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All posts tagged "inflation"
Argentina Leader Meets with Unions over Salaries, Inflation
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine president Mauricio Macri is meeting with powerful union leaders to discuss their growing demands for salary hikes amid one of the world’s highest inflation rates. The government has been offering salary hikes...
- Posted February 11, 2016
Yellen: Persistent Economic Weakness Could Slow Rate Hikes
WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen cautioned Wednesday that global weakness and falling financial markets could depress the U.S. economy’s growth and slow the pace of Fed interest rate hikes. But Yellen made clear that the...
- Posted February 10, 2016
US Consumer Spending Flat, Savings Rate at 3-year High
WASHINGTON – U.S. consumers kept their spending flat in December and instead boosted their savings rate to the highest level in three years. Consumer spending was unchanged in December after rising 0.5 percent in November, the Commerce...
- Posted February 1, 2016
Eurozone Inflation at 15-Month High, but Outlook still Weak
LONDON – Inflation across the 19-country eurozone doubled in January, but few economists think it represents a meaningful pick-up in the economy given subdued growth across much of the region, a renewed drop in oil prices and...
- Posted January 29, 2016
IMF: Venezuela Inflation to Surpass 700 Percent
CARACAS, Venezuela – The International Monetary Fund says Venezuela inflation will blow past 700 percent this year. In a note published Friday, IMF Western Hemisphere Director Alejandro Werner said inflation would more than double in the economically...
- Posted January 22, 2016
Draghi: ECB has ‘Plenty of Instruments’ to Boost Inflation
FRANKFURT, Germany – European Central Bank head Mario Draghi says the eurozone’s monetary authority has “plenty of instruments” available to boost inflation that’s too low. He added that the bank’s governing council has “the determination and the...
- Posted January 22, 2016
Brazil Economy Sheds 1.5 Million Payroll Jobs in 2015
SAO PAULO – Brazil’s labor ministry says the country lost 1.5 million payroll jobs in 2015 amid a contracting economy that has led to high inflation and layoffs in the manufacturing and service sectors. The ministry said...
- Posted January 21, 2016
Low Oil Complicates Struggle to Raise Eurozone Inflation
FRANKFURT, Germany – Low oil prices are complicating life for the European Central Bank in its struggle to push up worrisome low inflation in the 19 nations that use the euro currency. It was bad enough when...
- Posted January 20, 2016
Analysis: Iran Deals may not Herald Rapid Changes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The lifting of crippling international sanctions linked to Iran’s nuclear program and the flurry of diplomacy that led to the release of Americans held by Tehran suggests a new era could be...
- Posted January 18, 2016
Venezuela President gets Rare Blast of Live TV Criticism
CARACAS, Venezuela – President Nicolas Maduro first declared an economic emergency due to “catastrophic” inflation and growth figures and then endured the indignity of a nationally televised scolding from the head of a newly empowered opposition Congress....
- Posted January 16, 2016


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Norwegian packaging and insulation company BEWI has agreed to purchase paper packaging company Trondhjems Eskefabrikk.
The agreement comes after BEWI entered a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire 100% of the company in February.
Trondhjems Eskefabrikk specialises in manufacturing fully recyclable, fibre-based packaging products and carton boxes for the food industry.
The company uses a ‘significant share’ of recycled fibres as raw materials for its products.
Last year, Trondhjems Eskefabrikk delivered revenue of around €13.5m ($14.62m), an increase from €11.7m ($12.68m) in 2020.
It also reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins in the range of approximately 18% to 20%.
BEWI CEO Christian Bekken said: “The acquisition of Trondhjems Eskefabrikk provides us with an extended offering of recyclable and recycled products.
“This is in line with our strategy to provide our customers with complementary solutions (and) at the same time supporting our sustainability target to increase the use of non-fossil raw materials.”
The deal is expected to complete in the second quarter of this year subject to customary conditions.
The financial terms of the transaction will be in line with BEWI’s historical mergers and acquisitions, with an enterprise value and EBITDA multiple of between five and seven.
These will be settled in cash upon closing of the acquisition.
BEWI provides packaging, components and insulation solutions for worldwide markets, with a focus on sustainability.
Earlier this year, the company signed an LOI to acquire 100% of an unidentified Baltic insulation company.
The Baltic company has recorded ‘profitable’ growth in recent years, with net sales of between €25m to €30m and EBITDA margins in the range of 10% to 15%.
The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of the current fiscal year.

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4.56 +0.04 (0.88%)
After hours: 7:08PM EDT
|Bid||4.50 x 41800|
|Ask||4.52 x 1000|
|Day's range||4.42 - 4.60|
|52-week range||3.99 - 5.99|
|PE ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings date||30 Oct. 2018 - 5 Nov. 2018|
|Forward dividend & yield||N/A (N/A)|
|1y target est||5.39|
Remember Prodigy, the online service that flourished in the 1990s before flaming out a decade later? Turns out, IBM was one of its original partners and owns Prodigy patents on some of the foundations of e-commerce. A few years ago, IBM claimed Groupon andPriceline Group Inc. were violating some of them and demanded millions.
Soft results in North America, a nasty legal loss against IBM, and murky guidance are all overshadowing Groupon’s solid overseas growth.
IBM (IBM) is a step closer to collect $82.5 million in damages from e-commerce company Groupon (GRPN). A jury in Delaware last month returned a verdict that Groupon infringed on four IBM patents related to e-commerce technology. As a result, the jury recommended that Groupon should pay at least $82.5 million to IBM in damages.
Recode reported that Groupon (GRPN) may end its run as an independent company. Citing people briefed on the company’s plans, the report states that Groupon is quietly searching for a buyer and that Alibaba (BABA) has been floated as a potential buyer. Alibaba, a leading Chinese e-commerce company, is a minority shareholder in Groupon that took a nearly 6.0% stake in Groupon in 2016.
Groupon (GRPN) portrayed a disappointing picture in second-quarter results. The transition to local services market is hurting revenues. Moreover, litigation woes from IBM hurt cost initiatives.
The Chicago-based company said it had a loss of 17 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and stock option expense, were 2 cents per share. The results did not meet Wall Street expectations. ...
Shares of Groupon (GRPN) slipped 1.5% during regular trading hours Wednesday in a small pullback that might signal investors are hesitant about the firm ahead of its second-quarter earnings release Friday. But the stock is cheap on its face, resting under $5 per share and also boasts some solid bottom-line growth projections.
Internet Highlights: What Are Google and Facebook Up To? Yelp (YELP) recently partnered with event management startup Gather on a program known as Gather Booking Network. Through the partnership, Yelp is getting exposure to the $30 billion US party and events industry.
Snap (SNAP) has returned 2.9% in the last month, -0.22% in the last year, and -0.5% in the last five days. In comparison, peers Yelp (YELP), Groupon (GRPN), eBay (EBAY), and Yandex (YNDX) have returned 23.8%, 39.6%, -7.1%, and 17.4%, respectively.
Amazon (AMZN) generated investor returns of 4.5% in the trailing-one-month period and 76.6% in the trailing-12-month period. The company’s stock price gained 0.91% in the trailing-five-day period.
KLA-Tencor (KLAC) delivers impressive fiscal fourth-quarter results driven by a strong demand environment, customer acceptance of key products, growth in China and operational efficiencies.
Groupon's (GRPN) Q2 results are likely to benefit from strategic partnerships, which are helping it expand its clientele. However, transition to local services market will remain an overhang.
On July 27, IBM (IBM) won $83 million in a patent dispute case against online coupon company Groupon (GRPN). The win could help IBM make a strong statement against other firms that violate patent rights.
Snap (SNAP) is poised to release its second-quarter results just as its social media service is facing a ban in Europe. WhatsApp, which has more than 1.5 billion monthly users globally, is one of Facebook’s (FB) several mobile messaging apps. Snapchat had 191 million monthly users at the end of the first quarter.
A U.S. jury awarded International Business Machines Corp. $83.5 million after finding that Groupon Inc. infringed four of its e-commerce patents. As they began the trial, IBM’s lawyers said Groupon built its online coupon business on the back of IBM’s e-commerce inventions without permission. IBM spends $5.6 billion a year on research and development "to make our lives better," the company’s lawyer John Desmarais told federal jurors in his closing arguments.
As Amazon (AMZN) prepares to report its second-quarter results on July 26, we note that the company decided to raise Prime membership rate. Prime membership benefits include free delivery of items purchased from Amazon’s retail website and a variety of digital entertainment services. Last year, Amazon was estimated to have spent roughly $4.5 billion to license or create entertainment content for its Prime program.
Groupon Inc. is trying to portray International Business Machines Corp. as claiming to have patented the Internet, but that’s “a smoke screen,” IBM’s lawyer told jurors as a two-week court fight over four patents related to e-commerce neared completion. As they began the trial, IBM’s lawyers said Groupon built its online coupon business on the back of IBM’s e-commerce inventions without permission. A Groupon victory, on the other hand, could have lasting impact on the value of IBM’s hefty portfolio of patents.
Today we've highlighted ten stocks that are currently trading for under $20 per share. All of these stocks currently have at least a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), and a variety of other factors make these companies stand out as having strong upside potential.


