text:
Digging into Vermont’s Wholesale Deals ===
Vermont is a picturesque state known for its natural beauty and quaint charm. However, there’s a seedy underbelly to the state’s wholesale industry that’s raising concerns. Several shady deals involving “sketchy substances” have caught the attention of law enforcement and sparked fears about the safety of these products. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these deals, the people behind them, and the potential dangers they pose to buyers.
The Murky World of Sketchy Substances
The term “sketchy substances” refers to products that have questionable origins and are often sold at cut-rate prices to unsuspecting buyers. These substances can include everything from prescription drugs and dietary supplements to illegal narcotics and counterfeit goods. One of the biggest concerns with these substances is that they may contain dangerous chemicals or contaminants that can cause serious harm to consumers.
High Stakes: Who’s Behind These Deals?
The world of sketchy substances is often shrouded in secrecy, making it difficult to determine who’s behind these deals. However, law enforcement officials believe that organized crime syndicates are often involved in the distribution of these products. These groups may use the profits from these deals to fund other illegal activities, such as human trafficking or money laundering.
A Closer Look at the Products in Question
Some of the products involved in these deals may appear harmless at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they reveal a darker side. For example, counterfeit cosmetics have been found to contain dangerous levels of lead and other toxic chemicals. Similarly, dietary supplements may contain undeclared ingredients that can cause adverse reactions in some people. And illegal narcotics, of course, pose a host of health risks to users.
Local Law Enforcement Takes Notice
Law enforcement officials in Vermont have been keeping a close eye on these sketchy substance deals and have made several arrests in recent years. In one case, a man was caught selling counterfeit prescription drugs out of his home. In another case, a group of people was arrested for importing large quantities of illegal narcotics from overseas. These arrests send a clear message that law enforcement is taking this issue seriously.
Buyer Beware: The Dangers of Cut-Rate Deals
Consumers who are tempted by cut-rate deals on sketchy substances should proceed with caution. These products may appear to be a bargain, but the potential risks far outweigh any potential savings. The best way to protect yourself is to only buy products from reputable sources and to always read the labels carefully before making a purchase. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Vermont’s wholesale industry may have a dark side, but the efforts of law enforcement officials are helping to shed light on this issue. By staying informed and being aware of the risks, consumers can help protect themselves from the dangers of sketchy substance deals. The key is to always be vigilant and never compromise on quality and safety.


text:
Isuzu Motors Invests in Israeli AI Startup Foretellix to Enhance Autonomous Truck Safety Amid Driver Shortage
14:25 JST, December 9, 2023
Isuzu Motors Ltd. has invested in Israeli startup Foretellix, which verifies the safety of autonomous driving through using artificial intelligence, to accelerate the development of unmanned driving technology due to a growing shortage of drivers in the trucking industry.
Foretellix uses AI to simulate dangerous scenarios, such as people suddenly appearing, that are difficult to test in real life. By improving the efficiency and accuracy of these simulations, it can increase the safety of autonomous driving. The company has also received investments from Woven Capital, a venture fund affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp., and the American semiconductor giant Nvidia Corp.
Isuzu is conducting demonstration experiments on autonomous driving for Level 4 trucking, where the system operates under specific conditions such as on highways. The company has determined that collaboration with companies that have AI technology is essential to ensure high safety standards. The amount Isuzu invested is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of yen.
In the trucking industry, there are high expectations for autonomous driving trucks. Isuzu plans to invest a total of ¥1 trillion in advanced technologies such as autonomous driving and electrification by the fiscal year 2030.
"Business" POPULAR ARTICLE
Japan Business Delegation, Chinese Premier Li Meet; Both Sides Tout Importance of Bilateral Economic Ties
Japan Eyes 45 B. Yen in Aid for Optical Semiconductors
Japan’s Job Availability Ratio Rises for 2nd Straight Year
Business, Labor Leaders Reaffirm Vow to Raise Wages in Shunto Talks
Japanese Automakers’ New Car Market Share Plummeting in Thailand
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Japan Business Delegation, Chinese Premier Li Meet; Both Sides Tout Importance of Bilateral Economic Ties
- Japan Eyes 45 B. Yen in Aid for Optical Semiconductors
- Japan’s Job Availability Ratio Rises for 2nd Straight Year
- North Korean Workers in China Riot over Unpaid Wages; 2,000 Occupy Factory, Kill Plant Manager
- M4.8 Earthquake Hits Central Tokyo; No Tsunami Expected

domain: news


text:
Shares of 3D Systems plunged as much as 10.88% to $26.85 in early trading Friday after the company released its preliminary results for the first quarter of 2015. The Rock Hill-based 3D printing company said it anticipated Q1 revenue to come in the range of $158-$160 million, compared to the consensus estimate of $182.78 million.
3D Systems puts the blame on dollar, macroeconomic pressures
3D Systems said its March quarter GAAP net loss will be in the range of 13-15 cents per share. Non-GAAP earning is expected between 2-4 cents per share. By comparison, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting 17 cents a share in non-GAAP earnings. 3D Systems said it ended the March quarter with about $200 million in cash and cash equivalents.
In August, Mohnish Pabrai took part in Brown University's Value Investing Speaker Series, answering a series of questions from students. Q3 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more One of the topics he covered was the issue of finding cheap equities, a process the value investor has plenty of experience with. Cheap Stocks In the Read More
Note that these are preliminary results that are subject to quarter-end closing adjustments. Actual results may vary when the company releases final results on May 6. 3D Systems CEO Avi Reichental blamed lower oil prices and a stronger dollar for the company’s poor performance. Reichental said falling oil prices forced many aerospace, healthcare and automotive clients to delay the new printer purchases and restrict the service and materials purchases.
3D Systems said currency headwinds reduced its first-quarter revenue by $12 million compared to Q1, 2014 exchange rates. Direct metal printer sales rose 46% while the sales of consumer printer units skyrocketed 169% during the quarter. The 3D printing company said its gross margins improved by 110 basis points QoQ to approximately 49%.
3D Systems to review its full-year guidance
Given the forex headwinds and macroeconomic pressures, the company will review its full-year guidance and update investors during the May 6 conference call. Previously, 3D Systems had guided FY2015 revenue of $850-$900 million with non-GAAP earnings between $0.90 and $1.10 per share. Analysts on average expect full-year revenue of $857.43 million with $0.95 per share in earnings.
Earlier this month, 3D Systems acquired Chinese prototyping firm Easyway Design and Manufacture Co for an undisclosed amount and renamed it 3D Systems China. Easyway boasts of an impressive client list including Nissan, Panasonic, Philips, Volkswagen and Omro.


text:
Here's When Beyonce & JAY-Z's Surprise Album 'Everything Is Love' Could Be On Apple Music
UPDATE: Everything Is Love was released on iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify on Monday, June 18.
EARLIER: Talk about a major surprise. On Saturday, June 16, Beyoncé and JAY-Z dropped the surprise join album Everything Is Love on TIDAL. T…
By Mallory Carra


text:
Italy’s GTECH GTCH.MI will certainly purchase U.S. fruit machine maker International Game Technology IGT.N for $6.4 billion consisting of financial obligation, changing the lottery driver’s center of gravity away from its having a hard time residential market.
The purchase of Las Vegas-based IGT is the largest international purchase by an Italian company this year and opposes a fad of companies in Italy dropping target to abroad suitors as the regional economic situation stagnates.
IGT makes prominent fruit machine birthing brands such as that of TV show “Wheel of Fortune” and sci-fi film “Avatar”. By acquiring the firm, GTECH – the globe’s No. 1 lotto operator – will certainly come to be a major international player in the gambling establishment organisation and strengthen its grip in the growing U.S. pc gaming market.
The comparison between the Italian and U.S. industries is plain: Total internet spending for gaming in Italy fell 6.6 percent last year, while it rose 6.7 percent in the United States – above the average worldwide growth price of 4.2 percent.
GTECH will pay $4.7 billion in cash money as well as shares for IGT and also will certainly additionally tackle $1.7 billion of the United States firm’s web financial debt. The total $6.4 billion deal worth is over GTECH’s own market capitalization of $4.4 billion.
The price surpasses carmaker Fiat’s FIA.MI $4.35 billion all-cash January acquisition of the risk in Chrysler it did not currently possess.
The deal consists of $13.69 in cash each IGT share plus 0.1819 shares of a new company to be developed after the procurement, and also represents a 18 percent premium on IGT’s closing share price on Tuesday.
With the purchase of IGT, GTECH would derive majority of its around $4.1 billion earnings from foreign procedures. It presently makes 60 percent of sales in Italy, which is having a hard time to emerge from its lengthiest economic downturn in 70 years.


