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At full build-out, Bell Works is projected to have more than 100,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and amenity space around what will become an indoor, urban-style promenade. — Courtesy: Somerset Development
By Joshua Burd
It had been the ultimate “chicken or the egg” question for Ralph Zucker since 2008, when Somerset Development first showed an interest in repositioning the iconic Bell Labs campus.
Both retailers and office tenants would be key to transforming the building into a bustling, urban-style campus within suburban Holmdel, but which of the two groups would come first?
Zucker and his team got their answer last year, when a flurry of large, high-profile le leases helped fill roughly 70 percent of the available office space at what is now called Bell Works.
Suddenly, he said, the retailers that had been “looking and picking at the edges” are eager to seal the deal.
“Now you walk into the building and you see all of the different spaces being built out — over 600,000 square feet under construction, as we speak,” Zucker said. “So I guess the chicken was the office and retail is the egg, but now the egg is hatching and it’s really taking off.”
With at least 6,000 daily office workers set to occupy the building by next year, the effort to bring a distinctive mix of retailers, services and dining options to Bell Works is now well underway. That mix includes everything from a florist and a beauty salon to a 24-hour health club and an urgent care center, offerings that will serve both office tenants at the building and residents from the surrounding communities.
Led by brokers with Colliers International, the retail team had received commitments or was in the later stages of negotiations with about a dozen operators through mid-March.
Zucker said the building’s six-story atrium will serve as the focal point for the retail component, noting that “we were handed a great canvas by Bell Labs and (architect) Eero Saarinen.” The space is about a quarter-mile long and 100 feet wide, creating the opportunity for an expansive indoor promenade with about 100,000 square feet of total retail and amenity space.
“It’s this long, linear space covered by this incredible skylight,” said Zucker, president of Somerset Development. “And by doing what we said, which is peeling away the walls and creating retail and restaurants facing that middle core, facing that middle street, we’re really creating the heart and soul of Bell Works … that you would find in any great urban core.”
The 2 million-square-foot, glass-enclosed building, the home of groundbreaking research over more than four decades, became the largest vacant office space in the country when Alcatel-Lucent shuttered the property in 2007. Somerset acquired the site in 2013 following years of negotiations and public outreach with Holmdel residents, and the firm’s landmark redevelopment project vaulted forward last year when it attracted several large office tenants.
Chief among them was iCIMS Inc., a recruiting software provider that is relocating from Matawan and will occupy around 350,000 square feet at Bell Works. The firm is doing so with the help of a 10-year, $38 million tax credit and could ultimately have a presence of nearly 1,000 employees, the largest among more than three dozen tenants that have committed to the space.
Last month, Bell Works its newest lease, a 90,000-square-foot deal with Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, which will occupy the space starting next year.
And while the retail component is still taking shape, Somerset began to set the stage soon after closing on the property. Zucker said the firm had to gut the atrium after Lucent, which had outgrown the office space on the perimeter and on the upper floors, had filled the middle of the building with cubicles, a library and other makeshift office space.
The atrium is now expected to become a hub of experience and amenities in the new-look building, according to Nancy Erickson, an executive managing director with Colliers.
“Everything about this and Ralph’s vision is about the experience,” said Erickson, who is heading the assignment with Kelly Bayer, an associate director with Colliers.
Along with a host of other services such as child care and a pharmacy, Somerset and Colliers are also in discussions with entertainment operators, although they could not be more specific for the time being. Another offering that will anchor the space is a grand food hall in the mold of a European-style market, which could offer a half-dozen different food concepts from sushi to brick oven pizza to tapas and wine.
Above all else, Erickson said the goal is to make Bell Works “its own unique, all-inclusive” destination that is distinct from both a mall and a traditional downtown. As such, the leasing team is curating the retail space perhaps even more selectively than most properties.
“I think the difference between this and another retail operation under a roof is there will be so much more to do here,” Erickson said. “You’re going to come here for more than one reason and you’re going to come over and over again.”
