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Marissa Braun bought the tires to personalize her car. “I buy candles and perfume because I like things to smell good,” said the 18-year-old Cleveland resident. “Scented tires are a way to give my car a touch of my personality.”
“Consumers don’t check their tires enough,” says Rick Brennan, Brand Director for Kumho Tire USA. “If putting scent into the tires makes drivers notice their tires more often when they get in and out of the car, then it will be a good thing for consumers.”
Checking tire pressure frequently isn’t the only safety measure you should take with your tires. You should also regularly:
* Inspect tires for uneven wear patterns on the tread, cracks, foreign objects, or other signs of wear or trauma. Remove bits of glass and other foreign objects wedged in the tread.
* Make sure your tire valves have valve caps.
* Check your tires’ tread depth.
* Rotate your tires every 5,000 miles to get the longest life out of them.
The aromatic Ecsta DX tires are designed for such touring sedans as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Subaru Outback and Chrysler Sebring; and Lavendar isn’t the only scent they come in. The tires are also available in neroli (orange) and jasmine. But sorry guys, the scents you requested while the company was doing research -- barbeque, hot dog and popcorn -- won’t be available anytime soon.
You can find Kumho tires at dealers nationwide. Log on to www.kumhotireusa.com to find the dealer nearest you.


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Bitter airline battle over carrying US mail heats up in the Pacific
A bitter battle is heating up in the wilds of the Pacific between airlines wishing ...
Amazon has revamped its US operation, shifting from a centralised network to a regional set-up, with eight regions taking care of virtually all traffic within their range.
The new model is supposed to accelerate deliveries and reduce costs, although excess inventory could dent the cost equation.
Equipped with a broad selection of inventory, these regions are supposedly largely self-sufficient, but they can also ship items nationally when necessary.
The shift means goods travel shorter distances. Previously, Amazon had to ship a product from another part of the country if a local fulfilment centre didn’t have the item in stock, which meant longer distances and extended delivery times at elevated costs.
“Shorter travel distances mean lower cost to serve, less impact on the environment, and customers getting their orders faster,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, adding that it put the company on track to ramp up its next-day and same-day deliveries.
To deliver more goods through its regional networks, Amazon has to position more inventory there. Inevitably this means higher inventory levels than in a national network, where more goods are held at central hubs.
“It will be interesting to see how the cost of inventory will develop for Amazon. Obviously transport costs come down in a regional set-up, but higher inventory cost can offset that,” commented John Haber, chief strategy officer of Transportation Insight.
He thought Amazon would be bound to leverage its experience in inventory placement and the technology it had applied in this arena.
The new set-up is the result of changes in processes and physical operations, as well as in placement and logistics software, according to Mr Jassy.
“Over the last several months, we’ve scrutinised every process path in our fulfilment centres and transport network and redesigned scores of processes and mechanisms, resulting in steady productivity gains and cost reductions over the last few quarters,” he said.
The push to a regional model runs counter to the developments at FedEx and UPS, however, noted Mr Haber. A former UPS employee, he recalled how the integrator went from 11 operational regions and more than 40 districts to just two regions and a much smaller number of district offices. FedEx is now centralising its operations by uniting its various divisions into one national network.
“The difference between Amazon and FedEx and UPS is that Amazon’s fulfilment business is so much bigger,” he said.
Does the switch to a regional model undermine Amazon’s ability to position itself as a third-party carrier? Mr Haber said: “It creates some uncertainty on its national aspirations to compete with FedEx and UPS.”
Before the pandemic, Amazon’s moves to draw third-party traffic into its networks were essentially on a regional level, he pointed out.
“I think regional providers should be paying close attention to what Amazon is doing.”
Another question is how the regional strategy is going to affect shippers. While they should benefit from faster deliveries and reduced transport costs, they will likely have to position more inventory across Amazon’s network. Moreover, they will likely have to deal with more split shipments. Mr Haber sees a distinct possibility of this.
“It is going to create more shipments. There is no way around that,” he said.
Shippers and competitors will be watching closely how Amazon’s revamped operation plays out over the coming weeks.
Container freight rates: 'collapse' is the word, says Xeneta
Worker no-shows force US west coast port terminal shutdowns
Cargo shifts back to US west coast ports, but some has gone for good
'Alarming signals' as airfreight capacity rises and rates fall
Digital forwarders back in the spotlight: can they compete?
Major box lines still fighting over diminishing supply of smaller ships
Evergreen and Wan Hai face up to bearish market as profits tumble
FedEx pilots win ‘tentative agreement’ on new contract after strike threat
'Keep 'em peeled' alert as drug smuggling into Europe's ports increases
Slower demand, but US warehouse rents rise in 'tight and expensive' market
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The latest attempt to reinvent the gas run launched on Thursday (Aug. 16), an effort involving Shell, General Motors and mobile payments provider P97 that enables consumers to find and pay for fuel via embedded in-dash technology inside their vehicles.
The in-dash fuel payment offering debuts as fresh data paints a sometimes confusing picture of the consumers' willingness to use mobile technology to buy gas, and as companies scramble to further define — and grab a piece of — the emerging market for connected cars.
Here’s what’s happening: The technology enables certain drivers of eligible Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles to find their preferred gas stations and initiate in-vehicle payments for fuel purchases made at some 11,000 Shell-branded fuel stations in North America.
The navigation and payment features are available via the GM Marketplace platform, which has been downloaded some three million times since its launch last year, P97 CEO Don Frieden told PYMNTS. (The Marketplace platform also lets consumers order food and coffee, and make dinner reservations with participating firms, among other tasks.) Frieden said that 2.5 million Marketplace downloads take place on an annualized basis.
As for the fuel payments feature, “it’s like setting up an Uber account for the first time,” he said. “You just have to set it up once.”
According to Frieden, a typical use case of this fuel payments technology would start when the driver notices a low fuel warning light. Using GM Marketplace, the driver can select and store up to three fuel service providers; assuming one of them is Shell, the platform would show a Shell location in the direction of travel. The platform can also display offers and discounts.
When the driver arrives at the Shell gas station, the fuel payments systems determines what pump the driver has selected and pre-authorizes payments — a driver can store up to three different payment methods, Frieden said. “If the driver selects pump No. 4, for example, within seven seconds that pump will be ready to go” because of the payment preauthorization. The technology then sends a three-digit code to the driver, which he or she enters at the pump’s keypad — potentially the first time the driver has had to leave the vehicle.
The driver then selects the fuel grade, pumps the gas and receives an emailed receipt via phone, email or the Marketplace platform. In all, the total process takes about a third of the time as traditional fuel purchases, Frieden said.
According to “Paying At The Pump Report: What Drives Mobile Adoption” from PYMNTS in collaboration with GasBuddy, a survey of 10,000 consumers showed that only 5.9 percent of respondents consider having the ability to pay for gas via mobile app to be “very” or “extremely” important. Part of the reason is worry about the security of using mobile apps for gas purchases.
But the situation changes when talking about younger consumers.
The survey found that 43 percent of high-income millennials said they would be more likely to visit a gas station if its app offered convenience, loyalty and savings. And those younger consumers do indeed visit gas stations. The PYMNTS study found that 65 percent of high-income millennials — consumers born between 1978 and 1995, and with annual incomes ranging from $75,000 to $150,000 — made at least one gas purchase per week. That compares to 58 percent of other respondents who said the same.
Discounts, in fact, are part of the launch of the P97 fuel payments product with Shell. Those eligible GM drivers can earn discounts of 25 cents per gallon (up to 20 gallons) via Shell’s Fuel Rewards loyalty program, among other incentives, according to the gas station operator.
Incentives are key to persuading consumers to switch to these types of digital payments for gas purchases, Frieden said, telling PYMNTS that some buyers “will change payment methods based on as little as five cents a gallon.” Convenience will also work to promote these payments. Not only is there a shorter transaction time, but consumers using this technology don’t have to pull out their payment cards — that may seem like a tiny benefit, but sometimes, at the end of a long day and long commute, it’s often the little things that cause frustration.
Frieden said the in-dash fuel payment tool fits in the emerging ecosystem of connected cars, enabling drivers to engage in more commerce from their vehicles during commutes and other trips. He described a scenario where these in-dash payments go well beyond cash, enabling drivers to order and pay for goods from the convenience store near the pumps without leaving their vehicles.
“You might have your kids in the car, and you need a gallon of milk,” he said. After the driver orders and pays, a “runner” comes out and delivers the products. That would require gas stations to hire staff, Frieden said, but early models of offering such a service are showing “that does not take too many curbside deliveries to justify that service.”
Mobile fuel payments and connected cars are slowly coming together. One of the early steps, though, is figuring out if consumers really will change their habits when it comes to buying gas.