text:
Watchguard has slashed the prices of its mid-range unified threat management (UTM) appliances in the hope of kick-starting a segment of the market that appears to have stalled.
From this week, the suggested retail price (SRP) of its Firebox X Core security boxes will be reduced by around 25, one of the largest single price reductions since the company was founded in 1996.
The Firebox X Core 1250e will now cost £2,685 ($5,499), while the lower-end 750e model comes in at £1,952 ($3,999). Interestingly, the figures suggest that the company is asking resellers to take a hit on the strength of the dollar, pricing the boxes in a way that reflects current exchange rates.
Both boxes feature much higher performance, the 1250e now up to 1500Mbit/s form 300Mbit/s, while the 750e can handle 750Mbit/s, up from an identical 300Mbit/s. The company claims that the price reductions and performance hikes now make Watchguard the price-performance leader in the low to mid-range UTM space.
The company website now leads with the declaration “Faster performance, new lower prices”.
“With this latest update, we have taken significant measures to eliminate the security-for-performance trade-off that has vexed the industry,” said Watchguard’s Tim Helming, referring to reseller reports that customers have been unhappy with the performance being delivered by some companies’ UTM appliances.
Ian Kilpatrick of leading UK Watchguard reseller Wick Hill described the price move as “significant,” and said he now had greater confidence in the company’s market strategy. He agreed that UTM had acquired a reputation for disappointing performance that needed to be addressed by all vendors.
“People were burned because they were using up all the power [of the UTM] in 6-9 months,” he said, not referring directly to any particular vendor. “The problem is that a number of them did not have the ability to scale,” he said.
Watchguard is one of those rare but interesting companies that embraced the IPO fashion in the late 1990s, only to walk away from Wall Street as the pressure of sales expectations started to consume the management’s resources. In 2006, it was taken private by Francisco Partners, and has been increasing headcount and R&D ever since.
The company has since re-launched itself with an almost entirely new management team, a revamped engineering Outlook, and a new and widely respected CEO, Joe Wang. The latest aggressiveness on price is not a surprise given the task at hand, as the outfit looks to reheat its UTM fortunes.


text:
The latest addition to a collection that fuses technical prowess with fanciful visual styling, Van Cleef and Arpels’s Midnight Planetarium Poetic Complication brings the movements of the heavenly bodies to the wrist.
With a fleet of cars that includes top performers from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Aston Martin, and others, Exotics Racing offers the opportunity to race these high-performance vehicles at its 1.2-mile, seven-turn course at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where the company offers fun and instructional sessions.
The annual Auction Napa Valley in Northern California’s famed wine country—taking place this year from June 5 through 7—has become one of the area’s most highly anticipated events and perhaps the world’s most distinguished affair combining wine and charity.
Thanks to Atelier Courbet (www.ateliercourbet.com), a gallery and shop in New York City that opened late last year, fine- art and design enthusiasts have direct access to more than 20 of the workshops and artisans behind luxury brands such as Puiforcat and Saint-Louis.
The Icon A5 amphibious light sport aircraft (LSA) has been in the works since 2006, and now that the company is close to starting deliveries, a slew of similar amphibious aircraft are emerging to compete for this market niche.
Air France recently introduced its most extravagant seating option yet, the La Première suite. More like a private cabin than an airline seat, the suite provides passengers with more than 32 square feet of personal space.
The InterContinental London Park Lane hotel has partnered with the historic London Luxury Quarter for Made in Mayfair, an all-new package that pairs a stay in the hotel’s Luxury Suite with a special look into the retailers of central London’s iconic Mayfair district.
Several years ago, Roy Gandy, founder of Rega Research—a U.K. manufacturer of hi-fi audio equipment best known for its turntables and tonearms—invited a group of industry journalists to his home to see his product-development sanctuary.
This summer, Hotel Arts Barcelona will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an ambitious tapas feast prepared by 22 of Spain’s most acclaimed chefs, who have earned at their respective restaurants a combined 52 Michelin stars.


text:
Chipmakers' revenue hurt by US-China trade war
The US-China trade war become the greatest headwind for revenue growth of the top 10 global chipmakers in the first quarter of 2019.
This is according to a TrendForce report, which has released the 1Q2019 rankings for the top 10 integrated circuit (IC) design companies worldwide by revenue.
While US president Donald Trump this weekend decided to allow expanded sales of US technology supplies to Chinese telecommunications giant, Huawei, the report shows in 1Q19, chipmakers and electronics manufacturers that depend on China for sales took a knock from the US-China trade war situation.
“Only MediaTek maintained a small growth among the top five companies, as Broadcom, Qualcomm, Nvidia and AMD all showed declines, as businesses reduced procurements for graphics processing units and also due to slowing smartphone demand globally,” according to TrendForce.
In May, Chinese tech giant Huawei and 70 of its affiliates were placed on a US blacklist that required American firms to obtain government permission to sell to the company, citing "national security threats" due to the company’s close ties to the Chinese government.
Huawei and other Chinese telecoms equipment makers rely on some key components from US firms.
The US has for months been rallying its allies to cut Huawei out of planned 5G networks. However, Huawei has repeatedly denied installing any backdoors in its networking equipment for alleged government spying.
This weekend Trump told journalists he has eased restrictions on Huawei as part of a trade truce with Beijing, removing an immediate threat looming over the global economy, even as a lasting peace remains elusive.
TrendForce senior analyst CY Yao points out that, although major IC manufacturers around the globe performed well in 2018, the US-China trade dispute and the slowing of the overall China market caused the global market to swing to a rather conservative mood in the first quarter of 2019, leading to less-than-satisfactory performances for many chipmakers.
“The outlook for the whole 2019 year presents a slowing global end market. If US-China relations don't smooth down after the G20 summit, they are feared to continue affecting revenue performances of IC design companies worldwide in 2H,” explains Yao.
“Nvidia declined the most in the top 10 companies due to unfinished destocking of its graphics cards for gaming; the revenue plunged by 40.9% year over year (YOY) in 1Q. The data centre market, which formed another main source of growth, showed the first decline in three years, as hyper-scale data centres and businesses gradually reduced procurements for graphics processing units.”
- Broadcom was affected by the US Commerce Department's motion to place Huawei, a Broadcom customer, on the entity list during the US-China trade dispute, with its semiconductor department registering a YOY revenue fall in 1Q. However, CA Technologies will contribute to Broadcom's overall revenue after its acquisition by Broadcom.
- Qualcomm's smartphone chip shipments declined by 17.1% YOY in 1Q, due to the fall in smartphone demand.
- Although MediaTek was also affected by the global smartphone market, it managed to post positive growth in 1Q due to the adoption of its products by the likes of phone makers OPPO and Xiaomi since last year, and the strides made in the smart home market.
- Novatek and Realtek all performed well in 1Q2019, despite limited growth momentum for smartphones worldwide. Touch and display and AMOLED panels have become the next big thing in this market.
“As penetration rates climbed, Novatek was able to ride the bandwagon and give a stellar performance, scoring above Realtek and snatching eighth place in revenue rankings,” notes TrendForce.
“Realtek benefited from the telecommunications and the display markets, as well as hot market demand for its true wireless stereo Bluetooth earbuds, and maintained revenue growth in 1Q.”


text:
Apple Iphone 11
Earlier this week, we reported a rumor of about Amazon’s preparations to launch a smartphone that will rival Apple’s iPhone. Now the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) has confirmed this news.
For months, we have been seeing Samsung ridiculing Apple gadgets, especially iPhone in its commercials. Many say that in a way, Samsung was promoting iPhone.
When you think about buying a smart-phone, your usually prefer to choose from Apple or Samsung. If you are looking for an example of dominance in the mobile handset space, your thoughts are about Apple and Samsung.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Apple a new patent. This patent is regarding the core iPhone multitouch functions and involves the oscillator signal and circuit, that are key to sensing when someone is touching the iPhone display.
Apple plans to release iPhone 4S in 15 countries and build a data center.
On 3 November 2011, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a new patent. According to the new patent, Apple is working on a new iPhone that will operate using a virtual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card. Apple has said that providing improved ways to provide users, the ability to purchase and use wireless network […]
According to the latest report, BGR has succeeded in getting the unreleased iOS 4.3.2 update installed on their iPhone. BGR reveal: “ Here, from our Apple sources has just let us know that Apple’s iOS 4.3.2, due within the next week or so, will fix the issues we’ve been hearing about with some Verizon iPad […]
Finally one of the best smartphone and tablet maker known as Apple is going to roll their products in one of the world’s largest and most rapidly expanding mobile phone communities on the planet – the nation of India. According to the Wall Street Journal, two of popular telecommunication service providers in India announced that […]
It was learn that Apple is placed ahead of Blackberry in worldwide phone shipments. Apple shipped 20% more iPhones than RIM during Q3 2010, according to Strategy Analytics. PC World got a look at the report and says: “With the shipments, Apple grabbed a 15.4 percent share of the market during the period, while RIM […]
In the U.S., the question has been who will join AT&T to offer the iPhone. In Asia, China Telecom is the latest name mentioned to join Apple’s current exclusive carrier, China Unicom. A report shows a Deutsche Bank analyst claiming China Unicom’s exclusive iPhone arrangement could “likely come to an end early next year.” According […]
Got a tip? Developing a new app?
- Gary on Top 8 Pranks Apps for iPhone That can Really Make Things Very Convincing
- willow on Monitoring smartphones with Mobile Spy
- konyinyi on 8 sites to download Cracked .ipa files for iPhone and iPod touch
- nick on Top 8 Gay apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
- Trevor on Apple Claims Leak Of iMessage “Not A Bug”


