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At least four people were stabbed in Boston Tuesday evening, including two at a shopping center, after a suspect rammed a car into a Macy’s department store.
According to preliminary reports, an off-duty police officer at the scene shot the suspected assailant.
The incident occurred at the Silver City Galleria shopping mall in Taunton, outside Boston, just after 7 pm local time when a car crashed into the store. The suspect got out and stabbed two people, reports say.
Two more people were found stabbed in a private home in the city in what police say is a related incident.
— David Wade (@davidwade) May 11, 2016
The shopping center was evacuated
According to CBS Local Boston citing police, some of the victims’ injuries may be life-threatening.


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Hasbro and StarWars.com revealed a fun new collectible today — Micro Force Figures! Measuring only 1-inch tall, they’re small and cute versions of your favorite heroes and villains from the Star Wars universe. Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Darth Vader, BB-8, and more! The blind bags come with two figures per pack, along with a collector checklist card. The first wave is due this December, and the second will roll out at a later date not yet announced.
Find out more below:
Hasbro Announces Dates for 2019 HASCON Event
Second-Ever HASCON FANmily Event Scheduled for Sept. 6 – 8, 2019 in Providence, R.I.
PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS) today announced that it will host its second-ever HASCON event Sept. 6 – 8, 2019, in Providence, R.I. at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Hasbro hosted its inaugural HASCON event this past September, offering families and fans of all ages a completely new way to experience its brands, and a behind-the-scenes pass to the world of Hasbro. The event featured three days of hands-on brand experiences, meet-and-greets, sneak peeks, concerts, exclusive reveals, star-studded panels and fan-centric surprises.
At MCM London Comic-Con this past weekend, Hasbro revealed what could be the cutest little action figures ever in the history of action figures — Possibly in the history of everything ever. Exaggeration? Perhaps… but they’re Porgs! The Black Series 6-inch scale Porgs will be available in Spring of 2018.
Check out the glorious full-size image below:
Hasbro is at MCM London Comic-Con this weekend, and they’ve brought along all kinds of amazing reveals. Of interest to Star Wars fans, today they unveiled the all-new Chewbacca Mighty Mugg! Chewie joins previously announced Star Wars characters, classic and new, and will hit stores in January 2018.
Check out the images below:
Ok, here goes. We’ve made our way through the original trilogy, so that means it must be time to go back to the very beginning. It’s obviously not ALWAYS a very good place to start, since George Lucas didn’t start there, which is why we’re discussing it now. And I promise that’s the last Sound of Music reference I’ll make for at LEAST a paragraph. It’s time to talk about what may be the most divisive chapter in the entire saga: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This may be the most challenging entry in this series for me. Keep reading, and I’ll explain why.
New Star Wars action figures have been revealed by Hasbro at New York Comic-Con, both 3.75-inch figures and a few 6-inch figs from The Black Series line. Also announced yesterday was the return of the popular Star Wars Mighty Muggs line of stylized collectibles, and you can see those images here.
Check out the new action figures revealed by Hasbro below:
Great news for fans of the Mighty Muggs line of collectibles — They’re coming back in 2018! Find out more from StarWars.com below:
Hasbro announced today at New York Comic Con the return of Mighty Muggs — a fan-favorite line of collectible, stylized figures. Launching in January 2018, the figures will have a new push-and-turn head feature that instantly changes their facial expressions to excitement, rage, happiness, and more. The initial Star Wars assortment will consist of Rey, Kylo Ren, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Darth Vader, and cost $9.99 each. They look super cute and we are already clearing space on our desks and toy shelves.
Hasbro revealed a number of new Star Wars products at the first-ever HASCON FANmily event earlier this month (see highlights from HASCON here), and now we have some images to share with you. Most are from The Last Jedi, but there are a few nods to classic Star Wars as well. You’ll probably want all of them!
Check out the hi-res images below:
Hasbro held its inaugural HASCON FANmily event in Rhode Island this past weekend, and we have some photos and video to share if you were unable to attend but want to get a taste of what this convention is all about.
Check out the highlights below:

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The Estonian e-Residency Program, which marks its ninth anniversary on December 1, has now made a cumulative contribution to the state budget of more than €200 million.
According to a press release, the program is now moving towards making some significant upgrades. The biggest of which will be moving beyond the use of physical ID cards and implementing a solution for remote identity verification.
According to Sandra Särav, deputy secretary general for economy and innovation at the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Estonia's e-Residency program is seen globally as part of a strong national brands, enriching the local business environment and consolidating Estonia's image as one of the world's leading digital societies.
"Our e-Residency program has set a high standard, while also proving to be a profitable export." said Särav.
"Currently, it is the only government-backed e-service package that offers a 100 percent digital user journey for entrepreneurs around the world, who are interested in setting up and running a location-independent international business. Although the program has significantly contributed to opening up Estonia's economy to foreign talent and capital, there is still enormous potential for new companies, business ideas and investments," she added.
"As such, the e-Residency program is Estonia's success story, reflecting the global competitive advantage of our digital society," Särav said.
Liina Vahtras, managing director of e-Residency, added that the program's product development has reached a new level of maturity and is now well positioned to achieve new goals.
"We are evolving from a government startup into becoming a growth-led organization. The competition among the world's leading business environments is intensifying and Estonia's value proposition contains all the advantages necessary to become the top choice for digital nomads and freelance professionals," said Vahtras.
"In addition, we are also offering solutions to remote entrepreneurs and startup founders who need to manage a bigger team to truly succeed. Our main goal is that in addition to setting up new companies, our business-minded e-residents would also choose to maintain and grow their businesses in Estonia. The key is maintaining a focus on the customer journey and continuing with bold product development," Vahtras added.
In her view, it is now time to add updates to the e-residency program to make it take off further in the future.
"To take our user experience to a new level, we hope to move past the plastic ID cards issued to e-residents. In 2025, we plan to pilot an innovative solution for secure remote identity verification, which will benefit not only e-residents but also Estonian citizens," explained Vahtras.
She also stressed that these new solutions have to deliver both increased security and convenience, s these are two areas in which e-Residency makes no concessions.
Estonia launched the world's first e-Residency program at the end of 2014 with the aim of providing foreign nationals with safe access to its public e-services. To date, Estonian e-resident status has been granted to 108,000 individuals (excluding those whose status has been revoked).
So far, the program has generated approximately €200 million in tax revenue and state fees for Estonia.
The program also continues to boost Estonia's international image and spur the growth and investments of Estonian companies that offer services to e-residents and their businesses.
More information about Estonian e-Residency can be found here.
Editor: Michael Cole


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Three bidders vie to emblazon their name on Cape Town Stadium
Three bidders are in the running for R16m-a-year naming rights to Cape Town Stadium.
The 2020/21 business plan for the stadium says seven bids were received from organisations interested in the naming rights‚ and they had been whittled down to a shortlist.
The revenue from naming rights‚ on top of about R23m a year from anchor tenant Western Province Rugby Union‚ will reduce the stadium’s city council grant from more than R71m in the current financial year to R29.3m by 2022/23‚ the business plan reveals.
The Stormers are due to play their first match at the stadium in February 2021. The business plan says negotiations are under way for Western Province Rugby to rent office space as well.
Before rugby moves from Newlands to Green Point‚ R282m is being spent on 162 new corporate suites‚ bringing the total to 230.
The British Lions will play the first game of their 2021 SA tour when they face Western Province at the stadium on July 3 2021. The Lions will also play the Springboks in Cape Town on July 31 2021.
The 55‚000-seat stadium was built for the 2010 Soccer World Cup‚ for about R4.4bn. The business plan‚ drawn up by the municipal entity set up to manage the precinct‚ says it would cost about R8.6bn to rebuild.
The plan includes a “swot” (strengths‚ weaknesses‚ opportunities‚ threats) analysis‚ which says the fragility of the rand makes it difficult to attract high-quality international events‚ but also makes the stadium attractive to foreign clients.
It flags Eskom’s instability as a threat‚ even though its auxiliary power system can power the stadium‚ and says the weak economy is also a risk.
“With the exception of a few major high-attendance professional soccer events‚ [there has been a] nationwide decrease in spectator events at all events due to local economic contraction‚” it says.
Seven new tenders were advertised in October 2019‚ says the business plan‚ which has been presented to the City of Cape Town mayoral committee. They will be awarded soon.
The stadium will appoint three concessionaires to sell food and nonalcoholic drinks‚ another three to sell liquor‚ a pouring rights partner with exclusive rights to sell beer and cider‚ preferred products providers and a ticket sales company to assist with events.
Other new sources of revenue include car parking‚ leasing of office and retail space‚ electronic advertising about the pitch and stand sponsorships.
The business plan says the municipal entity beat its revenue budget by 18% in 2018/19‚ its first full year of trading. It achieved a saving of 13% of budgeted spending.
As a result‚ it used only R55m of its R73m City of Cape Town grant.
Source: TMG Digital.


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Hey, wanna buy a CPU company? You’re too late, because MIPS Technologies was just sold for $60 million in cash. If that’s more than you have in your pocket, it’s still a tiny sum for a company that helped pioneer the idea of RISC processors. Once the deal goes through, the MIPS processor familiy will belong to Imagination Technologies, the same IP company that offers PowerVR graphics, HelloSoft code, Ensigma network IP, and other doodads for SoC developers. Now MIPS becomes the jewel in Imagination’s crown.
Interestingly, Imagination gets only 82 of MIPS’s collection of 580 patents. The other 498 were bought by a little-known firm called Allied Security Trust (AST). And that part of the sale cost $350 million — almost six times as much as the company itself. Even more interesting, MIPS arch-rival ARM put up about one-third of that purchase price. So ARM now has part-ownership of the bulk of MIPS’s patents.
Not to worry, though. Imagination has perpetual rights to the entire patent portfolio, not just the 82 it bought. And the company will continue to license and market MIPS processor cores, including the newer Aptiv designs. They’ll just be coming from a different company.
It’s no secret that MIPS was having financial trouble and was looking for a buyer. Still, it’s sad to see the company broken up and sold off. MIPS Computer Systems was one of the early RISC pioneers. The company spun off Silicon Graphics as well as MIPS Technologies, for the purpose of licensing its innovative high-performance CPUs. Alas, MIPS never got the kind of traction that ARM got, and it was all downhill from there. Ironically, most of its corporate IP is now in ARM’s hands.