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What Happened to Adap.TV’s IPO?
Adap.TV had filed with the SEC this year to go public, but didn’t. Instead, the company sold to AOL for $405 million.
Why not stay independent? I asked CEO Amir Ashkenazi after the AOL earnings call this morning, and he gave an upbeat answer about wanting to transform TV and video advertising, and how that vision was aligned with Tim Armstrong’s, etc.
Could be true!
If you were a skeptical person, you would note that Tremor Media, another Web video ad tech company, went public in June, and has struggled. You might also note that YuMe, another video ad tech company, is going public this morning, and things don’t look so great with that deal, either.
Here Ashkenazi has a more nuanced answer: Those two companies aren’t anything like his, he said — they’re ad networks, in the arbitrage business. And he’s an ad technology company, selling software, not impressions.
The question is whether the market would have picked up on that difference, or lumped Adap.TV in with the other guys. But now that’s academic.
The reason that there’s no record of Adap.TV filing with the SEC, by the way, is because the filing was done confidentially. That’s a new option made available to just about anyone who goes public now, via the new JOBS Act, and just about everyone is taking advantage of it. It’s interesting to imagine what would have happened if its filings had been out in the open.
On to the deal itself: Tim Armstrong and his executives spent almost all of their earnings call explaining the thinking behind Adap.TV. That makes sense, because it’s the biggest deal Armstrong has made since he started running AOL in 2009. But if you don’t want to spend an hour-plus listening to a replay of that call, you can see an 11-minute version here, via CNBC:


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Overseas Investment Office will have to approve sale of celebrated label as it passes to overseas hands.
Lion New Zealand has bought leading Kiwi wine brand Morton Estate and its Stone Creek vineyard in Marlborough for an undisclosed sum.
The move, which has been in the pipeline since last year, was finalised this week.
Lion said the purchase cost was commercially sensitive.
The sale is subject to Overseas Investment Office approval, which is required for deals of more than $100 million or if it involves more than five hectares of land.
Lion New Zealand managing director Rory Glass said he believed the acquisition would help expand Morton Estate to its full potential, as well as bolster Lion's wine portfolio, which already included brands such as Huntaway, Corbans, Wither Hills and Jackman Ridge.
"Morton Estate will be a great complement to our existing brands, giving us more flexibility in the way we service customers and consumers by way of range and price," he said. "We expect to grow Morton Estate beyond its existing channels in order to fully unlock the potential of the brand."
Lion is fully owned by Japanese brewing giant Kirin, meaning the sale will effectively be passing the New Zealand wine brand into foreign ownership.
Morton Estate was established in 1978 by kiwifruit farmer Morton Brown in Katikati, and was subsequently sold in 1995 to Canadian John Coney, owner of The Wine Portfolio.
The company has vineyards in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay, including the Riverview Estate, and Morton House in Auckland.
The wine brand has received national and international prizes over the years, including for its Black Label chardonnay, which won the title of best chardonnay in the world from the London International Wine Challenge in 1995.
The company handover, which includes the main Morton Estate Stone Creek Vineyard in Marlborough, will begin this week and will be completed by next month.
Coney sees the sale as an opportunity for his team to focus on other wine brands which include Nikau Point and Mill Road, as well as allowing the Morton Estate brand to reach its full potential with Lion.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong investors have government authority consent to buy into a group of New Zealand vineyard businesses.
The Overseas Investment Office has approved QWIL's purchase of five vineyards and 596ha of land, now partly in American hands.
Marlborough's Woolshed Vineyard, Canterbury's Home, Mound and Deans vineyards and Otago's Claim Vineyard are being sold to the Hong Kong buyers for $46.4 million.
Those buyers include Gold Rainbow Int'l (45.31 per cent), Trueway International (22.05 per cent), Triluck Assets (7.45 per cent) and Hong Kong public interests (25.18 per cent), the OIO document said.
The vendor is Accolade Wines New Zealand, 38 per cent in United States control, 19 per cent Australian, 8 per cent Netherlands, 8 per cent Chinese and 27 per cent various others.
"The applicants intend to continue to operate and develop the vineyards and various wine businesses related to the land," the OIO said.


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Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has agreed to make concessions on how they display links from their competitors to avoid a fine from the European Union. This ends a three-year antitrust probe. By reorganizing the links, Google avoided a fine of up to $5 billion. This is 10% of their 2012 revenues. Google has to stick to this deal for the next 5 years.
Google may be investigated a second time by the European Union regarding the Android operating system for smartphones. Google has been scrutinized since November 2010 and received over a dozen complaints from companies (including Microsoft) for promoting their own services.
Google made a couple of attempts to fix the issue, but that did not work out. The Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said on Wednesday that he will accept Google’s concessions without consulting the companies that filed a complaint.
This decision was obviously controversial. German online mapping company Euro-Cities said that they are going to file a grievance with the courts.
“Today’s announcement still leaves many questions open. We will continue to take legal action about Google’s business practices in the German and, if necessary, EU courts,” stated Euro-Cities CEO Hans Biermann.
So what changes are Google going to make? Google will let three rivals display their logos and web links in a prominent box and content providers will be able to decide what material Google can use for their own services. Google is also going to cancel restrictions that prevents advertisers from moving their campaigns to rival platforms like Yahoo! search and Microsoft Bing in Europe.
In regards to the potential Android investigation, FairSearch is accusing Google of using Android to send traffic to their search engine. FairSearch’s members include Microsoft and Nokia.


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Direct Golf UK, Europe’s leading multi-channel golf retailer, topped their record financial year by continuing their national expansion and adding the retail site at Ingleby Barwick, in the North East of England, to their ever-growing portfolio of stores.
Celebrating their 20th year, Direct Golf UK has moved quickly to secure greater geographical and retail coverage in 2012 with two new sites inScotland, in both Dundee andEdinburgh, and now their 20th retail site in Stockton-on-Tees in the North-East of England.
Direct Golf UK will take over the retail operation at Ingleby Barwick Golf Academy from February 2012 and a delighted Neil Bell, Managing Director, commented: “We are excited to be adding a retail outlet in the north-east of England. With a great following for Direct Golf UK and already a great customer base here – the North-East has been a long-term target of ours.”
Chris Morgan, Chairman of Ingleby Barwick Golf Academy, said: “We are extremely pleased that Direct GolfUKwill be joining us on site atInglebyBarwickGolfAcademy, who in common with our own philosophy is committed to the investment in people. We are looking forward to working with them and are sure it will benefit all concerned.”
Ingleby Barwick Golf Academy has become a premier golfing venue in the north east of England, offering a unique combination of a professional standard 9 hole golf course, whilst being family friendly and open to the public. With its position on the bank of the River Tees, it provides breathtaking views and a real test of Golf with the option to play 18 holes using 5 different Tee boxes on the second 9 holes.
In addition, the academy benefits from a three-tier putting practice area and the North East’s only two-tier floodlit driving range complete with state-of-the-art custom fitting centre utilising the latest Flightscope technology. The site also offers an outstanding clubhouse bistro that is open to the general public offering lite bites to full main meals for the whole family, catering for private functions open 7 days a week. And with Europe’s largest multi-channel golf retailer, offering their mix of World Class customer service, huge stocks allied with the best prices in theUK, the site is sure to go from strength to strength.
The news follows another hugely successful year for award-winning Direct Golf UK, who has bucked the trend of golf retailers in these tough economic times by not only posting record revenues but also investing significantly in an aggressive retail growth strategy. Opening five new sites in 2011 and a further three stores in early 2012, Direct Golf UK has increased their retail portfolio from 12 to 20 sites across the UK and drove retail revenues to their highest levels in the company’s 20 year history.
With an improved online shopping experience at www.direct-golf.co.uk, new retails sites and the creation of Direct Golf TV, Direct Golf UK continue to expand and improve every area of their business.
“20 stores was always an aim of ours by 2012 and we are delighted to do that. We look forward to working with Chris, Amy and the team at Ingbleby Barwick” added Bell.
Academy at Ingleby Barwick www.inglebygolf.co.uk
Direct Golf UKwww.direct-golf.co.uk


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Sure, sport utilities can carry cargo, but what do you do when you need to haul a load of lumber...
What's that expression the kids use these days?
Read This Article
The 2015 Ford F-150 has been spotted once again testing, but this time the regular cab and SuperCab join the SuperCrew to the party.
We won't keep you guessing.
This week began with the 2013 Ford F-150 shedding the camouflage that once covered the full-size light-duty truck's front-end.


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Not wanting to get left behind in social media terms, Facebook are still snapping up other apps and developers left, right and centre – remember they bought WhatsApp and Oculus Rift recently, both for over a billion and a half dollars each – and they’re at it again, purchasing ProtoGeo, the company behind the Moves app.
Using any smartphone’s built-in motion trackers, the app has been downloaded over four million times by users who want to keep track of their movements and calorie-burn rate. So what does that mean for Facebook? Will they implement this fitness stuff for their own social media app? Apparently not, as the ProtoGeo people say themselves: “For those of you that use the Moves app – the Moves experience will continue to operate as a stand-alone app, and there are no plans to change that or co-mingle data with Facebook.”
So we’re not turning into Face-And-Body-Book just yet.