text:
Story By: Spencer Porden-News
Christmas shoppers will be able to do any last-minute gift shopping in downtown Sheridan with the Downtown Sheridan Association’s “Wrapping Up the Season” night. On December 20th, downtown businesses will extend their hours to allow procrastinating holiday shoppers an extra opportunity to finish their Christmas lists.
Executive Director for the Downtown Sheridan Association, Zoila Perry, has additional details.
Zoila (Zoy-la) Perry


text:
TORONTO, Aug. 30, 2023 /CNW/ – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) welcomes the support of the New Democratic Party, the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party on the need to extend the current Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) repayment deadline.
Only four months are left until the CEBA repayment is due on Dec. 31, 2023. If the CEBA loan is not repaid by then, small business owners will lose the up to $20,000 forgivable portion and begin paying interest on a much larger loan balance.
“Thousands of small business owners tell us they won’t be able to outrun their COVID debt by the end of December. We’re not asking for total forgiveness, just more time for small businesses to get back on their feet,” said Dan Kelly, CFIB president. “While many Conservative and Liberal Party Members of Parliament have shared their private support, their leadership has been silent on the need for CEBA changes. We need a decision now.”
Nearly 14,000 business owners have signed CFIB’s petition calling for an extension in the last few months. In total, over 35,000 businesses have signed the petition calling for improvements to pandemic supports, including the need to extend CEBA loans, since it was introduced.
CFIB is pushing the federal government to extend the repayment deadline for the CEBA loan to the end of December 2025 or at least 2024. CFIB’s research shows that 19% of all small businesses in Canada—or nearly 250,000 small businesses—could close their doors next year unless the federal government changes the deadline.
“Small businesses provide significant value to their local communities. Two-thirds — or 66 cents — of every dollar spent at a small business is reinvested locally, while only 11 cents spent at a multinational retailer stay local. Small businesses are an ecosystem: when you’re supporting one, you’re supporting many,” said Corinne Pohlmann, Executive Vice-President at CFIB. “This is not the time for hesitation. Government must act now or risk serious consequences for affected businesses, their employees and the wider economy.”
Business owners can sign CFIB’s petition to extend the repayment deadline here.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 97,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business


text:
LONDON — The gilded pop-up.
British jewelry brand Missoma has opened its first pop-shop in London’s Covent Garden. The business is on an upward trajectory, in 2021 they reported a 74 percent growth in sales to 33 million pounds, compared to 19 million pounds in 2020.
A temporary physical store is meant to allow the brand to test the temperature of retail. Missoma already has counters inside department stores Selfridges and Liberty’s Jewellery Hall.
“This feels like a new opportunity because it gives us the freedom to experiment and create any way we want to. We can also make the rules, like putting on Missoma x Mirabeau Late Night Shopping every Thursday and exclusive styling events that’ll feature some incredible partners [to be announced soon],” Marisa Hordern, chief executive officer and creative director of the brand, told WWD.
“As we grow, we’re creating physical spaces where we can connect with our community, and our community can connect with our product in real life. We understand that physical retail is vital to increasing our market share and scaling our brand,” she continued.
There was a demand from the Missoma community for a brick-and-mortar. The brand will be neighbors with the annual Christmas Tree in Covent Garden, a conscious decision from Hordern.
“Our jewelry is handmade by artisans — from being designed in our Notting Hill studio, to having hand-cut gemstones embedded by hand and hand-painting our enamel,” said Hordern, honing in on the four pillars of Missoma that have helped the brand succeed: community, craftsmanship, sustainability and styling.
The business is in the process of working on their Worn on Repeat campaign, which focuses on longevity and wearability. “This also ties in with our efforts to create less, but better,” added Horden.
“A major focus will be our sustainability initiatives and how we work to reduce our carbon footprint. This year we’ll be taking our first steps into circularity, partnering with Central Saint Martins. We will be giving MA Design students our deadstock jewelry to upcycle into brand new pieces from which we’ll pick a winning design. This design will inspire a limited-edition collection we’ll sell on site,” Horden said.


text:
Photo: IC Photo
China’s food delivery and restaurant rating giant Meituan Dianping reported surging revenues during the first three months of 2019, though its bike-sharing business Mobike was a drag on growth.
The company’s total revenues surged 70% from the same period last year to 19.2 billion yuan ($277.66 million), backed by growth of key business units such as food delivery. Meanwhile, the company’s adjusted net loss grew 6% to 1 billion yuan, the company said Thursday.
The food delivery unit booked 1.7 billion orders in the quarter, generating a total revenue of 10.7 billion yuan, up 51.7% from last year.
During the year ended March 31, Meituan had 5.8 million total active merchants, who served 412 million transactions that made in total 138.4 billion yuan worth transactions.
Though it did not release specific financial details, Meituan did admitted that bike-sharing business Mobike had dragged down its profit margin.
Earlier this week, Meituan’s market cap surpassed that of tech behemoth Baidu for the first time, and some joked that China’s tech trio know as BAT (Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent) will soon become ATM (Alibaba, Tencent and Meituan).


text:
Company Selling Mannequins With Cameras Inside
November 24, 2012
a camera in the eyes, almex mannequins, Benetton's, business, buzz60, clothing, current-events, customers from a new perspective, eye-mannequins, eyesee camera footage, mannequin, myaol, nordstrom, Nordstrom's, Patrick Jones, research, Science, Science News, shopping, store mannequin, store mannequin manufacturer, style, technology, travel, vacation, Video
Click link below picture
A store mannequin manufacturer is offering a model that has a camera in the eyes. They say the camera can help retailers learn more about customers from a new perspective. Benetton’s and Nordstrom’s are already using the eye-mannequins, but not many other stores have signed up yet. Patrick Jones has the rest.
.Click link below for video:


text:
Pernix Sleep Inc (NASDAQ:SOMX) reported its 4th quarter and full year operation results on 17th March. It reported a 31.5 percent increase in quarter revenue to hit $24 million as against 4Q12. Its full year revenue too reached $85 million, recording a 38 percent increase over its Fy12 number.
Big Turn Around
Explaining the steps the company has taken to build up momentum in its operations, Pernix Sleep Inc (NASDAQ:SOMX) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Doug Drysdale has been quoted to have said that, “Pernix exited 2013 with accelerating momentum — revenue exceeded guidance, product price increases were implemented, and expense reductions began in earnest. February 2014 delivered additional good news as fresh product acquisition capital was paired with proven management to create a strong pharma platform for shareholders.”
Big Jump In Sales On Back Of Acquisition Products
Sales in the fourth quarter increased by 31 percent to reach $23.9 million on the back of new product streams which come into the company portfolio via acquisitions, being introduced into the market . The company also recorded a big jump in the revenue contribution from the branded products vertical, which contributed 68 percent of the total revenue of the firm.
Legal Disputes Settled
The management team also provided a low down on the clearing up of long pending legal disputes it was engaged in with companies over the past few years. The first was the settling of all outstanding issues with Cypress Pharma share holders. In return, they were paid $1.33 million as compensation towards settlement of all outstanding claims against the firm. This was followed by a even broader settlement with the attorney general of Texas state as per the term of which, Pernix Sleep Inc (NASDAQ:SOMX) has agreed to pay close to $12 million as fines to the state justice department.


text:
The Bank of Punjab (BOP) launches Merchant Acquiring Business with the industry first buy now pay later (BNPL) and pay by link solution.
Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)
The Bank of Punjab (BOP), recognized as one of the nation’s premier commercial banks, has embarked on a pioneering journey by unveiling its cutting-edge Point of Sale (POS) payment solutions and online payment gateway services. BOP is the 7th Bank offering this service out of the total of 41 commercial and specialized banks in the country. This strategic move reinforces BOP’s commitment to enriching its digital retail offerings and expediting the evolution of the nation’s digital ecosystem. In pursuit of this ambitious endeavor, the Bank of Punjab (BOP) has forged a strategic alliance with PayNet Private Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Omega IT Solutions United Arab Emirates renowned for its expertise in Digital Payment business solutions. This collaboration signifies a pivotal milestone in BOP’s mission to introduce Point-of-Sale (POS) payment services to the market, with plans to expand its reach through additional Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs) for comprehensive nationwide coverage.
The Bank will act as a link between merchants, issuers and payment networks by offering them state-of-the-art POS machines and make cashless transactions available over the counters, enabling retailers to benefit from the adoption of digital payments. The POS machines support acceptance of all types of cards. To commemorate this momentous occasion, a ceremony was held at a prominent local hotel in Lahore. The event served as a platform to recognize the invaluable contributions of key individuals who played pivotal roles in this project. Dignitaries present at the ceremony included Mr. Zafar Masud, President & CEO of BOP, and other esteemed members of the senior management team. Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Zafar Masud remarked, “The Bank of Punjab is diligently spearheading the modernization of retail services within the country by enhancing our digital offerings and promoting economic documentation.
We are already committed to providing top-notch services to SMEs, corporate entities, and government sectors. With the launch of our Merchant Acquiring business, we aim to fortify these strategic partnerships, empowering BOP to deliver innovative and industry-leading payment solutions to customers nationwide.” As the Bank of Punjab embraces the future with its Merchant Acquiring Business, it underscores its dedication to fostering a digitally advanced and financially inclusive landscape in Pakistan.
The bank’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation promises a brighter and more accessible future for all.


