text:
Fast food companies are competing to come up with the weirdest flavor combinations, mixing everything from pizza and hotdogs to bacon and donuts. The question is, who ...
The Better Life Index looks beyond economic indicators to rank countries by happiness and overall well-being.
The subjects of Mary Ellen Mark's photography ranged from celebrities to world leaders to those at the fringe of society, including prostitutes and the homeless.
Where you can still get an Ionic Breeze air freshener. The Sharper Image and five other bankrupt brands still walk among the living, sort of.
Photographer Seph Lawless chronicled the destruction of the biggest shopping center in the world.
Now that the Army is looking to replace the Beretta, which it has used for 30 years, here's a look at Army pistols through history, from the Revolution to Afghanistan.
Many of London's most recognizable buildings are owned by foreign investors. Here are eight.
Tens of thousands of protesters have flooded the streets of Hong Kong to demand open elections free from Beijing's influence. Eight protesters explain why they're ...
Some CEOs and founders agree to salaries of just $1 a year. But once goodies like bonuses and stock options are added in, some of those executives end up taking home ...
American food chains operating abroad must cater to local tastes to succeed. The results are spectacular.
Few people outside China have ever tasted the top-selling brew in the world.
Beijing has spent hundreds of billions of dollars to build the world's largest high-speed rail system -- a feat accomplished in less than a decade.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says the Chinese Dream is about the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Here's what it means to six Beijing residents.


text:
Hugo Boss (BOSS) Given a €66.00 Price Target by JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analysts
Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Hauck & Aufhaeuser set a €83.00 ($98.81) price target on Hugo Boss and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, October 12th. Commerzbank set a €83.00 ($98.81) price objective on Hugo Boss and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 11th. Berenberg Bank set a €81.00 ($96.43) price objective on Hugo Boss and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 5th. equinet set a €80.00 ($95.24) price objective on Hugo Boss and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Finally, Independent Research set a €90.00 ($107.14) price objective on Hugo Boss and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Hugo Boss presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of €75.05 ($89.34).
Shares of Hugo Boss (BOSS) traded up €1.10 ($1.31) on Monday, hitting €76.48 ($91.05). The stock had a trading volume of 307,045 shares, compared to its average volume of 249,174. Hugo Boss has a twelve month low of €56.75 ($67.56) and a twelve month high of €81.34 ($96.83). The firm has a market capitalization of $5,350.00 and a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.19.
About Hugo Boss
HUGO BOSS AG, together with its subsidiaries, develops, markets, and distributes fashion and accessories for men and women worldwide. It offers classic to modern apparel, eveningwear, sportswear, shoes, and leather accessories, as well as licensed fragrances, eyewear, watches, children's fashion, home textiles, and writing instruments.
Receive News & Ratings for Hugo Boss Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hugo Boss and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

domain: news


text:
Advertisers dump media companies for PR missteps (a certain hacking scandal comes to mind). And they pull controversial ads after they’ve gained enough notoriety (think DirectTV’s boxer ad, Yoplait's disordered eating spot, Summer’s Eve’s racially stereotyped talking vaginas, or JC Penney’s ‘girls are pretty and/or dumb’ shirts, and those are only from recent months).
But would advertisers pull their business from a creative agency over a violent political game unrelated to their business? Thanks to Tea Party Zombies Must Die, an online game launched by Brooklyn creative agency Starvingeyes, we’re about to find out.
As can be reasonably assumed from the title, the game allows users to bludgeon zombie versions of Tea Party supporters, featuring its leaders like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum, as well as Fox News personalities like Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly. It’s meant to be provocative: one of the targets is “factory-made blonde Fox News Barbie who has never had a problem in her life zombie.” Another is “Koch whore lobbyist pig zombie,” a reference to the Tea Party’s big financial supporter.
And even though top selling video games encouraging random and brutal violence go largely unchecked, a game encouraging violence specifically against Republicans has not.
Mike Huckabee said in his radio report that he supports the First Amendment rights of the game’s creator but not the “hypocrisy of the left,” a reference to what he claimed was a double standard of a liberal media which has not been outraged enough by the game's violence. National Review writer Daniel Foster noted the waves of “New Tone” were “washing over” him.
Huckabee and others have suggested advertisers boycott Starvingeyes Advergaming, the Brooklyn, N.Y., creative shop behind the game. Starvingeyes creates “games for online viral campaigns” and counts Pepsi, TLC, Nascar, UPS, Hotels.com, and Meow Mix among its client roster. The shop is run by Jason Oda (or maybe consists solely of Oda; its unclear), who appears to know what he’s doing: he made similar games in 2008 and 2004, including an anti-George W. Bush game which allowed players to battle monster versions of Bush administration officials. Oda told Media Research Center the game was a personal project and that he doesn’t imagine it will hurt his business.


text:
Audi Q2 SUV is the newest car from Ingolstadt-based manufacturer which will be joining the Q line-up very soon. Set to make global debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, new Audi Q2 SUV has been teased once again.
The new teaser of Audi Q2 shows the compact SUV’s front design to an extent. You can clearly see the Thor’s hammer shaped LED DRLs inside the headlamp cluster. Apart from that, everything else is pretty much hazed out. You can see the video below.
Demand for SUVs has been on a rise the world over, especially in the compact segment. It is this new demand which has resulted in a number of new compact SUVs being launched in the auto industry today.
Audi Q2 is expected to be more of a crossover, something in between the Audi A1 hatchback and the Audi Q3 SUV. Built on the modified VW MQB platform of VWo Gold, Audi A3, and the likes, Audi Q2 will have all the ruggedness of a premium urban SUV.
To be offered in a choice of powerful and efficient engine options, Audi Q2 is also expected to be launched in India, where it will become Audi India’s most affordable offering. More details will be revealed once the car is unveiled.
Stay tuned to Rushlane as we cover the 2016 Geneva Motor Show LIVE.


text:
Mattress Firm Holding Corp Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts (NASDAQ:MFRM)
Mattress Firm Holding Corp (NASDAQ:MFRM) has been given a consensus rating of “Buy” by the eight brokerages that are covering the company, AnalystRatings.Net reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $58.07.
In other Mattress Firm Holding Corp news, COO Kenneth E. Murphy III sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.03, for a total transaction of $135,075.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.
Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Nomura reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Mattress Firm Holding Corp in a research note on Tuesday. They now have a $60.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $56.00. Separately, analysts at Citigroup Inc. reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Mattress Firm Holding Corp in a research note on Tuesday. They now have a $63.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $57.00. Finally, analysts at Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Mattress Firm Holding Corp from $50.00 to $57.50 in a research note on Tuesday. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.
Mattress Firm Holding Corp (NASDAQ:MFRM) traded up 0.76% on Wednesday, hitting $57.09. 57,785 shares of the company’s stock traded hands. Mattress Firm Holding Corp has a 52-week low of $29.29 and a 52-week high of $56.95. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $47.7 and its 200-day moving average is $45.66. The company has a market cap of $1.948 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.93.
Mattress Firm Holding Corp (NASDAQ:MFRM) last released its earnings data on Tuesday, June 3rd. The company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $333.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $337.55 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.38 earnings per share. Mattress Firm Holding Corp’s revenue was up 20.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Mattress Firm Holding Corp will post $2.10 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Mattress Firm Holding Corp. (NASDAQ:MFRM), is a specialty retailer of mattresses and related products and accessories in the United States.
Receive News & Ratings for Mattress Firm Holding Corp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mattress Firm Holding Corp and related companies with Analyst Ratings Network's FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
AccessMyLibrary provides FREE access to millions of articles from top publications available through your library.
The Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has kicked off a global pitch for a corporate brand strategy brief.
Huawei Group has invited networks to pitch to create a campaign to build its corporate brand in key markets including the UK, China, Japan, Europe and North America. The pitch is being led out of China.
The move follows the company's appointment of Bartle Bogle Hegarty as its global advertising agency for its Devices business division in February.
Huawei, which is China's biggest exporter and the second-largest supplier of mobile telecoms infrastructure equipment in the world, is looking to ramp up its communications. …


text:
Cooking the Books: Fighting Against Falling Prices
‘Draghi holds QE in reserve as he wheels out the big guns for the fight against deflation’ read the headline in the Times (6 June) reporting an announcement by the president of the European Central Bank of a package of measures aimed at increasing inflation in the Eurozone.
Deflation is the opposite of inflation whatever the definition of the latter. These days ‘inflation’ means rising prices, so deflation means falling prices. So what’s wrong with that? Aren’t supermarkets, furniture stores and the like always boasting about how they have cut, slashed or even massacred prices? If things cost less to buy shouldn’t that mean that we are better off as we don’t have to spend so much on what we need? That the pound in our pocket has expanded not shrunk?
‘Inflation’ originally meant a rise in the general price level caused by issuing too much currency, i.e., by inflating the amount of it put into circulation. But a general rise in prices can be caused by another factor – the level of economic activity in a boom which leads to paying demand coming to rise faster than industry can supply it. In a slump the opposite tends to happen with supply coming to exceed demand, so driving prices down.
In between the two world wars falls in the general price level, some quite severe, were not uncommon. Not that this made people better off, at least not for long as wages too are a price and, despite rearguard trade union action, fell along with prices generally. In that period inflation, as increasing the amount of money in circulation, was seen by some as a way-out of a slump in the belief that rising prices would encourage capitalist firms to invest. Keynes, without putting it so crudely, lent some support to this by arguing that what was important were the government’s tax and borrowing policies while the amount of currency put into circulation (by then not linked to gold but ‘managed’ by the central bank) could be left to follow suit.
The first Keynesian budget in Britain was in 1940 and it is no coincidence that ever since the general price level has risen steadily. It continued to rise even during a severe economic downturn in the mid-70s when, between the wars, this would have resulted in a fall. In fact a new phenomenon emerged – a rising price level during a slump – which was dubbed ‘stagflation’. What had happened was that the upward pressure on the price level exerted by the government inflating the currency had countered the downward pressure that occurs during a slump.
This discredited Keynesianism and governments tried to reduce inflation by reducing the money supply. The rise in the genera price level was eventually steadied at about 2 percent a year, which is now the level at which it is government policy in all developed capitalist countries to aim to maintain it. But the present slump has been so severe that central banks and governments are afraid that this time the downward pressures might overcome the upward pressures, resulting in a fall in the general price level, or deflation.
In April the rise in the price level in the Eurozone fell to a mere 0.5 percent from 0.7 percent the previous month. That’s not yet deflation but Draghi said that the ECB’s measures were a reaction ‘to the risks of a too prolonged period of low inflation’. We always used to be told that inflation was a bad thing but now they are telling us that it’s too low inflation that’s bad and that falling prices are even worse. It seems they want the pound in our pocket to shrink.