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July 21, 2019
There is nothing in the world that the Jews and their cronies won’t ruin.
Not even burgers are safe.
Americans will need to cut their average consumption of beef by about 40% and Europeans by 22%, for the world to continue to feed the 10 billion people expected to live on this planet in 2050, according to a new report.
That means each person could have about a burger and a half each week.
This calculation comes from the World Resources Institute, a global research nonprofit that supports better use of natural resources to sustain a growing population. Its research looks at agriculture, the climate crisis, poverty and gender, among other topics.
Its final “Creating a Sustainable Food Future” report released Wednesday takes a closer look at the gaps in food production and global demand and makes several concrete recommendations on how to prevent a catastrophe.
The absolute nerve.
White people will be taxed and forced to subsidize the ravenous appetite of the African hordes. The burgers will be taken from Americans before the guns. And then Americans will give up their guns for burgers because you can’t eat guns… and they will be given neither.
This is the future that the Jews and their bugmen servants have planned for us. No more of this:
The tables will be turned on us.
And I’m just here chillin’ like:
Trying to not let it get to me.
But it’s clear to me that this plan is being implemented concurrently with the Soylent Agenda and the bug-food agenda. First, they’re going to wean us off of animal meat by bribing Instagram influencers to promote insect puree.
“One hot dog, please — heavy on the maggots.”
Food scientists at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia are incorporating insects such as maggots and locusts into a range of specialty foods, including sausage, as well as formulating sustainable insect-based feeds for the livestock themselves.
Hoffman says conventional livestock production will soon be unable to meet global demand for meat, so other fillers and alternatives will be needed to supplement the food supply with sufficient protein sources.
“An overpopulated world is going to struggle to find enough protein unless people are willing to open their minds, and stomachs, to a much broader notion of food,” says meat science professor Dr. Louwrens Hoffman.“Would you eat a commercial sausage made from maggots? What about other insect larvae and even whole insects like locusts? The biggest potential for sustainable protein production lies with insects and new plant sources.”
Eat the bug, bigot!
Then, eventually, they’re going to get us on Soylent, of course. Which, you know, is going to be made of aborted babies and opioid overdose victims eventually.
Because the logic of progressivism demands it.
This is where tolerance leads.
Bug food and black people go hand-in-hand.
If the media is telling us now that we need to eat bug food because there’s going to be more black people, then people are going to start realizing that if we want to keep eating burgers, we’re going to just have to start wiping out the black people.
If anyone objects, they get their food license revoked and get forced to eat bugs until they’re ready to tap out, repent and join the race riots like any man of good character should.


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New Garmin GPS device tracks down Fido or Fluffy on laptop. smartphone
On Sunday AT&T South Florida stores will be among the first to begin selling a new GPS-locator device marketed toward pet owners allowing them to follow their dogs, cats or other non-human loved ones via a computer or smart phone. Thats right, use technology to keep your pets safe and to easily find them when they wander.
May 13, 2011


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Thursday, July 27, 2000
Amazon.com posts losses
Amazon.com Inc. said its second-quarter loss more than doubled to $317.2 million, as the top Internet retailer spent more on new warehouses and product lines. Sales fell short of forecasts.
The quarterly loss of 91 cents a share compares with a loss of $138 million, or 43 cents last year. Sales rose 84 percent to $577.9 million from $314.4 million, which was below estimates. Amazon.com has lost a total of $1.5 billion over six years as the company expanded into new products.
Reactor start delayed Bloomberg News
Columbus-based American Electric Power Co. said the restart of a Michigan nuclear plant's idled reactor will be delayed until early next year and cost the utility owner another $145 million.
Columbus-based AEP had expected to have the Cook plant's No. 2 unit running this year.
May buy tissue plants Bloomberg News
Kimberly-Clark Corp., the world's largest maker of tissues, said it will consider buying the tissue plants of Fort James Corp., which are being sold as part of its acquisition by Georgia-Pacific Group.
A Georgia- Pacific spokesman declined to identify the individual plants in the United States and Europe to be sold. A purchase by Kimberly-Clark also would prevent Procter & Gamble Co. from getting the properties.
Wisk tablet to hit U.S. The Associated Press
Unilever announced Wednesday that it will introduce a new tablet form of Wisk Wisk Dual Action Laundry Tablets to the U.S. market. The announcement comes a day after industry rival Procter & Gamble Co. said it would reintroduce the first tablet laundry detergent in the U.S. since 1978.
Carmaker's profits up The Associated Press
Second-quarter profits rose 18 percent at DaimlerChrysler AG, topping expectations, but the automaker warned that earnings for the rest of the year would be hurt by larger U.S. sales incentives and the cost of launching new Chrysler cars and minivans.
The U.S.-German company reported Wednesday that profits totaled $1.67 billion, or $1.66 a share, from April to June, as a strong showing for Mercedes-Benz and other units offset lower earnings from the Chrysler division.
Kroll-O'Gara plans a divorce
Frisch's beefs up franchise
Lafarge gets to work
Telxon accepts $465M buyout
What's the Buzz?


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“Explains why nan got so wild at dinner.”
With quarantine and stay at home orders still in place around the world many people have turned to alcohol to help pass time.
Unfortunately one Australian manufacturer, Victoria’s Apollo Bay Distillery, mistakenly sold at least nine of its 700ml bottles of SS Casino Dry Gin that were actually full of hand sanitizer.
The gin bottles were recalled because they contained 1.45 percent glycerol and 0.125 percent hydrogen peroxide, which when consumed can cause a variety of illnesses.
The Australian Food Standards Code urged consumers to avoid drinking the sanitizer as it can have harsh side effects including nausea, headaches, dizziness, bloating, vomiting, thirst and diarrhea.
NewstalkZB said that one of the unlucky customers commented under the Distillery’s Facebook post that she felt ill after drinking a glass.
The customer claimed: “Had one glass of this at lunchtime and had a really bad headache and felt nauseous (sic) about 1 hour after and had to take nausea tablets and nurofen,” the customer continued.
“Thought I was getting unwell I had no idea until now! If it doesn’t taste right don’t drink it!!! Be careful!”
Other Facebook users joked about the incident in the comments. One user wrote: “Explains why nan got so wild at dinner.”
Another user said: “For when you want to sanitize your digestive system. Yolo.”
Alcohol manufacturers throughout the world have been lending a helping hand in mass producing hand sanitizer as its demand skyrocketed during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Apollo Bay Distillery spokesperson told Inside FMCG, “We can now confirm we have recovered all incorrectly labelled bottles from the product safety recall issued on Monday 8 June. We are very sorry this occurred. Rest assured we will be following up our producers to ensure this does not occur again.”
On Monday a statement posted on Apollo Bay Distillery’s Facebook page said: “The bottles were incorrectly labeled and had no seal. We understand they are not toxic. Should you have purchased a bottle of SS Casino Gin between Friday 5 June to Sunday 7 June please return it to where you purchased it from for a full refund or replacement.”
“We’d like to thank those who were affected for being so understanding. We are in the process of fully refunding and providing a replacement product to those impacted. Thank you to everyone who shared the recall, and the media for publicising it, as this enabled us to recover the products quickly.”
Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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DA wants govt to end all lockdown restrictions
CAPE TOWN - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce an end date for all lockdown restrictions as well as the National State of Disaster.
Ramaphosa on Sunday night announced the country's move to adjusted level 2 of the national lockdown.
DA leader John Steenhuisen on Monday said the only reason for further restrictions would be to allow people over the age of 18 years old the chance to get vaccinated.
“Since the 18 to 35-year-old group have had access to the vaccine from 20 August, this deadline must now be well within our side, at the very latest, it should happen by mid-November, which would give this age cohort a full 12 weeks to get both jobs,” the DA leader said.
Steenhuisen said announcing an end date for the lockdown would give businesses an opportunity to map their way forward.
“It's not something that can be decided and announced at the last minute, as this would put even more businesses and jobs in jeopardy. If business owners know that there will be no more restrictions and curfews on the 15th of November, they can try to make plans to bridge in businesses over the period until then,” he said.
Meanwhile, the IFP said the move, particularly adjusted regulations around gatherings, would give the party a chance to campaign with more freedom.
The Beer Association of South Africa has also welcomed government's announcement, saying the easing of restrictions would provide some reprieve for businesses hard hit by pandemic.
This article first appeared on EWN : DA wants govt to end all lockdown restrictions