text:
A new nature play area recently opened at Phillip Island’s Koala Conservation Reserve, designed for children to create their own fun and be imaginative as they jump, run, sit, crawl…read more
Lake Macquarie City Council has advised that over the next 12 months, an investment of $365 million will be made through its Operational Plan 2021-2022 boosting lifestyle and wellbeing…read more
The first Ballarat West Growth Area active open space Djila-tjarriu (jilla-ja-roo – “place of play”) officially opens today with the central park consisting of four…read more
Beach volleyball at Tamarama and Bondi beaches will continue to receive support from Waverley Council including increasing the number of courts available at Bondi from three courts to…read more
The Barossa’s landmark play destination, Barossa Adventure Station at Angaston, has secured South Australia’s Park of the Year award at the Parks and Leisure Australia SA/NT…read more
ProSlide Technology Inc. has announced its installation of six high-performance water ride complexes at the new Evergrande Ocean Flower Water Park on China’s Hainan island. With the…read more
The Queensland Museum has seen pre-sale records - 7,400 tickets sold in only two weeks - for its Brickman LEGO® exhibition featuring 50 displays and more than 1.3 million LEGO®…read more
Made from 20,000 pairs of used sneakers, Nike is making a difference for climate change and serving the community Shek Lei Grind Court - a sustainable artistic transformation of an estate…read more
subscribe to the ausleisure newsletter
Receive all the latest leisure news, product and event updates delivered right to your inbox!
The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.
No matching premium suppliers found.
get listed with our suppliers directory
Get your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!


text:
Hulu Readies Live TV As Sling TV Links Up With LG
The selection of live over-the-top TV services is about to get even larger following reports this week that Hulu is planning to launch its long-promised live TV service next month. The launch timing report first surfaced on TechCrunch, which cited internal company communications and…
Greg Tarr, April 20, 2017 4 min read
Go Outdoors And Watch TV!
Spring is here, and with it comes baseball, early flower blossoms, budding tree leaves and the warming sun – let’s go outside and watch TV! That’s right. I said watch TV. One of the few remaining growth areas of the television market comes from big-screen…
Greg Tarr, March 20, 2015 7 min read


text:
Engineer Jackie Birdsall (far right) stands with senior engineer Jared Farnsworth and engineer Andrea Lubawy at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, where the automaker showed the Fuel Cell Vehicle, later named Mirai.
Toyota Indiana Team Member Lee Judge inspects a 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid for proper door fit as it nears completion of its assembly. The Hoosier plant commemorated production of its 4-millionth vehicle Friday, March 6, 2015. Toyota Indiana completed its first vehicle, the then all-new Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck, on Dec. 10, 1998.
The Toyota Camry and the Toyota Sienna have claimed the top two spots, respectively, in the annual Cars.com American-Made Index on June 29, 2015.
From left, Andrea Tunchez sits in the lap of Jorge Tunchez making paper plate tambourines with Alida Calderon and Elizabeth Tunchez at La Grange Elementary’s United Way Born Learning Academy, driven by Toyota, earlier this year. La Grange Elementary in La Grange, Ky., is one of 41 Toyota-funded academies in Kentucky.
Mike Price, vice president of administration, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky; Terry Tolan, executive director, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood; Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear; and Kevin Middleton, president, United Way of Kentucky, stand with the coordinators of the 10 new Born Learning Academies funded by Toyota in Kentucky. Gov. Beshear joined Toyota in announcing the expansion of the early learning academies to include 36 new schools, during an announcement at the Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., today. (Photo Credit: Bill Wine)
Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, left, shakes hands with Mike Price, vice president of administration, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.
Mike Price, vice president of administration, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, announces the 10 new Toyota-funded academies while, from left, Terry Tolan, executive director, Governor’s Office of Early Childhood; Kevin Middleton, president, United Way of Kentucky; and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear look on.
All materials on this site are for editorial use only. The use of these materials for advertising, marketing or any other commercial purpose is prohibited. They may be cropped but not otherwise modified. To download these materials, you must agree to abide by these terms.


text:
Around the world, the sustainable energy revolution is rapidly gaining traction and zero-emission mobility is now a stated target for many economies as well as vehicle manufacturers. In India, the Electric Vehicle sector is still in a nascent stage but going at an astonishing pace. This is facilitated by the union and state governments implementing forward-looking EV policies addressing regulations, rules, standards as well as providing financial incentives.
India’s electric vehicle financing market is expected to be about 150 Billion US dollars by 2030, which is nearly 80% of the country’s present retail vehicle loan volume. This opens a lot of room for a new financing methodology and for companies in the vehicle financing sector to understand and underwrite EV ownership at lease financing. Beyond the simple loans though there is the opportunity to finance both start-ups as well legacy industry players for a host of opportunities within the ecosystem, such as, for example, battery manufacturing, battery swap technology, various software applications for charge-point operations, interstate roaming, integration of payment apps and even charger manufacturing. Significant risk-related investments by venture capital funds and private equity players are going to be required in each element of the EV ecosystem in India in order to ensure that move to zero-emission mobility is not constrained by various bottlenecks over the next 10 years.
In this episode with Vasudha Madhavan Founder at Ostara Advisors, we look in-depth at the impact that the finance sector in India will have on the electric mobility sector and how it needs to be a crucial pillar of the very foundation of India’s move to zero-emission mobility.


text:
Fleurieu Chocolate Company will officially open its doors this long weekend after the success of its sister company, Barossa Valley Chocolate Company, offering people from Southern Adelaide and surrounding communities the opportunity to experience their award-winning chocolate.
Fleurieu Chocolate Company will be located within the quaint and newly-renovated Vineyard Road Cellar Door at Langhorne Creek, nestled between McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills and close to Strathalbyn.
Just 55 minutes from Adelaide, the Fleurieu’s newest tourist attraction is also home to Vineyard Road and luxury natural skincare brand Vasse Virgin, allowing customers to indulge in some pampering with their chocolate and wine.
The Fleurieu Chocolate Company’s products will be made in the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company’s state-of-the-art kitchen by their award-winning team of chocolatiers. The products available will include dark, milk and white chocolate, alongside enrobed chocolate, mixed bags and family favourites like Rocky Road and freckles.
Their newest edition, Franki the Fleurieu Koala which is the sweet cousin of Benni the Barossa Koala. Like Benni the Barossa Koala a portion of the monies raised from Franki will be donated to the Adelaide Koala Rescue, a not-for-profit charity that runs a free koala rescue and rehabilitation service for the South Australian community.
The CEO of the Fleurieu Chocolates and Barossa Valley Chocolates, Chris Day, said, “We have been so overwhelmed by how the local Barossa and Adelaide community has embraced Barossa Valley Chocolate Company.
We now want to give people from Southern Adelaide and surrounding towns the opportunity to experience our award-winning chocolate – and experiences like our famous chocolate and wine pairing – a bit closer to their homes.”
The FABAL Group have big plans for their new offering. Chris said, “While our chocolate will be made initially at the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company, we have future plans for seriously expanding our little cellar door in Langhorne Creek and to add a café, winery and chocolate kitchen so products can also be made on site.”
Fleurieu Chocolates will open this weekend with visitors to the cellar door able to enjoy chocolate and wine tasting in a gorgeous vineyard setting.
Fleurieu Chocolate Company at Vineyard Road Cellar Door
Open daily (except Tuesday) from 10am to 5pm. Tuesday by appointment only.
697 Langhorne Creek Road, Belvidere


text:
Consumers evidently like to keep their brand interactions low key. Just 17 percent of respondents to a recent study said they share brand experiences and news stories with others on Facebook. And only 13 percent stated they post messages about brands that they like.
The research was conducted by email services provider Constant Contact and research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, surveying 1,491 adults nationwide online last winter.
Among its other findings: Users most often like brands because they are a customer (58 percent) or they want a promotion (57 percent). And 77 percent of respodents said their normal way of interacting with companies is by reading brands’ posts and updates.
Additionally, about half (51 percent) of Facebook users said they were more likely to purchase from a brand after “liking” it on the social site. Slightly more (56 percent) said they are more likely to recommend a brand to friends after liking it on Facebook.
Seventy-eight percent of consumers who like companies said they do so with fewer than 10 brands. The joint study also revealed that 76 percent of the surveyed had never unliked a brand on Facebook.
Snapchat Discover has been a hit with publishers that want access to the popular messaging app’s highly-desirable audience, and some reports even ... read more
Little more than a year ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg streamed the first live video from Facebook headquarters. In April of this ... read more
User-generated content has become an important part of content marketing, with consumers being part of a brand’s strategy. How does this affect ... read more


text:
Apple says 'no' to the FBI
Date created : Latest update :
INTERNATIONAL PAPERS - Thurs. 18.02.2016: We start with a look at the Turkish press following the car bomb blast in Ankara. Also, as the "Brexit" possibility looms, The Guardian says it has access to leaked EU files that show the gap is widening between what the British Prime Minister David Cameron wants to negotiate and what the 27 other EU member states will agree to. And Apple refuses to help the FBI decrypt the iPhone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino killers.