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ZURICH, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Straumann Chief Executive Marco Gadola is on the hunt for a 3D printing partner, saying on Thursday it is likely that the Swiss dental implant maker will reach distribution agreement over the next 12 months that includes a possible ownership stake.
“What we have to offer is a worldwide distribution network, especially when it comes to penetrating dentists’ offices,” Gadola said in an interview . “More and more dentists are looking at 3D printing in their own offices.”
Gadola said fast-growing 3D printing applications for dentists is one of the few remaining gaps in the company’s push to become what he calls a “total solutions” provider.
“The probability is rather high” that such a distribution pact will emerge over the next year, he said.
Straumann’s full-year 2016 net income tripled to 230 million Swiss francs ($229 million), helped by a one-time tax gain related to the acquisition of Brazil’s Neodent. It plans to pay a dividend of 4.25 francs per share.
$1 = 1.0043 Swiss francs Reporting by John Miller; Editing by Michael Shields


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EU proposes new rules to discourage disposable fast fashion
BRUSSELS — The European Union warned consumers to stop using their clothes like throwaway items and said Wednesday that it plans to counter the polluting use of mass-market fast fashion.
New rules proposed by the EU’s executive arm call for a mandatory minimum use of recycled fibers by 2030 and would ban the destruction of many unsold products. The European Commission rules aim to limit the release of microplastics as well as improve the conditions for workers in the garment industry.
” We want sustainable products to be the norm,” said Frans Timmermans, vice president of the commission. “The clothes we wear should last longer than three washes.”
The changes would require a massive shift in an industry that in order to keep costs and prices down, produces items with a short life span in developing nations in Asia and Latin America, often under poor working conditions.
” All textiles should be durable, recyclable, made from recycled fibers, and free of harmful substances. Timmermans stated that the strategy also aims at boosting reuse and repair and addressing textile waste. Nearly three quarters of all clothing and textiles used within the EU are imported. In 2019, the 27-nation bloc imported over 80 billion euros ($89.2 billion) in clothes, mainly from China, Bangladesh and Turkey, according to the European Commission, and the average consumer throws away 11 kilos (over 24 pounds) of textiles a year.
Fast fashion has a strong association in Europe with the high-street — areas where clothes-hunters shop for mass-market retailers like Zara, Primark, and H&M. Although the EU is focusing on clothing for this market, it also wants luxury brands set the standard for sustainable fashion within an industry where turnover is crucially short-term and ephemeral.
“There’s a cultural change taking place,” Timmermans said, added that major fashion houses “are always the first to show the way forward.”
“The designers, the artists – they realize that the world has changed and that we need to revisit the way we design fashion,” he said.
Sustainability is a new frontier in the luxury industry. Upcycling and other methods to reduce the carbon footprint have been mainstays for some of the most famous brands on the runways of London and Paris, such as Stella McCartney, which belongs to the Kering group, and more recently Chloe under sustainability-conscious designer Gabriela Hearst.
Thomas Adamson contributed from Paris.
Follow AP’s coverage of climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
I have been writing professionally for over 20 years and have a deep understanding of the psychological and emotional elements that affect people. I’m an experienced ghostwriter and editor, as well as an award-winning author of five novels.


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Boeing Co., which has almost doubled its capacity to turn passenger jets into freighters since the pandemic began, is considering adding even more as demand for air cargo extends into 2022.
“There could be additional lines in the Asia region,” Ted Colbert, head of Boeing’s global services division, said during an interview with Bloomberg at the Singapore Airshow Tuesday. “I see that as a strong place of demand, without a doubt.”
Boeing’s total lines worldwide that convert traditional aircraft into freighters have jumped to 22 from 12 since Covid decimated passenger traffic, Colbert said. Seventeen lines are for Boeing 737s and five are for 767s, he said.
Airlines are relying more on their cargo businesses to replace lost income. Demand for freighters has surged because so many passenger jets—which also carry cargo in their hold—aren’t in service because of the pandemic.
The International Air Transport Association said last month that global cargo capacity was still constrained, driving up the price of air freight. In December 2021, rates were almost 150% above 2019 levels, IATA said.
Cathay Pacific Ltd., whose passenger business has been badly hurt due to Covid considering it has no domestic market, said last month it may report a second-half 2021 profit of between HK$1.5 billion ($192 million) to HK$2 billion with cargo the key bright spot. Korean Air Lines Co. reported a third-quarter profit of $370 million buoyed by robust freight sales.
Colbert declined to say how many conversion lines Boeing is considering adding. “I wouldn’t say it’s a large number right now,” he said. “We do not want to overcapacitize this market.”


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While premium products like large screen televisions, frostfree refrigerators and fully automatic washing machines did sell in cities and large towns driven by plethora of consumer finance options and price cuts — sales of entry-level products which constitute the belly of the market — were a washout, several manufacturers said.
Kolkata: Stagnant or lower festive season sales of entry-level television and appliances like semi-automatic washing machines and single door refrigerators have seen a huge pile-up of stock of these products prompting consumer electronics companies to cut production by up to 30% in November and December, three senior industry executives said. Low to middle-income consumers stayed away from purchases or shifted
liquidity issue in trade and this has impacted wholesale stock movement, which remained down 5-10% (on-year) from July onwards,” he said. The festive season — from Onam in Kerala till Diwali covering Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra and Dhanteras — is the biggest shopping period in India, accounting for 30-40% of annual sales of consumer electronics, smartphones and home appliances.


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Digital TV News: dataxu
dataxu integration expands Roku ad platform
May 5, 2020 – Roku (Nasdaq: ROKU) has unveiled OneView Ad Platform, a platform leveraging TV identity data to manage its OTT advertising in the U.S. The OneView Ad Platform integrates Roku advertising with identity and attribution tools from dataxu, which Roku acquired in November 2019.
News categories: Roku, Scott Rosenberg, Rhasaan Wilks, Advertising, Big Data, Content Identification, Digital TV, OTT, USA
Roku to acquire dataxu
Oct 22, 2019 – Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) has announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase dataxu. dataxu provides marketers with an automated bidding and self-serve software solution to manage ad campaigns programmatically across digital platforms.
News categories: Roku, dataxu, Anthony Wood, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, MnA, OTT, USA, Worldwide
OpenAP partners with dataxu to power digital audience creation
Jul 11, 2019 – OpenAP has announced that it has selected dataxu as its partner to provide technology and services for advertisers to create audience segments for use in targeted digital campaigns.
News categories: dataxu, OpenAP, Sandro Catanzaro, David Levy, Dave Clark, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, USA
dataxu debuts TotalTV Marketplace advanced TV inventory pool
Feb 28, 2019 – dataxu has announced that its TotalTV Marketplace can now reach any strategic audience at scale and identify key viewers on a one-to-one basis across channels and platforms on dataxu’s self-service DSP TouchPoint.
News categories: dataxu, Sandro Catanzaro, Aaron Kechley, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, OTT, Worldwide
SK Broadband selects dataxu to bring addressable TV to Asia
Nov 8, 2018 – dataxu has announced that it has signed an MOU with SK Broadband. Under the agreement, SK Broadband is able to use dataxu’s TotalTV offering, which enables targeting of TV campaigns at the household level, in real-time, via dataxu’s self-serve DSP, Touchpoint.
News categories: dataxu, SK Broadband, James Sampson, Shane Park, Advertising, Big Data, Digital TV, IPTV, Korea
Hearst Television launches private marketplace for Connected TV advertising
Sep 24, 2018 – Hearst Television has launched Hearst Anyscreen, an OTT advertising platform which combines preferred access to Hearst-owned programming, with delivery partners such as Roku. Hearst Anyscreen will enable brands to tap into the dramatic growth of Connected TV viewing.
News categories: Hearst Television, dataxu, Jordan Wertlieb, Jonathan Sumber, Mike Baker, Advertising, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, USA
dataxu debuts TotalTV for Advertisers, spanning linear, connected and addressable TV
Sep 20, 2018 – dataxu has announced TotalTV for Advertisers. TotalTV includes a unified planner for TV that creates buying plans to reach de-duplicated audiences among more than 120 million households, whether viewers are watching linear TV or streaming through any OTT device.
News categories: dataxu, Sorenson Media, Sandro Catanzaro, James Shears, Sarah Wilson, Advertising, Digital TV, USA, Worldwide
dataxu reports 40x YoY increase in TV advertising sales
Jul 10, 2018 – dataxu has announced a record 40x year over year increase in TV advertising purchased through its TouchPoint DSP in Q1 2018. dataxu’s software enables audience-based TV buying from a range of premium providers.
News categories: dataxu, Sandro Catanzaro, Adam Lowy, Advertising, Digital TV, OTT, USA
OTT video ad spending grows 18X on SpotX platform in 2017
Dec 14, 2017 – SpotX has released figures illustrating explosive growth in global OTT video advertising spend across its platform. The portion of overall ad budgets spent with OTT inventory owners increased from 8% in October 2016 to over 26% of total spend for October 2017.
News categories: SpotX, Kelly McMahon, Jay Prasad, Adam Lowy, Advertising, Market Research, OTT, Worldwide
- MediaKind first to deploy latest You.i TV video experience SDK
- TVSquared and Blockgraph partner on TV and cross-channel measurement
- PlayStation 5 launches this November
- BrightLine launches connected TV ad solution
- FIH and NAGRA launch Watch.Hockey app
- Gracenote enables cross-platform search and discovery for sports content
- VR headset market expected to grow despite short-term decline
- Pay TV in Portugal grows 4.1% YoY in 1H 2020
- Liberty Puerto Rico launches Hub TV powered by TiVo
- Verizon Media offers header bidding-like solution for OTT publishers
- Watch Brasil launches SVOD Smart TV app with Accedo
- ViacomCBS global streaming service to be called Paramount+
- TV3 to trial 5G immersive sport at Superbike World Championship
- Finns prefer to watch streaming services on the TV
- Proximus Pickx Android TV service goes live with 3SS
- Disney+ launches in eight more European countries
- Orange delivers 1.75bn multi-DRM licenses with Viaccess-Orca
- Dotscreen renews metadata deal with Red Bee Media
- Broadpeak powers NPVR service for Orange France
- ZEASN announces Smart TV App Store v3.0