That approach is critical to drawing the other key constituency for Bell Works. Along with serving the daily office population, the complex is meant to attract the tens of thousands of residents in Holmdel and the surrounding Monmouth County suburbs.
Zucker believes the building will be a welcome alternative to traditional strip mall-lined highways in the area. But more than that, he feels Bell Works can be “the heart and soul of the surrounding community because everybody has a hunger for this urban core, this Main Street.”
“There’s a lot of wealth around us and there’s a need for a place to be, because the zoning in the communities around us … has always been more focused on residential and suburban pastoral feelings,” Zucker said. “So having a core to serve those communities and serve what’s around, we see it as filling a need in a market that has the disposable income and is looking for places to go without having to go all the way to city.”
Keeping the vibe
With a growing roster of tech firms and plans that call for urban-style amenities, there’s no doubt that Bell Works will have a vibe unlike most other places in Monmouth County.
Maintaining that vibe is a top priority as Somerset Development fills out the retail space at the building.
“As individual shops come in, we’re curating and making sure to work with the different vendors that the vibe that we feel today will continue,” Zucker said. “And clearly everybody is attracted to the young entrepreneurial spirt, the tech spirit, the can-do spirit that there always was at Bell Labs and now exists at Bell Works.”
The project has a design team that includes a half-dozen architecture firms alone. Erickson said that has set the bar high for all of the operators that are being considered, for every type of business down to the bakery and the convenience store.
“Nothing is going to be straight out of a box,” Erickson said. “There will be unique design and colors that all follow the pallet that our designers at Bell Works have laid out.”


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Thank you for reading the news about 12-hour flash sale to kick-off 25th Dubai Shopping Festival and now with the details
Aden - Yasmine El Tohamy - Incredible line-up of festivities, deals announced for 25th Dubai Shopping Festival.
The countdown to one of the world's largest shopping festivals has officially begun, and as the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) prepares to launch the landmark 25th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the entire city is uniting together to create its most memorable edition yet.
A diverse DSF Calendar of Events was revealed on December 9 at a launch press conference held at Dubai Frame.
The festival will open on December 26, 2019 and run until February 1, 2020, featuring 38 days packed with showstopping performances, immersive experiences and celebrations.
The first edition of Dubai Shopping Festival was launched in 1996 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The festival is known for its deals and discounts, and this year DSF will kick off with a flash sale.
12 Hour Sale
DSF will kick off in style with an exclusive 12-hour Sale at select malls, giving customers up to 90 per cent off at Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Deira, City Centre Me'aisem, My City Centre Barsha and City Centre Al Shindagha. Running from midday to midnight on December 26, this year will see 25 winners take home Dh10,000 vouchers to be spent at Majid Al Futtaim malls.
From January 2-26, 2020, shoppers are encouraged to be on alert for daily surprise deals over 25 days.
Deals are announced 24 hours in advance for one brand at one location.
Anyone who purchases an Emirates economy class ticket to Dubai from now until February 1, 2020 with a return journey between December 26, 2019 and February 5, 2020, will enjoy an extra 10-kilogram baggage allowance for all their DSF shopping purchases on the return trip home.
This offer is limited to certain countries. Visit www.mydsf.ae for more details.
These were the details of the news Dubai - 12-hour flash sale to kick-off 25th Dubai Shopping Festival for this day. We hope that we have succeeded by giving you the full details and information. To follow all our news, you can subscribe to the alerts system or to one of our different systems to provide you with all that is new.
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Sega wants you to know about its multiplayer classes in Aliens: Colonial Marines. This shooter from Borderlands creator Gearbox Software received a new trailer where we can see the different traits of each type of character. Aliens will have several kinds of xenomorphs, such as one that can crawl on different surfaces, hang upside down ..
We already know that the next Playstation console will be announced later this month. Now we know some of the details that will come out of the announcement. If you’ll recall, a while back we reported on some rumors about what the console would include. Those have yet to be confirmed or denied, but this ..