text:
Recall the radically rocket-shaped DeltaWing race car that resulted in a long and complicated legal dispute between Nissan and Panoz over the design and who owns it. Nissan’s BladeGlider concept and now prototype is just that, sorta, but for the road. And it’s the most interesting Nissan in a long time.
Get excited, kids. Nissan reportedly has some very kickass sports car plans in the works. We already know their hot BRZ-fighting Nissan IDx has been greenlit for production, but there's more, including a possible return of the Turbo Z.


text:
Verizon Wireless quietly introduced its V Cast Apps store on Monday, initially rolling out the service across selected BlackBerry smartphones beginning with the Storm2. According to a Verizon spokesperson, V Cast Apps "should start appearing on Storm2s over the next few weeks." Speaking last week with FierceDeveloper during the CTIA Wireless 2010 event in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless executive director of applications, content and business development Leroy Williams said the storefront will open with about 300 applications, although "that number will ramp up very quickly." Williams added that thousands of additional applications are now awaiting testing and certification.
V Cast Apps was first announced last July at the maiden Verizon Developer Community Event and originally slated to go live in Q4 2009. Williams said he was "humbled but not apologetic" in regards to the belated launch, explaining the process of building an app store proved a significant challenge but that Verizon Wireless wanted to guarantee all the pieces were in place before officially going live.
"We wanted to extend and expand our relationship with our customers and the developer community, and the expectation is that we will deliver a consistent, high-quality experience. We intended to honor that expectation," Williams explained, adding that Verizon came close to introducing VCast Apps in December. "We decided ‘No, we're gonna do this right,'" he said. "That extra time has allowed us to refine and sharpen what we need to deliver."
Verizon Wireless opens binary submissions for V Cast Apps
Verizon Developer Community membership soars in first month
Mobigloo wins Verizon's Apply Your Ideas contest


text:
Money managers awaiting Twitter Inc.’s initial public offering are sharpening their pencils and donning their green eye-shades. With the deal’s paperwork expected as soon as this week, here are some of the key metrics they will be on the watch for:
Financial performance: Twitter made its initial IPO filing confidentially, a procedure only to companies with less than $1 billion in annual revenue, under U.S. securities rules. Research firm eMarketer Inc. has forecast the company’s 2013 ad revenue more than doubled to $582.8 million, but most investors don’t have official numbers to go on.
“The biggest questions are, what kind of revenue generation there’s been to date and what kind of growth trajectory they’re on going forward,” said Michael Scanlon, who helps oversee about $3 billion in assets as a managing director at Manulife Asset Management, including the John Hancock Balanced Fund, which holds Google and LinkedIn
How it makes money: Twitter helps brands and advertisers reach consumers with offerings such as “promoted tweets” and “promoted trends.” It’s unclear what parts of the company’s ad strategy are central to its business model and which offer the most growth.
The filing will lay out the company’s business model in detail to investors, who thus far have been limited to “bread crumbs”—such as executives’ comments in interviews or third-party data providers’ estimates on user numbers—said Kevin Landis, chief investment officer at Firsthand Capital Management, which owns some Twitter stock but also has the ability to invest in the IPO.
“It gives you kind of a framework,” Mr. Landis said. “Here’s there revenue last year, this year, here’s a reasonable trajectory for the company. You can begin to set up your range of expectations.”
“You’ll start with the number of users and then you’ll try to figure out the revenue per user,” Mr. Landis. “You’ll try to get a feel for the different types of offerings they make for advertisers.”
Implications for other Internet companies: Internet companies’ stocks have been some of the hottest investments around lately. Google Inc. is up 25% this year, Facebook has gained 89% and LinkedIn Corp. has rallied 119%. All three of those companies depend on advertising, particularly on mobile devices, for at least some of their business. Twitter represents another big player in that sector.
“If [Twitter] is really dominant in monetizing mobile traffic, I probably want to be there,” said Paul Meeks, technology analyst at Saturna Capital Corp., which oversees $4 billion.
“More and more of our Web browsing and Web interaction is on the smartphone,” he added. “If you came to the dance on the desktop but you’re not as good on the smartphone, boy, I don’t know if customers have a need for you.”
How Twitter will manage the offering: Will Twitter be able to sidestep the complications Facebook suffered in its highly hyped, closely watched IPO? Factors such as the size of the offering — relative to Twitter’s total size — and what types of investors banks place stock with have implications for how the stock trades. The initial filing will show the underwriter lineup managing the offering. Later IPO paperwork will give details about how many shares the company plans to offer, and the total share count after the deal.
Reports that Twitter plans to engage boutique investment banks such as Allen & Co. suggest “Twitter is quite savvy in the management of this offering,” Mr. Meeks said. “There will be some interesting incremental investors brought by these niche investment banks, and also, with Allen & Co.’s investment bankers, introduction to some media relationships.”


text:
The effort by Tesla to win legislative approval to directly sell its electric cars to consumers in Connecticut has failed for the second consecutive year in the face of opposition from car dealers and competing manufacturers, a Senate leader said early Saturday.
Connecticut used to be home to some of the world’s most innovative companies. From Eli Whitney to Samuel Colt, from the frisbee to the submarine, our state has long been a pioneer, setting the standard for businesses that change the world. Despite these setbacks, or maybe because of them, Connecticut is taking a good hard look at itself and the kind of state it wants to be. Will Connecticut welcome innovation and open the doors to businesses wanting to invest in the state or slam that door shut? Fortunately, there are positive signs from some of our leaders in Hartford that the door is open.
Car manufacturers and Connecticut auto retailers pushed back at a bill that would allow electric car makers like Tesla to sell cars in the state without opening a franchise. The bill is being put forward again after being considered last year and dying as the legislative session expired.
After the Senate failed to consider House-backed legislation last session, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, has introduced a bill to allow electric car manufacturers to sell vehicles directly to consumers in Connecticut. The bill has been opposed by car dealers in the state.
The House of Representatives approved a controversial bill Thursday that would allow Tesla, a California-based electric car manufacturer, to sell vehicles in Connecticut without going through licensed dealers. The bill, which enjoyed bipartisan support, now heads to the Senate.
In the face of tight state finances, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is about to unveil financial incentives for electric vehicle purchases and leases using money from outside the state budget. Malloy will announce that $1 million from the Northeast Utilities/NSTAR merger settlement fund will be used to help jump-start a sluggish EV market in Connecticut.
At a time when new tax revenue, economic development and job growth are urgently needed, Connecticut stands poised to welcome one of the most innovative and sustainability driven companies to the state. Allowing Tesla to compete and sell their vehicles to Connecticut consumers helps further the state’s desire to be home to new, innovative companies.
With only 1,300 plug-in electric vehicles in the state, there’s growing sentiment that Connecticut hasn’t done enough to encourage their purchase, and that added incentives are needed to get more of them on the road.


text:
On Your Side: Common credit mistakes
March is National Credit Education Month. And according to a new survey out by U.S. News & World Report, Americans are in need of some credit education.
A lot of people think carrying a balance on your credit cards helps to raise your credit score. This is false.
But there are ways to boost your score that are pretty simple to do. Most of us know how important it is.
Nearly half of people surveyed by U.S. News & World Report don't know how credit works.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a salary or income increase boosts your credit.
"Let's say you make $40,000 a year, or $400,000 a year. It doesn't matter how much money you make. You can still have a great score as long as you have great credit habits," said U.S. News & World Report Credit Card Expert Beverly Harzog.
The second biggest credit mistake, according to the survey: Carrying a balance on your credit card improves your credit score.
"Credit is not intuitive, and I think that people feel that if they carry a balance, it shows that they can handle credit, they're using credit successfully. But when you carry a balance you're paying compound interest on that balance," said Harzog.
Harzog says now is the time to do a spring cleaning of your credit.
Your credit score makeup:
- Your payment history makes up 35 percent of your FICO Score
- The amount owed accounts for 30 percent
- The length of your credit history makes up 15 percent
- New lines of credit make up 10 percent
- The mix of credit you have, from mortgages to auto loans to credit cards, is responsible for the last 10 percent of your credit score.
Beverly Harzog says the best way to have a healthy credit score is to keep the ratio of how much you spend to how much credit you're approved for below 30 percent.
"But here is an insider tip: If you really want to boost that score, lower your ratio to 10 percent and you will really see your score go up in a hurry," said Harzog.
Having multiple credit cards is OK, according to our credit expert. Just don't apply for too many at once. A "hard inquiry" on your credit when you open a new card or take out a loan will decrease your score by up to 5 points per inquiry.
for more features.


