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To reduce the landfill usage, eco-friendly concepts are nowadays welcomed by the industry to stimulate the growth of businesses during tougher times. Refilling, reusing, recycling is the innovative way to target the price sensitive consumers, thus giving
Gone are the days when refilling printer cartridges was not feasible and one had to spend money on buying expensive cartridges to replace parched ones. The industry grew up and innovative ways were discovered to reuse or recycle the used cartridges. It is said that refilling saves the environment, helps in conserving the natural resources and reduces e-waste. It in now evident from research that refilling is the way out to fulfil the needs of the consumers. To meet the rising demand for new-age printers and cartridges, India`s finest cartridge refilling players are looking forward to cater to the refilling requirements of SMEs, Small Office and Home Office (SOHO), Small Medium Businesses (SMBs), Government and large corporations. Alkesh Agarwal, CEO, Refeel Cartridge Engineering says, “We are targeting one and all, whoever is using printers. Since we have retail stores throughout India, around 55-60 per cent of the total business comes from individuals and SMEs.”
The size of the printer cartridge industry in India is placed at Rs 1,500 crore (2006 – 07) ($375 million), out of which 48 per cent share, by volume, is of recycled cartridges. The CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of the refill industry in India is approximated to be at 12.8 per cent for FY 2008-09. With exponential growth in a number of small businesses running in every nook and cranny of the country, the cartridge refilling industry too is gaining instant recognition with a plethora of brands coming to dominate the market in an organised way. The industry offers an incredible opportunity to aspiring franchisees. In tough times, when the economy goes down, businesses try harder to cut costs. So, in order to create hassle free businesses, professionals are coming up with new ideas of refilling old cartridges. For franchisees, it is reckoned as a recession proof business as it itself gives an assurance that it will not fail, since the consumption of printing is going up in all sectors. It also intends to drive the eco-friendly concept in order to save the surroundings from e-waste. The cartridge refilling industry is growing exponentially, thereby giving support to augment mass employment, offering refilled cartridges at minimal prices and in turn, increasing the demand for refilled cartridges among the diverse target group of consumers.
Generating consumer awareness
Earlier, the market was not mature enough to recognise the value of the cartridge refilling and remanufacturing market. Owing to lack of knowledge, customers were apprehensive about using the refilled or remanufactured cartridges, due to the myth that it would damage their printer`s performance. Educating customers about the benefits of using remanufactured and refilled cartridges has now become a challenge for organised players. Globally, Cartridge World has helped promote reusing and refilling - the organised way, thereby substantially contributing in creating awareness about the importance of reusing before recycling and saving the environment. While comparing the Indian consumer and his global counterpart, Sandeep Narang, MD, Navsons Cartridge Clinic Pvt. Ltd says, “I think the Indian consumer`s preferences are not much different from the global consumer. Indian consumers are already aware about refilling, the only need is to educate them about better refilling options available through organised units.” On the other hand, Naveen Rakhecha, CEO, Cartridge World informs, “One thing that customers want globally is assurance and reliability in service, superior quality and cost savings when they are printing and that is what we offer.”
Towards organised market
Earlier, the unorganised market in the cartridge refilling industry used to offer low-priced and poor quality refilling alternatives to the consumers, while OEMs used to give quality at a very high cost. The printer manufacturers were not liable for refilling cartridges. Moreover, the person was left with no other choice - he either had to buy a new one or get it refilled from local refillers. Rakhecha elucidates, “Refilling was a bad word – thanks to the way India had been refilling over the years. There were only few or no specialised refill stores. Refilling in most cases was not done scientifically.” To address the growing requirements of the industry, the Indian Cartridge Remanufacturers and Recyclers Association (ICCRA) was formed to fulfil the needs of the printer cartridge remanufacturing industry across the country. Talking about the unorganised industry Agarwal reveals, “At present, only around 35 per cent of cartridges are being refilled in India and out of those, over 95 per cent of the cartridges are being refilled by local unorganised players, providing cheap, poor quality print solutions. Many a time, they even damage the printer because of their faulty refilling methods.” He further declares, “We expect the organised segment to grow over 200 per cent in the coming three years.”
B.B.Somani, CEO, AbbeeFill also shares the same opinion that the cartridge refilling industry, by and large, is still unorganised in India. Over the last three years, a couple of organised players have started this trade in an organised way. The cartridge refilling industry is expected to become more organised as Indian consumers` preference towards using refilled cartridges is now shifting as they focus more on using quality and environment friendly products. Indian consumers too are accepting the organised refillers. Buying a new cartridge from the market is more expensive than refilling the same. Commenting on the ongoing debate about buying new cartridges vs. refilling the same ones, Somani informs, “One new black inkjet cartridge on an average costs Rs 1,000 - 1,500 and a coloured one costs Rs 1,500 – 1,800. A new laser cartridge comes at around Rs 4,000 – 8,000. The same cartridge can be refilled for Rs 150 – 250 and the laser cartridge would cost about Rs 400 – 1,000, without compromising on quality.”
Franchising in cartridge refilling
Cartridge World, Refeel Cartridge Engineering, AbbeeFill, Cartridge Café and Navson`s Cartridge Clinic Pvt. Ltd are aggressively flourishing across the country by means of the franchising model. Besides refilling, there are OEM players like HP, Canon, Xerox, Compaq, Samsung, Kodak, Panasonic and Lexmark that are luring customers to buy new cartridges. While sharing his opinion about franchising in the cartridge refilling industry, Agarwal feels, “The franchise model in the cartridge refilling industry is a proven and successful business model internationally. This is a very dynamic industry driven by very fast changes in technology. Individually, it is very expensive and very difficult to keep yourself abreast with the technological developments.”
Below, we have short-listed the organised players that transformed the overall scenario of the cartridge refilling industry. Except the homegrown players, Cartridge World is the only international player that brought about a change in the Indian market by promoting and encouraging the innovative idea of the recycling, reusing and refilling business.
Cartridge World was founded in Adelaide, South Australia in 1997. It operates on a three tier franchise model (Franchisor – Master Franchisee – Franchisee). All Cartridge World stores are independently owned and operated by franchisees. The company started franchising in 1997, when it appointed the first franchisee in Adelaide, Australia. Today, Cartridge World is the world`s largest retailer of printer cartridge refilling services, with retail revenues of more than $450 million worldwide. There are over 1,675 franchised Cartridge World stores across 51 countries. After entering the Indian market two years back, the company has been able to establish over 75 franchise relationships. Moreover, the existing franchisees of the company have experienced quick success by multiplying their number of stores.
Refeel Cartridge Engineering:
Green Refeel is a retail printer cartridge refilling and recycling chain which was established in 2007, after an extensive research on the cartridge industry for over three years. The company`s well equipped R&D centre and internationally trained personnel, provide cutting edge technology to all its franchisees. Started by young entrepreneurs, the company is now present at over 30 locations, covering over 20 cities across India and evolving continuously in tandem with dedicated and passionate store owners and valued customers. Refeel is a one stop shop for printer and printer consumables; it is also into refilling of inkjet and laser printer cartridges. It also stocks a wide range of OEM cartridges, printers, specialty paper and fax and office supplies.
Cartridge Cafe is a Green company that protects the environment and provides huge savings to the customers` printing cost. It is the only Indian brand that offers tamper proof refilling of inkjet cartridges, without damaging the cartridges. With this process and technology, the cartridges can be filled multiple times. Currently, the company has signed up a number of live stores and is in an expansion mode.
Navson`s Cartridge Clinic Pvt. Ltd:
Navson`s Cartridge Clinic Pvt. Ltd was started in Punjab some three years ago. The company offers highest quality refilling services, compatible printer supplies and laser toners to individuals, businesses, government and educational institutions, through its network of authorised franchisees. From a humble beginning, the company has grown into a network of 14 stores in India, specialising in printer cartridge remanufacturing and printer sales and service.
Abbee consumables and peripherals Sshope Ltd., a direct marketing arm of Abee Info-Consumables Ltd., being a pioneer in printer cartridge industry in India, introduced `AbbeeFill Cartridge Refill Station`, to offer products and services that are primarily related to the printing needs of the customers, i.e., refilling of inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges, dot matrix cartridges and more. The company supplies doorstep services in refilling the cartridges of any printer, at an affordable price, with a whole range of warranty and guarantee. The products and services are affordable and easy to implement, easy to use, and delivered by a trusted neighbourhood AbbeeFill Cartridge Refill Station. The company has successfully implemented a `Micro Marketing` concept and within the next five years, it plans to expand its operations by appointing one master franchisee per city, in 65 cities and 1,500 unit franchisees for every pin code area across these cities.
The cartridge refilling industry offers a great opportunity to the franchisees that are looking for prospects to start their own business. On providing effective training and support to the franchisees, Rakhecha says, “A Cartridge World franchisee can look forward to taking advantage of business orientation and technical training programmes, technical support, assistance in store development, manuals for starting and running the cartridge world store, access to global vendor relationships for buying raw materials, financial assistance and marketing support provided by highly qualified, knowledgeable and experienced training staff.” Whereas on the other side, Agrawal clarifies, “From signing a franchise agreement till the store is operational, we assist in site selection, store design and related business start up activities. We have a comprehensive training programme which covers technical, marketing, administration, accounts, customer handling and store management activities.” He further says, “We will be introducing innovative products and services at regular intervals that will give our franchisees an extra earning opportunity.” Whereas Valerian Fernandes, Founder – Director, Cartridge Cafe says, “We provide complete technical training on our process, technology along with company certifications to our franchisees and we retain them through our marketing handholding exercise where the company, along with the franchise owner, goes to market the store and create awareness of this business among the corporates.”
With growing inflation, providers of print technology are now feeling the crunch of mounting costs for manufacturing, buying raw materials and transportation. To seize more market share in the industry, the competition is emerging between the OEM companies and refillers. Nowadays, everybody, whether OEM or refilling players, is actively involved in making different advertising and marketing strategies to stimulate the growth of the products in the market. OEMs provide quality products at highly priced items, while refilling players are providing the refilling alternative for the same products at economical prices. HP Planet Partners, a part of the HP Eco Solutions recently announced its worldwide expansion through a print cartridge return and recycling programme, along with steps to reduce shipping material and increase transportation efficiency. Agrawal says, “Our commitment to provide low cost - high quality print solutions in the least turn around time and our flexibility to adapt to the local conditions is what sets us apart. Our technical, marketing and administrative departments work in tandem with all our franchisees to achieve this common objective.” He further says, “We use over 3,000 different types of raw materials for cartridge refilling purpose. We have a strong logistics and support system to supply raw materials to all the franchisees.” To gain extra profits, the companies plan different tactics to retail their products in the market. “To promote our franchise concept, we are participating in trade exhibitions, release ads in main line print and electronic media. We are also promoting the husband and wife combination for this business,” reveals Somani. Whereas Fernandes says, “Our company strategy is to provide excellent service in the quality of tamper proof refill and remanufactured services.”
In India, the cartridge refilling industry is still emerging. Talking about the market share in the refilling industry Rakhecha reveals, “Through our franchised retail stores, we aim to achieve 10 to 15 per cent market share in the next three years.” Whereas on the other side, Refeel Cartridge Engineering targets a market share of about 5-6 per cent by the end of 2010. While commenting on the future of the dynamic industry, Rakhecha explains, “Reusing the empty cartridge and saving the environment along with money, without compromising on quality is a compelling proposition. Today, with the economic slowdown and cost cutting becoming very important, we see a big opportunity for our services.” He further adds, “Green consumerism is gaining ground in India. With over 70 per cent of cartridges to be thrown into landfill after single use, the opportunity for the refill industry is huge.”
On the other side, Narang feels, “The industry is experiencing sustained growth. The growth pattern is likely to continue in the foreseeable future and the opportunities for growing market share are endless.” The scope of the cartridge refilling and remanufacturing industry is certainly in support of the organised players that have gained success in creating awareness among customers about using cost effective, eco-friendly and recycled products. Another reason behind the growth is the increasing prices of OEM cartridges. The buyers like SOHO are more price-sensitive than large corporations. In addition to this, the market is more likely to transform with the advent of newer technology that will certainly stimulate the growth of the industry. In the future, it indeed offers a fabulous business opportunity to the potential franchisees and ensures gigantic expansion and profits.


