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Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
DoorDash is laying off 1,250 people in corporate roles, which equates to 6% of its workforce. DoorDash had 8,600 corporate employees as of the end of 2021. The company will offer 17 weeks of severance, and health care will continue until March of next year.
These recent layoffs mean that DoorDash is joining other major companies like Amazon, Twitter, Meta, and Lyft in cutting staff in 2022. These companies experienced booms during the pandemic when everyone was at home and they couldn’t keep up with staffing requirements.
Now they have to scale back as consumers become conscious about spending with soaring inflation. Many of these companies have seen their market caps shrink dramatically and their investor confidence decrease.
In an official statement on November 30, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu discussed how the company experienced unprecedented opportunities during the pandemic. Hence, they had to accelerate the hiring process to keep up with the growth. The company ultimately failed to properly manage the team's growth as it took on too much staff to match the current climate. Xu also commented on the company’s expenses:
“While our business continues to grow fast, given how quickly we hired, our operating expenses – if left unabated – would continue to outgrow our revenue.”
This was a key point from the memo as the company has struggled to turn a profit despite having a highly successful IPO at the end of 2020 during the pandemic boom.
The layoffs came at a slightly surprising time since we’re about to experience the holiday rush that often increases revenue due to more people ordering food for holiday-related events.
DoorDash released its earnings report for the third quarter of 2022 on November 3 for investors. Here are some of the highlights from this report:
DoorDash shares went up about 14% in the after-hours trading when the company announced financial results that included higher sales and total orders than analysts had initially predicted. The total number of orders shot up 27% to 439 million, but that wasn’t enough to help the company make a profit.
Considering the current macroeconomic environment, the 33% bump in revenue is impressive, but the company has to find ways to cut its expenses in order to be in the black.
Read the full report here


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Walkers are offering crisp fans the chance to add to their parties, get togethers and celebrations in style.
For the first time ever, the Midlands-based manufacturer of the savoury snacks are launching sharing bags.
The new products mean snackers can enjoy their favourite Walkers flavours, without having to share a regular sized bag, for the first time.
With the UEFA Champions League in full swing, these new bigger packs are the perfect snack to enjoy whilst you gather around the sofa to watch the beautiful game, say bosses at the company.
To celebrate the launch, Walkers has introduced a new Snap and Share competition, giving fans the chance to win big by sharing selfies with the packs on social.
The sharing packs are available in the four bestselling Walkers flavours: Ready Salted, Cheese & Onion, Salt & Vinegar, and Prawn Cocktail.
To enter the competition, all fans need to do is raise the cheering face on the pack over their mouth and nose, strike a pose and take a snap to show Walkers their best selfie.
Upload it via Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #WalkersUnited, or via Facebook by commenting under the pinned post at Facebook.com/Walkers to be entered into one of the daily draws.
With bold colours, moustaches and vibrant face paint, Brits can bring a pop of brightness to their social networks, all while being in with the chance of winning UEFA Champions League prizes every day, including tickets to the UEFA Champion League Final.
The Snap and Share competition is live now and running until April 23.

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With 500,000 regularly using Uber, a great many Torontonians have made their preference clear: they want the option of calling a ride-sharing service instead of a cab.
Unfortunately, the city’s six-member licencing committee — stacked with defenders of the traditional taxi industry — voted last month to deprive the public of this option. Now the issue goes to city council, at a scheduled two-day meeting starting Tuesday, and it’s important that the politicians put consumers first.
This means accepting a reasonable compromise, drafted by city staff, designed to allow ride-booking companies such as Uber to operate legally while slashing the dense red tape encumbering conventional cabs. The plan is complex, with more than 100 proposed changes, but it presents a balanced way forward.
Uber would face new regulations designed to boost public confidence in the safety of ride-sharing while cabbies would be subject to fewer and simpler rules, putting them in a better position to compete. But this even-handed approach isn’t good enough for the taxi industry.
It has been lobbying hard for a one-size-fits-all regulatory system that would drive Uber out of Toronto. Cabbies’ jobs and livelihoods would be preserved, but at the cost of sacrificing public choice and a competitive marketplace. That’s not a fair exchange, especially since excess regulation of the taxi industry hasn’t produced a particularly desirable product.
Special regulations for Uber and similar “private transportation companies” would give consumers more and safer choice in hiring rides while also easing traffic congestion. That is what should ultimately guide city council — not protests, yelling and pressure tactics from an industry desperate to maintain the status quo.
Safety is key. Defenders of conventional cabs have repeatedly portrayed ride-sharing companies as putting the public at increased risk. And they claim that easing regulations on taxis would make them more dangerous too. This is not the case — but for one notable exception.
Critics fail to grasp the full measure of the revolution wrought by Uber. Its main service, called UberX, matches local riders with one of 15,000 drivers operating unmarked private cars instead of taxis. Rides are booked and paid for via a smartphone app and are generally cheaper than a traditional cab.
This has been portrayed as a throwback to when “bandit taxis” roamed Toronto streets in unsafe, unregulated vehicles. In fact, it’s nothing of the sort. Proposed regulations would require all drivers — UberX and cabbies — to be subject to the same criminal record checks and screening measures. In the case of Uber, however, results go to the company instead of to City Hall. Critics consider this a weaker standard. But Uber would have no reason to work with a driver who failed.
It’s ironic to extol traditional taxis as a model of public safety. This is the same industry that kept 255 cabbies on the road despite convictions for drunk driving, street racing, sexual assault and a variety of other offences. A 2013 Star investigation revealing this found that a lax appeal process had made it exceedingly hard to get rid of such people. But Uber can do so at the press of a button, immediately denying a rogue driver further access to its app.
“We tend to take a zero tolerance approach,” Ian Black, Uber Canada’s general manager, told the Star’s editorial board last week.
A further contrast between traditional taxis and ride-sharing services was evident on Wednesday. Police announced an Uber driver had been charged with sexual assault after a woman reported being attacked in a Markham parking lot. After learning of the incident Uber immediately removed the driver from its platform and contacted police in order to support their investigation.
Since the company tracks rides via GPS, its assistance is likely to be helpful, especially in tracing the previous activities and billings of the driver who was charged.
On that same Wednesday, Toronto police issued a call for public assistance, asking for help in identifying a taxi driver who had allegedly sexually assaulted a female passenger. The incident was reported in mid-February and they still had no idea who this man was. Which approach sounds safer?
There’s more. Uber employs a telematics system that monitors drivers who have dashboard-mounted smartphones. The technology allows the company to micro-examine details, such as a driver’s acceleration and braking pattern, and pass on advice for safer driving.
Uber technology can be considered the bright side of Big Brother, as far as public safety is concerned. Even the simple fact that UberX drivers use their personal cars boosts security. Most cabbies don’t own the vehicle they’re operating, making them less interested in keeping it clean and more likely to drive aggressively.
Regulations proposed by city staff would reduce public safety in one significant way — they don’t require Uber cars to be equipped with snow tires in winter, and would lift an existing rule demanding such tires on taxis. This is a mistake.
Using snow tires produces a measurable increase in cold-weather braking efficiency. Studies show this cuts accidents and injury rates. Rather than sparing taxis from this requirement, snow tires should be made mandatory for Uber drivers as well. The company says it would accept that along with the rest of the regulatory package proposed by city staff.
Some additional tinkering may be required, but on the whole the new rules before council represent the best way forward. The question now is whether politicians will have the fortitude to serve the interests of consumers or bow to the taxi industry.


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How Paytm is bracing for its biggest battle against deep-pocketed global rivals
From WhatsApp to Google’s Tez to Amazon Pay, deep-pocketed global challengers are queueing up for India's digital payments pie, putting Paytm under threat.
How the new age voters will be crucial in deciding the political fortunes in 2019
As the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are drawing closer, this hu...
100% confident of maintaining my dominant position: Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Vijay Shekhar Sharma wears his emotions on his sleeve. His penchant ...
CBSE class 12 accountancy paper leaked on WhatsApp
<p>The Class XII accountancy paper of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has allegedly been leaked. </p>
As Karnataka readies for polls, its firsttime voters demand development
According to Election Commission data, there are 7.6 lakh young first-time voters in Karnataka and 15 lakh young voters in total.
WhatsApp stirs up India with push into digital payments
With more than 200 million Indians already using its messaging, WhatsApp is piloting a payment service that lets them transfer money to each other.
Axis Bank to be able to process payments over WhatsApp soon
Stating that Google Tez is already up and running, Anand in response to a question about the roll out said, "WhatsApp, we are in the process of integration.
Capillary Technologies looks to tap instant messaging platforms, in talks with WhatsApp
Capillary is also looking to increase its business from the consumer goods segment where it ventured early this year and has got clients like Marico and Johnson and Johnson.
WhatsApp adds 'block revoke request' feature for curbing misuse of 'delete for everyone' option
The new block revoke request feature works by checking the ID for a saved message in the database.
Whatsapp's entry into payments could disrupt the ecosystem and cause consolidation in the market: Report
GlobalData has also noted that none of the major payment companies in the country are profitable which will cause them to fear the entry of global tech giants into the Indian payments scene.
CBSE denies paper leak; says will approach police against 'fake' news
The development comes after Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted this morning about the complaints received by him in this regard.
WhatsApp is writing a custom message for large enterprises
Messaging app to add several new features including customer support and merchant payments.
BlackBerry sues Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram over patent infringement
BlackBerry Ltd on Tuesday filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook Inc and its WhatsApp and Instagram apps, arguing that they copied technology and features from BlackBerry Messenger.
Google opens up chat on Tez: Takes fight to Whatsapp
The payment application, which runs on the UPI railroads, will now allow consumers to open up an option for conversation around the transaction.
WhatsApp leaks: Sebi asks Tata Motors to conduct internal probe
Tata Motors is the third Sensex company related to whom the regulator has passed an order.