text:
Aug 18, 2015 Sprint is the latest to drop two-year contracts. Marketplace Tech's Ben Johnson explains why.
Aug 12, 2015 On Thursday, Samsung is expected to unveil new models of its Galaxy smartphones.
Jul 21, 2015 The payment company goes public, but how will it compete going forward?
Feb 3, 2015 The curtain is finally closing on the troubled chain's long decline.
Sep 10, 2014 Many carriers are offering new plans to lure customers who want the newest iPhone.
Sep 10, 2014 They're clamoring to buy your old iPhone and sell you a new one at a deep discount.
Jul 20, 2014 Even if you wipe your smartphone, personal data can be recovered.
Jul 16, 2014 The former rivals' alliance could undermine competitors like Google and Blackberry.


text:
Save 50% on your Social Media Week pass! Join leading brands and agencies in NYC this April 9–11 to learn about emerging trends, tools and strategies. Register now—savings expire Dec. 11.
Houseplants have never been more popular, thanks to us millennials.
But plant parenting can be a tricky business when you’re trying to find that elusive sweet spot between overwatering and neglect.
The “playfully stylish” line, called Pot-y Covers, taps into a trend of bringing nature and its therapeutic properties inside our homes, said the brand in a statement.


text:
Smaller firms in the West Midlands are missing out on a potential share in billions of pounds of growth in the coming years because they are not tuned into the sustainability agenda, according to new research.
Lloyds TSB Commercial, which questioned 126 West Midlands businesses with a turnover of less than £15 million, found that while 91 per cent of small firms had taken some steps towards becoming more environmentally sustainable and a third had seen growth on the back of these initiatives, the other 9 per cent could have contributed £5.7 billion of economic growth had they taken steps to become more environmentally responsible.
John Robson, regional director for Lloyds TSB Commercial in the Midlands and North, said: “It’s no secret that smaller, private sector firms will be one of the main drivers of the economic recovery this year.
"However, many West Midlands businesses may not have realised the wealth of opportunities open to them by becoming a more sustainable business.
“As well as reducing overheads and operating costs, becoming more sustainable will give many firms in the West Midlands a competitive edge, enable them to pitch for contracts with strict environmental criteria and enhance their reputation.
"It may also mean they can target new markets and consumers, or develop new products and services.
“It’s fantastic to see most firms have taken some steps but it is a worry that some businesses have shunned the idea altogether.
"As the economy begins to recover, those SMEs that do not assess their environmental policies and the opportunities in the green marketplace could miss out on their slice of billions of pounds of growth.”


text:
In-Store Asia 2018 opens online registration for delegates!
By VJ Media Bureau | December 19, 2017
The 11th edition of In-Store Asia, comes to Mumbai from February 22 - 24, 2018 at BEC, Goregoan, Mumbai and now opens its online registration for delegates for its two-day convention on retail design and shopper marketing. In-Store Asia 2018 will be India’s largest trade fair and conclave to experience the future of retail experience.
In-Store Asia 2018, the largest trade fair in the Indian subcontinent for retail resources and investments in store design, VM and in-store marketing, will be held from February 22-24, 2018 at BEC, Goregoan, Mumbai. The event now opens its online registration for delegate at http://www.instoreasia.org/delegate/register In-Store Asia is the largest gathering of senior decision makers from 7500+ retail and brand companies, consultants, service providers and manufacturers in this domain. In-Store Asia is now part of EuroShop Dusseldorf, the world’s #1 retail fair for all investment needs in the retail sector. The highlights of the event include: Expo, Convention, VM&RD Retail Design Awards and VM Challenge.
The two-day convention brings inspirations and information for new age retailing and profitable businesses, with over 20 Indian and international speakers which will be attended by over 350 participants. The sessions will delve on a wide range of topics such as;
• Retail Research
• Retail Design
• Visual Merchandising
• Design Innovations
• Shopper Marketing
• Design inspirations
• Retail Development Commerce
• Business Excellence
For more details please visit www.instoreasia.org


text:
For most PlayStation 3 gamers around the world, they are relieved the cyber attack on their personal data on the PlayStation Network is finally over and are can once again play Killzone 3. But what if they are wrong?
The Japanese government seems to think Sony can do even more to protect its customers' data because it has yet to give Sony the green light to restore the PSN in the country, as detailed in a press release reported by our sister blog Between the Lines. Kazushige Nobutani, director of the Media and Content Industry department at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, told Dow Jones Newswires what the government is looking for from the company:
The first is preventative measures. As of May 13, Sony was incomplete in exercising measures that they said they will do on the May 1 press conference, he said, adding that he could not provide details on the outstanding issues for security reasons.
The second was in how Sony hoped to regain consumer confidence over personal data such as credit card information.
"There were similar cases in the past that were caused by other firms, and we are asking Sony whether their measures are good enough when compared to countermeasures taken in the past," he said.
What does the Japanese government know about Sony's cyber security shortcomings that prevent it from allowing the PSN to go back online in Japan? Do we still need to be worried about the security of our data on the PSN?
[Source: Dow Jones Newswires via Fox Business News]
[Image: Official PlayStation blog]


text:
- Education And Career
- Companies & Markets
- Gadgets & Technology
- After Hours
- Banking & Finance
- Energy & Infra
- Case Study
- Web Exclusive
- Property Review
- Digital India
- Work Life Balance
- Test category by sumit
Pharma: Shrinking Fortunes
Billionaire drug makers in India are experiencing a drop in revenue, largely due to tough market conditions in the US
Photo Credit : Shutterstock
Drug makers are going through a tough phase. Leading drug makers have started cutting costs as profitability continues to shrink, especially due to tough business conditions in the biggest market, United States (US), and also locally.
For Instance: India’s largest drug maker Sun Pharma reported a 59 per cent drop in second-quarter profit due to price erosion of generics in the US.
The founder of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Dilip Shanghvi has seen his net worth plunge to $11.1 billion on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index — drop of $14 billion in two years.
Shanghvi cited the pricing environment as the reason for fall in profit in the second-quarter, as well as the company’s continued investment in its specialty drugs business.
Sun Pharma is not the only one which is facing increase in competition in the generics market along with greater pricing scrutiny in the US. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals also reported a 4.2 per cent year-on-year drop in September quarter consolidated net profit to Rs 214.12 crore on weak US sales, the biggest market for the company. Sales dropped 5.7 per cent year-on-year to $113.24 million on the back of persisting price erosion in older products.
Apart from the challenges of operating in the US market, domestic drug makers have faced a string of actions by the American health watchdog, Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Sample this: Wockhardt has been hit the hardest by FDA as three of its plants are under an import alert. The company, founded by Habil Khorakiwala, has lost over Rs 20 billion of sales from the US market over the past four years. To add to its woes, the global developments including Brexit (the company earns around 35 per cent of its revenue from the UK), demonetisation and goods and services tax have played a crucial role in derailing the company.
Reddy family of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Murali Divi of Divi Laboratories too saw their wealth shrink last year. In September, shares of Dr. Reddy’s fell 6 per cent on a day when the report about an audit by German regulators uncovering manufacturing lapses at Reddy’s came out. Similarly, at Divi’s Laboratories, an import alert by US FDA crashed sales and cost net profits in the quarter ended June.
After Mumbai-based drug maker Lupin received a warning letter from the US Food and Drug Administration on its finished medicines plants in Goa and Indore, the company’s stock price nosedived, closing 17 per cent lower on the Bombay Stock Exchange. “While there will be no disruption of existing product supplies from either of the locations, there can be a delay in new product approvals from these two facilities,” the company said on the development.
Between 2013 and 2015, at least seven Indian pharma manufacturers were issued warning letters and import alerts. In 2015, India ranked fourth on the list of warning letters and import alerts raising questions on the efficacy and manufacturing practices of domestic drug makers.
While companies are preparing to announce results for the third quarter soon, the sentiments are not bullish. Pharma stocks are also posting losses for the second consecutive week. Between 15 and 19 January, the BSE Healthcare index declined 0.85 per cent, while the benchmark Sensex rose 2.38 per cent.
Most stocks, including Sun Pharma (-2.24 per cent), Cipla (-1.79 per cent), Aurobindo Pharma (-3.98 per cent) and Cadila Healthcare (-2.1 per cent), registered a plunge.
Data shows that not many companies are pro-actively investing in complex generics. According to a July 2016 report by JM Financial Institutional Securities, Indian companies have been slow in making investments in the complex generics and specialty drugs space.
But it’s time they diversify their product range, adopt differential strategies and focus on evolving as innovators. It may be easier said than done as running a specialty product company is much more difficult than a generics company. The product development cost for a complex generic is around $5 million compared with $1-2 million for a simpler final dosage form, Dr. Reddy’s said in its annual report for 2015-16.
Another report highlighted a concern. “The companies that have invested, find the investments return-dilutive in the short-to-medium term, given the complexities and long-gestation period for developing and bringing these products to the market,” pointed out the report by JM Financial Institutional Securities.
The global life sciences industry is gradually moving from chemical-based drugs to biologics. The global sales contribution of biologics is expected to increase from 24 per cent in 2015 to 27 per cent in 2020. Companies need to brace up for tough times ahead as not just profits from generics are getting affected, heavy investments going into the making of specialty drugs, including biologics and biosimilars, can further impact the margins.