As always, we have more indie deals, such as the latest from Indie Royale. They launched their Evolved Bundle, which we can once more highly recommend. It features 5 titles, 4 of which are redeemable through Steam. We’ll list these 4 first in the list below: Unmechanical The Path Krater Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory OIO ..
We received an announcement for a game called Special Forces: Team X that you’ll want to keep an eye on. It will land on Xbox 360 and PC later this year. The pitch is fairly straight forward: In the near future, power will be distributed to those that employ special armies sneakily in the best ..
It has yet to be officially confirmed, but it looks like we’re going to find out what Sony has up its sleeve with the Playstation 4 very soon. Sony has sent out press notices for an event on February 20th to announce the future of Playstation. That future, of course, will likely entail the Playstation ..


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Clint Dempsey To Feature On FIFA 15 North American Cover
North American gamers will finally see a USA soccer star after 3 years feature on the official EA Sports FIFA 15 cover alongside Argentina and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
Keeping up the trend of years gone by, Electronic Arts stated that they’ll be revealing each star to join Messi in their respective territories and country’s over time. The North American cover is the first of many to be unveiled in the weeks ahead. Last year Manchester United and Mexico striker Javier Hernández joined Messi, but now it’s been taken over by Dempsey for this years installment.
Dempsey will be in his United States Of America kit for the Sony PlayStation 4 and PS3 version, and in his Seattle Sounders FC kit for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 cover version as seen above. The news came to light as Tottenham Hotspurs played the Seattle Sounders in a pre-season friendly.
The last time a US football player featured on a FIFA front cover was back with FIFA 12, when Landon Donovan joined England and Man Utd striker Wayne Rooney. Dempsey who’s now 31 years of age has earned his way to the FIFA 15 cover due to his impressive performances in the 2014 World Cup with the USA, and basically being their best player in their entire team.
FIFA 2015 will be packed with loads of brand new visuals and you can check out all the latest news regarding the upcoming footie simulator by clicking on our tag or category pages to find more content to read and watch stunning videos in super HD.


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July 22, 2020
Dodge and Ram rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the 2020 J.D. Power APEAL Study™, reversing last year’s finish order among mass-market brands. The Dodge result is historic because it marks the first time a domestic brand has earned top spots in the APEAL Study and J.D. Power’s IQS, in the same year.
June 11, 2020
"Built to Serve Edition" Ram trucks honor five branches of the United States armed forces. This second installment offers a nautical-inspired theme with both Ceramic Gray and Patriot Blue exterior colors offered along with a black interior with Light Ambassador Blue accent stitching.
April 6, 2020
The Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 were recognized by IHS Markit for having the highest model loyalty in the pickup segment for the 2019 calendar year. Chrysler Pacifica earned honors in the van segment and Jeep® Grand Cherokee in the SUV segment. Of the 15 category winners, FCA had the most vehicles taking the top spot in their respective segments with three awards.
March 18, 2020
Ram today unveiled the 2020 Ram 1500 Laramie Southwest Edition, a new luxury trim aimed at the largest truck-buying region in the world. The Ram 1500 Laramie Southwest Edition will be offered exclusively in Texas and neighboring states.
March 3, 2020
Today, Ram Truck introduced a new Snow Plow Prep package for the 2021 Ram 1500 at NTEA's The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Snow Plow Prep package includes 220-amp alternator, wiring for snow plow and rear power-sliding window with defroster.
February 19, 2020
The Jeep® Gladiator and Ram 1500 have been named to Autotrader’s 10 Best Car Interiors Under $50,000 for 2020 list.
February 6, 2020
MotorWeek has named the Ram 1500, Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 as the recipients of its 2020 Driver’s Choice Award for Best Pickup Truck. Every year for the last 39 years, MotorWeek has paused half way through its television season to evaluate the best cars and trucks of the year from a buyer’s point of view.
February 6, 2020
Kelley Blue Book has named the 2020 Jeep® Wrangler, Jeep Gladiator, Ram 1500 and Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty pickups winners of its Best Resale Value Awards. For the ninth consecutive year, Kelley Blue Book has named the Jeep Wrangler to its Top 10 list and Wrangler has captured a segment award for the 10th consecutive year.
