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Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) stock suddenly has become very interesting. For several years, the INTC stock price had gained rather modestly, missing out on the huge rally in chip stocks and large-cap tech more broadly. Intel news was mixed, but hardly impressive: Both revenue and earnings actually declined year-over-year in 2015, before modest gains last year.
That’s changed of late. Intel stock moved from $35 to $47 in just two months. But after the INTC stock price touched a 17-year high following what InvestorPlace contributor Dana Blankenhorn correctly called a blowout Q3 earnings report, the rally has stalled. INTC has pulled back over 7% from highs earlier this month.
From here, the recent decline looks like a pause in the rally, not an end. Weakness in the chip sector — including big drops on Wednesday in AMD, NVDA, and Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) — has had an impact. There may have been some profit-taking after the big gains. It’s even possible that some income investors have moved on, with the INTC dividend yield dropping from over 3% to about 2.5%.
But the INTC stock price remains cheap, and growth drivers remain intact. I wrote earlier this month that Intel has a story that sounds a lot like that of fellow PC giant Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and that’s still the case. A short-term pullback doesn’t change that case.
Does Intel News Justify A Pullback?
There have been some jitters in the chip space of late, with even high-flyers like NVDA and MU pulling back double-digits just in the past few sessions. And there have been a couple of concerning developments that might resurrect the growth concerns that have dampened enthusiasm toward Intel stock.
Notably, rejuvenated competition remains the biggest risk to Intel going forward. On that front, Forbes reported last week that AMD and Intel had a massive price war on Black Friday. Intel posted a nice Q3, as noted — but Nvidia posted torrid growth in its third quarter, including 175% revenue growth in its datacenter business.
Intel’s Xeon chips are supposed to maintain the company’s dominance in data center, and fend off Nvidia in artificial intelligence (AI). It’s battling AMD’s new and improved Ryzen line in CPUs as well. Meanwhile, Samsung has taken the top market share spot worldwide for the first time in 24 years, according to a recent report. And the possible tie-up of Broadcom Ltd (NASDAQ:AVGO) and Qualcomm, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) could create another giant with which to compete.
Add those competitive concerns to what looks like some newly negative sentiment toward semiconductors as a whole, and it’s perhaps not surprising that INTC stock has struggled this month.
INTC Stock Price Still Looks Cheap
Still, I’m far from ready to toss out the bull case for Intel stock. There are risks to the company’s legacy businesses., But there are growth opportunities too.
The most obvious is Intel’s increasing importance to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The royalty battle between Apple and Qualcomm has created an opportunity for Intel’s modem business — and Intel looks set to take advantage. An entry into the iPhone would be a major driver for Intel and easily could offset any share losses in CPUs or data center.
Intel also is mitigating some of its competitive pressure by creating partnerships. A new deal with AMD should help in the PC space. The company just finished an expansion of a memory fab run in conjunction with Micron.
More broadly, Intel still has opportunities for growth. It’s an underappreciated leader in AI. The Mobileye acquisition will improve its offering in the key automotive space. And yet very little growth is priced into the INTC stock price.
This is a stock still trading at under 14x forward earnings. That’s not terribly different from where it traded a few years ago, when Intel stock looked much more challenged. It’s a multiple that suggests something close to zero growth, which still looks far too conservative.
Intel isn’t going to grow like Nvidia, to be sure — or even like AMD in the near term. But it’s not priced like either one of those stocks, or close. This is a tech giant with growth potential trading at a very attractive multiple. Soon enough, the market again will understand the value of that combination.
As of this writing, Vince Martin has no positions in any securities mentioned.


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BMW Mexico is committed on spending $1bn on a plant in Mexico, while other firms are investing in the US or moving production back. This is amid all the uncertaintly Donald Trump is causing, with his border taxes. On Sunday Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced a $1bn (£816m) plan to produce three Jeep models in the US.
President-Elect Donald Trump has criticised General Motors for buildings cars for the US market in Mexico. He told GM to make the cars in the US “or pay big border tax!”.
On Sunday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said it will invest $1bn to modernise two plants in Ohio and Michigan and produce three Jeep models on US soil, creating a projected 2,000 jobs.Leave a comment

domain: news


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News UK has launched an accelerator to nurture start-ups
In conjunction with Unruly and Fluxx, the newspaper publisher will support six new businesses that can benefit from its journalism and media expertise
Marking a first for News UK, the newspaper publisher has announced its entry into the start-up market with an accelerator programme targeted at helping start-ups develop revenue streams – and theirs.
Based at video advertising firm Unruly's London headquarters, the Startup Lab will take on six early-stage businesses and will support them over a month-long period – October 9 to November 3 – to generate “new ways of thinking”.
Specifically, the publisher, which owns brands such as The Sun, The Sunday Times and The Times, is looking for start-ups that will create value, and benefit, from its industry knowledge and have a product or service that can be “super-charged by its journalism, analytics and reach”.
Alongside the four-weeks spent at Unruly developing their proposition, successful applicants will also receive up to £5,000 in cash, mentoring from successful entrepreneurs, royalty-free use of News UK's written and image content and data sets, and research and product testing opportunities with the newspaper's reported 12 million audience.
Additionally, the publisher has hinted that there will be the opportunity for start-ups to receive Series A funding, or to receive an offer from News UK to acquire the start-up outright.
News UK CTO, Christina Scott, said of the programme:
“Our aim is to champion entrepreneurship and innovation. We see this as an opportunity to do something different in the corporate accelerator space that's fair for start-ups and creates value for both parties.”
Sarah Wood, CEO and co-founder of Unruly – which was acquired by News UK in a £114m deal back in 2015 – added:
“We're delighted to be hosting the Startup Lab. With Unruly, I've seen the benefits of partnering with News UK, and I'm looking forward to helping the next generation do the same.”
To submit an application for the Startup Lab, click here. Entries close on Thursday 14 September 2017 and shortlisted entrants will be invited to a pitch day on October 2.


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A Food App Has Made Its First Delivery in Space
This weekend, Uber Eats expanded their delivery radius by making their first-ever food delivery in — wait for it — space. “When you’re living on-board the International Space Station [ISS], you can’t just whip out the [app] and get your favorite pizza delivered into orbit. Or can you?” an article on CNet remarked.
Instead of sending one of their usual delivery personnel, the company sent Yusaku Maezawa, a Japanese billionaire, to deliver ready-to-eat canned Japanese foods like “boiled mackerel in miso, beef bowl cooked in sweet sauce, simmered chicken with bamboo shoots, and braised pork” in a brown paper bag on December 11.
While food delivery in space may sound astounding, it also fits with the norms of the “era of space tourism” we appear to be on the brink of. This is precisely why, at this point, billionaires going to space for fun and adventure is hardly news. Maezawa is just the latest entrant to the club Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos, are already members of. Perhaps, they bond over their love for using space to give themselves an “ego boost” while disregarding its environmental consequences.
Turns out, corporates, which are already not too well-known for caring about the environment, are looking to space as the newest marketing frontier. However, this isn’t a new development. Pepsi had, reportedly, spent $5 million to have an oversized replica of their soft drink can hover outside the Russian Space Station — as early as 1986. Just last year, the international cosmetics brand, Estée Lauder was in talks with NASA to conduct a photo shoot for their skin-repair serum onboard the ISS — so they could use the Earth as the backdrop.
In fact, you’d probably be surprised to learn that Uber Eats wasn’t the first to deliver food in space. Pizza Hut already did it in 2001.
Related on The Swaddle:
What Is the Environmental Cost of Space Tourism?
Evidently, advertisers have taken the advice of “thinking out of the world” a little too literally. “[M]any creative thinkers and advertising leaders agree that ‘Space Marketing’ can captivate pop culture and spawn a new philosophy for product placement,” an article on Forbes stated. So, perhaps, that’s a dystopian reality we might soon find ourselves in.
However, as the Forbes article also notes, “Industries must assess cost-benefit analysis, physical distribution, and sustainability of products and promotional props when analyzing opportunities that surpass the planet and eclipse conventional communication.”
The environmental repercussions of billionaires’ “ego trips” are grievously high — the rockets require a huge amount of propellants to help them overcome gravity and make their way out of the Earth’s atmosphere. “For one long-haul plane flight, it’s one to three tons of carbon dioxide,” Eloise Marais, an associate professor of physical geography at University College London, had told The Guardian, comparing it with the amount of carbon dioxide required for one rocket launch — which is 200-300 tonnes.
But since the alarming figures are unlikely to dissuade the “rich boys [with] their space toys,” scientists are now working on alternative ways to launch rockets into space — by catapulting them out of the Earth’s atmosphere like a “slingshot,” for instance.
In the meantime, I’m wondering why the food delivery app I rely on is telling me my delivery address is outside their delivery radius. Perhaps, I need to pack my bags and move to the ISS if I want food from my favorite restaurant.
Leave a Comment


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Navman Wireless is urging the Government to incentivise businesses to invest in eco-friendly driving.
It suggests the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles is not the answer to help UK businesses meet fuel economy and carbon reduction targets.
Instead, the Government should back the use of technology and training to enable eco-friendly driving as a solution to manage fuel costs and lower CO2 emissions across vehicle fleets, because it is “practical, widely available and affordable.”
Steve Blackburn, European vice president, Navman Wireless, said: “Businesses are under increased pressure to green their fleets, but current plug-in hybrid electric commercial vehicles are not advanced enough to help the industry right now.
“The low uptake of the plug-in vehicle scheme in the commercial sector proves that it is not an effective incentive. Concerns over range anxiety, the limited choice of electric commercial vehicles and the cost have all been sighted as reasons why electric commercial vehicles, right now, are not viable alternatives for most businesses.
“Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will play a huge part in reducing CO2 emissions but won’t be advanced enough to play a key role for a few years yet.
“What businesses need now is practical and realistic help. Improving driver behaviour, through the use of in-vehicle telematics and driver training is a practical alternative and is widely available and affordable.”
Navman Wireless believes that businesses that can prove they have reduced their carbon footprint through eco-friendly driving should be rewarded.
Blackburn said: “Financial incentives, such as reduced road tax, for businesses utilising technology and training to improve driver behaviour and prove CO2 emission reductions will likely see more focus from the fleet community.”
Navman Wireless’s approach is supported by the Environment Council and the two organisations are currently developing a project to promote the impact of driver behaviour on business and the environment.
Nigel Homer, CEO of the Environment Council, said “Understanding how to drive efficiently not only saves money and cuts carbon emissions, it is also one way in which drivers can learn about environmental issues generally and adopt new behaviours in other areas of their lives.”