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NASHVILLE-based KING BUSINESS & FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (KBFM) has added industry veterans MALLORY MASON as Business Mgr. MASON has more than a decade of experience, including his time at CUMULUS MEDIA. MARTIN, ALLBEE & ASSOCIATES; and WILES + TAYLOR + Co. KBFM, founded by CHRIS KING, is celebrating its two-year anniversary this year.
“2020 has been a whirlwind of a year for everyone in the entertainment industry, especially corporate governance,” said KING. “I am very pleased to announce the addition of MALLORY MASON to our team. MALLORY has years of experience, which is of crucial importance for a company [which] takes pride in its experience working with global superstars and emerging talent. Our focus is on ensuring that all customers receive top notch service, regardless of where they are in their careers. “
“After many in-depth career discussions with CHRIS, we both realized that we want to shape our industry in the same way,” said MASON. “We want our clients and team members to be successful in all areas of their careers and strive to continually learn and develop with our ever-changing industry. “
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LAGOS – Mrs Angela Adegboyega, Chairperson, King Solomon Microfinance Bank, on Sunday appealed to microfinance bank operators to intensify grassroots training for the unbanked and small-scale entrepreneurs in the country.
Adegboyega told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos that the Microfinance banking sector would become more active if they could train such entrepreneurs on what could sustain their businesses and make them to flourish.
NAN reports that the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), established the the microfinance banking policy in December 2005.
“The CBN is to grant microfinance banking licenses to institutions to enable them to provide banking services to the unbanked and those that are not attended to by the conventional banks” the policy statement said.
“The need to improve the businesses of micro entrepreneurs is not only through financial empowerment but also by training the entrepreneurs themselves on what could make such businesses to succeed and remain sustainable”.
“The knowledge and awareness will grow and expand their businesses, revenues, improve the social and economic well being of the entrepreneurs and stem the huge bad debts confronting the sector,” she said.
Adegboyega advised the adoption of a practical and day-to-day language to explain and show the basic things required in setting up and progressing such businesses.
According to her, topics like how to start your business, basic book keeping, managing personal finances and simple business operations, should be taught to the entrepreneurs.
“Other areas include Market information gathering, growing your businesses, reinvestment policies, positioning your businesses for bank lending and other areas, should also be taught to the small business owners,” she said.
Adegboyega urged the banks to operate an open door policy towards the investors, to enable them to ask questions and seek clarifications on grey areas, as their businesses developed. (NAN)


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The numbers released Friday were a revision of earlier figures that had shown GDP growing in the first quarter at 0.2 percent. Markets had since expected the downward revision, in large part because of recent data showing the trade deficit at a 6½-year high.
Though the United States has shaken off nasty quarters in the past, including one year ago, this time the rebound doesn’t appear to be so dramatic. Halfway through the second quarter, economists say growth again appears to be below expectations. Many analysts expect the GDP to expand roughly 2 percent in the second quarter, while the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta takes an even darker view, predicting an expansion of just 0.8 percent. That would leave the United States with six months of economic standstill.
In 2014, the economy contracted 2.1 percent in the first quarter. But growth was rapid for the rest of the year, expanding 4.6 percent in the second quarter and 5 percent in the third.
“Really the interesting question is how much of this will bounce back,” said Jeremy Lawson, a chief economist at Standard Life Investments, an asset management firm. “My take is that activity will rebound more slowly than it did last year. Some of these downward pressures are more persistent than in the past.”
Those pressures include an oil price shock has stalled one of America’s best-performing sectors while forcing tens of thousands of layoffs and an appreciated dollar that makes U.S. exports pricier overseas, pinching profits of major domestic companies.
Remove the trade deficit, and the U.S. GDP grew 1.2 percent in the first quarter. Not since 1985 has trade so heavily dragged down growth. In the first quarters, businesses also pulled back on inventories, further cutting into growth.
Still, perhaps the biggest surprise of the past six months has been the muted pickup in consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy. Personal consumption grew 1.8 percent in the first quarter, but that’s well off the pace from the second half of 2014. Consumers, instead, have taken the money saved at the gasoline pump and used it to pay back debt or rebuild savings, according to government and credit card data.
The first-quarter figure will be revised once more, in June. Some of the sluggishness during the winter months was likely influenced by temporary factors, including a series of major snowfalls in the Northeast and a port strike on the West Coast.
Some economists also believe that the formula used to smooth out seasonal fluctuations has become unreliable and could be overstating the GDP slide. In terms of gross domestic income, another measure of the economy, growth stood at 1.4 percent in the first quarter.
Jason Furman, chairman of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, noted that over the last decade first-quarter GDP growth has averaged a “considerably slower pace” than the other three quarters. “First-quarter underperformance has tended to increase over the past ten years, in parallel with intensifying winter weather,” Furman wrote in a post on the White House Web site.
In a speech last week, Janet L. Yellen, chair of the Federal Reserve, said that growth would likely be “moderate” over the rest of the year. But she also said that the world’s largest economy remains on solid ground, largely because of strong hiring, gains in disposable income and cheap borrowing costs. As momentum picks up, the central bank is expected to raise interest rates, which have stayed near zero for 6½ years. That move could come in the second half of the year.
Even as the economy has slowed, the labor market has remained fairly strong, with companies hiring at a pace well above what has been seen for much of the recovery. Eventually, economists say, either hiring will slow to sync with GDP or the economy will catch up with job growth.
“But for now, it’s a bit of a puzzle,” said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust, a wealth management firm.


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Tuesday morning at ShowEast in Orlando, DreamWorks Animation’s Jeffrey Katzenberg told an audience full of theater owners that there is expected to be 12 to 18 full 3D movies by 2010. FirstShowing reports that Katzenberg said that movie theaters can expect there to be “5, 6 or 7 ‘Super-A’ titles” in full 3D, with 2 to 3 being from DreamWorks, in 2009. And in 2010 that number would increase 2 to 3 times, bumping the total up to around 12 to 18 respectively.
I’ve always believed that 3D is good for cinema. In a day and age when less people are making the trip to the multiplex, and instead opting to watch a DVD or movie on demand in their comfortable home theater, there is a value in the 3D movie. But Katzenberg must remember that the reason why 3D movies are doing well is because they are treated like an event. I fear that if there are 12 to 18 3D movies released each year, the technology and experience will become less special. And 5 – 7 “Super-A” titles seems like a realistic goal, but 12 to 18? First of all I don’t think there are 18 “Super-A” titles released each year that could benefit from the 3D experience.Cool Posts From Around the Web:


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Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trading in Wednesday's session is Computer Associates
The software company is seen posting a second-quarter profit of 14 cents a share for fiscal 2004, according to analysts polled by Thomson First Call.
Dow component DuPont
is seen reporting earnings of 11 cents a share for the third quarter.
Third-quarter numbers are scheduled for release from Eastman Kodak
which is expected to show a profit of 57 cents a share.
will report numbers for the third quarter, for which it is expected to show a profit of 57 cents a share.
Semiconductor equipment maker KLA-Tencor
is seen posting earnings of 17 cents a share for the first quarter of fiscal 2004.
will report fourth-quarter results for fiscal 2003, and is expected to report a loss of 4 cent a share.
Fast-food giant McDonald's
is anticipated posting a third-quarter profit of 40 cents a share.
And drugmaker Pfizer's
third-quarter earnings are seen coming in at 44 cents a share.
posted a profit of 4 cents a share in the third quarter, versus a loss of 9 cents a share in the same quarter a year ago. Revenue came in at $1.13 billion, a shade above the $1.12 billion analysts had expected. Excluding charges, the company reported earnings of 11 cents a share, besting analysts' 10-cent per-share consensus forecast. Amazon also issued an outlook for the fourth quarter, saying it sees sales coming in between $1.76 billion and $1.91 billion. See full story. Shares of Amazon lost $1.30, or 2.2 percent, to $58.05 after the bell.
Wireless chipmaker RF Micro Devices
earned $11.4 million, or 6 cents a share, in the second quarter of fiscal 2004. A year earlier, the Greensboro, N.C.-based company earned $6.5 million, or 4 cents a share. Sales rose 37 percent to $163.5 million from $119.7 million in the same quarter a year ago. See full story. Shares of RF Micro rose 4 percent in late dealings, to $11.88. The stock was the most-active issue being traded on Island ECN.
reported a third-quarter profit, reversing a year-earlier loss as revenue jumped. Amgen earned $612 million, or 46 cents per share. In the 2002 third quarter, the biotech firm had lost $2.6 billion, or $2.10 per share, because of charges related to the Immunex buyout. Amgen said profit in the latest quarter, excluding one-time items, was $714 million, or 53 cents per share. Analysts, on average, expected profit of 51 cents per share, according to Reuters Research. Total revenue increased 47 percent to $2.2 billion. Shares of Amgen shed 2.8 percent, to $61.88.
said that third-quarter profit revenue jumped 21 percent, but profit slipped because of an unfavorable comparison with the year-ago quarter when a one-time gain was recorded. The medical device maker earned $124 million, or 29 cents per share, compared with $161 million, or 39 cents per share, in the 2002 third quarter. The year-ago profit was boosted by a special after-tax credit of $62 million. See full story. Boston Scientific shares rose $1.16 in late trading action, to $65.
Internet Security Systems
reported a third-quarter profit of $5 million, or 10 cents a share, versus $6.3 million, or 13 cents a share, the year before, as sales slipped to $60.1 million from $60.8 million. The computer security services firm also said that it expects to post earnings of between 13 cents and 17 cents a share in the fourth quarter, on sales of $61 million to $66 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are expecting earnings of 13 cent a share on sales of $62.9 million. For the full year, the company sees earnings of 50 cents to 54 cents a share on sales of $240 million to $245 million; analysts are forecasting earnings of 50 cents a share on sales of $240.8 million. Internet Security shares added $1.88, or 13 percent, to $16.35 after the bell.
reported third-quarter earnings of $1.03 billion or $1.12 a share. The results, up nearly 5 percent from $981 million or $1.02 a share reported in 2002, met expectations of analysts polled by Thomson Financial First Call, who had foreseen $1.12 a share. Loan volume jumped 73 percent to $130.6 billion for the quarter, while volume for home equity loans and lines of credit increased 167 percent to $9.65 billion, WaMu said. However, the nation's largest savings and loan also reported a $126 million loss from mortgage loans, which it said was due to volatility in interest rates. Shares added 28 cents to $40.47 after the bell.
reported third-quarter profit fell 57 percent to $9.3 million, or 50 cents a share, from $21.5 million, or $1.17, a year ago. The Newark, Calif.-based maker of airport security and bomb-detection equipment beat the 47-cent average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call. Revenue came in at $86 million, down 26 percent from $117.1 million a year earlier. See full story. Shares closed Tuesday down 4 cents to $25.60 before the announcement.
said it lost $55 million, or a 9 cents a share, versus income $172.84 million, or 29 cents a share, in the third quarter of a year ago. Revenue improved to $3.51 billion from $3.39 billion a year ago. From operations, income in the third quarter was $242 million, or 41 cents a share. Analysts polled by Reuters Research expected, on average, per-share earnings of 39 cents and revenue of $3.64 billion. See full story. Shares closed at $51.36, up $1.52, or 3.1 percent, ahead of the announcement.
said late Tuesday that it had agreed to buy Neptune Technology Group Holdings in a deal valued at $475 million. The maker of machinery monitoring systems will buy Neptune from investment group Investcorp for $475 million, net of cash acquired and including the assumption of debt. Roper also announced a financing plan in connection with the deal, including loans, a credit facility and the issuance of debt and equity. Roper expects the acquisition to add between 10 cents and 15 cents a share in earnings for the full year 2004, before charges. The deal is expected to close in early 2004. Shares of Roper ended Tuesday's session down 10 cents at $46.48
a developer of corporate-phone systems, reported its second straight quarterly profit Tuesday on further cost cutting and a slight rebound in sales. The company earned $66 million, or 15 cents a share in its fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, reversing a loss of $544 million, or $1.50, a year earlier. See full story. Avaya stock added 70 cents to $14.15 in after-hours trade.
posted a 25 percent rise in its third-quarter net income but came up short of analyst targets as results were hindered by lower-than-expected domestic sales growth. The educational toy maker posted a profit of $33.4 million, or 55 cents a share, up from $26.7 million, or 50 cents a share, in the same quarter a year earlier. Wall Street had pegged LeapFrog to earn 61 cents a share. See full story. At last check, shares of LeapFrog had fallen $9.58, or 20.6 percent, at $36.96.
the Israel-based maker of laser eye treatments, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave marketing clearance to the its Allegretto Wave laser, used to treat myopia, or nearsightedness, and hyperopia, or farsightedness. The clearance was granted to Lumenis Germany-based marketing partner, WaveLight Laser Technologie. Lumenis will be the exclusive sales agent for the laser product in the U.S. Shares of Lumenis soared 61 cents, or 34.1 percent, to $2.40 after the bell.
posted a third-quarter net profit of $31 million, up from $23.9 million a year ago. The data-storage company earned 28 cents a share, which was in line with estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call, and above the 22 cents-a-share profit in the year-ago quarter. Revenue grew to $520.3 million from $501.7 million, but missed analysts' consensus estimates of $528.3 million. Shares edged down 21 cents to $26.50.
responded to congressional critics late Tuesday, saying the price it's charging the U.S. Army for fuel deliveries in Iraq is "fair and competitive." In a statement, Halliburton said its contract allows for only a 2 percent markup over actual costs and noted that transporting fuel in Iraq is inherently dangerous. Fuel convoys are escorted by U.S. armed forces. Halliburton's KBR unit is handling the contract. See full story.
Rising costs and a tax bill increase in Illinois clipped Boyd Gaming
in the third quarter as the casino operator reported a nearly 30 percent slump in profits. Las Vegas-based Boyd reported earnings of $7.7 million, or 12 cents per share, after Tuesday's closing bell, down from $11.2 million, or 17 cents a share, a year ago. See full story. Shares fell 20 cents to $15.10 in light after-hours trading.
America West Holdings
surged more than 19 percent after the company said it earned $32.9 million, or 60 cents a share, in the third quarter, up from a loss of $49.6 million or $1.47 a share, a year ago. The parent of America West Airlines was expected to earn 28 cents, according to the average of estimates collected by Thomson First Call. The airline reported a record third quarter load factor of 79.8 percent, an increase of 4.9 percentage points from the same period last year.
jumped almost 18 percent after the company reported third-quarter net income of $6.57 million, or 50 cents a share, vs. a loss of $5.18 a share in the year-earlier period. Total operating revenue rose 22 percent to $387.7 million. Revenue passenger miles increased 16 percent, available seat miles rose 16 percent and costs per available seat declined 18 percent.
shares rose nearly 9 percent after Robert Baird upped the stock to "outperform" vs. "neutral" and said recent positive developments at the company, including Monday's news of an alliance with Merck, are not reflected in its price.
Shares of CenterPoint Energy
surged more than 5 percent after the company reported a third-quarter profit vs. a year-ago loss. In the most recent quarter, CenterPoint earned $182 million, or 59 cents a share, vs. a loss of $4.1 billion, or $13.77 a share, in the third quarter of 2002.
advanced almost 8 percent after the company reported first-quarter earnings of $42.3 million, or 22 cents per share, up from its year-ago profit of $22.5 million, or 12 cents per share, and 4 cents ahead of Wall Street's consensus estimate. Sales jumped 34 percent in the latest three months to $258.4 million from $192.8 million in the same period a year earlier. Looking ahead, the New York-based leather goods firm anticipates earnings of at least 44 cents per share on sales of at least $385 million for the second quarter. For the year, Coach sees earnings of at least $1.09 per share on sales of at least $1.2 billion. The current average estimates of analysts polled by Thomson First Call are for profits of 42 cents and $1.00 per share in these respective periods.
gained more than 13 percent after the company reported third-quarter net income of $3.5 million, or 2 cents a share, vs. a loss of 20 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Earnings before special acquisition-related items were 16 cents a share. Total revenue rose 2 percent to $347.4 million. Analysts surveyed by Reuters Research had been expecting earnings of 6 cents a share and revenue of $347.4 million, on average. The Internet access provider said it added 71,000 net subscribers in the quarter. Looking ahead, the company expects to add 100,000 to 175,000 net subscribers in the fourth quarter and projects revenue of $1.4 billion for the full year.
Everest Re Group
rose 8 percent after the Barbados-based reinsurance firm reported strong third-quarter results, and boosted its outlook for the full year. The company earned $126.2 million, or $2.23 per share, on an operating basis in the third quarter. This performance sailed past Wall Street's consensus estimate for a profit of $2.05 per share in the period. For the year, Everest Re now sees earnings of $10 to $11 per share.
Shares of scientific consulting firm Exponent
soared more than 18 percent after Roth Capital upped the stock to "buy" from "neutral" following a strong third-quarter earnings report late Monday. Exponent reported a better-than-expected 35 percent increase in earnings and 15 percent rise in revenues.
soared nearly 23 percent after the company said its third-quarter profit rose 78 percent on stronger U.S. demand for its software for retailers. See full story.
jumped more than 21 percent after the company said it has initiated a multi-center phase II clinical trial of its KRX-101 treatment for diabetic nephropathy. The news was greeted by an upgrade from Ryan Beck to "outperform" from "market perform."
Shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals
rose almost 7 percent after Friedman Billings upped the stock to "market perform" from "underperform", citing improving competitive conditions for its sustained-release painkiller Avinza. Analyst Jim Reddoch said news Monday that the Food and Drugs Administration is demanding more data on Endo Pharmaceuticals' Oxymorphone is a positive as it would have been a rival to Avinza from the first quarter of 2004.
gained nearly 20 percent after the Swiss digital communications technology firm reported second-quarter earnings of $21.2 million, or 44 cents per share, on revenue of $294 million. The company said the performance was its second-strongest ever, exceeding its own expectations for both revenue and operating income. Logitech attributed the strong earnings to a sequential improvement in gross margins. A single analyst polled by Thomson First Call was looking for a profit of 23 cents per share in the September period.
shares soared almost 19 percent on heavy volume. The company was mentioned in a recent version of The Calandra Report, a subscription service of Marketwatch.com, the publisher of this report. U.S. Dataworks
which jumped more than 15 percent, was also mentioned in the report.
surged more than 15 percent after the company reported third-quarter net income of $6.3 million, or 21 cents a share, down from 40 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Revenue fell 3.7 percent to $303.2 million. Analysts surveyed by Reuters Research had been expecting earnings of 9 cents a share and revenue of $268.8 million. The recreational vehicle maker said a strong retail market and a reduction in finished goods inventory led to better than expected revenue and improved production rates.
rose more than 6 percent after the company inked a licensing pact with Alcatel
The deal calls for a customized version of Pumatech's Intellisync software to be bundled with Alcatel's One Touch Suite line of GSM mobile phones beginning this month. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
shares rose more than 18 percent after the Minneapolis maker of retailing software posted breakeven per share results on an operating basis for the third quarter, beating the consensus estimate of 13 analysts polled by Thomson First Call for a loss of a penny per share. Without items, the company was able to scrape out a scant profit of $66,000 in the latest period, much better than its year-ago equivalent loss of $9.5 million, or 18 cents per share. Revenue rose in the latest three months to $43.8 million from $40.5 million in the same period a year earlier. The company said gross margins improved during the quarter due to a favorable revenue mix, and higher services utilitization. Looking ahead, Retek forecast between breakeven results and a profit of 2 cents per share on an operating basis on revenue of between $44 million and $46 million in the fourth quarter.
shares rose more than 13 percent, pulling back slightly after hitting a 52-week high of $51.91 earlier in the session. After Monday's closing bell, the Scottsdale, Ariz., maker of stun guns reported third-quarter earnings of $1.1 million, or 25 cents per share, up from its year-ago loss of $68,896, or 2 cents per share, and well ahead of the average estimate of two analysts polled by Thomson First Call for a profit of 14 cents per share. Revenue jumped 216 percent in the latest three months to $6.1 million from $1.9 million in the same period a year earlier. Taser added that it has already received an additional $1.7 million in orders to ship in the fourth quarter. It attributed the strong results to growing market acceptance of its products in both the U.S. and abroad. Looking ahead, the company boosted its sales outlook for 2003 to $20 million, up from its prior projection of between $13 million and $15 million in revenue. Taser is now targeting basic earnings per share of $1 per share for the year.
Texas Genco Holdings
leapt more than 17 percent after the electric power company raised its full-year 2003 earnings forecast to $1.50 to $1.60 a share from $1.10 to $1.30 a share, citing higher capacity auction prices and the return to service of two generating units. For the third quarter, the company's earnings were $1.03 a share, up from 4 cents a share in the year-earlier period. Texas Genco is 81-percent owned by CenterPoint Energy
which reported third-quarter earnings of 60 cents a share, up from last year's 54 cents, and nearly double the average analyst estimate of 31 cents, according to Reuters Research.
pushed more than 6 percent higher after the company reported a third-quarter profit of $447 million, or 25 cents a share, and revenue of $2.53 billion, versus $188 million, or 11 cents a share, on revenue of $2.25 billion the year before. The chipmaker's results include an expected 13 cent-a-share tax benefit. For the fourth quarter, TI predicted it would report earnings between 14 and 19 cents a share and sales of between $2.49 billion and $2.7 billion. Analysts are currently expecting earnings of 11 cents a share, on average, on sales of $2.49 billion, according to Thomson First Call. See full story.
Shares of Vion Pharmaceuticals
soared almost 41 percent after the company said it licensed its anti-cancer and anti-viral drug Triapine to Beijing Pason Pharmaceuticals for use in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. As part of the agreement, which is subject to governmental approval, Vion will receive an initial payment of $500,000, a potential $4.75 million in milestone payments and royalty payments of 11 percent of Triapine revenue. Beijing Pason will fund the clinical development necessary to garner regulatory approval in the territory.
shares gained nearly 12 percent after the Slough, England-based firm reported positive findings for its OX40 technology in the treatment of flu. OX40 is a platform technology capable of generating a range of potential drugs to treat cancer, autoimmune and other diseases affecting the immune system, the company explained in a statement. Xenova said research carried out by London's Imperial College found that in pre-clinical trials, OX40 can alleviate flu symptoms without affecting the ability to clear the virus.
dropped more than 5 percent after the company said net income in the third quarter rose to $418 million, or 53 cents per share up from 27 cents a share in the year-ago period. Operating income declined to $458 million vs. $525 million a year ago as margins declined on pricing pressure and weak retail demand, among other reasons cited. Revenue declined 8.1 percent to $8.6 billion, "primarily due to continued declines in long distance voice revenue, partially offset by the continued success of AT&T Consumer Services' bundled local and LD offering, as well as growth in several key markets of AT&T Business Services," the carrier said. The decline in revenue was in line with analyst expectations, according to Reuters Research.
lost almost 11 percent after the company reported third-quarter earnings of $63.7 million, or 35 cents per share, up from its year-ago profit of $51 million, or 28 cents per share, and 3 cents ahead of the average estimate of 12 analysts polled by Thomson First Call. The Dallas-based movie rental firm said revenue edged lower in the latest quarter, sliding to $1.38 billion from $1.39 billion in the same period a year earlier.
slumped nearly 13 percent after the company reported first-quarter earnings of $44.6 million, or 45 cents per share, 2 cents short of the average estimate of 20 analysts polled by Thomson First Call. Revenue rose 12.5 percent in the latest three months to $870.9 million from $773.9 million in the same period a year earlier. The Dallas-based operator of casual dining restaurants, including Chili's and Macaroni Grill, also forecast earnings of 44 to 45 cents per share for the second quarter, below Wall Street's current consensus estimate for a profit of 49 cents per share.
Shares of Edwards Lifesciences
fell almost 6 percent after the company was hit by a trio of downgrades following disappointing third quarter earnings late Monday. The medical device company reported EPS of 34 cents, a penny below consensus, and said full year sales will fall short of its goal of 7-9 percent growth. Analyst Glenn Novarro at Banc of America cut the stock to "neutral" from "buy" and lowered his 2004 EPS estimate and longer-term EPS growth forecast. Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan also cut their ratings on the stock.
shares plummeted more than 10 percent after the Minneapolis plastic card technology firm posted third-quarter earnings of $2.5 million, or 19 cents per share, flat with its performance in the same period a year earlier, and in line with Wall Street's consensus view. However, for the fourth quarter, the company sees earnings of 12 to 16 cents per share, well below the current average estimate of five analysts polled by Thomson First Call for a profit of 20 cents per share. Fargo said its earnings in last year's fourth quarter benefited from substantial shipments related to major government projects. It doesn't expect similar shipments to occur in this year's period.
Nasdaq-listed shares of French drug delivery technology maker Flamel Technologies
dropped almost 10 percent after the company said a licensing agreement with GlaxoSmithkline
will be terminated from January 14, 2004. "GSK has informed us that they have decided to stop the augmentin sachet project for commercial reasons," said Flamel CEO Dr. Gerard Soula. "There has been no adverse performance of, or other issues with, our Micropump(R) technology and we continue to actively collaborate with GSK for the development of a once-a-day Coreg(R) formulation," Soula added in a press release.
J2 Global Communications'
shares dove nearly 24 percent after the provider of messaging and communications services reported third-quarter earnings of $7.2 million, or 28 cents a share, compared with $3.9 million, or 16 cents a share, in the same period last year. Sales soared as well, to $18.9 million from $12.5 million. J2 said it expects to report a fourth-quarter profit of 31 cents a share on sales of $20.3 million, and full-year earnings of $1.03 a share on sales of $71.4 million. Analysts are currently looking for fourth-quarter earnings of 34 cents a share, and full-year earnings of $1.05 per share. (An earlier version of this item incorrectly reported the full-year earnings estimate for J2 Global.)
fell more than 8 percent after the company said it expects full year earnings to come in at the low end of its target range. Trizetto, which offers software and consulting services to the health care industry, provided the outlook as it reported third quarter earnings a penny ahead of consensus. But revenues of $76 million were below the First Call consensus of $78.2 million as the company continued to refocus on its more profitable businesses. Trizetto said it expects EBITDA growth of 25-35 percent in 2004.
dropped more than 9 percent after the Mountain View, Calif., developer of verification automation technology reported third-quarter earnings of $2.3 million, or 11 cents per share, down from its year-ago profit of $3.9 million, or 18 cents per share, and in-line with Wall Street's consensus view. Revenue slid 14 percent in the latest three months to $12 million from $14 million in the same period a year earlier. Looking ahead, Verisity forecast earnings of 10 to 11 cents per share on revenue of between $12.1 million and $12.3 million for the fourth quarter. This is below the current average estimate of eight analysts polled by Thomson First Call for a profit of 13 cents per share in the December period.