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Asus Fonepad 7 (FE171CG) Review
We wouldn't be surprised to hear that people are beginning to lose count of how many Fonepad models Asus has released. This is a product line that Asus has been pushing for a while now, attempting to solidify its position in the voice-calling tablet market. Although a lot of people laugh at the idea of using a 7-inch tablet as their primary phone, Asus evidently has enough reason to believe that it's a product category worth investing in. The new Asus Fonepad 7 (FE171CG) offers improved specs and features over previous versions of the device, including a better camera and more storage. It sticks to the 7-inch display and Intel Atom SoC, and retains the typical Asus tablet look and feel. Performance is of course important, but we are also eager to see whether the Rs. 10,999 price tag is justified by the inclusion of a few new features and hardware upgrades. Look and Feel Ever since the success of the Asus Google Nexus 7, Asus has tried to stick to the same design formula as fa.. - Gadgets brings you the latest gadgets and technology news, with reviews, up to the minute news and exclusives.
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text: There was a time when Nvidia’s complete attention was on providing PC users with the best graphics cards and GPUs. But then the market shifted, and mobile platforms arrived. So Nvidia also shifted its focus and embraced mobile platforms with the introduction of its Tegra system-on-a-chip (SoC) line.However, the market for GPUs and the devices consumers want to buy continues to change, so Nvidia is making another shift. Only this time, it’s not another new product line, it’s sharing the company’s GPU architecture and patent portfolio with others.Nvidia has announced that it intends to start licensing its GPU technology and visual computing patents for others to use and extend however they wish. It means Nvidia will be able to earn revenue from the use of its technology by others without having to do anything other than making its GPU designs and documentation available.For Nvidia’s partners choosing to pay for such a license, it unlocks access to Kepler architecture GPUs that are DirectX 11, OpenGL 4.3, and GPGPU capable, as well as scaling from smartphone power levels right through for use in high-end desktop PCs and even supercomputers. There’s also the option to add to the base functionality Nvidia offers, allowing the flexibility for some hopefully quite novel applications.Nvidia isn’t exactly new to the area of technology licensing. In the past both Sony and Microsoft have agreed to license deals to get the company’s technology into their games consoles. Nvidia’s patent licensing is also already very profitable with Intel paying the company over $250 million in license fees every year.By opening up its technology to everyone for a fee, Nvidia can expect to see a significant jump in its revenue while continuing to focus on research and development for next-generation designs. At the same time, don’t expect Nvidia graphics cards and SoC solutions to disappear. This is just an expansion of their offerings, not a shift away from their core business.


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Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
October 31, 2012
Bloomberg is reporting that earlier this month, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne sat down with PSA-Peugeot/Citroen GM earlier this month about creating an alliance that would become the largest automaker in the region.
Marchionne's proposal was to have the three companies form an alliance in exchange for stock. Marchionne also had another proposal on the table where Fiat would take Opel off GM's hands if the company was given between $5 to $7 billion in cash for restructuring costs.
PSA-Peugeot/Citroen passed on the alliance because it favors its partnership with GM. Also, if PSA-Peugeot/Citroen went ahead with this idea, this would have complicated a $9.1 billion guarantee from the French government.
“It’s an indication that it’s getting increasingly difficult, especially for the southern European carmakers. Marchionne seems to be afraid to go under in the wave of joint ventures in Europe,” said Frank Schwope, an analyst with Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale.
“Don’t read anything into having a coffee at the bar. There are other things than combinations and mergers that people talk about from time to time,” said Marchionne when asked about this.
General Motors and PSA-Peugot/Citroen declined to comment.
William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.


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Beyond: Two Souls Surpasses One Million Units Sold
Quantic Dream's Beyond: Two Souls sold through one million units shortly before Christmas.
The news of the sales comes from Quantic Dream's website, which announced the sales on a blog post. Quantic Dream also put together a special page thanking fans for their support and calling out some of the game's positive critical reception.
For our own Beyond: Two Souls reception, head here for our review.
Despite its large budget and Hollywood cast, Beyond: Two Souls is still a fairly experimental, risky game. One million units isn't as impressive as it used to be with the continued inflation of video game budgets, but it's good to hear the game has seen some success so far.


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NBC ‘Football Night in America’ set to feature 103in plasmas
NBC Universal premiered its “Football Night in America” this Sunday with two 103in diagonal HD professional plasma displays on a new set in its studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
The plasma panels, Panasonic TH-103PF9UK, have a viewable area of about 89in wide by 50in high. Panasonic recently debuted the TH-103PF9UK, which is currently the largest plasma TV available. NBC Universal is the first commercial customer to purchase the 103in plasma TV.
With 16-bit color reproduction, the super-sized plasma provides widescreen progressive display featuring full HD pixel resolution (1920 x 1080), a contrast ratio of 5,000:1 and 4096 equivalent steps of color gradation.
NBC Universal placed the plasma displays on either side of its on-air talent desk for the Sunday night show. In addition, four Panasonic 50in TH-50PH9UK HD plasma displays are being used.
For more information, visit: www.panasonic.com.
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Most livestock rations from 1 December will incur a £10/t price increase as feed merchants react to the rise in spot markets for grain and proteins.
Cereal prices have soared to unprecedented levels over the past week, with reports of rolled barley being delivered on farm from £280/t to £290/t.
It means rolled barley has risen by £50/t to £60/t since October 2021, and is £80/t to £100/t above the corresponding price last December.
However, maize meal has been holding relatively steady in recent weeks, with current price quotes putting bulk deliveries around £280/t on farm, up £55/t on the same month last year.
Soya is also relatively steady at £380 to £390/t for bulk orders, although soya hulls are extremely difficult to source with most merchants unable to quote a price.
Maize distillers is around £290/t, with maize gluten at similar levels.
Sugar beet pulp is typically £265 to £270/t but there are reports that the product is getting harder to get due to shipping delays.
Some merchants have also encountered delays when sourcing trace minerals. Again, this has resulted in rising costs that have to be passed on.
December’s price increase will see 16% general purpose cattle rations trading from £270 to £285/t depending on the ingredients and whether a blend or pellet. Dairy and intensive lamb finisher rations will cost from £300 to £320/t.
A key factor in rising feed prices is the level of forward cover merchants have had during the second half of this year. With the market unstable, most were forward buying short.
Those contracts are now close to expiring, leaving feed mills with little option but to lock in at higher prices.
Looking ahead to 2022, there is no sign of a downturn, with forward contract price lists for imported grain supplied from January to April indicating prices above £260/t.
Adding in transport, rolling and margin, this would likely see rolled barley being delivered on farm between £290/t and £300/t.
Sources in the trade suggest further ration price increases are likely for January, and again in March/April.


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VisitBritain is marking the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales with the launch of its latest Love is GREAT campaign.
The marketing targets LGBTQ audiences in the US and Australia and is part of a three-year campaign to raise awareness of the UK as a welcoming and friendly destination.
Paul Gauger, VisitBritain interim executive vice president, said: “From its vibrant cities brimming with culture and heritage to its stunning countryside and romantic retreats, Britain is packed full of incredible experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.
“This campaign is all about showcasing the sheer diversity of these amazing moments and that a warm welcome awaits you wherever you choose to go.”
To mark this significant anniversary, cultural establishments such as the British Museum and the Tate are featuring special exhibits and events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act.
Cities such as Birmingham and Brighton have also revealed the first details of this year’s Pride celebrations.
The Love Is GREAT campaign is part of VisitBritain’s larger ’Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign, which was launched in 2016.
• Meanwhile, VisitBritain and British Airways have launched a new campaign to inspire more visitors from South Africa to book a trip to Britain.
BA is offering discounted fares of up to 20% and VisitBritain is running a competition to win a trip for two from South Africa to the UK.
Sumathi Ramanathan, VisitBritain director, said: “By showcasing the incredible experiences on offer and getting great tactical fares in market we want to inspire even more visitors from South Africa to come and discover their own amazing moments. It is a great time to come to Britain.”


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Luna Innovations files for bankruptcy
- July 17, 2009
Roanoke-based Luna Innovations Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Virginia court Friday.
The move follows a California jury’s ruling in April that ordered Luna to pay $36 million to Hansen Medical in a dispute over breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets. Luna Innovations develops and manufactures products for the health and telecommunications industry.
“In the absence of reasonable settlement of that dispute, we believe that today’s filing is in the best interests of Luna and our shareholders, creditors and communities, while providing the first step toward securing a future for Luna,” Kent Murphy, Luna’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “We intend to build on our history of innovation and product development, outstanding products, and excellent customer service.”
The company said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy, and will continue with normal operations and employment under bankruptcy. As part of the reorganization, Luna is asking the Virginia court to estimate Hansen’s claims to be $1.3 million. That would allow the company to pay all of its creditors, according to Luna’s statement. The company has asked California courts to reduce the award to Hansen.
“The plan that we proposed and filed today, if confirmed by the court, would pay our creditors on their valid claims and leave our current shareholders in place while allowing us to continue to build upon the recent achievements of this company and the potential of our product pipeline,” Murphy said.