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Christmas lights are going up all around the sound. Do you still have those old-fashioned incandescent lights?
Maybe this is the year to upgrade to energy-efficient LED lights. They use 90 percent less electricity than traditional bulbs.
A new report from the Secretary of State confirms millions of dollars are going to paid fundraisers and marketing campaigns. In some cases, less than 50% of the money raised ends up going to the actual charity. It's another reminder to exercise extreme caution if you're thinking about making a charitable donation this holiday season.


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Sotheby’s digital art arm announced that it would be auctioning off pieces from BitcoinShrooms, a Bitcoin Ordinals project designed by artist Shroomtoshi.
The BitcoinShrooms collection was originally minted on-chain back on Oct. 22. Both the BitcoinShroom website and X account claim that it’s the “first ever Ordinals collection.”
“Within the BitcoinShrooms collection lies a trove of references — from iconic Bitcoin memes to advanced technical concepts— a visual symphony that captures Bitcoin’s essence from the perspective of someone there since the early days,” Sotheby’s wrote.
The auction will go from Dec. 6 to Dec. 13, and three pieces are currently available to bid on.
The collection includes two shroom individuals and a pixelated avocado seed dubbed BIP39 — the common standard for creating a mnemonic code which is needed for seed phrases. All three are expected to fetch around $20,000 to $30,000, though the auction house also accepts bids in crypto.
“The BitcoinShrooms collection is a pixelated recap of the first 13 years of Bitcoin, a homage to the 8-bit style of art that expresses a slight nostalgia for the 90s, a way to soil 10s of thousands of SSDs spread across the world with my art (->next level cyber-vandalism), a tool to raise awareness about Bitcoin and what I personally view as its core principles, an ironic way to vent at what I see as its annoying pop elements and aberrations,” Shroomtoshi said about the Ordinals.
“It is a thank you to those I worked with and learned from, to those who are not around anymore but whose name should not be forgotten. it is knowledge condensed and a journey for the curious.”
The collection includes over 200 pieces, which are intended to pay homage to bitcoin’s history. These include depictions of a private key, a pixelated character wearing a ‘mountain’ hat as a nod to the Mt. Gox incident, an enigmatic figure with a question mark to represent anonymity, and an illustration of a ‘fiery’ hot wallet, among others.
The collection also seemingly includes representations of iconic characters and logos from well-known franchises like Batman, Iron Man, Wall-e and Super Mario.
The BitcoinShrooms account on X boasts around 13,000 followers. It is unclear who Shroomtoshi is, as the artist has not made their identity public.
In a post on X prior to the announcement, Sotheby’s head of digital art Michael Bouhanna teased the auction. He shared an AI generated image of an auction room with mushrooms and bitcoin on a screen.
Tomorrow 🏽 pic.twitter.com/O1Z6ED4i1g— Michael Bouhanna (@michaelbouhanna) December 5, 2023
Following the announcement, he made a post proclaiming that the art auction would mark the first time that Sotheby’s has sold Ordinals.
Ordinals on the Bitcoin blockchain are conceptually similar to NFTs. They utilize the Ordinals protocol to inscribe data onto individual satoshis, the smallest denomination of Bitcoin, creating unique digital assets that can include art, collectibles, or other forms of content.
By the end of November, analysts from JPMorgan noted that the advent of Ordinals had sparked ‘renewed interest’ in the NFTs space.
Since that time, exchanges like Binance and OKX have opened their doors for Ordinals trading.


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Amazon’s Appstore is launching in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, in what’s a pretty strong hint that the Kindle Fire will soon make it to Europe too.
The company’s mini-mart version of the Android App Store launched in the US last year, offering free and paid apps. Now, it’s launching in new countries with localized content and a localized mobile store for each.
Customers will also get a ‘Free App of the Day’ – today’s is the ad-free version of Angry Birds.
“Amazon’s Free App of the Day program is really unique,” says Peter Vesterbacka, CMO of Rovio.
“Over the past year we have offered Amazon customers some of our best-selling premium games like Angry Birds Rio and Angry Birds Seasons for free, and the response has been truly overwhelming.”
Europeans will also get features like personalized recommendations, customer reviews and one-click payments.
“Customers in the US have purchased millions of apps, games, in-app items and subscriptions since the store launched last year, and we’ve received great feedback about discovery features like Free App of the Day.” says Jim Adkins, vice president of Amazon Appstore.
“Amazon has spent years developing innovative features that help customers find and discover the products that are right for them and have applied that know-how to the Amazon Appstore. We’re delighted to extend that experience to our European customers.”
The move may very well be a sign that the Kindle Fire is finally about to cross the Atlantic too. Launched last November, it’s so far been available only in the US, as the company hasn’t had the necessary licenses in place to provide its music and movie services.
There’s an announcement scheduled for next Thursday in Los Angeles, at which the company’s expected to reveal a new version of the tablet. It now seems likely that there’ll be a European release to announce too.