text:
Excerpts from an expert summary
Here are the major stats on Facebook’s IPO, which it just filed: 845 million monthly users and 483 million daily users; annual revenue of $3.7 billion; $1.8 billion in annual operating income and $1 billion net income.
And here are some uh-oh stats:
A full 12 percent of Facebook’s revenue in 2011 was linked to its relationship with online gaming giant Zynga.
And overall growth is slowing too.


text:
Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed terms on a free trade agreement (FTA) - the former's first with an Arab nation.
The deal aims to increase annual bilateral trade between the countries to more than $10 billion and will eliminate or reduce tariffs on 96% of all goods they trade with one another.
Goods that will benefit from lower tariffs include food, medicine, diamonds, jewelry, fertilizers and chemicals. Some duties will be removed gradually over the course of three to five years, while certain products will still be subject to customs tariffs but at a reduced rate.
The new FTA, which was signed in Dubai by Israeli minister of economy and industry Orna Barbivai and UAE minister of economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, represents the culmination of months of negotiations between the Middle Eastern states.
Writing on Twitter, UAE trade minister Thani Al Zeyoudi said the new economic partnership agreement with Israel builds on the "strong foundations" laid by the Abraham Accords, a joint declaration of cooperation signed by Israel, the UAE and the US in August 2020.
He also said the FTA marked the start of "a new chapter in the history of the Middle East".
"Our agreement will accelerate growth, create jobs and lead to a new era of peace, stability, and prosperity across the region," the trade minister added.
Dorian Barak, president of the UAE-Israel Business Council, told Reuters the changes to rules around tax, imports and intellectual property would encourage more Israeli companies to do business in the UAE, particularly in Dubai. He also noted that many firms will be looking to establish themselves in Dubai in order to target opportunities in the broader region.
Official Israeli data showed the country's trade with the UAE reached a value of $1.2 billion in 2021.


text:
Facebook Profit Jumps 71% -- 2nd Update
Facebook Inc.'s news feed is running out of room for advertisements, but the social media giant is making up for it with higher prices and new slots for ads in videos and its messaging apps.
The company on Wednesday said profit spiked 71% in the second quarter. While growth is still rapid, Facebook warned that the number of ads in the news feed -- its primary source of revenue -- is hitting a ceiling.
Facebook and Google revamped advertising by making digital the dominant platform over the past decade. Google, part of Alphabet Inc., and Facebook together accounted for 99% of the online ad industry's growth last year, according to Pivotal Research. But now both tech giants are trying to figure out the next generation of online advertising.
Google said earlier this week that it is serving up more ads on smartphones and on YouTube, its video platform. While the newer ad formats drove a 52% surge in the number of clicks, they are less lucrative than search ads, Google's legacy business.
Facebook, meanwhile, is looking beyond the highly profitable news feed to the rising consumption of video and its two chat apps, Messenger and WhatsApp, for growth.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg predicted video would become the largest driver of Facebook's business over the next two to three years, while messaging could yield dividends within five years. He added that artificial intelligence could help advertisers figure out which audiences to target on Facebook.
That shift isn't without risk to Facebook. These emerging ad formats don't earn Facebook as much money as ones shown in its news feed, executives said. They also need to build new types of ads that can work outside the standard stream of posts that make up Facebook's news feed and its photo-sharing app Instagram, which together drive nearly all of the company's revenue.
"There are real questions there that we need to manage well," Mr. Zuckerberg said, of the company's embrace of video as a future source of ad revenue. Facebook recently started testing mid-roll ads, which appear at some point during a video on the social network.
Mr. Zuckerberg also showed newfound urgency to cash in on messaging. WhatsApp, he said, is now used by 1 billion people a day. This month, Facebook introduced ads on Messenger, a rollout that will inform how Facebook monetizes WhatsApp, executives said.
"I want to see us move a little faster here, but I'm confident that we're going to get this right over the long term," he said during a conference call with analysts.
Facebook's stock was 3.7% higher in after-hours trading, building on a 44% increase since the beginning of the year.
In the second quarter, net income totaled $3.9 billion, surpassing its larger rival Alphabet, whose bottom line was hit by a fine from European regulators. Revenue jumped 45% to $9.3 billion, boosted by a 24% increase in Facebook's average ad price, executives said during the call.
Showing too many ads could turn off the more than two billion people who check Facebook at least once a month. Today, one of every seven to 10 posts is an ad in Facebook's news feed, said Jan Dawson, senior analyst with Jackdaw Research.
The company is buying original video programming -- some shows as long as 30 minutes an episode -- that could in turn offer opportunities for advertising as part of Mr. Zuckerberg's broader desire to transform Facebook into a "video-first" company. "Video is part of what's going to expand the inventory of ads on Facebook," Mr. Dawson said. "A half an hour of video is potential for more ads."
The mid-roll video ads Facebook has been testing have lower margins than news feed ads, executives said on the call. Facebook shares a portion of the ad revenue with the creator in this model.
The success of ad breaks "will depend both on the ad breaks and on the content," Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an interview. Many advertisers are still repurposing television ads to use on Facebook.
The television ads "do not work as well as ads that are natively mobile, " Ms. Sandberg told analysts Wednesday. Ads that are developed for mobile, Facebook's primary format, are shorter and the brand is mentioned faster than in TV spots, she said. She compared the strategy to the early days of TV ads when people read ads in front of a microphone on screen.
Write to Deepa Seetharaman at email@example.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 26, 2017 20:54 ET (00:54 GMT)


text:
New York entrepreneur, interior designer, and style icon, Iris Apfel, is collaborating with Istanbul-based design brand, Nude Glassware, for a year – long campaign, launching products inspired exclusively by Iris’s romantic glamour and colorful innate flair.
Shoppers looking to indulge in one of kind decorative gifts, can look forward to seeing customized collectables including a paper weight bedazzled with Iris’s face on it and a glass doll modeled after Iris created by admired American industrial designer, Harry Allen. Also featured will be a line of timeless stemware products coined by the Tomas Kral’s Beak collection, which will be re-imagined in acid bright colors and bold stripes.
With simplicity being the main facet in Iris’s designs, Iris is looking forward to showing industry fans, interior designers, and gift givers that simple is beautiful and less is more. And with Iris’s unique eye for colorful aesthetics and daring fashion sense, it’s no surprise that her collaboration with Nude Glassware is already expected to be on the map as a top seller this season.
And if you’re wondering how this anything but dull and effortlessly elegant style caster jumpstarted her career as a show stopping powerhouse designer, it all began with her family who owned two creative businesses, both in glassware and in fashion. A natural progression, after studying art history at New York University and attending art school at the University of Wisconsin, Iris set in motion ventures with Women’s Wear Daily, working alongside interior designer Elinor Johnson and illustrator Robert Goodman, which would soon assist in breaking her career as a budding starlet. With a resume that includes design restoration projects at the White House for nine US presidents such as Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton and a Mac cosmetics line featuring four limited edition lipsticks, Iris shows no signs of slowing down and is continuing to transform the world of design and paint it bright with vivid colors.
Add a touch of glitter to your next champagne soiree or family dinner, and pamper yourself with a new set of accessories from Nude Glassware with Iris Apfel.


text:
A family-owned business is not just a family’s greatest asset but it is also represents a legacy. As businesses evolve at an increasingly fast pace, family business owners are constantly having to balance between the financial aspects of their business and preserving their family legacy.
This will be the main theme of a roundtable discussion which will be hosted by MISCO through its MISCO Directors Network on Monday 13th October to discuss ways how your Family Business Legacy can be protected. The discussion will be coordinated by Lawrence Zammit, Director at MISCO and Dr David Zahra from MISCO Directors Network.
“A seminar like this acquires more importance when one keeps in mind that recent figures show that 55% of Malta’s registered businesses are family-owned and all together, these employ roughly 40% of the Maltese work force. This could have been one of the reasons why the recent international crisis did not affect Malta as much as other countries and this is therefore why family businesses should keep being nurtured, protected and developed,” explains Maria Zahra, from MISCO.
“MISCO has been assisting family businesses for over 30 years – enough to know how important it is for owners of family businesses to strike a balance between ensuring healthy and profitable business without compromising the family dynamics. Through MISCO’s long experience, we help businesses implement a transition plan that seamlessly transfers the business to the next generation without disrupting the day-to-day business. This is perhaps one of the most significant and valuable exercises any family business owner can go through in order to safeguard the long-term sustainability of their company and legacy,” added Maria Zahra.
Over the past years MISCO has in fact been assisting family businesses through the process of evaluating business and family issues from top to bottom, delivering plans for dealing with challenges, succession planning, strategic planning, leadership development, human resource management, business valuation and family governance.
Attendance to the Keeping it in the Family roundtable discussion is free of charge and will be held between 8.30am and 11.00am at MISCO in Fino Buildings, Mriehel on Monday 13th October. Those interested to participate should reserve a place by sending an email to firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Amazon begins layoffs as financial woes mount • TechCrunch
This week, Amazon started the method of slicing jobs throughout the corporate. Managers have begun informing workers that they’ve two months to search out one other function inside the corporate or settle for severance, in response to reviews. Quite a few workers have acknowledged that they had been impacted by the strikes through companies like LinkedIn.
Different reviews, in the meantime, cite frustrations among the many workforce that the corporate has not despatched any companywide notifications to acknowledge the dimensions and scope of the cuts. We’ve reached out to Amazon for remark.
The information follows weeks of rumors round accelerating belt tightening led by CEO Andy Jassy. Following reviews that the corporate was eyeing its units division specifically, phrase arrived earlier this week that the corporate plans to put off 10,000 – comprising roughly 3% of its company workforce. The determine would mark the most important “workforce discount” ever undertaken by the e-commerce and cloud computing big in its almost 30-year historical past.
Retail and human sources are additionally stated to be impacted, together with the corporate’s cloud gaming service, Luna. The cuts come lower than two months after Google pulled the plug on its competing service, Stadia.
Final week, a spokesperson for the corporate advised TechCrunch,
We stay enthusiastic about the way forward for our bigger companies, in addition to newer initiatives like Prime Video, Alexa, Grocery, Kuiper, Zoox, and Healthcare. Our senior management group frequently opinions our funding outlook and monetary efficiency, together with as a part of our annual working plan evaluation, which happens within the fall every year. As a part of this 12 months’s evaluation, we’re in fact considering the present macro-environment and contemplating alternatives to optimize prices.
The assertion acknowledged what’s amounted to main monetary headwinds for everybody from the smallest early-stage startup to the most important multinational company. Amazon’s units division, which incorporates Echo Merchandise, Fireplace Tablets and its Alexa enterprise, was a main candidate for the chopping block, on condition that it’s reportedly been working at a $5 billion a 12 months income loss.
It’s been a protracted tail technique to broader acceptance of its sensible assistant, Alexa, however Jassy seems to be taking an particularly shut have a look at these divisions that require a whole lot of runaway. The corporate’s final mile supply robotic Scout was among the many current casualties in a broader consolidation of its robotics division.
Amazon’s removed from the one main tech company to make huge cuts because it braces for financial headwinds. Final week, Meta laid off 11,000 — round 13% of the corporate’s total workforce. Below the steerage of recent CEO Elon Musk, Twitter has additionally begun shedding what may quantity to hundreds, whereas Salesforce and Stripe have grappled with their very own restructuring. Along with broader macro considerations, Amazon’s income has additionally begun to return to Earth following pandemic-fueled surges in on-line purchasing.