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As the fall season starts local pumpkin farmers say their crop is down this year and supply might be limited over the next few months.
Tim Assiter with Assiter Punkin Ranch near Floydada says this year's harvest yield is down and the pumpkin size is half of what it should be.
"The Gold Rush variety should be weighing 30 to 35 pounds. This one probably weighs about 15 pounds," said Tim pointing out pumpkins still on the vine. "Even though it's a good pumpkin, it's not the size we want. We're attributing that to the heat."
Tim says the smaller pumpkins, mean they need more to fill up the trucks… but that too will be a challenge. "Looking across the fields we don't thing the numbers are there. We think the quality is there, but the numbers aren't," he said.
Besides delaying the growth of some pumpkins, the heat has also caused more to be sunburned. This basically turns the pumpkin soft, ruining them.
As with many crops the drought also caused high production costs for Tim. "Last year we were able to get by on 45 days of watering. This year we started watering in March, so we have watered for six months. Water costs have at least doubled, maybe even more," said Tim.
So, if you're looking to carve a pumpkin this year, you could end up carving a little more out of your wallet as pumpkin prices rise slightly to accommodate the shortage and higher production costs.
"As far as the ones we have, we're just worried about the supply and having enough to supply everyone we've supplied in the past," said Tim.
Copyright 2011 KCBD. All rights reserved.


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Last month, millions tuned in around the globe to watch billionaire innovators reach space in the adventure of the century.
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceflight Unity took off on 11 July as he tested his commercial space travel plans. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, followed nine days later when he reached the edge of space onboard the New Shepard, the rocket ship produced by his space company Blue Origin.
SpaceX, the brainchild of Elon Musk, the co-founder of electric car maker Tesla, in 2018 launched Falcon Heavy, the world’s most powerful operational rocket for its first commercial flight. It launched a Tesla dummy driver named Starman onboard. Flights aboard reusable Falcon Heavy cost customers between $90 million (£64.5 million) and $150 million. Musk’s ambitions? Civilian trips to the Moon in 2023 and a future colony on Mars.
How have these entrepreneurs disrupted the aerospace industry, which had been stagnating for years, to make space tourism a near-reality?
The final frontier
Space tourism is decades old. In 2001, wealthy American entrepreneur Dennis Tito paid $20 million for a seat on Soyuz, a Russian spacecraft. He became the first tourist to visit the International Space Station. Only seven others have followed suit. High costs mean nation-states monopolised space travel.
After his successful flight, Virgin Galactic said it wants to make space tourism commercially viable and operate several flights annually. It has over 600 paying customers for its $250,000 seats including celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber.
Far from Dito’s rocket flight, private space companies offer cheaper possibilities in the form of suborbital launches, which allows crafts to reach the edge of space before coming back down.
While space tourism should provide a revenue stream for SpaceX’s Moon plans, funding for those ambitious ventures comes in majority from SpaceX’s orbital launches. With its $1 million satellite launch price, SpaceX offers an 80% cost reduction in dollars per kilo compared to competitors.
According to car company Porsche, which has recently invested in rocket startup Isar Aerospace, the global space launch services market is expected to rise to over €30 billion ($35.4 billion) by 2027. Orbital launches of small and medium-sized satellites will account for a third of the increase.
How legacy businesses compete
Legacy space businesses remain major players in the space economy, but heavyweights Boeing and Lockheed Martin are under pressure. They have vowed to build on their heritage in spatial exploration to keep up with the disruptors. Boeing have invested in Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines, who are building the next generation of hypersonic flight and orbital spacecraft.
The global space industry is worth an estimated $250 billion according to Morgan Stanley. The industry is expected to surge to $1 trillion by 2040. Satellite broadband and data is a lucrative market and will represent 50 per cent of the projected growth of the global space economy.
Legacy businesses could attract several billion pounds worth of investments by launching and supplying satellite tech and large-scale and real-time data broadband, innovative customer-focused services and enter partnerships with the new breed of tech businesses who are driving new approaches.
Startup Loft Orbital, which leases space on satellites, uses Python Programming Language and Artificial Intelligence to speed up timescales on satellite testing, making the firm more competitive.
UK’s space economy drive
In this space race, the United Kingdom is ambitious. “We will launch space missions from the UK”, President of UK Space Andy Green said as the trade association for the UK’s space industry published an ambitious growth plan for the sector, which carries 15 per cent of activity across the economy.
It aims to double the worth of space industrial activities to £500 billion, and to nearly double its workforce by 2030, adding a further 30,000 skilled people to the 38,000 already employed in the sector. UK Space said it intends to encourage diversity and inclusion in the sector.
As innovation opens the door to a new world of opportunities, you can help your company gain a competitive edge by talking to us today about your strategic workforce planning.


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Philips’ wholly owned TV-manufacturing subsidiary TP Vision has just revealed its second generation of Philips smart TVs will be powered by Google’s latest operating system.
The Android-powered TV sets will make use of an Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system, an upgrade from last year’s KitKat-based tubes.
Bringing Android Lollipop into the Philips TV fold means the TV sets will have access to a host of dedicated Android TV apps.
It also means it’s plenty easy for devs to build software content for the platform, as there only needs to be one SDK.
Philips was an early adopter of smart TV technology, and was the first firm to bring Android-fuelled TV to Europe.
Albert Mombarg, Head of Smart TV at TP Vision, said: “
“It attracts a huge base of developers who now can easily adapt their apps for different types of devices including TVs.”
So what’s the advantage of having Android at the heart of your TV? Well for starters, you get direct access to Google’s Play Store, as well as Philips own Smart TV platform.
You also get access to Android-friendly online gaming services, like the game-streaming OnLive.
New to Philips Smart TVs this year is a boosted user interface, making use of Google’s new Android TV launcher.
This reworked design merged with hefty processing power should make for a fluid TV browsing experience.
Philips has confirmed that all of its TVs launching this year will feature the latest version of Android TV.


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PGi is thrilled to announce a new strategic alliance with Plantronics, a global leader in audio communications for businesses and consumers. Today, PGi and Plantronics launched a new integrated solution, bringing the power of Plantronics’ contextual intelligence technology through its Voyager Legend™ UC headset to iMeet™.
So what exactly is contextual intelligence? Contextual intelligence allows the Voyager Legend UC headset to know certain things about your physical world and then communicate them directly to iMeet. The headset knows when you put it on and take it off. It knows your proximity to your device of choice. By sending this information to iMeet, we can create a more natural and more intuitive virtual meeting experience.
For example, by simply removing your headset, iMeet will automatically display that you’re on “mute” for the other guests in the meeting, eliminating the age-old awkward moment: “Are you there, Bob? … Uh, sorry, I was on mute.” If you move away from your device while wearing the Voyager Legend, iMeet will automatically set your status to “Away” so your guests will know you’ve stepped out — all with no additional effort on your part.
In short? iMeet + Plantronics = simply smarter meetings.
With the global mobile workforce forecasted to reach 1.5 billion by 2015, effective virtual collaboration isn’t just important for businesses of all sizes — it’s absolutely essential. PGi and Plantronics are committed to crafting the industry’s best user experiences. By bringing together the power of contextual intelligence with the world’s best virtual meetings, we’ve made virtual meetings smarter, more intuitive and simply better than ever before.
Interested in giving iMeet a try? Sign up for a free trial today.


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Google acquires London-based artificial intelligence firm DeepMind
Google has brought London-based artificial intelligence start-up DeepMind for a reported $400m (£240m) as it continues its high profile acquisition spree.
DeepMind: artificial intelligence start-up is acquired by Google
DeepMind combines techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build algorithms for ecommerce, simulations and games applications.
The startup is currently in "stealth" mode and was founded by Demis Hassabis, Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman.
Google confirmed the acquisition but would not comment on the $400m price tag reported by tech website Re/code.
The DeepMind deal comes after Google’s acquisition of eight robotic companies in the past year, with the most recent acquisition being that of Boston Dynamics, a company that makes machines that run faster than humans.
DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis has been described as a computer game designer, AI programmer, neuroscientist and a chess "child prodigy".
Prior to founding DeepMind, he set up computer games company Elixir Studios in 1998. He was CEO of the company until July 2005, running a 60-strong team and produced games for Microsoft and Vivendi Univerasl.
The studio developed games including Syndicate, Theme Park, Black and White, Republic and Evil Genius.
Hassabis was later a research fellow at UCL’s Gatsby computational neuroscience unit and worked on research papers including 'Is The Brain a Good Model For Machine Intelligence?'.
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
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2009 March 31
A New Man at Bill Blass
(NEW YORK) It's been a very good year for Richard Chai, following his well-received Fall women's collection and the Spring 2009 launch of his men's line, which was celebrated last Thursday at Barneys New York. Now, it appears the designer's star will rise even higher. Several industry sources have indicated that he is in talks with the new owner of Bill Blass, Peacock International Holdings, about the creative director position at the house. "I'm afraid we can't comment at the moment," said a Chai spokesperson of the rumors. "We can't comment on who we're interviewing for the position," Peacock's executive vice president of licensing and sales Scott Patti told The Daily. He did, however, confirm that the announcement of a new creative director will be made in a month or so.
Chai, an industry veteran with a loyal following that caters to both downtown and uptown clientele, began his career launching the Marc by Marc Jacobs collection. He then moved on to TSE before launching his eponymous collection in 2004. Chai won the Ecco Domani award in 2005, and in 2008, he was named one of the ten finalists in the running for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Chai proved his mass appeal by designing a capsule collection for Target's Go! International brand last fall.
Bill Blass Couture abruptly closed on December 19, when parent company Nexcen Holdings (which acquired the Bill Blass brand in February 2007) let go 80% of its 34 employees. Ten days later, Nexcen sold the remainder of the label (which continues to operate about 20 licenses) to Peacock International Holdings for approximately 10 million dollars. The Wall Street Journal reported that Peacock is angling to relaunch the Bill Blass collection in the next 9-12 months, following a 6-month embargo period that was a term of their contract with Nexcen. "Michael Vollbracht was terrific--they were all pretty good, but there was some conflict that (they seemed to have) with the company," Patti told the Journal at the time. "You need somebody with a vision that really ties in to the Bill Blass DNA--and you need consistency, someone who will be in place beyond a year or two."
Chai appears to fit that bill, given that he is known for the brand of classic, luxurious American sportswear that Blass pioneered. He also enjoys tremendous popularity with retailers and editors, including Vogue's Anna Wintour and Barneys New York's Julie Gilhart, which will be critical to infuse the Blass brand with energy and buzz during these exceptional economic times. Expect to see Bill Blass back on the runway in September.
Forget any superstitions about the number 13 being unlucky: Swarovski is celebrating its many years (a baker's dozen, to be exact) of working with the CFDA Awards. To toast the occasion...
Opening Ceremony is planning to expand thanks to a minority investment from Boston-based Berkshire Partners. The investment company recently teamed up with former David Yurman CEO ...
Vogue is in the midst of a digital revamp, but you’ll have to wait until September to see the result. The fashion glossy’s online counterpart has been undergoing a total makeover...