January 14, 2020
The Car Connection has named the Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 as Best Minivan, SUV and Pickup Truck to Buy for 2020, respectively. The editors of The Car Connection drove more than 100 new vehicles before arriving at each winner.
January 14, 2020
Cars.com has named the Ram 1500 its 2020 Luxury Car of the Year. This is the first time a truck has won the Luxury Car of the Year award from Cars.com.
December 11, 2019
Edmunds has named the Ram 1500 as its Top Rated Truck for 2020. The Edmunds Top Rated awards include seven categories and recognize overall excellence in the market today.
December 4, 2019
The Chrysler Pacifica and Ram 1500 are celebrating Consumer Guide® Automotive Best Buy Awards in the Minivan and Large Pickup categories, extending impressive win streaks in their respective segments.
November 21, 2019
Green Car Journal has named the Ram 1500 as its 2020 Green Truck of the Year™. The announcement was made today at the 51st annual San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas.
November 21, 2019
Car and Driver has named the 2020 Jeep® Gladiator and the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel to its combined “10Best Cars and Trucks” list as the winners in the Mid-Size Pickup category and the Full-Size Pickup truck category, respectively.
November 20, 2019
The 2020 Ram 1500 earned top honors as the Truck of Texas at the annual Texas Truck Rodeo, hosted by the Texas Automotive Writers Association (TAWA). Ram Truck won every category the brand entered, securing eight awards, the most of any brand at the event. In addition to Jeep® Wrangler winning Off-Road SUV of Texas for the 10th year in a row, the 2020 Jeep Gladiator won Mid-Size Truck of Texas, and the Jeep Renegade captured Sub-compact SUV of Texas.
November 19, 2019
U.S. News & World Report has named Ram Truck the Best Truck Brand for 2020. The Best Vehicle Brand awards, evaluating 35 brands, recognizes industry-wide excellence for cars, SUVs, trucks and luxury vehicles.
November 6, 2019
Each of the five U.S. military service branches will be honored by Ram with two specially selected exterior paint colors that evoke the spirit, the mission and history of that service. Ram will roll out the first of the "Built to Serve Edition" trucks in November, coinciding with Veterans Day. A new "Built to Serve Edition" model, representing another one of America's land, air or sea-based military branches, will launch approximately every three months.
October 16, 2019
Ram Truck unveiled today the 2019 Ram 1500 Classic Warlock Mojave Sand Package, which includes a sport performance hood, black-painted 20-inch aluminum wheels and Mojave Sand exterior color.
October 7, 2019
Ram’s half-ton EcoDiesel will be rated at 32 mpg highway, 22 mpg city for 4x2 models; 29 mpg highway, 21 mpg city for 4x4 models. Ram 1500’s unsurpassed 29 mpg highway fuel economy rating for 4x4 models is significant in that 4x4 models represent more than 80 percent of the U.S. full-size truck mix.
September 26, 2019
Ram Truck today unveiled a new 1500 Limited Black Edition and Heavy Duty Big Horn and Laramie Night Editions at the State Fair of Texas. These new models will offer truck buyers an even wider selection of exterior appointments and content for even greater personalization.
2021 Ram 1500
2020 Ram 1500
2019 Ram 1500 Classic
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December 19th, 2005, 17:56 Posted By: wraggster
Okay, so we're as surprised to see the sun come up this morning as we are to read a Mario Kart game is underway for Nintendo Revolution. But everything doesn't have to be a surprise, does it? We were very pleased to see the sun come up this morning actually. It meant our evening of lying under the covers in a cold sweat, again sure that the world was about to come to an end was over, the warm rays heating our souls as we sat around fashionable Wakefield brunch outlets mulling the papers over a game of Mario Kart online.
And there folks, is the seamless link to the crux of this news piece – Mario Kart – and specifically its now confirmed existence for Nintendo's Revolution.
In an interview with Nintendo Power, NOA's bellow-level marketing pamphlet, MKDS producer Hideki Konno explains the progress of the series.