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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Incline Village, NV, United States, 2010/01/22 - Transfer Smart specializes in helping owners get rid of their timeshares. The recent article in USA Today provides a glimpse to the thousands of stories of heartache and financial difficulty that have been provided to Transfer Smart.
The economy is causing many hardships across all spectrums. The timeshare industry and timeshare owners are no exception. A recent USA Today article by Roger Yu titled “Many Fed-Up Time Share Owners Are Stuck Trying to Sell” discusses the financial difficulties of owning a timeshare. The article features distressed owners who are unable to find a way to sell their timeshare.
Transfer Smart, a company that deals in timeshare transfers, understands this burden. Founder, Linda Skidmore, faced similar problems when she first began trying to sell her mother’s timeshare.
“After my father passed away, my mother no longer wanted to go on the vacation without him,” Linda explains. “The maintenance fees started piling up, and soon enough she had to let it go. I helped her try to sell it through a local listing company, and then through a big real estate company—with no success.”
Linda’s story mirrors that of Stacey Udell, who has tried unsuccessfully to sell her timeshare on Craigslist. Linda is sympathetic but not surprised due to the sheer volume of timeshares available for sale. “The market is oversaturated,” Linda continues. “The statistics and facts presented in the USA Today article are extremely helpful for people who are looking to get out of their timeshare contract. The more people know the better. There were no options available for my mom. So we figured out a way to help her and now we’d like to help others.”
The timeshare industry is expected to face tougher times in the coming year. Transfer Smart and Linda Skidmore support both satisfied and dissatisfied timeshare owners. The company believes that letting timeshare owners know the realities of ownership will help them make the right decisions.
About Transfer Smart
Transfer Smart (transfersmartnow.com) guarantees a proven method to free families of their timeshare obligations due to timeshare contracts, maintenance fees, special assessments and other timeshare-associated costs. The co-founders of Transfer Smart, Linda and J.C. Skidmore, have over two decades of collective personal experience, expertise and credibility in the timeshare industry. They and their team are ready to help timeshare owners Transfer Smart!


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WASHINGTON, March 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-iReach/ – WMC Global, a market intelligence company specializing in consumer-facing digital messaging, announced today the launch of spamresponse.com, an online resource for consumers to fight back against text message spam and unsolicited calls. SpamResponse brings WMC Global's market compliance expertise into the spam arena, enabling consumers to submit complaints about text message spam and unsolicited calls that WMC Global can use to help identify spammers and disrupt the flow of unwanted messaging in the marketplace.
"Spam isn't just annoying—it poses real risks," explains WMC Global president Ian Matthews. "When consumers receive spam, they're exposed to deceptive advertising, scams, and even malware, and it's one of the biggest problems facing the telecommunications industry today. Although the TCPA offers consumer protections and even damages, this does little to discourage the truly nefarious parties that pose the greatest risk. With SpamResponse, we leverage the data consumers submit to go on the offensive against malicious spammers."
When consumers report spam incidents to SpamResponse, WMC Global uses that information to guide its in-market investigations into high-risk experiences and unsolicited messaging. Even though consumers should never engage with or respond to a spam message, WMC Global's SpamResponse Team investigates reported spam incidents, documenting that spam message and the experience resulting from interacting with it—for example, visiting an affiliate offer or engaging with a phishing attempt. Once the details of that experience are thoroughly recorded and the pathways for spam delivery are identified, the SpamResponse team alerts relevant businesses, technology providers, and industry resources about the spam incident and the individuals responsible, working with those entities to stop those responsible from sending further spam messages and distributing harmful content. In the case of malware, phishing attacks, or other high-risk experiences, the SpamResponse Team will also alert security companies, hosting providers, and other internet safety resources to block access to or take down associated websites or disable other delivery mechanisms, limiting consumers' exposure to harm.
Spam continues to be a growing problem for consumers and businesses alike, and SpamResponse uses the data it gathers to help stop spam proliferation and the spammers behind it. For more information on WMC Global's SpamResponse or to report spam activity, visit spamresponse.com.
About WMC Global
Specializing in market intelligence, data analysis, and enterprise consulting, WMC Global combines information and resources from all three areas to deliver products that work together to create positive consumer experiences and sustainable revenue streams across digital services. WMC Global works with brands and organizations around the world, including telecommunications providers, advertising networks, industry associations, and regulatory bodies, delivering insight into digital experiences and empowering businesses to address service and compliance. To learn more about our company, products, and services, visit us at wmcglobal.com.


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Southern California-based Habit Burger Grill is currently in the midst of an ambitious nationwide expansion, with a particular emphasis on the Philadelphia region, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported yesterday, Oct 9.
According to the Business Journal, the plan is still in its nascent stages, with no franchise agreements inked nor any number of locations or areas decided upon. Nevertheless, the brand is “actively searching for potential real estate sites,” and “hopes to have new restaurants up and running in the next two to three years.”
The Habit Burger Grill currently operates one Philadelphia outpost at the King of Prussia Town Center, which VP of Franchising John Phillips calls “a testament to how well we’ve been able to fill the demand for quality burgers and quick-service offerings just outside of Philadelphia,” adding, “we’re certain that we can have the same [effect] in other surrounding suburbs and within city limits alike.”
Meanwhile, after bouncing back from a covid-induced revenue loss between 2019 and 2020, Habit Burger Grill’s CEO, Russ Bendel, said the company is “‘firing on all cylinders,’ making it an ideal time to grow its presence in the Philadelphia market,” according to the Business Journal.
“We are eager to share fresh, hand-crafted meals and the laid-back, Southern California vibe that The Habit exudes with guests in Philadelphia,” Bendel said.


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TRAVERSE CITY — Cherry Capital Foods will receive an award from the Michigan Small Business Development Center at the Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards ceremony on May 6.
The center named Cherry Capital foods the best small business in northwest Michigan and one of the 12 best in the state. Cherry Capital Foods is a Traverse City-based company that connects Michigan farmers with restaurants and schools to promote local agriculture.
The Michigan Celebrates Small Business awards ceremony will be held on May 6 at the Breslin Center at Michigan State University in East Lansing. Tickets are $115 each or $800 for a table of eight. For more information visit michigancelebrates.biz.
Families in Wis. crash that killed 2 girls sue
DETROIT — The families of three teenagers killed or injured in a 2006 Wisconsin car crash are suing General Motors, alleging that the company was negligent in designing its small cars and committed fraud by not disclosing facts about the defects.
Natasha Weigel, who was 18, and Amy Rademaker, who was 15, died after the October 2006 crash involving a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt compact car with a faulty ignition switch.
The car’s driver, Megan Phillips, suffered permanent brain damage, according to a statement from the families’ law firm.
GM failed to warn the teens of a dangerous defect and misrepresented the car’s safety, said lawyer Robert Hilliard in a statement. The firm said the lawsuit was filed Friday in Hennepin County, Minn., where the car was purchased.
The crash was among the first blamed on the faulty ignition switches. Last month GM recalled 1.6 million Cobalts and other small cars worldwide to replace the switches. The company has admitted knowing about the problem for at least 11 years before taking the action.
The switches can slip out of the run position, shutting down the engine while the cars are being driven. That can cut off power-assisted steering and brakes and cause drivers to lose control. It also disables the air bags if there’s a crash. GM says at least a dozen people have been killed in crashes linked to the switches.


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No Match Found
Small businesses with aggregated annual turnover of less than $10 million appear to be the winners under this year’s Federal Budget Ten Year Enterprise Tax Plan which is intended to encourage Australians to work, save and invest.
In a highly anticipated move, the Federal Government announced that it will reduce the company tax rate from 30 per cent to 27.5 per cent for all incorporated businesses with an annual aggregated turnover of less than $10 million with effect from 1 July 2016.
The corporate tax rate is currently 28.5 per cent for small business entities (broadly, those with annual aggregated turnover of less than $2 million) and 30 per cent for all other companies.
The threshold will then be progressively increased to ultimately have all companies at 27.5 per cent in the 2023-24 income year. The annual aggregated turnover thresholds for companies facing a tax rate of 27.5 per cent is set out in the table below:
|Income year||Annual aggregated turnover threshold|
In the 2024-25 income year the company tax rate will be reduced to 27 per cent and then be reduced progressively by 1 percentage point per year until it reaches 25 per cent in the 2026-27 income year.
Franking credits will be able to be distributed in line with the rate of tax paid by the company making the distribution. It is unclear how the phasing of the corporate tax reduction will apply to investment companies, i.e. non-business entities.
The lowering of the small business corporate tax rate to 27.5 per cent, coupled with an increase of the qualifying threshold to $10 million from 1 July 2016 is expected to bring early significant cash flow benefits to those small businesses operated through corporate entities.
However, the increased differential between the corporate tax rate and the top marginal tax rate will also have the effect of increasing the amount of ‘top up tax’ payable when private company profits are ultimately distributed to shareholders. Small businesses will therefore need to consider the tax profile of their shareholders and their capacity to frank dividends when considering their annual dividend strategies.
The Government has announced that the small business entity turnover threshold will be increased from $2 million to $10 million from 1 July 2016.
Importantly, all business entities (incorporated or otherwise) that meet the new $10 million aggregated turnover test will be able to access the simplified depreciation rules, including the existing instant asset write-off scheme. This will allow them to claim an immediate deduction for depreciable asset purchases costing less than $20,000 until 30 June 2017.
Increasing access to this scheme will provide significant incentives for many qualifying small businesses to increase their current capital expenditure spend. However, the after-tax consequences of the proposed immediate deduction for depreciating assets should be considered. If this results in a tax loss, there is no immediate cash-flow advantage.
Other concessions to which the increased $10 million threshold will apply from 1 July 2016 include:
The current $2 million turnover threshold will be retained to access the small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions, and access to the unincorporated small business tax discount will be limited to entities with turnover less than $5 million.
The introduction of an increased small business threshold is a welcome move as not all small businesses were able to take advantage of the existing concessions due to the low threshold. However, it is disappointing that the Government has not taken the opportunity to apply this $10 million eligibility threshold to all concessions targeted at small businesses.
Small business thresholds will continue to be inconsistent despite this change. This often leads to confusion and increased compliance costs due to the complexity of the rules applicable to the small business sector. For example, the small business CGT concessions require taxpayers to satisfy either the $6 million net asset value test or the $2 million aggregated turnover test. In contrast a $20 million aggregated turnover test applies for the R&D refundable tax offset rules and debt/equity rules.
Private business could benefit from having a consistent set of thresholds applying, and would have greater access to these small business concessions if the thresholds were increased and indexed annually.
The Government will increase the tax discount for unincorporated small businesses incrementally over 10 years from five per cent to 16 per cent. The tax discount will increase to eight per cent on 1 July 2016, remain constant at eight per cent for eight years, then increase to 10 per cent in 2024-25, 13 per cent in 2025-26 and reach a new permanent discount of 16 per cent in 2026-27.
The tax discount applies to the income tax payable on the business income received from an unincorporated small business entity. Access to the discount will be extended to individual taxpayers with business income from an unincorporated business that has an aggregated annual turnover of less than $5 million. The current cap of $1,000 per individual for each income year will be retained.
The Government has announced that from 1 July 2018 it will make much needed amendments to improve the operation and administration of the private company deemed dividends rules (Division 7A of the Income tax Assessment Act 1936) based on the Board of Taxation’s 2015 Post-implementation Review into Division 7A.
These changes are intended to provide clearer rules for taxpayers and assist in easing their compliance burden while maintaining the overall integrity and policy intent of Division 7A. The changes include:
We eagerly await the release of further details in relation to these measures.
© 2017 - Thu Dec 09 01:29:50 UTC 2021 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.