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Oprah says the Kindle changed her life. "It's absolutely my new favorite favorite thing in the world," she says. "I know it's expensive in these times, but it's not frivolous because it will pay for itself," she says. "The books are much cheaper, and you're saving paper." All that, and green too.
There's still the price hurdle to overcome. $359 is no paperback book club pick, but Amazon is giving $50 off the price of Kindle between now and November 1, 2008. Enter the code OPRAHWINFREY to get the discount.
Amazon is also offering an extra 10% off the price of the current Oprah book club pick, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.
As of the writing of this post, Cumberland House is now up to 166 titles available on Amazon in the Kindle format.


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Pickle Juice Slushes have officially arrived at your local Sonic Drive-In!
Earlier this year, Sonic announced plans to put the... interesting new flavor choice on its menu. And today, June 11, the fast food chain officially welcomed the slushie to the family.
Pickle juice actually has a lot of healthy qualities. Athletes, for example, have been known to drink pickle juice on very hot days to help stay hydrated.
Meanwhile, it isn't just slushies that customers can get the green juice on. Sonic says they'll gladly pour some pickle juice on your burgers, tots, even sundaes. So, this begs the question, will you try this new flavor?


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Marella Cruises has revealed 18 new ports of call - including Boston, Halong Bay and San Juan - as part of its winter 2021/22 programme.
The Tui-owned line has created 23 new itineraries which among them features Marella Discovery’s new sailing to the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and Marella Discovery 2 heading to Canada for the first time.
The programme, which goes on sale today (10 September) also sees "more calls than ever" to Havana during Marella Explorer 2’s Flavour of the Caribbean itinerary.
From December 2021, Discovery’s A Taste of the Tropics will homeport in Barbados and will sail to new ports of call Charlotte Amelie and Frederiksted in the US Virgin Islands before continuing to Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Discovery 2 will sail on two new itineraries around Asia from 2022. The Lights of the Orients itinerary will see the ship homeport in Hong Kong and Eastern Experience will sail from Singapore. Both itineraries will visit new ports of call such as Manila, Brunei and Da Nang.


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IPC: Demand Strong for Printed Circuit Boards
July update reveals increased book-to-bill ratio.
IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries has released its July update from its monthly American Printed Circuit Board Statistical Program. The study revealed that the book-to-bill ratio had increased to 1.09 – “a good indicator of sales growth in the second half of this year,” says Sharon Starr, director of market research. This was the 10th month in a row the study has found a positive (greater than 1) ratio.
While shipments and orders were down from the month of June, Starr indicated that these are typical seasonal patterns. The year-to-date shipment growth remained at -0.3, a consequence of negative growth rates from earlier in 2015; but the year-to-date order growth rate rose to 3.9 percent.


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If smartphones gave us access to information and augmented reality puts that information in front of us when we need it, then putting neural lace in our brains just closes the gap. It's the end of an era for blackberry the company, famous for making cellphones with physical keyboards that were once so popular people nicknamed them crackberries, has decided to stop making. The canadian company that invented the smartphone is turning its full attention to the more profitable and growing software business.
With openpod™, a multi-mission, open architecture pod system, maintainers can do something that was never possible before: reconfigure a sensor pod to suit mission requirements. Along with asking about smartphone adoption and usage in our may 2011 survey, we also included a question that asked cell phone owners to provide the one word that best describes how they feel about their phones. In an era when many kids get a first smartphone at age 10, psychologists say the devices have turned us into pavlov's dogs — drooling for the next notification, buzz or text ready to dial back.
Corephotonics collaborates with samsung electro-mechanics to bring new era of imaging to smartphones tel aviv, israel, february 15th, 2017 - corephotonics has partnered with prominent camera module integrator samsung electro-mechanics (semco) to develop a complete reference design, based on its revolutionary dual camera technology. Pitichat 1 smartphones in the workplace: changing organizational behavior, transforming the future thiraput pitichat claremont graduate university. 'look up' - a spoken word film for an online generation 'look up' is a lesson taught to us through a love story, in a world where we continue to find ways t. A new era of smartphone operation the iphone x and android p are laying the groundwork for a period dominated by gesture navigations.
Can you picture the world without smartphones a time when we used payphones on the side of the street or in the store i can it's 1990 and you're waiting for an important phone call- you. At ifa 2017 earlier in the month, huawei showcased its latest kirin 970 smartphone soc with what it calls a neural processing unit (npu), for ai processing while huawei was the first to unveil a soc with dedicated ai segment, apple became the first to launch a smartphone with a specific use-case in its faceid function. The smartphone has laid the foundation in which the future will be built on and ultimately will eventually give birth to that which displaces it as well as we embrace the post-mobile era, it is time to shift our attention from the smartphone hardware itself to all the new things the smartphone will enable as the most pervasive form of personal. The galaxy note may have been the de facto pioneer of the phablet era of smartphones, but these days, as bezels shrink on devices, so too do the lines between phablets and regular-sized phones. Guys this article is really interesting and it's all about google's mighty smart phone project project ara i think this phone is the beginning of a new era of smartphones.
Smartphones have become a major distraction in the workplace, which is a main issue that affects the quality of an employee's work and his or her concentration level. The generation that doesn't remember life before smartphones what it means to be a teenager in 2015 no phones anywhere it could be 1997, another era completely except on the sideline,. The history of smartphones: timeline from the launch of the iphone in 2007 to the resignation of rim's bosses, a history of the most competitive technology market in the world android phones. Super smartphones and mighty messaging phones at&t's new spring smartphones although the pilot wasn't a smartphone, it does deserve credit for popularizing the use of mobile data by enterprise users.
The era of smartphone commodification has begun smartphones are becoming commodities the battle for supremacy is increasingly being fought in profit margins and emerging markets the golden. The smartphone has had a good run, but it's over now ok, maybe the smartphone isn't dead just yet, but according to gartner, the growth of the smartphone market certainly is slowing so much. If the automobile was fundamental to grasping the last century, the smartphone is the defining commodity of our era people today spend a lot of time on their phones they check them constantly throughout the day and keep them close to their bodies.
Feature phone is a term typically used as a retronym to describe a class of handheld computersfeature phones tend to use a proprietary, custom-designed software and user interface, and lack the capabilities of smartphones. How smartphones are changing advertising & marketing the rise of the internet era has led to a divergence of consumer attention away from traditional forms of media towards more digital forms. The latest generation of mobile phones makes it possible for your business's employees to access and use the same business communication facilities that they have in the office employees can now.


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New markets open up for Norwich, Aylsham and Beeston-based Ben Burgess
Ongoing problems within the eurozone have helped Norfolk-based business Ben Burgess open up new markets in South America and the Middle East, its managing director said yesterday.
Ben Turner revealed that the firm had recently agreed a deal to ship three containers of second-hand tractors from Felixstowe to Uruguay.
And the firm, which employs 175 staff at its main base in Norwich and other sites in Aylsham, Beeston near Dereham and Exning near Newmarket, is also attracting orders from Egypt and even Syria, despite the recent unrest in that country.
Although Europe still remains the company's main export market, he said the last six months had seen a noticeable rise in orders from non-European countries.
'The problems with the euro have had an effect as it has made it more expensive in Europe,' he said. 'The past six to nine months has seen a real dip.
You may also want to watch:
'We are still doing business in Europe, but it's just that we have got to get used to the changes in prices.
'But we are seeing new markets in Uruguay and South America, which is pretty popular at the moment.
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'They could get their machines from North America, but it's expensive to travel overland.
'Containers are very cheap – a 40ft container from Felixstowe to South America is �1,400. We have shipped three containers, with three tractors per container, in the past month.'
Mr Turner said the export business is worth about �5m a year for the company, just under 10pc of its annual turnover.
And he said the sales had largely been driven by the power of the internet with most orders coming from its website.
'It's an exit route,' he said. 'East Anglian farmers are very hi-tech and are also kind to their machines. If we are selling new machines, we have got to clear the old ones.
'In the UK farmers have a habit of changing their tractors every three years or so and we have been able to create a new exports market in those countries where they cannot afford the latest kit.'
The company, which this year is celebrating its 80th birthday, also received the Royal Warrant in 1989 and Mr Turner said it had definitely helped to open doors overseas.
'Exports have been very important to us, and that's really helping with our exports by showing we are company that has quality items.'


