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Steeling The Show
So, what are the odds that JSW won’t get bogged down by the China-led dumping? Aware of the ground realities, the company is making smart moves and responding to threats swiftly, something that its rivals have been slow to do.
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Going into the corporate results season this October, the mood all around was distinctively sombre and subdued. No one was expecting fireworks from India Inc. in its performance during the July-September quarter. In fact, weak rural demand along with appreciation of the rupee against the dollar and slow expansion of exports had most experts predicting one of the slowest revenue growth in years for India Inc. The prognosis for the metal and steel sector was among the worst.
When the results came, India Inc failed to live up to even the modest expectations of analysts, with the majority of companies falling short of the earnings estimates. Revenues of steel companies too fell by 17 per cent, according to Crisil Research. However, there were companies that surprised on the positive side. In this lot there were obvious names like Infosys from the IT pack and Maruti Suzuki from the auto pack, as well as unexpected surprise elements such as Reliance Industries and JSW Steel that not many analysts had bet on.
JSW Steel beat analyst expectations of a consecutive quarter of loss by reporting a consolidated profit of Rs 116.95 crore. It had made a consolidated loss of Rs 106.81 crore in the quarter ended June. Analysts had expected a loss of Rs 165 crore in the second quarter. On a year-on-year basis, its net profit fell 84 per cent from Rs 748.76 a year ago in the same quarter. Net sales fell 21.5 per cent to Rs 10,742.73 crore from Rs 13,691.76 crore during the same quarter a year ago. Total expenditure during the quarter fell 17.37 per cent to Rs 9,859.85 crore from a year ago.
To its credit, JSW Steel managed to stay in the green at a time when the country’s steel sector is reeling under the onslaught of cheaper imports — which doubled to 10 million tonnes (MT) in the year to March 2015 — and falling exports amid falling global steel prices.
Mehul Sukkawala, analyst at Standard & Poor’s, estimates that “steel imports surged 85 per cent between April and August compared to the same period two years ago”. Imports from Japan, South Korea and China have risen 98, 93 and 41 per cent, respectively in the first half of this fiscal, say JSW Steel officials.
According to Seshagiri Rao M.V.S., joint managing director and group CFO, JSW Steel, companies from China, which get state loans at rates as low as 1 per cent, are dumping steel even at a loss, as are companies from Japan and South Korea. While Chinese exporters are losing $80-100 per tonne, the Japanese and the South Koreans are shipping at a 35 per cent discount to local prices.
“Chinese exports rose from 66 MT in 2013 to 97 MT in 2014. In the first half of 2015 they’ve already logged 52 MT and may export 120 MT by 2015 end,” says Rao. “They are using local subsidy and currency devaluation to promote exports, which is causing a great deal of concern and damage to the steel industry worldwide, and India in particular.”
What’s worse, India’s steel exports too have slumped, having fallen 26 per cent during April-September, thanks to excess global supply upon fall in consumption by China which once guzzled half of all supplies. New projects have more than doubled world steel production capacity to 2,241 MT now from 1,060 MT in 2000. The OECD expects this to rise to 2,361 MT by 2017. Excess supply reached a record high of 516 MT in 2013, causing global steel prices to plunge by more than two-third from $600 per tonne in 2011.
So, what is JSW Steel doing to deal with the twin challenges of rising imports and falling exports? According to Rao, it has two options: to reduce cost or to change its product mix. “Compared with other steel companies, JSW is better placed. Our product mix is wider. We will be able to focus on more value-added products and not commodity products,” says Rao, adding, “We have different products available with us — automotive steel, electrical steel, tinplate steel. Even on the hot rolled coils side we have different types of products — we have cold rolled, galvanising, colour coated.”
Analysts say JSW is in a better position than its peers to benefit from the 200 per cent safeguard duty on import of hot rolled flat steel products for 200 days the government imposed recently.
In addition, JSW plans to increase the share of value-added products to 37 per cent of sales in FY2015-16, from 33 per cent in the previous fiscal and 24 per cent in the year to March 2014.
The company is already one of the cheapest producers of steel in the industry. Unlike other companies that use high-grade iron ore, JSW Steel has invested in beneficiation technology that uses less expensive low-grade iron ore and converts it into high-grade ore, driving the cost lower, says Rao.
Moreover, the company has diversified its sources of coal, instead of sourcing from one place. Besides, it uses blended coal, which works out much cheaper. “With this we are able to contain the cost,” says Rao, adding, “When steel prices in India fell 20 per cent in one year, we were still profitable because of these measures.”
Focus On Retail
There is a greater focus on retail now. “We aim to grow our retail sales by 70 per cent in the current fiscal and increase it to 25 per cent of our total sales. Retail was so far in the range of 15 per cent,” he said.
By September end, JSW cut its exports by 59 per cent while increasing domestic sales volumes by 22 per cent, retail sales by 80 per cent and branded product sales by 115 per cent. With 4 per cent growth during the quarter, the company posted highest ever sales volume of 3.18 MT, despite some plant closures.
JSW plans to further shrink exports to 17 per cent of total sales from the current 27 per cent. The additional 4 MT capacity that it is setting up will be used to feed projects, industrial construction, and infrastructure projects in India. By the end of the current fiscal, the company will have a production capacity of 18 MT. Over the next two years, JSW aims to keep on track Rs 9,000-crore investment plans, and increase capacity to 40 MT over the next decade.
“There is a great opportunity to increase our market share in the current environment,” says Rao, adding, “We are doing countercyclical investments by increasing our capacity when others are talking of reducing investments. When there was an incremental demand of 1.6 MT in the first six months JSW Steel sold 1 MT more in the domestic market, or 67 per cent of the incremental demand.’’
Tarang Bhanushali, steel analyst at IIFL, however, has a word of caution. “The company may have to scale down its expansion plans as the steel industry is unlikely to do well over the next year or so,’’ he says, adding, “Still, the company is doing better than its peers, has made inroads into new area of retail, and pushed its value-added products well into the auto industry.”
Goutam Chakraborty, analyst at Emkay Global Financial Services, too sees the company doing better in the current scenario. “In a weak iron ore pricing scenario, JSW gains over others since they don’t as yet own captive ore mine and buy the raw material,’’ he says. A drop in coking coal and imported iron ore prices have helped the company improve margins, he adds.
Chakraborty has a ‘Buy’ on the JSW Steel stock, as he believes the structural growth story for the company will remain intact even though steel prices are likely to drop further.
But challenges remain. For one, growth in infrastructure and construction sectors have remained muted. These are large consumers and low consumption by them hurts the sector. In India, from a 3.5 per cent growth in the year to March 2013, demand dropped to less than one per cent in the following year and is now showing faint signs of revival at 3 per cent.
Two, the company’s consolidated debt at Rs 39,000 crore remains a concern. Says Bhanushali, “Weak earnings outlook and the ongoing capacity expansion would keep debt at elevated levels in the medium term… We cut fiscal 2016 earnings estimates by 25 per cent to factor in lower realisations. High leverage remains a risk. The company has obtained relaxation in debt covenants from its lenders for first half of the current fiscal.”
Three, profitability of Indian steelmakers has been shrinking over time. For instance, companies saw their net profit more than halve between 2007-08 and 2013-14 from a compound annual growth rate of 25 per cent between 2002-03 and 2007-08. As the sector adds production capability, capacity utilisation is declining even though Indian steel companies are one of the most competitive after those in Commonwealth of Independent States. Almost all companies from the sector slipped into the red in the last fiscal.
Large borrowings by steel companies has, in turn, affected banks that gave them money. According to the Reserve Bank of India data, steel companies accounted for
10.2 per cent of bad and doubtful loans of all banks even though they had borrowed just 4.5 per cent of their loans.
Rising debt and bad loans have made investors avoid stocks of steel companies. As a result, over the past year, the share price of Bhushan Steel and Jindal Steel and Power has plunged to almost a third of their 52-week highs, that of Tata Steel and SAIL has halved and while that of JSW Steel has fallen 28 per cent. Falling market cap also makes it difficult for these companies to raise funds from the capital markets.
So, what are the odds that JSW won’t get bogged down by the China-led dumping? Aware of the ground realities, the company is making smart moves and responding to threats swiftly, something that its rivals have been slow to do. A pick-up in the Indian economy and demand for steel will be crucial in the coming months, though the government has started spending on infrastructure. The company has de-risked itself better than its competitors.
(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 30-11-2015)