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Chief Executive Kasper Rorsted reported that the boost was helped by growth in China, North America and e-commerce
Shares of New-York based Omnicom, one of the world's "Big Four" traditional advertising companies, were down 5.8 percent at $77.97
Puma, which still far lags German rival Adidas and market leader Nike, has revived its fortunes in recent years by spending heavily on sponsoring top soccer teams and partnering with celebrities like singer Rihanna
If you get a message on WhatsApp with an offer of a free pair of Adidas shoes, take it with a pinch of salt as reports suggest that it may be a trap to extract your details by cyber criminals
The digital film has been conceptualized by Isobar India
Adidas had, in the past, released multiple wearable fitness trackers under the name miCoach, culminating in the miCoach Smart Run smartwatch
The company clocked Rs. 220 crore in revenues in the last calendar year, and now is expecting to increase its revenue to Rs. 500 crore by December 2017
India allows foreign firms to sell directly to consumers through the so-called "single-brand retail" route, but companies need to source 30 percent of the products locally
Exploring why FILA has steered clear of the celebrity-endorsement route so far
The company's revenue fell to $3.72 billion in the quarter ended Sept. 30, from $3.79 billion a year earlier
Though bullish on the Indian market, Adidas’ Roland Auschel rues that the country is not an easy place to do business
adidas India extended its revenue market leadership position and now it is almost 20 percent larger than the next brand in this space
For Thomas, who was appointed as India head in October 2014 and joined three months later, a crippling legacy ensured a baptism by fire
The company has been in talks with Reliance Brands to hand over a chunk of its franchise business
India’s oldest shoemaker trains its guns on the premium market with ‘Healers'
Sale is part of push to focus on Adidas, Reebok brands
Puma's operating expenses rose 11% in Q2 as it spent on marketing and retail, but demand for new high-margin shoe models still helped more than triple its operating profit to 43.4 million euros
From the newsroom of The Economic Times
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The surprise spike in retail inflation is expected to make it harder for the central bank to prioritize growth, putting its interest rate setting committee in a wait-and-watch mode at its next meeting on 4-6 August.Economists believe that though the monetary policy committee (MPC) would not increase rates or change its stance at the meeting, it would raise an alert over rising inflation. An increase in repo rate, they believe, is not likely before 2022, although there could be a reverse repo hike in the December quarter. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das has said several times that the central bank would remain accommodative as long as necessary to support growth.
Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in at 6.3% in May, above the RBIs target band of 2-6%. Sameer Narang, chief economist at Bank of Baroda, said this is disconcerting from the MPCs standpoint, and that core inflation has changed gears and is likely to show some persistence.
If you look at the sub-categories, the higher inflation print is broad-based this time. Prices of key commodities are going up in June as well. There is some discomfort around this number, and the MPC will also feel it because if core inflation persists at this level, it might be difficult to bring it down in a hurry,” he said.
The consensus among economists is that the rate-setting committee will perhaps slightly raise its inflation forecast of 5.1% for fiscal 2022. They also expect discussions on the road map for exiting the accommodative stance, which was likely delayed by the second covid-19 wave.
A lot, though, would depend on the pace of covid-19 vaccinations, and whether it is able to negate the effect of a potential third wave. India has so far vaccinated 47.7 million people with two doses of covid-19 vaccines, according to data from CoWIN dashboard.
Another concern, of course, is the unabated rise in fuel prices. The central bank, too, has cautioned against inflationary pressures emanating from this segment.
Retail prices of petrol and diesel are linked to the international price of these fuels, and not that of crude oil, per se. Rise in global energy prices coupled with high domestic taxes has been pushing up fuel prices. However, crude oil, which accounts for about 90% of the cost of these refinery products, is the biggest determinant of the retail price of fuel.
While the retail price of petrol in Delhi stood at 96.41 a litre on Tuesday, in Mumbai, it is 102.58 a litre. Diesel cost 87.81 a litre in Delhi, whereas in Mumbai is 94.70 a litre.
According to price build-up of petrol at Delhi effective 1 June, though base price for petrol is 35.63 per litre, excise duty of 32.90 per litre and price charged to dealers to the tune of 35.99 a litre and value added tax of 21.81 a litre with dealer commission of 3.79 a litre, push the cost of petrol to 94.49 a litre.
Fuel inflation seems to be the main pain point as the high prices of petrol and diesel is increasing the cost of transportation and leading to a subsequent rise in food prices,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Care Ratings.
However, Sabnavis explained that the MPC will shift its focus to inflation only when it is confident that growth wont slip further. He attributed this to the stance RBI took last year when inflation was quite high, adding that the central bank may not worry about inflation up to 7-8%, considering it as a temporary phenomenon.
Others said that the MPC will wait for more data to see how the second wave has affected growth. Economists said that although RBI might still decide to look through the spike in inflation, it may not abate soon as the economy opens up to more demand-side pressures.
As such, we expect the weight assigned to inflation to gradually rise. In our base case, we expect the theme of policy normalization to begin in Q4 2021. We expect a 40-bps hike in the reverse repo rate in Q4, to correct the policy corridor back to 25 bps,” economists at Nomura said in a report on Tuesday.
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ASML Holding NV might conduct acquisitions to meet soaring demand for advanced chips worldwide, its chief executive officer said yesterday, defying the broader sector downturn.
The Dutch chip production equipment maker continues to see strong demand for the foreseeable future, as countries race to build domestic chip plants. It last week said it expects sales to more than double to as much as 40 billion euros (US$41.7 billion) by 2025 and more than tripling to as much as 60 billion euros by 2030.
That scale of growth necessitates a bigger supplier base, CEO Peter Wennink said.
“We will acquire what we think is needed to support the road map,” he said, speaking at a news conference in Seoul a day ahead of a groundbreaking ceremony of ASML’s new facilities in South Korea.
ASML is investing 240 billion won (US$182.95 million) to build maintenance and training centers in South Korea by 2024, it said in a statement.
ASML’s investments in South Korea are “just beginning,” Wennink said.
Some of its biggest customers — South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) — are in East Asia, which is also home to fellow lithography machine makers Nikon Corp and Canon Inc.
ASML long played a low-profile role supplying equipment for making semiconductors, but its strategic importance has surged as the US and China clash over technology leadership. The Dutch company holds a monopoly on the type of machine commonly used to make the most powerful chips.
ASML has been selling slightly less advanced chipmaking machines to Chinese customers. While the most recent chip curbs from US President Joe Biden’s administration do not directly affect the Dutch maker, they could mean an indirect hit to sales of as much as 5 percent, Wennink said.
“Despite the fact that we are looking at a recessionary environment in 2023, the demand for our products is still higher than what we can make,” he said.
There has been no reduction to the backlog in its shipments to the end of next year, he said.
The company is raising output to 90 of its extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and 600 deep-ultraviolet machines by 2025 to 2026. Such machines burn patterns into materials deposited on wafers of silicon that make up the circuits that give chips their function.
Five companies dominate the global market for the equipment needed to produce semiconductors. The others, supplying other parts and machinery for the task, are Japan’s Tokyo Electron Ltd, and three US companies, Applied Materials Inc, Lam Research Corp and KLA Corp.
Separately, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) urged Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to avoid “decoupling” as the US pressures the Netherlands to avoid selling high-end chipmaking machines to China.
In a meeting yesterday in Bali, Indonesia, where they are both attending a G20 summit, Xi stressed the need for cooperation and said China would work with the Netherlands to “maintain and practice genuine multilateralism,” state broadcaster CCTV reported.
“We must oppose the politicization of economic and trade issues and maintain the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain,” Xi told Rutte.
Rutte is due to visit semiconductor giant South Korea later this week, with the US export controls high on the agenda. Since early last month, US officials have repeatedly said that if allies do not align with Washington on the latest rules, they could ban sales of foreign chip equipment that contains even the smallest amount of US technology.
NXP Semiconductors NV expects its first automotive-grade 5-nanometer chip built by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to become available for automakers within one-and-a-half years at the earliest, following demand for better computing performance and energy efficiency for connected vehicles, a company executive said yesterday. That would mean a significant upgrade from the 16-nanometer technology NXP adopted in its existing series of microprocessors. NXP chief technology executive Lars Reger made the remarks during a media briefing yesterday in Taipei. The latest updates came after NXP unveiled its plan to source 5-nanometer capacity from TSMC in 2021. This is Reger’s first trip to
EVADING US CONTROLS? ‘These surveillance chips are relatively easy to manufacture compared to smartphone processors,’ a source said about HiSilicon’s components A Huawei Technologies Co (華為) unit is shipping new Chinese-made chips for surveillance cameras in a fresh sign that the Chinese tech giant is finding ways around four years of US export controls, two sources briefed on the unit’s efforts said. The shipments to surveillance camera manufacturers from the company’s chip design unit, HiSilicon Technologies Co (海思半導體), started this year, said one of the sources and a third source familiar with the industry supply chain. One of the sources briefed on the unit said that at least some of the customers were Chinese. Huawei unveiled new smartphones in the past few weeks that
CENTRAL BANK: The consumer price index would grow while core CPI is set to move forward at a milder rate, the governor said, adding that the GDP forecast is down The central bank yesterday kept its policy rate unchanged for the second straight quarter, saying that a rate pause would help support the economy, as consumer prices have moderated and would return to the 2 percent target next year. “The board gave unanimous support to a policy hold, although some members voiced concern over lingering inflationary pressures and called for close monitoring,” central bank Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a media briefing after its quarterly board meeting. The consumer price index (CPI) would grow 1.83 percent next year, while core CPI after stripping out volatile items would advance a milder 1.73 percent,
SLUMP: The electronics, machinery and traditional industries posted the largest decline in the past year; overall, sectors showed gains over the previous month Taiwan’s industrial production index decreased 10.53 percent year-on-year to 91.38 last month, falling for a 15th consecutive month on an annual basis, as weak global economic growth continued to weigh on end-market demand and investment momentum, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Saturday. The industrial production index gauges output in Taiwan’s four main industries: manufacturing, electricity and gas supply, water supply, and mining and quarrying. Last month’s decline was the smallest contraction since March when the index dropped 16.03 percent from a year earlier. On a monthly basis, the index rose 7.28 percent, marking a second straight month of improvement,


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Three teenagers have come with an idea that would eliminate the use of Freon in automobile air-conditioning systems by relying on the Peltier effect. With their invention, Tyler Lyon, Daniel Winegar and Chad Thornley won the first-ever ‘Ricoh Sustainable Development Award’ in May. Their device taps into the car’s electrical system, using fans to blow hot air through five Peltier chips and then releasing cold air.
Excellent. Don’t just be the future, create the future.


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Earnings have fallen two straight years at
(ERTS), and the company expects things to get worse. But that hasn't shaken the faith of many long-term holders -- nor dissuaded others from buying in.
EA's shares fell as much as 14% on Thursday after the video-game software provider offered an extremely disappointing outlook that called for earnings as low as one-third what analysts were expecting.
Despite the slide, many analysts and longer-term holders are willing to continue giving the company the benefit of the doubt and chalk up the company's recent problems to transition troubles as the industry moves to a new generation of hardware. As the largest video game publisher, EA stands to benefit as a mass market starts to develop in coming years for new game consoles and the software for them, bulls say.
"Despite where we are in the cycle, the fundamentals are strong," says Darren Chervitz, a research analyst at Jacob Asset Management. "Over the next couple of years, I think
are good investments." Chervitz' firm is long EA and
Bulls such as Chervitz back up their case with a number of arguments. First and foremost, they note, are overall trends in media usage. Consumers are spending more time playing games or surfing the Internet than watching television or reading newspapers, they note. Meanwhile, while games continue to have their stronghold in the teen and pre-teen set, the average game player continues to get older as the overall demographic appeal of video games has broadened, they say. The new consoles, which have robust graphics engines and online capabilities, should help extend those trends, they say.
"The gaming experience is going to be significantly better
on the new consoles
," says Kyle Flynn, an analyst at investment firm TCW, which is long EA. "The big picture is the trends haven't changed. People are going to continue playing these games. As they get more intense and rich, they will appeal to a broader audience."