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Macy's, Inc. (M) opened in the green today after the company reaffirmed its full-year guidance as April sales picked up after a harsh winter. The department store that caters to mid and upscale customers also announced its first-quarter results for fiscal year 2014 (1QFY14; ended May 3, 2014). The company managed to beat earnings estimates but fell short on account of revenues for the thirteen-week period.
Macy’s Posts Mixed Results
The Cincinnati, Ohio-based retailer announced a 1.7% drop in revenues as inclement weather hurt its business during February and March. The company reported revenues of $6.279 billion, which fell short of analysts' estimates of $6.465 billion. Same Store Sales (SSS) for the period fell 1.6%. However, coupled with sales recorded in licensed stores, SSS dipped 0.8% only.
The company, operating under its namesake and Bloomingdale’s labels, recorded a growth of 9% in its earnings as net income increased to $224 million or 60 cents per share, compared to last year's income of $217 million or 55 cents. Analysts, on the other hand, were expecting earnings per share (EPS) to come in at 59 cents.
Gross margin for the department store chain improved 10 basis points (bps) to 38.9%, while operating margin registered an expansion of 30 bps to 7.1%.
Macy’s management decided to raise dividend payout and stock repurchase allowance, prioritizing an increase in shareholder returns. The company raised its quarterly dividends by 25% to 31.25 cents, marking a fourth increment in the past three years. On the basis of new dividends, shareholders are eligible to yield a return of 2.2% on an annual dividend of $1.25 per share.
The company, which had resumed its share repurchase program in August 2011, purchased another 7.4 million shares for $432 million during the first quarter. The Board authorized a further $1.5 billion under its share repurchase program, increasing the total to $2.5 billion.
Macy’s Reaffirms Guidance
Despite soft sales in the first quarter, the management reiterated its earlier guidance as sales for April warmed up after harsh winters. “The trend improved in April when the weather began to turn in northern climate zones. We see this as a good sign moving forward into the second quarter,” said Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren.
The company expects earnings to fall in the range of $4.4-4.5 per share at comparable sales growth of 2.5-3%. Analysts estimate full-year earnings at $4.5 per share and revenues at $28.66 billion. The given estimates translate into earnings and revenue growth of 11% and 2.6%, respectively.
For the ongoing quarter, analysts expect earnings of 85 cents per share on sales of $6.28 billion.
The company, which follows a comprehensive strategic plan by the name of M.O.M, says it is well on track to deliver goals set for the current fiscal year. In January, the company announced a restructuring program involving consolidation of districts and closure of five underperforming stores, along with a reduction of 2,500 in its workforce. As a result of the initiative, the company expects to save $100 million annually. Macy’s is also recognized in the industry for its data-driven, customer-centric approach which helps the management take informed purchase decisions to cater to differing customer needs in various localities.
Macy’s opened at $58.6 today, representing a jump of over 1% from yesterday’s closing price. The stock is up 7.7% year-to-date. Generally, sell side is bullish on the stock, with 18 of the 24 analysts covering the stock giving it a Buy rating. Macy’s is currently trading at 12.8 times its expected earnings for the next twelve months.
What do you think about our views on Macy’s? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, and an analyst will reply to you shortly.


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By Brian J. HuttonThis week, Audi announced it had raised $1.2 billion to finance the creation of a battery-powered, self-driving car.
But it also said that Tesla, the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, will soon launch a new electric sedan, the Roadster, which will replace the diesel version of the Roadrunner, which Audi says is the world leader in electrified vehicles.
“We believe we can build a vehicle that will become the next generation, that will be the world car of the future, and that will take on the challenge of the electric car, the electric motorcycle, the hybrid car, and the hydrogen vehicle,” said Timo Wiegand, head of Audi’s electric car project.
“In the end, it will be a completely different form of transportation, with electric motor, electric propulsion, and all the other technology, but with the same basic architecture.”
Wiegand said that Audi’s goal is to deliver a fully autonomous, electric vehicle by 2021, and to have a vehicle on the road by 2025.
That timeline, he said, is very realistic.
“We are in a very different era from today,” he said.
“There are all sorts of technologies that we can use and integrate, but we have to be very realistic.”
Wirbel, a veteran of BMW’s internal testing lab, was not involved in the Audi-Tesla deal, but has previously worked on a battery vehicle that was a direct replacement for diesel.
“They are two different vehicles, but they are two very similar vehicles,” he told me.
“You can’t compare the technology.
I think the technology is there for all to see.
I’m sure they will be able to do it.
They have a lot of experience, a lot on the development side.
It’s not that the engineers don’t know, it’s just that the technology isn’t there yet.””
I think Audi will have an electric car in 2021,” he added.
“I don’t think it’s a leap, but it’s not a leap from the concept of the Audi RS 3.
Wiegend says Audi’s Roadster will be smaller and lighter than the current Roadster S, which is a 1,200-horsepower diesel engine, and which is used in many Audi models. “
But I think that it will definitely happen in 2021.”
Wiegend says Audi’s Roadster will be smaller and lighter than the current Roadster S, which is a 1,200-horsepower diesel engine, and which is used in many Audi models.
Audi said that the new car will be lighter than a gasoline vehicle.
The Roadster has a top speed of over 100 miles per hour and a top range of more than 500 miles.
“This is the same car, with the powertrain and all of the technology, that Audi already has,” Wiegart said.
Audi’s new car, Wiegest says, will be fully autonomous and will also be able run on the electric battery that the company purchased from Nissan last year.
The company also said the Roadsters will be more environmentally friendly than diesel vehicles because they will use a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces less CO2 emissions than a traditional diesel engine.
“That is the key difference between diesel and electric cars,” Wigert said.


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In this week’s newsletter: Part & Parcel is bringing plus-sized clothing out of the dark corners of department stores.
In this week’s newsletter: Peloton’s going public, Boll & Branch raised another $100M and more.
A hacker has infiltrated Jack Dorsey’s own Twitter account. It’s not clear how it happened, but the hacker posted over a dozen tweets in quick succession, including racial slurs. Not only that, it means the unnamed hacker also has access to the Twitter chief executive’s private direct messages. One of the tweets posted a Twitter […]
Travelers are increasingly being denied entry to the United States as border officials hold them accountable for messages, images and video on their devices sent by other people. It’s a bizarre set of circumstances that has seen countless number of foreign nationals rejected from the U.S. after friends, family, or even strangers send messages, images, […]
Google today announced a new long-term initiative that, if fully realized, will make it harder for online marketers and advertisers to track you across the web. This new proposal follows the company’s plans to change how cookies in Chrome work and to make it easier for users to block tracking cookies. Today’s proposal for a […]
Twitter is now blocking state-run media outlets from advertising on its platform. The new policy was announced just hours after the company identified an information operation involving hundreds of accounts linked to China as part of an effort to “sow political discord” around events in Hong Kong after weeks of protests in the region. Over […]
Users have said they are receiving emails from Amazon containing invoices and order updates on other customers, TechCrunch has learned. Jake Williams, founder of cybersecurity firm Rendition Infosec, raised the alarm after he received an email from Amazon addressed to another customer with their name, postal address, and their order details. Williams said he ordered […]
Networking and web security giant Cloudflare says the recent 8chan controversy may be an ongoing “risk factor” for its business on the back of its upcoming initial public offering. The San Francisco-based company and former Battlefield finalist, which filed its IPO paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, earlier this month took […]
This week, Automattic revealed it has signed all the paperwork to acquire Tumblr from Verizon, including its full staff of 200. Tumblr has undergone quite a journey since its headline-grabbing acquisition by Marissa Mayer’s Yahoo in 2013 for $1.1 billion, but after six years of neglect, its latest move is its first real start since […]
Do you sometimes have to nag your significant other to take out the trash on Monday night? Now, you can do so in a more passive-aggressive way by sending them a reminder through the Google Assistant instead of in person. “Hey Google, remind Alex to take out the trash at 8pm,” is all it takes. […]


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Hey, and that’s because internet television has came?
Well, return to those days if it had been an issue having an installment team to visit your home and take all afternoon installing a big, ugly dish on your backyard. Oh how many people like you felt frustrated, since spending $2, 000 – $10, 000 wasn’t the issue, the enormous dreadful dishes were too large for their little backyards.
However, nowadays, a great deal of:
Now you’re able to observe both dish and setup are very little deals also, a great deal of those satellite TV companies are throwing bonuses with every subscription – free receivers, free DVD players, free instant dishes which may be mounted almost everywhere, free setup etc are currently part of the offer. Satellite
TV organizations are panting with fear.
Yeah, the World Wide Web has been incorporated with satellite television using innovative software which makes it feasible for you to watch tens of thousands of TV station nearly any place on earth and also on a once off cost, no monthly charges.
Finally, internet television, like PBA, software suppliers are emerging and advertising all that glitters is gold. Regardless of all those companies are moving to provide the identical quality of support.