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Reliance Retail plans 'fast fashion' stores to take fight to Zara
According to a retail consultant, Reliance has finalised Airia mall in Gurugram and High Street Phoenix in Mumbai and is looking for similar size stores in Delhi. Fast fashion is the fastest growing segment in apparel and lifestyle retail globally, and H&M and Zara have been runaway successes in India in the category.
Nykaa E-Retail leases over 55,000 sq ft office space in Mumbai's Lower Parel
The company, listed on stock exchanges as FSN E-Commerce Ventures, will be paying rentals of Rs 69 lakh per month, taking its total payout to Rs 41.40 crore excluding the rental escalation. The agreement includes a clause to escalate lease rentals by 15% after the first 36 months.
Apollo Global eyes legal route against Future Group
Bindu Darshan Shah, the proprietor of the firm, wrote in his report that “the said Shares were acquired by the Trustee against invocation of pledge made by the Promoter/Promoter Group of the Company. The management of the company believes that the Trustee does not have any voting rights on invoked shares since no beneficiary rights are being transferred except for sale of the invoked shares.”
Local retailers hit as malls reserve space for global brands
Canadian coffee brand Tim Hortons entered India recently and plans to open more stores. Reliance Brands has signed up global fresh food and organic coffee chain Pret A Manger, global luxury brand Balenciaga and Valentino recently and will open stores. Companies like Armani, Puma and Uniqlo are looking at space for more stores but not getting the right size.
Future Lifestyle faces 3 insolvency petitions, NCLT reserves order in one
Three creditors - two financial and one operational - have filed claims totalling around Rs 1,100 crore before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), said an update on other matters under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code by FLFL.
More Retail plans to go the IPO way for growthThe IPO will allow Samara Capital an opportunity to dilute its 51% stake in the holding company of More Retail, Witzig Advisory Services. Samara Capital owns the stake through Samara Alternate Investment Fund. The balance 49% in Witzig is owned by Amazon through two entities - Coda Holdings Singapore and Coda Holdings LLC.
Amazon's plea challenging NCLAT order: SC notice to CCI, Future GroupThe Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea by Amazon challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order which upheld the decision to keep share subscription agreement (SSA) between Amazon and Future Coupons Pvt Ltd (FCPL) in abeyance. The top court also issued notice to CAIT, which opposed Amazon's deal with the Future group and asked parties to file short notes within a week.
Reliance Retail accounts for 63% of FCL's salesReliance Retail contributed ₹611.75 crore, said the report, adding that the failure of the ₹24,713 crore deal with Reliance Group in April this year had a significant impact on its business.
Tatas infuse ₹500 crore into Croma owner to expand opsA couple of months back, Tata Group's other ecommerce platform, Tata Cliq, exited the electronics category and has sold the inventory to Infiniti Retail for about ₹113 crore.
Reliance Retail appointing super-stockists to distribute its private label products in FMCG categories: ReportReliance Retail already has a wide range of private labels across several entry-level food and non-food FMCG categories and will likely acquire more brands. "We believe own FMCG sales can add a margin layer to the overall Jiomart business", the report said.
Reliance Retail signs Jasprit Bumrah as brand ambassador for its activewear apparel brandIn a press release, Akhilesh Prasad, CEO, Reliance Retail – fashion and lifestyle, said Jasprit has been a consistent performer leading India’s pace charge over the years and we aspire to build Performax as the first Indian sports brand of international repute. “This association is among the first in a series of initiatives we plan to undertake towards establishing Performax as the preferred activewear brand for our customers,” he said.
FMCG market grows 6% in value in August over JulyConsumer inflation hit an all-time high in April in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war as companies increased product price tags by 15-20% over the past year. Over the past two months, however, there has been a 25-50% price correction in two crucial commodities - crude and palm oil - used by the FMCG industry.
ControlZ to foray into offline retail, eyes Rs 100-crore revenue in FY 2023-24"This year our target revenue is 30 crores. We are expecting Rs. 100-crore in next fiscal year," Yug Bhatia, founder and chief operating officer, ControlZ said, adding that the company doesn't have any direct rival, and are coming up with attracting financing options and offline retail strategy.
Amazon India's growth has come at a high cost while profitability remains elusiveIndia is often the dream prized market of many global internet companies, yet also one of the most challenging to unlock -- just ask the Chinese apps.
B2B retail commerce platform Soptle raises funds led by Soonicorn LLP and a clutch of logistics leadersLaunched in May 2022, by 20-year old engineering school dropout Pravas Chandragiri, Soptle is a micro SaaS-led B2B retail commerce platform that helps consumer goods companies distribute products by using its network of over 15,000 retailers across the country.
Bank of India initiates bankruptcy process against Future's fashion unitPart of debt-ridden Future Group, the fashion retailer, which operates clothing stores under "Central" and "Brand Factory" brands, said is was already in discussions with creditors over its debt restructuring proposal and has identified assets for sale to raise money.
RIL makes Rs 5.6k-crore initial offer for Metro Cash & Carry India; CP Group bids Rs 8k croreOne of the persons aware of the development said German parent Metro AG is concerned about the regulatory environment in India and the ‘swadeshi versus videshi’ debate. Lobby groups representing Indian retail companies have upped the ante against overseas retailers, alleging violation of FDI norms, which the foreign companies have always denied.
Future Enterprises faces second plea to initiate insolvency"The Company has received e-filing confirmation from NCLT with respect to the filing of an application by an Operational Creditor Retail Detailz India Private under section 9 of the IBC for an alleged default amount of Rs 4.02 cr," Future Enterprises said in a filing.
Reliance Retail FY22 net profit rises 7.6% to ₹4,935 croreThe company is the country's largest retailer. Its net profit was nearly three times the combined profit of the nearest five listed retailers: Avenue Supermarts which owns the DMart chain, Tata-owned Trent, Shoppers Stop, Spencer's Retail and V-Mart Retail. Revenue was more than four times the combined revenue of the rivals.
Future Retail creditors file claims worth Rs 21,324 cr before IRPOperational creditors of the Future group firm have filed claims worth Rs 265.16 crore, according to the documents uploaded on the official website of Future Retail Ltd (FRL). Besides, 462 workmen have also filed claims of Rs 9.83 crore. As per the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, the IRP collates the claims and a Committee of Creditors is constituted with voting shares of the lenders in the proportion of their loan exposure.
Future Retail IRP admits Rs 17,511 crore financial creditors claimThe IRP, Vijay Kumar Iyer backed by Deloitte India, received Rs 21,058 crore claims from financial creditors; however, all claims were not admitted as some are still under verification. The highest admitted claim among financial creditors is from offshore bondholders of Rs 4109 crore, constituting 23.4% of voting rights.
Radhakishan Damani eyes fivefold growth in a market Mukesh Ambani wants to dominateAvenue Supermarts Ltd., which currently runs the fourth-largest number of convenience stores in India, could scale up the chain known for its knockdown prices on everything from lentils to laundry powder to 1,500 supermarkets from 284, Chief Executive Officer Neville Noronha said in an interview. He declined to give a timeline or estimate the investment needed.
Top retailers saved Rs 1,500 cr in rent in Covid winterCostly real estate in India makes it important for retailers to generate high price realisation per square foot of space to maintain profitability. Shutdowns and then restricted operations of malls and high streets during the pandemic had severely affected retailers, who then sought discounts on rent to lessen the impact of business loss.
Independence Day offers boost retail sales over the weekendWhile many retailers leveraged India's 75 years of Independence event with discounts, promotions, cashbacks and extended end-of-season sales, executives in the hospitality sector said like-to-like sales crossed 2019 levels despite minimal or no discounts.
Ingka Group to invest 900 million euros in India to open city centres at Gurugram and NoidaAccording to a top company official, Ingka Group (which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments) on Tuesday started construction work of its first 'Ingka Centre' with an investment of 400 milion euros. While the Gurugram centre is slated to open in late 2025, it has yet to finalise a timeline for the opening of the Noida site as it is in the process of getting approvals.
Own labels turn hot sellers for apparel, grocery retailersMost retailers, especially in the food and grocery segment, introduce their own cut-price versions or private labels of mass-produced products to earn higher margins but also offer consumers lower priced options. Unlike fast moving consumer goods, which have seen sales decline, lifestyle retailers have posted double-digit growth despite price hikes.
Luxury retail companies on a hiring spree to help drive expansion: ReportAditya Birla Fashion & Retail's luxury retail vertical The Collective, which houses brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren and Ted Baker, will see expansion this year with the opening of four-five additional stores across the country, according to Amit Pande, business head of The Collective and international brands, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail.Load More
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No argument on holding rates
BANK of England members who opposed lower borrowing costs in August declined to press the case for reversing the move this month, it emerged today.
Minutes from the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) a fortnight ago showed that the nine members were unanimous in the view that interest rates should be pegged at 4.5%.
The outcome was widely expected in the City, which believed the MPC will want firm evidence that the economy is responding to lower borrowing costs before acting again on rates.
In August four MPC members, including Bank governor Mervyn King, believed their colleagues were being too hasty in wanting the first rate cut in two years, and voted against the move.
Today's report showed the MPC considered the impact of Hurricane Katrina on growth in the United States before freezing rates.
'While there remained uncertainty about the likely effects of Hurricane Katrina on US GDP growth, past experience suggested that those effects might be relatively small and short-lived,' the MPC said.
However, there was concern at oil prices hitting a new record above $70 a barrel in the wake of the hurricane as they could shake world demand at the same time as possibly driving export prices higher.
The MPC noted that economic growth in the UK remained sluggish for the fourth quarter in a row, and recent growth in consumer demand had been weaker than expected.
Survey evidence and economic data over the summer had suggested that there was unlikely to be a pickup in the UK economy between July and September.
The report also showed that the MPC was broadly in agreement on the threats to the Bank's inflation targets.
If consumption and business investment remains weak in the UK and the pound stays strong, then the MPC said inflation could be lower in future than they had envisaged in their August inflation report.
But this view was countered by the fact that the stock market has continued to rise and there remained a risk that oil prices would spike even higher, the report said.
'Inflation expectations appeared to be well anchored, though there was no room for complacency,' the MPC said.
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- 2020 Mahindra Bolero will get revised exteriors.
- 2020 Mahindra Bolero will be powered by a BS-VI diesel engine.
- 2020 Mahindra Bolero could be showcased at the Auto Expo in February.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is readying the 2020 Bolero Facelift, which is expected to launch in the first half of next year in the country. It has been further learnt that not only the updated SUV will have redesigned exteriors and new interior features but also a BS-VI compliant diesel engine to meet the new emission norms. Mahindra Bolero has been the biggest volume churner for the homegrown automaker, especially in rural and semi-urban markets.
The 2020 Mahindra Bolero facelift is expected to take designing cues from the TUV300. Recently, it was spotted for the first time during the test runs with entirely camouflaged on the Indian roads. Although, the spy pictures were clicked on a rainy day and don't give much of an idea about the changes a few are quite clearly visible. The front fascia flaunts a vertical grille which is slightly tilted while the round headlamps have also been restyled. Though, the silhouette remains boxy with a similar windshield and wing mirrors. The fog lights, front bumper and air inlet at the centre have been retained from the existing model.
Read More: Mahindra XUV300, TUV300, Scorpio and Marazzo Available at Exciting Discounts Up to Rs 81,500
2020 Mahindra Scorpio Reveals a Revamped Rear End Design
Inside the cabin, Mahindra is expected to offer an array of new and advanced features. The safety features will also be upgraded with dual front airbags and ABS being standard across the entire range. Mechanically, the SUV will use the BS-VI version of the 1.5L diesel motor with a power output of 70bhp and peak torque of 195Nm, linked to a 5-speed manual transmission.