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Jourdan Dunn is launching a collection for ''children and young adults'' in collaboration with Fluid World.
Jourdan Dunn is launching a clothing range for ''children and young adults''.
The 24-year-old beauty - who has a five-year-old son, Riley - has teamed up with Fluid World to design at least two apparel collections.
The brunette beauty - who is signed with Storm Model Management - said: ''I love kid's clothes and have been obsessed with them ever since my son was born.
Continue reading: Jourdan Dunn Launching Children's Clothing Collection
Martha is soon caught in the middle of a hitman war.
News on Bran, Dany and Arya in these latest images.
Everyone wants this year to be Leo's year.
It's been 15 years since Zoolander hit movie screens in 2001.
After his starring turn in The Green Lantern tanked at the box office, critics were surprised that Ryan Reynolds was pushing for a solo movie based...
Shot on a plane in zero gravity, the video features OK Go's usual levels of choreography with a few surprises thrown in for good measure!
Rebel Wilson has taken the world by storm after arriving in America five years ago.


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FiBL workshop “Boosting the organic sector by integrating breeding into value chain partnerships” focused yesterday morning (13/02/2020) on how to foster and finance the breeding and the selection of organic varieties. It was organised with the collaboration of Eurofresh Distribution magazine, OPTA, Cotton Accelerator and Econatura.
Still less than 30% of organic crops come from organic seed & plants in Europe (less than 10% worldwide). Major changes shall happen by 2036 to fulfill with the new EU regulation.
The EU will introduce new regulations governing the imports of mango. The new directive will take effect from 1st September 2019. According to the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP), importers must act now to ensure compliance. The new rules are a response to high numbers of interceptions of mango imports due to the presence of fruit fly (non-European Tephritidae). On 21 March 2019, the new rules were officially adopted as Commission Implementing Directive (EU) 2019/523, amending Annexes I to V of the EU Plant Health Directive 2000/29/EC. The new directive came into force on 31 March, and will be applied from 1 September 2019


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Retail sales rise 1.4 percent in October
WASHINGTON — Retail sales rose more than expected in October due largely to a big rebound in auto sales. But broader consumer spending remains under pressure, raising questions about the durability of the recovery.
TRW Automotive to offer $225M in senior notes
Cisco raises bid for Tandberg to $3.4 billion
Mercedes-Benz takes over Formula One team Brawn GP
Lowe’s 3Q profit falls but co. sees signs for hope
GM reports $1.2B 3Q loss, says it shows progress
Sands looks to restart Macau casino work next year
Stock futures point toward higher opening
NEW YORK — Stock futures rose Tuesday as investors return from a long holiday weekend hunting for signs that the economy is continuing to grow.
Ahead of the Bell: Business Inventories
WASHINGTON — Businesses likely cut inventories for a 13th straight month in October, although analysts believe that a record stretch of declines may be coming to an end.
Ahead of the Bell: Retail Sales
WASHINGTON — Retail sales likely posted a modest gain in January after slipping in December.
World stocks buoyant ahead of US retail sales data


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Almost three-quarters of the payments in Canada in 2018 were electronic
By Jennifer Hughes
Will that be cash, credit, or debit? For most of us, the answer isn’t likely to be cash. According to Payments Canada’s annual Canadian Payment Methods and Trends report, debit card transactions in Canada outnumbered cash transactions for the first time in 2018—by a score of six billion to 4.5 billion. And Canada is the country with the second highest volume of credit cards per capita in the world, after South Korea.
Though most of us grew up making paper-based transitions, such as writing cheques, those are quickly becoming a thing of the past, though the report observed that there’s still a use for cheques—20% of cheque and money-order users pay their rent with a cheque. In 2018, nearly three quarters (73%) of total payments were made electronically.
According to the report, contactless payments and prepaid cards are trending upward among Canadians. Contactless payments—which increased by 30% from 2017 to 2018—can be made using a mobile device or by tapping a debit or credit card on the payment terminal (instead of sliding it into the reader or inserting its chip). According to the report, almost 35% of Canadians made contactless payments using a mobile device in 2018.
“There has been a remarkable transition from paper-based to digital payments over the last five years, but there is still a huge opportunity and need to advance Canada’s payments landscape,” Cyrielle Chiron, the head of research and strategic foresight at Payments Canada, said in the report. As more and more transactions are made digitally, it’s important that consumers and businesses feel that their money is secure and they can quickly access it at any time.
Payments Canada is an organization with members that include the Bank of Canada, charter banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions, and is overseen by the Minister of Finance.


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High tech is
driving advisers’ businesses like never before
Is going independent all it’s cracked up to be?
law & order
law & order
How well do you know your broker/dealer?
What exactly does a plan adviser do?
The aftermath of 408(b)(2)
hot off the presses
New products, highlights, announcements
There has been a lot of talk about Apple in the news lately—what its stock price is doing, what new gadgets it will or will not come out...
The best places to direct money this year
Few things are worse in a business meeting than a boring PowerPoint presentation (except maybe stale bagels).
The 2012 presidential election’s significant impact on advisers
The number of micro defined contribution (DC) plans, participants in micro plans and total assets under advisement continued to grow steadily in 2011, according to the 2013 PLANADVISER...
Just two hours’ exposure to a device with a self-luminous backlit display—a Kindle, iPad or other tablet computer—can cause a suppression in melatonin, which in turn could lead...
Tired of giving the same old presentations? Use these nuggets of information to spruce them up.
The 408(b)(2) fee disclosure rule is a tremendous opportunity for advisers
Articles that appeared in the Trendspotting section of the magazine.


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CAPE MAY — Susan Tischler turned a niche part of her clothing business into its own stand-alone shop three years ago.
Now the novelty store, Just for Laughs, is in many ways a more reliable business than her first clothing store, Kaleidoscope, on the Washington Street Mall.
Tischler, 61, of Lower Township, and her ex-husband, Barry Tischler, own and operate the gift shop, which features a mix of humorous T-shirts, books, greeting cards and toys.
People might take a liking to the bacon-flavored dental floss or the Paddy’s Irish Pub T-shirt from Philadelphia’s favorite fictional bar. But most customers have others in mind, Tischler said.
“Almost nobody buys a yodeling pickle for themselves,” she said.
Tischler’s clothing store offered a line called Anne Taintor, products that display advertising’s idealized view of women in the 1950s with a modern twist.
The handbags, coin purses and stationery were very popular, so Tischler was confident that a store dedicated to this skewed take on life would be a hit with customers.
“I love comedy. I just love it. We had elements of that at Kaleidoscope. We thought this would be a good move,” she said.
The Washington Street Mall, with its upscale restaurants and art galleries, would seem an unusual choice to open a novelty store.
“It’s always a leap of faith,” she said. “But we’ve never been more confident of a concept as this one. It really takes the margin of error out of it.”
The Washington Street Mall is a collection of restaurants, boutiques, candy and fudge shops and clothing stores.
“It’s important to have a variety of stores to appeal to all different customers from the young to the old,” said Joanne Klineburger, president of the Washington Street Mall Business Improvement District.
The district collects money from each property for use in promotions and decorations at the mall.
Klineburger, of Lower Township, said the novelty store is a good fit because it reflects the eclectic mix found at the mall.
“One thing about the Washington Street Mall is every shop is unique. It’s not like a big-box store. You won’t find them just anywhere,” she said.
Tischler said it’s harder to predict changing fashion tastes and preferences from year to year for her clothing store than the lasting appeal of a zombie noisemaker.
Zombie products are popular, especially the T-shirts from AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”
Some of the store’s products could best be described as tacky, or even purposely tasteless.
Tischler said they took some criticism over an inflatable toy bop-bag featuring President Obama in boxing gloves with a black eye.
Tischler, who said she leans Democratic, said the problem was they could not find the equivalent for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
“We try not to go over the line. We toe it,” she said.
Contact Michael Miller:


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Who Falls for Tech Scams?
Back in 2016, I reported on a study about who is most likely to fall for phone scams. Now that report has been updated with the results of a new survey of over 16,000 adults in 16 countries. There’s good and bad news in Microsoft's Global Tech Support Scam Research report. Read on for the details...
More Consumers Getting Wise To Tech Support Scams
Have you gotten an unsolicited phone call from someone claiming to be a Microsoft tech support agent. In this common scam, the caller says that there's a serious problem with your computer, and tries to scare the victim into paying for worthless "security" software. I wrote about this in my article Beware Fake Tech Support Scammers.
In my April 2016 article, Who Falls for Phone Scams?, I wrote that male millennials had the highest rate of gullibility to such scams, with 38% reporting they’d lost money in the past twelve months. The bad news, according to the new research report, is that young male adults are still the most likely demographic to fall for tech-related scams.
I suppose if you're not in that demographic, that's actually good news for you. But more broadly, people who grew up with the Internet are more likely to fall for tech support scams than older folks who remember rotary-dial phones. It seems younglings are over-confident in their expertise.
Millennials and Generation Z (basically, adults under age 35) engage in more risky online behavior overall, such as using email to trade media files, streaming movies or music, and patronizing Bittorrent sites. All of these activities make one vulnerable to scammers who substitute malware for the file that one expects, or offer links to malicious sites disguised as links to something more desirable. In this year’s survey, consumers who fell for scams were most often tricked into downloading malware (44%) or visiting a malicious web site (34%).
Millennials are also more likely to believe that reputable companies will reach out to people with unsolicited offers. No, son, Microsoft did not happen to notice that you’re having trouble with Skype; and if it did, it would wait for you to call for help.
Consumers Are Wising Up
On the bright side, consumer encounters with tech support scams declined a healthy five percent since the 2016 survey. Fewer people lost money to tech support scams, too – 6% in 2018 versus 9% in 2016. (An additional 8% spent time and money inspecting and repairing their PCs after encounters with tech support scams.) There were 12% fewer scams requesting Social Security Numbers (or their international equivalents). It seems people are wising up!
Seventy-five percent of consumers think it unlikely that reputable companies would initiate unsolicited contact, and 83% would distrust such contact. Those indicators of healthy skepticism are up 12 and 17 points, respectively. Seventy-six percent of those who encountered tech support scams said they suffered moderate to severe stress as a result. More than 70% said they came away from encounters with scams less confident that tech companies or software can protect them from scams.
In response to a hypothetical unsolicited tech support offer, 38% said they would try to block contact with the company, while 31% said they would spend some time researching the company and its offer via search engines and company websites.
What has been your experience with tech-related scams recently? Do you encounter them more or less often? How have they changed? Your thoughts are welcome in the comments below.
This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 25 Oct 2018
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- At the time of launching, the new Mahindra Thar costs Rs. 9.80-13.75 lakhs. Was up to
The second generation Mahindra Thar has become a popular vehicle in the Indian market. Nai Thar attracted the attention of people due to its look-style and features list. It received a fairly good response after launch. To meet the demand, the company had to increase its production capacity and now, Mahindra has announced a hike in the prices of the new Thar. The new prices will be effective from 1 December 2020.
Read Here: Latest Technology News
Mahindra Thar 2020 Engine and Features
The new Mahindra Thar has been launched with BS6 compliant petrol as well as diesel engine option and automatic as well as manual transmission option. Mahindra Thar’s 2.0 liter 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 2184 cc engine capacity generates 150 Bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque. The 2.2-liter diesel engine generates 130 Bhp of power and 300 Nm of torque. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed manual and automatic gearbox.
Company will Soon Release New Price List
- The new Mahindra Thar was launched at an initial price of Rs 9.80 lakh, which goes up to Rs 13.75 lakh for the top model. ) Is going to However these were only introductory prices, and the company has now decided to update the SUV’s price list.
- The prices of all trim levels of both diesel and petrol variants will be increased by a few thousand rupees. (All prices ex-showroom prices, New Delhi
Read Here: Business News
New Prices will be Applicable from December 1
- Customers who have booked their Thar by 30 November will not have to pay the increased prices, however any changes to the previous booking on 1 December and onwards will be considered a fresh order, and customers will be charged for their vehicles. For update prices have to be paid.
- The new price list will be revealed soon, and we will update it for our readers soon.
2020 Thar: Engine and Transmission Options
- The 2020 Thar is available with two engine options. The first is a 2.0-liter inline-4, turbocharged petrol engine that can generate a maximum power of 150 PS and peak torque of 320 Nm (300 on manual variants). The second is a 2.2-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that generates 130 PS and 320 Nm.
- Buyers can choose between two transmission options – a 6-speed manual transmission and a 6-speed automatic transmission. The four-wheel-drive system is available in standard form, with a transfer case (with three modes – 4L, 4H and 2H). Three roof options are also available in Thar, including a hard-top, a soft-top, and a convertible soft-top.
Read Here: Latest Sports News
4 Star Rating Found in Crash Test
- Recently, Global NCAP did a crash test of the new Thar, and was given a 4-star safety rating for both Adult Safety with Child Safety.
- The SUV had the highest child safety score among all the Indian vehicles tested in the crash test, which is higher than the Mahindra XUV 300 and Tata Altrose.


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Audi is expanding its R8 model lineup and will be releasing several new models the first of which is a V8-powered version of the R8 Spyder that will be revealed towards the end of the year. Currently, there are three versions of the R8 supercar: the 4.2-liter V-8 model and the newer 5.2-liter V-10 model, which is offered in either hard-top coupe or Spyder convertible body styles.
The first model, the V-8 version of the R8 Spyder, is currently only available with a V-10 engine. Expect the car to be priced approximately $135,000 mark and to arrive at showrooms in early 2011.
There also will be a sportier model, which will be inspired by the R8 LMS race car. At a press event late last year, Audi quattro development chief Stefan Reil said that there are talks to produce lightweight versions of the R8 and TT. Audi has actually developed a similar car back in 2005 when it released a limited edition TT quattro Sport to mark the end of production of the previous generation TT.
Compared to the standard model, this car has slightly more power, and has a firmer suspension, a stripped out interior and Recaro bucket seats.
After Reil gave these comments, an R8 prototype was spotted in Germany wearing an oversized fixed rear wing, small canards attached to the front bumper, and bigger brakes.
Car and Driver said that Lamborghiniâ€š new Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera and its 570hp V-10 is indicative of what is to come. It is still unconfirmed if this model will have an RS or R8 Sport badge.