“We're doing a lot of experiments right now with the Revolution controller and obviously with the direct pointing device (DPD) and its ability to track movement and distance,” he said. “You know, that's huge, because that's a brand-new thing that we've never seen before in any controller. Trying to envision all the different things we could do with that motion sensor, that DPD, is a little mind-boggling. As you know, Mario Kart has appeared on all of Nintendo's platforms so far, and I think it's done its job on the DS, or at least I hope it will with what's new. So the next logical step, of course, is the Revolution. Really what we hope to do is continue to bring new and creative things to the franchise that appeal not only to our established user base, but also bring new people into the game.”
That'll do for us. Expect to see something of the Mario Kart line up alongside a whole bunch of Nintendo first-party offerings at next year's E3, somewhat terrifyingly, only six months away.
For more information and downloads, click here!
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Glencore's Boost for Zinc Prices Fizzles After Less Than a Monthby and
Output cuts by biggest producer fail to counter China slowdown
Metal had largest price gain since 1980s, then gave it all up
After its biggest leap since at least the 1980s, zinc has tumbled back down to earth.
It jumped more than 10 percent after Glencore Plc, the biggest miner of the metal used to galvanize steel, said Oct. 9 the company would cut production by about a third rather than sell it cheaply. Less than a month has passed and prices are back where they began.
"Here we are a few weeks later and we’ve pretty much erased all those gains,” Mike Dragosits, a senior commodity strategist at TD Securities in Toronto, said by phone.
Zinc for delivery in three months fell 0.5 percent to $1,675.50 a metric ton at 3:40 p.m. on the London Metal Exchange, little changed from $1,667 at the Oct. 8 close. Prices rose as much as 12 percent Oct. 9, the biggest advance since at least 1989, with Glencore’s announcement suggesting more producers may curb supply.
Zinc has fallen 23 percent this year as slowing Chinese economic growth hurts demand. China’s factory gauges signaled Monday that manufacturing still hasn’t bottomed out.
"For now, all the headlines are all quite negative and the sentiment is still certainly quite negative for China,” Dragosits said. “That’s impacting the price action we’ve seen ever since that zinc production cut headline from Glencore.”
Baar, Switzerland-based Glencore, up 2.4 percent on Tuesday, has declined 15 percent since reaching an intraday high of 139.70 pence on the day of its announcement. The company has lost 60 percent of its market value this year.
Chief Executive Officer Ivan Glasenberg, after repeatedly criticizing competitors for not curbing supplies of raw materials such as iron ore even as prices slump, has seen some rivals gain from his company’s boost to zinc prices but decline to cut their own output.
Vedanta Resources Plc said it would maintain its low-cost production of the metal, as well as continue with its plans for a $630 million zinc development in South Africa. "You saw Glencore’s announcements reacting to that lower price, which I believe was rational," CEO Tom Albanese said last month. "By keeping our zinc production at a lower cost than the prevailing market price, it’s equally rational to continue to produce our zinc at capacity."
More capacity shutdowns are probably needed to tighten the market, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Oct. 16. While the bank closed a short-trade recommendation last week, it kept its bearish outlook for prices into the first quarter of 2016. Refined zinc production will exceed demand this year and in 2016, according to ICBC Standard Bank Plc.


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Sweet potato farmers in Bomet County would soon start selling their value-added produce abroad after the county government secured market in Britain.
Acting County Agribusiness Executive Beatrice Kirui, who recently attended an exhibition in the country, disclosed that they have market to sell the bread.
Ms Kirui recounted that she carried 60 loaves baked from the sweet potato flour to the exhibition, which were sold out.
“I was given order to supply 300 loaves every week. They will raise the number to 1,000 later.”
Currently, more than 5,000 farmers are planting sweet potatoes in parts of Bomet East and Sotik sub counties and the entire Chepalungu sub county. Some 250 acres, in total, are under the crop, with Ms Kirui appealing to farmers to expand the acreage.
“Because of the diminishing land size, most farmers have planted the crop on an average of quarter-acre for commercial purposes.”