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Source: WorldStar Packaging Awards
WPO selects winners in Bali, Indonesia
The judging session took place in Bali, Indonesia with the participation of WPO voting members.
WPO (World Packaging Organisation – www.worldpackaging.org) has just announced and posted on its webpage the 214 winners of the most important global packaging competition, WorldStar Packaging Awards 2020. The judging session was held in Bali, last November, during the 2nd WPO Board Meeting of 2019.
The three countries most awarded are Japan, with 34 awards for the third year running, followed by China, taking 22, Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) taking 13 collective and Germany 12. The shortlisted candidates for the special categories – President’s Award, Sustainability Award, Marketing Award and Packaging that Saves Food Award – will be announced soon, as well as the winners of WorldStar Student Awards.
The WorldStar 2020 was awarded to Nulon Products Australia & Caps and Closures for the Nulon Ezy-Squeeze™ fluid transfer system which replaces the traditional rigid packaging with a flexible pouch and applicator that has made accessing hard-to-reach fill points on a car quick and easy.
All winners will be recognised in an Awards Gala Ceremony on May 8, 2020, in Dusseldorf, Germany, alongside Interpack which takes place 7 – 13 May.
The complete list of winners of WorldStar Packaging Awards 2020 can be viewed at http://www.worldstar.org/worldstar-winners-2020.
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The Way We Were
In the Sentinel 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago.
April 10, 1913: Each day of this season shows a greater activity in the commercial fishing of Southeast Alaska. During the past week, several cannery crews have come north and mild curing and salting outfits are migrating this way like the birds of summer. The seven small trolling boats from Astoria, Oregon, have arrived in Ketchikan, where they will have headquarters this season. The Hydra and outfit of power trollers, supplies and gear. The Little Tom chartered this season from Pillar Bay cannery by T.E.P. Keegan, who was superintendent of the Shakan last year. Mr. Keegan will salt and mild cure near Chatham Straits. The Shakan Cannery crew arrived this week on the Mariposa Wednesday.
April 8, 1938: Seven o'clock last night marked the fortieth year in Wrangell for Mrs. Emma Case. On April 7, 1898, the late T.J. Case arrived in Wrangell from Loring with his family and an entire general merchandise store aboard the sawmill barge Garnet that was towed by the old tug Alaska. “It was quite an adventure for us,” stated Mrs. Case today, “I had been in Wrangell when a little girl but my first sight of the town when we rounded Elephant's nose was the most thrilling I have ever experienced.” “The sleepy little village had been transformed as if overnight into a metropolis by the proposed route through Wrangell and Telegraph Creek overland to the Klondike. The beach was white with tents and when we landed the barge on the mudflats there was a bustle and hurry about everything that only a boom town can possess.” “At high tide Tom hired a crew of men to unload the barge and build the store. My three small children and myself were installed in a one-room shack and quite forgotten in the rush to open up the business. We were lucky, indeed, to get the shack because there was a scarcity of permanent dwellings and even businesses were carried on in tents. There were many tent saloons which stayed open all hours; there were tent meat markets and even real estate offices.”
April 12, 1963: Wrangell's 11th annual Salmon Derby, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will get underway late this month. Art Nelson of the Derby committee who, with Dan Roberts and Ole Buness has been handling the big local fishing sports event since its inception announced it at the Chamber luncheon yesterday. Tentative date, he reported, was April 23.
April 7, 1988: Walls started going up. Beams were lifted into place. Actual construction laid to rest rumors last week about City Market's plans for its lot across Front Street. The new structure will house City Market Pro Hardware as Benn Curtis and Chet Powell branch out across the street from their successful grocery and housewares store to open an affiliate of the worldwide hardware chain. But the building's nearly 17,000 square feet also will house a showroom for Johnson Building Supply. In addition, Nugget Video will find a new home there, and Vi Twedt of Wrangell will open her own hair styling salon. “We feel there's an opportunity here in this venture,” Curtis said last week. “A family can come here, and the wife can go to the hardware store, the husband can go grocery shopping and the kids can go in to get a movie.” “And have off-street parking,” Powell added. “We're creating a new shopping district in Wrangell.”


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Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has spoken out in favour of a comprehensive approach to resolving the problem of intellectual property rights protection. This problem was central to Thursday's Cabinet meeting.
The country where half of the audio and video products, and computer software is sold in violation of intellectual property rights is pirated--is a backward and ignorant country, said Mr Kasyanov. He voiced concern over the situation, saying that people in the arts, scholars and the state at large are actually being robbed.
The premier advocated a comprehensive approach to the problem. "What we need is a set of measures that would ensure that authors get adequate fees, which are currently 10 times as little as authors' fees of the Soviet times," said Mikhail Kasyanov.
Foreign businessmen are anxious about investing in Russia pointing to brand products being sold by bagmen along with chewing gums, said Mr Kasyanov.
Volodymyr Saldo, Acting Governor of the Kherson region, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were suffering heavy losses while trying to cut across the Dnieper Rvier


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Microsoft with new acquisition
Microsoft bought the technology and the talent of Israeli technology company N-Trig, reports CNBC. The transaction amount was not reported, but a few days ago the Wall Street Journal reported that, most likely, we are talking about $ 30 million.
Along with a stylish stylus Microsoft acquires the technology N-Trig touch screen. The technology of the Israeli company already used Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and can be applied in other devices.
Staff N-Trig will continue to work in Kfar Saba, but in accordance with a person familiar with the situation in detail, some of them may move to Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.
This transaction is a continuation of a series of transactions entered into Microsoft lately, and the third acquisition of an Israeli company for six months. In January bought the company Equivio, which specializiruetsya on the analysis of texts, and in November, Microsoft has absorbed the startup Aorato working in the field of cybersecurity.
Now Microsoft is preparing to launch the long awaited Windows 10 operating system. The number of acquisitions made in recent years are connected with it. Buying apps calendar, Sunrise earlier this year, for example, emphasizes the desire of Microsoft to give Windows 10 as an operating system suitable for mobile devices.


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After discovering the message, Florence’s father, Ben Widdicombe, contacted Humphrey. As it turned out, Humphrey had spent years imprisoned at the same Qingpu facility, for breaking Chinese privacy laws. Humphrey said that the packing of Christmas cards has been forced upon inmates at the facility for two years, the BBC reports.
China’s Zhejiang Yunguang Printing made the card, which is sold by the U.K. retailer. Tesco donates proceeds from the cards in question to British charities each year. A Tesco spokesperson said the chain, “shocked” by the message, immediately halted operations at the facility that produces the cards.
“The foreigners cellblock in Qingpu prison had about 150 foreign prisoners when I was there,” Humphrey told the BBC. “Today, it has about 250. These prisoners are living a very bleak daily life.”
He went on to describe the conditions at the facility, where 12 prisoners at a time are placed in grey cells. Each has an iron bed with a mattress no more than an inch thick. In the winters, it gets extremely cold as there’s no heating. Paint chips from the walls.
The inmates follow “highly regimented” programs of work and over the past year, Humphrey said, manual labour has become mandatory so that prisoners can earn pennies to buy basic necessities, like soap.
Tesco said that in November an independent audit of Zhejiang Yunguang Printing had concluded there were no signs of forced labour involved in their manufacturing processes.
“We have a comprehensive auditing system in place and this supplier was independently audited as recently as last month and no evidence was found to suggest they had broken our rule banning the use of prison labour,” said a Tesco spokesperson. “If evidence is found we will permanently delist the supplier.”
Notice for the Postmedia Network


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News: Goldman-backed ThredUp looks to raise up to $168 million through U.S. IPO.
(Reuters) – Goldman Sachs-backed ThredUp Inc plans to raise up to $ 168 million through an IPO in the United States.
The company planned to sell 12 million shares at a price between $ 12 per share and $ 14 per share, with a valuation of around $ 1.3 billion at the high end of the range.
Ecommerce businesses have benefited from the COVID-19 pandemic as people preferred to stay indoors and shop online, which has resulted in a plethora of digital resellers in recent months, including Poshmark Inc and the parent company of Shish App ContextLogic Inc, went public.
ThredUp was founded in 2009 and has so far processed more than 100 million individual items from 35,000 brands. As of December 31, 2020, the company had approximately 1.24 million active buyers and 428,000 active sellers on its platform.
The company’s revenue rose 14% to $ 186 million in 2020, while its net loss increased to $ 47.9 million from $ 38.2 million a year ago.
ThredUp, whose investors include Trinity Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Highland Capital Partners and Upfront Ventures, raised $ 175 million in a financing round in 2019.
The resale company said it would use $ 500,000 of the proceeds from the offering to start an environmental function to advocate for apparel reuse.
Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are the primary insurers of the offering.
Reporting by Sohini Podder in Bengaluru; Adaptation by Aditya Soni
Original Source © Reuters


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WHY IT RATES: Strong growth and a commitment to travel advisors led to the promotions. —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Senior Writer
Wholesale custom tour operator Avanti Destinations has named John Hanratty senior vice president of sales and industry relations, reporting to executive chairman Paul Barry, and Gina Bang director of marketing and Training, reporting to chief operating officer Mark Grundy.
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Previously, Hanratty served as the company’s chief marketing officer, which included responsibility for sales and marketing. Bang has been senior manager of inside sales and marketing for the past three years.
“Given our company’s strong growth over the past year and our commitment to selling exclusively through travel advisors and consortia, we need John to focus exclusively on consortia relations and the sales management function,” Barry explained. “Gina has doing a wonderful job creating promotional partnerships with many tourist boards, as well as managing marketing and inside sales. She is one of our longest-tenured employees and knows Avanti inside out, making her the perfect person to take on training.”
Based in Austin (TX), Hanratty joined Avanti Destinations in 2015 and has held senior management positions for 22 years in the travel business. Prior to Avanti, he was Senior VP of Agency Engagement at Milwaukee-based Mark Travel, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Travel Impressions, and before that Vice President of Marketing at Certified Vacations, as well as President of Future Vacations at Certified.
Hanratty has also served in several positions at the USTOA, including Chairman for two years, Treasurer for two years, Marketing Committee leader for four years, and board member for ten years.
Bang has been with Avanti for the past 16 years. She started as a customer service representative, then manager of inside sales, while at the same time functioning as the product manager for Central and Northern Europe. As Senior Manager of Inside Sales & Marketing, she has been responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with consortia, as well as tourist boards and other industry partners on joint marketing efforts.
SOURCE: Avanti Destinations press release.