text:
Now Playing: How to make a snack box with a Raspberry Pi, a Raspberry 3, and a bunch of yarn Source Next Big Futures title How To Build Your Own Mini-Bag with a Pi, an Ethernet cable, and an Ethernet jack and 3D printer source NextBigFuture.com
Happy box sets have become a fixture of the Australian holiday season, but now a mystery tackle box has hit the market.
The Mystery Tackle Box, which is made up of five puzzle pieces, can be purchased at stores across the country.
It comes with five puzzles, each with a different solution to be solved.
If you are looking for the first puzzle, the first one to go, it’s the puzzle for the King Box Spring, the second puzzle is for the Mystery Tackle box, and the third puzzle is the puzzle that the puzzle box will contain.
The puzzle box is designed to fit a child of any age, with the box opening to reveal the puzzle.
The box is made from cardboard and will only be available to order online.
The mystery tackle boxes are now available at more than 30 stores across Australia, including Walmart, Toys R Us and Amazon.
President Donald Trump is pushing the envelope with his new look in a new style guide released Monday.
The guidelines will be a step up from the last one, which had a more conservative tone.
The guidelines will provide guidance for both women and men, but will focus more on women’s fashion and grooming.
Trump has already launched a fashion brand called Trump Hotels, and he has made women’s footwear a centerpiece of his presidency.


text:
The impact of electric vehicles on automotive lubricant demand will remain limited through 2021, according to a new study by The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.-based industry research firm.
Freedonia cited the size of the existing electric vehicle park and the challenges of expanding their presence in markets without significant subsidies, as reasons for their forecast.
“This will change over the long term, though, as electric vehicles become a bigger part of the market,” the company said.
“Electric vehicles are viewed by China and other countries (such as Germany, Japan and Norway) as an effective means of meeting climate change commitments and reducing air pollution. Additionally, electric vehicles are expected to be the basis for new, autonomous driving systems being developed by a number of companies.”
The Freedonia Group is forecasting global automotive lubricant demand to rise by 1.6% per year through 2021. In the Asia-Pacific region, automotive lubricant demand is expected to increase by 3.2% per annum to 11.0 million metric tons by 2021.
The major factors contributing to the world’s fastest regional growth rate are: continued increases in the region’s light vehicle and medium and heavy truck and bus parks; increase in construction activity across the region; acceleration in the agriculture sector due to a regional trend of increasing use of tractors in the farming industry; and, increase in the regional motorcycle park.
“Strong economic growth in developing economies will lead to increased agricultural and mining output, as well as rising construction activity, which in turn will drive strong gains in off-highway automotive lubricants,” the company said.


text:
Swipely, a social network for people who want to publish their purchase histories online, just took a $7.5 million investment from brand name VCs including Greylock Partners and First Round Capital.
Famous angel investors putting money into Swipely include ex-Googler Chris Sacca, PayPal/LinkedIn/Slide vet Keith Rabois, and the world’s most famous angel investor, Ron Conway.
Now, there’s a big difference between the sites — Blippy publishes how much its users spend and Swipely does not – but we still think Swipely, its investors and its users are completely nuts.
In an effort to change our mind, Swipely CEO Angus Davis agreed to an IMterview.
Business Insider Emails & Alerts
Site highlights each day to your inbox.


text:
Mr Reginald Daniel Laryea, new Chairman of the Board of Directors of GOIL Company Limited has noted that the reconstituted board will work to improve on the value of shareholders’ investment and pursue higher profitability.
Mr Laryea promised shareholders and customers that the new team would build on the hard work and success of the previous Board, “the GOIL team will leverage on its strong brand and resilience to bring in more premium products that will attract new consumers”.
The New Board Chairman stated at GOIL’s Shareholders extraordinary general meeting, which approved the appointment of four personalities, including; Mr Laryea to replace retiring directors.
Mr Laryea, who is an Advertising and Marketing expert noted that the new board would work hard to ensure that GOIL continued to be the leading OMC in the country, “GOIL will continue to take giant step ahead in the petroleum industry”.
The new GOIL Board of Directors are: Mr Laryea who is a former President of the Advertising Association of Ghana as the new Chairman, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, GOIL Group CEO and Managing Director; Mr. John Boadu, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party; and Mr Edwin Alfred Provencal, Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited.
Others are: Ms Angela Forson, Mr. Beauclerc A. Williams; Mr. Stephen Tengan; Mrs. Mabel A. Amoatemaa Sarpong; and Nana Ama Kusi-Appouh who serves as Secretary to the Board.
The GOIL Management team is headed by Mr Osei-Prempeh – MD and Group CEO; Mr. Alex Josiah Adzew, Chief Operating Officer- GOIL; Mr. Gyamfi Amanquah, Chief Operating Officer-GOENERGY; Mr. Kwabena Adjei, Chief Finance Officer; and Mr. Cyril Opon, Head of HSSE.
Others are: Mr. John B. Tagoe, Head of Technical and Special Products, Mr. Kofi Ansah Otoo, Chief Internal Auditor; Mr. Martin Olu Davies, Head of Admin and Human Relations; Mr. Marcus Deo Dake, Head of Corporate Affairs; Mr. Anthony Twumasi, Head of Research, Planning and IT; and Mr. Benjamin Ocansey, Head of Fuels Marketing.
The rest are: Nana Ama Kusi-Appouh, Solicitor Secretary; Mr Denis Nii-Komiete Amui, Head of Operations; Mr. Alphonso Okai Jnr, Head of Technical Services; Mr. Benjamin Torkornoo, Technical Consultant to Group CEO and MD, Mr. Kingsley Ansah, Head of Estates.
Mr Osei-Prempeh acknowledged the expertise the new board would be bringing onboard to the GOIL team.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Osei-Prempeh said GOIL would continue to focus on its mission of marketing quality petroleum and other energy products and services in a safe, ethical, healthy, environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.
He said GOIL had gone through series of changes, all aimed at transforming it into an efficient and profitable entity in the Oil and Gas industry with the customer at the core of its business.
Mr Osei-Prempeh said the company had registered three subsidiaries- GOEnergy Company Limited, a Bulk Oil Distribution Company (BDC), which distributes petroleum products to OMCs.
Others are GOIL Offshore Ghana Limited, an upstream subsidiary for exploration operations in Ghana’s Deep-water Cape Three Points Bloc, and GOIL Financial Services Limited, which provides an electronic payment system and aims to provide money transfer services.


text:
During Blizzcon 2018, a new addition to the legendary Diablo franchise was announced. However, this new game in the is coming to…mobile devices. Titled Diablo Immortal it will take place between the second and third game. Unlike previous titles, this will be an MMORPG in addition to its hack and slash gameplay.
Blizzard seems to be capitalizing on the popularity of these genres on mobile devices, which on PC has been in decline. The game will feature most classes from the third entry in the franchise, and gameplay doesn’t seem to stray too far from how Diablo typically is.
To no one’s surprise, fans are not too happy. Diablo has a very dedicated fan base, which felt quite neglected for years now, and rightfully so. Last (and only) Diablo III expansion came out over four years ago, and the recent Necromancer DLC pack was considered to be underwhelming.
Also, free updates to the game are slowing down, which made fans believe that the Blizzard had diverted their attention towards making another installment in the series. Seeing a mobile game instead of a dreamed sequel has obviously disappointed many fans.
They have yet to announce the release date. Will you try this game out when it launches? Let us know in the comments.