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'Holiday Creep' settling into local stores
COLUMBIA - Stores across the country are selling Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations months before the holidays. This trend is known as the "holiday creep."
Sales vary by stores and locations, but some Columbia shoppers don't see a benefit to buying holiday supplies early.
Libby Knight said her family finds better discounts after the festivities are over.
"It's fun to look at the holiday stuff, but I'm just not there yet," she said.
Other shoppers said they couldn't imagine waiting any longer to see these fall supplies.
Jean Brow is a crafter, specializing in table decorations. She said it's essential to gather materials early.
"It does take a long time to make things," she said. "It gives me an opportunity to check out stores that sell these things and get something together."
Brow said she has to be prepared if she wants to find a bargain.
"You just have to check these stores periodically. Sometimes every other week, sometimes two, three times a week depending on how close you are getting to your deadline," she said.


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An expert in cargo theft advised warehouse operators and motor carriers to spare no expense when it comes to securing their assets because thieves are becoming ever more sophisticated in carrying out
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The fast food chain expects profits to recover by 2020.
Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) reported a 50.2% fall in its net income during its fiscal second quarter, citing "extraordinary" manufacturing expenses, losses from Smashburger and one-off expenses for Red Ribbon.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the fast food conglomerate saw net income attributable to equity holders fell to P1.12bn in Q2 from P2.25bn during the same period last year.
Jollibee, which also saw system-wide sales grow 10.2% in Q2, said profits will recover by 2020.
"On Smashburger, we introduced major changes that created short-term disruption in sales and profit but will drive sustainable sales growth and strengthen the brand health," JFC chief financial officer Ysmael Baysa said.
Red Ribbon sales in particular were hurt by a supply shortage, as the chain transferred its main production facility to a new commissary.
Baysa also noted that its recent acquisition of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is expected to add to profits within 12 to 18 months.
“We continue to aim to achieve the profit level in 2020 and in the years ahead that we set two years ago despite the profit challenges in 2019 which are short term and sustain our historical profit growth rate moving forward,” he added.
JFC said it opened 170 stores in the first six months of the year, 111 of which were in the Philippines.
Do you know more about this story? Contact us anonymously through this link.