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Two thirds of consumers are more worried than ever about using a credit card to pay for goods online or through a mobile phone, according to new research from secure payment card vendor Mondex.
The findings suggest that fears have actually risen since the summer. In June, a survey for consumer magazine Which? reported that 51 per cent of internet users were worried about fraud and 42 per cent thought it unsafe to use credit cards online.
Mike Young, head of ecommerce strategy at Mondex, said: "E-tailers could be in for a bumpy ride this Christmas if consumers are not happy shopping online. There have been a number of security scares during the year and this has clearly alarmed potential online purchasers."
Mondex claims that breaches have occurred because the majority of security mechanisms are software based and "relatively easy to compromise", and because password-based systems are "notoriously vulnerable in a virtual world".
The firm recommends that users keep records of email correspondence with websites; buy only from sites who use a secure server to take credit card details; and use one credit card for all transactions to limit liability should something go wrong.
The website address prefix https:// is used to indicate a secure server - http:// is the usual prefix.
J1043+2408 was observed for more than 10 years, and its radio light curve exhibited a periodic signal repeating in about 563 days
Success of Unity's test flight means Virgin Galactic is now close to taking its first paying tourist into space
V3 puts the pro-level football GPS tracker through its paces, and asks if it's more than a gimmick
Finding refutes many earlier studies that suggest that galaxies don't have much dark matter at the time of their birth


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Swatch launched a new NFC-enabled payments watch for the Chinese market, due to be rolled out there in January next year (and coming to the U.S. and Switzerland after that).
The Swatch Bellamy represents the company’s entrance into the contactless payment space in China. “The first four watches combine exciting, colorful yet functional Swatch design with built-in NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, allowing people to use their watches to pay for purchases in shops and stores around the country,” Swatch said in a statement.
The watch doesn't have Internet connectivity or smartwatch functionality, nor a touch display, reported Venture Beat.
Consumers in China who decide to pick up one of Swatch’s payments watches will have to go into one of the Bank of Communications’ 2,785 branches across the country to activate it, Venture Beat said.
China’s mobile payment transactions grew 134 percent to about $3.6 trillion last year, according to data from China’s central bank cited by Bloomberg.


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CH Robinson Q12022 revenue up 42% on higher price and volume
Nasdaq-listed global logistics platform CH Robinson reported total revenue 42% to $6.8 billion for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022, primarily due to higher prices and increase in the volume of services.
Adjusted gross profit increased 29% to $906 million, adjusted operating margin increased 630 basis points to 38.1%, diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 60% to 2, $05, according to an official statement.
“In our first quarter, we delivered record quarterly earnings,” said Bob Biesterfeld, President and CEO, CH Robinson. “The sequential improvement was driven by the significant increase in operating margin in our North American Surface Transportation (NAST) business) as we improve the health of our contracted truckload business, continue to grow our volume and improve the profitability of our less than full truck loads (LTL).Our global shipping team continued to provide excellent service to our customers and work with our carriers, bringing more business to our platform. finally, our Robinson Fresh, Managed Services and Europe Surface Transportation businesses all improved their growth and operating revenues year-over-year.”
Global transit revenue nearly doubled (909%) to $2.2 billion due to higher prices and increased volume for sea and air services, reflecting strong demand, market share gains market and limited capacities. Adjusted gross profit increased 50% to $322 million.
“Ocean Adjusted Gross Margin increased 64% driven by a 52% increase in Adjusted Gross Margin per shipment and a 7% increase in volume. Air Adjusted Gross Margin increased 34% % on a 10% increase in metric ton shipped and adjusted gross margin per metric ton.”
“As questions persist about the impact on global economic growth of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, rising energy prices and inflationary pressures, among other impacts, we believe our global suite of multimodal services, our growing digital platform, and our resilient and flexible non-asset-based business model will continue to deliver strong financial results throughout the cycle,” Biesterfeld said. “We will continue to benefit from our investments in products and technology while providing opportunities to integrate our services to help our customers solve their complex global supply chain challenges. I’m excited about the first results of the enhancements that were rolled out in February for our Navisphere Carrier product. We will continue to build on our customer-centric commitment by continuing to invest in smart, customer- and operator-focused products, and we will launch several new products that we believe will benefit our customers and operators. . continue to develop the most powerful supply chain platform.”
Capital expenditures totaled $26 million during the quarter. Capital expenditures for 2022 are expected to be $90-100 million in technology investments in the digital platform.


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The Sony WF-1000XM4 are the rumored follow-up to the best wireless earbuds you can buy right now, the Sony WF-1000XM3 – and as new leaks emerge, the hype is hotting up around these potentially class-leading in-ear headphones.
Most recently, a prototype of an upcoming pair of wireless noise-cancelling earphones from Sony with the model number YY2948 has been certified by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and Bluetooth SIG, and should the codename really match up with the Sony WF-1000XM4, we could be in store for a number of big upgrades.
The FCC documents also include a render of the case of the buds. While it doesn’t reveal much, it seems to be a little more round in shape, as seen on Sony’s other recent offerings such as the Sony WF-SP800N.
Images of the Sony WF-1000XM4 have also apparently been leaked, after photographs of the packaging was posted to Reddit – and while they’re legitimacy is still in question, we can’t help but get excited for Sony’s next true wireless earbuds.
The images – if genuine – have also given us a sneak peek at what looks like a new design and some of the features we can expect from the Sony WF-1000XM4, including active noise cancellation and support for Hi-Res Audio.
Of course, we’ll need more than unverified images and an FCC filing to confirm the existence of the Sony WF-1000XM4, but for now, here’s everything we know about the rumored earbuds, as well as all the things we’d like to see.
Cut to the chase
- What are they? A new pair of Sony wireless earbuds.
- When will they be released? Possibly in 2021, but that’s TBC.
- How much will they cost? Probably around $230 / £220 / AU$399.
Sony WF-1000XM4 release date
Right now, there’s no firm release date for the Sony WF-1000X4, but we think their launch is fairly imminent, given that it’s been one-and-a-half years since the release of their predecessors.
The Sony WF-1000XM3 were launched in July 2019, so it’s feasible that Sony would release their successors two years later.
It also makes sense that Sony would plump for a 2021 release date if the company wants to see off competition from Apple. The tech giant is rumored to be launching the Apple AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro 2 at some point this year, and the latter in particular could be a rival for the Sony WF-1000XM4 as they’ll likely come with active noise cancellation.
The fact that images of the Sony WF-1000XM4’s packaging have been leaked also suggests that a release date could be coming soon – though, as we mentioned, these images are yet to be verified as genuine.
Furthermore, the FCC and Bluetooth SIG certifications for a pair of Sony wireless earbuds only adds fuel to the rumors that the WF-1000XM4 will launch soon.
Sony WF-1000XM4 price
Again, there’s no word yet on how much the Sony WF-1000XM4 will cost, but we’d be surprised if the company deviated too much from their predecessors’ price.
When they launched, the Sony WF-1000XM3 cost $230 / £220 / AU$399, though prices have since dropped significantly as the buds have aged.
Sony WF-1000XM4 design
Based on the images, it looks like the Sony WF-1000XM4 will have a sleeker build than their predecessors, with rounder housings and what look like memory foam ear tips.
The entirety of the round housings could be touch-sensitive, unlike the Sony WF-1000XM3, which feature a specific touch-sensitive area that allows you to control your music playback, summon your device’s voice assistant, accept or reject calls, and enter Quick Attention mode.
The gold Sony logo has also changed slightly, now appearing on the side of the earbuds rather than on the top. Meanwhile, a gold accented piece on the outside of the earbuds could be an external noise cancellation microphone, as The Walkman Blog speculates.
Sony WF-1000XM4 rumored features
Again, information on the kind of features we can expect from the Sony WF-1000XM4 is a little thin on the ground, but a few specs have been gleaned from the images of the packaging posted to Reddit and more recently, an FCC filing.
A prototype of an upcoming pair of wireless noise-cancelling earphones from Sony with the model number YY2948 has been certified by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and Bluetooth SIG and should the codename really match up with the Sony WF-1000XM4, we could be in store for a number of big upgrades.
Chief among them is the usage of Bluetooth 5.2 will give the true wireless earbuds better battery life thanks to its lower power usage and a wider bandwidth to transmit data – potentially allowing for better-sounding audio, too.
Meanwhile, the packaging images posted to Reddit suggests a return of the active noise cancellation technology that made the WF-1000XM3 so popular, and it’s likely that the Ambient Sound and Quick Attention modes will also make an appearance.
The packaging also includes a Hi-Res Audio Wireless certification, which means they could come with support for Sony’s high resolution LDAC codec, alongside the AAC and SBC codecs already supported by the XM3.
There had already been murmurs that the Sony WF-1000XM3 would be getting a Hi-Res Audio upgrade, after the earbuds appeared very briefly on the Qualcomm aptX website, being described as ‘aptX HD enabled’. This post was swiftly taken down, but not before it was spotted by The Walkman Blog.
As the post appeared in March 2020 and we haven’t heard anything since, it’s possible that Sony is saving aptX HD support for the WF-1000XM4.
However, the recent FCC filing that could refer to the Sony earbuds reveals a new MediaTek MT2822S chip inside, which is said to bring an improved digital signal processor (DSP), hardware ANC, feedforward mics, voice prompts and a smaller overall footprint.
The choice of going with MediaTek and not Qualcomm for the processor could mean that the Sony WF-1000XM4 will once again skip aptX and aptX HD support. However, The Walkman Blog believes that the higher power consumption ratings could be an indication of LDAC support — which was a notable omission on the XM3.
Sony WF-1000XM4: what we want to see
While information on the Sony WF-1000XM4 is leaking out in dribs and drabs (indeed, Sony hasn’t even confirmed their existence yet), we’ve had the opportunity to dream up a few things we’d like to see from the fourth-gen true wireless earbuds.
Support for 360 Reality Audio
We’d love for Sony to furnish the WF-1000XM4 with some of the features seen in the Sony WH-1000XM4, their over-ear siblings (and the best headphones of 2021).
One of these features is support for 360 Reality Audio, which is Sony’s proprietary immersive sound technology. Designed to put you right in the center of your music, the technology places individual instruments within a virtual sphere, making you feel as though your favorite songs are coming at you from all angles.
As well as giving you another way to experience your music, 360 Reality Audio support could make the WF-1000XM3 a real rival for the AirPods Pro, which support Apple’s own Spatial Audio tech.
DSEE Extreme audio upscaling
Another feature that Sony could potentially borrow from the WH-1000XM4 is DSEE Extreme audio upscaling. This AI-driven processing looks to restore detail from lossy compressed formats, and brings clarity to lower quality formats and files, and we were impressed with its capabilities when we tested the WH-1000XM4.
Speak-To-Chat and automatic pausing
Again, Speak-To-Chat was introduced along with the Sony WH-1000XM4, and we’d love to see it implemented once more with the WF-1000XM4. This feature allows the microphones inside the headphones to recognize when you’ve started talking, and pause your music while ramping up the ambient noise that’s being funneled into your ears.
Speaking of pausing your music, we’d like to see Sony introduce automatic pausing when you remove one earbud. It’s something we’ve seen from lots of wireless earbuds on the market, and it seems like a simple upgrade.
Better battery life and wireless charging
With every new generation of true wireless earbuds, we like to see an improvement to battery life. The Sony WF-1000XM3 currently offer six hours from the buds themselves, and a further 18 hours from the charging case, and models like the Lypertek PurePlay Z3 have proven that far more is possible these days.
Saying that, if the leaked images of the earbuds’ packaging are legitimate, it looks like there won’t be any change to the battery life at all.
Another simple upgrade that Sony could make is the introduction of wireless charging capabilities. It’s something that the Apple AirPods Pro do as standard, and with more and more people buying into wireless charging mats, it seems prudent to give these users the option to charge without a cable.