text:
You must have an Automotive Newssubscription to view the digital edition
Click here to subscribe
A potential blow to Aug. U.S. sales; Floods shutter FCA plant in Canada; Aston plans all EV, hybrid lineup; Uber ends tracking program; Toyota invests in Grab; Honda's mysterious clock quirk.
Aston Martin says it is trying to boost its market share in the U.S. and Japan to mitigate against any risks from Brexit, which could add costs and delays to sales to the EU.
Aston Martin, seeking to put a bespoke exclamation point on its aging Vanquish supercar lineup, will build a run of limited-edition Zagato-bodied cars that includes a speedster and shooting brake version.
From BMW Z4 to a $20M Aston: A peek at the posh products of Pebble; GM thwarts settlement; Charlottesville: Reactions from GM, Dana, Ford; Nissan Leaf road show.
It turns out that the 2015 Aston Martin DB10 built purely for the James Bond film Spectre was a sneak preview of the new Vantage sports car.
The $129,000 EMotion EV -- due out in 2019 -- is touted as having a top speed of 161 mph, a more than 400-mile electric range and rapid-charging capabilities of 125 miles in 9 minutes.
Aston Martin's partnership with Daimler moved closer with the launch of the DB11 V-8. It is the first Aston to use the 4.0-liter turbocharged engine developed by Daimler's AMG performance arm.
Aston Martin has cut production plans for its its Tesla-fighting RapidE electric model. The result, though, may be an even more exclusive car.
Hertz supplying Apple's autonomous test cars; GM lowers '17 sales outlook; Aston scales back plan for RapidE EV; Elon Musk takes 'Boring' idea to Chicago; Gold rush for suppliers?
Aston Martin has scaled back production plans for its first electric model, the RapidE, after investment partner LeEco pulled out of the project.
Aston Martin plans a midengine supercar that will challenge the likes of the Ferrari 488 and Lamborghini Huracan.
Aston Martin called on British politicians to provide rapid reassurances to business after a snap election gave no party an overall majority in the UK parliament.
Automotive NewsJobs Board
Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that's vital to your business.
Sign up today to get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we'll deliver.
Entire contents © Crain Communications, Inc.
Use of editorial content without permission is strictly prohibited. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Grey Group MENA has won the communications brief for Subway across Saudi Arabia.
The fast food chain, which is operated by the Shamel Food Company within the kingdom, has more than 118 restaurants across the country.
The wins follows a four-month pitch process involving six agencies, three of which were chosen to present their proposals to Subway’s regional marketing team.
The partnership puts Grey’s Riyadh office in charge of Subway’s advertising and communication for all of the brand’s branches across Saudi Arabia.
“Our goal is to expand the network of locations and reach 200 restaurants by 2020,” said Mohsen Adeeb, chief executive of Shamel Food Company. “We commit to providing fresher and better quality products to satisfy the increasing demand of our communities.”
Marc Bouharb, Grey Riyadh’s managing director, added: “At Grey, we are thrilled to be collaborating with the world-famous Subway brand on orchestrating its marketing, advertising and communication strategy in Saudi Arabia. We look forward to working together on the planning and execution of winning campaigns and initiatives that will take the brand to new heights across the kingdom. And also to reinforcing the exceptional message that Subway aims to spread among its customers, partners and the wider public.”
The appointment is the latest in a string of new business wins for Grey MENA. The agency has also recently picked up Jumeirah Golf Estates, DIFCO and Duracell, among others.


text:
The family company added former president and CEO of Zachary Confections, Patrick Zachary, as its director of manufacturing. Zachary announced that Enstom’s production facility in Grand Junction, Colorado, US, was now a Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 3 Certified, accredited HACCP-Based Food Safety plant.
“Obtaining the SQF Certification is a key part to our strategic growth plan of expanding our wholesale business and continuing to explore private label and other opportunities. SQF is now the standard for doing business with industry’s high profile customers,” said Zachary.
Doug Simons, president and CEO of Enstrom Candies said: “As Enstrom Candies begins to grow its new wholesale line, Patrick will add his expertise in manufacturing, strategic planning, sales and marketing to the team. It gives us great pleasure at Enstrom to allow Patrick the opportunity to continue his work in the confectionery industry,”


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the St. Louis Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
KV recalls most of its drugs, may default on credit line
KV Pharmaceutical said Monday it suspended the manufacturing and shipping of all of its products other than certain products that it distributes but does not make.
The drug company also said it would conduct a voluntary recall of most of its products. The scope and depth of the recall are under discussion with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, KV said.
KV is working with a third-party consulting group, Lachman Consultant Services Inc., to review manufacturing and packaging processes.
These actions are being taken in cooperation with the inspection by the FDA of the company’s operations and inventory, which began in December.
KV expects these actions to have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, and as a result, may not be in compliance with one or more covenants included in a credit agreement with its lenders. As of Dec. 31, the outstanding balance under this line of credit was approximately $30 million.
This latest recalls comes after KV said in December that it suspended shipments of all its drugs in tablet form and recalled a single production lot of the painkiller Hydromorphone HCl 2 mg tablets because the tablets are oversized.
KV has formed a committee to deal with a series of shareholder lawsuits alleging violations of the federal securities laws by the company and certain individuals as well as an inquiry from the Securities and Exchange Commission, requests for information from the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and FDA representatives working with that office.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- On the market: the most expensive homes in Wildwood
- Road warriors weigh in on Lambert’s flight status
- L.A. talent agency plans biannual music festival in downtown St. Louis
- Look at the dental school clinic coming to St. Louis
- Which Missourians rank among the world’s billionaires?
- What’s at stake in the battle over the Schlafly name?
- Vinson also faces lawsuit from Kansas City broadcaster
- MegaBrew: Is an A-B InBev, SABMiller merger becoming a necessity?
- Clayco's Clark on move to Chicago, coping with grief
- Fish fry Friday favorites
- Superintendent of Schools Living Word Christian School District | O Fallon, MO
- SENIOR ACCOUNTANT/FINANCE MANAGER Duenke Enterprises. LLC | Osage Beach, MO
- Regional Sales Manager Day & Night Solar | Collinsville, IL
- Retail Sales Associate Sprint Store by Wireless Lifestyle | Des Peres, MO
- Brokerage Operations Specialist Accountemps | Saint Louis, MO


text:
Buyers from all over the world came to Secutech 2010 to look for solutions and find qualified suppliers. They found all the above and more.
This year's Secutech was affected by the Icelandic volcanic ash, which closed most regional airports and prevented buyers from making it to Taipei. Despite the natural disaster, Secutech attendance was the highest in its 13-year history, up 2 percent with 22,690 visitors.
Buyers found the show ideal for sourcing. "This year, I did not attend shows in Las Vegas, China, Hong Kong and so on. I only came to Secutech because all the innovative technologies are here," said Sergio Mendes, CEO of Sektronix. "It is difficult to manage information from other shows, but here, it is much more accessible, and the show is much more organized and professional."
The show's layout was easy to navigate. "The international buyer lounges and the business-matching area will definitely be adopted by other international shows in the world," said Saifuddin Bharmal, MD of Lookman.
Visitors can compare different vendors and products. "This is my first time, and the show is larger than I expected," said Silvio Muscat, IT Manager for Red Handed Security. "I found out about the show through the Internet, and I wanted to get in touch with manufacturers directly, since I currently source Taiwanese products through a distributor."
Several visitors appreciated the product demonstrations. "I like to go to shows to see how the products perform in reality," said Richard Kiss, Director of Texolabs.
Gilad Epstein, VP of Product Management and Marketing for Lorex Technology, said, "The variety is great because there are many different vendors, so I can get a good feel of what is happening right now."
Secutech serves as a learning opportunity for many buyers. "I have been at all the conferences and seminars these two days, and Secutech conveys a progressive and innovative approach," said Joey Zalsos, MD of DriveNet Communication System.
The exhibition was a portal for international buyers to access Asian manufacturing. "Many Italians like to use Taiwanese products because they are of better quality for the price," said Stefano Brivio of BMS Impianti. Other buyers from Eastern Europe were also very interested in Taiwanese products.
Two overarching issues driving buyers to Secutech included political and social instability in many countries, which is encouraging security awareness. The other issue was the migration from analog to IP, spurred by the advantages of megapixel and HD.
Middle East and North Africa
Africa's economy is still recovering from the 2008 global crisis. "Every aspect of the economy is affected by the economic downturn - up to a 70 percent decrease in our economy," said Hajia Usman of Fammiah. "The security industry in Nigeria was down by 40 percent."
Since then, the local security industry has begun to rally. "There is an increase everywhere by 5 percent to 10 percent," said Lanre Obalisa, Director COO of Wave Length.
The market is price-sensitive, making mid- to low-end products attractive. "We are looking at products produced all over Asia, from Malaysia to India to China," said Usman.
Iran's security market grew, partly due to political instability. "The current security market in Iran is worth US$200 million - a 200 percent rise from last year," said M. Sadeghe, Deputy MD for Andisheh Negar Pars. "The government issues instructions for all organizations in terms of what they should do to be secure."
Security is a major market in Israel. "A lot of government funding goes into private companies to find and develop sophisticated systems and solutions," said Ami Paz, a security consultant from Israel. "Israel used to be a safe place five to 10 years ago, but now it has become more violent."
Korean and Taiwanese products are widely deployed in Israel. "In Israel, 80 percent is still analog, since the integration of IP has slowed down in 2009," Paz said. "But it is picking back up and I believe megapixel and HD are driving it."
Oman's security market is growing fast. "The market from two to three years ago has gone up at least 70 percent," said Mohamed Al Busaidi, Sales and Marketing Manager of IBN Amor Al Maamary Electronics.
IP-based systems are projected to become more popular soon. "With the help of 3-G networks and WIMAX, IP sales will increase," Al Hinai said.
The biggest issue with the products is that it must be able to withstand high local temperatures. "It is 54 degrees Celsius in the shade right now, and this year it is going to get even hotter," Al Hinai said. "Some suppliers say they can go up to 80 degrees Celsius, but the cameras die in three to six months, and our warranty to our customers go for two to three years."