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¶PopSugar Inc., San Francisco, which operates the popsugar.com Web site and a daily streaming show, “PopSugar Live,” named Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, part of the Omnicom Group, as its first global advertising agency of record. Billings were not disclosed.
¶Thomas L. Harrison, chairman at the Diversified Agency Services division of the Omnicom Group, New York, was named chairman emeritus, a new post in which he will serve as an adviser. Dale A. Adams remains president and chief executive.
¶Tom Morton joined the new New York office of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, part of the Omnicom Group, as head of strategy. He had been chief strategy officer at Havas Worldwide New York, part of the Havas Worldwide division of Havas, as well as joint chief strategy officer for North America at Havas Worldwide.
¶Beth Wade, chief client officer at VML, Kansas City, Mo., part of WPP, was named the agency’s first chief marketing officer.
¶Fred Burt, director for European clients at the London office of Interbrand, part of the Omnicom Group, was named managing director for global clients at Interbrand, a new post, reporting to Jez Frampton, global chairman and chief executive. Mr. Burt will continue to be based in London.
¶Chermayeff & Geismar, New York, a brand identity and graphic design agency, was renamed Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv, to reflect the contributions of Sagi Haviv, partner. It is the first time an executive’s name is being added to the agency’s name since its founding in 1957.
¶Dentsu, Tokyo, completed its acquisition of the Aegis Group, London, which was announced in July, for about $5 billion. Dentsu has formed a unit based in London, Dentsu Aegis Network, to oversee its agencies outside Japan, which operate under the Dentsu Network umbrella, and the Aegis media operations around the world, under the Aegis Media banner. Tim Andree, senior vice president at Dentsu and chief executive at Dentsu Network, will also be executive chairman at Dentsu Aegis Network. Jerry Buhlmann, who continues as chief executive at Aegis Media, will be chief executive at Dentsu Aegis Network.
¶Worldwide spending on Internet advertising reached $99 billion last year, up 16.2 percent from 2011, according to a report from London and New York executives at the GroupM unit of WPP, and accounted for 19.5 percent of all worldwide measured ad spending. The report forecast that spending for Internet ads this year would total $113.5 billion, up 14.6 percent from 2012, which would represent more than 21 percent of all worldwide measured ad spending.
¶Advertising revenue from online sources continues to grow faster for the radio industry than does ad revenue from traditional, over-the-air sources, according to a quarterly report from BIA/Kelsey, Chantilly, Va. Over-the-air ad revenue rose 1.5 percent last year compared with 2011, the report said, while online ad revenue increased 3.6 percent last year compared with 2011.
¶Bart Simpson, the cartoon character who appeared in popular ads for Butterfinger candy from 1988 through 2001, is returning in ads that are to begin appearing on Monday. The ads, created by Dailey, West Hollywood, Calif., part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, reprise the “Nobody better lay a finger” theme of previous ads. The character is being licensed to Nestlé, which sells Butterfinger, by the 20th Century Fox Consumer Products unit of News Corporation.

domain: news


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You’ll never go hungry in the metaverse. After McDonald’s applied for trademarks to open a virtual restaurant, another fast-food chain is winging its chances in the digital sphere, in which it has expressed an interest in setting up camp.
As reported byInsider and outlined by trade attorney Mike Kondoudis, on February 25, Wingstop submitted a trademark application for “downloadable virtual goods,” including non-fungible tokens, digital art, “virtual food and drink,” and loyalty and reward cards. The filing was made with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
From the application, it also seems like Wingstop is looking at opening an NFT platform for chicken wing-loving cryptocurrency holders to buy, sell, and trade related virtual assets.
Publicly, Wingstop remains tight-lipped about its metaverse plans, but tells Insider it hopes to “serve the world flavor in a virtual space.”
Wingstop is expanding its body of chicken offerings with Thighstop, an online-only, temporary restaurant that will deliver chicken thighs via DoorDash amid a chicken shortage.
The “new thigh concept” will be available at more than 1,400 locations nationwide and is addressing the “consumer’s fear of a chicken wing shortage head-on,” the company said in a release provided by Thighstop spokesperson Megan Sprague.
“We think they’ll appeal to guests because they’re a different part of the chicken and therefore a new way to experience Wingstop flavor,” Charlie Morrison, CEO and chairman of Wingstop restaurants, said.
“They eat like a wing, but with more meat,” Morrison continued.
Chicken lovers will have access to a menu filled with crispy thighs of a naked and sauce-covered variety with 11 signature Wingstop flavors.
And it doesn’t stop with the drumstick. Other Wingstop items including its ranch and blue cheese dips, fried corn, french fries and rolls are also available to order from Thighstop.
Eventually, Morrison hopes thighs will be incorporated into the larger Wingstop menu as a permanent addition.
Thighstop claimed in its launch announcement that it is addressing consumer fear over a wing shortage which made the news last month.
The nation’s chicken wars and cravings for comfort food during the pandemic have made poultry so scarce and expensive that some restaurants are limiting or running out of chicken sandwiches, wings and tenders. Others are considering changes to menus and promotions.
Heavy winter storms took a larger bite out of supply. While some restaurants have not been able to meet demand, it’s unclear if and how the low supplies will affect consumers in the grocery store.
The poultry industry is tamping down growing alarm over a chicken shortage with National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super saying there was a “very tight supply but short of a shortage.”
“Yes, supply is somewhat tight, but the sky certainly isn’t falling,” Super said in May. “Chicken producers are doing everything they can to overcome the devastating impact of Mother Nature when she inflicted the once-in-a-lifetime winter storm on Texas and nearby states — major chicken producing regions.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, broilers — chickens raised for meat — slaughter was down 4% in the first quarter of 2021, with pounds produced down 3%. Production began picking back up in early April, Super said.
Morrison said the shortage has less to do with product than it does with labor.
“The shortage has as much to do with the impact of government stimulus and creating an artificially high wage rate that is competitive to the people that are necessary to actually process chicken,” Morrison said. “Because of this, the absolute number of chickens that are being processed is down.”
Sales are still on the rise at Wingstop, though. Morrison said that Wingstop saw 20.7% sales growth in the first quarter of this year in spite of constraints. Introducing Thighstop, he said, allows the company to focus on additional parts of the chicken.
The official Wingstop Twitter account has set the social media platform on fire by easily and instantly claiming the title of Horniest Brand on Social Media following the company’s wild conversation with an equally horny customer.
The original tweet, which came from Twitter user @kaykookiedough on Wednesday, May 12, suggested that the chicken wing chain’s ranch must have “nut” in it because it’s so delicious. Wingstop, seeing an opportunity to go viral, replied that while their ranch is “special white sauce” it does not — in fact — contain any nut. From there, all hell broke loose, as Wingstop eventually found itself saying things like “all you have to do is open your mouth” and “I know a lil freak in Hollywood”
Naturally, as is so often the case, the reaction on social media has been just as hilarious as the original content, with Twitter users absolutely losing their minds over how horny Wingstop was acting.
You can find the original Twitter thread, which is simply the latest reminder that social media is patently insane these days, below.
“Lincoln has the opportunity to be a social leader in this country,” Christensen said on Monday night. “We have been casually ignoring a problem that has gotten so out of control that our children are throwing around names and words without even understanding their true meaning, treating things as though they’re normal.”
In three days, his plea — satirical and mildly serious — was seen online by hundreds of thousands before airing nationally on “Good Morning America,” “Fox & Friends,” and being featured in The New York Times.
“Nothing about boneless chicken wings actually comes from the wing of a chicken,” he said. “We would be disgusted if a butcher was mislabeling their cuts of meats, but then we go around pretending as though the breast of a chicken is its wing?”
Renaming them, he said, is essential. Stopping the misrepresentation, a pressing matter. The options, he said, are endless.
“We can call them Buffalo-style chicken tenders,” he said. “We can call them ‘wet tenders.’ We can call them ‘saucy nugs,’ or ‘trash.’
Since Chicken Strip is trending on Twitter (Ross Stripling), I’d just like to settle the debate on ppl saying boneless wings are “like chicken nuggets”— They’re more like mini chicken strips because you can still see the muscle of the breast. Nuggets are grounded, reshaped, chicken mush!