text: MONROE -- Local witch Donna Golias is proud to offer clients "unique, handpicked, one-of-a-kind and custom-made" products at Effigy Witch Shoppe in Monroe. "There aren't a lot of witches buying stuff online," said Golias, a lifelong witch and co-owner of the store. Modeled after the "old ways" witch shops in Salem, Mass., the 415 Main St. store is one of a few in the region to offer products and services in the realm of witchcraft. "The energy here is beautiful," said Golias, who added that the 800-square-foot store attracts people from all over the state and beyond its borders. Golias and co-owner Mark Cabot Chapman opened the business in November 2010, selling jewelry, candles, oils, herbs, altar tools, crystals and books. There is also a lounge area open to customers who simply need a place to relax. Golias offers herbal tarot readings, which include a personalized "mojo" bag consisting of a combination of herbs, oils, resins, roots and stones, specific to each reading. The readings are priced at $25 for a 15-minute session and $40 for a 30-minute session. Considered a reverend for his formal training with Salem witch Laurie Cabot, Chapman provides his clients with spiritual counseling and life coaching. He is an expert in paranormal and psychic research, exorcism and demonology. He is available for house cleanings and clearings, and assists in guidance with hauntings, strange phenomena and paranormal activity. Most of the services are priced on a case-by-case basis. Effigy offers regular workshops featuring industry experts, with many events being held in October, the best time for divination. The pair also hosted an $80 outing to Salem, Mass., in July. The openly pagan friends said they hope to dispel misconceptions of witches. One of those misconceptions is the belief that witches worship the devil. Instead, witches are guided by the belief that there are good and bad forces. Though there are different types of pagans, such as Wiccans and druids, Golias and Chapman said they welcome everyone. "People are not open about it because of the stigma," Golias said. Though Golias and Chapman offer consultations for spell work, they said they won't help anyone who tries to harm others. Despite the harsh economic climate, the shop owners said they weren't worried about opening this type of business. "When the economy is bad and people are down, people gravitate toward spirituality," Golias said. Gina Grasso, president of the Connecticut Wiccan and Pagan Network, said there are about 900 pagans in the state. "We're a fun group," she said. "The events are heavily attended by new and old. ... I've never expected Connecticut to have so many pagans." She said there are about 10 pagan shops in Connecticut. "All the shops have unique offerings and I frequent all of them," she said.


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Here we are going to give the details about McDonald’s Malaysia Chilli Sauce incident as the public is searching about it over the internet. The public is going through the internet to know more about this incident and not only that they also like to know new updates regarding this incident. So, for our readers, we have brought information Chilli Sauce incident in this article. Not only that we are also going to give the details regarding new updates of this incident as the public is searching about it over the internet. So, keep reading through the article to know more.
McDonald Chilli Sauce Incident
McDonald’s Malaysia recently resolved a situation where a customer was charged for asking for more chilli sauce at their Taman Buaya location in Melaka. McDonald’s discovered that the client first received insufficient chilli sauce but was swiftly supplied extra packets upon request after conducting an internal investigation and reviewing CCTV footage. Even though the customer was told that the additional 10 packets of chilli sauce were free, he nonetheless angrily attacked the workers and insisted on paying for them. To guarantee the safety of their staff, McDonald’s Malaysia reported the incident to the authorities. They also reaffirmed that their crew members’ welfare and well-being are their first priority.
They also made it clear that all consumers receive free chilli sauce. Saiful Adly Abd Wahab previously expressed his amazement after being charged RM10.60 for 10 packets of chilli sauce on Facebook. Additionally, he criticised fast food restaurants for charging patrons when the cost of basic necessities is already exorbitant. Saiful Adly did admit that he raged at the workers a little bit at one point because they were taking too long in the comments section. Ng Wei Aik, a former Tanjung MP, claimed McDonald’s causes confusion. According to the DAP employee, it is illogical for the POS system to provide a receipt for chilli sauce if it is not intended for sale.
McDonald’s charging customers for something that is generally free is unreasonable. Given how little this incident is, I believe McDonald’s has gone too far by filing a police report. The consumer shared his transaction with us, and it bears mentioning that the chilli sauce he purchased was listed as a “condiment” on the receipt. Some people noted that this might be the cost of the sauce that comes in a tub and is extra when customers want more. Others claimed that the amount of chilli sauce offered by McDonald’s is sufficient and that they eat there virtually every week.


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Under the leadership of AMD CEO Lisa Su, the company has made it very far. I don’t think that people could think that AMD would make it so far five years back. But AMD is here and is gaining market share rapidly.
The tech market is a bit cautious these days keeping in mind that America is caught up in a trade war with China. Trump announced a 10% tax on $200 billion of imports from China in late September. He also mentioned that this could increase to 25% in January if a deal is not made. You can imagine why tech companies are concerned. They have a lot of manufacturing in China.
AMD has plants in China a well but AMD CEO Lisa Su does not see this as a threat but an opportunity. She said that this will allow AMD to gain additional market share. She mentioned that while AMD does have facilities in China it also has facilities in other places across the world so AMD should not be affected.
AMD Ryzen CPUs have done pretty well ever since they came out. The Q3 2018 sales were 70% higher as compared to the previous year. Sales were lower as compared to the previous quarter but that is due to the mining boom coming to an end. The following is what AMD CEO Lisa Su had to say in this regard:
Sales of consumer processors and servers increased significantly, although graphic card sales were lower this quarter. Looking forward, we believe that we are well positioned to obtain higher profits and market share as we continue to make significant progress towards our long-term financial goals.
AMD Ryzen CPUs have been killing it. Intel has a lot to compete with. Keeping in mind that Intel is having issues with the 10nm process things might turn out to be difficult for Intel. We heard that Intel might have canceled the 10nm process. Later on, Intel claimed that was not the case. So it is a bit confusing right now but we will find out the details soon enough.
Let us know what you think about this statement from AMD CEO Lisa Su and whether or not you agree with it.