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|By PR Newswire||
|March 20, 2014 05:32 PM EDT||
PORTLAND, Ore., March 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel Oregon's CEO, Todd Davidson, today joined travel industry leaders from across the country at the White House as they gathered to discuss the priorities of the travel and tourism industry in the United States. Davidson was invited to advise senior White House and Administration officials on how the ease of international travel will have a positive impact on businesses, states and regions. Other participants in the discussion included Dr. Mark Doms, Under Secretary of Economic Affairs, U.S Department of Commerce; Ken Hyatt, Acting Under Secretary, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce; Chris Thompson, President and CEO of Brand USA; Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Bruce Andrews, Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Commerce; Jonathan Jarvis, Director, National Park Service; Sam Brown, Director White House Business Council and other influential tourism executives and federal administrators.
"International travel is incredibly important to Oregon's economy, as well as the nation's economy," said Davidson. "With Oregon's world-class culinary scene, abundant outdoor experiences and tax-free shopping, we're attracting more and more international travelers every year. We know that international visitors tend to stay longer and spend more money, making them a key market contributing to the overall economic impact tourism has on the state. In 2013, tourism injected $9.6 billion to the Oregon economy and directly employed nearly 94,000 Oregonians. To build on this success, we are urging policymakers to support critical proposals to boost travel, such as the JOLT Act, which would increase international spending in the United States and Oregon and create more jobs."
Administration officials gave an update on the economy and discussed how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other Agencies work to facilitate and support America's travel and tourism industry while protecting our borders. Additionally, the briefing included a discussion on ways to improve travelers' experiences by upgrading our airports and other points of entry. Industry leaders also led panels on infrastructure development and travel promotion.
International tourism is a vital component of the nation's economy. According to the Commerce Department, inbound international travel to the U.S. is one of the fastest growing exports in the country. In 2013, travel exports increased by 9.1 percent to a record $180.7 billion dollars. By contrast, other U.S. exports edged up just 2.3 percent in 2013, much slower than in 2012. As a result of growing so much faster than other exports, the travel industry generated 25 percent of the overall increase in U.S. exports in 2013. This from an industry that makes up 8.6 percent of total U.S. exports overall.
Travel Oregon's most recent VisaVue® Travel report shows that international spending in Oregon increased 6.2% in 2013, with China and Brazil continuing to show double-digit growth. Oregon's current top international markets according to visitation numbers are (in order): Canada, Japan, the U.K., China, Germany, Australia, Scandinavia, South Korea, Mexico, France, Brazil, India, Benelux and Italy.
The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors' experience by providing information, resources and trip planning tools that inspire travel and consistently convey the exceptional quality of Oregon. The commission aims to improve Oregonians' quality of life by strengthening economic impacts of the state's $9.6 billion tourism industry that employs nearly 94,000 Oregonians. www.TravelOregon.com
 Travel Oregon estimates are based on and extrapolated from aggregate card usage data provided by VisaVue® Travel. They incorporate data from other independent research sources. Spending amounts and patterns are based on face-to-face Visa card transactions in Oregon. Transactions utilizing cash, pre-paid, phone, internet, and other credit/debit cards are not included. Conversion factors are used to extrapolate arrivals, but spending per visitor is in its raw form (only Visa card purchases). Amounts on this sheet are rounded, with associated rounding errors. All calculations are done on un-rounded data.
SOURCE Travel Oregon
All organizations that did not originate this moment have a pre-existing culture as well as legacy technology and processes that can be more or less amenable to DevOps implementation. That organizational culture is influenced by the personalities and management styles of Executive Management, the wider culture in which the organization is situated, and the personalities of key team members at all levels of the organization. This culture and entrenched interests usually throw a wrench in the work...
Apr. 28, 2017 05:45 PM EDT Reads: 844
Cloud promises the agility required by today’s digital businesses. As organizations adopt cloud based infrastructures and services, their IT resources become increasingly dynamic and hybrid in nature. Managing these require modern IT operations and tools. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Raj Sundaram, Senior Principal Product Manager at CA Technologies, will discuss how to modernize your IT operations in order to proactively manage your hybrid cloud and IT environments. He will be sharing be...
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As DevOps methodologies expand their reach across the enterprise, organizations face the daunting challenge of adapting related cloud strategies to ensure optimal alignment, from managing complexity to ensuring proper governance. How can culture, automation, legacy apps and even budget be reexamined to enable this ongoing shift within the modern software factory?
Apr. 28, 2017 05:00 PM EDT Reads: 262
Building a cross-cloud operational model can be a daunting task. Per-cloud silos are not the answer, but neither is a fully generic abstraction plane that strips out capabilities unique to a particular provider. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Wolf, VP & Chief Technology Officer, Global Field & Industry at VMware, will discuss how successful organizations approach cloud operations and management, with insights into where operations should be centralized and when it’s best to decentraliz...
Apr. 28, 2017 04:30 PM EDT Reads: 869
SYS-CON Events announced today that T-Mobile will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc., is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on ...
Apr. 28, 2017 04:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,368
@GonzalezCarmen has been ranked the Number One Influencer and @ThingsExpo has been named the Number One Brand in the “M2M 2016: Top 100 Influencers and Brands” by Analytic. Onalytica analyzed tweets over the last 6 months mentioning the keywords M2M OR “Machine to Machine.” They then identified the top 100 most influential brands and individuals leading the discussion on Twitter.
Apr. 28, 2017 04:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,387
In recent years, containers have taken the world by storm. Companies of all sizes and industries have realized the massive benefits of containers, such as unprecedented mobility, higher hardware utilization, and increased flexibility and agility; however, many containers today are non-persistent. Containers without persistence miss out on many benefits, and in many cases simply pass the responsibility of persistence onto other infrastructure, adding additional complexity.
Apr. 28, 2017 03:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,372
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo, June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY and October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.
Apr. 28, 2017 03:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,472
SYS-CON Events announced today that Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), an industry leader in automated, scalable and secure networks, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Juniper Networks challenges the status quo with products, solutions and services that transform the economics of networking. The company co-innovates with customers and partners to deliver automated, scalable and secure network...
Apr. 28, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 5,011
DevOps is often described as a combination of technology and culture. Without both, DevOps isn't complete. However, applying the culture to outdated technology is a recipe for disaster; as response times grow and connections between teams are delayed by technology, the culture will die. A Nutanix Enterprise Cloud has many benefits that provide the needed base for a true DevOps paradigm. In his Day 3 Keynote at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Brown, a Solutions Marketing Manager at Nutanix, will explore t...
Apr. 28, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 926
20th Cloud Expo, taking place June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world. Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy.
Apr. 28, 2017 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 3,250
SYS-CON Events announced today that CA Technologies has been named "Platinum Sponsor" of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, New York, and 21st International Cloud Expo, which will take place in November in Silicon Valley, California.
Apr. 28, 2017 02:15 PM EDT Reads: 2,529
Five years ago development was seen as a dead-end career, now it’s anything but – with an explosion in mobile and IoT initiatives increasing the demand for skilled engineers. But apart from having a ready supply of great coders, what constitutes true ‘DevOps Royalty’? It’ll be the ability to craft resilient architectures, supportability, security everywhere across the software lifecycle. In his keynote at @DevOpsSummit at 20th Cloud Expo, Jeffrey Scheaffer, GM and SVP, Continuous Delivery Busine...
Apr. 28, 2017 02:15 PM EDT Reads: 1,165
Back in February of 2017, Andrew Clay Schafer of Pivotal tweeted the following: “seriously tho, the whole software industry is stuck on deployment when we desperately need architecture and telemetry.” Intrigue in a 140 characters. For me, I hear Andrew saying, “we’re jumping to step 5 before we’ve successfully completed steps 1-4.”
Apr. 28, 2017 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,897
New competitors, disruptive technologies, and growing expectations are pushing every business to both adopt and deliver new digital services. This ‘Digital Transformation’ demands rapid delivery and continuous iteration of new competitive services via multiple channels, which in turn demands new service delivery techniques – including DevOps. In this power panel at @DevOpsSummit 20th Cloud Expo, moderated by DevOps Conference Co-Chair Andi Mann, panelists will examine how DevOps helps to meet th...
Apr. 28, 2017 01:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,693