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SoftBank wants to push Neumann out of the CEO role ahead of the IPO.Technologyread more
Rising home prices, coupled with conservative borrowing, have today's homeowners sitting on a record amount of potential cash. Today's mortgage holders saw their home equity...Real Estateread more
The Mac Pro is the only major Apple computer to be assembled in the United States. Most of Apple's products, including the iPhone, are assembled in China and are facing tariff...Technologyread more
CNBC's Jim Cramer calls on investors to be wary of the slew of the hyped-up unicorn companies going public this year and encourages the focus to be on deliverable earnings.Investingread more
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority said Thomas Cook had now ceased trading and the regulator would work with the government to bring the more than 150,000 British customers...Europe Marketsread more
Markets have been betting Trump's Twitter attacks on the Fed will move rates. Among other things, Trump has called Chairman Jerome Powell "clueless" and Fed officials as a...The Fedread more
Trump's call with the foreign leader is reportedly the subject of a whistleblower's complaint that has spurred new accusations of wrongdoing from Democrats.Politicsread more
Harvard economist N. Gregory Mankiw says ultra-wealthy couples could split their fortunes in half through divorce and avoid paying a wealth tax proposed by presidential...Wealthread more
An annual survey by Piper Jaffray finds iPhone that users willing to upgrade to newly released models declined from last year.Technologyread more
These are the stocks posting the largest moves midday.Market Insiderread more
"That's the only thing that will force them to change what they're doing. They don't feel the pressure yet to change," Sen. Rick Scott tells CNBC.Politicsread more
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell on Tuesday:
J.C. Penney – The retailer issued a statement saying it's still in the early stages of a turnaround, but is seeing improving sales trends, and that its year-end liquidity is now expected to be an excess of $2 billion.
Nuance Communications — Activist investor and billionaire Carl Icahn tweeted that he had reached an agreement with the company to seat two of his choices--one being his son Brett--to Nuance's board of directors.
Procter & Gamble – Wells Fargo upgraded the consumer products giant to "outperform" from "market perform", based on productivity momentum, improving market share, and the return of A.G. Lafley as CEO.
Tenet Healthcare – Goldman Sachs upgraded Tenet's stock to "buy" from "neutral", citing stronger admissions as well as outpatient revenue growth.
Xerox – Xerox EVP Lynn Blodgett has received a Wells Notice relating to Affiliated Computer Services, which was acquired by Xerox in early 2010. The SEC has been looking into certain accounting practices by ACS, with Xerox's cooperation. SEC staff is not recommending any charges against the company as a whole.
Talisman Energy - Investor Carl Icahn took a nearly 6 percent stake in the Canadian oil and gas company. Icahn said on Twitter that he may have conversations with management about strategic alternatives and board seats.
Amazon.com – Amazon received a favorable court ruling in a dispute with IBM (IBM) over a cloud computing services contract awarded to Amazon by the CIA. IBM said it would appeal the latest ruling, which upheld Amazon's contention that IBM should not be given another chance to bid for the contract.
Jamba – The smoothie drink operator is warning of a 3.4 percent drop in current quarter same-store sales, adding that estimated full year comp store sales to be flat to one percent higher. In 2012, Jamba had seen a 5.1 percent rise in same-store sales. CEO James White said he expected a challenging operating environment for the foreseeable future.
Tower Group – Toward said it expects to increase its loss reserves by $365 million, significantly higher than the insurance company had previously indicated. It is also taking a second quarter goodwill impairment charge of $215 million for the second quarter, and is reviewing a range of strategic options.
McKesson —McKesson is advanced talks to buy German drug distributor Celesio for more than $5 billion, according to Dow Jones. The report said a bid could be announced sometime this month.
Krispy Kreme – The doughnut chain will sell its branded packaged ground coffee at certain Sam's Club locations. The coffee is currently sold primarily in Krispy Kreme's doughnut shops.
—By CNBC's Peter Schacknow
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Part I: Oral health implications
On any given day, a “big green gorilla” can show up at your practice. The impact of efforts to legalize medical and recreational marijuana (cannabis) has been enormous in the 21st century, and that certainly holds true for the dental profession.
A December, 2019 Marist Poll found that 62% of adults believe federal marijuana legalization is a “good idea.”1
But a report published by the American Dental Association, updated July 12, 2019 on cannabis oral health effects,6 raises some concerns for dentists:
Recent studies have tested the relationship between periodontitis and frequent cannabis use and adjusted for confounding factors such as cigarette smoking, alcohol use, social status and other health issues. 8, 46, 47 Significantly higher rates of periodontitis were observed among the frequent users compared to non-users, with significantly higher numbers of sites with high pocket depths (≥4mm) and attachment loss.6
Sales of legal cannabis in the U.S. amounted to nearly $10 billion in 2018 alone,2 up from $3.4 billion in 2014, with $12.8 billion estimated for 2019.3 Over 17,000 cannabis cultivators produced more than 2.5 million pounds of legal cannabis in 2018 alone.3
As of 2018, U.S. cannabis dispensaries accounted for $1.2 billion in sales compared to $624 million in other cannabis retail, and a very small amount from CBD pharmaceuticals.3 However, if the FDA approves hemp-based CBD as a food additive in general retail products, projected numbers would grow, and the market mix would shift to $5.3 billion for dispensaries, $12.6 billion for general retail and $2.2 billion from CBD pharmaceuticals by 2024.3
The global legal marijuana market size is expected to reach USD 73.6 billion by 2027, according to a new report published by Grand View Research, Inc.4
On the heels of the Agricultural Act of 2014 opening up pilot hemp-growing products, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 moved the ball forward, allowing for legal commercial hemp cultivation. This paved the way for hemp-derived CBD products (containing less than 0.3% THC). But the guidelines are unclear and subject to various interpretations, and CBD edibles and supplements are still federally illegal. (One exception is Epidiolex, the first hemp-derived CBD drug to receive FDA approval (2018) as a treatment shown efficacious for mitigation of Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.)
CBD consumers have cited pain relief, improving quality of life and treating or managing health problems as the main reasons for purchasing both hemp- and cannabis-derived products.
Ingestibles including food, confections and beverages, along with tinctures, will become the larger part of the CBD product profile.
To date, inhalables and sublinguals have been the biggest product categories in the cannabis market, but consumers are moving away from inhalables and vaping products. Ingestibles including food, confections and beverages, along with tinctures, will become the larger part of the CBD product profile. Prescription medications containing CBD will also grow as the FDA continues to approve more options. Wellness, beauty/skin products and vitamins are other significant product categories to watch.3
On the basis of type, the medical segment held the leading revenue share of 71.0% in 2019, owing to the growing adoption of cannabis as a pharmaceutical product for treating severe medical conditions, such as cancer, arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease among other neurological conditions. Moreover, increasing need for pain management therapies along with growing disease burden of chronic pain among elders is expected to boost the product demand.3
With all of this activity and consumption, cannabis inhalation, ingestion and medication are having an ever-increasing impact on oral health.
According to the Australian Dental Journal,5
Cannabis abusers generally have poorer oral health than non-users, with an increased risk of dental caries and periodontal diseases. Cannabis smoke acts as a carcinogen and is associated with dysplastic changes and pre-malignant lesions within the oral mucosa. Users are also prone to oral infections, possibly due to the immunosuppressive effects. Dental treatment on patients intoxicated on cannabis can result in the patient experiencing acute anxiety, dysphoria and psychotic-like paranoiac thoughts. The use of local anesthetic containing epinephrine may seriously prolong tachycardia already induced by an acute dose of cannabis. Oral health care providers should be aware of the diverse adverse effects of cannabis on general and oral health and incorporate questions about patients’ patterns of use in the medical history.
The American Dental Association report, on cannabis oral health effects,6 provides valuable information for dentists. Some of the high points include:
- The use of cannabis, particularly marijuana smoking, has been associated with poor quality of oral health; etiology has been complicated by the number of associated factors with frequent users, including high tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use; poor oral hygiene practices; and infrequent visits to dentists.
- Cannabis use leads to xerostomia (dry mouth), which can contribute to a number of oral health conditions.
- The main psychotropic agent, THC, is an appetite stimulant, which often leads users to consume cariogenic snack foods.
- Regular cannabis users are known to have significantly higher numbers of caries than nonusers, particularly on normally easy-to-reach smooth surfaces.
- Leukoedema is more common among cannabis users than non-users but it is unclear whether associated irritants, such as orally inhaled smoke, rather than cannabis itself, may be contributing causes.
- Smoking marijuana is associated with gingival enlargement, erythroplakia and chronic inflammation of the oral mucosa with hyperkeratosis and leukoplakia, sometimes referred to as “cannabis stomatitis,” that can develop into malignant neoplasias.
- A synergistic effect between tobacco and cannabis smoke may increase oral and neck cancer risk for people who smoke both.
- The immunosuppressive effects of cannabis may contribute to a higher prevalence of oral candidiasis compared to non-users.
- Viable microbiota may be transmitted from contaminated marijuana, which could further exacerbate a pathogenic oral environment.
- A number of studies have suggested a direct relationship between cannabis use and periodontal disease.
- A currently intoxicated (i.e., “high”) user may present several difficulties for the dental practitioner. Increased anxiety, paranoia and hyperactivity may heighten the stress experience of a dental visit.
- Increased heart rate and other cardiorespiratory effects of cannabis make the use of epinephrine potentially life threatening.
In part two of this Incisor series on cannabis and dentistry, we will share best practice guidelines for assessing marijuana use—even for those unwilling to self-report—discuss dental findings that indicate marijuana use, and explore recommendations for dental healthcare providers treating users.
- Cannabis Intelligence Briefing, BDS Analytical. https://bdsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/BDS_pharmaceuticals_8.5x11_v3.pdf
- Legal Marijuana Market Size Worth $73.6 Billion By 2027 | CAGR 18.1%. Media Release: February 2020. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-legal-marijuana-market
- Cho, C.; Hirsch, R; Johnstone, S. “General and oral health implications of cannabis use.” Australian Dental Journal, 2005; 50(2):70-74


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August 28, 2010
Target of Boycott Rebuffs Shakedown AttemptBy Gary Larson
Swooping in like carrion-sniffing vultures, folks associated with "gay rights" tried but failed to shake down Target Corp., the nation's second largest retailer, amid live threats -- now carried out -- of a nationwide boycott. This is all based on legal political contributions the company gave to a pro-business group in its home state (and mine), Minnesota.
A "human rights group" tried to pressure the company to hand over at least $150,000 for its cardinal sin of giving that amount to a business-favoring group. By any other name, it amounted to a variation of that old protection racket: You pay us, you're home free.
Thanks to Target's resoluteness, the gambit failed. Meanwhile, ultra-liberal billionaire George Soros-backed MoveOn, as Left as it gets, made its move on the 1,700-plus Target stores in 49 states.
Boycott is the name of its tawdry game. To date, the MoveOn effort has failed, even touted by patently false advertising. Same-store Target sales are up. There is simply no stopping the back-to-school shopping crowds. Target earnings, even in an economic slump, continue strong in the latest quarter, with no signs of slowing.
MoveOn's TV spot in support of its boycott brazenly appropriates Target's trademarked red bullseye logo and depicts a stick man loading an American flag, of all things, into a shopping cart. A doomsday voice-over at the end warns, "... Target and other companies are trying to buy elections."
Not true. Not even close. Closer to reality, if that matters to anyone at MoveOn, are efforts of trade and teachers' unions, spending millions upon millions to influence politics, if not to "buy elections." But then, the loonier elements of the Left never did let truth interfere with their attacks. Liberal lies will do, just as any port in a storm.
Foul motives in the TV spot are sniffed out by MSNBC. It bans the ad from its network air. Says MSNBC: "... the ad "does not comply with our advertising policy as it is a direct attack on an individual business." No other network forsakes the ill-premised TV spot using Target's trademarked bullseye.
Ludicrously, and certainly with malice aforethought, MoveOn's squalid campaign erects its own straw man. It sets it ablaze solely because of Target's contribution -- plus local Best Buy's, Polaris Industries' and other Minnesota-based companies' -- to a local pro-business group, Minnesota Forward, which buys airtime for issue-oriented advertising.
It receives $150,000 from Target to support a better Minnesota business climate, job creation, and lower state corporate taxes. The state suffers from a sky-high corporate income tax rate of 9.8 percent at the top, in contrast to a national average of 6.6 percent, according to the Tax Foundation. That makes it the third-highest-rate state in the nation. (Individual Minnesota taxpayers are tagged with the fifth-heaviest per capita tax load in the United States. Like its cold-weather reputation, the state's high tax climate is chilling.)
State Representative Tom Emmer, a pro-life Republican running for governor, is anti-gay marriage. In this he agrees with the president, Barack Obama; the current governor of the state, Tim Pawlenty; and, indeed, with a majority of the public. His campaign receives a boost from Minnesota Forward in the form of issue-oriented TV advertising for a better business climate.
So what's the fuss? Well, for MoveOn and its bullying "gay rights" buddies, Emmer's stance on gay marriage -- one shared by most Americans -- makes him a candidate sprouting a tail and horns. Go figure.
Ludicrously, "gay rights" advocates paint conservative candidate Emmer as a homophobic, cartoon-like character. They fling all sorts of spitballs, inviting accusations of slander and libel, including the term "homophobic," which, like "racist," is being tossed capriciously nowadays by the take-no-prisoners Left. Being a public figure, Emmer has little to no defense against such perverse, ghastly, and dead-wrong personal attacks.
Target officials say they support Emmer's record on economic issues and that he appears to be the strongest pro-business candidate in the governor's race. His social agenda, if it be that, is not a factor. Minnesota Forward chief spokesman Brian McClung says his group supports candidates from either side of the aisle, or independents, based on their positions on state business issues.
Target did not knuckle under to the bold attempt to extract money from its corporate coffers under threat of a nationwide boycott. In another context, what "gay rights" activists did in Minnesota would be, yes, criminal and mobster-like. Also counterproductive for them.
"Protection rackets" might fall under the public radar screens, and certainly those of liberal see-no-evil news media. But that does not make the demands to muzzle a company, or extract money from it, any less repugnant morally, if not legally.
Now faced with a boycott not taking root -- fizzling, in fact -- the ethical Minnesota-based retailer has endured a shot across its bow designed, likely, to silence other corporations' giving to pro-business candidates of any stripe. In this, MoveOn might be successful. (Will Walmart be their next object of hate? Or Sears?)
Conduct that stirs the gender pot shamelessly, recklessly, could be self-destructive to the "gay rights" crowd once the public -- or news media, unlikely as that is -- catches on to MoveOn's mean, nasty little schemes. Do such insatiable, intolerant mud-flingers who seek to silence others have no shame, none at all? Free speech for them, but for no one else? Hey! What kind of tyranny is that?
Larson is a retired newspaper and business magazine editor residing in Minnesota. He is not the cartoonist of the same name.