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If you’re reading this blog, you are probably part of the increasing percentage of the population that is using your smartphone or tablet for music playback. A new study by the NPD Group just reaffirmed what we’ve known for some time: music listening is increasing on portable devices.
|Music Services like Pandora are growing
in popularity on mobile devices
Of the 2,300 mobile device owners that were part of the survey, 56% of smartphone and 40% of tablet owners used their devices to listen to music. Nearly 40% of smartphone users are listening to music at least once a day and 54% are saying that the amount of music they listen to through their device is increasing.
Services like Pandora, Spotify, and Rhapsody are popular with both smartphone and tablet owners. However, streaming music services don’t come close to the 60% of smartphone users who use their device to store their music libraries.
Casual observation will tell us that these numbers are certainly true and the explosion of headphones over the past few years is anecdotal evidence of this increase. When high-end players like B&W, Paradigm, Martin Logan, and the like get into the headphone arena, you know something’s going on.
To read more about the study, check out this link:
You can contact me at: [email protected] or visit me at:
Tweets by @PoorAudiophile


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OPPO has become one of the leading developers of high-quality smartphones across the globe. In a recent announcement, the company revealed that the upcoming OPPO Find X3 series will have a full-path 10-bit color management system. This takes Android color management to a whole new level. The OPPO Find X3 series will be the new flagship device of the OPPO brand.
OPPO is Setting the Stage for Topnotch Android Color Management
In May 2019, Google announced that it was making the Android operating system more compatible with wide colors, a fit it struggled to achieve for many years until now. They noted that the development of Androids demands more than the 8-bit color support that is in the best Android phones.
By providing bigger gamuts and more bits, OPPO smartphones will have state of the art picture and display quality. It will put their phones in direct competition with Apple phones. Apple phones have been compatible with 10- WCG photos since 2016. The iPhone 7 was the first Apple product to offer a wide variety of rich colors. Unfortunately, Google was unable to upgrade the Android operating system to meet this demand until now.
Keep in mind that Google has been the only thing standing between OPPO and end-to-end photography. The OnePlus 8 Pro, OPPO Find X2 Pro, and ASUS ROG Phone 3 all came with 10-bit panels. However, they were only able to achieve their goal after Google prepped the Android operating system. The phones mentioned above were only able to natively display 10-bit photos in theory.
With the launch of the OPPO Find X3 series, OPPO will become the first Android smartphone developer to offer a full-path color management system with a 10-bit color depth for storage, display, and pictures. OPPO will finally provide Android lovers with just what they need.


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The PEI Business Women’s Association (PEIBWA) is excited to announce a new partnership with Copper Bottom Brewing Company to launch the Copper Bottom x PEIBWA Micro Grant Program!
Copper Bottom is releasing a beer called “Betty’s Ale”, commemorating Island singer- songwriter Ashley Condon's mother, as part of their GiveBack Initiative series. (...)
$1 from each can or pint of this beer sold will be donated to PEIBWA, which will then be used to support a micro-grant program to advance Island women in business.
(...) This Micro Grant program is a member-only funding opportunity designed to help new, growing, and established women entrepreneurs through a non-repayable grant and business skills support. Five $500 micro grants will be awarded through this partnership. Applications will remain open until Friday, August 12, 2022, at midnight.
To read our Press Release, CLICK HERE
To Learn More about this Program, CLICK HERE.


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Soaring demand for Prosecco in the wake of the recession, when UK sales overtook the upmarket – and more pricey – champagne as people tried to save cash, has meant French wine merchants are being extra-cautious about how they release their limited stock to the market – and prices are set to rise by as much as 50 per cent.
Wet weather last summer meant that crops of the grape were not as bountiful as usual, creating a knock-on effect to this year’s production.
Robert Cremonese, the export manager of Prosecco brand Bisol, said at the London Wine Fair that the merchants – known in the trade as the négociants – may have completely run out of the product. He also said that the could be capitalising on the expected shortage by holding back the product to create demand.
“We’ll find out how big the problem is in August when the brokers release their stock,” he said. “At the moment we don’t know how much Prosecco they’re holding on to. The négociants hold the power at the moment as they bought all of the stock. It might turn out that some of them have no fizz left, but we’ll wait and see.”
In 2014, 28 million bottles of Prosecco were bought, compared with just 2.3 million five years ago. The amount spent on Prosecco overtook that spent on Champagne for the first time, sales of the Italian wine reaching £181.8 million in 2014 compared with £141.3m of its French counterpart. Meanwhile, sales of cava and Champagne combined reached just 17.3 million bottles.
The average cost of a bottle of prosecco is £6.49, compared with £16.23 for Champagne – more than 60 per cent cheaper.
The harvest of grapes used in making the wine was hit by bad weather last year.
While the Prosecco DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or controlled designation of origin guaranteed) area of Valdobbiadene escaped the 2014 harvest relatively unscathed, grapes grown in the DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata or controlled designation of origin) flatlands were hit by the rainy weather in Italy last summer.
It is thought that the sweet taste of Prosecco compared to Champagne has fuelled its popularity.
“The recession definitely helped, but there is more to the boom than that as it didn’t have the same effect on cava,” said Mr Cremonese. “People love Prosecco because it’s uncomplicated and quaffable. You should never take it too seriously.”
“Prosecco is like driving around London in a Mini not a Ferrari – you don’t need a reason to pop a cork.”
David Henderson, owner of Henderson Wines in Edinburgh, said that Prosecco had rocketed in popularity over the past five years.
“I would think the sellers of Spanish cava would be rubbing their hands in the case of a shortage,” he said. “Prosecco is one of my most popular products – we sell bucket loads of the stuff and a shortage would be disastrous.”


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Minister for Agriculture and Food, the Hon Terry Redman MLA, attended a Curtin University workshop yesterday to discuss some of the biggest food security issues facing Western Australians.
Hosted by Curtin’s newly established International Institute of Agri-Food Security (IIAFS), sponsored by the WA Department of Health, Fruit West, and the University, the Food Security and Healthy Food in Western Australia Workshop invited participants from industry, government and social organisations to discuss accessible and healthy food strategy in WA, with a particular focus on remote and Indigenous communities.
In her opening address, Curtin’s IIAFS Director, Professor Janet Bornman, said major challenges in food security included the creation of effective strategies to increase local food sustainability and increasing community awareness of the health benefits of quality food.
“Another challenge is to maintain a reliable and secure supply chain from farm to consumer at local levels that can snowball into an efficient supply chain network,” Professor Bornman said.
“Climate variability, global economics and trade markets are removing many of the differences in food security issues that once separated developing and developed countries and we are all moving towards similar sustainability risks.”
Professor Bornman said further issues facing WA food security included transport logistics, lower food quality in remote areas, price discrepancies between nutritious food and junk food and high levels of food wastage.
“An estimated four million tonnes of food is wasted or thrown away by Australians annually, equivalent to roughly 178 kg per person per year. In financial terms, Australians are throwing away $7.8 billion each year,” she said.
“Also, food costs more in the areas of greatest geographic and socio-economic disadvantage in WA. The mean cost of a healthy food basket in very remote areas is 23 to 29 per cent more than in metropolitan areas.
“To address these issues, we need to make people aware of the problems and risks, as well as providing information about the opportunities and solutions to overcome food insecurity.”
Professor Bornman said an important challenge was to develop a niche market for nutritious food production, processing, and appropriate technology instead of the current increasingly economic reliance on the export of raw, unprocessed foods and import of the processed foods.
“To begin that process, our perception of food needs to change so we can truly appreciate the value of food as a precious, life-sustaining commodity that can run out. An emphasis resting solely on production runs the risk of ignoring the need to produce quality, nutritious food,” she said.
“Increasing producer and consumer awareness, and collaborative efforts across key sectors are essential to meeting these challenges.
“By working together to identify the common elements between agriculture and healthy outcomes for a healthy population and agreeing to exchange knowledge and ideas to solve food security issues across our sectors, we will find unique opportunities to tackle these issues head on.”
Healthway Food Law Chief Investigator and Curtin Research Fellow, Dr Christina Pollard, said a major challenge in terms of food security from a health perspective was to ensure physical and economic access to nutritious food for all Western Australians.
“In 2009, about five per cent of Western Australian adults said that someone in their household had run out of food because they did not have enough money in the last year.
“This is relatively unchanged since 2005 when five per cent of Western Australians over 15 years of age said they had run out of food in the last year. Alarmingly the figure was 26 per cent for Indigenous Western Australians.
“Yesterday’s workshop provided the opportunity for dialogue and the development of collaborative partnerships that will be used for maintaining a viable, action-oriented working group.
“This networking group will have the capability to advise policymakers, local authorities and communities on these issues.”
Andrea Barnard, Public Relations, Curtin University
Tel: 08 9266 4241, Mobile: 0401 103 755, Email: email@example.com


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What are the reasons and causes behind the “Flash Crash” on May 6, 2010? Does anybody know? What about the stock market’s latest tendency to convulse? People still want answers because nothing they’ve heard up until now is satisfying. As a result, some of them have resorted to good old-fashioned...
The SEC's study on financial literacy will help SEC in rulemaking on point of sale disclosures of an investment product or service, Rominger says


