Celeste Bartos Forum at the New York Public Library. Inside, Girls Rule!
At a fraction of the cost and the hype, a fashion show-dubbed Girls Rule! after the market it's chasing-features a group of Generation X fashion designers who cater to the trend-setting junior market. Here, undiscovered models will show off moderately priced fashions from fresh contemporary designer brands such as Planet Claire, 2B! and ka.bel.waer.
Yet, despite the absence of the big names, Girls Rule! founders and producers Oliver Dow and Darren Greenblatt-who launched the show last year with just $20,000-have quietly captured the attention of the entire fashion industry.
"I think most people know by now that lots of the major fashion trends trickle up-from the teens on the street to the ready-to-wear runways," says Mr. Dow. "By showing alongside the Bryant Park shows, we validate that movement."
This year's show has also drawn heavyweight corporate support from Seventeen magazine and a Pennsylvania-based sneaker company Items International/Airwalk. It also is attracting some key retail buyers, from small specialty stores such as Manhattan's Antique Boutique to buyers from Bloomingdale's and Wet Seal/Contempo, a California-based, 128-unit national chain of teen clothing stores.
Boomers' kids become teens
Fashion insiders say Mr. Dow and Mr. Greenblatt are tapping into a thriving market for contemporary fashion. After a long dry spell, junior fashion sales are starting to benefit from a burgeoning teen marketplace, now feeling the effects of the early 1980s' rush to parenthood.
"Girls Rule! is a perfect fit for us," says Lynn Berentson, Glamour marketing director. "We're the first fashion-beauty magazine that a girl sees. And teens are always looking for the newest, hottest thing."
Ms. Berentson estimates that teen-age girls wield more than $43 billion in buying power-roughly one-third of which is devoted to fashion purchases. Some call it the "Clueless" syndrome, referring to last year's hit teen movie that showed girls shopping and spending and basically rejecting such antifashion movements as grunge and hip-hop in favor of form-fitting pants and sexy dresses.
West Coast sets pace
So far, much of this resurgence in the teen market has been led by West Coast designers and retailers, leaving New York's fashion community in the dust. Girls Rule! makes a point to spotlight some of the leading junior designers in New York with the hope that the fire can spread to this market as well.
Rosanna Lewis, a co-founder of 2B!, says it's difficult to tie sales gains directly to the show, but she does insist that retailers such as Lady Foot Locker, Paragon and Charivari were a lot more receptive to sales calls about their fashion activewear afterward.
"People were buzzed," says Ms. Lewis. "There was lots of excitement generated from the attention. For me, that's invaluable."


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The green dress that had raised one too many eyebrows when it was first worn by American actress, singer-songwriter and dancer Jennifer Lopez at the Grammy Awards in 2000, was recently celebrated at the Milan Fashion Week.
Sudanese model Anok Yai made history at Milan Fashion Week 2018 by becoming the second black model to open the show for Prada, 20 years after former supermodel Naomi Campbell did the same. She walked the ramp wearing a puffer trench coat.
Kendall Jenner, the highest paid model recently received backlash for wearing a fur coat on the ramp at Milan Fashion Week. At a time when high-street brands are dropping fur from their collections, this move comes as a shocker.
On Gianni Versace's 20th death anniversary, original supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Helena Christensen, and Carla Bruni paid their respect to the designer in gold floor-length gowns.
At the Milan Fashion Week 2018, while some like Gucci went with bizarre props like baby dragons and severed heads, others such as Tommy Hilfiger transformed the runway into a race track. Check out the highlights from the fashion week here.
This year, the Milan Fashion week was all about slogans. With designers like Miuccia Prada, Sabato Russo and Giorgio Armani displaying their collection, the ramp was an interesting blend of style statements and fashion trends.
At the recently concluded Milan Fashion Week, designers paid tribute to legendary music and fashion icon David Bowie and looked to the past and future for inspiration. Here are some highlights from the runway.


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Nintendo has enjoyed nearly two decades of portable gaming success with the Game Boy line of devices, more recently printing money by way of the touchscreen-equipped Nintendo DS and DS Lite.
Sony has been able to achieve a good level of success with the PSP and PSP Slim. While devices like the Sega Game Gear and Neo Geo Pocket have come and gone, their full-sized home counterparts have also come and gone.
For all intents and purposes, the Microsoft Xbox 360 is still doing very well in the marketplace. People are still more than happy to enjoy games like Halo 3 and Rock Band on the Xbox 360, so it's clear that Microsoft has a formidable game-playing following. Why is it, then, that Microsoft has yet to grace us with any sort of portable gaming ambitions? Where is the Xbox Portable?