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It has been over six months since COVID-19 forced its way into our lives, and the global pandemic shows no signs of abating. If anything, governments everywhere are warning that things are likely to get a lot worse before they get better. Very few industries have emerged unscathed by the havoc wreaked by the virus and the subsequent lockdowns imposed to contain it. The hospitality and retail industries have been hit particularly hard. Although the latter, which includes luxury watches, has been able to offset some of the damage by increasing their focus on digital sales channels. That being said, there’s no denying that things look very different today than they did at the start of the year.
It’s not necessarily all bad news, though. For example, the global community of watch lovers is, in some ways, benefitting from the changes imposed on brands and the industry as a whole. So, what’s changed?
For a start, the way brands present their new releases has changed – in some cases quite dramatically. With large-scale gatherings banned in most countries, major events such as Baselworld and Watches & Wonders(formerly SIHH) were initially postponed. The latter went on to successfully host a completely digital showcase, which we talked about here. On the other hand, Baselworld was already facing its share of challenges before COVID-19, and the organizers had to cancel it altogether. In fact, they’ve since gone on to abandon the show entirely, ending a run that began in 1917. Instead, a new watch and jewelry show called HourUniverse will take place in Basel in April 2021, run by the same management team.
It is still too early to comment on what this might look like in reality, but so far, the industry’s response has been less than enthusiastic. There are several reasons for this. Chief among them is the departure of nearly all of the former event’s anchor brands (including Patek Philippe, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Bvlgari, and Hublot), who have announced a new breakaway show in Geneva next year. Likewise, many question the insistence on keeping the show in Basel, but that’s a discussion for another article. Suffice it to say, parts of the industry are moving forward, while others are not.
Another interesting format for launching new models has also emerged during the pandemic. Several brands – including Bvlgari (who pioneered the idea), Breitling, De Bethune, and Girard-Perregaux – participated in Geneva Watch Days. The idea was simple: Bring retailers and the press to Geneva for a few days in August and introduce the new releases at smaller events spread out across the city. This allowed for a series of smaller-scale, more intimate events in a much more relaxed atmosphere than is typical for big shows. It also made it possible to observe social distancing guidelines while still allowing brands to show their new products “in the metal.” By all accounts, Geneva Watch Days was a great success and provided some insight into how watch launches might take place in the future by spreading them throughout the year.
Given the current environment, brands can’t afford to rely on in-person events to present new models. In some ways, being freed from a strict event schedule has been liberating. It enables brands to cut through all the noise generated by a single event and launch new watches on their own terms. A recent example of this was the new Tudor Black Bay 58 Blue. This all-blue version of the brand’s popular diving watch was available for immediate purchase in-store on the same day as its official introduction. This is a strategy that has taken hold in the fashion industry but is practically unheard of in the watch world. The brand was able to share the official details of the launch on its social media channels at the same time as customers were posting hundreds of wrist shots. The result? For a while, it seemed like the Black Bay 58 was all that watch lovers could talk about.
Of course, not everyone loved this approach. Some felt it was a little contrived and that the omnipresence of the Black Bay 58 was a little too coordinated. Whatever the case, there’s no denying it was a knock-out success for the brand and its retail partners, which is why it came as no surprise when big brother Rolex took a similar approach a few months later with the launch of their new models. There weren’t multitudes of people posting the same watch en masse on the same day, but there were certainly plenty of happy customers sharing pictures of their new watches just days after their official unveiling.
Of course, rapid availability has been helped by the fact that in many cases, brands have had several extra months to produce their watches. In a normal cycle, brands debut their new products early in the year – historically at Watches & Wonders or Baselworld – and then begin delivery to the market from August/September onward. Whether we will revert to this pattern after the pandemic is over remains to be seen. There are certainly some strong points in its favor. For example, the press and retailers can go to one location and see multiple new releases from many different brands all at the same time. However, waiting months and months for a new product to go one sale is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
The increased focus on digital media combined with tailored, localized events means more watch lovers have easier access to new models in real-time. If brands want to capitalize on the demand this generates, they need to ensure products are available for purchase immediately. That being said, the industry is not exactly famous for rushing to embrace wide-scale change, so we’ll have to wait and see whether these new strategies are here to stay or just a temporary fix during very challenging times.


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Anyone who campaigns for environmental change encounters the excuse that one person can’t make a difference. In all fairness, they have a point. A bachelor who tosses his newspaper in the trash won’t stop deforestation by recycling the New York Times; and a mother who switches to detergent without phosphate won’t prevent all contamination in local lakes. They might point to democracies and say in a country of 300 million citizens, one vote doesn’t matter. But the truth is that any reduction in pollution, however slight, has an environmental impact, and a collective group can make a visible change. Communities campaigning against industrial pollutants can clean up local creeks, but companies buying wholesale green products have a huger impact.
Regardless of what it provides, every business already has to invest in bulk supplies: disinfectants, soap, and other cleaners—if not for resale then at least for the upkeep of facilities. One household buying a concentrated cleaner does better the world by reducing packaging, but a whole corporation using concentrated products compounds that change. Buying in bulk a product that avoids synthetics and harmful dyes can similarly have a grander impact on the pollutants that enter local water systems.
Beyond this direct environmental progress, buying wholesale green products in bulk sends a louder message to cleaning supply companies. If a small business in Eugene, Oregon switches to green hand soap, eco friendly products appear to be nothing more than a niche market. If a multinational corporation makes green hand soap standard for their multiple offices, a higher demand for earth-friendly products will be felt, and suppliers will change their methods accordingly. It’s said there’s responsibility in power, so for companies and organizations that have the power to make an environmental difference, it may just be they have a responsibility to do so.


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The new owner of Oakland Mall in Troy has added the former Sears, Roebuck and Co. store at Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights to his real estate portfolio.
Mario Kiezi said plans for the 323,500-square-foot vacant store along Hall Road, one of the busiest retail thoroughfares in Southeast Michigan, are yet to be determined. The store closed permanently in 2018.
"Hall Road has transitioned into a super regional trade market ripe with first-to-market retailers with high barriers of entry between Schoenherr and Hayes Road," he said in a statement. "We hope to encourage growth within the corridor."


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Chia Yan Min
A WIDELY-EXPECTED increase in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will not take effect this year, but Budget 2018 laid the foundations for a hike sometime between 2021 and 2025.
THE Singapore economy is expected to expand at a more moderate pace this year as surging growth in the manufacturing sector stabilises and other industries pick up the baton.
HOMEGROWN e-marketplace service provider Shopmatic ran into a major hurdle in the early days of its regional expansion efforts.
THERE is "enormous potential" across the region waiting to be tapped and Singapore companies should act sooner rather than later, said Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry and...


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A proposed Dutch levy on iPods, hard-disk video recorders and other MP3 players has been delayed.
Dutch industry group SONT said it won't begin to charge the extra tax on sales of such devices until it hears the European Commission's final recommendation on such practices.
The levy is being opposed by electronics manufacturers, who describe such levy systems as out of date, and allege that they amount to a stealth tax on consumers.
They point out that music fans already pay a copyright fee when they buy sounds, and that they shouldn't have to pay the same fee twice just because they use a different music delivery system.
SONT says that the delay in imposing the charge doesn't mean a final decision has been made to abandon the idea, and argue that making devices more expensive for consumers imposes no barrier to innovation.
Europe is expected to advise that such taxes on devices be harmonised across the union; at present it varies between around two euros and tens of euros on each device in different member states.


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More than 200 healthcare business professionals attended the second annual Business of Healthcare Summit, held at the Duke Energy Convention Center last week.
The event, a joint project of The Health Collaborative and Xavier University, brought together healthcare stakeholders representing payors, health system leaders, fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and suppliers to tackle healthcare’s toughest challenges.
The day featured six panel discussions on workforce, payment, price transparency, supply chain, data and consumerization; plus a lunch keynote highlighting the six panel themes.
Some key takeaways from the event include:
Healthcare Business Trends and Outlook
During the pandemic, states became more flexible in recognizing licensure from other states to allow movement of staff to areas in need. Amid the ongoing labor shortage, health systems are taking greater care of employees by offering value propositions and increased flexibility. The shortage of labor has been the main driver for the cost of care in recent years, so patients must be empowered to make consumer-based decisions and health systems to focus on consumer psychology and behavior.
By fostering competition, price transparency has delivered higher quality, lower prices, and better value in just about every sector of our economy except for healthcare. And consumers still aren’t incentivized to take advantage of the ability to shop around for the best value that price transparency can enable. The solution lies in government policy, incentivizing the consumer and lowering the total cost of care not just lowering price.
In recent years, a wide range of supply chain disruptions have emerged. From increased prices to a lack of transparency, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of a well-performing supply chain. Moving forward, leaders must approach these challenges with greater precision and invest in solutions such as actionable data and analytics, better engagement with clinicians, and long-term strategy.
In addition to the seven panel discussions, 18 vendors with a shared vision of health and healthcare improvement were on hand to network and promote business solutions.
For more information about the event, to submit a future topic and/or request to be a panelist, visit www.thebusinessofhealthcaresummit.com
The Business of Healthcare Summit was supported by HORAN, United Healthcare, PathForward IT, USI , US Bank, TiER1 Performance, and Frost Brown Todd LLC.