text:
At Apple’s recent annual developers conference in San Francisco, the Mac maker showed off the next iOS 6, the operating system for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iOS 6 has a BFF relationship with Facebook and is deeply integrated with the popular social network.
However, things aren’t so cordial with the other Internet giant, Google, which of course is the force behind Android. The Android OS powers smartphones from Samsung and HTC, among other brands, which are Apple’s bitter rivals both in the marketplace and in courts.
The firm has abandoned Google Maps, which has provided mapping data for the iPhone since 2007. Apple says that its new mapping system features turn-by-turn navigation for owners of the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and new iPad, which could be a threat to sat nav makers. The new maps are also fully compatible with Siri – the voice controlled ‘personal assistant’ can now plan trips and answer queries en route.
Who will provide the maps in Google’s place? The answer came to our inbox in the form of a brief press statement by TomTom, saying that they’ve signed a global agreement with Apple to provide the latter with maps and related info. “No further details of the agreement will be provided,” it tersely added.
Founded in 1991, Amsterdam based TomTom calls itself the world’s leading supplier of in-car location and navigation products and services. They also claim to have the world’s most up-to-date digital maps covering over 200 countries and territories, encompassing more than 35 million km.


text:
Rose McGowan: Prabal Gurung & Barbie Parties!
Rose McGowan hits the Prabal Gurung after party held at Dream Downtown on Saturday (February 11) in New York City.
The day before, the 38-year-old actress attended the Barbie Dream Closet Cocktail Party wearing a Paule Ka dress with Chanel booties. She finished off her look with Elizabeth Cole jewelry and a Judith Leiber bag.
On Sunday, Rose checked out the Imitation Fall 2012 presendation during Mercendes-Benz Fashion Week at Buddakan. She was also recently spotted sitting front row at the Donna Karan New York show!
10+ pictures inside of Rose McGowan out in NYC…


text:
Trump has threatened China’s new duties
WASHINGTON, 7 Sep — RIA Novosti. The US President Donald trump has threatened China’s new import duties.
According to the American leader, additional measures can be applied promptly.
“I’ll be tough with China, because I have to be… We have imposed a duty of 50 billion in technology. Now we have added another 200 billion. And I hate to say it, but if I want to, it’s already done (to impose duties. — Approx. ed.) another 267 billion dollars”, — said the head of state.
Trade war US-China
USA imposed a duty of 25 percent on imports of Chinese goods with a volume of $ 16 billion. A minute later, the Chinese side introduced similar measures.
The foreign Ministry of China said that the policy of pressure on trade issues is useless and will not help to resolve the conflict. The Ministry stressed that China adheres to a consistent position on this issue.
Analysts point out that Beijing have a powerful weapon — a package of U.S. government bonds at 1.2 trillion dollars. If China starts to sell them, the White house will not be able to borrow funds to stabilize the budget, experts say.
The last few years, us bonds gave Beijing the billions of dollars of profitability. At the end of 2016 — beginning of 2017, China has reduced investments in U.S. national debt to offset the strengthening of the yuan, but has since bought back all that was sold.


text:
Now it seems there's a twitch among international IT hacks over which CPU (central processing unit) Apple's iPhone is using.
Reuters says that although Intel is supplying the CPUs for Apple TV, it has denied that it is supplying processors for the iPhone.
"We are not providing the silicon inside the iPhone," Reuters quotes Intel spokesman, Bill Kirkus, as saying. "We are providing the silicon inside the Apple TV."
Regardless of what CPU the iPhone is running, it's still only expected in South Africa early 2008.


text:
The trend: After several years of investing in ecommerce, retailers are focusing on brick-and-mortar investments to capitalize on renewed demand for in-store shopping.
Discount and off-price seize the moment: As inflation drives consumers to trade down and search for deals, off-price retailers are using the opportunity to gain market share. Discount retailers are by far the most prolific store openers this year, with 1,910 new locations announced.
Fast-fashion brands are optimistic: Despite a bumpy year for apparel, Primark and Forever 21 are betting that consumers will continue to turn to fast-fashion brands for trendy clothing at low prices.
Digital natives look for growth: Digitally native direct-to-consumer brands have ramped up brick-and-mortar investment considerably as ecommerce growth slows and customer acquisition costs skyrocket. Both Warby Parker and Allbirds are relying more on physical stores to drive customer awareness, engagement, and sales.
Looking ahead: With more consumers opting to shop in-person this holiday season, now is the time for retailers to experiment with the brick-and-mortar experience. That could mean adding new stores in fast-growing cities like Boise, Idaho, or Salt Lake City, Utah, or using smaller formats to expand beyond malls into suburban neighborhoods. Or retailers can follow Warby Parker’s example and add services to encourage foot traffic.
This article originally appeared in Insider Intelligence's Retail & Ecommerce Briefing—a daily recap of top stories reshaping the retail industry. Subscribe to have more hard-hitting takeaways delivered to your inbox daily.


text:
Relaxing after a long week in the alternative digital currency world? If so, it's time to kick back, count your coins and remember that we're all here to have fun.California offers much weddings for dogecoin
While the list of places where you can spend your bitcoin is steadily growing, there aren't nearly as many locations that will accept the less than one-year-old digital currency dogecoin.
However, dogecoin lovers have gained a new service that will take their dogecoins as payment -- a marriage service based out of Los Angeles County in California. Long2Wed has been accepting both bitcoin and dogecoin for just over a month, offering confidential marriage licenses and marriage ceremony facilitation.
CoinDesk spoke with officiant Anthony Matthews, who said that he uses the Android mobile app to accept payments in digital currency. He voiced excitement over the prospect of being the first marriage officiant to accept dogecoin, saying:"[Dogecoin] is an interesting social experiment, and integral part of the whole cryptocurrency theme."
He explained that the type of marriage licensure and officiation he offers is similar to traditional marriage licenses without some of the bureaucratic hassles involved. In a way, Long2Wed is a decentralized wedding solution that appropriately integrates digital currency.
Matthews added that he believes his wedding services would cost about 500,000 dogecoins, and that he has not had a bitcoin or dogecoin customer.
Those in the dogecoin community looking for a destination wedding might want to factor this interesting service into their plans. Given the high costs of actually holding a wedding, this could be a fun and innovative way to pay for the event.Unique asset backs new altcoin uro
A number of alternative cryptocurrencies have emerged in the past year that seek to back a proposed coin with a physical commodity. In most cases, the underlying asset is a (declare...


text:
Cape Town - Government's application to review the Competition Tribunal's recent decision to approve the Walmart-Massmart merger did not mean the government was against foreign investment, the Ministers of Economic Development, Trade and Industry, and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said today.
In a media briefing in Pretoria this morning, the Ministers of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel, Trade and Industry Rob Davies and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said government wanted to ensure local suppliers, jobs and food security were not compromised.
The Competition Tribunal in June approved the merger with conditions, including the setting up of a R100 million supplier development fund. However, the three ministers are concerned about the procedures relating to witnesses and conditions related to the decision.
They added that the supplier development fund could pale in insignificance, given the likely impact of a substantial shift to imports by the merged entity.
Patel emphasised that South Africa is not seeking to limit foreign ownership, as prior to the merger, 72% of Massmart's shares had been held offshore.
"So what we are looking at is not the foreignness of the company but what impact it would have on the economy," he stressed, adding that government's only request was that the entry of Walmart resulted in a net increase in jobs and local production.
Patel said Walmart is a large and influential procurer of goods, and that its $408 billion (R2.7 trillion) turnover is bigger than South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP).
South Africa's GDP, according to the World Bank, stood at R2.4 trillion for 2010.
He pointed out that if Walmart was a country, its GDP would be larger than three quarters of all the world's countries.
In 1995, about 5% of Walmart's products were imported but this had increased to 60% by 2005, the three ministers said.
"It will be a dereliction of duty for government to stand aside when there are clear indications of jobs loses with the expected increase of imports," he said, pointing out that the Competition Act allowed for the government to have a say and intervene on mergers.
Patel said the government had made several attempts to negotiate with Walmart, but that the failure of Walmart to offer binding conditions "was regrettable". However, he conceded that the government would be prepared to continue negotiating with Walmart.
"We would be prepared to continue talking to Walmart," said Patel, cautioning that any obligations from Walmart would have to be binding and not vague or general.
On concern that the review was not in keeping with a world that was living in the era of globalisation and that the application could be seen as a protectionist stance, Davies questioned which country was opening themselves up to global markets and said many states still had high tariff barriers.
He also pointed out that those countries which had opened themselves up the most to food imports were the ones that experienced the worst food price hikes.
This, however, didn't mean cutting the country off from the rest of the world, but being strategic about which sectors to support.
Davies said the country had a "remarkably open jurisdiction" when it came to foreign investment because unlike many countries where governments had a say on which sectors foreign companies could get involved in, a public body and process was employed in South Africa.
He said the government continued to engage with foreign investment - and that his department's Trade and Investment SA had a number of investments in the pipeline.
He added that the government's appeal of the Walmart deal wasn't out of step with what was happening in other countries - singling out Canada and its Investment Canada Act, which allows them to forbid foreign investment that doesn't provide a net benefit to the country.
Davies said the concern in this transaction was that the business model must support the productive sectors in the South African economy.
He gave the example of Shoprite's chief executive, Whitey Basson, who at the public hearing that preceded the Competition Tribunal's decision on the merger, had singled out the pasta that the company procured from a local supplier.
Basson had explained that though the pasta may be more expensive than imported pasta, the company continues to procure from the SA firm, because all of the country's retailers also procured from this supplier meaning Shoprite didn't lose out important market share.
However, he pointed out that if one company began procuring from outside SA, all other retailers may have to do so too, which would lead to the reduction of local production.
Davies said a number of questions were still circling around the supplier development fund, which would include the fund only reaching certain sectors and not those which could be replaced by imports.
He also questioned whether the supplier development fund would involve active participation where Walmart worked closely with suppliers or whether it would simply be handing over money to suppliers.
Speaking during the briefing, Joemat-Petersson said South Africa had to ensure that it remained a food secure country.
Dependence on food imports creates a "vulnerable situation" in the country, she said, at the whims of international supply and currency fluctuations.
Added to this, South African farmers' access to US and European markets and to cheap finance had declined, she said.
She said imports were a threat to local employment as local smallholder farmers close if supply was drawn from outside of the country.
Local farmers are not able to compete fairly with farmers from the developed world, which received significant farm subsidies - at about $2 a day, more than many poor Africans, she said.
The government had often been criticised for not supporting farmers, but that the appeal of the Walmart decision is an "absolute indication" of the government supporting its commercial farmers.
Davies said the agro-processing sector employed about 170 000 people and was one of the biggest sub-sectors in manufacturing, making it crucial for the country to develop this sector further, particularly since the country is a net food importer.