text:
atau cari berdasarkan hari
Bukalapak president and co-founder Fajrin Rasyin predicted that e-commerce will see a growth of sales during the 12.12 national online shopping day.
E-commerce Bukalapak announced the change in the management leadership initially led by CEO and founder Achmad Zaky.
The Hurun Research Institute just released its inaugural report on the global unicorn startups entitled the Hurun Global Unicorn List 2019.
Decacorn is a term for a relatively new company that is worth at least US$10 billion. Indonesia currently has 1 decacorn, Gojek.
Kominfo Minister Johnny G. Plate not only hopes for unicorn startups to flourish but also expects the birth of hectocorn startups.
Minister Rudiantara said that the digital economy is targeted to contribute 11 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in 2020.
Minister Rudiantara has given a signal that before the year's end, there will be a new unicorn from the education sector.
Minister Rudiantara earlier announces that OVO has held the unicorn status as the firm's valuation has exceeded more than US$1 billion.
Minister Rudiantara believes OVO's growth as Indonesia's (RI) fifth unicorn establishes the country's gravitational pull for global digital economy.
Earlier, the BKPM head Thomas Lembong said Google's and Temasek's study noted 4 country's unicorns including Traveloka claimed to belong to Singapore.
The Indonesian Pavilion at the 2019 Techsauce Global Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, brings three most influential startups in Indonesia
Indonesian ride sharing application Gojek has become the country's first decacorn.
The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) said that they have met with Traveloka to invite the unicorn into the capital market.
Ride-hailing application company Go-Jek has become Indonesia's first decacorn with a valuation of US$10 billion as announced by CB Insights.
The government urged online marketplace or e-commerce companies holding unicorn status to drive innovations to reduce the sales of imported goods.
Regarding unicorn startup's ownership and investments, the government assures that ownership of such startups will remain to be Indonesia's.
The Bappenas Head Bambang Brodjonegoro deemed the figure of capital inflow is higher than the capital outflow due to the growth of unicorn.
Dradjad Wibowo of the Prabowo-Sandiaga camp said that Prabowo's statement on unicorns during last night's presidential debate was a warning.
Despite his initial confusion of the term Unicorn, Prabowo gave an answer that best describes his fear of unicorn startups running money overseas.
President Jokowi calls on the public to stop uninstall e-commerce app Bukalapak.


text:
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — One Wilmington store owner thought a car was parking. He turned away to help a customer then, he heard a “boom” and the car was inside his Market Street store.
It happened at the Lucky Stop at around 12:15 PM.
Witnesses say an elderly woman driving an SUV crashed right through the store’s front window. Following the incident, the woman was taken away by ambulance .
The store’s owner says her SUV didn’t appear to have a lot of damage, unlike his store.
The owner says his store is still open for business.


text:
Ever since a major supermarket chain opened in the area six months ago, Hiran Mota says that he has suffered a 20 per cent slump in sales at the small provisions store that his father founded more than 30 years ago. And with Wal-Mart, the US retail giant, making inroads into the Indian market, it could get worse.
“I see less people walking in,” the 34-year-old shopkeeper said. “They are flocking to the big store because there they can sell below the maximum retail price. I have to stick to the price on the label and my profit margins are


text:
Local Living: Lights Before Christmas, plus Christmas Pop Up
Local Living with ABC Columbia is brought to you by Allure Medical
COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)–Here’s your look at Local Living.
What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with Santa.
Christmas has made its way into downtown Columbia at Publico’s Pop-up ‘Santa Pub.’
From floor to ceiling, the restaurant has life size cut-outs of your favorite Christmas characters, a special Christmas menu, and of course, a Christmas tree.
Organizers say this new event brings Christmas to the capital city like never before.
You can light up the night at Riverbank’s Zoo’s annual Lights Before Christmas. The holiday event runs select evenings now through December 30 from 5:00pm – 9:00pm.
You can see more than one-million twinkling lights, Santa and even some animals.


text:
Upcoming real-time strategy Mac and Windows game
StarCraft II will ship without Local Area Network multiplayer support in an effort to combat piracy, says Blizzard, in an official statement sure to annoy if not outright confound series fans the world round. Calling it a “difficult decision,” Blizzard’s Bob Colayco
reportedly told Joystiq that “moving away from LAN play and directing players to our upgraded Battle.net service was the best option to ensure a quality multiplayer experience with StarCraft II and safeguard against piracy.”
Uh-oh, did someone just invoke the ‘p’ word? And is Blizzard serious? No more LAN parties? Every potential customer has internet as fast and dependable as they’re apparently dishing out in Irvine, Calif.? Running crossover Ethernet cables between PCs is officially passé?
Hey Blizzard, what about those of us who still routinely take our gaming laptops with us on weekend trips to remote locales that lack internet access? Show of hands: Who wants to play head-to-head with friends or relatives in a low-speed internet setting? Even a high-speed internet setting prone to hiccups? And what about all the folks running brick and mortar game competitions, hosting tournaments with locally networked PCs, where fast and steady communication is essential?
According to Colayco, Battle.net features like “advanced communication options, achievements, stat-tracking, and more” will require players to be connected to the service.
Okay. Fine. If we want those “advanced” options (whatever they are) or achievements or stat-tracking, then we’ll go online. That’s fair. That’s what Battle.net offers. But if we’re not interested, we shouldn’t be penalized for preferring the speed and stability and locational flexibility of local peer-to-peer play, should we?


text:
Sony Corporate Strategy Meeting FY2021
- Leveraging the Sony Group’s Diverse Strengths Around the Axis of its Purpose, to Achieve Value Creation from a Long-term View, and the Evolution and Growth of its Business -
Tokyo, Japan - Sony Group Corporation (“Sony” or the “Company”) today held its Corporate Strategy Meeting for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 (FY2021).
Focusing on the keywords of creativity, technology and the world (community), Chairman, President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida presented Sony’s corporate strategy from a long-term view as a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology, around the axis of its Purpose (or reason for being) to “fill the world with emotion (or Kando) through the power of creativity and technology,” which he established as part of Sony’s corporate culture following his appointment as CEO three years ago.
He stated that in order to deliver Kando to even more users through the content that Sony creates together with creators, Sony plans to further strengthen its partnerships in the area of DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) services, and accelerate its initiatives and investments, particularly in the mobile and social spaces, with the aim of expanding the number of people around the world directly connected to the Sony Group due to their desire to consume entertainment from the current number of approximately 160 million to 1 billion people.
As part of these efforts, Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”) stated that, “through investments in IP, group collaboration within Sony, and investment in social and mobile, we are excited for the opportunity to continue to expand our community.”
Sony plans to continue to leverage the Group’s diverse strengths around the axis of its Purpose, in order to create new value for creators and users from a long-term view, and drive the further evolution and growth of its business.
For further details, please refer to the speech materials, presentation slides and archived webcast from the event, which will be available on Sony's corporate website.
Access full press release
For further information: Corporate Communications Department Sony Group Corporation email@example.com


text:
Bombshell Salon, 639-B N. Cleveland Ave., Loveland, will have an open house 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, featuring finger food, drinks, raffle prizes and giveaways. Phone: 970-669-9600.
Korean Academy of Taekwondo, 106 W. Fourth St., will be donating half of the tuition of new students who sign up by Jan. 31 to the nonprofit Angel House in Loveland. Phone: 970-599-2645.
Odell Brewing Co. of Fort Collins and the band Head for the Hills have collaborated on a special re-release of "Head for the Hills - Colorado Amber Ale." The beer will be available at the band's New Year's Eve concert at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins.People
Loveland-based developer McWhinney has promoted Tom Hall to the position of vice president of commercial operations, managing more than 1.5 million square feet of office, medical and retail properties. Also, Dori Locke-Brewer has joined the company as vice president for multifamily operations, handling more than 1,100 apartment units in five complexes.
Barbara Kearns has been named the regional director of regulatory affairs and compliance for the Institute of Business and Medical Careers, for its campuses in Fort Collins, Greeley, Longmont and Cheyenne, Wyo.Calendar
The Northern Colorado Mom Owned Business Association will meet 8-10 p.m. at Colorado Vapors, 140 W. Oak St., Suite 230, to launch a CommunityFunded project.Send your business news
The Reporter-Herald strives to include newsworthy business briefs for its readers each Saturday. The focus of business briefs is on Northern Colorado businesses, not business promotions. The Reporter-Herald does not run items that are conducted as sales or product promotions or business builders for specific businesses.
The items we consider for briefs include:
Anniversaries (divisible by five)
Mergers and acquisitions
New owners, employees or promotions
Manufacture of new products
Business organization meetings, workshops, seminars or classes meant for networking or education.
Open houses related to newsworthy events (new business, anniversary, new owners, renovations, new management, etc.)
Awards or other recognition
Donations to charities
Business news information sheets are available from the receptionist at the Reporter-Herald, 201 E. Fifth St. The information also can be faxed, mailed or emailed to the business news desk.
Press releases also are welcome. The Reporter-Herald reserves the right to edit information submitted for publication. Pictures of individuals involved in the event are welcome, but publication is not guaranteed. The Reporter-Herald reserves the right to make editorial judgments on items submitted for publication.
Information is due by noon Wednesday for publication in the following Saturday's business section. Information can be faxed to 667-1111, or emailed to email@example.com. For more information, call Business Editor Jeff Stahla, 635-3691.