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Despite its popularity among the masses in India, the Mithai and Namkeen sector is yet to realise its full potential in terms of branding and outreach. The World Mithai & Namkeen Convention & Expo (WMNC 2020) held in Hyderabad on January 9 and 10, 2020, seeks to offer an international platform to all key market where they can grasp the latest global trends, interact with fellow industry leaders and chart a way for growth and progress for this segment.
The two-day event proved to be a resounding success with participation of over 150 exhibitors and nearly 5,000 delegates and visitors from different parts of the country as well as overseas. Shri Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI was the chief guest at WMNC 2020, where he released the Mithai Namkeen Magazine.
Speaking at the event, Shri Pawan Agarwal spoke of the growth potential for Mithai and Namkeen Sector 2.0, “The federation can lower sugar and salt, besides increasing hygiene and sanitation in its products. It can adopt RUCO, Hygiene Rating, avoid water wastage as well as use of plastic, and initiate FoSTaC trainings. Avoiding trans-fats can be the growth story for Mithai and Namkeen Sector 2.0.”
The decision to host another edition of the WMNC was driven by the response received by the Indore-edition of the event held last year. This year, the organisers decided to make the event bigger and better – expanding its scale four-fold. Hyderabad was chosen as a venue owing to its prominences in the realm of bakery, snacks, confectionary, Mithai and Namkeen segments in the country.
This convention is a one-of-its-kind program in the world that explores different solutions, innovations and approaches to propel the Mithai and Namkeen industry to new heights. From tech automation to revolutionary packaging techniques and machinery, quality raw materials and ingredients, different aspects of business operations within the industry were discussed to explore new ways to help this popular sector realise its potential.
The Federation of Sweets & Namkeen Manufacturers (FSNM), which is the apex body for the industry and represents that interest of more than 4,000 manufacturers and 200 associations, also emphasised on the need for self-regulation and adopting top of the line manufacturing practices to lend impetus to the sector’s growth.


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China Buys $67M Worth of U.S. Soybeans
Chatter among traders that additional sales are being booked
Ahead of working-level U.S.-Chinese trade talks this week, China bought $67 million worth of U.S. soybeans and said it would exempt American pork and soy from additional tariffs taking effect this month.
According to Successful Farming, President Trump said he would “rather get the whole deal done” but could be open to a mini-deal with China.
The USDA said on Friday that exporters reported the sale of 204,000 tonnes of U.S. soybeans to China. The sale was worth $67 million at current prices. There was chatter among traders that additional sales were being booked.


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“The internet deserves a native currency…I don’t know if it’s #bitcoin or not. I hope it will be,” said Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square at Consensus on Wednesday. “It’s going to happen. We need to learn how to help make that happen.”
Dorsey sat down with Elizabeth Stark of Lightning Labs in New York to talk about Square’s new Cash app, which allows consumers to buy and sell bitcoin.
Below are select quotes from Dorsey’s session:
“No corporation or government body or corporation can or should own [cryptocurrency],” he said. “Let’s do our part to encourage it to be used… and [make sure] it continues to be a fair and level playing field.”
Initially, using bitcoin in the Cash app, “was a pretty contentious move,” Dorsey said. “We have a lot of healthy skepticism in the company…but we always take the mindset of, ‘We can’t wait for things to happen to us, we have to make them happen.”
“Email wasn’t the right way to do it, so we made an app. We knew that we weren’t first… but we thought that we had a much better approach. We saw it as a spending device. We issued a branded credit card.”
“The number one and two businesses used on the Cash app are Walmart and McDonalds… for everyday purchases.”
“The thing that Square is really good at is speed and efficiency. We wanted to have that same thing with Bitcoin [and the Cash app]. But ultimately, we wanted to be fast,” he said.
“Our focus is ‘How to do we get this to be an everyday currency?’,” said Dorsey. “We get the power of the crowd and this amazing ability to see so many different perspectives… it’s completely open.”
“I also think our role is to help educate,” said Dorsey, “which includes this children’s books”. The first is: “My First Bitcoin and the Legend of Satoshi Nakamoto,” which he still hopes the company will publish for bookstores.


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IPR Center, MLB warn Phoenix and Dallas fans of fake merchandise, tickets during 2023 World Series
October 30, 2023
“We think fans deserve only high-quality, officially licensed merchandise, so we’re partnering with federal, state, and local authorities as well as MLB to reduce the illegal importation and sale of counterfeit sports apparel and entertainment products,” said Jim Mancuso, IPR Center director.
Last year, authorities seized more than 180,000 counterfeit sports-related items worth an estimated $22.7 million through Operation Team Player, a collaborative public-private sector operation targeting international shipments of counterfeit merchandise into the United States with brand owners and e-commerce marketplaces.
MLB has a comprehensive anti-counterfeiting program, including official MLB holograms affixed to all officially licensed MLB products to protect fans looking to purchase genuine MLB merchandise. Counterfeiters target major events, such as the World Series, where fans are eager to take home memorable keepsakes.
To avoid being victimized by counterfeiters, HSI and MLB encourage fans to:
- Shop at MLB-authorized retail locations, such Globe Life Field, Chase Field, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lids, and MLBShop.com, rather than street vendors, flea markets or other questionable sources.
- Look for the official MLB hologram sticker or holographic hangtag and a sewn-in or screen-printed label identifying the name of the MLB licensee (e.g., Nike, Fanatics, New Era Cap, ‘47, Mitchell & Ness).
- Check for ripped tags, irregular markings, or misspellings on apparel.
- Beware of vendors offering counterfeit paper tickets for sale. Only digital tickets will be issued to the 2023 MLB World Series in Texas and Arizona, and tickets should be purchased directly from Rangers.com, Dbacks.com, Tickets.com, SeatGeek, or MLB’s Official-Fan-to-Fan Marketplace.
Throughout this year’s World Series, the IPR Center is joining MLB in working closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who will be enforcing laws prohibiting the sale of counterfeit MLB merchandise.
Counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. Trademark holder rights are violated, small businesses that purchase vendor licenses to sell official merchandise lose revenue, and consumers spend their hard-earned money on substandard products while exposing themselves to financial schemes.


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Struggling Ener1 Delisted by NASDAQ
The woes of lithium-ion battery manufacturer Ener1 continue to pile up. Following the loss of its contract with then-bankrupt Think Global, Ener1's CEO stepped down. An executive shake-up followed and now Ener1 has been officially delisted by NASDAQ. According to SEC filings, on October 19, Ener1 received a delisting notice from the NASDAQ. In a recent statement, Ener1 "elected not to file an appeal" against its NASDAQ delisting. The delisting immediately resulted in Ener1 stock plummeting to less than 20 cents per share.
The major financial issue for Ener1 comes from its overwhelming support of electric automaker Think. Following the bankruptcy of Think Global—the maker of the Think City electric car—which was declared in June 2011, Ener1 was forced to write down a $59.4 million impairment charge. Eventually, a Russian investor ended up buying up Think’s assets, but that move came too late to assist Ener1's financial situation.
EnerDel, a subsidiary of Ener1, received a $118-million grant from the Department of Energy's $2.4 billion Electric Drive Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative. EnerDel received the grant to build a lithium-ion battery production facility here in the US. To date, EnerDel has received approximately $55 million of the federal grant and is now closely watched by the DOE as its financial difficulties continue to mount.
Perhaps more importantly, the controversy surrounding Solyndra, the failed solar company that received a half-billion dollars in federal loan guarantees, could expand—threatening to pull in Ener1 and other EV-related companies that benefited from government incentives.
New to EVs? Start here
What Is An Electric Car?
Before we get going, let's establish basic definitions.
A Quick Guide to Plug-in Hybrids
Some plug-in cars have back-up engines to extend driving range.
Electric Cars Pros and Cons
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Seven Things To Know About Buying a Plug-In Car
A few simple tips before you visit the dealership.
Federal and Local Incentives for Plug-in Hybrids and Electric Cars
Take advantage of credits and rebates to reduce EV costs.
Eight Factors Determining Total Cost of Ownership of an Electric Car
EVs get bad rap as expensive. Until you look at TCO.
Quick Guide to Buying Your First Home EV Charger
You'll want a home charger. Here's how to buy the right one.
Electric Car Utility Rate Plans: Top Five Rules
With the right utility plan, electric fuel can be dirt cheap.
The Ultimate Guide to Electric Car Charging Networks
If you plan to charge in public, you'll want to sign up for charging network membership (or two).
Eight Rules of Electric Vehicle Charging Etiquette
Thou shalt charge only when necessary. And other rules to live by.