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Warner Bros. kills Asian streaming haven DramaFever
Let me just get a Kleenex.
Zoey is CNET's Asia News Reporter based in Singapore. She prefers variety to monotony and owns an Android mobile device, a Windows PC and Apple's MacBook Pro all at the same time. Outside of the office, she can be found binging on Korean variety shows, if not chilling out with a book at a café recommended by a friend.
Warner Bros has axed its streaming service DramaFever with immediate effect, it announced on its website Tuesday. The service was best known for making Kdramas accessible to its subscribers, though Chinese and Japanese content were also available on the site.
The company confirmed the closure to CNET in an email: "Today, Warner Bros. Digital Networks will be closing its DramaFever OTT service due to business reasons and in light of the rapidly changing marketplace for K-drama content, a staple of the service's programming. Warner Bros. Digital Labs, which encompasses more than two-thirds of the DramaFever workforce, will continue operating, serving as the tech engine behind many of WBDN's operations," said a spokesperson.
In a note, DramaFever thanked its subscribers for "nine great years" and attributed the closure to "a variety of business reasons." It added that refunds will be issued and subscribers can expect an email with details in the coming days. It didn't soothe any heartbreaks on Twitter though:
DramaFever advised its subscribers that new episodes of currently airing dramas would be "postponed until a later date" before going silent on its social media platforms in the days before the announcement, Forbes reported. Everything on its YouTube channel, which has almost 4.3 million subscribers, has been removed.
The move comes as news that AT&T is planning a HBO-based streaming service bundling content from its other properties such as Turner and Warner Bros. surfaced last week. The company had only recently acquired Time Warner for $85 billion.
Meanwhile, if you want to get into Kdramas but don't know where to start, we have a few suggestions.
First published Oct.17, 4:07 a.m. PT. Update, 6:50 p.m. PT: Adds comment from Warner Bros.
Watch this: AT&T will come out with yet another streaming service


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Users have reported that the Oreo update has started rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
The rollout is a little slow because it was supposed to be released on the 28th, according to an earlier report from Fido.
The update brings Samsung Experience 9.0 to the Note 8 and with it a host of tweaks like a new keyboard, some more accessibility options and lots more. With the Note 8 getting updated it brings all of Samsung’s modern phones to the Android Oreo update, like the S8, S8+, the S8 Active, the S9, S9+.
The Oreo has arrived almost eight months after it was first released by Google, around 15 days after the Galaxy S8 family of phones received its update.
“Support for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy A5 and Tab S3 will be available in Spring/Summer 2018,” Samsung Canada said in a statement to MobileSyrup last month. “Support for the Galaxy Xcover4, Galaxy A8, Galaxy J3 Prime, Tab A8 and Tab A10.1 will be available later in 2018.”
Update: Apart from Bell, Virgin, SaskTel, Koodo, Telus and Eastlink, we have received reports from readers that the update is also available to those on Videotron, Freedom and Rogers – with it being approximately 1260MB in size.


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California Pizza Kitchen to be acquired by private equity firm for $470 million [Updated]
After more than a year of searching for a buyer, California Pizza Kitchen said Wednesday that it would be acquired by the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital for $470 million, or $18.50 a share.
But another investment group quickly stepped in to say it wanted to talk about the possibility of a leveraged buyout of CPK "at or above" $19.50 a share.
CPK shares jumped $1.76 to $18.47 by about 11:45 a.m.
The Los Angeles chain is one of several publicly traded restaurant companies to be taken private in recent months as the slow economy, high commodity prices and an onslaught of new competitors has battered older brands.
If the deal is approved by CPK’s shareholders, Golden Gate Capital will begin buying up California Pizza Kitchen shares next month. Golden Gate has also purchased stakes in On the Border Mexican Grill and Romano's Macaroni Grill. It owns a number of retail outlets, including Eddie Bauer, Express and J.Jill.
“We have great respect for the California Pizza Kitchen brand,” Josh Olshansky, a managing director with Golden Gate, said in a statement. “The business that the CPK team has built, with its great product offerings, makes it an ideal fit with our long-term oriented approach to investing.”
However, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, the Clinton Group investment firm said it believed "there may be other alternatives to maximize shareholder value," including the possibility of a $19.50-a-share or higher leveraged recapitalization of CPK. That would involve the company borrowing money to buy up its shares.
The Clinton Group said it represented investors who own 5.1% of CPK shares, or about 1.26 million shares.
California Pizza Kitchen was founded in Los Angeles in 1985 as part of a wave of upgrading and growth in the region’s restaurant business. It became famous for developing a line of gourmet pizzas that were unusual for those times, including such offerings as barbecued chicken pizza.
Positioned as a midpriced option and located in newly developing centers, including an early foray into downtown, the company thrived. Its founders, former lawyers Larry S. Flax and Richard L. Rosenfeld, sold the company to Pepsico in 1992, and for a time gave up control. But after a series of private equity owners and a public offering, they returned to the helm, reversing such decisions as a move to replace fresh vegetables in some recipes with frozen ones.
With 265 locations in the U.S. and abroad, CPK has suffered in recent months from slow restaurant sales. Profit dipped during the first quarter of this year, to $2.1 million from $2.5 million the year before.
The company has seen success, however from its line of frozen foods sold in grocery stores, and renewed emphasis on catering. The frozen food line was recently purchased by Nestle from Kraft, a shift in ownership that could lead to greater distribution.
Like many restaurant chains, CPK has been working to sell more franchises because franchises are less risky than company-owned stores. The chain currently owns 200 of its stores and franchises or licenses its name to the rest. In a franchise the owner must bear the risk when the price of food goes up, or when customers stay home.
The sale, if consummated, would mark the end of a long road for the company, which was put on the block by Rosenfeld and Flax in April of 2010. At the time they said they would seek to maximize shareholder value, but didn't commit specifically to selling the company. A merger with another restaurant firm also was seen as a possibility.
-- Sharon Bernstein
Photo credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times


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Saint-Gobain Glass is delivering online training to architects, façade fabricators and specifiers during the government lockdown with a range of free glass and façade focused webinars.
FIT Show organisers have announced the launch of a new campaign designed to bring its community together, in one place, during these unprecedented times.
FIT Show event director, Nickie West responds to Fensterbau 2022 announcement.
Online or in person this year’s Glass Focus Awards will be presented on 12 November 2020.
Steve Goble, Managing Director, HEGLA UK discusses the advantages of the new HEGLA TaiFin range of furnaces, now available on the UK market.
Superior styling and safety come together in new Trex Signature® railing from Trex Commercial Products
Effortless style and exceptional strength are the ‘signatures’ of the newest railing option from Trex Commercial Products.
Cwmtillery Glass has once again bolstered its production facilities with the installation of another HEGLA Optimax cutting table.
Higher Education Meets Higher Performance
The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) is set to make its FIT Show debut, having pledged its support to the UK’s number one glass and glazing event when it returns to the NEC next May (25 - 27, 2021.)
To ensure safety and enhance the viewing experience for fans, Trex Commercial Products custom engineered architectural railing systems, using Track Rail, Tensiline Cable Railing and Griprail, that are featured throughout the arena.
Today’s commercial designs are all about organic, open concepts, which means glass elements are in high demand.
Thermoseal Group Achieves the 6th Generation Investors In People Standard having achieved 27 criteria for leading, supporting and managing people.
The Glazing Summit Awards is the latest addition to this year’s eagerly anticipated Glazing Summit.
FIT Show event director, Nickie West responds to Fensterbau postponement...


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has announced that it has installed
charging stations that will charge the Tesla Roadster to full
capacity in 3.5 hours along highway 101 between San Francisco and Los
Angeles. One of the stations that has been installed is powered from
"This charging station corridor
demonstrates an important component of SolarCity's vision for a
carbon-free lifestyle. We're combining clean, renewable solar power
with all-electric transportation, allowing drivers to travel through
California with zero emissions," said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive.
Four chargers are arrayed along the stretch of highway and
are located in Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo.
By the middle of October a fifth power station will come online in
Goleta. The Santa Maria station gets
the juice it needs from a 30kW solar array.
All of the
charging stations produce 240V at 70 amps and only fit the Tesla
Roadster at this time. SolarCity plans to refit the charge stations
in the near future to work with all electric vehicles. The SolarCity
owned charge stations are all located at Rabobank locations with the
San Luis Obispo location being owned by the city and located in a
"We hope that this corridor of charging
stations provides new travel opportunities for electric vehicle
owners and gives further momentum to the renewable energy movement,"
said Marco Krapels, co-chair of Rabobank's Corporate Social
Tesla recently shipped
its 700th Roadster and is one of the best known names in electric


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Newegg, a California-based online retail store expands its Bitcoin (BTC) payment options to serve customers hailing from 73 more countries.
According to a press release on July 24, Newegg customers can now purchase products through Bitcoin (BTC) over 80 countries worldwide. While Newegg remains unavailable for customers residing in six countries: Algeria, Ecuador, Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco and Vietnam, the company noted on its website.
Backed by Chinese company Liaison Interactive, Newegg collaborates with Bitcoin payment processor BitPay back in 2014, becoming one of the first major online shopping stores to accept Bitcoin. Newegg initially rolled out BTC payment options for residents in the United States, later adding the feature for Canadian citizens.
After Newegg’s Canadian arm dropped Bitcoin payments in 2017 when BitPay halted settlements in Canadian dollars. BitPay reportedly provided low-cost and transparent transactions and enabled Newegg to increase its margin on each Bitcoin transaction via avoiding credit card fees typically assessed on credit card purchases.
Newegg was founded in 2001 and currently serves more than 80 countries in Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, with over 38 million registered customers.
Image source – Pixabay.com