text:
HTC has been transparent when it comes to releasing software updates for their handsets. The company has already rolled out the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for the HTC One M8 in several regions, including a few carriers in the US as well. T-Mobile and AT&T have already released the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update, which also incorporates the bug fixes found inside the Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
If you’re a Verizon customer waiting for the update, you may have to wait for a little while before you can grab the update for your HTC One M8. In a response to customer, HTC America’s Jason Mackenzie mentioned that Android 4.4.3 will roll out for the Verizon variant by mid-September.
Don’t get disappointed since Android 4.4.3 isn’t the update you should be excited about. The update features mostly enhancements and bug fixes, including the ones introduces in the Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The one we should get excited about is the Android L, which is expected to bring a handful of changes on board, with an expected launch later this year.
— Jason Mackenzie (@JasonMacHTC) August 18, 2014
Source: Android Police


text:
Welcome, Sign In
Incandescent Light Bulbs Phase-Out
Description:Consumer lighting giant Osram Sylvania has just released the 2013 edition of its Socket Survey and the results are fraught with excitement, optimism, fear, conflict, and all-around bewilderment.
HuffPost Live Highlights
incandescent lightbulb phase-out


text:
BlackBerry has announced the company’s latest flagship smartphone – BlackBerry DTEK60 at a price tag of US $499. The smartphone available from BlackBerry online store in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. It will also be available in other countries in coming weeks. The phone also includes BlackBerry’s suite of productivity apps, such as the Hub, Calendar, and keyboard.
On the specifications front, the BlackBerry DTEK60 smartphone features 5.5-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and it is powered by Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 64-bit processor which is paired with Adreno 530 GPU & 4GB of RAM. It runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and it has 32GB in-built memory which can be expanded further via microSD card.
On the photography front, the BlackBerry DTE60 features 21MP rear-camera with dual-tone LED Flash, PDAF and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash for selfie & video-calling.
It has connectivity features like 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, USB Type-C.
It packs 3000mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 and it offers up to 26 hours of talk-time & up to 17 hours of video playback.
The BlackBerry DTEK60 touted as the world’s most secure Android smartphone and it comes with an alert system which tells the user privacy is at risk or not. It comes pre-loaded with BlackBerry DTEK for Android app evaluates the privacy level of the smartphone and recommends users to tweak it as per requirement. The BlackBerry DTEK60 comes with Fingerprint sensor for added security and features a metal-frame and a dual-glass panel design.


text:
Children have become such screen addicts they are abandoning their friends and hobbies, a major report warns today.
Researchers found under-fives spend an hour and 16 minutes a day online. Their screen time rises to four hours and 16 minutes when gaming and television are included.
Youngsters aged 12 to 15 average nearly three hours a day on the web – plus two more hours watching TV. The study said YouTube was ‘a near permanent feature’ of many young lives, and seven in ten of those aged 12 to 15 took smartphones to bed.
It concluded: ‘Children were watching people on YouTube pursuing hobbies that they did not do themselves or had recently given up offline.’
A growing number of parents admitted to researchers that they had lost control of their children’s online habits.
Campaigners described the report from media watchdog Ofcom as frightening.
‘In the early years, children need interaction with other people, and play – it is key to their social skills,’ said Sue Palmer of the group Toxic Childhood.
‘If that doesn’t happen when they are small, I don’t know where it leads. There is the screen time itself, and then there is what the screen time is displacing.’
The annual report, which was based on 2,000 interviews, also revealed that:
- Children aged five to 15 spend 20 minutes more online a day than watching TV;
- One in five pre-schoolers and two fifths of five- to eight-year-olds have an iPad or tablet device;
- A fifth of children aged eight to 12 are on social media – despite a supposed ban on under-13s;
- Nearly one in five children aged 12 to 16 have accidentally spent money online.
Children aged three and four still watch more television than online videos, but their TV consumption is shrinking whilst their time online is rocketing.
Many flock to YouTube and spend hours watching child-friendly videos such as how to make slime or draw animals. Others seek out ‘unboxing’ videos in which YouTube stars unwrap new products.
Some youngsters are becoming so obsessed with YouTube celebrities that they idolise them as role models, the Ofcom report said.
Some upload videos of their own, hoping to make a career for themselves. Disturbingly, many watch the lifestyle ‘vloggers’ pursuing hobbies and interacting with friends instead of doing so themselves.


text:
Recently, we took a brief look at the global picture vis à vis food price inflation. Among the most severely affected nations was the U.K., where soaring food prices have driven changes in food shopping habits…
U.K. shoppers have made major shifts in their grocery
shopping habits as a result of soaring prices…
Food price increases and food shortages have put the U.K. government on a hotplate, and on notice over the past year.
A recent world-wide study of food price inflation revealed that the U.K. and the E.U. are leading food price inflation among Western nations with annual rates of 19.6 percent.
So it should come as no surprise that U.K. shoppers have resorted to some drastic measures to cope with the crisis.
What they’re doing
A new survey commissioned b y the BBC from analytics firm Kantar revealed some shocking shifts…
Brits now shopping less often, buying more per trip
Whereas British families used to shop fairly frequently, buying food products and supplies as needed for the immediate coming few days, their number of monthly trips are down, since the COVID crisis.
“We still haven’t got back to the shops like we used to,” Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, tells the BBC. “People are [continuing to work] from home a bit more, which cuts down the opportunities to shop.”
Not splurging like during lockdown
Like most folks in ‘well-to-do’ Western countries, British grocery shoppers exhibited a tendency to splurge on some food items during the COVID lockdown. Junk food and alcohol sales peaked sharply during the spring of 2020.
Now, they’ve returned, largely, to buying only their usual basic grocery items, but they’re paying more.
Shift to online shopping and procery delivery has slowed
The Kantar survey shows that online grocery shopping was used regularly by about 8 percent of Brits before the COVID crisis. During the lockdown, that number jumped to a peak of 15.4 percent in February, 2021. Now, it’s subsided to an average of 11.7 percent.
Kantar’s McKevitt attributes this shift to the fact that many older people who took up online shopping in lockdown have given it up.
“Those people have got time now to go out to shops and probably enjoy taking a trip out and going to see people.”
Sales of House Brand and No-Name products up
Whereas British shoppers were fairly brand-loyal prior to the COVID and food price inflation crises, more are turning to off-brand, House Brand and No-Name products to save cash. Off-brand sales were up from 45 percent to 51 percent of total grocery purchases from 2005 to 2022.
Catherine Shuttleworth, founder of retail analysts Savvy Marketing, notes that supermarket chains have expanded their own-label product selections. The idea is to offer more-affordable alternatives to the big brands.
“Even shoppers who would have rejected own-label [as inferior] are now buying own label,” Shuttleworth told BBC. “So it’s not just people forced to do it, people who have a choice are also downtrading.”
Discount supermarkets thriving
Understandably, with the the thawing attitude of brand-loyal shoppers toward house brand and no-name, and continuing price pressure, the discount grocery stores (in the U.K.; Aldi, Lidl and the like) have been experiencing a surge in popularity.
The Kantar survey showed that Sales at Aldi and Lidl soared by more than 23 percent year-on-year in the 12 weeks up to 14 May. New discount shoppers appear to be folks who use to frequent mainstream supermarkets exclusively, but now include a trip to a discounter now and then in their shopping routine.
Loyalty programs enjoy new popularity
Loyalty programs are nothing new to shoppers here in North America and other western realms. But the popularity of these points-based schemes – which often also qualify shoppers for special deals – has grown in response to a number factors.
Kantar says in-store specials accounted for a sturdy 45 percent of supermarket purchases in 2014. But today they’ve fallen back to just 15 percent.
Shoppers are, instead, turning to loyalty programs to earn discounts on products of their choosing. Shoppers can also benefit from occasional exclusive ‘member’ specials.
Like the discount supermarkets, it appears the loyalty programs are here to stay…
I hope you read the foregoing carefully, thoughtfully. It could be the shape of things to come for us…
~ Maggie J.


text:
BANDA ACEH – Head of the Department of Labor and Population Mobility (Disnakermobduk) Aceh, Ir Helfizar Ibrahim MM, appealed to the leaders of private companies, state enterprises, enterprises, cooperatives, non-governmental organizations and other businesses, to apply for suspension of payment of Wages Minimum Province (UMP) in 2015 amounted to Rp 1.9 million, if it was unable to pay the wages of the workers according UMP.
“If by the end of this year nobody applied for suspension of payment of salary up to the UMP, it is considered that all the companies in Aceh could pay the salary of Rp 1.9 million per month,” said Ibrahim Helfizar, Tuesday (11/11).
Accompanied by the Head of Department of Industrial Relations and Social Security on Dismobnakerduk Aceh, Hasballah SH, Helfizar mention, for suspension of the application of the UMP submitted to the Governor of Aceh through the Aceh Disnakermobduk or regent / mayor and Manpower district / city.
“Application for suspension of payment of the UMP was submitted to the Dinaskermobduk Aceh or district / city, and will be forwarded to the governor and regent/mayor,” said Hasballah.
He said the Governor of Aceh has set UMP Aceh in 2014 to Rp 1.9 million, or Rp 76 thousand per day. That figure is the lowest wage or safety net for lower-class workers. Terms of payment of minimum wages, shall be adhered to the entrepreneurs in Aceh.
Currently, added Hasballah, the company was and continues to disseminate the UMP to all entrepreneurs in Aceh, through the labor offices districts / cities, including providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to apply for suspension of the application until the end of 2014’s UMP.