text:
UPDATE 1-Fertilizer dealer Agrium profit beats Street estimates
(Adds details on quarter)
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Canadian fertilizer and farm retail dealer Agrium Inc's second-quarter profit beat Wall Street estimates due to the inclusion of sales from Viterra Inc's retail centers.
Agrium received regulatory approval for its purchase of most of Viterra's farm retail stores in Canada last September and completed the acquisition of its assets in October.
Agrium, already the biggest U.S. retail seller of fertilizer, chemicals and seed, acquired 13 Viterra locations in Australia in June.
Excluding one-time items, second-quarter earnings were $629 million, or $4.37 per share.
Analysts' had estimated a profit of $4.11 a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Agrium had forecast earnings per share for the busy second quarter at $3.85 to $4.35 from continuing operations.
Sales rose 6 percent to $7.34 billion, above analysts' expectations for $7.18 billion.
Agrium is North America's biggest retail seller of seed, fertilizer and chemicals directly to farmers and is also a producer of nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizer. Continued...


text:
The Pokémon x McDonald's love continues
The Pokémon Co. and McDonald’s have tied up in multiple locations over the last few weeks. We’ve seen special Pokémon offers and Pokémon Happy Meals in Taiwan, Canada, the United States and many other places. Now we can add Singapore to that list.
McDonald’s locations throughout Singapore will soon be offering a special Pokémon-themed menu for fans to get in on. It seems this collaboration is set to kick off on September 1st, 2022, so literally later this week!
While there’s no specific details released just yet, imagery shared shows that a bunch of Pokémon-themed food items will be up for grabs. It seems the food itself will remain the same, but the packaging it comes in will have Pokémon imagery all of it. Along with that, there will be some Pokémon merch for fans to pick up as well.


text:
Ford outlines plans for all-electric future in Europe
Ford has announced its plans for electrifying its European arm, accelerating plans to sell more than 2 million Evs worldwide by 2026.
Ford is pumping in $2billion into an electric vehicle plant in Cologne, which is intended to produce 1.2 million vehicles over six years. The long-term aim is for Ford to be net-carbon neutral across its facilities, logistics and suppliers – and zero emissions on its vehicle sales by 2035.
To kick this transition off, three new EV passenger cars and four new commercial vans are due to be launched by 2024. The Mach-E, Mach-E GT and the forthcoming E-Transit are the start, with 2023 seeing a medium-sized crossover EV being built in Cologne. Ford’s European best-seller, the Puma, will be available as an EV from 2024 and built in Romania.
Another electric vehicle will be added to the Cologne production lines in 2024. The all-electric crossover will have a new name to be revealed later this year, but it promises a 500km (310 miles) driving range on a single charge. SUVs and crossovers account for 58% of all passenger vehicles sold by Ford last year, up by 20% over 2020. As such, the second electric car will be a sports crossover.
Four new EV commercials are planned – the Transit Custom one-tonne van and Tourneo Custom MPV in 2023, and the smaller Courier van and Courier MPV a year later.
Ford, SK On Co., Ltd. and Koç Holding have signed up for a joint-venture business in Turkey to create one of the largest EV battery facilities in Europe.
Located near Ankara, the factory will build high Nickel NMC cells for battery array modules; production will begin around 2025 and annual capacity will be between 30 and 45 Gigawatt hours.
Ford Otosan is also taking over the Craiova plant and manufacturing business, subject to regulatory approval and consultation. Ford Otosan, is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding.
Yet more collaboration
Separately, Ford has also announced closer ties with Volkswagen. The 1.2 million vehicles mentioned earlier are to use Volkswagen’s MEB EV platform. The MEB platform already provides the technology base for ten electric models from five brands and can be adapted for SUVs, compact vehicles and vans, with the VW ID series being some of the most recent vehicles to use the technology.


text:
After weeks of speculations, OnePlus finally revealed that the new premium OnePlus 10T 5G phone will make its global debut next month.
OnePlus 10T is scheduled to be unveiled on August 3 in New York City, the first time in three years after the Covid-19 outbreak put a break on the physical event.
Others, not-so-lucky people, who can’t make it to the program personally can watch it live online on the company’s official website and YouTube at 10;00 am EDT (7:30 PM IST).
OnePlus 10T will succeed in the 10 Pro launched earlier this year. It will be coming with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 octa-core processor. The teaser shows the device may come with a sandstone-like matte finish, which was the trademark signature of early iterations of OnePlus phones.
Word on the street is that the OnePlus 10T will feature a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ display with support for 120Hz refresh rate, in-screen fingerprint sensor, triple camera module, and also come with a 150W charger in-box.
OnePlus co-founder and CEO, Pete Lau has also confirmed that the company will also unveil the Android 13-based OxygenOS 13. The previous version was a bit of a mixed bag, as it had a lot of bugs and forced the company to release multiple patches. It has also delayed the roll-out of OxygenOS 12 for the OnePlus 9RT.
Hopefully, the new OxygenOS 13 will be bug-free. As revealed by Google, Android 13 will come with several improvements in terms of value-added features such as detection of battery-hogging apps and control of battery drain, secured sharing photos, better animation, the theme-based colour of app icons, and more.
Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.


text:
APPLE’S STUNNING NEW RED SPECIAL EDITION IPHONE
On Friday the 13th April, Australian consumers will have a chance to get their hands on the shiny new (PRODUCT)RED iPhone.
Participating in the PRODUCT RED programme since 2006, Apple has donated over A$200 Million to the lifesaving (RED) AIDS Charity, funding over 800 million days of life-saving ARV medication that prevents the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies.
In Cupertino, California, Apple today announced iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition, the new generation of iPhone in a stunning red finish. Both phones sport a beautiful glass enclosure, now in red, with a matching aluminium band and a sleek black front.
The special edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhone will be available to order online in select countries and regions tomorrow and in stores beginning Friday, 13 April.
Apple also introduced a new (PRODUCT)RED iPhone X Leather Folio, which will be available beginning tomorrow.
A portion of proceeds for all (PRODUCT)RED purchases go directly to Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants that provide testing, counselling, treatment and prevention programs with a specific focus on eliminating transmission of the virus from mothers to their babies.
Deborah Dugan, (RED)’s CEO commented:
Today’s announcement is further evidence of Apple’s leadership in and commitment to the AIDS fight since the beginning of (RED) in 2006,
GadgetNET says: It's refreshing to see a huge corporation like Apple doing good, and the RED iPhone looks pretty fabulous too. Win – Win.
Rob Follis has been writing about tech on and off for over 40 years, is a designer, photographer, information omnivore, gadget-head, Hi-Fi afficionado, owner of far far too many things and sadly an unsuccessful app developer. A born & bred Londoner now happily living in Melbourne. Email Rob.
MORE ON GADGETNET
Sony's PS4 and PS4 Pro Spider-Man bundle drops September 7th and comic book lovers are going to be thrilled....
Don't get ripped off by the great Tax Time scams! Even if you are smart enough to avoid online and phone...
Lego is fun to build for all ages. Its latest authentic release will surely appeal to Bond fans, capturing the...
Amazon's first ‘Prime Day’ in Australia was a complete letdown, and we're probably kind with that...
There's something futuristically cool about walking throughout your home barking commands to Alexa. From...