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Consumerwatch: Credit card security - is your card at risk?
Published Monday, November 12, 2012 2:28PM CST
Last Updated Sunday, November 24, 2013 5:05PM CST
It’s a way to pay for purchases without entering a PIN number or signing a receipt.
They’re credit cards with embedded with a chip that allows transactions to be completed just by tapping on a terminal.
It’s convenient for consumers, but according to some security experts, it can be a target for electronic pickpockets as well.
It’s called a RFID or Radio Wave Frequency ID chip and works with radio frequencies.
Visa cardholder Ken Miller says his card doesn’t have one now, but once it expires, his new one will.
He’s concerned about the technology considering his wife and daughter were both victims of identity theft.
“It’s not secure, and I am not happy that they’re giving me something I don’t want,” says Miller.
Michael Legary, chief strategy officer with Seccuris Inc., says the radio frequencies make it easier for hackers to access your information remotely.
“With an hour or two of effort someone can download an application that can read full credit card information and use it whenever they want,” he says
Legary put his theory to test and used software downloaded to his smartphone and was able to read information such as the name, expiry date and credit card number from two people just by holding the phone near their wallets.
Sherisse Bryson says she didn’t even know her credit card had the chip.
“I didn’t expect it to be not secure like that,” Bryson says. “It’s scary.”
Visa, MasterCard and American Express all offer versions of the technology and say the chip is designed so a hacker could only use the information for a single transaction, which is capped at low dollar amounts.
The companies also say cardholders are protected under a zero-liability policy, which reimburses them for any unauthorized purchases. Visa Canada also says it hasn’t received any complaints of fraud due to the chips.
Still, Legary says there are ways around that such as sending the stolen information to multiple cellphones.
“Even though there are security measures in place, attackers have figured out ways to bypass them,” says Legary.
But there are ways to protect the cards. Retailers such as U.N. Luggage in Winnipeg sell wallets and sleeves lined with foil or steel making the chips unreadable.
Ken Miller says banks should offer consumers the choice about whether they want the chip in their cards or not.
“I don’t want to go through losing a card or someone taking my information,” says Miller. “It’s not secure.”


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Hefty investments on customer acquisition, lucrative discounts and cash-back schemes left many food-tech startups floundering this year, before they actually took off — LocalBanya, Dazo,SpoonJoy among others, are collectively a case in point.
Lesson learnt. Most discovered that while monies burnt on attracting consumers to apps/websites can initially increase valuations, VC/ PE funding and number of app downloads, real-world business runs on a matrix of differentiation and exceptional customer services.
As on date, there are at least 179 food ordering and delivery start-ups in the country, according to Tracxn. As much as an impressive USD150 million had been invested in the online grocery retail and foodservice sector in 2015. But only a handful were able to raise funds beyond a first round, as investors interest ebbed. So, with so many start-ups jostling, will 2016 prompt food tech units to focus on reducing cash burn? Will investors travel back to the sector? Is there a bright future for the right model? Wait and watch.
But things were not so despondent for some others. Zomato made a robust entry into online food ordering, becoming popular rapidly, perhaps thanks to an existing strong consumer familiarity with the brand. Swiggy, Fassos and FoodPanda also look good, at least for the medium term.


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Just a couple of months remain until the Remastered Jordan collection is unveiled. Jordan Brand set to make history in 2015, and 23isBack readers and all other Jordan heads have already gotten a glimpse the Air Jordan sneakers that will be making their highly anticipated comeback next year. Amongst them will be the “Black/Metallic Silver” colorway of the Air Jordan VI Low, which will hit the shelves on one of 2015’s Jordan release dates.
2015 has been a big year for several Air Jordan silhouettes, including the Air Jordan 11 Low. In fact, many new and old iterations of the Air Jordan 6 have already been seen this year as well. However, apparently the scene will be dominated by this low-profile edition of the Air Jordan 6.
It was back in 2002 when this “Black/Metallic Silver” colorway of the Air Jordan 6 Low had originally made its retail debut. However, Dino Hatfield, the man who founded Baltimore Sneaker Show, has confirmed that this sneaker will once again hit the shelves as a retro in 2015. Recently, Dino even shared a photo of this pair. The caption that accompanied the photo suggests that one of the Spring/Summer Jordan release dates 2015 will associated with it.
The same day that this news was shared by Dino, another on-foot photo of the sneaker was also posted by Danny Nunez from Jordan Brand on his Instagram account. However, it is likely that pair seen in the photo is the one from 2002. So, it can still not be denied that Jordan Brand is probably dropping a hint that 23isBack readers and other Jordan heads can look forward to copping this new jordans.
In 2014, some of the finest releases that had hit the shelves had arrived in the form of the classic Air Jordan 6 silhouette. No official Jordan release dates have been announced for next, but it has without a doubt been confirmed that the Air Jordan 6 Low is returning next year.
Air Jordan 6 Retro Low “Metallic Silver“
Release Date: August 22nd, 2015
304401-003 | $170


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After Math: 'Murica
In technology we trust.
Hulu adds an episode shuffle button for 'Seinfeld'
It's marking the 30th anniversary of the show about nothing.
The Morning After: Tuesday, January 31 2017
We can see you.
Seinfeld's 'Comedians in Cars' moves to Netflix this year
Also be on the lookout for two new stand-up specials.
Hulu will have every episode of 'Seinfeld' on June 24th
After paying big bucks to lock up the show about nothing, Hulu has announced when we can expect to...
Hulu's the exclusive online home of 'Seinfeld' and 'Fear the Walking Dead'
It may be a fraction of Netflix's size, but Hulu is no small fry when it comes to the online video...
Hulu reportedly lands 'Seinfeld' streaming rights
According to a report by Variety, tomorrow Hulu will announce that it has won the bidding war for...
'Seinfeld' will start streaming soon, but probably not on Netflix
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, Sony Pictures has opened the bidding for strea...
Seinfeld emojis have finally arrived in the iTunes Store
Earlier in July we told you about the impending release of a pack of Seinfeld iOS emojis, which wo...