text:
UK government takes action to detect and disrupt the misuse of drones
The new Counter-Drone Strategy aims to harness the benefits of drone technology by protecting the public from malicious or criminal use.
The UK government has announced it will develop a new mobile counter-drone unit to be deployed to drone-related incidents and major events across the UK, as part of the Counter-Drone Strategy launched by Security Minister Brandon Lewis.
The strategy will ensure individuals, businesses and emergency services in the UK can continue to harness the economic and social benefits of drones, while minimising misuse and disruption.
It includes plans to establish international design standards for manufacturers to enable safety features to be designed in from the start. This will be enabled by input from a new industry action group to encourage collaboration with government, drive progress and stay ahead of malicious drone users.
A new mobile counter-drone unit will be created, containing detection and disruption equipment, which can be deployed by police and other emergency responders to protect major events and respond to drone incidents across the UK.
Security Minister Brandon Lewis said: “This government is proud of the UK’s burgeoning drone industry and we will do all that we can to ensure that the UK firmly establishes itself as a world leader in this industry. But to ensure the drone industry can thrive in this country we must be able to crack down effectively on those who would use drones to cause harm or disruption.”
“There is no silver bullet to help protect our infrastructure and our citizens from malicious or careless drone use. That’s why this strategy outlines a broad range of work to ensure we can effectively tackle the threat.”
The use of unmanned aircraft has grown significantly in recent years and the industry is expected to contribute an extra £42 billion to the UK economy by 2030, with more than 76,000 commercial and public sector drones expected to be in use by this date.
Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “Unmanned aircraft, including drones, could transform how we move people and goods, boost our economy and even save lives. Unfortunately, they can be, and have been, used recklessly at airports and in our skies.
“The UK has been at the forefront in tackling the malicious use of unmanned aircraft. This strategy, alongside existing and planned legislation, will let us tap into the benefits of this technology while helping keep people safe both in the air and on the ground.”


text:
The COVID-19 pandemic erupted in China, crippling Chinese manufacturing plants. According to a Johns Hopkins University study, Chinese manufacturing volume dropped nearly 40% in February 2020 from 2019 totals. The drastic slowdown continued through the spring as cities in China imposed stringent lockdowns. Wuhan, the pandemic epicenter and a global manufacturing hub, completely shut down for 76 days.
According to data published by the Harvard Business Review, the world's 1,000 largest companies or their suppliers own 12,000 facilities in quarantined areas. The ripple effect of manufacturing shutdowns meant parts and material shortages across the globe. Bicycles, textile goods, electronics, ceramic tile, and appliances became scarce or nonexistent on retailer shelves.
China's extreme COVID-19 measures proved to be effective, and manufacturing is rapidly returning to normal levels. China's overall economy has continued its recovery from the corona virus's impact, with growth in the third quarter accelerating to 4.9 percent from 3.2 percent in the second.
The demand for back-ordered products has caused global shipping and logistics shortage as consumers begin to emerge in quarantined areas. For shipping containers, the spot sea freight rate from Shanghai to the west coast of the United States rose more than 80 percent since June to the US $3,848 per 40-foot container in the first week of October, while the rate to the east coast surged nearly 70 percent to US $4,622, according to Shanghai Shipping Exchange. "The ships are 100% full. The containers are 100% full. You can't get a container built. You can't pick up a ship from the spot market. The whole container-shipping cycle is at absolutely full pulse," said Jeremy Nixon, CEO of Ocean Network Express, the world's fifth-largest container line, during an International Chamber of Shipping virtual event in October. The ocean container market is "unbelievable," he said. "We are sold out." Further, due to the volume of goods entering the US, importers expect congestion and delays at the port and additional price increases for rail and trucking services.
Sonny Trawick, at Interlog USA explained that ports are clogged due to high ship volume and lack of staff. "There have been many reports of vessels that are unable to berth upon arrival to its final port, due to the manpower shortage to meet the increased volume. Some vessels are worked within three days of arrival, and some are worked within two weeks of arrival."
Domestic carriers like FedEx and UPS are already running at full capacity. With the holidays looming, carrier shortages could mean “up to 7 million packages a day could face delays.” Satish Jindel, president of ShipMatrix software, said in an interview with NBC News. The only option for US importers, retailers, and customers is patience. As back-ordered goods reach awaiting customers, the demand for inventoried items will return to normal. But, "normal" might have to wait until spring 2021.


text:
EATON might be one of the best-known names in the truck component market, but the U.S. business is joining the electric powertrain bandwagon.
It’s just been announced that EATON will create a new ‘eMobility’ business that will focus on high-voltage electrified vehicle technologies.
The new business will hit the ground running with $500 million USD worth of investment for the next five years.
It will reportedly deliver intelligent electrification products and solutions to passenger car, commercial vehicle and off-highway customers.
EATON say eMobility is poised to capitalize on a global vehicle electrification market projected to grow to 15 million pure battery-electric vehicles and another 30 million hybrids, from mild to plug-in, by 2030.
Power systems that eMobility will work on include EV transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty applications, as well as a 48-volt regenerative accessory drive system for heavy-duty trucks.
“Our understanding of the unique needs of vehicle customers, along with our experience in transmissions and power electronics in the hybrid space, gives us a distinct advantage versus other suppliers,” said Jeff Lowinger, president, eMobility.
“Customers using Eaton hybrid systems have collectively accumulated an estimated 2 billion miles of clean, reliable service.”
We will keep you up updated with further info on EATON in our Truck and Bus News section.


text:
Australian Franchise News – 03-10-11
Noosa couple, Peter and Georgia Cook, were recently named 2011 Franchisee of the Year at Nanotek’s National Conference held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
After 4 years in the Nanotek business, Peter and Georgia were stunned by the award but appreciative of the recognition.
“It’s not only great for us, it’s great for our customers – we know we have the best car cleaning and detailing system in the world, but this award emphasises our dedication to our business and to providing quality service,” Peter said.
Nanotek started life as ‘ecowash mobile’ – the 2011 Conference was the company’s 7th National Conference and the first as Nanotek, making Peter and Georgia the first franchisee of the year under the revitalized and futuristic Nanotek brand.
Peter and Georgia have embraced the recent rebrand to Nanotek and it has had an immediate impact.
“The response to Nanotek has been fantastic – the premium look of our new ‘nanomobile’ reflects the quality of our service and our renewed focus on our exclusive technology really resonates with our customers.”
“Peter and Georgia are fantastic ambassadors for the Nanotek business. Not only are they proficient business operators, they are great people – we are very proud to be in business with them.” said Nanotek CEO, Jim Cornish.
Peter said they went into their own business to create a better lifestyle and the future under Nanotek looked bright.
“For us this business is about securing the right lifestyle where we can spend time with our twins and do the things in life we want to do, as well as secure our financial freedom.” Georgia said.
“Our goal is to now be in a position where we can take a step back and run the business entirely from home.”
Nanotek uses spray-on liquid polymer nano technology that encapsulates and lifts dirt from the paint surface and leaves a lubricated, high quality finish that lasts up to six weeks.
Originally founded in Australia in 2004, Nanotek now operates in more than 12 countries around and the world (most recently launching in Russia) and is one of the most awarded franchise systems in Australia.
Request information on franchise ownership of Nanotek franchise


text:
What time is it? Call of Duty time. Regular as clockwork, Activision have released another edition of the world's most popular first person shooter, and gamers everywhere queued up last night to be among the first to get their dose.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


text:
Truck drivers aren’t the only industry stakeholder working to rescue the U.S. from the clutches of the coronavirus.
With truck and automotive manufacturing practically at a standstill, demand for driveshafts and axles aren’t exactly at their peak, prompting Dana Inc. to pivot resources to support a greater and more immediate, need: face shields for medical professionals.
Hospitals across the country are running low or already out of personal protective equipment (PPE) like plastic face shields and N95 face masks. At its Maumee, Ohio, Advanced Manufacturing Center, Dana Inc. has dedicated 10 3-D printers to make parts for face shields while also sourcing other components for the shields. The company is assembling about 500 masks per week in Maumee, donating the end product to area hospitals.
The Maumee facility handles much of Dana’s low-volume production work on axles, drive shafts and gears, and also does tooling for Dana’s 150 production facilities across 34 countries.
“This facility does a lot of pre-process manufacturing development and rapid prototyping capacity,” Dana Vice President of Commercial Vehicles Ryan Laskey said, adding expertise in these two fields is what enabled the facility to pivot into the medical field quickly.
The company is currently producing about 70 shields per day, far short of the 10,000 that had been requested by one local care provider alone.
“Clearly there’s a need,” he said. In order to meet the need, Laskey said Dana is searching for local partners with which to share their design and method to expand production. “We’ve designed this that it’s more of an open source design.”
Laskey said Dana has been reaching out to local schools, many of which have tech programs that feature prototyping machines now sitting idle since schools have been closed, to share its CAD files and assembly process.
The Advanced Manufacturing Center is also working with local hospitals on developing intubation boxes, which can be placed around the heads of COVID-affected patients to filter the air they breathe out, protecting doctors and nurses but still allowing them access to the patient.
The coronavirus outbreak has been a rally cry for many manufacturers who have been shut down by abundance of caution, government order or by waning demand.
Ford is working to get more PPE into the pipeline. Alongside the UAW, the automaker is assembling more than 100,000 plastic face shields per week at Ford subsidiary Troy Design and Manufacturing’s facilities in Plymouth, Michigan, and using its in-house 3D printing capability at its Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford, Michigan to produce PPE components. The face shields fully block the face and eyes from accidental contact with liquids and when paired with N95 respirators can be a more effective way to limit potential exposure to coronavirus than N95 respirators alone.
Ford North America Product Communications Manager Mike Levine said the company has shipped 325,000 plastic face shields to medical workers and first responders as of March 31, “and plans to have shipped 1,000,000 by end of this week.”
“Ford has made so many face shields that it’s run short on elastic needed for headbands,” he added, “[and is] innovating a new way to fasten shields to heads using trimmed vehicle door seals.”
And they sent my hospital so many face shields!! We were using DIY face shields, but they rescued us 👏🏻👏🏻
— notpc (@Beanyou1) April 5, 2020
General Motors expects to deliver its first 20,000 masks to frontline workers mid-week. The automaker pooled together more than 30 of its engineers, designers, buyers and manufacturing team members to help with product development, sourcing materials and equipment and planning the production process.
“The first people we called were those who work with fabric vehicle components,” said Karsten Garbe, GM plant director, Global Pre-Production Operations. “In a few days, the company’s seat belt and interior trim experts became experts in manufacturing face masks.”
Once the Warren, Michigan, assembly line is running at full speed, GM expects to produce up to 50,000 masks a day.