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Twitch's new subscription service is like Amazon Prime for gamers
When Amazon bought Twitch in 2014, there were many throughout the gaming community who thought it could spell the end of the fun-loving streaming website. But, despite those fears, little actually changed. That was until today, when Amazon and Twitch announced a new service called Twitch Prime that might feel oddly familiar to Amazon Prime subscribers.The...
I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its component fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark


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UNLICENSED factories located in unsuitable locations will have to relocate, despite a previous legalisation initiative by the Selangor government.
TRADERS at Pulau Tikus market in Penang are crying foul as their business is badly affected due to rumours of many positive Covid-19 cases detected at the market that went viral online since a week ago.
THE Johor Baru South police headquarters is taking active steps to engage with the local community to promote its communication channels.
Adopting a sustainable lifestyle and being financially literate are crucial to saving the environment.
Three tell their stories of charting new paths for themselves after being retrenched.
Some centres no longer accept walk-in customers or cash payments as part of Covid-19 measures.
SEVERAL safety and security measures are in place to help residents of Puncak Banyan Condominium who are affected by the road closure following the collapse of a gantry crane at the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) construction site in Alam Damai, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) has urged industry players from the timber and furniture sectors to continue ensuring that Covid-19 measures are adhered to in factories despite the ongoing national vaccination programme.
Wet markets are often associated with slick, usually slippery floors, dirty conditions and distinct smells of raw meat, fresh seafood and a variety of greens.
THE Penang government is concerned about the deteriorating river water quality in the state.Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the situation was “very worrying” as the water quality at Sungai Pinang, Sungai Jawi and Sungai Juru is still between Class III and Class IV. Class I is the best rating.


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EXCLUSIVE: Ultra 4K Camera Pulled As Arlo Shares Slump
Arlo the Company that was spun out from Netgear has seen their share value fall 49% after major problems were detected with their all new Arlo Ultra offering with the launch in Australia now been put on hold.
ChannelNews suspected problems after the Company introduced the camera to technology media back in November and then failed to follow up with review units.
Now major US retailer Best Buy has pulled the new Arlo offering from their stores after complaints by customers about wireless connectivity, battery life, and the ability to successfully stream in 4K.
In the past Arlo customers have had a lot of problems connecting their cameras to a network using the Arlo app now the Company has pulled its Arlo Ultra security camera from being launched in Countries such as Australia.
At the recent Australian launch Arlo claimed that their new Ultra was the first 4K home security camera from a major manufacturer. However local security Company Swann Communications is set to launch a 4K camera with motion detection shortly.
Arlo said that they are currently working fix the problems with several firmware updates being tested. This program saw updates pumped out on the 15, 20, 29, and 30th of January in the USA.
“That said, after end-user sales began, we identified some performance challenges in specific user environments. As such, we have aggressively worked to release firmware updates to solve these challenges. As a result of the firmware updates, we are now seeing positive feedback on the forums from users.”
In Australia the company wants to get the software right before releasing more of the cameras.
It was scheduled release in late January 2019.
The slump in Arlo share value came after the Company admitted to shareholders that growth had significantly slowed in the fourth quarter of 2018.
For 2019, the company is predicting lower annual revenues of $380 million to $420 million, a potential drop of more than 19 percent, and well below what some analysts were predicting, which was in the $600M+ range.
Arlo’s 2019 revenue predictions equate out to an operating loss between $118.7 million and $128.7 million.


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The summer season for cell phone launches continues to heat up ahead of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) expected unveiling of its next iPhone on June 7. Verizon Wireless, Research In Motion, LG, T-Mobile USA and Motorola debuted new smartphones and feature phones today.
Verizon (NYSE:VZ) announced plans to sell RIM's (NASDAQ:RIMM) BlackBerry Bold 9650 for $149.99 after a $100 rebate and with a two-year service contract. The gadget brings the high-end BlackBerry Bold line to CDMA carriers like Verizon; previously RIM's Bolds were sold only through GSM carriers such as AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T). Sprint Nextel (NASDAQ:S) currently sells the BlackBerry Bold 9650 for $199.99 with a rebate and contract.
Separately, LG--the world's third-largest maker of mobile phones--announced it will now begin selling phones through T-Mobile USA, the nation's No. 4 carrier. The deal represents an important step for both companies as they look to compete with their respective larger rivals. T-Mobile said it will sell the LG Sentio, LG dLite and LG GS170 this summer. The LG Sentio and LG dLite will come equipped with T-Mobile's "Social Buzz" application, which the carrier said provides "easy access to your favorite social networking sites."
The companies did not disclose pricing for the gadgets.
Finally, Motorola (NASDAQ:MOT) once again reiterated its reliance on Google's Android platform with its new Flipout Android-powered smartphone. The device features a unique square design that swings open to reveal a Qwerty keyboard (the design is reminiscent of Nokia's (NYSE:NOK) Twist at Verizon). The Motorola Flipout sports industry-requisite features and functions (3-megapixel camera, GPS and so on) and runs Android version 2.1.
Interestingly, the Flipout is the first Motorola phone to feature an enhanced version of the company's MotoBLUR Android user interface overlay. Motorola said the latest version of MotoBLUR "allows you to take control of your Happenings and Messages widgets with the option to filter out updates and messages you don't want, making it easier to follow who and what really matters."
Motorola said the Flipout, which supports the WCDMA 900/2100 MHz bands, will be available "in certain regions around the world beginning in the second quarter of 2010." The company did not release pricing information.
- see this Verizon BlackBerry Bold release
- see this LG/T-Mobile release
- see this Motorola release
Handset makers set for summer smartphone showdown
In photos: 2010 summer smartphone showdown


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- Microsoft is reportedly in talks to desire the US operations of viral video app TikTok, at the same time as President Donald Trump threatens to ban the app over its China ties.
- TikTok seems to possess puny to assemble with Microsoft’s unusual enterprise, which largely focuses on cloud computing and enterprise tool.
- Nevertheless, some analysts dispute, purchasing for TikTok might well well furthermore desire Microsoft accolades from the app’s hundreds and hundreds of users who are unnerved about Trump’s possibility of a ban: “Microsoft has the chance to be the hero right here.”
- Microsoft will probably be taking this as an opportunistic switch to attach at bay into the patron market and set a foothold in mainstream social media.
- On the diversified hand, some analysts dispute TikTok might well well furthermore trusty be too outlandish a fit to assemble sense for Microsoft.
- Are you a Microsoft employee? Contact this reporter through encrypted messaging app Signal ( 1-425-344-8242) or email (email@example.com).
- Discuss over with Industry Insider’s homepage for further experiences.
Microsoft is in talks with TikTok over a probably acquisition of the viral video app’s US operations, in step with multiple reports, as President Donald Trump plans to provide an explanation for TikTok’s China-based mostly fully mostly guardian company, ByteDance, to sell.
Microsoft and TikTok declined to touch upon these reports, and it is aloof unclear how evolved any talks might well well be, but the guidelines got right here as a surprise to many: For all of TikTok’s huge reputation, it has puny to assemble with Microsoft’s unusual enterprise – a enterprise that largely focuses on enterprise tool, cloud computing, and serving working specialists.
TikTok will probably be worth better than $30 billion, The Files reported — better than Microsoft’s largest-ever acquisition to date, when it paid $26.2 billion for LinkedIn in 2016.
Analysts who spoke to Industry Insider agreed the acquisition seems “out of character” for Microsoft, but acknowledged the acquisition will probably be an opportunistic play for Microsoft to bolster its consumer enterprise and fabricate favor amongst youthful generations.
Trump has acknowledged that he’s brooding about banning the app in the US over its China ties. That has TikTok’s many hundreds and hundreds of mostly-youthful users unnerved for the lengthy plod of their licensed app. If Microsoft swoops in to desire TikTok, says Futurum Research analyst Daniel Newman, it’ll be hailed as a savior by these users.
“The rising generations are very linked to this platform,” Newman acknowledged. “Microsoft has the chance to be the hero right here.” It is miles in general a “future-proofing” technique for Microsoft to desire over the next expertise of customers.
Calm, it may perchance well perchance well well be a counterintuitive switch for Microsoft, which has spent the last plenty of years below CEO Satya Nadella doubling down on cloud computing, at the same time because it unwinds consumer companies indulge in Groove Song, the Nokia smartphone unit, and most no longer too lengthy prior to now, the Mixer video game streaming provider.
Nevertheless analysts argue that shopping a hot app indulge in TikTok would reinvigorate its enchantment to patrons, namely in the realm of social networking.
“It be a puny bit out of left area, but for Microsoft, the one rental where they neglected the boat used to be social media,” Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives acknowledged. “The enterprise enterprise is restful the crown jewel, but on the they desire to switch again to the whiteboard on consumer technique over the next 5 to 10 years.”
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives says that while Microsoft’s $26.2 billion LinkedIn acquisition has been a hit, furthermore it is far largely obsessed on skilled users. The time will probably be upright for Microsoft to take a eye at its hand at extra consumer-focused social media.
Buying TikTok might well well be an opportunistic skill assemble to that, Ives acknowledged. Rising tensions between the Trump administration and China possess presented a likelihood for Microsoft when it involves TikTok, Ives acknowledged. Below current situations, a booming, rising app indulge in TikTok would possess puny impetus to peek for a buyer — but Ives says that TikTok’s obvious desire to glean out of the approach of escalating US-China tensions adjustments the equation.
Furthermore, as Newman functions out, Microsoft has confirmed with LinkedIn that it is racy and in a position to let its subsidiaries plod independently, which is an encouraging signal that it would no longer glean in the approach of TikTok’s unusual success.
Calm, no longer all americans is jubilant the acquisition would assemble sense.
“I might well well be taken aback [the buyer] ends up being Microsoft,” Moor Insights and Programs predominant analyst Patrick Moorhead acknowledged. “It doesn’t in actual fact feel to me that is an alignment with Satya’s mission and imaginative and prescient of the corporate, which is enterprise and consumer productivity. It seems out of character.”
Nevertheless, Moorhead acknowledged, TikTok also doesn’t seem to possess alternative alternatives when it involves Sizable Tech investors who might well well furthermore manage to pay for to desire it. Google and Facebook, Moorhead acknowledged, possess too great possession of advertising bucks and platforms, and are below too great authorities scrutiny, and a TikTok acquisition would also seem out of character for Amazon.
“I glean the patron attitude,” Inventive Programs’ Carolina Milanesi acknowledged, pointing to Microsoft’s recent efforts to join patrons to its merchandise. “Nevertheless social media is trusty a giant number.”
No longer having a social media platform is one in all the explanations, Milanesi acknowledged, that Microsoft managed to e book particular of testifying at a congressional antitrust listening to alongside Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Google. Antitrust specialists acknowledged Microsoft used to be absent probably since the corporate is concentrated mostly on enterprise customers, helping it cruise below the radar when it involves the scrutiny that is followed its competitors for the past plenty of years.
Bought a tip? Contact this reporter through email at firstname.lastname@example.org, message her on Twitter @ashannstew, or ship her a trusty message thru Signal at 425-344-8242.