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It pays to be Reed Hastings these days. Not only is the audience up for his company, Netflix, but the tech entrepreneur and self-made billionaire was just added to the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest people in the country, along with 13 other entrepreneurs. That's out of a total of 22 first-time additions to the roster, with another four returning after an absence.
That shouldn't surprise. Starting and building your own company is one of the best ways to acquire great wealth. The path sees more success than even being born into a high net worth family. Back in March, 195 people joined the Forbes billionaire list. Seventy-five percent of them did so by starting a business from scratch.
Hastings is just one example. Others are Tito's Handmade Vodka founder Tito Beveridge and Don Vultaggio, who co-founded Arizona Ice Tea.
Getting onto the list is tough. Staying on can be an equal challenge: 169 billionaires weren't worth enough to be on it. The group includes Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's COO.
Of the 169, 26 had been on the list in 2016 and fell off this year. They include Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, after the general pains of the retail industry and a first quarterly loss posted in April kicked the stock price down and, with it, the value of his holdings. Among others hit by stock plunges were John Kapoor, CEO of pharmaceutical maker Insys, and Eddie Lampert, CEO of Sears.
While Donald Trump remains on the 400 list, his net worth took a major hit in the past year. A combination of a tough real estate market, the Trump University lawsuit, and the tens of millions he put into this presidential campaign cut his net worth by $600 million, to an estimated $3.1 billion.
Reading the stories of the entrepreneurs who made it, one factor keeps returning: persistence. When Vultaggio and his partner started their first company in the alcoholic beverage business, they got robbed an estimated one hundred times. Did that, or a split between the two, stop things? Now, Vultaggio is worth $3 billion.
Want to take a crack at making the list yourself? A count shows that 91 of the 400 are in finance, while another 59 hail from high tech.


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GE Additive, which is attending the Farnborough International Airshow this week, has been busily dropping announcements from the trade fair, the latest of which is centered around its AddWorks additive consulting service provider. GE Additive and AddWorks were chosen by the Honda R&D Co., Ltd, Aircraft Engine R&D Center in Japan to help increase the development of 3D printed aerospace applications for its future generation aircraft engines.
SmarTech Publishing stated that over $280 billion will be invested in additive manufacturing over the next decade, and GE Additive wants in. Last spring, the company announced that it would be increasing its focus on additive manufacturing, planning to sell 10,000 3D printers by 2026 and become a $1 billion business by 2020. This announcement was followed by setting up operations in Japan this winter, and announcing that more commercial offerings would be available last month. Now, it’s continuing to increase its commercial efforts in Japan by focusing on important industries like automotive and aerospace.
“We are pleased that Honda Aircraft Engine R&D Center has selected GE Additive to be its vendor in providing AddWorks consulting services to further the use of this transformative technology in its future generation aircraft engines,” said Thomas Pang, the Director of GE Additive in Japan. “We are in the best position to share our learnings from our own additive journey, having started from prototyping to successfully applying it to mass production for aviation engine parts.”
GE and Honda have been partnering together in the aviation industry for over ten years, first setting up the joint venture GE Honda Aero Engines LLC in 2004 between Honda Aero and GE Aviation, and then creating the GE Honda HF120 jet engine for use on lighter business jet aircraft like the successful HondaJet – the most delivered in its category last year.
To assist customers in adding 3D printing to their business workflows, GE Additive provides materials, 3D printers, and the engineering consultancy services of AddWorks; these consultants use their AM expertise to help clients figure out if adopting 3D printing will be beneficial in terms of performance and cost. GE Additive is hopeful that AddWorks will help Honda Aircraft Engine R&D Center, and ultimately lead to further growth of its partnership with the company and increased AM adoption in aerospace.
At its Japan location, GE Additive will sell Concept Laser and Arcam EBM 3D printers, along with materials, both directly and through local resellers to customers in the country that focus on heavy industry, automotive, and aerospace.
In addition to the partnership with Honda, Pennsylvania-headquartered Triumph Group, a leader in the aerospace industry, is working to further its own AM strategy by selecting two of GE Additive’s 3D printers and a variety of AddWorks design and engineering consultancy service packages. Triumph hopes that these new additions will help to support both its commercial objectives and its R&D initiatives.
“I really admire Triumph’s smart and progressive strategy in adopting a multimodality approach to their additive journey. And when you add to that the deep experience and divergent thinking of our AddWork’s team, I look forward to seeing the results of what I hope will be a long and rewarding relationship,” said Jason Oliver, the President and CEO of GE Additive.
Triumph works in all levels of the aerospace supply chain, ranging from single components and complex systems to aerospace structures, in order to offer solutions for an aircraft’s entire product life cycle. The company enjoys a competitive advantage over similar businesses thanks to its ability to integrate several capabilities and products.
The aerospace company chose an M2 Cusing Multilaser DMLM system from Concept Laser, as well as an Arcam EBM Q20plus system, both of which should be fully installed at its Seattle R&D facility within Q3 of 2018.
“Triumph Group is excited to work with GE Additive to broaden Triumph’s utilization of additive manufacturing technology. Thus far we have successfully used additive manufacturing for prototyping, and we are rapidly growing its use for design competency,” said Dan Crowley, the President and CEO of Triumph Group. “This partnership with GE Additive will strengthen our additive manufacturing capability, accelerating our ability to design and develop future on-wing solutions for our customers.”
Right from the beginning, GE Additive’s AddWorks team will work with Triumph in multiple areas, such as advising on prototyping strategies, discovery workshops, and materials selection.
Discuss these stories and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the comments below.[Images provided by GE Additive]
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LOS ANGELES-MMPI's California Gift Show will welcome an international buying community in January with a new mid-week date kick-off.
The show will take place at L.A. Mart Wednesday, Jan. 18 - Tuesday, Jan. 24, and at the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday, Jan. 20 - Monday, Jan. 23. The one-day shift forward to a Wednesday start is designed to "maximize buyer efficiency while at Market, facilitating greater engagement between the opening of CGS's permanent and temporary venues," MMPI said.
CGS will celebrate approximately 50,000 square-feet of new, expanded and recommitted permanent resources available year-round at L.A. Mart. Veteran showrooms reinvesting in their business and the Los Angeles marketplace include Fine Lines Company, Stephen Young, FEM Sales and Joanne & Company, joining new resources such as Dosvella and Home & Beyond. "We are extremely pleased that the success of our showrooms is demonstrated by their renewed commitment and profitable growth with us," said Mark Furlet, vice president gift and home, California Gift Show/L.A. Mart/Chicago Merchandise Mart. "Our showroom partnership philosophy is critical to the success and health of our tenant community, as evidenced by our investment in these businesses. Ultimately, our buyers are the beneficiary of a vital and evolving resource destination providing entree to manufacturers known worldwide and to the innovations for which California is renowned."


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GST rates: Aerated drinks to attract 40% tax, industry body upset1 min read . Updated: 19 May 2017, 08:46 PM IST
Sweetened aerated water and flavoured water will attract a total duty of 28%40% tax and 12% additional cess, according to the proposed GST rates
New Delhi: Come July, consumers will have to pay more to quench their thirst.
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Guzman's Guzinos by condacc GmbH , Mintel Group Ltd
Vegetables – a trending ingredient in sweet biscuits?
The demand for biscuits with ingredients that support our health continues to grow. Vegetables are one option for promoting the perceived attributes of snacks, both salty and sweet.
By Dr Jörg Häseler
The importance of plant-based ingredients is rapidly increasing. According to the 2017 Mintel trend report “Power to the Plants”, this is due to “a desire to live healthier and more consciously by prioritising fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and other plant-based ingredients in one’s diet”. Young consumers in particular are jumping aboard the “veggie” train. They generally have a healthier diet and a greater appreciation for preserving the environment than previous generations, so a large proportion of these consumers pursue a plant-based diet.
Germany, for example, registers a potential of around 28 % of adults for vegan-based biscuit innovations. This demographic group expresses keen interest in buying these kinds of products, with the greatest potential for biscuits featuring vegetables as ingredients identified among health-conscious individuals between 25 and 44 years of age.
Health plays a very important role
Vegetables play an outstanding role in the food product and beverage industry and are now being found in increasingly unusual categories. It is particularly notable that vegetables are now appearing in ever more sweet products including yogurt, ice cream, breakfast flakes, baked products and chocolate. In some cases, vegetables are being used instead of fruit because consumers are now taking an increasingly critical view of the sugar content in fruits.
Using vegetables in salty biscuits is an already established practice in Germany. In 2017, vegetables were already flavour carriers in 10 % of all newly introduced salty biscuits, making them the fifth most frequent flavour direction after grains, cheese, spices and herbs. By taking advantage of the consumer interest in superfoods and plant-based nutrition, savoury biscuit producers can use them to experiment with trendy vegetable varieties such as kale, spinach, zucchini or sauerkraut.
In contrast, the role currently played by vegetables in sweet biscuits is still relatively small. In 2017, vegetables were only found in less than 1 % of new sweet biscuits introduced onto the German market. One possible reason for this deficiency in experimentation with sweet baked products could be that strong positioning of the vegetable share on sweet biscuits packaging has a deterrent effect on consumers.
Nevertheless, it can still be anticipated that chiefly young consumers, particularly the more health-conscious among them, are becoming more and more open to vegetables in sweet products. Consumers are searching for simple alternatives for integrating vegetables into their diets. They want to try out new types of products. Many brands across Europe have already recognized this trend and have accordingly introduced sweet biscuits onto the market seasoned with vegetables, including red beet, various types of pumpkin, and also carrots. These biscuits appeal to particularly health-conscious consumers who are on the lookout for healthy snacks but who also want to enjoy a hint of sweetness.•


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30th October, 2012
Construction of exhibition halls and shops have picked up at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), the venue of the 26th Lagos International Trade Fair.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fair, which begins on 2 November and ends on 11 November, will hold at the main ground of TBS, the cricket pitch and Club Arcade.
This year’s fair will not hold at the usual trade fair site on the Apapa-Badagry expressway.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), organiser of the fair, said that the change of venue was due to the ongoing expansion of the expressway.
Mr Rotimi Olaleye, the Manager of R.S.K Olaleye and Sons Enterprises, one of the engineers building the pavilions, told NAN that exhibitors paid fixed amount per square metre to erect their exhibition halls.
Olaleye said that exhibitors within the main ground paid N4, 000 per square metre, while those outside the main ground paid N5,000.
Mr Michael Amoo, the Chairman, Marketing and Publicity Committee of the LCCI, said that the “focus centre” would be within the cricket pitch.
Amoo said that there would also be a press centre at the TBS Complex.