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Friday, September 09, 2011
Tom Ross from the “Steamboat Pilot” wrote a great article about condo pricing trends in Steamboat. It is evident that prices have been on a downward arc, but apparently the Lodgeand First Tracks at Wildhorse are becoming the new definition for mid-level ski condo prices. They are two very different condos, but both are sustaining in higher selling prices because of the great shape and amenities offered. Take a look, it’s a great article.


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DiPrima moves up at Saks
August 9, 2004,
Doug DiPrima has been promoted to the newly created post of executive vice president of merchandising for Parisian at Saks Incorporated.
He joined Parisian in 1986 and has held various merchandising positions of increasing responsibility.
DiPrima gained previous retail experience at Macy's. He will report to George Jones, president and CEO of Saks Department Store Group, and will continue to be based in Birmingham.
Jones commented, "Doug is an exceptionally talented and experienced merchant, and I am delighted to offer him increased responsibilities within our organization. This appointment enhances an already strong senior management team at Parisian."
Ernest Brown, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of Men's and Kid's; David Doub, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of Ready-to-Wear; and David Neri, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of Center Core and Home, will report to DiPrima.
Related Content By Author
Live From New York: Fashion Comes Across the Pond
Home & Textiles Today eDaily


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Bree considers selling her business to save her marriage; Carlos crosses some boundaries at work; and Katherine is caught in a bad spot when Edie's worst fears come true.
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Masterminds of considered one of South Africa’s largest bitcoin Ponzi schemes, Mirror Trading International (MTI), have been requested by the scheme’s liquidators to pay again over $291 million to cowl the rip-off operation’s money owed.
Liquidators of the South African bitcoin Ponzi scheme, Mirror Trading International (MTI), have issued summonses in opposition to eighteen people believed to be the masterminds behind the now-defunct scheme. The liquidators need the named people to pay again greater than $291 million (4,666,077,528 rand) to cowl the scheme’s money owed, a report has mentioned.
The transfer to summon the alleged MTI masterminds comes only a few months after liquidators unsuccessfully tried to have the web bitcoin buying and selling platform declared an illegal enterprise by a South African courtroom. As per a report by Bitcoin.com News, the transfer was pissed off by a slew of late courtroom filings by attorneys representing MTI traders.
Investors have been reportedly anxious that the liquidators’ movement would give the latter extreme powers which can jeopardize their probabilities of recovering their funds. Following this intervention by traders, a South African decide subsequently postponed the listening to to a later date.
Masterminds Aware of MTI’s Insolvency
Meanwhile, a report by Mybroadband means that the liquidators have since requested the Pretoria High Court to carry MTI masterminds liable as per the dictates of the Companies Act. In their submission, the liquidators reportedly argued that summonsed people together with the co-owners of MTI, Johann Steynberg and Clynton Marks, have been conscious the bitcoin buying and selling platform was bancrupt.
“[The defendants] have been in any respect related occasions conscious of the truth that MTI was buying and selling in bancrupt circumstances in addition to of the actions perpetrated and constituting fraud upon MTI’s collectors,” the liquidators reportedly mentioned of their summons.
Consequently, the liquidators assert that each one the summonsed people should be held to account for his or her half in perpetuating MTI’s fraudulent enterprise. Named the largest crypto rip-off in 2020, MTI collapsed quickly after its CEO Johann Steynberg disappeared with investor funds in late 2020. He was later arrested by Brazilian regulation enforcement in late 2021.
Following the web buying and selling platform’s collapse, court-appointed liquidators have waged an ongoing battle in opposition to a gaggle of traders opposed to the liquidation process. The group, which insists MTI continues to be solvent and thus shouldn’t be liquidated, needs the courtroom to cease this course of.
What are your ideas on this story? You can share your views within the feedback part beneath.


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Hewlett-Packard (HP) has confirmed that it won't be taking sides in the format battle between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Instead it's pledged support for both standards, leaving the forces of demand and supply to eventually eradicate the inferior offering.
"Today we are committed to supporting both standards," said Chin-Teik SEE, HP's Vice-President for Consumer Products and Mobile Business Group in the Asia-Pacific region.
This is a marked change from HP's initial stance, whereby it was a heavy supporter of the Blu-Ray standard. However, towards the end of last year the company had a falling out with the Blu-Ray camp over certain technical features, and in response it's now decided to work with HD-DVD as well.
The primary benefit touted by the next generation of DVD formats is increased capacity -- Blu-Ray can support 25GB or 50GB discs, while HD-DVD will offer 15GB, 30GB and 45GB capacities. Despite its slightly decreased capacity, HD-DVD offers other advantages such as backwards compatibility with today's DVDs and lower production costs.
According to Chin-Teik, the issues of cost and content availability will converge to determine the winner of the format wars.
"The key driver is really content availability," he said. Yet HP also recognises that costs -- both drive costs and inventory costs for its channel partners -- will play a major part as well.
Unlike manufacturers such as Dell, HP doesn't build its machines to order and thus, in order to support both standards its distributors in each country would have to stock Blu-Ray and HD-DVD versions of each PC. Thus, it's highly likely that said distributors will side with one standard only, depending on consumer demand in their specific region.
"It will be dependent on the region ... we will be putting the drive which is the most popular for that country first," said Chin-Teik, adding that "if there's the demand for a second standard in a country, we will support that too."
HP's decision on which standard to support has been followed closely, since it could significantly influence the outcome of the format tussle. This is because HP is the Australian market leader with a 16.5 percent share of the total PC market in 2005, according to according to IDC figures.


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Google drastically reduced which directories apps can access on your phone on Android 11 as part of its new Scoped Storage, which is a change for the better regarding privacy. However, the new system is problematic for some advanced applications like file managers. When they target the latest version of Android, they can't access all of your phone's internal storage, making them useless for the purpose they were built for. To prevent tons of broken apps, Google has begun emailing developers with apps that require access to device storage, telling them that they'll soon be able to request access to all files via a new permission.
The official PlayStation App on Android, an entryway into the PlayStation Network social hub and Sony's digital game store, isn't the most well-regarded by users. It's also somewhat limited, at least compared to the tools available sitting in front of your console or on a full desktop interface. But the latest update, now in the Play Store, adds in a much-loved feature that was missing from previous versions.
Telegram has gathered steam over the last few months and it recently even updated its Telegram X application after leaving it in limbo for almost a year. As if maintaining two different Android versions wasn't enough already, the company is now introducing a third variant of its messaging application that won't be available on the Google Play Store.
We're all desperately looking forward to the upcoming (white boy?) summer, and Google has just given Wear OS a new feature that will help you stay a little bit safer as you chase the sun. The platform's official Weather app will now show the UV index for your location.
Square Enix recently revealed that the classic PS1-era RPG SaGa Frontier is coming to a plethora of platforms as a remaster in the summer of 2021. The game is slated for a release on Android, as well as the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and iOS, and that's about all of the information Square currently has to offer. Luckily the developer has released an announcement trailer, and so far, things are looking pretty good.
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. We have a sizeable list today, along with a few standouts I'd like to highlight. First up is Despotism 3k, a challenging management game that's easily worth the current sale price. Next is DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition, an enjoyable horror adventure game that offers a few psychological frights. Last up is The Sequence 2, a puzzler built around visual programming. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold green text in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 21 temporarily free and 43 on-sale apps and games for the middle of the week.
Firefox is the last remaining browser with its own rendering engine, giving it an important role in keeping the internet open and standardized. Following the release of a completely rewritten and redesigned version of the browser on Android, Mozilla has been sticking to regular release schedules over the last year, and that's not changing with the latest version, Firefox 88, either. The new release is now rolling out via the Play Store, but you can also get it from APK Mirror straight away.
Searching through large amounts of data is Google's bread and butter, and so it's surprising that the search tools in Google Photos are a little lacking. You can search for certain things by name, and there are filters of sorts with people, pets, places, etc, but you can't easily use more than one at a time. Thankfully, Google is working on a more robust set of filters.
Google has just released Chrome 90 to the stable channel. There aren't too many UI changes or new features for us regular folks on the surface, but under the hood, Google has added a whole slew of improvements that you'll certainly notice over time. You'll get enhancements to copy-and-paste, better AR models, and support for a new codec that uses less bandwidth during video conferences.