text:
The company expects to sell around three times more cars this year than the 23,900 units it sold in 2021, making India one of the top 10 markets by sales for the brand, according to a presentation from Zac Hollis, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India. About 3 million cars were sold in India in 2021.
Skoda’s growth will be on the back of its recently launched Kushaq sport utility vehicle (SUV) and the upcoming Slavia sedan. Both the cars are based on a new platform developed specifically for India by the Volkswagen Group called MQB A0 IN.
The Czech company will also be bringing back its flagship SUV Kodiaq to the country this month, further helping sales.
While the entire automotive industry is struggling with a shortage of semiconductors, limiting their production and their ability to meet consumer demand, Skoda said that it will be better off with the headquarters allocating more supplies to India.
“We are a priority market for the Volkswagen Group worldwide because we are launching cars and we are getting supply of chips,” Hollis said.
To help achieve its targets, the company will be expanding its sales network in the country to about 180 outlets this year from 150 at present. This will ensure its presence in about 145 cities and towns compared to 117 at present. For reference, market leader Maruti Suzuki has over 3,600 sales outlets across over 1,900 cities according to its website.
A larger sales network will ensure that Skoda stays on course for its mid-term target of selling 100,000 cars a year in India, Hollis said.
“Many people in the past have said that Skoda makes great cars, but… This ‘but’ is what we’ve been trying to kick,” he said on Thursday. The reservations of consumers stemmed from the fact that Skoda had fewer service outlets and maintenance of its vehicles cost more compared to other automakers, he said.
The company plans to increase its service network to 160 by the end of this year from 93 at present. The service network was just 59 outlets strong in 2020. Meanwhile, the higher localisation of cars based on the MQB A0 IN platform for India also means that spares will be cheaper, Hollis said.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Adani Enterprises FPO Fully Subscribed on Final Day
The ₹20,000-crore follow-on public offering (FPO) of Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) was fully subscribed on the final day of the offer Tuesday, January 31, thanks to late demand from family offices, corporates, and foreign investors.How Gautam Adani Lost $75b Market Value but Pulled off $2.5b Issue after Short Attack
It was around 5.30 in the morning last Wednesday when senior Adani officials got the breaking news, hours before the anchor book — the institutional pillar of any issuance — of the ₹20,000-crore ($2.5 billion) follow-on offer (FPO) of Adani Enterprises Ltd was to open.Flipkart Esop Sale: Big PeDay for Nigam, Chari
The cofounders of PhonePe, Sameer Nigam and Rahul Chari, are expected to receive individual cash payouts of $20-25 million by completely liquidating their stock options in erstwhile parent company Flipkart, according to people aware of the development.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
ETPrime stories of the day
8 mins read
3 mins read
3 mins read


text:
U.S. FTC Slams Intel With Antitrust Suit
December 16, 2009 11:40 AM
comment(s) - last by
FTC accuses Intel of numerous violations, including writing software to sabotage its competitors' hardware
Intel holds a
in the computer industry, with over 79.1 percent market share in the microprocessor market, according to
from the summer (these reports included by x86 architecture microprocessors as well as alternatives like ARM). In May 2009 the European Union's antitrust regulators
fined the chipmaker $1.45B USD
-- about a fourth of the company's 2008 net income ($5.292B USD) -- for allegedly using discounts and OEM payoffs to push its smaller competitor Advanced Micro Devices out of the market. That ruling is currently
In the U.S. the Federal Trade Commission has investigated similar claims. The State of New York has
against the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company for antitrust violations, but thus far no federal litigation had been filed. That all changed today with the FTC
, citing numerous antitrust violations.
The landmark case comes on the heels of
Intel's $1.25B USD settlement
with AMD over similar claims. Under that agreement AMD agreed to drop all pending and present litigation against its rival. According to the FTC's lawsuit filing, Intel is depriving customers of free choice and is stifling the progress of the computer industry. The filing says that Intel employed a carrot-and-stick sort of approach, using both threats and rewards to keep OEMs from using its competitors' products. Reportedly Intel used such targets on Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., and IBM Corp.
One of the more interesting aspects of the case is that the FTC claims to have evidence that Intel wrote compiler software (Intel makes one of the more commonly used commercial C++ code compilers, the Intel C++ Compiler) to sabotage the performance of its competitors' CPUs. Little is known about this allegation at this point.
Richard Feinstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, says Intel's violations are blatant and alarming. He states, "Intel has engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive threats to its monopoly. It's been running roughshod over the principles of fair play and the laws protecting competition on the merits. The Commission's action today seeks to remedy the damage that Intel has done to competition, innovation, and, ultimately, the American consumer."
The FTC case looks to prevent Intel from employing "threats, bundled prices, or other offers to encourage exclusive deals, hamper competition, or unfairly manipulate the prices of its" CPUs.
Intel was recently
fined $25M USD
by the South Korean government for antitrust violations. The FTC's investigation of Intel was
first announced officially in June 2008
. Under the more pro-antitrust Obama administration the investigation has
pushed ahead aggressively
and now looks to place new fines or restrictions on the chipmaker.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
12/16/2009 4:47:25 PM
Paying for studies and feeding a family are two completely different things. The level of stress is a million times greater. College is fantasy land and no amount of macro-economics book-background from school will compare to a few years of real world experience once you graduate. ;)
Trust me, I've been there.
12/16/2009 4:55:00 PM
Agree, that little piece of very expensive paper is treated as more important than real experience. I am feeding a family while working to get that little piece of paper. Most of what I hear isn't from the real world and I have to work hard to tell them what they want to hear not what my experience knows to be correct. I hope the pendulum swings back soon.
12/16/2009 5:16:03 PM
The little piece of paper opens doors for sure.
I wouldn't have had the opportunites I have without it. But, it stopped there. Everything since that sheet of paper has built upon what I learned and then far more than that. I suppose I was fortunate in that my professors back in the day all were required to have had successful careers outside of college prior to being hired to teach, as unfortunately most of the time you run into professors who could not make it outside of academia so they were forced to teach based on books rather than experiences.
I have no point to add to this argument other than that. :)
I'm happy Intel has been smitten by the government finally--if indeed they _were_ forcing their compilers to screw over non-intel processors with crummy optimizations, that is quite rotten and they should face some judicial scrutiny for it. However, those developers who were not trying to optimize their code further by using multiple compilers are also partially to blame.
"Vista runs on Atom ... It's just no one uses it". -- Intel CEO Paul Otellini
Intel, AMD Settle Antitrust Disputes, Intel to Pay AMD $1.25 Billion
November 12, 2009, 9:34 AM
Intel Slapped with Antitrust Lawsuit by NY Attorney General
November 4, 2009, 12:25 PM
Intel Appeals Massive $1.45B EU Fine
July 22, 2009, 12:08 PM
European Commission Fines Intel $1.45B
May 13, 2009, 9:04 AM
Intel Profits Increase 25%, Reports Great Quarterly Sales
July 16, 2008, 12:02 PM
"Prepare to be Punished": Microsoft is Killing OneDrive With Cuts, Blames Users
November 3, 2015, 8:23 PM
Apple's New "Magic" Peripheral Line Packs High Tech, High Prices
October 13, 2015, 9:39 PM
Samsung Adds 2 TB 850 EVO, PRO SSDs for $800, $1000
July 7, 2015, 4:23 PM
Seagate Senior Researcher: Heat Can Kill Data on Stored SSDs
May 13, 2015, 2:49 PM
How to Recover Most Apps After Your NVIDIA Driver Crashes in Windows 10
March 30, 2015, 12:54 PM
Tinkerer Gets Old School Mac Plus Running on the Modern Web
March 24, 2015, 6:41 PM
Most Popular Articles
Free Windows 10 offer ends July 29th, 2016: 10 Reasons to Upgrade Immediately
July 22, 2016, 9:19 PM
Top 5 Smart Watches
July 21, 2016, 11:48 PM
Latest Blog Posts
Sceptre Airs 27", 120 Hz. 1080p Monitor/HDTV w/ 5 ms Response Time for $220
Dec 3, 2014, 10:32 PM
Costco Gives Employees Thanksgiving Off; Wal-Mart Leads "Black Thursday" Charge
Oct 29, 2014, 9:57 PM
"Bear Selfies" Fad Could Turn Deadly, Warn Nevada Wildlife Officials
Oct 28, 2014, 12:00 PM
The Surface Mini That Was Never Released Gets "Hands On" Treatment
Sep 26, 2014, 8:22 AM
ISIS Imposes Ban on Teaching Evolution in Iraq
Sep 17, 2014, 5:22 PM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2016 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information