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Samsung said its semiconductor business recorded $7.2 billion in operating income on revenue of $15.8 billion during the April-June period.
The Microsoft ISV Development Centers (Dev Centers) were established to provide strong third-party technical services that can be contracted and leveraged by Microsoft’s Partners
In the 10-floor, 4.4 lakh square feet facility, there are wall-sized panoramic, interactive digital screens; large, open work areas; walls with vibrant colours; casual seating spaces
Earlier this year, Google and KPMG had conducted a joint study, "Impact of internet and digitization on SMBs in India".
Shareholders of Snapdeal will now have to approve the deal, the sources told Reuters, declining to be named as the discussions are not public.
Venkatesan said he regards Murthy not only as the founder, but a mentor, and hoped that the relationship with him continues in a constructive and productive way.
In a public letter in 2010, late Apple CEO Steve Jobs criticized Flash's reliability, security and performance. Since then, other technologies like HTML5 have emerged as alternatives to Flash.
India will not allow driverless cars to ply on its roads, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday. The minister added that focus of the government is to create more jobs to arrest unemployment. Gadkari said there is already annual shortage of about 22,000 trained drivers in India.
Alphabet appoints Google CEO Pichai to board
Features or functions on the list "are not in active development and might be removed in future releases," according to the US technology company.
The Swiss firm is a Salesforce Platinum partner with a strong presence in the DACH region on Germany, Austria and Switzerland with about 80 people across various locations in the region.
This acquisition follows last year’s acquisition by Persistent of Australia’s leading Salesforce consulting partner, PRM Cloud Solutions. Persistent is a Salesforce Certified Platinum Partner.
in every geography that we work in, for the work that gets done inside the geography, we should hire local workforce and deliver locally.
Intex Technologies’ CDO Vivek Vishnu is building a ‘phygital business’ model leveraging the existing physical infrastructure with digital channels to drive growth and meet customers’ purchasing preferences
In what comes as a harbinger of turbulent times setting in for the IT sector, Nasscom has said the industry would create 20-38% fewer jobs in FY18 compared to fiscal 2017. The industry would create 1.3-1.5 lakh new jobs (lateral plus campus) in FY18 while it had added 1.8 lakh jobs in FY17. At its peak, the sector added nearly 2.40 lakh jobs a year.
Its decision to buy back Rs 11,000-crore ($1.7-billion) shares at a price of Rs 320 a piece -the second such move in two years -will also bring cheer to investors.
NASSCOM President R Chandrashekhar was responding to a query here today, about the leaked conversation between a HR person and an employee of a top IT company.
Ness Digital Engineering is planning to increase the total number of employees who are exclusively working for the rating agency S&P to 650 in the next two years
Wipro chairman Azim Premji said that the company believes that IT Services companies are key to deliver Digital technology to enterprises.
Chinese tech major Lenovo expects to clock 18-20 per cent growth this fiscal in its consumer PC business, driven by its premium products portfolio.


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David McNew/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Times building as seen on the evening of September 20, 2006 in Los Angeles, California.
It's finally happened. The Los Angeles Times has joined the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal in charging for online content. It's a paywall, but they're not calling it that. They're calling it a membership program. And the switch gets flipped March 5.
LA Observed sums it all up (and also included LAT President Kathy Thomson's memo):
Freeloaders get 15 stories for free in a month. Otherwise, it's $3.99 for a week of digital access, less if you take the Sunday paper in print, the Times story says. There's a cheaper introductory rate of 99 cents for four weeks of what the paper calls a membership program, to go into effect March 5. Print subscribers get the online paper for free.
You can compare this with the New York Times paywall, which we learned earlier this month has managed to convince 325,000 folks a month to to pay for access the online edition. The NYT also charges a 99-cent four-week intro rate, but thereafter it jumps to $15-35, depending on whether you want full online, mobile, and tablet access. For now, the LAT is keeping tablet and mobile access free — perhaps because it's reportedly pursuing a proprietary tablet that may affect how content for the device is bundled.


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Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has stated that the Metaverse is more of a marketing buzzword than a practical concept.
Musk recently told conservative satire site ‘The Babylon’ that the concept of Facebook’s Metaverse, which was introduced in October and focuses on augmented virtual reality (VR) experiences, was more hype than substance.
“I don’t see someone strapping a friggin’ screen to their face all day. I don’t know if I necessarily buy into this metaverse stuff, although people talk to me a lot about it. In the long term, a sophisticated Neuralink could put you fully into virtual reality. I think we’re far from disappearing into the metaverse, this sounds just kind of buzzwordy,” Musk said during the video discussion.
The Metaverse transaction market is expected to reach $6.1 billion this year, as tech behemoths like Meta (formerly Facebook) make big bets on the VR/AR-based technology to bring deeper immersive experiences to billions in the future.
According to Strategy Analytics, the global Metaverse market is expected to reach nearly $42 billion by 2026.
Facebook, the world’s largest social media company, has announced that it will invest more than $10 billion in developing its Metaverse vision.
“It’s gonna ruin your eyesight, right? I’m currently unable to see a compelling metaverse situation or Web 3 sounds like more marketing than reality. I don’t get it, and maybe I will, but I don’t get it yet,” Musk added.
In recent years, Metaverse has come to represent a utopian convergence of digital experiences powered by Moore’s Law – an aspiration to enable rich, real-time, globally-connected virtual- and augmented-reality environments that will allow billions of people to work, play, collaborate, and socialise in entirely new ways.
According to Intel, building the Metaverse – at scale and accessible to billions of humans in real time – will necessitate a 1,000-fold increase in computational efficiency over what we currently have.


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The economy added 178,000 jobs in November, but the retail sector downsized, the latest indication that the industry is not benefitting from the economic recovery and that planned seasonal hiring for 2016 hasn’t actually materialized.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, released late last week, the retail sector lost 8,000 jobs in November, on top of a 9,000 job decline in the previous month.
The biggest decline occurred in the apparel specialty store sector, where a total of 15,000 jobs were lost, on top of a 15,600 reduction in October.
In department stores, the headcount shrank by 5,000, its first reduction in six months, causing the total department and specialty store employment—an indication of the health of the apparel sector—to drop by a massive 23,000 jobs.
Several major retailers, including Macy’s, Target, Kohl’s and J.C. Penney, announced earlier in the fall that they would hire tens of thousands of part-time seasonal workers at their retail stores, as well as additional help at distribution, e-commerce fulfillment and call centers. But many of these jobs have yet to be created.
According to global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, whose annual forecast of retail holiday hiring has become the industry benchmark, said in a recent report there are several possible reasons for the fall-off in holiday hiring, including advances in retail technology that improve productivity of existing workers, increased online shopping that have allowed retailers to outsource work to logistics companies like UPS and FedEx (which recently announced they would hire a combined 145,000 seasonal workers), and a tightening of the job market which has shrunk the pool of available candidates.
Also announced on Friday was news that took economists by surprise: the unemployment rate, which had hovered at around 4.9% for the past few months, dove to 4.6%, its lowest level since before the recession, as fewer Americans looked for work. This rate is below what is considered “full employment,” which has stirred inflation worries and may be more reason for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates later this month at its final meeting of 2016.
How Amazon may strip Whole Foods of its touchy-feely ethos—and why that's a good thing—had how cold brew proves you can teach old dogs new tricks.Read more
Loftex Home and GHCL sign CertainT licences, Hollander Sleep Products Buys Pacific Coast Feather and Oeko-Tex certifies Tuft & Needle.Read more
The National Retail Federation continues to lobby Congress with regards to the border adjustment tax, reiterating its claim that it would shift corporate tax savings to consumers.Read more
NRF announced new board members this week, while Topshop hired a new CEO and Macy's stepped up its off-price game with a new executive.Read more
Fashion can’t escape what’s happening in the world whether it wants to or not, and for the Autumn/Winter 2018-19 season, textiles will look to balance all that’s been upended.Read more
The Chittagong Port Authority has taken steps to alleviate the congestion situation at Bangladesh’s top port, but no comprehensive plan is in the works to fix what has been a long-term logistical problem.Read more
Looking to boost cotton quality and exports, Egypt’s Ministry of Trade and Industry has signed a cooperation protocol with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Italian Development Cooperation.Read more