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Why Facebook turned to NY startup Kustomer to boost its e-commerce push
December 03, 2020 at 10:15 AM EST
Facebook has bought Midtown-based startup to help boost its presence in the e-commerce world. The social media giant has acquired Kustomer in a deal worth a reported $1 billion. It's a big score... To view the full story, click the title link.


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Amid the news of a new lockdown across the whole of the UK airline companies British Airways, Tui, Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet have announced that they are cutting holidays and flights.
TUI cancels all holidays until mid February: Major holiday companies and airlines said they are reviewing their schedules in the wake of the announcement on Monday of tougher new restrictions by the Government. British Airways confirmed it’s review by saying “As always, if a customer’s flight is cancelled we offer a range of options including a full refund.” A spokesman went on to say “Our focus is on keeping crucial air links open — transporting vital goods and ensuring people who are permitted to travel can continue to do so safely.”
Tui announced that all their holidays would be cancelled until the middle of February, with the company saying “Customers due to travel from an English airport before mid-February will be contacted in departure date order to discuss their options, which will include amending to another holiday with an incentive, receiving an ATOL-protected refund credit note with incentive, or cancelling and receiving a full refund.
All holidays from Scotland and Wales have been cancelled until 31 January. We will constantly review holiday cancellations in line with updated travel advice. Customers currently overseas can continue to enjoy their holidays as planned and we will update them directly if there are any changes to their holidays.”
EasyJet are saying that they promise to maintain “essential connectivity between key cities in the UK alongside a small number of international routes.” They went on to say that travellers will be offered a free date-change, refund or voucher. Virgin Atlantic said it is reviewing its flying programme and teams will contact any customers who may be affected.
It advised customers who booked through a third parties or travel agents to contact Virgin directly. The already hard hit airline sector are now beginning another lockdown after travel was all but halted last March when the pandemic started. An EasyJet spokesman said “Given the ongoing impact of the pandemic on travel, we continue to call for sector specific support such as has been provided to hospitality, where decisions have directly affected the ability to trade.
The same principle should be applied to aviation.” Calling for rapid testing to be introduced at UK airports the company went on to say “Alongside the welcome roll-out of the vaccine, this will play a vital role in enabling normal life to resume; including travelling again for work, to visit friends and family, or for a much-needed holiday.”
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British Airways (operated by Comair) has announced two new routes, one serving Johannesburg-East London and the other between Cape Town and East London
The airline’s press release says fares start from R595 (€33), including taxes and surcharges, and claims that this is 35% lower than fares currently offered on these East London routes.
The services will begin operating on March 17. The carrier says it will offer 13 weekly flights between Johannesburg and East London and seven between Cape Town and East London.
Desmond O’Connor, Executive Head of Revenue Management says: “As we expand our schedule and offer more choice, we are pleased to now offer the full-service British Airways experience on these new routes. Furthermore, East London will also be displayed as a destination on British Airways’ global distribution network.
“We will be offering holiday packages through our tour operating divisions, which we hope will help to rejuvenate domestic tourism to the region,” said O’Connor.


text: (Starbucks background and insight added.)Starbucks (SBUX) posted profit in the third quarter after a loss last year, sending shares in the company rallying in the after-market.During the quarter, the coffee retailer earned $151.5 million, or 20 cents a share, compared with a loss of $6.7 million, or 1 cents, in the year-ago period. Analysts expected earnings of 19 cents a share. Results were boosted by cost-saving initiatives, including store closures and job cuts, which amounted to $175 million in the quarter. The company plans to cut $550 million in annual costs, up from its previous target of $500 million. Revenues slipped 5.5% to $2.4 billion from $2.57 billion, while same-store sales fell 5%. This compares to an 8% decline in comparable sales last year. Looking ahead, Starbucks expects full-year earnings in the range of 44 cents to 45 cents a share. Last month the company rolled out new food items that it claims has more "real" ingredients. As Starbucks dukes it out with McDonald's ( MCD) and Dunkin' Dounuts over who really has the best cup of Joe, it is clear the company can't compete on price. Maybe if it shifts its focus to food, so the thinking appears to be, it can come out on top. Shares of the company jumped 7% to $15.94 in after-market trading.


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Anyword announced today its integration with generative AI platforms that can evaluate whether ChatGPT-generated copy is on-brand and predict how it will perform with the intended audience.
Verified Market Research estimates the AI writing assistant software market will reach about $6.5 billion by 2030, growing at CAGR of 27%. A with other writing-intensive, knowledge-work jobs, the generative AI tsunami is washing over marketing departments everywhere.
More than 5,000 students have already taken Udemy’s recently launched ChatGPT…
Read more on google


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to Enhance Face of Plastic Surgery FDA Panel Recommends Conditional Approval of Restylane and Hylaform
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) welcomes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel’s recommendation today for conditional approval of Restylane and Hylaform, two new longer lasting, non-surgical wrinkle fighters.
Restylane and Hylaform are hyaluronic acid-based soft tissue fillers that are already used in Canada and Europe to plump wrinkles with immediate results. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule that occurs naturally in the body, so allergic reactions are rare.
47 percent of plastic surgeons responding to a recent ASPS survey believe injectables can enhance the results of facial surgery.
Last year, more than 1.5 million Americans smoothed wrinkles with injectables, according to the ASPS. Almost 5 million Americans had non-surgical cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in 2002. The FDA panel’s recommendation for conditional approval of Restylane and Hylaform will almost certainly mean demand for injectables, an ever-growing segment in plastic surgery, will increase.
“This is the first time in over a decade that patients and physicians have the option of new fillers,” said ASPS President Rod Rohrich , MD. “People want to look as good as they feel using modern techniques and technologies. These wrinkle fillers are safe, do not require a skin test and are two to three times longer lasting.”
43 percent of plastic surgeons responding to a recent ASPS survey say injectables can postpone facial surgery.
As with all plastic surgery procedures, anyone interested in injectable wrinkle fillers should seek a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). As surgeons trained to reconstruct the face at all levels (bone, muscle and skin) plastic surgeons are uniquely qualified to understand the anatomy as it relates to the use of injectables.


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Amazon’s playbook for upending healthcare is getting clearer, and pharmaceutical companies can’t wait for the tech giant to make its move
|01/29/2019||Posted by BusinessMediaguide.Com under General World News||
- Amazon is getting into the healthcare business. Every move has sent pharmacy and wholesaler stocks into a tizzy.
- But it remains to be seen what impact this has on drugmakers.
- We spoke to more than half a dozen top executives at pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis and Eli Lilly about Amazon’s entry into healthcare.
Amazon has the entire $3.5 trillion healthcare industry on edge.
News of the retail behemoth’s acquisition of PillPack, its plans for a joint healthcare venture with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway, and its work supplying hospitals with health equipment have all sent would-be read more >>>


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The most recent news from Saudi Arabia suggest that the country has a lot of potential for entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups from around the world. It is a breeding ground for success stories like Tamara and Opontia.
Saudi Arabia’s Tamara, one of the success stories in the area of FinTech, is looking at expanding the footprint regionally and internationally following the completion of a Series A financing or funding round of SAR 412.5 million (USD 110 million).
The company was launched in 2020 and supports over 1,000 merchants, including Namshi, Floward, SACO, Nice One, Whites and Nejree. It was the first Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) company to be enrolled in the Saudi Central Bank’s (SAMA) Sandbox program and claims to be the country’s fastest-growing BNPL provider. It offers consumers new ways to pay by splitting balances over three payments or paying after thirty days.
The BNPL global market is expected to grow by 400 percent to an estimated SAR 2.55 trillion (USD 680 billion) by 2025. Tamara is looking to penetrate regional markets by launching new products in new fields to support more partners.
Another Riyadh based start-up Opontia has raised SAR 75 million (USD 20 million) in financing or funding which was one of the largest Seed rounds to date in the MENA region.
Founded in March 2020, Opontia’s business model is to acquire and scale the most promising e-commerce brands. It was founded to enable e-commerce entrepreneurs to realise the potential of their brands. The company recognised that many entrepreneurs hit a ceiling in terms of growth due to constraints on working capital, operations, logistics and management. Opontia has offices in Dubai and plans to set up in Istanbul, Cairo and Lagos. It has recruited a team of experts and specialists from Amazon, Noon, McKinsey, Uber-Eats and Namshi.
Please click on the link and reach out to learn more about other success stories as well as the opportunities and possibilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the initiatives of Business Start Up Saudi Arabia.