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A list of credit card transactions released by Stockton Unified officials may show that trustees didn’t go over their spending limits as earlier reported.
What the lists also show is that trustees take advantage of discretionary spending, doling out hundreds of dollars to local restaurants, casinos, coffee shops and bakeries.
Board President AngelAnn Flores handed out the packets more than a week ago, and the district handed over similar lists on Friday. The district’s documents shed some more light on the district’s spending policy.
First, the reports include both local spending and travel spending, two pots in the eyes of district officials. The lists are broken up into fiscal years, showing Trustee Cecilia Mendez stayed under her limits, opposite of what was previously reported based on papers handed out by Flores. But, she charged more than 150 meals to taxpayers over a two-year period.
In May and June 2021, alone, she went to Mi Ranchito restaurant in Stockton 15 times. On more than one occasion, she ate at the restaurant multiple times a day. In two years, she ate there at least 85 times. Taxpayers footed the bill for her and others.
Trustees have $3,000 in discretionary money, which they can spend as they see fit, as long as it relates to district business. Their travel spending is a little looser, with predetermined amounts and extra if they go over while away at training or conferences.
Mendez has an extra pool of money to spend on travel because she represents the board at the California School Board Association and as an Assembly delegate.
She released a statement late this week about her spending, defending her charges and favorite Mexican food restaurant.
“I am required to have additional travel and attend additional meetings outside the role of a board trustee. I have always followed the rules and process and have always turned in my receipts showing exactly what district business is taking place,” she said. “I have also had to put other board members travel expense on my card when their cards were not working. All receipts have been verified and approved.”
She said she chooses Mi Ranchito for district business because of the “reasonable” prices.
In total over two years, she spent just shy of $5,000, mostly on Mexican food.
District officials spoke out after The Record and social media posts reported on the charges.
“Trustee Mendez’s report shows a combination of discretionary funds and travel expenses which gives the appearance of overspending discretionary amounts, but that is not the case,” spokeswoman Melinda Meza said.
District officials checked receipts.
“Each receipt was turned in and approved,” Meza said.
Earlier this week, members of the board voluntarily turned in their credit cards “in an effort to maintain the focus on students and ensure transparency and public trust.”
Behind the scenes
Flores took to the floor during the last 15 minutes of last week’s budget oversight committee meeting to address her credit card use. The topic had not been discussed earlier in the public meeting, which centered on Stockton Unified’s implementation of Allovue, a new administrative system.
“Behind the scenes, I’ve been asked to provide receipts regarding my credit card expenditures,” Flores said as she handed a packet to everyone in the room — community members, district employees, media, and other board members. It’s unclear if she knew at the time that the reports were incomplete.
“I just want to put it out there that I have similar expenses as other board members … as far as I know, they have not been called in to be questioned about their expenses,” she said.
The expense reports provided show that Flores spent a total of $3,185 from October 2020 to December 2022. A stay at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel and a $500 rental car were some of her top expenses listed. She also charged nearly a dozen gas station trips to her credit card. Gas is not an allowable purchase due to the district’s mileage reimbursement policy, though it’s unclear if that applies to filling up a rental car.
The reports provided also show that Alicia Rico spent $1,973, while Ray Zulueta spent $2,886 in 2021 and 2022 — mainly on fast food and Uber rides, which were allowed at the time. Meals can be charged on the district credit card when traveling or for business meetings. Lyft and Uber trips aren’t allowed to be expensed as of July.
Former Trustee Zachary Avelar spent $568 from December 2021 to December 2022, with $61 coming from a purchase at Kings Card Club, a local card room that also sells alcohol and food. It’s unclear if Avelar spent public money on alcohol or gambling. Alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco products, gambling, and betting are all restricted from purchase by the district, Stockton Unified’s credit card policy shows.
Avelar left office in December after he was defeated by Kennetha Stevens in the 2022 general election.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.


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(Closes share price in third paragraph.)
Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Amadeus IT Holding SA, the world’s biggest processor of travel transactions, may consider buying back stock or paying more dividends as its profit increases, Chief Financial Officer Ana de Pro said.
Amadeus is studying how to boost remuneration to shareholders, de Pro, 43, said in an interview. The Madrid-based company also plans to list American depositary receipts in the short term, she said. The shares rose as much as 3.1 percent.
The stock began trading last year after Amadeus shareholders raised more than 1.4 billion euros ($1.9 billion) in an initial public offering. The average stock-price estimate of 23 analysts is 16.62 euros, according to Bloomberg data, while the shares have dropped 20 percent this year to 12.505 euros. The initial stock price was 11 euros.
“There’s room to improve shareholder remuneration, without a doubt,” de Pro said, speaking at the company’s headquarters. “Share buybacks make sense when the stock price is below the value of the company.”
The travel services company’s adjusted earnings per share will probably rise 8 percent this year, according to the average of 12 analysts’ estimates gathered by Bloomberg in the past 28 days.
Amadeus rose 4.4 percent at the 5:30 p.m. close in Madrid, compared with a 1.1 percent gain for the benchmark Ibex-35 index. Amadeus’s 750 million euros of bonds due 2016 are trading at a spread of 299 basis points above the benchmark mid-swaps rate, according to Bloomberg data. The notes were first sold July 4 at a spread of 215 basis points.
The company said in February that sales at its distribution business, which provides a processing platform for travel products and services, will increase 4 percent to 6 percent from 1.99 billion euros last year. Its information-technology division’s sales will expand 5 percent to 8 percent from 601.4 million euros, Amadeus forecast at the time.
Amadeus maintains those goals, though it isn’t immune to the global economic slowdown, de Pro said. Distribution revenue rose 8.5 percent last year and IT sales gained 18 percent.
“We don’t live outside the rest of the world,” de Pro said. “The world has suffered and we have suffered as well.”
Amadeus, the largest global distribution system for the travel industry, said it has a 37 percent market share. The company’s main competitors are Sabre Holdings Corp. and Travelport LLC.
Earnings growth is “guaranteed” as more airlines sign up for its computer services, de Pro said.
Amadeus has a policy of paying 30 percent to 40 percent of net income as dividends. The board hasn’t yet made a decision on this year’s ratio after paying out 35 percent last year, de Pro said.
Air France, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, SAS Group and Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA founded the company in 1987. The shares began trading in 1999 and private-equity companies Cinven Ltd. and BC Partners Ltd. bought Amadeus in 2005.
A so-called lock-up period that restricted Cinven and BC Partners from selling their remaining 3.4 percent stakes in the company expired Oct. 8. Cinven and BC Partners sold a 9.2 percent stake in Amadeus in July at 13.90 euros a share.
Amadeus provides information services for airlines, car rentals, cruise lines and hotels. The computer-service unit has about 140 airlines as customers, including British Airways and Qantas Airways Ltd.
Amadeus agreed to a 2.7 billion-euro credit line, refinancing its debt in May. It included a 1.2 billion euro bridge loan, of which 750 million were already paid off with a bond sale completed in July, according to the company’s regulatory filings.
Amadeus may refinance the remaining 450 million euros in bond markets this year if markets stabilize, de Pro said.
“The bridge loan has a maturity in two years so we have plenty of time,” to refinance, de Pro said. Amadeus may issue 450 million euros to 500 million euros of bonds, she said.
Amadeus’s debt is rated BBB-, Standard & Poor’s lowest investment grade.
“Amadeus inevitably will improve its investment grade level because we generate a lot of cash,” de Pro said. “We will be de-leveraging,” even as Amadeus invests in its business and possibly boosts shareholder remuneration, she added.
--Editors: Thomas Mulier, Tom Lavell
To contact the reporters on this story: Manuel Baigorri in Madrid at email@example.com; Esteban Duarte in Madrid at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Angela Cullen at email@example.com; Paul Armstrong at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Banks are currently facing a serious generational divide, and it’s an issue that requires urgent action, lest banks lose out on the customer of the future.
For most adults today, the likelihood is that they opened their first bank account in a branch, accompanied by their parents. However, with the acceleration of digital banking, this assurance has dissolved. Tech-native teenagers and Gen Zs have more opportunities than prior generations to take control of their financial lives early on – and having grown up with instantaneous digital access to virtually any service they could need, they are much more likely to turn to a fintech that meets their expectations of a frictionless digital experience than their parents’ bank.
The result is a bottleneck in traditional banks’ revenue growth as they lose a previously effortless source of first-time banking customers. And if banks are unable to replenish the top of their sales funnel, as their existing customers age, they risk losing a huge portion of their market share. Therefore, the reality is that many banks have a Gen Z blind spot, and failure to acknowledge the generational divide means they will soon be met with a rapidly drying sales funnel.
How can banks avoid this fate? There are a number of ways to address this issue, capture the growing Gen Z market, and lay the groundwork for long-term success.
Delivering digital features quicker
Gen Zs are true digital natives, having grown up with easy access to the internet, smartphones and convenient, intuitive digital experiences. Such experiences have entailed a degree of instant gratification. They are able to make orders from Amazon with a single click, their favourite songs are instantly available to stream on Spotify, and they can eat dinner from their favourite restaurant without having to step foot outside their home – and today’s Gen Z digital banking consumer won’t settle for anything less.
So when it comes to their banking experiences, quick interactions and instant access are paramount. According to Morgan Stanley, up to 80 per cent of smartphone-carrying Gen Zs are already using mobile banking. As a result, outdated banking infrastructure and approaches to innovation simply won’t cut it. Gen Zs want speed.
Few banks are currently able to adequately meet this demand for speed. For many incumbents, their existing technology stacks are outdated and siloed, requiring tremendous maintenance just to keep the lights on – and even the simplest of digital changes can require lengthy release cycles of a year or more. Banks seeking to attract and retain young customers need to overhaul their technology infrastructure – that is, break down siloes, evaluate cloud options, and consider managed hosting services, among other steps – to enable streamlined innovation and bring new digital products to market faster.
Acknowledging weaker customer loyalty
Not only can attracting Gen Z customers be a significant challenge for traditional banks; retaining them can be difficult, as well. It is easier than ever for customers to take their business elsewhere. In fact, over 50 per cent of Gen Z customers consider switching their banks as a result of a bad service experience – twice the rate of other age groups. Essentially, Gen Z banking customers have high expectations and low loyalty. They expect their demands to be met and will gladly look for alternatives if this is not the case.
Gen Z isn’t waiting around if they can’t take out a product through their channel of choice, if the digital onboarding process doesn’t meet their expectations, or worse, if there are manual steps required. Therefore, in the era of convenience, banks must demonstrate immaculate levels of understanding to their digital-native consumer base to avoid losing customers who would very willingly make the switch.
But the rewards of catering to Gen Z can be great. Just as they are willing to walk away from services that don’t suit them, they are equally willing to pay a premium for outstanding experiences and customer service. As such, there are several steps banks can take to maintain the loyalty of their Gen Z customers and win their hard-earned money. First and foremost is taking the time to understand what online and mobile banking capabilities are most used and useful to users, and investing in the right technology to facilitate them. Many banks have feature-rich online and mobile apps – most of which are barely used – but poor user experience flows for the basics, such as signing in or creating accounts.
Focusing on front-end innovation
Shifting from keeping the digital lights on to focusing efforts on front-end innovation – including everything from online and mobile app functionality to third-party app integration and smart analytics engines – is non-negotiable for banks. If banks are going to attract Gen Z customers, the user experience and interface across all digital channels needs to be slick to ensure the generational divide doesn’t become a pipeline run dry. And by covering all these bases, banks will also become better-positioned to engage their customers with relevant additional product offers that suit their personalized needs – creating an up-selling and cross-selling strategy too.
Further, front-end innovation that enables banks to engage and deepen their relationships with their Gen Z customers has never been more important. This is because banking has undergone huge shifts as an industry in recent years. While traditional banks were previously the go-to providers for a customer’s every financial requirement, an influx of fintechs have entered and disrupted the market, showing an understanding of customers’ desire for digital convenience. For example, rather than spending hours on hold waiting to speak to a customer service representative, fintechs enable these conversations to happen instantly and online via chatbots. As a result, they have presented and established themselves as an attractive alternative to younger customers.
That said, banks are still able to keep market traction. To do so, the key lies in bringing a customer’s every financial need together all in one place and offering instant value with end-to-end customer journeys. However, this does not mean competing with each fintech entering the market. Instead, banks can partner with the right provider and consolidate their Gen Z customer’s financial data across one platform. This enables them to harness the power of digital transformation to own the entire customer experience, remain the orchestrator of all engagement and prevent the Gen Z blind spot from becoming a significant impediment to growth.