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A recent study suggested that Australians are turning vegetarian in droves. The meat industry begs to differ.
It’s been a big couple of weeks for vegetarians. The news that the number of Australian herbivores has risen from 1.7 million to almost 2.1 million over the past four years – and that New South Wales has seen a whopping 30 per cent increase in vegetarianism – has had many wondering aloud whether carnivores are an endangered species.
Others reached more curious conclusions. “The lamb ads aren’t working,” declared one headline. “[B]rands pedalling meat will have to work a lot harder to convince consumers of the merits of their products.”
This struck us here at delicious. as a rather long bow to be drawing. A cursory glance at the statistics would appear to confirm our suspicion.
According to Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), this year’s Australia Day lamb campaign – ‘Operation Boomerang,’ which some thought lapsed into crude anti-veganism but which was named TV Ad of the Year at the Mumbrella Awards in June nevertheless – was its most successful ever. It resulted in a 36.9 per cent increase on average sales in the two weeks ending January 31, a record high for lamb, equating to a return of $2.89 on every dollar spent on the campaign.
“MLA’s advertising campaigns across beef and lamb have been extremely effective over the last 12 months, producing strong sales results and delivering against all consumer sentiment metrics,” said MLA Group Marketing Manager Andrew Howie.
He said OECD data showed that Australia’s consumption of red meat (beef and lamb) was greater than that of the US and the UK, and third globally, behind only Uruguay and Argentina. When it comes to consumption of all types of meat – beef, lamb, chicken, pork and the rest – Australia comes second to the United States.
“Over the last two years, there has been a shift in approach to MLA’s consumer marketing, with an evolution from tactical and seasonal campaigns to year-round relevant messages,” he said. “This includes the launch of the ‘You’re better on Beef’ and ‘You Never Lamb Alone’ brand platforms.”
“Post-campaign survey results from the first 12 months have shown an increase in claimed per week consumption of beef amongst the target audience to 1.75 serves, up 0.20. 54 per cent of the target audience said they were ‘more likely to eat beef’ versus the benchmark of 42 per cent.”
So much for the advertisements not working.
But what about pork? Perhaps all the vegetarians coming out of the woodwork didn’t eat beef or lamb to begin with?
Australian Pork’s Mitch Edwards is having none of it.
“The Australian pork industry is enjoying continual increases in consumption year on year with Australian consumers eating more pork than ever before,” he said. “Chicken consumption is also continually on the rise. Beef and lamb have experienced declines in consumption, but overall meat consumption is relatively steady.”
“I think it’s great that we have an abundance of beautiful fresh products available, regardless of whether you prefer a diet that includes meat or one that doesn’t.”
So what exactly is going on? Are Australians turning vegetarian in droves or consuming more meat than ever before?
A clue might be to look at the Roy Morgan research that inspired all the breathless articles in the first place. In particular, to look at the survey questions in question.
Because while everyone is talking about people becoming vegetarian, the statement said people actually agreed to was: “The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian.” “Almost all vegetarian” isn’t actually vegetarian. (To be fair on Roy Morgan Research, they didn’t make any sweeping claims, sensationalist suggestions or misguided generalisations. They left that to the journalists.)
Should Australia’s vegetarians be rejoicing? Should Australia’s farmers be quaking in their boots? Should advertisers start looking for new clients selling broccoli or cauliflower?
All we know is that if you play ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ backwards, you’ll hear a recipe for a really ripping lentil soup.


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Bottom line: Focus Media will re-list with a high valuation on a new enterprise-style board set to launch in Shanghai next year, while China Renaissance’s new fund to help US-listed firms privatize will attract strong investor interest.
A couple of items are in the news involving the recent buyout wave for US-listed Chinese companies, which are rapidly abandoning New York in search of higher valuations in their home market. In an abrupt and somewhat surprising shift, Focus Media, one of the first companies in this homecoming wave, is reportedly abandoning its original plan for Shanghai.
The second item has China Renaissance, a well-respected domestic private equity firm, preparing to raise a major new fund that will help to finance privatizations of Chinese firms from New York. This particular deal looks significant, since many of the nearly 3 dozens firms to announce privatization plans this year could soon need new funding if previous commitments collapse due to recent volatility in China’s domestic stock markets. Continue reading →
Bottom line: Jiuxian’s raising of a seventh funding round reflects fading investor interest in online wine sellers due to a luxury slowdown, while Baidu’s share buyback plan looks like a good use of cash to support its sagging stock.
I’ve been a financial news reporter for quite some time now, but even I was surprised to read that online wine seller Jiuxian has just raised funds in a new round of G-series funding. This marks the first time I’ve seen the letter “G” in such a context, and I had to do some counting on my fingers to finally figure out the 500 million yuan ($80 million) funding round represents the seventh for this company that apparently has yet to make a profit despite so much private investment.
Meantime, online search leader Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) was in a spending mode with its announcement that it would dole out up to $1 billion over the next year to support its sagging stock that plunged to a 1-year low this week on a weak earnings report. This particular use of money looks reasonable for a cash-rich company like Baidu. I do find the timing just slightly ironic, since Baidu raised $1.25 billion through a bond offer just a month ago, meaning this latest buyback will be funded by the same investors who have recently been dumping the company’s stock. Continue reading →
Bottom line: Alibaba’s massive online grocery promotion looks aimed at countering potential new challenges from Walmart, as the US retailing giant overhauls its China e-commerce operations.
Just days after Walmart (NYSE: WMT) made a major shift in its China e-commerce strategy, local market leader Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) is firing back with a massive 1 billion yuan ($160 million) promotion that looks squarely aimed at the US retailing giant. This particular promotion comes in the grocery space, which also happens to be a core strength of Yihaodian, the major plank in Walmart’s China e-commerce operation. Alibaba’s announcement also comes just days after Walmart announced it was buying out its partners in Yahaodian to take full control of the site and better integrate it with its existing China operations. Continue reading →
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 31. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) Announces $1 Bln Share Repurchase Program (PRNewswire)
Focus Media May Drop Backdoor Listing, Eyes New Strategic Industries Board (Chinese article)
Wine E-tailer Jiuxian Lands 500 Mln Yuan Series G Funding (English article)
China Renaissance Earmarks Half of 5 Bln Yuan Fund Raising for VIE Buyouts (Chinese article)
China Box Office Posts Monthly Record with 5 Bln Yuan in July (Chinese article)
Bottom line: Tencent’s new WeChat push into Europe looks like a better strategy than its previous failed US effort, though it should provide more support to its local partners if it wants to succeed.
After a disastrous and costly foray into the US, leading Chinese mobile messaging app WeChat is gearing up for a new attempt at going global, this time setting its sights on Europe. This particular push has WeChat, a unit of Chinese Internet giant Tencent (HKEx: 700), forming small tie-ups with local European partners to promote the service. The latest of those has seen WeChat link with a small Italian start-up called ChatSim, which provides technology that lets users link up different mobile chatting apps.
Announcement of this particular tie-up is clearly the work of ChatSim, which has put out a slightly amateurish press release announcing the partnership. (company announcement) That said, I do think that more broadly speaking Europe looks like a better place for Tencent to try its luck at global expansion. That’s because the US is already quite hotly contested not only with WhatsApp but also rival instant messaging products from Internet giants like Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Facebook (Nasdaq: FB), which also owns WhatsApp. Continue reading →
Bottom line: China’s gaming market remains stubbornly fragmented and unprofitable despite its huge potential, with no clear signs of much-needed consolidation coming anytime soon.
As much of China bakes under a summer heatwave, a major trade show this week in Shanghai is casting a different spotlight on the overheated state of the nation’s gaming industry. One report is saying that only 2 percent of companies in the emerging mobile gaming space can generate big profits, and the situation may not improve anytime soon due to a stubborn state of fragmentation.
The problem has led many of China’s US-listed gaming companies to launch privatization drives over the last 2 years, including Giant Interactive, a large but decidedly second-tier player that de-listed a year ago. Giant’s talkative chief Shi Yuzhu is blaming US investors for failing to appreciate his company, with the latest reports saying he thinks Chinese stock buyers will value his firm at more than 5 times what it was worth when it de-listed from New York. Continue reading →
Bottom line: Tencent WeBank’s rapid growth over the last 2 months shows it intends to focus on high-interest small loans aimed at consumers and small businesses, challenging credit cards and credit lines from traditional banks.
Seven months after its launch, Tecent-backed (HKEx: 700) WeBank is showing off some of its first financial accomplishments that hint at the direction it may take as it carves out a place in China’s banking sector. The numbers reveals that the bank, the first to launch under a private-sector pilot program by Beijing, is setting its sights on providing credit to small businesses and consumers. The tack looks like a direct challenge to traditional credit card issuers, and could ultimately provide consumers with yet another payment option in both the online and offline worlds. Continue reading →
The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on July 30. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.
Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) Cloud Unit Sets Sights on Amazon in $1 Bln Global Push (English article)
Giant Interactive Seeks 100 Bln Yuan Valuation in China Re-Listing Plan (Chinese article)
ICBC (HKEx: 1398) VP Zheng Wanchun May Become New Minsheng Bank Chief (Chinese article)
Departing China Mobile (HKEx: 941) Workers Complain of No Raises in 10 Years (Chinese article)
Bottom line: Sputtering demand for luxury goods and cars is likely to hamstring Phoenix Satellite TV’s earnings for at least the next year, as the company increasingly loses ground to new media rivals.
The recent slowdown in China’s luxury goods market is claiming one of its first victims in the media realm, with Phoenix Satellite TV (HKEx: 2008) warning that a sudden chill in luxury ad sales has wiped out its profits in the first half of the year. The news certainly doesn’t bode well for traditional media companies, which are a favored place for luxury goods makers to advertise. Car makers are another major source of ad revenue for these older media companies, and rapidly slowing sales in that sector also means that names like Phoenix and even some new media high-flyers like Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) and Sina (Nasdaq: SINA) could be looking at a difficult period ahead. Continue reading →
Bottom line: Investors are regaining confidence that some of the bigger, recently announced buyouts for US-listed China companies could be completed, but believe many smaller deals will ultimately collapse.
Online game operator Perfect World (Nasdaq: PWRD) has formally completed its management-led buyout, offering us a good opportunity to check the status of dozens of other pending offers that look shaky due to recent turbulence in China’s stock markets. Perfect World was one of a handful of companies that launched their privatization drives before May, when a wave of new bids fueled by speculative money from China’s frothy stock markets suddenly began.
I’ve previously said that many of the earlier bids like Perfect World’s are likely to succeed, as their funding sources seemed more solid. But some of the other bids may run into trouble due shaky money sources that may rapidly disappear as China’s stock markets show signs of heading into another tailspin. Continue reading →
Bottom line: Walmart’s Yihaodian could sharply boost its share of China’s e-commerce market in the next 2-3 years, following a buyout that will give the site better access to its parent’s experience, offline stores and global connections.
Just a week after sacking the 2 founders and top executives of its China e-commerce site, global retailing giant Walmart (NYSE: WMT) has taken the next step and bought out its partners in their Yihaodian joint venture. The buyout completes a takeover that began with Walmart’s purchase of a controlling 51 percent of Yihaodian 3 years ago. It also signals that Walmart is preparing to pump major new investment into the site, as it tries to become a major player in a market dominated by local giants Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and JD.com (Nasdaq: JD).
I have to applaud Walmart for finally taking control and tossing out Yihaodian’s founders, who weren’t doing much to challenge any of the nation’s top e-commerce sites. But that said, foreign companies have a very poor track record competing with homegrown Chinese Internet firms, and its far from clear if Walmart can succeed where other big names like Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO), Expedia (Nasdaq: EXPE) and eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) have failed in the past. Continue reading →