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UK National Lottery Hit by DDoS Attack Again
Cyberattacks on online gambling websites have become a real threat in the past few years. Our team has covered the dangers of a DDoS attacks over the last few years and the problem seems to be getting worse as more criminals see the huge potential in blackmailing large gambling companies.
The latest victim is the UK national Lottery who confirmed that they were a victim of a DDoS attack on Saturday evening. The timing of the attack is significant as Saturday evening are usually very busy due the draw. Lottery players have the option of purchasing lottery tickets via the nationwide retailers or online via the National Lottery’s website or mobile app. With the online option not available during the attack the financial costs are huge. What makes this latest attack more serious is that it is the second time the National Lottery’s website was targeted by hackers. In 2016 Camelot admitted that over 26,000 online accounts had been compromised after log-in details were hacked by a third party.
With over 9 million registered players on its platform the integrity of their data is a major concern. Camelot are not alone as last year William Hill were targeted on a night where UEFA Champion games were played. In that case William hill was less affected as their mobile app still worked.
Camelot offered their “sincere apologies” and directed their players to the 46,000 retailers who were unaffected by the cyberattack.


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Porsche has posted a first-half net profit of EUR149m (US$212m), bouncing back from a heavy loss after cutting its huge EUR6bn debt to EUR1.5bn thanks to a capital increase worth EUR4.9bn that was finalised in April.
In the same period a year ago, Porsche SE suffered a net loss of EUR1.62bn. The holding company has since benefitted from strong operating results.
A Porsche statement said it sees a 50-50 chance that an extraordinary meeting of shareholders this year would approve its long-awaited merger with VW. Meetings of both Porsche and VW shareholders are scheduled in December.
A deal would see Porsche become VW’s 10th brand but it has been held up by German investigations of two former Porsche executives suspected of stock price manipulation and by complaints filed against Porsche in the US.
Porsche cautioned that “there is still uncertainty” with regard to the tax framework for the merger.
It added that the effects that several lawsuits against Porsche SE might have on the deal cannot be conclusively assessed now.
The executive board said it felt the merger can be achieved “even after 2011″.


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by Aakash Athawasya
Last January, whispers around 'a dangerous new virus' were just beginning to build. This January, the fever is breaking and the speed of the economic recovery from Covid19 has become clearer as December quarter results come in.
The stock markets are having a wild ride - industries that fell flat last year are doing well, while industries that gained from the pandemic are normalizing.
This week we look at:
Why Alembic Pharmaceuticals’ stock fell post its Q3 results
Domestic tyre makers are ending FY21 better than expected
Screener: Stocks trading with high delivery volumes
Alembic Pharma skids at home and abroad, as Covid19 recedes
Last year was great for Indian pharmaceutical companies - the Nifty Pharma index rose by 56.6%, the largest yearly gain of any sectoral index. In comparison, the Nifty 50, ended 2020 up by 14% over 2019.
But in the first month of 2021, the pharma index is down by 4%, while the benchmark index is up by 3%. The biggest loser among large-cap pharma companies is Alembic Pharmaceuticals owing to problems at both home and abroad.
In the December quarter, the company’s net profits were up by 25% on a YoY basis, and revenue grew by 9%. But immediately after the results, Alembic Pharma’s stock tanked by 14%, touching its lowest level in three months.
The company's net profit growth was on account of an exceptional item (income) of Rs 26 crore (10% of net profits) from its joint venture Rhizen Pharma, which turned profitable for the first time since Alembic Pharma acquired it in 2012. In Q4, analysts expect Rhizen to receive royalties after the approval of its immunodeficiency inhibiting drug. Excluding the one-time income, net profits rose less than 1% YoY.
Another big reason the stock fell was the lack of growth in Alembic’s US market. The US formulations market is its biggest revenue contributor.
In Q3, Alembic US sales dropped 1% YoY to Rs Rs 512 crore. For the six months ended September 2020, US sales grew by 33% against the same period last year. From FY17 to FY20, Alembic’s US generics business’ revenues grew at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29% to Rs 1,976 crore.
A key monitorable in the quarter was the revenue from sartans (contributing 22% of Q3 revenue), a drug used to treat blood pressure and hypertension. After the Q2 results, analysts expected Alembic to gain market share in the sartans through new launches. In Q3 however, Alembic failed to expand its sartans market share. Analysts noted that due to pricing pressure in the hypertension drug market, Alembic’s sartans’ products were priced out. Expecting the company to struggle in this market, the focus moved to the portfolio excluding sartans.
Azithromycin, an antibiotic drug used to treat Covid-19 patients drove growth in domestic formulations in Q2. During the earnings call for the quarter ended September 2020, Shaunak Amin, the Managing Director of Alembic Pharma called its Azithromycin oral solid the “outperformer for the quarter.”
In Q3, due to decreasing domestic Covid-19 cases, the growth in sales of Azithromycin dropped. Analysts expect the sales of Azithromycin to normalize in Q4 and in FY21, with the Covid-19 vaccine deployed. This is why the price of Alembic Pharmaceuticals’ stock dropped sharply immediately after its Q3 results.
You can track the results of the company of your choice here.
Tyre makers finally pick up speed
With automobile sales rising at the end of 2020, tyre manufacturers had a good Q3. But it wasn’t just returning automobile demand that helped tyre makers. Growing replacement demand, import restrictions, and exports opening up in major markets have provided a positive outlook heading into the final quarter of FY21.
Over 80% of the demand for tyres comes from two sources - original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and from the replacement market.
OEM demand in Q3 was led by robust sales of commercial vehicles (CVs) in December 2020. Ashok Leyland’s CV sales grew by 22% on a monthly basis, Eicher Motors (VECV) by 32% and Tata Motors by 14%. Even with the rise in demand for FY21, OEM demand for tyres is expected to decline by 5-7%, according to CRISIL Ratings. The rating agency expects the fall in tyre demand from CV manufacturers to be offset by the rise in tyre demand by tractor makers in the agri sector. Mahindra & Mahindra’s farm equipment and VST Tillers & Tractors’ power tillers and tractors saw sales increasing by 23% and 59% on a YoY basis.
Replacement demand, the largest contributor to the tyre demand, declined by 2% YoY for the nine months ended December 2020. The lower fall compared to the 5-7% fall in OEM demand is because of resumption in freight movement and pent-up demand from existing CV manufacturers. Replacement demand from CVs and tractors contributes 90% of export demand, which CRISIL Ratings expects to sustain in Q4.
With tyre companies witnessing demand from OEM manufacturers and replacements increasing, two tyre makers - Ceat and JK Tyre & Industries posted strong quarterly results. Ceat reported a net profit of Rs 128 crore in Q3, a 167% rise on a YoY basis, with revenue rising by 26% to Rs 2,213 crore. JK Tyres & Industries reported a net profit of Rs 230.4 crore in Q3, against Rs 10.2 crore in the previous year, with revenues growing by 26% YoY to Rs 2,769 crore. Last week, Ceat and JK Tyre Industries’ shares rose by 24% and 54%, respectively.
After tyres were put on the restricted import list by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in June 2020, tyre companies have upped prices in the domestic market. In FY21, the average realisation per tonne of tyres manufactured will increase by 4-5% said CRISIL Ratings. Last month, the US Department of Commerce proposed an anti-dumping duty on tyres imported from South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. CRISIL Ratings expects Indian tyre makers to benefit if the anti-dumping duty is implemented.
Both CEAT and JK Tyre Industries’ capacity utilisation has moved to 95% in December 2020, against 80% in September 2020. The existing capacity will be increased with planned capital expenditure (capex). Ceat did not alter its capex guidance of Rs 500 crore in FY21. Out of the FY21 corpus, Rs 50 crore will be deployed in Q4. JK Tyre and Industries has deferred capex for the year and is focusing on reducing debt. At the end of FY20, it had net debt of Rs 5,413 crore, and expects to reduce this to Rs 4,160 crore by FY23.
With strong demand, realizations improving, and capacity increasing, CRISIL Ratings estimates that tyre companies’ operating profits will grow by 6-8% in FY21, despite a poor first half of the year.
Some stocks are seeing higher delivery volumes in this volatile market
The markets have been up and down in the first few weeks of 2021. The Nifty 50 began the year just shy of 14,000, reached 14,600, and is now at 14,200 levels. In this volatile market investors are taking delivery of some stocks, as can be seen by the rise in their delivery volumes.
This screener checks which stocks which have seen high delivery volumes over the past month among Nifty 200 companies. In the past one month, 24 companies have seen their monthly average delivery volumes exceed the 6-month average delivery volumes by at least 20%. This list includes 9 Nifty 50 companies - Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance, Adani Green Energy, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Titan Company, Power Grid Corporation of India, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and IndusInd Bank.
The stocks with the highest delivery from this list are two companies with high debt - Adani Green Energy (87%) and Future Retail (64%).
This screener shows 10 companies with delivery volumes rising by at least 33% in one month against the delivery volume of the past six months. This means that investors are increasingly taking delivery of these stocks over the past few weeks
Rising delivery volume is also an indication of the strength of a price trend. Out of the stocks with high delivery volumes from the Nifty 200, over 70% (17 companies) have seen their stock prices rise in the past month.The most represented industry here is pharmaceuticals with 4 companies, followed by banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) with 3 companies. No large-cap information technology company was trading with rising delivery volumes. This is despite the Nifty IT index rising by 10% in one month, the most by any sectoral index.
This analysis is part of our newsletter series. Sign up to get these in your inbox.