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“Daytime Café” to open first Knoxville location in the fall of 2013
Award-winning Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch restaurant First Watch today announced plans to open its first Knoxville restaurant this fall in Turkey Creek. The new 3,853-square-foot restaurant will be located near the Publix Super Market on Parkside Drive.
The First Watch restaurant will be operated by Knoxville-based Capstone Concepts, LLC as part of a multi-unit franchise agreement to open a total of eight restaurants over the next five years in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City, Asheville, N.C., and Bowling Green, Ky. Capstone currently owns and operates restaurants in Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky.
“We’re excited about offering people in Knoxville a great new dining choice in First Watch,” said James Geib, chief operating officer for Capstone Concepts. “Even as the West Knox location begins serving customers, we will be finalizing locations for others, both in Knoxville and the other markets where we plan restaurants.”
As part of learning every aspect of First Watch, both Geib and Nadim Jubran, one of the owners of Capstone Concepts, will begin an intensive 10-week training period in Nashville and Cincinnati.
First Watch is known for delivering an excellent dining experience and fast, friendly service. A recipient of more than 200 “Best Of” accolades in markets across the country, the restaurant features traditional favorites including pancakes, omelets, salads and sandwiches, as well as signature specialties such as the Chickichanga, Healthy Turkey Omelet and Fresh Fruit Crepes. All menu items are freshly prepared to order and the restaurant does not use deep fryers or heat lamps.
In 2011, First Watch opened its first company-owned restaurant in Tennessee with a location in Brentwood. More recently, plans were announced to open a restaurant in the Cool Springs community of Franklin, Tenn., later this year.
“With a proven operator like Capstone Concepts, we expect First Watch to become the Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch destination for families across the Knoxville area,” said Kevin Hall, vice president of franchising for First Watch. “Knoxville is a natural fit for our dining concept, especially given our presence in Nashville and Atlanta, and we couldn’t be more excited to have a partner like Capstone leading the way.”
The Turkey Creek First Watch will feature a 900-square-foot patio and an interior design that maximizes the natural light provided during the restaurant’s daytime hours – conveying the warm and inviting personality of the First Watch brand.
In addition to serving unique and fresh entrées, First Watch offers its exclusive Sunrise Select Premium Blend Coffee. The special blend is made from slow-roasted, hand-selected, high-grown Panamanian, Colombian and Mexican coffee beans.
First Watch serves its entire menu seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The restaurant also offers guests complimentary newspapers and free Wi-Fi Internet access.
The Turkey Creek First Watch will employ approximately 25 people.
For First Watch franchise information, visit
First Watch has specialized in award-winning, made-to-order Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch for 30 years. A recipient of more than 200 “Best Breakfast” and “Best Brunch” accolades, First Watch offers traditional favorites such as omelets, pancakes, sandwiches and salads, to unique specialty items like the fan-favorite Chickichanga and Fresh Fruit Crepes. It is currently the largest and fastest-growing daytime-only restaurant concept in the U.S. with more than 100 restaurants in 15 states and additional units under development as part of the Bradenton, Fla.-based company’s aggressive growth strategy. For more information, visit www.firstwatch.com.


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Mobile devices are critical to every organization’s digital transformation initiative. But for hackers set on stealing sensitive business data, mobile devices are the new back door to the enterprise network. In fact, 20% of all businesses were breached last year and an even larger number has no idea whether they’ve experienced a mobile attack, according to a recent survey conducted by Dimensional Research.
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PARIS, Oct. 11 — The cheapest piece they stole was a platinum ring worth $2,800. The most expensive item: a $5 million diamond-studded bracelet.
A brazen and meticulously planned robbery of the Harry Winston store in central Paris last weekend netted the unknown thieves about $28.4 million in gems, one of the largest jewelry thefts ever, French investigators said Thursday, after an inventory of the raided safe.
An elite Interior Ministry unit, the Serious Crime Squad, has been put on the case, but so far investigators lack leads to either the robbers or their haul.
The police said that four or five masked men entered the Harry Winston boutique at 10 a.m. on Saturday — a shop just around the corner from a police station and mere footsteps from the tourist hordes of Paris’s best-known avenue, the Champs-Élysées.
The robbers, who were armed, overwhelmed the six employees arriving for work, one by one, then calmly ordered them to open the safe. The robbers vanished with a bag full of heavy necklaces and gems, including a large diamond worth $2.8 million. None of the employees were hurt.Continue reading the main story
“It was a standard holdup, like you see in any store in any neighborhood when a bunch of kids steal money from the cashier,” said one official close to the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“These guys are professionals. Beginners don’t dare go near top-end jewelers,” the official said, adding that the real test of the gang’s acumen would be whether they could resell the stolen gems on the black market.
Because of the risk of detection, stolen jewels tend to fetch only a fraction of their retail price, sometimes as little as 20 percent, analysts say. French investigators have been circulating information about the stolen merchandise to the police in other countries in the hope of catching the thieves when they approach a prospective buyer.
The Harry Winston robbery dwarfs other recent robberies in France and beyond.
In Paris, the theft of two diamonds worth an estimated $18.5 million at an antiques fair in Paris in September 2004 came closest. The police never found the perpetrators. In 1994, armed robbers stole about $21 million in gems from the jeweler Alexandre Reza in central Paris.
Diamonds are a thief’s close friend, to judge by recent years. There were 253 recorded robberies of French jewelers last year, 20 percent more than in 2005, according to an internal report of the French jewelers’ federation. Some police officers speak with concern of a “new era” of criminality in the luxury sphere.
Luxury outlets also are attracting criminal attention beyond France.
Last month, a gang of moped riders in London robbed the boutique of Luella Bartley, a prominent British designer, and escaped with more than $20,000 worth of handbags. Asprey, a British jeweler, has been robbed several times, losing $800,000 worth of gems on one occasion.
In March, necklaces and rings from Avakian were stolen by a gang on mopeds, while in June tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of shoes were stolen from Roger Vivier.Continue reading the main story


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LEBANON. Byblos Bank issued today, in cooperation with the American University of Beirut through the Olayan School of Business, the results of the Byblos Bank/AUB Consumer Confidence Index for the fourth quarter of 2011.
JORDAN. The Jordanian economy is recovering from the crisis in 2012, with support from the IMF and GCC countries. The international reserves of the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) have more than doubled in 2013 and economic activity is picking up.


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But the auto industry is not the only manufacturing sector taking a turn for the worse. American aircraft makers and industry leaders are also taking huge hits and watching profits dwindle. According to the International Trade Commission, the U.S. aerospace industry ran its first trade deficit in history. In the fourth fiscal quarter of last year the American aircraft industry ran a robust $11.4 billion surplus. This year, it ran a $5.15 billion deficit.
The aerospace and auto manufacturing industries have long been considered the backbone of America’s blue collar workforce. They employ hundreds of thousands of Americans both directly and indirectly, but over time their market share has dwindled due to unfettered overseas competition. When the financial markets collapsed last spring the orders which had been slowing were grinding to a halt.