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The controversial Bridgestone commercial featuring Kevin Butler actor Jerry Lambert was aired three days after the star’s contract with Sony expired, according to a story on the Hollywood Reporter. However, the performer was bound by an “exclusivity clause” that prevented Lambert from providing his services to competing video game manufacturers such as Nintendo. As such, flaunting Mario Kart Wii on public television probably wasn’t the actor’s greatest idea.
In a statement yesterday, Sony noted that “use of the Kevin Butler character to sell products other than those from PlayStation misappropriates Sony's intellectual property”. However, Bridgestone has responded that it never used the bogus PlayStation executive in its commercial.
"Mr. Lambert is one of the actors who appeared in the commercial as a Bridgestone engineer," the company stated. "Bridgestone denies that Kevin Butler appears in the Bridgestone commercial discussed herein and thus denies that he speaks or does anything whatsoever in the commercial."
Exactly how Sony is going to prove that the Butler character was used in the advertisement is unknown. We suspect that the fallout from this story is going to run for a while longer yet.


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About a month ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon was going to release a smartphone. As the process continues, the tech-savvies, bloggers and other experts started to speculate what will Amazon offer? Soon we were exposed to a couple of leaked photographs of the highly anticipated Amazon smartphone. And after a month, we know that the phone will make its big debut on 18th of this month.
We’ve seen the pictures, we think we know what the Amazon smartphone will look like, however, the company hasn’t confirmed any of the leaked images or the teaser. With most of the world’s population divided between Apple and Samsung, Amazon has till now successfully maintained the secrecy of the features and the looks of the phone. However, to launch a smartphone and compete against industrial giants is a huge task to undertake, and Amazon is doing its job fearlessly.
So, now we are back to the same old question, What will the Amazon smartphone offer that we haven’t already seen yet? As difficult as this question may seem to answer, the rumors regarding the device say it all. According to reports, the Amazon smartphone will not only feature a 3D interface, but also will sport multiple front facing cameras. Now, the thought of more than one secondary cameras certainly increases our level of excitement to see this device.
All The Way To 3D
When we talk about the specifications of a device, we always start with the display or the UI of the device, since it seems legit. According to the teaser video released by Amazon, the customers and potential buyers of the Amazon smartphone are dumbfounded by what they see.
Basically depicting a smartphone so much superior to others that you run out of words and let yourself admire the beauty of a gadget which is obviously stunning and gives an out of the world experience. Another clear indication that the upcoming Amazon smartphone will feature either a 3D interface or a 3D display.
We assume that the effects the people in the Amazon video experience is the same parallax effect that Apple had added in its iOS 7 for the icons, except that Amazon features a much more advanced effect.
3D but without the glasses
When we refer to the 3D interface or display, most of you may assume that it is the 3D effect we experience in Television and movie theaters. However, it is not!
One could assume, that the speculations about 3D UI refer to the eye-tracking User Interface which was confirmed by the people in the video who said “It moved with me”
Here, when you tilt the phone or your head you will feel a 3D effect of icons on your screen.
Many companies have in the past tried to develop a literally 3D technology for mobile users, however, it failed. Amazon will not make that mistake.
Gaming With 3D
Imagine how the icons move with your glare. Now, imagine how cool gaming will be with this technology. If Amazon inculcates a superior level of 3D UI in its smartphone, gamers across the world will be happy, and non-gamers would instantly find themselves addicted to games.
The 3D technology can only enhance the whole gaming experience for its users.
To Sum It Up
While an array of various features can be enhanced and simplified with the help of 3D technology, we can only enlist them all once the phone is out in the market. A numerous possibilities await as Amazon will release its smartphone on the 18th of June. The smartphones may be revolutionized with this big release.


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Blizzard has announced that Mists of Pandaria, the fourth commercial expansion pack for World of Warcraft, sold 2.7 million units in its first week of sales in late September.
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Mists of pandaria
Blizzard has released the opening CGI cinematic for the upcoming MMO expansion pack World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, which will officially launch later in September.
Blizzard has announced that World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, the next expansion pack for their hit fantasy MMO, will be released on September 25th in three versions.


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Leaked images show new thinner iPad 5 (Video)
Apple's newest iPads might not be officially unveiled until Oct. 22, but thanks to a new series of leaked shots, we have a pretty good idea what they will look like.
They come courtesy of Sonny Dickson, an Apple blogger who's been very accurate in the past thanks to sources in Apple's supply chain in China.
The photos show an iPad mini that's considerably thinner than the current version, made from Apple's signature molded aluminum frame. It also depicts the new "space gray" color, which reportedly could replace the black iPad in the next iteration.
Click here to see all the photos on Dickinson's site.
Jon Xavier is Web Producer at the Business Journal. His phone number is 408.299.1826.
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Action comes after Baldwin helped launch investigation into efforts by companies to manipulate the price of asthma inhalers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called on the four biggest inhaler companies to stop unfairly locking out generics from the market and driving up the cost of inhalers for Americans. Specifically, in letters to AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Teva, Senator Baldwin called on the companies to stop improperly listing patents for inhalers in the Orange Book and stifling competition.
The Orange Book contains patent and exclusivity information for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs. When a pharmaceutical company lists a patent in the Orange Book, it can block the introduction of competing drug products for up to 30 months, including lower-cost generic alternatives. However, because listing patents in the Orange Book may delay competition for associated products, drug companies are incentivized to list as many associated patents as possible in an attempt to protect their exclusivity and delay competition that may force them to lower their prices.
“Innovative products deserve protection but, for too long, large corporations have bent the rules to unfairly protect themselves from competition and Wisconsinites have paid the price,” wrote Senator Baldwin in the letters. “While drug companies are required to list certain patents in the Orange Book, bad actors can exploit this process to inappropriately deter competition and generic drug development, leading to fewer treatment options and higher prices for consumers.”
Senator Baldwin concluded, “The price of anticompetitive behavior is ultimately paid by Wisconsinites, through higher costs, fewer treatments, and worse health. It must stop.”
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a policy statement making clear that inappropriate patent listing can be an unfair and unlawful method of competition. In November, the FTC challenged ten pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, GSK, Teva, and Boehringer Ingelheim for improperly or inaccurately listing more than 100 patents in the Orange Book.
Despite these warnings, the inhaler companies have not yet removed all of the inaccurate or inappropriately listed patents from the Orange Book. In the letters sent today, Senator Baldwin called on the companies to heed the FTC’s warning, and immediately remove these patents from the Orange Book to restore fair competition for Wisconsinites who rely on inhalers to stay well.
AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, and Teva – the four biggest manufacturers of inhalers sold in the United States – charge between $200 and $600 each for inhaler products that are typically purchased monthly. In Wisconsin, more than 500,000 people have asthma and nearly 6 percent of the population is estimated to suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
These letters come on the heels of Senator Baldwin launching an investigation into the high prices these same big drug companies charge for inhalers that 25 million Americans with asthma and 16 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rely on to breathe.
Read letter to AstraZeneca here.
Read letter to Boehringer Ingelheim here.
Read letter to GSK here.
Read letter to Teva here.


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Apple has officially announced that the App Store has hit another major milestone: 40 billion apps downloaded, of which almost half were in just 2012. With near 20 billion downloads last year, December was a blockbuster month accounting for 2 billion downloads on its lonesome, and there are currently more than 500 million active accounts, and 775,000 apps in the App Store.
40 billion apps, divided by 500 million users? That’s like 80 apps per person, isn’t it? That’s a pretty impressive amount of downloading we’re all doing.
Apple also cited that they have paid out seven billion dollars to developers, and cited a few specific apps:
In 2012, the husband and wife team at Imangi Studios saw their game Temple Run downloaded more than 75 million times; Backflip Studios and Supercell, two emerging game development studios, brought in over $100 million combined for their leading freemium titles DragonVale and Clash of Clans; and emerging services including Uber, Flipboard, HotelTonight, and AirBnB attracted millions of users on iOS. Companies including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Autodesk, Marvel and Major League Baseball continued to expand their iOS offerings, while developers like JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Interactive and Bottle Rocket Apps continued to push the boundaries of what iOS apps can do.
I just checked iTunes, and I’m personally responsible for a rather nice 222 app downloads. What’s your count?