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Samsung will unveil a foldable smartphone later this year, the CEO of its mobile division told CNBC, amid rumors that such a device was in the works.
DJ Koh said that “it’s time to deliver” on a foldable device after consumer surveys carried out by Samsung showed that there is a market for that kind of handset.
Speaking to CNBC, Koh ran through the design thinking of the upcoming smartphone, particularly how Samsung is trying to differentiate the experience from a tablet once it is unfolded.
“You can use most of the uses … on foldable status. But when you need to browse or see something, then you may need to unfold it. But even unfolded, what kind of benefit does that give compared to the tablet? If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would they (consumers) buy it?,” Koh said at the IFA electronics show in Berlin last week.
“So every device, every feature, every innovation should have a meaningful message to our end customer. So when the end customer uses it, (they think) ‘wow, this is the reason Samsung made it’.”
Koh said the device could be unveiled this year at the Samsung Developer Conference in November in San Francisco. The mobile CEO admitted that while the development process is “complicated,” the company has “nearly concluded” it.
The move comes as Samsung looks to reinvigorate growth in its mobile division which saw sales fall 20 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2018. The South Korean technology giant is facing stiff competition from Apple and Huawei in the high-end of the market. A folding phone could differentiate it from its competitors and potentially allow it to charge a higher price for the unique device.
Koh also told CNBC that the company is changing its strategy in the mid-tier smartphone market to pack lower priced devices with new technology in order to appeal more to millennials.


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Auto News / By: Anuj Farakde
India-bound Nissan X-Trail also received a 5-star rating, and while the model tested was LHD, the rating applies to the RHD version as well.
The Range Rover scored 84 percent in adult occupant tests, getting 32.1 out of 38 points, and 87 percent for child occupants tests, with a score of 43 out of 49 points.
In safety systems tests, it scored 82 percent, getting 13.2 out of 16 points.
However, the 2022 Range Rover scored 72 percent in the vulnerable road users tests, getting 39.1 points out of 54.
1. 15 out of 16 cars tested got a 5-star rating 2. Tesla Model S, Honda Civic, Isuzu D-Max were among tested cars


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The Detroit News published an article today stating that despite new domestic vehicle launches like the new Lincoln lineup and GM's big SUVs, the new vehicles coming out of Japan -- and the foreign automakers' ability to bring them to market faster -- may thwart the attempts of domestics to regain ground in market share. And although domestic vehicle introductions stole the spotlight at the North American International Auto Show this year, analysts say that foreign automakers are still in the lead when you consider the vehicle introductions over the 2005-2007 period. Transplants, analysts say, are in a better position to gain back market share as they replaced or are in the process of replacing vehicles representing 72 percent of their sales volumes versus the domestics' 63-66 percent. Chrysler is the only company on the right track, they say, with plans for 10 vehicle launches.
- Biggest automotive sales disappointments
- Fastest-depreciating cars in the United States
- Find and compare 2017 Models


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Home Tags Kylie Jenner
Tag: Kylie Jenner
The makeup mogul addressed the backlash from Forbes reporting that Jenner is on track to become the world's youngest "self-made billionaire."
Kylie Jenner said she’s ‘terrified’ of plastic surgery, but admits her look is not natural: ‘It’s fillers. I’m not...
The makeup mogul discussed her public transformation "from demure girl-next-door to bombshell" for Paper Magazine's newest transformation-themed issue.
Kylie Jenner posted a video to Instagram of the one-year-old running around with her new diamond necklace on.
These celebrity couples aren't immune to the romantic powers of the love holiday — or to the allure of celebrating their relationships on social media.
StormiWorld was a dreamy carnival with endless references to dad Travis Scott's ASTROWORLD tour.
Kylie Jenner’s extravagant mansion is full of custom perks, from a Barbie-themed ‘glam room’ to a $48,600 indoor hammock
Architectural Digest's March 2019 issue takes readers inside Kylie Jenner and Kris Jenner's lavish mansions in Hidden Hills, California.
Kylie Jenner wore a voluminous pink and orange gown covered in feathers, a huge departure from her usual style
The cover of Architectural Digest's March 2019 issue features Kylie Jenner wearing a feathered gown from Marc Jacobs' Spring 2019 collection.
The person behind Instagram’s World Record Egg has been revealed, and he’s using the most-liked photo to send an important message about m...
The person behind Instagram's most-liked photo is using a viral egg to send an important message to followers about mental health.
Kylie Jenner spent more than $10,000 on Postmates in the last year alone. Here’s what she likes to order
Kylie Jenner holds the unofficial record for placing the most Postmates orders in a 10-minute window.
One year ago, the reality star and cosmetics entrepreneur shocked the world with a surprise announcement of Stormi Webster's birth.


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M&S to axe 7,000 jobs – some at regional level
PUBLISHED: 07:55 18 August 2020 | UPDATED: 15:04 18 August 2020
Marks & Spencer, with stores in Norfolk, said it plans to cut jobs including in regional management as well as in store.
The retail giant also plans to reduce the number of roles at its central support centre.
Norwich and King’s Lynn in Norfolk and Lowestoft in Suffolk have stand-alone stores as well as food concessions and Simply Food outlets which also operate in Great Yarmouth. Last month the retailer announced 950 head office roles would go.
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During lockdown, the company said it learnt to work more flexibly, using the same staff to man both the food aisles and the clothing sections. New Microsoft technology will also allow it to reduce layers of management, M&S said.
“We expect a significant proportion will be through voluntary departures and early retirement. In line with our longstanding value of treating our people well, we will now begin an extensive programme of communication with colleagues,” M&S said.
It also expects to create “a number” of new jobs as M&S invests in its online capacity.
Chief executive Steve Rowe said: “In May we outlined our plans to learn from the crisis, accelerate our transformation and deliver a stronger, more agile business in a world in which some customer habits were changed forever.
“Three months on and our Never the Same Again programme is progressing; albeit the outlook is uncertain and we remain cautious.
“As part of our Never The Same Again programme to embed the positive changes in ways of working through the crisis, we are today announcing proposals to further streamline store operations and management structures.
“These proposals are an important step in becoming a leaner, faster business set up to serve changing customer needs and we are committed to supporting colleagues through this time.”
If you value what this story gives you, please consider supporting the Eastern Daily Press. Click the link in the orange box above for details.


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Just a few months ago the world got literally crazy about the new Pokemon Go game. Now, the agiotage has fallen a lot, so the developers had to prepare some updates and little novelties. So what has the updated Pokemon Go got to offer for its most passionate players?
Natic Labs is preparing a big update for Pokemon Go. New pokemons will appear in the game, as well as additional techniques for the players.
At the moment, there are 150 creatures in the zoo. After the update, there will be 100 usual and legendary pokemons added to the game arsenal. The developers will also add the long-awaited battles between the players and foster-pokemons raising, as in other Japanese gaming hit – Tamagotchi.
Pokemon Go has become a breakthrough and a gaming hit on the mobile platforms. The game was installed more than 500 million times and has brought $600 million profit to its developer. Nearly 45 million people were playing Pokemon games in the first 3 months after the game launch. The game was massively installed even in those countries, where it wasn’t officially represented. People used different ambages, such as IP spoofing, to be able to install the game on their mobile devices.
With time, the interest to the game has faded and Pokemon Go has lost 79% of its audience. It was mainly caused by the similarity of the game mechanics, restricted content amount, and absence of users keeping and the interaction between them. Nevertheless, with all their losses, the project got 28% income of the entire mobile games market.
Wait for the new updates of your favorite Pokemon Go game on the best mobile devices from Jiji


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Posted: Tuesday, August 13th 2013 at 12:49pm
Kennesaw reaches football ticket sales milestone
By The Associated Press
KENNESAW -- Kennesaw State University officials say they've reached a milestone for football ticket sales since the school announced it was launching an NCAA Division I program earlier this year.
Spokesman Al Barba says Kennesaw State University has sold more than 1,000 season ticket deposits for the school's inaugural 2015 season at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
Barba says the sales account for nearly a third of all available seats in the team's stadium, and a total about 3,600 seats are available for sale.
Director of ticket sales and operations Bob Lindsey says the tickets were sold in just over three months.
© Copyright 2015 AccessNorthGa.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.


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Sotheby’s International Realty Canada
After nine years with Macdonald Realty, Kim Craig made the switch to Sotheby’s International in January of 2016. Six months later, she and other Vancouver area luxury specialists were facing the fallout of the BC government’s new foreign buyer’s tax.
“There was definitely a step back, a collective holding of breath,” Craig says, “but to be honest with you, I think we’re starting to see a little boredom with it. People are starting to get back in.”
The Vancouver slowdown has had little effect on Craig’s business. She has recently sold properties in West Vancouver for $9m and $15m and is currently looking for a buyer for a $20m home on a 23,000sqft lot. Craig was drawn to Sotheby’s because of the company’s revered marketing capabilities, but she realizes that selling a high-end property ultimately comes down to agent expertise.
“The purchasing public has become very sophisticated, especially at the luxury end,” she says. “You have to be an expert on that house. You will be asked the questions and you have to be prepared to answer them.”