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WASHINGTON — President Biden’s push to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would cost more than 1.5 million jobs and drive up the cost of goods and services, the US Congressional Budget Office projected Monday.
The nonpartisan federal agency also found that the “Raise the Wage Act” would see the federal deficit balloon to a whopping $54 billion — almost double what is now — if enacted next month.
Many businesses will wind up closing for good, plain and simple. Others will stay open but only by laying off employees and raising prices. And keep in mind: Even workers who hang on to their jobs will have to pay those steeper prices, which will eat into much of their raise. Great plan.
Meanwhile, more pink slips would be catastrophic right now: Restaurants, hotels and some retailers have already trimmed headcounts by as much as 30 percent, thanks to the pandemic. The leisure and hospitality sector saw 3.8 million jobs vanish last year. Yet the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects the $15 minimum would lead to another 1.3 million jobs lost.


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Back in 2012, Sharp’s Kameyama Plant No. 1 switched from making larger TV panels to smaller screens for smartphones. Apple became a key partner, and now the plant is at 90% capacity making displays for the iPhone 6.
You’d think that such strong business would keep Sharp happy, but that isn’t stopping the Japanese company from wanting to distance itself from Apple. The main thing Apple seems to be concerned with is that Sharp could end up doing business with Samsung instead.
iPad screenmaker Sharp is allocating a major chunk of its LCD production facilities to Apple — but doesn’t seem all that happy about it.
According to an interview published Monday with Sharp Senior Executive Managing Officer Norikazu Hoshi, the company worries about what it means for the entire output of the Japanese display maker’s Kameyama No. 1 plant to go “to just one company (Apple).”
It seems like we’ve been crowing for years about the promise of IGZO — a display technology that radically improves power efficiency, allowing for thinner, lighter, longer-lasting devices — for ages, but with the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina Display, Apple finally started actually delivering on that promise.
But what now? A new job application suggests that the next generation of Mac laptops might get IGZO too, paving the way for new design possibilities.
Once it was revealed that the new Mac Pro could power up to three 4K displays at once, speculation immediately followed about Apple releasing an updated Thunderbolt Display. Rumors have been scare on that front, and a recent slip up in Apple’s online store indicates that the company may be looking to other manufacturers to supply 4K displays.
Yesterday Apple briefly sold Sharp’s new 32-inch LED monitor in several of its European online stores. After the product was spotted, Apple pulled the listing.
What’s causing the Retina iPad mini to launch so late in the year, and why is demand expected to be so limited at launch? Display yield issues tend to be viewed as the culprit, but what exactly is happening? According to a new rumor, LCD burn-in is to blame.
The iPad Air might be the lightest iPad yet, and a true glimpse of the future of tablets, but Apple’s still managing to make a healthy profit on each tablet sold. In fact, iHS iSuppli pegs the build price of each iPad Air is just $274 for a 16GB WiFi-only model. Apple sure does know how to make a margin, doesn’t it?
We’ve already heard that the new iPad mini may be in short supply at launch due to low yield rates of its Retina display, and that has now been confirmed by supply chain sources in Taiwan. Sharp and LG Display simply cannot produce the panels fast enough, according to reports, and so Apple may not have enough units to meet the initial demand later this month.
Admit it. There’s two major things you still want from OS X: multitouch support, and 4K support. 4K support would make the Retina iMac finally possible, and as for multitouch, this is where the laptop and desktop market is heading despite Steve Jobs’s protestations about “gorilla arm.”
It’s taking Apple its sweet time to deliver the above, but you don’t have to wait. Sharp has just announced OS X compatibility for their 32-inch 4K touchscreen monitor.
That’s the big question everyone is asking about the second-generation iPad mini, and we’ve been seeing conflicting reports about it for several months. But according to sources “familiar with the matter,” who have been speaking to The Wall Street Journal, it’s “likely” the answer to that question is yes.
Apple’s fifth-generation iPad will feature a new touchscreen technology that will help it become thinner and lighter, according to industry sources. The device is expected to adopt a new form factor much like the iPad mini’s, with thinner bezels and a smaller frame — and Apple will have to make a number of changes to its internals to enable that.


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The revolutionary Super Cruise™ hands-free driving technology is now available on the 2022 Cadillac XT6. It’s exclusively available on the Sport and Premium Luxury models. Here’s a look at what the new Super Cruise™ package has to offer.
The Super Cruise™ package offers more than just cutting-edge hands-free highway driving technology. On the Premium Luxury package, it’ll dress up the cabin with a leather-wrapped Super Cruise™ steering wheel and enhance your daily drive with a real-time damping suspension chassis and a performance suspension system. However, on the Cadillac XT6 Sport model, the package only adds the Super Cruise™ steering wheel, since the Sport already boasts the suspension and chassis upgrades.
Super Cruise™ isn’t the only addition to the luxurious 2022 Cadillac XT6. The latest model is now available in two additional sophisticated shades: Latte Metallic and Rosewood Metallic. And if you opt for the Sport model, you can now pick 21-inch Multi-Spoke Diamond Cut Dark Android alloy wheels.
It also boasts new color-keyed floor mats, as well as more standard safety technology. The entry-level Luxury trim now comes with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.
If you’re ready to upgrade your daily drive, check out the 2022 Cadillac XT6, available at Bud Weiser Motors in Beloit, Wisconsin.