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ASOS, the popular clothing retailer from the U.K., has been getting a lot of attention for their models lately. The brand recently started showing certain clothing items on multiple models of different shapes and sizes — demonstrating how great items can look on a wide variety of customers. And the internet has also noticed a new model on the site who is serving us melanin, curves and awesome authentic beauty. We love it!
Vivian Eyo-Ephraim is her name, and fans of the clothing retailer spotted her wearing a bold yellow string bikini while looking confident and beautiful. Eyo-Ephraim is represented by Bridge Models and got her start in modeling after applying to a model search last year.
In a statement to metro.co.uk, she said the following:
"The world is a very diverse place and it’s important that consumers see brands representing and recognising all ethnicities, shapes and sizes, we want to see ourselves represented and celebrated and recognised. I think it’s incredibly important to start re-defining what is the norm, and start celebrating our individuality. The modelling world is still so new to me, to see the amazing support and response from a job I did is just incredible, I couldn’t be more grateful to ASOS and Bridge for taking a chance on me and allowing me to show the world that everybody is beautiful, no matter what their shape, size or ethnicity."
And there's no doubt that the public is happy to see representation. This tweet from Twitter user and blogger @OmgLaLaLove got more than 32,000 likes and counting
— LaLa Love (@OmgLaLaLove) March 28, 2018
Plus size blogger @GraceFVictory praised the brand and model as well:
— Grace 🦋 (@GraceFVictory) March 29, 2018
We couldn't agree more. Kudos to ASOS for giving models of many skin tones and body types a platform. Here's to hoping more brands show consumers their favorite products on diverse bodies!


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Deutsche Bank and Rockefeller Foundation urge Obama administration to support new financing models to boost energy efficiency
The US government has been urged to support new types of financing models that encourage households and businesses to invest in energy efficiency measures, after a new report suggested building retrofits...
E-commerce giant unveils 'Shipment Zero' vision to decarbonise its delivery systems
Clean200 list shows continued strong performance of world's largest green companies against stock market benchmarks
The new Independent Group of MPs could help embed bold climate action further in the mainstream, or it could revert to tired triangulation
Liontrust's Mike Appleby argues the companies best prepared for future market turbulence are those working to make life cleaner, healthier, and safer


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Black/grey L Shoei Gt-air Wanderer Full Face Helmet on 2040-parts.com
San Bernardino, California, US
Helmets for Sale
The Hyundai ix35 makes it to a Harrods window display We’re not too sure whether we should take the news that the Hyundai ix35 will take pride of place in one of Harrods’ Brompton Road window displays is indicative of the progress Hyundai has made in the last couple of years, or it’s the new owners’ policy to show its visitors what the proletariat are driving these days. Whichever it is, there will be a top of the range Hyundai ix35 Premium in dazzling white strutting its stuff – well, sitting in the window anyway – in one of Harrods’ window displays for the whole of this week (w/b 7/6). This whole ‘Hyundai in Harrods’ is a bit of PR flim-flam to get some headlines and copy (see, it works) but it does show just how far Hyundai has come.Thu, 16 Jan 2014
DRIVERS in London are being warned to look out for unofficial Congestion Charge websites that charge as much as a £6 premium to pay the congestion fee to drive into central London. Following an Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruling, the ASA upheld three complaints relating to the paylondoncongestion.co.uk. The ruling said this site was "likely to lead consumers to believe that the web page was an official method of paying the London congestion charge and was affiliated with Transport for London (TfL)." TfL says the case relates to just one of a number of websites that offer to pay the Congestion Charge on behalf of drivers, but these sites are not official payment channels and can charge up to £6 for the service.Fri, 08 Apr 2011
RS Academy grabs the first two BAC Monos Last month we reported on a new single-seat road car that offers more thrills than a garage full of hypercars for less than the cost of an M5 – the BAC Mono. The brothers Briggs - Briggs Automotive Company – have created the beautifully built, finished and specified Mono as the world’s only single-seat production car (well, the only one that’s actually made it in to production, anyway). Weighing no more than Kylie after a heavy diet, the Mono can scoot to 60mph in just 2.8 seconds before running out of steam somewhere around 170mph.


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Starkey Opens First-Ever Office in Barcelona, Spain
Eden Prairie, Minnesota (January 20, 2022) – Starkey, the largest American-owned hearing aid manufacturer, has opened a brand-new office in Barcelona, Spain. The new facility is located on the 27th floor of the Torre Glòries building – a 38 story skyscraper which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona.
"We are excited to continue the expansion of Starkey’s global footprint with our newest facility in Spain,” said Brandon Sawalich, President and CEO of Starkey. “The new team brings a deep knowledge of the hearing healthcare industry, as well as expertise in customer service and operations, that will help drive shared success with our customers in the Spanish market for years to come."
With more than 10 years of sales and marketing experience leading teams within the medical device industry, the new facility is led by General Manager Jokin Garmendia. Luis Sanz has also joined the team as Regional Business Development Director. Sanz has over 20 years of experience in the hearing healthcare industry and has held chief executive and other executive-level positions within wholesale and retail hearing healthcare organizations. With over 30 years of industry experience, Salvador Conde serves as Sales Representative for the team. Additionally, Suyin Aranibar is the Office Manager for Starkey Spain. In this role, Aranibar is a member of the Spain wholesale team and assists the new facility with administration, operation, and commercial support.
"Starkey Spain continues to enthusiastically support our manufacturing, distribution, and clinical partners, while taking our operations to the next level,” said Thorsten Quaas, Vice President of European Sales at Starkey. “With our own facility in Barcelona, we not only offer the latest, most advanced hearing aids available to the Spanish market, but we also are able to ensure hearing healthcare professionals continue to play a key role in the patient’s hearing loss journey."
To learn more about Starkey, please click here.
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Owned by Bill Austin since 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey has more than 5,000 employees, operates 28 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.


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US PVC output and exports rise in May: ACC
PVC exports from the US climbed around 3% year over year to 405.123 million pounds (about 183,760 tons) in May from 393.394 million pounds (about 178,440 tons) in the same month of the previous year. The US domestic sales, meanwhile, rose around 8.5% from a year earlier to 908.934 million pounds (about 412,285 tons) in May, representing almost the highest level seen since October 2014.
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Continues to contribute positively to Sri Lanka amidst unprecedented challenges
The Board of Directors of Nestlé Lanka today, 20 February 2023, approved results for the fourth quarter and full year ended 31 December 2022. Sharing his thoughts on the results, Mr. Jason Avanceña, Managing Director of Nestlé Lanka said “It gives me immense pride to witness the performance of the company during 2022, which was perhaps one of the most challenging years in Nestlé Lanka’s 115-year long journey in Sri Lanka.
I am pleased to say that our team, as well as our stakeholders across and beyond the value chain, demonstrated exemplary perseverance and agility in the face of ever-changing challenges, leveraging our deep understanding of Sri Lankan consumers to ensure continued supply of high-quality nutritious products, which are also good for the planet, no matter the circumstances. Reinforcing our commitment and positive contribution to Sri Lanka and its people, we achieved strong broad-based growth across all our business units during the fiscal year ended 31 December 2022.
Accordingly, the company reported a growth of 62.3%, which was driven by necessitated pricing to protect profitability amidst unprecedented cost increases. Positive volume growth in H1/Q3 slowed down in Q4 due to lower spending by consumers driven by high inflationary pressures. The company also recorded a 76.8% growth in its export business, contributing much-needed foreign currency to the economy through its exports to over 55 countries across the globe.
Net profit increased by 14% as compared to the last fiscal year; however, net profit as a percentage of sales is lower by 3.5%, which was impacted due to exchange losses including unrealised exchange losses on the Intra Group loan obtained to ensure business continuity and increased corporate tax rates for H2, 2022. Overall operation and profitability were challenged by the significant rupee depreciation coupled with currency shortages, inflation, higher commodity and logistics costs, and changes in import regulations.
Nevertheless, I am happy to note that these challenges were mitigated by taking measures such as optimization of the value chain and product portfolio through localization and cost efficiencies where possible, driving exports and effective utilisation of forex. This noteworthy performance in 2022 was complemented by our continued, unwavering efforts towards doing good for families, communities, and the planet, irrespective of the challenging socio-economic circumstances that prevailed.
I am delighted that we took strides in our commitment of doing good for Sri Lanka, whilst also furthering our investments with the hope of amplifying our contribution towards the country in the years to come. 2/2 As a company that has stood by its stakeholders through good and trying times for over 115 years, we embarked on a series of projects to give back to communities in this hour of need.
These efforts included distributing ‘Nestlé Care Packages’ to over 3,500 staff attached to the company’s value chain partners and over 240 stakeholders in our dairy value chain as well as collaborations with SOS Children’s Villages Sri Lanka and Sarvodaya Shramadhana Movement to help those in need navigate through volatilities. Further, reaffirming our steadfast commitment towards Sri Lanka, we invested over Rs. 2 billion in our state-of-the-art factory in Kurunegala by building a new Vacuum Band Dryer. Aimed at expanding the capacity of our manufacturing facility for malted food – i.e., Nestlé Nestomalt and Nestlé Milo, this investment further strengthens our efforts of positively impacting Sri Lanka and its people.”
Financial Highlights – Full Year 2022 • Total Sales of Rs. 73,707 million • Domestic Sales Growth at 59.1% • Profit from Operations at 16.5% • Net Profit of Rs. 6,076 million • Contribution to exchequer of Rs.11,152 million Dividend
The Board of Directors have declared an interim dividend of Rs. 55 per share on 20 February 2023 and have also proposed a final dividend of Rs. 75 per share for the year ended 31 December 2022; subject to approval by the shareholders at the upcoming Annual General Meeting. Part of this will be paid out of 2022 profits and the balance through previous years’ retained earnings.
Photo : Mr. Jason Avanceña, Managing Director, Nestlé Lanka