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A few days ago, Redmi took to its official Weibo handle to announce the launch date of the Redmi Note 11 series. According to the company, this new series will officially arrive at 7 pm on October 28th. Redmi also calls this series the “Little King Kong” series. Since the announcement of the launch date, Redmi officials have been releasing information about this series. Yesterday, the focus was on the appearance of this smartphone. Today, it appears that the focus is on the display.
According to Redmi’s official Weibo, the Redmi Note 11 series will come with an AMOLED display. This is the first time that a Redmi device will use an AMOLED screen. The official claims that the display will be one of the most refined in the industry. This display will support the DCI-P3 wide color gamut, which can achieve better color reproduction. It will also come with a rare 360° light sensor which makes the screen brightness adjustment more timely and accurate. Furthermore, this display will add blue light reduction. The display effect and eye protection ensure that there are no issues even after long hours of use. Generally, the display is very eye-friendly.
Gizchina News of the week
Redmi Note 11 display is top-notch
It is worth noting that the screen-to-body ratio of the Redmi Note 11 is also very well controlled. It not only has a 1.75mm ultra-narrow bezel but also reproduces the previous punch-hole screen of the K40 series. The center proactive aperture is only 2.96 mm, which can provide an excellent visual experience.
In addition to excellent display quality and screen form, the Redmi Note 11 also supports a 120Hz high refresh rate. Furthermore, it supports a 360Hz touch sampling rate, which can provide fast display and response capabilities. This makes the overall operation of this device smoother. Also, the Redmi Note 11 series will use symmetrical JBL Dual speakers, the audio and video effects are also very good.
On the whole, the screen specifications of the Redmi Note 11 series can be said to completely exceed the original gear system of the Note series. According to Redmi, this smartphone will have one of the best screens in the Note series.
This also confirms what Lu Weibing said before. Recall that Lu Weibing said that the Redmi Note 11 is a complete upgrade from anything we have seen in the Note series. It is more beautiful and faster than the other smartphones in the Note series. This smartphone will officially launch in China in a few days.


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After the Maxwell misappropriation of pension funds, there is still no fast statutory regulation to prevent similar occurrences.
The record of selling inappropriate pensions is appalling; years later only a tiny fraction of the victims have been recompensed.
The cost of marketing private pensions has to be paid by the recipients; 25 per cent of premiums in America go in the marketing and administration.
COLIN D JACKSON
Great Bookham, SurreyReuse content


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SAN FRANCISCO-Fueled by revenue growth in both its retail and direct-to-consumer segments, Williams-Sonoma enjoyed a powerful 62 percent increase in first-quarter net income, to $31.6 million.
Total net revenues in the quarter, which ended May 1, rose 7.4 percent to $770.8 million. The gain included a companywide increase of 9 percent in comparable-brand sales (a figure that encompasses same-store sales and total direct-to-consumer net revenues). The biggest comparable-brand gains came from West Elm at 31.1 percent, and Pottery Barn Kids at 10.9 percent. Williams-Sonoma also posted a net-revenue increase of 21 percent from its e-commerce sector.
Laura Alber, president and CEO, said Williams-Sonoma continues to view e-commerce, West Elm and growing internationally as key elements in its growth strategy. Alber added that “despite ongoing softness in the home-furnishings category overall, we are continuing to gain market share.”
The revenue gain helped improve the company’s gross margin by 70 basis points to 38.4 percent. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased 2.6 percent in dollars but lowered 50 basis points as a percentage of sales, to 31.7 percent.
Williams-Sonoma said it expects total revenue growth of 4 percent to 6 percent for the fiscal year as a whole. Increasing its international presence, West Elm’s reach and e-commerce will continue to be strategic priorities for the company, Alber said.


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Koninklijke Philips NV (PHG.AS)
* PHILIPS TO EXPAND ITS SLEEP & RESPIRATORY CARE BUSINESS WITH ACQUISITION OF US-BASED RESPIRTECH
AMSTERDAM The adoption of connected technologies in healthcare remains limited and is progressing slowly, despite the promise they hold for cutting medical costs by preventing illness, the chief executive of Philips said on Wednesday.
* Announces intended sale of part of its stake in Philips Lighting
AMSTERDAM, April 24 Philips, the maker of medical devices and healthcare products, reported on Monday better than expected core earnings of 442 million euros ($480 million) for the first quarter, up 18 percent, despite weak sales growth.
* Q1 net income amounted to EUR 259 million, compared to EUR 37 million in q1 2016
BRIEF-Koninklijke Philips couples sustainability performance to interest rate of its new 1 billion euro revolving credit facility
* Signed an agreement with a consortium of sixteen banks for a new 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) revolving credit facility
* Receives clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Philips Intellisite pathology solution for primary diagnostic use in the U.S. Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)
* Appointment of Jasper Westerink as chief executive officer (market leader) for Philips Africa based out of Johannesburg Further company coverage: (Bengaluru Newsroom: +91 806 749 1136)
* Said on Monday it has signed an agreement to acquire Australian Pharmacy Sleep Services (APSS), a pharmacy sleep testing company
* Koninklijke Philips N.V. Reports 15.5 percent stake in Corindus Vascular Robotics Inc, as of February 28, 2017 - sec filing


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...Distribution and Expand Clinical Research. In an article written by PR Newswire, Stuart Peterson is mentioned regarding ARTIS Ventures' investment into the microbial sciences company, Seed Health.
Stuart Peterson, Founder of ARTIS Ventures, is featured in an article written by Business Wire regarding ARTIS Ventures' investment in Transparent Health Marketplace Inc.
Stuart Peterson, Partner at Artis Ventures, is mentioned in an article by BioWorld regarding IDbyDNA Inc., the metagenomics technology company, and its recent $20 million gain in series B funding, which was led by Artis Ventures.
Artis general partner Stuart Peterson said the firm was confident in its investment because of Crediwatch’s commitment to addressing the gaps in the digital lending space, adding that the firm was positioned to leverage the failure of conventional credit rating and underwriting methods through their technology. Crediwatch, which was founded in 2013, is a data insights-as-a-service company that provides businesses and lenders with credit intelligence that allows them to increase and improve their trading activity. It provides its solutions for financial institutions, enterprises as well as legal and private equity firms, according to its website.
Stuart Peterson and the small team at Artis Ventures have parlayed success as early investors in YouTube into backing startups in the storage, consumer tech and health sectors. While Artis invests money it raises from limited partners, Peterson and the other partners at the firm are its biggest investors. In addition to YouTube, Artis' investments include Palantir Technologies, Data Domain, Practice Fusion, Silver Spring Networks, Nimble Storage and Aruba Networks.


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Project Natal will launch this year it was announced last night.
Microsoft stated at its CES press conferences that the controller-free technology would be released during the ‘Holiday 2010’ or Christmas to you and I.
You can watch a video on the Microsoft CES 2010 press site, which features vox pops from the folk at Microsoft as well as some video footage.
Robbie Bach gave the announcement on-stage and said: “2010 is going to to be the biggest year in Xbox history”.
What are your thoughts on a 2010 Natal release date? Will it ever arrive as intended? Tell us below.


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Its been a while since we have seen a release from Apple, but that does not mean in any way that the company has been off the market, or that people have stopped buying iPhones. Despite news that phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 are slowly etching into the iPhone’s position, Apple still maintains brand loyalty and not just that, it’s customers are the most satisfied in the smartphone industry, according to a recent survey by JD Powers.
The survey throws up some amazing – 21 percent of people choose a phone because of price. However, purchasing power parity has increased now from $174 to $202. Not surprisingly, features are the most important reason a person invests in a phone.
Apple has always maintained a premium market, even in countries where affordable smartphones are the fad, such as India. While Samsung is a close second, it is still Apple that tops the list.
Apple has shown that in the smartphone industry, if you stick to your guns, you will always have a loyal consumer base. Samsung has also reiterated this philosophy with the Galaxy S5, which it has endowed with a similar form factor like previous generations despite being ridiculed for being plasticky.
My opinion is that Samsung will slowly but steadily claim this lead from Apple.
Will the same story continue with the iPhone 6, or will new brands or even Samsung disrupt this trend? We will get to know in some months.


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The new PvP-focused Gods Unchained blockchain game is now open for closed beta registration.
It seems that most businesses and major institutions are going crazy for blockchain technology. This innovative new technology is proving itself very adaptable to a wide array of industries, and it now appears that the world of online gaming is next.
Blockchain Game Features PvP Card-Based Action
The main game that has caught the crypto world’s fancy so far is CryptoKitties, enough so that transaction speeds on the Ethereum blockchain once slowed to a crawl. That particular game really just focused on creating (and potentially selling) new kinds of virtual cats. However, the upcoming Gods Unchained promises some fierce PvP action.
Gods Unchained is based upon the Ethereum blockchain, and all of the game’s assets are non-fungible tokens. An official trailer has been released that shows some visually pleasing UI and some smooth card-based action. The game is backed by Coinbase, and the developers have announced registration has begun for the closed beta.
Gods Unchained Registration Details
The developers have outlined the steps a person needs to become part of the closed beta for the blockchain game.
First, a player will need to create an Apollo account. This will enable the player to enter the game’s waiting list and download the game.
The second step needed for Gods Unchained registration is for the gamer to verify their email and then link their Ethereum address. Once the address is linked, players will be able to download and install the game’s launcher. After that, the player just has to wait for the developers to grant access to the closed beta.
We have begun gradually adding more users to our closed testing beta. Spots are still extremely limited (<300 people), and you need an account on https://t.co/alkamOUqdN to be included in the pool we select from.
— Gods Unchained (@GodsUnchained) November 30, 2018
During the closed beta, cards will be released gradually so that the community can fully test them out. It should be noted that the game is not fully optimized yet, and the developers note that it will run slow on Apple computers.
Overall, it’s great to see a blockchain game like Gods Unchained being released, albeit for just a closed beta. The gameplay shown in the trailer is just like many of the popular card-based online games that are currently running. Not to mention that crushing your online foes is more satisfying than breeding virtual cats.
Do you plan on taking part in the Gods Unchained closed beta? Let us know in the comments below.
Images courtesy of Twitter/@GodsUnchained and YouTube/@Fuel Games.