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Capcom has dropped a big hint regarding the Resident Evil 7 demo's mysterious dummy finger item, which has puzzled fans over the past few weeks. The Resident Evil 7 teaser was released a couple of weeks ago during E3 for all PlayStation 4 owners with a PS Plus subscription. In an email to fans today, Capcom said the trial now been downloaded over 2m times. Read more…
Capcom has officially acknowledged the uselessness of the finger in the RE7 demo , according to a teaser sent to folks who signed up for the ambassador program. Does this mean that the demo will get an update of some sort? Read more...
At this point there probably isn’t anything left in the Resi 7 Beginning Hour demo that hasn’t been poked with that mystery finger
Street Fighter 5 gets a huge update today, one that adds a raft of new content as well as the long-awaited cinematic story mode. But be warned: for some reason Capcom has separated out the patch and the story mode into two, massive downloads. Show More Summary
Sixteen characters made the cut for Street Fighter V, but they weren’t the only ones designed for the game. Capcom have shared some sketches of fighters who were created but failed to make the finished product, and yeah, it’s pretty easy seeing why most of them died where they did. Read more...
Capcom comments on the question of whether players can escape The Beginning Hour alive.
Capcom seemingly isn't out of wacky ideas yet, if these "cutting room floor" concepts are any indication. Speaking on the development of Street Fighter V, the publisher just released a ton of concept art for unused fighters, including...Show More Summary
Tomorrow, Capcom will release the content pack formerly known as the June Update for Street Fighter 5. It includes the story mode A Shadow Falls and fighters Ibuki and Balrog. Story mode will be available to all players for free, and all released post-launch characters can be acquired using Fight Money. The cinematic story, A […]
Tomorrow, Capcom will release a major new update for Street Fighter V. The update will include a ton of new content, including the highly-anticipated cinematic story mode titled “A Shadow Falls” as well as the next two characters to join the roster: Ibuki and Balrog. The story mode will be available to all players as...
Bits and pieces of the Street Fighter V June update have been trickling out over the past few weeks, from the new story mode and the characters of Balrog and Ibuki, to the new character costumes and stage variations. Capcom has finally...Show More Summary
Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom Unite [$14.99] has been broken for... What feels like forever. It was one of the many games that got smoked out with the release of iOS 9, and somewhere along the timeline of this whole cluster-you-know-what they eventually just removed it from the App Store. Earlier this year some clever jailbreakers
A writer, a president, and a clumsy lady whose clothes fall off all failed to make the cut.
Capcom's given us a peek behind the development curtain and revealed a handful of characters who didn't make it into Street Fighter 5. Street Fighter 5 director Takayuki Nakayama took to Capcom's website to discuss the likes of Fighting Literary Master, Fighting President, Clumsy Cutie and more. Show More Summary
This week Greg Burke teaches us about Battle Circuit, the action "beat 'em up" game developed and published by Capcom in 1997 for the CPS-2 arcade hardware of Europe and Japan. Please take a look. For more great videos, be sure to subscribe to Shacknews on YouTube.
The Capcom arcade classic Strider will be making its way into the upcoming Monster Hunter Generations as an armor and weapon set, in addition the demo for the game is released at the end of this month.
Resident Evil 7's first-person take on the franchise is a bold experiment that holds tons of promise. The same could be said for Umbrella Corps, a new attempt by Capcom to graft multiplayer onto Resident Evil. Sadly, it doesn’t really work. Read more...
Earlier this month, we had a chance to try the first story mode Capcom has ever put into a Street Fighter game. It's a free update for Street Fighter V owners, but there was one detail missing: a release date. Now, we know that the update...Show More Summary
Shacknews Day 1 coverage of E3 2016 continued with an interview with Joe Nickolls and Bryce Cochrane from Capcom. It was great to have them stop by our booth on the show floor of E3 to talk about Dead Rising 4. You can also find ourShow More Summary
If you're interested in Capcom's upcoming Monster Hunter Explore, then bad news: the game is being shut down in soft launch. On June 23rd, Capcom posted a notice saying that the game was going to cease IAP purchases on June 30th, with the game being shut down in late July. Our forum readers caught this
Street Fighter's boxing champion returns to the ring, and much sooner than fans expected. Capcom announced at the end of a major SFV tournament in Florida on Sunday night that Balrog will be part of the massive content update scheduled...Show More Summary


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Fujifilm, with its highly versatile core technologies has been continuously working hard in research and development in the global market since 78 years. The Japanese company although has stepped up to
Here are the details about Samsung's newly unveiled Camera range. One of which is the Galaxy Camera 2 and the second is the NX30 mirrorless camera all with NFC-based "Tag & Go" sharing feature. The
Apple a few weeks ago introduced us to two new iPhone variants, one is the low-priced iPhone 5c and the other is the top-end iPhone 5s, with some best camera abilities the second model has created some
We have been gone through some awesome iPhone concept designs which were pushed out by the legendary artists and designers on a regular basis, but today here we got an great concept allowing us to see
iPhone users or any smart phone users doesn't have enough space to play proper games, because of its limited functions we go get PS3 or PSP and now by attaching a analog Joystick to your phone you can
Here's something you have to see, a Vietnamese site called Tinhte.vn has manged to get the new iPad ahead of schedule, treating us with a video of the device's unboxing and unveiling unknown specifications.
Apple has announced the highly anticipated "The New iPad" with innovating features and the 3rd-gen iPad tablet brings the HD technology of iSight Camera poses with a 5-megapixel, capable of recording high
We are eagerly waiting for nearly twelve months for the rumored iPad 3 announcement set for March 7th launch, and that time is coming closer and nearer where we will get to see the next iPad for this
What do you expect from the yesterday published report claiming that the new firmware version of iOS 5.1 will bring a new Lockscreen Camera icon, a slide that can be moved so quickly to access your iPhone's
Ever thought that it could be possible to recharge your Android phone with water? Here's that makes possible. Powertrekk by myFC is a new fuel cell charger that does just that. Details after the jump!


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2022 Mitsubishi Outlander Debuts Early Next Year; Big Changes for Eclipse Cross and Outlander PHEV
The value-packed Japanese brand has improvements planned for almost every one of its vehicles in the next 12 months, whether updates or full generational changes.
Mitsubishi announced big plans for 2021 recently. The Japanese automaker will be making changes to the Mirage, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander PHEV over the next 12 months, culminating in a completely new-generation gas-powered Outlander during Q2 of next year.SEE ALSO: 14 Most Affordable Three-Row SUVs of 2020
The current Outlander has been plying North American roads since 2014. It’s one of the most affordable seven-seaters on the market, and that value has been its main sales angle for a few years now. We’ll see the next-generation model debut early in the new year, a model the company is calling “the quietest and best-equipped Mitsubishi ever sold in the US.” Expect a bigger model, perhaps swelling to closer compete with other Japanese three-rows like the Toyota Highlander or Honda Pilot. The current Outlander is just shy of 185 inches long, whereas those two have a solid 10 inches on it.
While the gas-powered Outlander will adopt a whole new platform, the existing PHEV model will continue on with powertrain changes. Debuting late 2020 as a 2021 model, it will feature a larger-displacement ICE component as well as a larger, more efficient battery and electric motor. Both of these are already present in the European model—and a recent patent filing we uncovered gave us more details on the US setup. The gas engine will grow to 2.4 liters, while the electric battery will generate 13.8 kWh (up from 12.0).SEE ALSO: 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Getting Larger 2.4-Liter Engine, Bigger Battery
Mitsubishi will also be treating the Eclipse Cross to a facelift in early 2021. It will include “major front and rear design enhancements”, likely echoing the look of the new Outlander that will precede it. The interior as well as the infotainment system will also receive updates. The updated Eclipse Cross will carry a 2022 model year designation.
Those looking for something even more affordable will find an updated Mirage hatch and Mirage G4 sedan for 2021. The little three-cylinder models are straight-forward transportation, and Mitsubishi is freshening them up with facelifts and higher levels of standard safety equipment.
Lastly there’s the 2021 Outlander Sport, known as the RVR in Canada. The smallest of the Mitsubishi crossovers received a substantial facelift earlier this year, so it will head into 2021 a carryover. It’s Mitsubishi’s best-selling model in North America, so expect the brand to continue to evolve the package going forward.
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The internet has made it possible for anyone to bypass simple restrictions to open malicious content. While social media typically restricts such content from entering, people still manage to put questionable content online. As a result, young teenagers are exposed to malicious content.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and owner of Instagram, recently launched parental controls on the latter three days ago to create a safer online experience for teens.
The measures have added features that have been available in the United States since March, including setting daily time limits and parents putting in requests to be supervisors.
Experts and advocates for online safety welcomed the new policies as it helps protect the youth on Instagram, an app nearly every pre-teen has on their phones. However, they also pointed out the limitations of the features.
Priya Kumar, an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology, emphasized the importance of platforms taking responsibility for their services and products’ effects on users.
“Developing features to help teens and other people manage their use of the app is helpful,” she shared. “But the features on their own, of course, aren’t going to resolve these complex issues.”
Assistant professor in computer science of engineering at the University of Minnesota Stevie Chancellor chimed in, saying that the power given to parents in managing and using Instagram is a step in the right direction.
Instagram is also adding “nudges” to encourage teens to switch to a new topic if they’re repeatedly searching for the same type of content on the platform. Meta explained that the feature encourages teens to explore new things.
“We designed this new feature because research suggests that nudges can be effective for helping people — especially teens — be more mindful of how they’re using social media in the moment,” Meta said in a blog post. “In an external study on the effects of nudges on social media use, 58.2% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that nudges made their social media experience better by helping them become more mindful of their time on-platform.”
Meta is also opening doors for young creators with funding and education to get them to share more inspirational content on Instagram. The creators will also receive guidance from experts who can educate them on creating responsible content online.


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It would be nice if these reports would quit popping up.
Japanese wholesale prices fell at their fastest rate since 2002, March figures showed on Monday, as weakening domestic demand on top of falling commodity prices led to worries about deflation.
With interest rates already nearly zero, analysts say the Bank of Japan has limited weapons to fight deflation in the country’s worst recession since World War II.
The Bank of Japan “has reached its limit in terms of conventional monetary policy moves,” said Norihiro Fujito, general manager at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities.
The government reported that wholesale prices fell 2.2 percent compared with a year ago. Analysts had forecast a drop of 1.8 percent, on average.
The latest figures follow a revised 1.6 percent fall in the year to February. It was the third month in a row of annual declines.
Analysts say it is inevitable that changes in consumer prices will soon turn negative after flat annual figures for the years to January and to February.
Overall final goods prices, which track prices of final products charged to businesses, fell 2.6 percent in March from a year earlier. Domestic final goods prices fell 1.7 percent.
Deflation like the flu tends to spread. It's devilishly hard to stop once it gets a toe hold in a country and it quickly gets exported.
If it starts spreading from Japan to other Asian countries then we might be in for a far rougher go of things than we expect.