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Consumers who buy Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance would just as soon minimize their level of skin in the game.
Analysts at Mark Farrah Associates have published data supporting that conclusion in their latest review of Medigap issuer financial statement filings.
The analysts found that the number of people with Medigap coverage increased to 10.5 million by the end of 2013, up 3.8 percent from the total recorded a year earlier.
In an effort to reduce consumer confusion and help consumers compare plans when shopping, Congress requires Medigap issuers to sell standardized packages designated by letters.
The percentage of the enrollees who are using Plan F — the most comprehensive package — increased to 52 percent in 2013, from 50 percent in 2012.
The plans generated $24 billion in premium revenue and had a total loss ratio of 76.9 percent, down from 78.2 percent in 2012.
Mark Farrah analysts say the drop may be due to the removal of prescription drug benefits from the list of benefits that Medigap plans can offer.


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- Average freight rates at Hapag-Lloyd rose almost 5% year-over-year in the first half of 2019, reaching a rate of $1,071 per TEU amid growing shipment volumes, according to the container line's recent earnings report.
- The higher rates, along with increased shipping volumes, contributed to a "solid first half of 2019," CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said in a statement. Revenue rose 7% from the first half of 2018 to the first half of 2019 when measured in U.S. dollars, according to slides released with its earnings.
- Habben Jansen said the positive results for the German container line mean its outlook for the remainder of the year is unchanged "even if we have to deal with more trade restrictions and see increasing geopolitical risk."
Market demand largely dictates ocean freight rates on particular trades. Hapag-Lloyd saw higher transport volumes in the first half of 2019 on Atlantic, Transpacific, Far East, Latin America and EMAO (Europe - Mediterranean - Africa - Oceania) routes, and in turn, higher freight rates and revenue on all of these trades.
While Hapag-Lloyd did not directly state reasons for the increased volume and demand, the Transpacific trade as a whole saw volume spikes in late 2018 and early 2019, coinciding with the timing of tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods from China.
That rush to import goods led to a "surge in freight rates," according to an analysis from Drewry, leaving U.S. importers paying a premium for shipments to avoid tariffs. Data from Freightos also shows a significant spike in rates globally, beginning around September 2018, when the U.S. announced tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods from China.
With the latest announcement of 10% tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports, Drewry anticipates another "brief spike" in Transpacific freight rates this month.
Geopolitics greatly influence global trade demand and can be a large source of risk for container lines that rely on trade flows for business. Hapag-Lloyd's current forecast accounts for the increased tariff rate, from 10% to 25%, on list three ($200 billion of imports from China), along with uncertainties around Brexit. The container line's earnings report did not mention the latest U.S. tariff announcement of 10% tariffs on the remaining $300 billion worth of imports from China.
"The risks listed may have a negative impact on transport volumes, freight rates and costs and consequently have a negative impact on earnings," Hapag-Lloyd said in its report.
Other carriers have expressed similar concerns about the global trade environment. In February, Maersk executives said uncertainty in U.S.-China trade negotiations, Brexit and Europe-U.S. discussions could cause their predictions of 2% volume growth to go awry.
While both carriers are standing by their initial guidance and outlooks, both have also acknowledged the volatility in the market could change the course of ocean freight at any point.
"The existing global macroeconomic uncertainties and ongoing stiff competition could have a significant negative impact on the development of transport volumes and freight rates again in 2019," Hapag-Lloyd said.


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Inventive, produce-driven eatery Pinbone will close the doors on its Jersey Road life on August 2 after a mutual agreement with the venue’s owners. Head chefs Jemma Whiteman and Mike Eggert, and manager Berri Eggert, will look for a new space after a short break.
The Woollahra space, owned by James Hird, Todd Garratt and Traci Trinder of Vincent and Wine Library, will likely be sold. The Pinbone team had the option of buying but they decided instead to move on. “We don’t feel like we’re closing or shutting, just moving. We’re really excited about it, actually. It will be a kind of holiday for us,” says Mike. He says the trio will stay together for their next venture, which will be a very similar concept. “The three of us started Pinbone. We have no plans for changing the format, we work really well together.”
After running Wednesday - Saturday dinners and an exceptional Sunday brunch service, Eggert says they are now thinking of splitting the business across two sites; a cafe and a restaurant. While team has a few ideas for what to do next, nothing is set in concrete.
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Eggert says he’d like to incorporate a bar into the new venue. “One of the things we wanted to do from the get-go was a bar vibe, but we couldn’t get that loose-and-fun bar feel at the space.” This idea may extend to running a New York-style bar serving cocktails for breakfast. Eggert says he was inspired by a trip to NY that included many a morning Pickleback chased with coffee. While this kind of culture doesn’t exist in Sydney yet, Mike Eggert would love to be the one to introduce it. “It would be the demise of the Sydney breakfast.”
Pinbone will close on August 2.


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The Luxemburgish company Boothted offers a multimedia and multi-functional stand to companies looking for visibility during conferences, trade shows and online concerts.
Many virtual event platforms have emerged and developed at high speed during the pandemic. Following the example of Zoom, Teams, and Webex, Boothted is certainly the least known amongst them.
The concept was born last February. At the time, Peter Poehle and Gilles Poulles have been running a marketplace site dedicated to event sponsorship since 2014: SponsorMyEvent. The application connects event organizers – concerts, trade shows, conferences… – with companies that wish to participate as sponsors.
Better known in the United States than in Europe, the company already claims more than 60,000 event organizers and sponsors who have used its services. “It is to the event industry what booking.com is to the hotel-industry,” shared Peter Poehle, CEO of the startup.
With the health crisis and the end of physical events temporarily looming, its two creators are looking for niches and solutions adapted to the new needs of companies.
Hence the idea of virtual sponsorship, which would give small companies in particular the opportunity to integrate virtual sponsorship stands at webinars and online events- a feature other platforms do not provide.
“The stand does not always belong to the event organizer. Sponsors can keep it and reuse it for other virtual events.”
A booth of your own
In the meantime, the initial idea evolved into a booth concept, which offers companies the opportunity to create their own virtual booth, for each of the events they wish to sponsor.
The goal is to give visibility to these companies, offering them functionalities to promote their brands, products and services during these virtual and hybrid sessions.
“Unfortunately, many events simply don’t provide such solutions,” said Peter Poehle. “Boothted is modular and scalable: virtual booths can host and organize webinars, conferences, tradeshows, workshops and include live streams, encrypted chats, downloadable resources such as videos, flyers, playlists… Sponsors can also integrate their marketing material.”
The architecture of the infrastructure is open and can host other applications, video conferencing platforms, social media, as well as statistics or translation modules. The system is interactive: during the event, visitors can “walk around” in the virtual booths, attend conferences, meet and network with the actors present…
“The stand does not always belong to the event organizer,” Poehle continues. “Also, sponsors can keep it and reuse it for other virtual events. Organizers can also add new booths and interconnect them as the event unfolds”.
Boothed recently organized a press conference for a Luxembourg consulting firm, filming the speakers on site and broadcasting it as a livestream for journalists.
For international meetings and conferences, the startup also offers a meeting livestreaming, which includes simultaneous translation by interpreters.
The stand should soon include an additional video chat function, say its designers.
Peter Poehle (CEO) and Gilles Poulles (CTO) have been working together since 2006. In 2014, the two serial entrepreneurs launched SponsorMyEvent.com, a virtual marketplace for event organizers and sponsors.