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The Galaxy S8 is now released worldwide and it’s available to buy at almost all the...
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Now Purism is considering building a smartphone and the company is soliciting feedback from potential customers.
The idea would be to release a Librem Phone that runs GNU/Linux rather than Android, and which offers security and privacy features to help set it apart from most other phones on the market.
The potential spec sheet includes a Freescale i.MX6 ARM Crotex-A9 processor with Vivante GC200 graphics, some level of DDR3-1066 RAM and a series of sensors, a micro USB port, headphone jack, SD card slot, and video output. There would also likely be hardware kill switches that allow you to turn off the camera, microphone, and GPS when they’re not in use, and re-enable them when you want them.
That processor family, by the way, was first launched in 2012, which might make it seem like an odd choice for a modern smartphone. But unlike a lot of mobile chip makers, Freescale has released a lot of documentation for its i.MX6 processor family which can be used to help free software developers code for the platform.
On the Purism website you’ll find a survey asking for input about screen size and resolution, battery life, memory and storage options, and other details.
Keep in mind, the Librem Phone doesn’t actually exist yet and the specs could change before it’s ever produced… if it’s ever produced.
While Purism has managed to launch a few laptops so far, in some ways, the company’s products are still a work in progress — the goal is to let users buy computers that have no proprietary code at all, but there tend to be some closed-source elements that are needed to get the most out of a modern computer’s hardware, and that’s annoyed some fans of free software as well as developers of software that could be used to circumvent those limitations.
Developing a smartphone that runs free and open source software could be even more challenging, since cellular radios and other components of many phones tend to rely on binary blobs. And while there’s no shortage of desktop programs available for GNU/Linux-based operating systems, the number of smartphone-friendly apps that could run on a mobile phone like the hypothetical Purism phone is a lot smaller. So even if Purism does manage to launch a free software phone, it remains to be seen just how useful the phone would be.


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Veza Sur, South Florida's first brewery to be funded by beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, will debut this June in Wynwood.
The beer kingpin's 10,000-square-foot brew house will include a 15-barrel brewing system, a 5,000-square-foot taproom and a terrace with patio seating and a garden.
The brewery will become Wynwood's fourth, after J. Wakefield, Wynwood Brewing and Concrete Beach. The project came together through Jeremy and Chris Cox, co-founders of 10 Barrel Brewing Company in Bend, Ore. During a business trip to South America, where they absorbed Colombia's and Brazil's food-and-drink cultures, the pair met Berny Silberwasser, who heads Bogota Beer Company in Colombia. Silberwasser told them he wanted to launch a Miami brewery, and the resulting collaboration, Veza Sur, is a salute to its South American roots. (Anheuser-Busch owns both 10 Barrel and Bogota breweries.)
"Miami is the capital of Latin America in the United States, which is exactly why we chose it as our home," Silberwasser says in a press release.
A spokeswoman for Veza Sur says the co-founders declined to speak with SouthFlorida.com before the brewery's opening.
Details are scarce on how much Anheuser-Busch InBev is investing in the project — the spokeswoman also declined to say — but the company has tapped head brewer Asbjorn Gerlach, the German-born founder of Kross Brewery in Chile, to create Veza Sur's beer lineup.
Along with guest Miami beers, eight brews will be offered to start, including pale and dark lagers, which will be served chopp-style, a Brazilian method of serving ice-cold lager in small glasses with an extra foamy head. Veza Sur will also offer a low-alcohol-by-volume India Pale Ale; a hoppier India Pale Ale; a Belgian witbier; a red ale; a coffee-flavored porter; and a Berliner Weisse, a cloudy, sour beer punched with guava. Veza Sur will also serve micheladas, a Mexican cocktail made with beer, lime juice, spices and peppers.
Veza Sur is Anheuser-Busch InBev's second Florida brewery, after the company's Jacksonville outpost.
Veza Sur Brewing Company will open June 2017 at 55 NW 25th St., in Miami. For more information, go to VezaSur.com.
email@example.com or 954-356-4364


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OGDEN — These days, going out to the ballgame is about a lot more than peanuts and Cracker Jacks.
At Ogden Raptors home games, there’s a ton of dining variety and fans are eating it up.
In addition to the usual concession stand fare — hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, soda and the like — Raptors game food features a number of full-meal options.
Once fans enter the stands, there are two grills set up along the stadium’s southern and western balconies. The Hardball Grill serves bratwurst, hamburgers and Raptor Burgers — which are topped with Polish sausage and cheese — as well as cold beer and soda. The grill to the south offers Mexican-style dishes like fajitas and quesadillas.
Private vendors also serve food at the games, including Lucky Slice Pizza and Rhyle’s Garlic Fries.
“We like to offer lots of options and make people happy,” said Stacy Oliver, concession manager.
All in all, Lindquist Field’s concessions operation employs about 30 people, Oliver said.
Two of those employees are Grace Layman and Kade Rahe, who are 14. The teens say that, predictably, hot dogs are by far the most popular food at the ballpark. But personally, they’re fans of the soft pretzels.
Though the food is great, Layman said one of the things she loves most about the job is meeting new people and serving her regulars. For example, there’s one man who’s always the first to games and always orders a hotdog as soon as her stand opens.
“We always know he will be there,” she said with a smile.
In addition to hotdogs, the garlic fries served up by private vendor Rhyle’s Garlic Fries have become something of a Raptors institution.
John Hanson started the business for his kids about 10 years ago so they could earn spending money, as well as funds for cars and college. At the moment, Jaimee Hanson — who just graduated from Ogden High School — runs it with her brother.
“(The business) bought my sister a car, me a car, helped pay for college, and this year is going toward my college and my brother Rhyle’s car,” Jaimee Hanson said.
She said the experience has been fantastic for her siblings and has taught all of them about hard work. There is one downside, though — the scent.
“Although we smell like garlic for three or four months straight, it has been a fun job and we meet lots of interesting people from all over,” she said.
Making the fries is a pretty simple process, Jaimee Hanson said. They deep-fry frozen, sliced potatoes, add garlic and parmesan, and sell them in $6 batches.
“They are my family’s favorite,” Stephanie Howerton, who lives in Ogden, said of the garlic fries.
Tom Francis, another Ogdenite, said he’s a fan of much of the food but is particularly fond of the grill’s topping and condiment setup.
“They do the grilling and then they have everything else set up for you to make it just how you like it,” he said. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Oliver said the food isn’t super expensive, but it is in the pricing arena of most baseball stadium fare.
“People know they will have to pay higher prices, and they come for the experience,” said McKayla Thomas, who has been working in concessions at Lindquist Field for three years. For example, the ever-popular Raptor Burger is $8 and other burgers are about $4.
“The food is popular, and it’s cheaper than the movies,” Oliver said.
However, those who want to save a buck or two on food can take advantage of weekly specials at the ballpark.
The Raptors started Taco Tuesday, featuring $1 tacos, and the special was so popular it was extended to Wednesdays as well. The popular Thirsty Thursdays special features $2 beer and half-price soda.
The Raptors are now on a road trip, but fans can sample Lindquist Field’s food as the team returns home for a seven-game homestand Aug. 12-18. Later in the month, Ogden plays at home Aug. 24-27.


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Guinness recognised at the World Beer Awards
Guinness took home seven awards in the renowned tastings that celebrate the World's Best Beers
Feature 19 AUG 2019
The World Beer Awards recognise the very best in all the internationally recognised styles of beer and promote the world’s best beers to consumers and trade across the globe.
Guinness received 7 World Beer Awards:
- Guinness West Indies Porter won both Ireland’s and World’s Best Strong Porter
- Hop House 13 was named Ireland’s Best International Lager
- Pure Brew was named Ireland’s best low alcohol.
- Guinness Rye Pale Ale was named Ireland’s Best Rye Beer
- Guinness Foreign Extra Stout won a gold medal in the Imperial Stout category.
- Guinness Original won bronze in Ireland for stout.
“We are delighted with our haul at the World Beer Awards, it’s great for our dedicated team of brewers to know our work is appreciated by the experts. We love brewing good beer, so we’re especially delighted with our recent winners at the World Beer Awards and look forward to brewing more award winning beer”Peter Simpson
Guinness Head Brewer
Peter Simpson, Guinness Head Brewer
The brewing history of Guinness
The brewing history of Guinness began over 200 years ago with ales, then porters and then, famously, stout. With that first batch of Irish stout, there began a legacy of innovative brewing that's since been upheld all over the world.
With over twenty Guinness beers now in production and exciting new brews being dreamt up daily, take a look back at the innovation of Guinness across the years.