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The subscribers of India's first online newspaper, thenewspapertoday.com of India Today Group, were in for a surprise yesterday as they logged on to the site. A pop-up announced that the site is making an exit from November 1 onwards citing unviable business conditions.
Speaking to exchange4media.com, Kalli Purie of India today Group Online said, "TNT is not closing down. Instead it is getting merged with the group's mother site, the online version of India Today." On the reasons behind the merger, Purie added, "The Internet infrastructure in India has not developed as per our expectations. Inspite of scoring high on the content parameter by the consumers, we felt that the delivery of the content was affected greatly due to infrastructure related problems like connectivity which are not in our hands." TNT, a paid subscription based news site, was launched with great fanfare on 1st January 2001 in a bold move when Internet stand alones were falling like nine pins all around.
The TNT merger decision is in line with India Today Group's strategy of either closing down or taking a quick remedial action if any of their plans go awry. The Group had closed down the Teens Today magazine some time back on similar grounds. Whereas its TV Today division's flagging fortunes were changed with the successful launch of Aaj Tak channel, one of the most successful media launches in India.
The 10,000 TNT subscribers have been given the option to either claim their unused subscription value or opt for access to the online versions of either India Today or Business Today magazines. The TNT example also underlines the fact that the market is still like a bumpy ride for the paid online content providers in India though Purie refused to acknowledge that paid subscription model was an issue with TNT.
Globally also the scene is no different. Jupiter Media Metrix, the global leader in Internet and new technology analysis and measurement, had reported earlier this year that 70% of online adults in a poll conducted revealed they couldn't understand why anyone would pay for content. According to Jupiter, revenues for general content will grow from $700 million in 2001to $2.3 billion in 2006. "While there is money to be made in the online content business, the indications are that the mass market still largely shuns anything that smells like a subscription online," claimed David Card, Jupiter vice president and senior analyst of Jupiter some time back. But he further added, "However, in the near term, media companies will create subscription services via packaging, exclusivity and added interactive features.


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Believe or not, White Castle is adding a vegetarian burger option. The fast-food chain will start selling a burger named the Impossible Slider on Thursday, April 12.
The burger, a product of San Francisco based company Impossible Foods, is made entirely of plants. However, the patty is designed to fool even the most significant meat fans.
New Impossible Slider Impersonates Real Meat
The meatless burger will sizzle on the grill and even oozes juice like a real burger. These factors set the Impossible Burger apart from other meatless patties, such as black bean or olive patties.
The Impossible Slider supposedly smells, looks, and even tastes like real meat. White Castle will debut the new item in their Illinois, New Jersey, and New York restaurants. It will be an option in 140 locations total.
White Castle is the first chain of fast-food stores to offer the Impossible Burger. However, food enthusiasts are expecting other businesses to join in on the craze. Many think White Castle is attempting to get ahead of the curve of the industry.
The Impossible Slider is not the first time the chain is offering up a meat-free alternative, though. In 2017 White Castle announced a slider made with crab cakes. It is meat-free and available seasonally.
Impossible Burger developed their new-wave, meat-free patty to change diets. The startup company wants to help the world move away from animal-based agriculture.
With a growing global population, they fear that system could eventually fail to supply food. However, the company’s meatless burger could help quiet those fears and keep meat-lovers happy. If it lives up to expectations, it has the potential to change the food industry drastically.
Impossible Foods opened a full-scale facility late last year, the company’s first. Once fully operational, they will produce up to 4,000,000 burgers each month.
White Castle will offer up the Impossible Slider for $1.99. It will come on a brioche bun with pickles, onions, and smoked cheddar cheese.


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Ballot Question Three: The Alcohol Question
When Massachusetts voters head to the polls on November 8, 2022–or complete mail-in ballots before then–they will be asked to decide whether or not to approve Ballot Question Three, an initiative petition that would impact laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages in the Commonwealth. The proposal is somewhat convoluted, so those of you in the 21-plus age group may want to grab a glass of something while we untangle this one.
The debate over Question Three resides within the larger ongoing conflict between small, local mom-and-pop stores and larger retailers who offer greater selection and lower prices, but risk putting their smaller competitors permanently out of business.
Over the past several decades, a version of this struggle has played out between large alcohol retailers such as Total Wine and local, independently-owned, community-based stores. The smaller stores–represented by the Massachusetts Package Stores Association–have long sought to limit the number of liquor licenses owned by any single entity in the state. Beginning in the 1930s when Prohibition was overturned, and continuing through 2011, Massachusetts restricted the number of liquor licenses that could be owned by any one individual or entity to three maximum. This limit was overturned in 2011, when a bill signed by Governor Deval Patrick increased the limit to nine. Thus began a process whereby Total Wine, Trader Joe’s, and other large retailers have played an increasingly prominent role in the Commonwealth’s liquor industry.
Ballot Question Three is in many ways a compromise proposal designed to address a variety of conflicting interests. The proposed law has four basic components:
- First, it would increase the total number of liquor licenses that can be owned by any one entity from nine to eighteen, with the increase taking place gradually over a number of years. However, only some of these licenses–seven maximum–would be for the sale of “all alcoholic beverages.” The remainder would be for “wines and malt beverages” only. At present, Massachusetts law allows for ownership of up to nine licenses for “all alcoholic beverages,” so this is actually a reduction in one sense but an increase overall.
- Second, the law would prohibit the use of self-checkout lanes for the sale of alcoholic beverages.
- Third, the law would recalculate the way fines are assessed when retailers are found responsible for violations such as selling alcohol to minors. Generally in these situations, retailers can choose between a suspension of their license or a fee, which is calculated based on a percentage of gross profits on alcohol sales. Instead, the new law would calculate the fee based on gross profits of all retail sales, not only alcohol sales.
- Finally, the law would allow retailers to accept out-of-state motor vehicle licenses as valid forms of identification for providing proof of identity and age.
Question Three is sponsored by the 21st Century Alcohol Retail Reform Committee, which is associated with the Massachusetts Package Stores Association. The Yes on Three group argues that this ballot question “restores balance to an industry that has been usurped and undermined by large corporate interests seeking marketplace control of alcohol retail.” Explaining that “locally owned and managed off premises alcohol beverages retail stores across Massachusetts placed Question 3 on the ballot,” the Yes on Three website suggests that this law is “a win for consumers, cities and towns and small businesses” because it would increase customer convenience while improving public safety and promoting tourism by allowing purchases with out-of-state identification.
According to the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s website, Question Three is opposed by a group called Food Stores for Consumer Choice. They argue that this proposed law “favors special interests in the alcohol industry, at the expense of cash-strapped consumers and their favorite local retailers.” The “No” group suggests that this law unfairly targets retailers that sell products other than alcohol, outlaws automated check-out technologies, and decreases the number of full liquor licenses that a retailer can own. While the state’s website provides a link to www.FoodStoresMA.org on behalf of the “No” advocates, the website is currently inactive.
In essence, Question Three is being promoted by small retailers and opposed by large ones. The former group wants to limit the number of liquor licenses owned per entity as much as possible, and also advocates eliminating the automated check-out options that are more prevalent in larger stores while increasing the fines assessed on grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s and Cumberland Farms that also sell alcohol. For the final provision, the acceptance of out-of-state IDs for alcohol purchases, the main argument in opposition appears to come from individuals and groups who are concerned about the risk of increased sales to minors who acquire “fake” out-of-state driver’s licenses and use them to buy alcohol in Massachusetts.
Consumers and voters will have to determine for themselves which side of this debate they find most compelling.


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Historically, AMD has played second fiddle to NVIDIA in the graphics card game, but from the details revealed about the Radeon RX 480 at Computex, this could change.
The first port of call for AMD is virtual reality. VR has become synonymous with gaming at the bleeding edge and it makes sense then that AMD wants to push its cards as an affordable means to being able to strap screens to your face. By affordable we aren’t talking $500, AMD has said the Radeon RX 480 4GB edition will start at $199 (R3 116,08).
Look, that price is subject to import duties and the like when it makes its way to South Africa but even if we’re overestimating how much those are we could be looking at a card that is VR ready retailing for under R5 000.
“As we look to fully connect and immerse humanity through VR, cost remains the daylight between VR being only for the select few, and universal access for everyone,” Senior Vice President and Chief Architect at Radeon Technologies, Raja Koduri said in a statement.
Sadly, AMD only teased the Rx 480 at Computex and left out the full technical specifications of the card. From the details that were revealed however, we know that the card will be available in the US from the 29th June in both 4GB and 8GB iterations. That GDDR5 memory will flow through a wide 256-bit memory bus and can reach memory clock speeds of up to 8Gbps.
Compared to AMD’s last flagship GPU, the R9 390X, this new GPU is also less power-hungry, a lot less.
AMD claims that the RX 480 will draw 150W which is more than likely with thanks to the smaller 14nm FinFET manufacturing process. This also translates into what we hope are lower thermal temperatures as well.
So what does this all mean then? Well for starters its the probably the first salvo we’ve seen fired from Team Red at Team Green since, hell, the HD 7990 and even that was a dual-GPU card that ate through electricity.
Secondly, the fact that AMD is pushing the VR aspect so heavily means that this card is likely going to perform well enough to actually silence the critics who believe AMD is dead in the water.
There is however a downside to all of this; we aren’t sure whether we’re Team Green or Team Red anymore.[Source – AMD]