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Up is Dow; Dow is up
Whee! The Dow just closed 936 points up. But that doesn't guarantee that your depression will lift.
The volatile market could just as well take a plunge or two or 10 in the coming weeks. With that in mind, go back a few days and read Kathleen Madigan's October 10 item in the Wall Street Journal's Real Time Economics blog, "Loss of Wealth to Weigh on Consumer Spending."
And wealth is lost, as she points out:
Strapped as we are, even after today's stock-market rise, we're being told by some experts that we all may have to spend our way out of this recession-verging-on-depression.
Get ready for a blizzard of ad campaigns and other propaganda urging you to be a good citizen by going out and spending money.
Save your stores, you'll be told, because retailers are getting ready to take a major hit — a tsunami. Experts (or people who say they are) predict the biggest drop in consumer spending in three decades.
But maybe we should take an On the Beach approach to this and go shopping now because we may have no money with which to shop when we reach retirement. Madigan points out:
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Sanofi India Ltd, local unit of the French drugmaker, on Wednesday said it has received board approval to sell its nutraceuticals business to Universal Nutriscience Pvt Ltd for Rs 587 crore ($78.9 million).
As part of the transaction, 16 nutraceutical brands in the portfolio will be transferred to Universal Nutriscience, said Sanofi India in a statement.
Universal Nutriscience is a strategic partnership between homegrown private equity firm Kedaara Capital and nutraceuticals firm Universal Medicare.
"Following a strategic review of its portfolio, the company believes that the potential of the Nutraceuticals range would be maximised in an organisation, which can provide deep category understanding and continuous innovation required to win in this specialised area," said Rajaram Narayanan, managing director of Sanofi India.
All employees who are associated with Sanofi India's nutraceuticals business will also be transitioned to Universal Nutriscience, he added.
The deal is expected to be completed within the next three months.
"We are committed to building a focused nutraceuticals business backed by three decades of experience in R&D and manufacturing to provide end-to-end scientifically backed products and services," said Nishant Sharma, investment chief and managing partner, Kedaara Capital.
Sanofi has built its India business via multiple acquisitions. It 2009, it acquired vaccine maker Shantha Biotech and later in 2011, it bought the over-the-counter business of Mumbai-based Universal Medicare Ltd for its branded nutraceuticals formulations.
A February 2021 media report by Pharma Intelligence said that globally Sanofi is looking to offload 150 over-the-counter brands as part of a radical overhaul of its consumer healthcare operation.
In March, Sanofi sold an integrated portfolio of its anti-inflammatory drugs to Italian drug maker Fidia Farmaceutici. At that point, the drugmaker said that the “transaction continues Sanofi’s ongoing strategic transformation by simplifying its portfolio and streamlining to enhance profitability”.
The new head of business Julie Van Ongevalle has unveiled a wide-ranging turnaround plan with the goal of transforming Sanofi into an OTC market leader, the report added.
In late 2019, Sanofi announced the sale of a manufacturing unit in Gujarat’s Ankleshwar to Advent International-backed Zentiva Pvt Ltd for Rs 261.7 crore (about $36.53 million) in a slump sale.


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SDN and NFV are set to bring important changes in data center security investments and there will be more demand for purpose-built virtual security appliances, said Infonetics Research in its latest Data Center Security Products report.
Sales of purpose-built virtual security appliances rose 44 percent to $150 million in 2013.
Infonetics is projecting a cumulative $1.35 billion will be spent on purpose-built virtual security appliances from 2014 to 2018.
The ported virtual security appliances segment of the data center security market grew 10 percent to $437 million in 2013.
Interest in SDN- and NFV-compatible security solutions is expected to drive consolidation among established security players, virtualization platform vendors, and specialist vendors.
Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for security at Infonetics Research, said: “But as more providers virtualize their data centers and roll out SDNs and NFV, we anticipate a fairly significant revenue transition from hardware appliances to virtual appliances and purpose-built security solutions that interface directly with hypervisors, with SDN controllers via APIs, or orchestration platforms.”
Cisco, Juniper, and Fortinet are the top three revenue share leaders in the data center security appliance market, said Infonetics Research.