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CES 2009 is well over and now that the dust has settled it is time to unveil the Top 10 products that have been announced at the CES 2009.
The big trends at CES 2009 have been Thin TVs, 3D for Hometheater, touchscreen netbooks and other touchscreen products, Connected TVs and LED backlight TVs. One phone though managed to set its own trend and be on everybody's CES 2009 top list: the new Palm Pre. The new Palm webOS powered phone has it what it takes to compete with the iPhone and the Google Android phones. Android did not yet reveal their next generation at the CES 2009. The big show-off is in one month at the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona.
See all our Top 10 CES 2009 products below.
I4U News Top 10 CES 2009 Products:
1. Palm Pre
Why: Powerful, usable, sexy, and runs straightforward web Technology based on Linux OS
2. LG-GD910 3G HSDPA Wrist Phone
Why: It actally ships this year and can do video conferencing via 3G. Finally a real Dick Tracy Watch
3. Samsung Luxia LED HDTVs
Why: Best marketing for thin LED HDTVs at the show. They will be selling big in 2009
4. Logitech G19 Keyboard
Why: The coolest looking PC Keyboard ever and it has a built-in QVGA screen.
5. Sharp 82 inch LCD HDTV LC-82MX1U
Why: Because size still matters. Just ask yourself would you rather have a 1 inch thin 40 inch HDTV or a thick 82 inch Monster Display?
6. WowWee Spyball
Why: What is good for the Israeli Army, is good for you.
7. Samsung MBP200 Pico Projector
Why: This is the most high-tech looking Pico Projector on the market and not some cheap looking plastic thing.
8. Asus Eee PC T91 Touchscreen Netbook
Why: Atom based convertible touch-screen netbooks are so 2009. The Asus T91 and T101 would rank higher if Asus would have set a release date and price.
9. Eye-Fi Youtube Card
Why: Because it has won the Last Gadget Standing CES 2009 Award and it is not even finished.
10. Sony MHS-CM1 Webbie HD Camcorder
Why: Because Sony finally understood that the Flip Mino is eating their lunch.
Don't Miss: Today's Electronics Bargains at Woot.com
Visit our CES Coverage to dig into all announcements and reports from this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.


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In order to survive and thrive among today’s ever-connected consumer base, it’s crucial that brands have a digital presence and there’s a wealth of data proving the importance of being online.
So why are some labels—mostly in the luxury segment—still eschewing e-commerce in favor of more traditional sales methods?
In a word, they’re not yet set up to embrace the online channel and they don’t want to present anything less than a perfect digital persona.
So said Salsify, a Boston-based product content management solution, which recently recruited Echo Cove Research to ask 200 people with e-commerce responsibilities at major consumer brand manufacturers about whether they’re ready for the next phase of online selling.
Only 25 percent of those surveyed said their organizations are ready to adapt to future shopping channels. Likewise, only 29 percent of respondents agreed that their companies know how to capitalize on the growing e-commerce and mobile commerce markets.
With that being said, e-commerce is clearly top of mind for most:
• 40 percent of brands not currently selling through their own e-store will start doing so in the next two years
• 80 percent of brands plan to sell more SKUs through their own website
• 73 percent plan to sell more items through major online marketplaces
• 75 percent of brands plan to sell more on major retail sites
However, while 89 percent of those surveyed said their companies could stand to improve their product content management process, only 41 percent agreed that this was a top priority.
Moreover, only 43 percent of respondents think that shoppers spend based on content, yet a recent study by ComScore and United Postal Service (UPS) found that 73 percent of consumers cited detailed product information as the number one factor in the search and selection process when buying online.
“It is becoming clearly evident that to remain competitive and agile in today’s omnichannel world, brands need to pay special attention to what consumers need when they’re shopping online,” said Jason Purcell, co-founder and CEO of Salsify. “We are finding more strikingly than ever before that product content is core to the consumer experience. This research shows that companies addressing this need are more prepared to meet the challenges of new channels and consumer demands.”
If your denim can stretch that’s great, but it’s going to have to do more than that to attract today’s choosy consumer.Read more
Nobody wants to do business with a store that may soon be out of business.Read more
Jeff Gennette is the new CEO of and president Macy's, plus Citi Trends announces changes to its executive fleet.Read more
PVH is stepping up its supply chain efforts with a new alliance.Read more
Now that we’re well beyond the simpler times of fewer consumer demands and less competition, there are certain necessary investments retailers need to make.Read more
Macy’s board of directors voted to appoint Jeff Gennette CEO of the retail giant yesterday.Read more
America’s apparel market is debunking the department store demise.Read more


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Last October, the Federal Communications Commission pushed through a set of privacy rulings that defined private information to include things like users’ locations, their browsing history, their financial and health information and the what they actually say inside the body of their emails and texts. These definitions are essentially a strike against the Internet Service Providers, since those informations are extraordinarily valuable to marketers — and potentially dangerous to consumers. Data on your online activities can be used to infer whether you have a particular health condition and what your finances are like and could be used to discriminate against you when it comes to applying for a job, trying to buy a house or getting credit.
However, last Thursday Senate Republicans passed S.J. Res. 34, which nullifies the FCC’s privacy ruling last year. The passage was voted along party line with Republicans favoring the repeal and Democrats opposing. The repeal gives ISPs the ability to sell consumer data to marketers unless consumers explicitly opt out. A similar bill will be going through the House, which will likely pass, again along party lines. The White House has issued a press release indicating President Trump will sign the bill into law.


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A notable and well-known online retailing executive is making the move to B2B e-commerce.
Based in Huntersville, N.C., American Tire Distributors is one of the nation’s largest independent suppliers of tires to the replacement tire market. American Tire operates more than 140 distributions centers across the U.S. and Canada—including 115 in the United States—has a fleet of more than 1,000 delivery vehicles and carries a product inventory of more than 40,000 SKUs. The company also says it has about 70,000 customers in the U.S. and Canada.
As the chief digital and technology officer at American Tire Distributors, Chin will report to CEO Stuart Schuette and be in charge of all information technology and the company’s digital strategy, though her exact duties weren’t detailed. “She will be responsible for developing and activating the tools that enable ATD’s continued digitization to deliver an unsurpassed associate and customer experience,” Schuette says. “She will support accelerating ATD’s position at the forefront of digital technology and disruption in the replacement tire industry.”
American Tire operates a diverse B2B e-commerce program that includes a dealer log-in site that enables dealers to view tire and wheel availability, access product information, search for product size, product number and place orders online. The dealer portal also features a tire and wheel fitting guide, the ability to generate and receive quotes and access accounts payable information.
Other B2B initiatives include ATD Services Bay, an online marketing center for independent distributors, and TireBuyer.com, a consumer e-commerce site. “Our strategy focuses on helping our customers thrive in a digital landscape that is constantly evolving, ´ Schuette says.
Chin brings a long track record in e-commerce management to her new job at American Tire Distributors. Chin served as senior vice president of digital at chain retailer PetSmart from Sept. 2016 until recently. Prior to PetSmart, Chin worked as senior vice president e-commerce and omnichannel digital at Belk Inc, a regional department store chain, and as vice president of QVC.com.Favorite


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MUMBAI, 4 May 2021: Retaining the leadership in India’s agri-derivatives market, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd (NCDEX) has posted an all-round increase in its operations in April 2021 with market share crossing 80 percent during the month. The performance shows a strong resilience to the disruptions in the agri-ecosystem due to the Pandemic.
The Average Daily Turnover Value of the exchange more than quadrupled to INR 2,905 crores in April 2021 from INR 698 crores in the same month a year ago. The average Open Interest too registered a sharp increase of 92.13 percent year-on-year to 876,600 tonne. The exchange delivered 44,646 tonnes of commodities in April 2021, an increase of 43.58 percent year-on-year.
Refined Soy Oil, RM Seed, Chana, Soybean and Cotton Seed Oilcake were the top-traded derivatives contracts during the month under review. The ADTV in Refined Soy Oil was INR 685 crores, making it the country’s top-traded agri-derivative contract in April 2021, while for RM Seed the ADTV was at INR 551 crores. Contracts in Chana, Soybean and Cotton Seed Oilcake posted the ADTV of INR 506 crores, INR 474 crores and INR 246 crores, respectively, during the month.
Another highlight is that the ADTV in the evening session has topped INR 200 Crore in April 2021, indicating an enhanced alignment of internationally reference able commodities such as Refined Soy Oil, Kapas and Steel with the global market.
“Agri-derivatives markets are primarily for risk management by farmers, processors and traders. An astounding growth in our volumes since last few months and April in particular indicates that agri value chain participants have been using the NCDEX platform more aggressively for hedging during the extremely volatile agri-commodity market,” Kapil Dev, Chief - Business & Products said.
“More importantly, the multi-fold rise in the volume is a reflection of a tremendous trust shown by the market participants despite various challenges being raised by the resurgence of the Virus, Kapil Dev added.
NCDEX will continue to serve the agri value chain with emphasis on Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and expand by adding derivative products in more commodities, Indices and Options in Goods segment.