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A weekly column profiling companies and personalities. This week:
What: Gravity Payments, Seattle
Who: Dan Price, 24, CEO and founder
Mission: Provide an efficient and inexpensive way for small businesses to process credit-card payments.
Clearing the air: Price said small businesses are victims of what he calls a “cellphone model,” where unexpected surcharges turn an estimated $40 bill into $70. He offers customers a transparent billing system, where they understand the exact transaction amount. “Small businesses know they are paying way too much,” he said. “But there are lots of hidden fees and they have no local support. We let them know exactly how much they are paying.”
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Financials: Price said the private, self-financed company is profitable and is growing 100 percent every year since it was founded in 2004. Revenue comes from its cut, an average of 30 cents for every $100 processed.
Pre-emptive act: Many young rock musicians suffer a moment of truth, facing the reality the guitar is all right, but they will never make a living at it. Price came to that conclusion on his own, at 16. “After breaking up the band, I was having a midlife crisis, in the middle of high school,” he said. “I became interested in small business, and saw how it wasn’t getting a fair shake. I wanted to give them a competitive advantage.”
Hit seeker: Price identifies at least one similarity between business and music. “It’s not always the best songs and the best bands who succeed, but those who connect with the audience,” he said.
Glass full: Price predicts the company will be solvent for the next 25 years. He admits this is an odd prophecy for a 24-year-old to make, but points out that the company loses less than 5 percent of customers each year, those who fail to renew. The industry average, he said, is 25 percent.
Long view: “What I love about living here is how the locally owned small businesses have a neighborhood feel,” he said. “I want to be part of that growth.”
— Charles Bermant


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A new report by the global mobile industry body GSMA titled “The Mobile Economy: India 2016”, has predicted that India will see the total number of unique mobile subscribers increase from 616 million in June 2016 to 1 billion by 2020.
“At the end of June 2016, 616 million unique users had subscribed to mobile services in India, making it the second-largest mobile market globally, with almost one billion unique mobile subscribers1 expected by 2020” it stated. A unique subscriber is defined as a single customer who has subscribed to a mobile service but might possess more than one mobile phone.
It added that increasing affordability and telco industry investments in network infrastructure and quality of service could help increase the total numbers of unique subscribers in India by 330 million by 2020. This would increase India's network penetration rate to 68% of the population from 47% in 2015.
Predicting a surge in 4G connections, the report stated, “There will also be an accelerating move to 4G over this period. The number of 4G connections is forecast to grow rapidly, growing from just 3 million at the end of 2015 to 280 million by 2020.”
The report also projected a massive inflow of investments into the Indian telecom sector and stated that the operator CAPEX will grow to $34 billion (Rs.2.3 lakh crore) in the period 2016 to 2020.
The report added that the Indian mobile industry generated an economic value of up to 6.5% of the country’s GDP, amounting to over $140 billion (Rs.9 lakh crore). “The figure accounts for both the direct economic activity generated by mobile operators and the ecosystem of mobile industries in India. This contribution is expected to grow to $210 billion (Rs.14 lakh core) by 2020,” the GSMA report read.
GSMA estimated that mobile operators and the Indian mobile ecosystem were a source of direct employment for around 2.2 million people and generated around 1.8 million additional jobs in other sectors bringing the total number of jobs generated to nearly 4 million jobs in 2015.
“With this report, all signs point to a period of tremendous growth for India’s mobile economy, which will strongly support and enable the government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative aimed at providing broadband connectivity to all,” stated Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA.
He added, “To fully realise India’s tremendous market potential, review and reform in key areas, including modernising regulation and long-term planning for spectrum allocation, would accelerate mobile broadband access and adoption across the country.”


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World’s most renowned trend forecasters Lidewij Edelkoort was the guest of “Turkishceramics” for the occasion of Istanbul Design Week 2011. As being an event with the aim of bringing a new breath to design world by harmonizing the design vision of Istanbul with Europe and other world cities, Istanbul Design Week welcomed thousands of visitors, representatives from other design weeks, universities and worldwide famous designers. During Istanbul Design Week which was held on the Old Galata Bridge between 28th of September and 2nd of October 2011, newest projects, exhibitions, workshops and panels related to design, trend, science, architecture and technology were presented by reflecting Turkish design culture and tradition to the whole world.
On its 6th year, Lidewij Edelkoort, one of the world’s most renowned trend forecasters, was hosted by “Turkishceramics” at Istanbul Design Week. Edelkoort, being chairwoman of the Design Academy Eindhoven in Holland and curator at museums around the world such as Armour in the Netherlands, Skin Tight: the sensibility of flesh at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and North meets South which exhibited at the Centre Culturel Suédois in Paris and in Stockholm’s Nordiska Museet, was listed among the world's 40 most important designers by The British design magazine i-D and named one of the 25 most influential fashion experts of our day by Time magazine. More recently in February 2008, Lidewij was awarded the ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.
‘Blending traditional background within today’s design, ceramic will be one of the elements of the future trends’
With the occasion of Istanbul Design Week, trend designer Lidewij Edelkoort and the chairman of Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group Bahadır Kayan have met on behalf of “Turkishceramics” and Turkish ceramic sector. While Bahadır Kayan was underlining that being a “land of ceramics”, ceramics have always been an interior design element from since on, and Turkish ceramics have always been a part of architecture and living culture which is taking its roots from Turkish bathroom culture; Edelkoort stated that it is a great moment of ceramics with the rediscovery of ceramics within a new mood.
Having a speech at the opening conference, Lidewij Edelkoort presented the future trends. According to Edelkoort, there is always a link between the life of a mankind, its relationships with its circle of friends and parents and the objects it use. That’s why she claims in the future, we will see more objects inspired by this lifestyle. Edelkoort underlines that this link will bring us a new trend which is based on blending traditional background with today's modern designs. Depending on the future trends, Edelkoort affirmed that ceramics will be used in unusual places like on a stove, as a public furniture besides the usage of ceramics on the façade of the buildings will be a real trend in the future.