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Like her or not, Kate Moss is a fashion world icon. The woman's career has spanned over two decades, and it's still going strong. One could even argue that it's stronger than ever -- Moss has just been touted as the ultimate model on her latest, soon-to-be-iconic magazine cover.
The 39-year-old graces the Autumn/Winter cover of Pop magazine, a biannual British fashion bible. Unlike her previous two covers for the glossy, however, Moss is featured encased in a bronze bodysuit dreamed up by artist Allen Jones in the new issue. She is the archetypal "mannequin," no?
The timing of this cover coincides with a Christie's auction that will be putting the aforementioned image up for sale along with a slew of other Moss-themed items. Photographs of the model taken by Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber, Mario Testino, Sam Taylor-Wood and Irving Penn will be going under the hammer as well as works like Nick Knight's 18-carat gold sculpture of Moss. The items are valued at $1.5 million.
Gert Elfering, the German collector behind the Christie's auction, considers Moss a "living icon," and told the Associated Press, "Kate is the ultimate modern muse and we will be seeing her images in major museums and private collections for years to come."
We can't say we disagree. If you have the budget, you can hit up the Kate Moss auction at Christie's on Sept. 25 -- or you can just check out Moss' stunning covers for Pop below. Do you consider her an "icon"?
She knows what she's doing:


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Equinix executives say they intend to build large facilities in various parts of the country at which content providers, services companies, and access carriers can co-locate their technology to alleviate the crazy routes Net transmissions can take. The typical Internet user fires off an email or an e-commerce order without a care, oblivious to the labyrinth of connections it must travel through to arrive at its destination.
Equinix also aspires to remove the aura of competition, providing a company-neutral setting for Internet players to install equipment such as an email server system, so that firms like America Online can operate their services more efficiently. Equinix plans to make money by leasing space, making connections between equipment, and offering support and consulting services.
The company has found believers, garnering the interest---and $12.4 million---of industry luminaries such as Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Benchmark Capital, as well as Stanford University, among others.
"They want to see the industry move forward, and for the industry to more forward there need to be neutral exchange points," said Hilary Mine, telecommunications analyst with Probe Research.
Analysts said Equinix's opportunity is essentially to serve as a next-generation "central office" for the Net, augmenting and eventually displacing exchange points run by the likes of Sprint and Ameritech. The company will essentially provide the real estate that will be necessary for a Net-based economy to grow.
"They're the first ones to understand the real estate opportunity here," Mine said.
Equinix hopes to find cross-section of customers among the content providers, services companies, and telecommunications carriers as these various elements of the Net increasingly converge.
Equinix executives say they plan to open their first "Internet business exchange" July 1 in Ashburn, Virginia, followed by similar roll outs in Newark, New Jersey, in September and in San Jose, California, in November, according to Al Avery, chief executive of the firm.
Avery said his company will augment its initial funding with debt financing to fund a road map that includes the opening of an "exchange" per month through the year 2000, bringing the domestic total to 15 facilities.
Avery said the company, which has 37 employees at the moment, plans to have 100 by the end of the year.


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Flatwater Transportation, a division of Ho-Chunk Inc. has acquired Riedemann Transport, Inc., a transportation company based in Paullina, Iowa, according to The Sioux City Journal in Sioux City, Iowa. Terms were not disclosed. With the continuity of staff and location, daily operations are expected to be seamless, Ho-Chunk said in a news release.
Riedemann, which has been in business for 20 years, specializes in refrigerated trucking to local and national customers throughout the U.S.
Flatwater Transportation, based in Winnebago, Neb., has terminals in Bellevue and will add the former Riedemann's terminals in Paullina.
Ho-Chunk's logistics division specializes in shipping solutions, including transportation, distribution and warehousing.
To read more, click here.


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News and Articles About Environment
Demand for sustainable solutions at global scale is an enormous entrepreneurial opportunity.
Should we just start planning now?
Rather than dumping waste plastic into our oceans, Recycling Technologies created a machine that turns it into oil usable as fuel.
A common caterpillar viewed as a pest or fishing bait turns out to be the fastest degrader of plastic we've ever witnessed.
Do your part by donating your old tech or getting rid of it in an environmentally safe way.
Landscape architects have developed open-source modeling software that uses the basics of role-playing games to help solve environmental problems.
Apple wants to end the practice of using mined raw materials like aluminum and gold in its products.
It's 'Cotton + Corn' initiative is creating sneakers that can turn into compost.
Inspiring Your Team
Every business struggles with talent acquisition, but Mitchell's secret to success isn't so secret.
From home repairs to more factories, here's a glimpse at Elon Musk's plans for the car company.
Edible insects have been hailed as the food of the future, but challenges remain before crickets can hop their way from sci-fi to food system savior.
With the U.S. election now over and the changing of the guard, the environment has become a contentious topic for our country.
A new Greenpeace report explains why Apple gets an 'A' for its clean energy efforts while Netflix gets an 'F.'
Ammunition that carries seeds, which grow plants and clean up after themselves.
Copyright © 2017 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2017 Entrepreneur Media, Inc.


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Thai Billionaire’s Retail Unit Eyes China, India Expansion
(Bloomberg) -- Thai billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont’s retail subsidiary CP All Pcl is considering an expansion of wholesale operations in China and India to tap the might of consumers in the world’s most-populous nations.
CP All’s Chief Financial Officer Kriengchai Boonpoapichart said the firm’s cash-and-carry unit Siam Makro Pcl is studying opportunities in the two countries, as well as the possibility of setting up a store in Myanmar, having already opened an outlet in Cambodia.
"Siam Makro is on a new journey of expanding in overseas markets,” Kriengchai said in an interview at his Bangkok office on Wednesday. “It will be a tough and challenging road, but it’s a good opportunity with large populations to tap, compared with Thailand’s mature market.”
Thailand’s billionaire business tycoons have stepped up acquisitions and investments abroad as an aging population and increased competition dim the long-term domestic growth outlook. Earlier this year, Siam Makro said it had set up LOTS Wholesale Solutions in India and planned to invest more than 10 billion rupees ($145 million) over five years.
Siam Makro intends to open its first store in India soon and a second outlet in Cambodia, according to Kriengchai. CP All acquired Siam Makro for about $6.1 billion in the country’s biggest ever takeover.
"It’s a risky and large investment for Siam Makro to expand into new foreign territory," said Sasikorn Charoensuwan, the head of research at Phillip Securities (Thailand) Pcl. "It will take some time to break even as economies of scale come when many more stores are opened."
Shares of CP All and Siam Makro have dropped less than 2 percent so far this year, while the benchmark SET Index has slid about 9 percent.
Dhanin, whose investments include telecommunication, agriculture and insurance businesses in Thailand, China and other countries, has net worth of $4.2 billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
CP All operates more than 10,000 7-Eleven stores in Thailand, the most outlets after Japan, according to 7-Eleven Inc.’s website.
The company plans to spend about 9 billion baht ($271 million) a year to open at least 700 new 7-Eleven stores, said Kriengchai. It will stock shelves with more health and beauty items as income growth is leading to greater demand for such products, he said.
Most of the new 7-Eleven stores will be standalone outlets offering more space for products such as medicines and food items including coffee, part of a strategy to encourage more spending, said Kriengchai.
The company is also promoting digital platforms, such as mobile phone applications, to satisfy changing consumer behavior, he said.
CP All is dominant in its retail sector and there remains room for the company to add more outlets, Sasikorn from Phillip Securities said.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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Auto insurance costs in the US continue to climb thanks to growing “external forces” that are outside the control of insurers, a new report by the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) has revealed.
NAMIC’s new report, “Cost Drivers: How Riskier Roads, Rising Repairs, and Reckless Driving are Increasing Insurance Costs,” analyzes the factors that are contributing to auto insurance rate increases. It looks into extensive federal, state, and industry data related to driving patterns, behaviors, and costs of modern vehicle ownership and insurance.
The insurance association noted that the operative word contributing to higher auto insurance is “more,” as it found the following:
More drivers on the road than ever before – Now estimated at 230 million drivers;
More distracted driving – Driver inattention accounted for nearly 1 million crashes in 2019;
More impaired driving – 10,000 lives were lost to alcohol-impaired driving in 2019;
More expensive cars, parts, and repair processes – The average cost of a new car in 2021 is $40,000;
More expensive medical care – From 2010 to 2017, bodily injury claim frequency increased every year, accompanied by increases in claim severity of nearly 30%;
More extreme weather – The percentage of dollars paid out in catastrophe-related auto claims is up more than 4% since 2011;
More theft and fraud – Auto thefts increased by 9.2% in 2020, after declining in the two years prior; and
More drivers skipping purchasing insurance – The percentage of drivers nationwide who are uninsured is 12.6%.
“There’s an important story to be told, and it starts with the fact that most costs involved in providing auto insurance are driven by external forces outside the control of auto insurers,” said NAMIC director of auto and underwriting policy Tony Cotto. “Among those cost factors are the number of autos on the road, auto and road design, driver behavior, and weather.”
NAMIC prescribed a number of solutions to address the rising costs of auto insurance. They include (but are not limited to):
Promoting consumer choice when it comes to choosing between original and non-original equipment manufacturer parts in the repair of their vehicles.
Removing restrictions on direct repair programs and encouraging the preferred repair shop model among insurers.
Protecting consumers access to information systems in their vehicles.
Encouraging “sound underwriting” – making insurers match risk to rate and provide the best coverage at the most accurate cost for consumers.
Removing restrictions on discounts and rebates through programs such as autopay, electronic signature/online payments, pay-in-full, and purchase in advance.


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Consumer Prices Rise on Oil; Street Ends Eight-Day Rally (YHOO, GS)
The S&P 500 wasn't able to hold on to its long winning streak on Tuesday and fell along with the Dow and Nasdaq. The markets retreated after a reduced stimulus was suggested by a Fed member. Coca-Cola (KO) posted disappointing earnings while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) beat expectations with their Q2 results. Yahoo (YHOO) was able to beat Street expectations as well but overall saw revenue fall. Today marks Marissa Mayer's one year anniversary as Yahoo's CEO.It was announced that in the month of June homebuilder confidence jumped and consumer prices increased on the continuous rise of gasoline prices.
Word on the Street
- Consumer prices rise in June and inflation shows sign of stability.
- Homebuilder confidence rises to highest in nearly 8 years, investors still wary of mortgage rates.
- Goldman Sachs (GS) posts strong results but investors remain wary.
- Coca-Cola (KO) disappoints after reporting a drop in Q2 earnings.
- After reporting a year-on-year rise, JPMorgan (JPM) surges 31%.
Published on Jul 16, 2013By InvestorGuide Staff


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Hot Seasonal Gadgets Touted at Line Shows
ABC News Technology Producer Andrea Smith unveiled a potent selection of electronics geared to the seasons of the year in a Seasonal Gadget Briefing at CEA Line Shows in New York on June 22.
Smith, who produces tech-oriented segments for ABC's TV and radio news broadcasts, broke the collection into five categories.
Under the category “Waterproof Fun,” Smith showcased the following waterproof or water-resistant products:
• Kodak PlaySport Video Camera ($149)—This waterproof portable video camera has a sun filter, editing software, easy uploading capability, and also takes 5-megapixel photos. store.kodak.com
• Sony DSC-TX5 Cyber Shot Camera ($350)—Besides having such advanced waterproof functionality that you can use its touchscreen underwater, this camera is also dust-proof, freeze-proof and drop-proof. www.sonystyle.com
The category “The Great Outdoors” featured these outdoorsy products for camping and road travel:
• Eton American Red Cross FR360 Solarlink Weather Radio ($50)—A versatile radio that can pick up weather signals and other hard-to-get broadcasts, and, in addition to working on solar power, can be powered by its hand crank. www.etoncorp.com
• CarMD 2100 Handheld Tester ($98), which you can plug into your car for instant updates on what may be wrong with your car, especially when “mystery alerts” start blinking. www.carmd.com


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Numerous online sources point to a special Apple launch event on Wednesday, September 12th as the unveiling of the iPad mini, new iPhone, and possibly a new iPod Nano. C|Net released an article in which an analyst said that the smaller display was slated for production beginning in August. They could be already in production, folks!
The smaller tablet, dubbed by some as an iPad Mini while referred to by others as an iPad Nano, would likely have a 7.85″ screen size. Rumors indicate that the iPad mini may sell for between $200-299! Great news for the budget conscious, but how will they keep the cost so low? One thought is that the mini will come with just 8GB of internal storage.
Its likely that all of the new devices will have the smaller dock connector or “micro dock” to make more room for bigger batteries and other components.


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Industrial supplies cataloguer HC Slingsby enjoyed a
A 14 per cent rise in first-half pretax profit, from £726,000
last year to £826,000. But according to TheBusinessDesk.com, turnover was only
“marginally ahead” from last year as its customers
are beginning to cutback in response to the economy.
Littlewoods Direct is following up its Island
advertising campaign of the past summer with one titled Rain
Dance, reports the Liverpool Daily Post.


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ASIA-PACIFIC - The hardest thing about managing social media across a global company like Lenovo is trying to stop eager beaver offices from rushing to establish Lenovo brand pages on every platform out there, according to Roderick Strother, director of the manufacturer's Digital and Social Centre of Excellence (DSCoE).
NEW YORK - In a move the broadcast industry has long anticipated, Nielsen and Twitter have launched the Nielsen Twitter TV Rating for the US market.
ASIA-PACIFIC – While 37 per cent of marketers in Hong Kong and 46 per cent in Australia are using mobile to drive sales, most are only focused on sales that are either online or offline, not both, according to Experian.
TOKYO - John Merrifield, former regional creative at large for TBWA Asia-Pacific, has joined Google as chief creative officer for Asia-Pacific, based in Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney.
GLOBAL - Google has launched a new format for mobile ads designed to address the issue of accidental clicks by "fat fingers".
GLOBAL - Research agency Millward Brown's annual digital and media predictions by its global futures group highlights trends such as the mobile as remote, omnichannel marketing and social TV.
Christmas is a time of family, friends, well-wishing, mad shopping and for agencies to show off their digital chops. Here are three that have caught our attention.
Two days ago, Instagram “divorced” itself from Twitter by no longer allowing its images to be viewed within Tweets. Users now have to click through to Instagram’s site in order to view the images. Twitter responded by adding Instagram-like photo filters to its mobile app.
GLOBAL – Branding and design technology agency Frog compiled a list of tech trends sourced from its employees around the world that it believes will impact the way we do business in 2013. Here, Campaign Asia-Pacific highlights the trends that will most impact marketing.
NEW ZEALAND - From weather broadcasts in Elvish to Middle-Earth stamps on passports, Whybin TBWA and Digital Arts Network have been busily turning the nation into Middle Earth for Tourism New Zealand.
KUALA LUMPUR - OMG has launched its branded content and sponsorship agency, Fuse, in Malaysia.
Gamification is starting to move from leading edge to the mass market, but to be effective it has to grow beyond the current spate of gamified apps, of which 80 per cent will fail by 2014, according to a recent report by Gartner.
AUSTRALIA - Aegis Media has launched a social-media unit, The Social Hatch, with the aim of creating a central hub around the discipline across Australia and New Zealand.
ASIA-PACIFIC – Travellers in the region are heavily reliant on social-media platforms when it comes to forming their leisure travel decisions—even moreso than respondents from North America or EMEA—according to a recent study by Text100 and Redshift Research.
GLOBAL – Bite Communications has merged with digital marketing agency Bourne to form a marketing services company that will be known simply as Bite.
GLOBAL - Starting next year, PHD planners will start work by logging into Source, a global operating system constructed using game mechanics designed to foster high-levels of collaboration.
ASIA-PACIFIC - While marketers in Asia-Pacific are optimistic and keen on digital marketing, most organisations lack the talent and right organisational alignment to act on these ambitions, according to a study by Adobe in partnership with the CMO Council.
MELBOURNE - The impossibly catchy "Dumbest Ways to Die" music video by McCann on behalf of Metro Melbourne has generated 15.3 million views, numerous covers and even a spoof website (not) offering cash for kidneys.
GLOBAL – Facebook’s changes to its EdgeRank algorithm have indeed resulted in 38 per cent lower reach, but a recent study by GroupM finds that the engagement rate for individual posts has increased by 96 per cent.


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Are you always running out of toilet paper? Well, Charmin has got your back…literally.
The company who is no stranger to toilet paper, just unveiled a new massive roll. They’ve dubbed the new roll the “forever roll” and it is said to last an entire month.
The question we can’t help but wonder is: will it really last a month?
[source: FOX 13]


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Thieves wearing white hazardous materials suits and masks often used by painters have robbed a Houston-area jewelry store.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday announced the search continues for five suspects.
Nobody was hurt in the holdup Monday night at a Jared the Galleria of Jewelry store in The Woodlands. Investigators believe at least one of the suspects had a gun.
Officials say the suspects arrived by car, entered the front of the business and broke several glass display cases – stealing an undetermined amount of jewelry.
The sheriff’s office says the suspects ran out the back door and fled in a white SUV parked at a nearby gas station.
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DQIX: 3.2 Million Served
Title reaches triple platinum in third week of release.
Pertinent news for those making wagers on Dragon Quest IX sales. The Square Enix blockbuster, having reached the 2.9 million mark in sales last week, was, barring an unexpected drop in interest, scheduled to cross 3 million this week. It did just that, according to Famitsu.com.
Citing stats from Enterbrain, the site reported today total sales of 3,217,502 units for the game. This figure covers from July 11, the game's release, to July 26, the close of Enterbrain's latest tracking period.
This is the fastest sales pace ever for a DS game. The site didn't provide similar third week sales stats for DQVIII, although DQIX was tracking better than its predecessor as of last week.
DQIX was number one two weeks running in weekly sales charts from Media Create. With an additional 300,000 or so, it will likely remain number one this week as well.


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500,000 Orange customers in France and the UK are now equipped with NFC phones, the mobile network operator has told NFC World.
- New iPhones and Apple Watch to support NFC-F for FeliCa payments around the world
- Swarovski lets shoppers make payments in VR
- Cambridge academics report on cryptocurrency market status
- Central Bank of Uruguay to run mobile currency pilot
- Mastercard applies for blockchain B2B payments patent


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Supporters rally for striking Walmart warehouse workers
By Cindy Wojdyla Cain firstname.lastname@example.org October 1, 2012 3:09PM
Hundreds of supporters of striking Walmart warehouse workers march Monday at the facility in Elwood. | Cindy Wojdyla Cain ~ Sun-Times Media
Updated: October 1, 2012 4:38PM
ELWOOD — Several hundred supporters of striking workers gathered Monday afternoon in a parking lot across from the Walmart warehouse on Centerpoint Drive.
The group planned later to march across the street and block the entrance. Several supporters told The Herald-News they would be willing to be arrested in a act of civil disobedience.
Supporters rallied to highlight what they say are poor working conditions inside the Walmart warehouse.
Walmart officials deny the accusations and they say it is Warehouse Workers for Justice that is treating warehouse workers poorly.
“This isn’t really about Walmart at all,” said company spokesman Dan Fogleman. “... The union is focused on fulfilling its own agenda.”
WWJ came to Will County about three years ago to improve conditions for warehouse workers who complained they were shorted pay, worked as temps for years with no hope of being hired full time and they were quickly terminated if they got injured.