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Best known for his negative role in Shah Rukh-starrer 'Pardes', followed by popular soap 'Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin' and getting caught in a high-profile rave party, Apurva Agnihotri has been garnering a lot of attention these days.
And mainly for his new bearded look. One doesn't know if it is for a role or just to bring in a change. We also got to know that the actor has developed a passion for photography — he was recently seen checking out several models of cameras at a shopping mall.
Contributed by - Neha Maheshwri Bhagat and Seema Sinha


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Welcome to the Se Mobeila news, where fiction meets reality…
- Back to the roots
With the launch of its new web presence, Se Mobeila International also announced today that it will be introducing a new tag line. President Wolfgang Fercher welcomed about 250 journalists from around the world to announce the new mantra of Se Mobeila – ‘bringing it to your countries‘. Mr. Fercher stated “It represents Se Mobeila’s incredibly successful business strategy and at the same time reminds us of our roots.” What he meant with that was a nostalgic look at Se Mobeila’s founding days, when CEO Girkinger, President Fercher and CFO Fischer were asked to promote rail containers in their countries. That’s what they did, and what started with one container, very quickly became the world’s largest fictitious organization.
- Se Mobeila on track to launch new website in 2017
Se Mobeila International continues to make improvements to its new website with all features available by early 2017. “While it will take some time to bring all the old content up and running, we will focus on exciting new content to keep our Se Mobeilisti entertained.” stated CEO Gerhard Girkinger at the launch event in New York City. Se Mobeila CFO Cosmo Fischer added: “Technology advances so fast, and while our old website was great, the new one gives us a lot more opportunity to interact with our fans worldwide in a way more interactive way.” Se Mobeila will release new content in stages over the next few months.


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- Analytical Center CEBR: Enterprises will store goods worth 38 billion pounds sterling on the eve of Brexit.
- This will lead to a short-term increase in GDP growth in the UK, but after Brexit this will be canceled, as companies will reduce their reserves.
- "This makes the mini-recession after Brexit almost inevitable," said the head of CEBR.
LONDON – The stocks of companies on the eve of Brexit will make the mini-decline in the UK "almost inevitable" next year, according to the head of the UK think tank.
The Center for Economic and Business Studies (CEBR) estimated on Monday in a briefing that British companies will store goods worth 38 billion pounds sterling on the eve of the deadline set in March 2019.
As expected, stockpiling will be observed, as enterprises will look at the possibility without a deal with Brexit, which will see the collapse of the UK from the EU without an agreement on future trade agreements.
According to CEBR estimates, this accumulation in three quarters by March 2019 will increase the UK's GDP by 0.5%. But GDP growth should fall by the same amount immediately after Brexit, as companies seek to reduce the reserves they have accumulated.
Douglas McWilliams, founder of CEBR, said in a note: "This makes the mini-recession after Brexit almost inevitable."
The prospect of a lack of a deal Brexit has been focusing more and more in the last few months, as the government has recognized that this is a growing opportunity and sets out plans to eliminate it.
British international trade Liam Fox said in an interview last month that the chance without a Brexit deal rose to 60%. Subsequently, the government published a number of documents that described how an unbiased Brexit deal would affect various sectors.
"In governmental documents on the influence of" No Brexit deal, "a potential violation was revealed – difficulties in obtaining medicines, sandwich components and various other products," Mc Williams wrote.
"But one of the most serious causes of destruction, of course, will be raw materials and semi-finished products. Of the 260 billion goods imported from the EU last year, about 100 billion pounds sterling fall into these two categories. "
McWilliams added that CEBR reserves estimates are based on "anecdotal evidence, interviews and intuition," since "it is difficult to find an equivalent episode for Brexit that can be used to test past experiences."


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Dell has joined the Windows RT tablet crowd, with the new Dell XPS 10 making its official debut at IFA today. A 10-inch slimline slate that – as we saw from Samsung yesterday – comes with a removable keyboard dock, the biggest selling point for the XPS 10 is likely to be its impressive battery claims: Dell says it’ll run for 20hrs on a single charge.
That’s 20hrs without full Windows apps, of course, since Windows RT runs only a smaller subset of specially created software for the ARM-based platform. Dell’s chipset partner in this case is Qualcomm, though the company won’t say exactly which of the silicon specialist’s Snapdragons is found inside.
Up front is an HD touchscreen, while Dell has squeezed both microUSB and microSD connections into the 10mm thick slate. We’re guessing on Bluetooth and WiFi inside, and hoping that Dell does road warriors a service by including integrated 3G/4G options.
Pricing is yet to be announced, and in fact Dell is keeping most details on the XPS 10 close to its proverbial chest. We’ve got more live shots coming up very soon.


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Tesla aims to increase output in its Giga Shanghai plant to 2,600 cars a day from May 16th. It means the production rate would be at the pre-lockdown period. Tesla China’s production has gone down in recent times as the factory was shut down for two weeks, and then the production was being increased slowly.
Tesla, which is now only running one shift, plans to add more at its Shanghai plant from May 16 to achieve the goal, the memo reviewed by Reuters showed. That would bring weekly output to 16,900 vehicles based on Tesla’s established workweek at the facility, according to Reuters. It would also represent a return to the production levels at the plant before Shanghai’s lockdown in late March forced the company to suspend work there.
Before the lockdown, Tesla had run three shifts at the Shanghai plant. The factory, which makes Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, reopened on April 19 after a 22-day closure, its longest since the site opened in late 2019. The Shanghai lockdown has also been challenging for Tesla and other manufacturers because of the complication of getting parts from suppliers.
In one example, Aptiv, which supplies wire harnesses for Tesla, was not able to resume production in mid-April and there were concerns that this could have a knock-on effect on the automaker’s production, according to a person familiar with the matter. But Tesla managed to secure wire harnesses from other suppliers and Aptiv got approval from authorities to resume production at the end of April, the person said.
But Tesla managed to secure wire harnesses from other suppliers and Aptiv got approval from authorities to resume production at the end of April, the person said. Aptiv said Friday that “all wiring harnesses supplied came from Aptiv.” The disruption to Tesla’s Shanghai plant has been one of the highest-profile consequences of China’s measures to control its biggest COVID-19 outbreak, which has also crimped consumption, including vehicle sales.
Sales of electric vehicles had been booming in China before the COVID lockdowns. Tesla’s sales in China jumped 56% in the first quarter, while EV sales by its larger rival in China, BYD, increased fivefold. Tesla assembled 55,462 vehicles in March at its Shanghai plant when it paused production for six days in the month, data from China Passenger Car Association showed. The reopening of its Shanghai factory was heavily publicized by state media and was undertaken with the support of authorities who helped Tesla transport more than 6,000 workers and carry out disinfection work, Reuters reported this week.


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Even if you’re wearing the most elaborate and stylish hat for a day out at a race course, it’s important to emphasise on your hairstyle so as to not kill the look.
Celebrity hairstylist Paul Edmonds, who has over 30 years in the industry, explains the must haves hair tips that one should try before stepping out with your hats on, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
* Hair normally looks better worn back and away from the face, especially if it your hat has a large brim.
* If your hair is long and you want a simple quick hairdo, try putting your hair in a low ponytail and split the hair behind the band down the middle and pass the tail through itself and pull tight to get a soft, rolled up look.
* Long hair can also be plated and finished with a binding of ribbon.
* If you have shorter hair, tuck the sides back or leave them out until the hat is on and then fold them back and grip under the hat.
There is good news for people experiencing hair loss as researchers have developed a wearable device that harnesses energy from the wearer and delivers gentle electric pulses to stimulate dormant hair follicles and regrow hair.
Because the devices are powered by the movement of the wearer, they do not require a bulky battery pack or complicated electronics.
In fact, they are so low-profile that they could be discreetly worn underneath the crown of an everyday baseball cap.
“I think this will be a very practical solution to hair regeneration,” said one of the researchers Xudong Wang, Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.
In side-by-side tests on hairless mice, the devices stimulated hair growth just as effectively as two different compounds found in baldness medicines, said the study published in the journal ACS Nano.
Based on devices that gather energy from a body’s day-to-day motion, the hair growth technology stimulates the skin with gentle, low-frequency electric pulses, which coax dormant follicles to reactivate hair production.
The devices do not cause hair follicles to sprout anew in smooth skin. Instead they reactivate hair-producing structures that have gone dormant.
That means they could be used as an intervention for people in the early stages of pattern baldness, but they would not bestow cascading tresses to someone who has been as bald as a billiard ball for several years.
Explaining the hair-growth technology, the researchers said that small devices called nanogenerators passively gather energy from day-to-day movements and then transmit low-frequency pulses of electricity to the skin. That gentle electric stimulation causes dormant follicles to “wake up.”
“Electric stimulations can help many different body functions,” Wang said.
“But before our work there was no really good solution for low-profile devices that provide gentle but effective stimulations,” Wang said. (IANS)


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Warner Home Video testing cheap pricing to compete with Piracy
Warner Home Video is working on a new strategy to compete with the levels of piracy in countries like China. They have now begun trial sales in China of a movie DVD priced at just Rmb12.
This comes to just around USD 1.50. However, this move might result in a fight back by the consumer groups in their primary markets like the United States and Europe where consumers pay $20-$30 for a recently released film on DVD.
Impressively, this is the first time any major movie studio is taking such a drastic step to see if they can curb piracy by offering products are relatively miniscule prices. They are shipping the DVD of the movie in a “simple pack” edition, which comes in a cardboard folder rather than the standard DVD plastic box.
Christine Hu, CAV Warner public relations manager said in a statement: “This is a first step to see if the consumer can accept this product at this price.â€ However, they are waiting for sometime to come to a conclusion on whether this step is in the right direction.