The Bomet Cooperative Union runs the sweet potato bakery in Bomet town, which was financed by the county government to a tune of Sh5 million.
ALTERNATIVE FOOD CROPS
The milling plant also makes pans, flour, porridge, queen cakes and cakes on orders.
Farmers produce at least 750,000kg of the produce every three months.
Ms Kirui said farmers have gone for alternative food crops in the wake of the maize lethal necrosis disease, which has ravaged thousands of acres for the last five seasons.
Governor Isaac Ruto said his government is exploring ways of securing markets for tea, millet, onions, coffee and peas.


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Founded by Alibaba owner and Chinese businessman Jack Ma, Ant Group is allegedly retreating from the $100 million fund when the crypto venture funding landscape is experiencing a sharp downturn. Data indicates that crypto startup funding slid to its lowest since 2020 in the second quarter.
In a recent turn of events, Ant Group, a Chinese financial technology giant, reportedly decided to divest its $100 million investment in A&T Capital, signaling a retreat from the volatile crypto sector.
Ant Group’s move comes only about six months after Yu Jun’s resignation from A&T Capital. Yu Jun was a crucial player in establishing A&T, even contributing vastly to the network’s efforts to expand offshore. The crypto KOL and former exec at OKX resigned from A&T Capital after allegations were lodged against him about sexual misconduct.
On Sept. 8, the Chinese fintech giant Ant Group unveiled a finance-specific AI model and initiated testing for consumer and professional applications for the product. This was At Group’s move into the competitive AI world, with more than 130 other companies in China introducing similar models.
A&T Capital was founded in 2021 and has since been a top player in crypto markets, investing in startups such as digital asset lender Matrixport and Ethereum software maker ConsenSys.
Your perspective matters. Share it with us in the comments.


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The new HTC One is about to be announced this Tuesday in a New York City announcement. And it seems like the smartphone could be available immediately after it is announced, if this new leak is any indication. The leak suggests that the handset could be available for purchase at 1PM EST on March 25. The leak comes from a Verizon store which revealed a brochure of the new smartphone yesterday.
Considering that the HTC announcement kicks off at 11AM EST, it’s evident that Verizon and HTC is hinting at immediate availability, much like UK retailer Carphone Warehouse announced earlier this week. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re guessing it will be the standard $199.99 with a two year contract and under $700 off contract. The time is not far away for the launch of the new HTC One, so we’ll keep you in the loop with any information on the new flagship.
The smartphone is expected to feature a 5 inch 1080p display, a quad core Snapdragon 801 chipset, the Duo Camera on the back, and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Via: Android Central


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News By Tag
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Leda Security Products Securabike Goes Global
Park your bike on a rack in Australia and chances are it's from the Securabike range.Securabike is made by company Leda Security Products P/L of Australia and it's been installing tens of thousands of racks.Rails,cages and lockers for over 15 years.
By: Richard Matthews
Securabike stands to gain from the projected rise in bicycle sales of 6% year on year (Global Industry Analysts, Inc) and the associated demand for bicycle infrastructure. “Our bicycle parking division has maintained the strongest growth of all our divisions and even grew during the GFC,” reports Leda's CEO and keen cyclist Richard Matthews. Mr Matthews added that bicycle parking was the main focus of the companies China operations.
In April 2012, Leda report they will release a new 100 page bicycle parking handbook with new and expanded sections for domestic racks, signage, stencils, shelters, shared cages with bag lockers and showers, shelters and more. Additionally, new web sites will allow for online sales as the company searches for distributors and cycling enthusiasts to expand end of journey facilities.
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Leda Security Products is Australia's leading specialist in Perimeter Security Solutions and traffic control systems - comprising gates, bollards, tyre spikes, road blockers, turnstiles, barriers, fencing, bicycle security & parking protection.


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Taking place this December is one of the most prestigious events in the videogame calendar, The Game Awards 2016. Celebrating everything to do with the industry, the event is set to become the most widely distributed with organiser Geoff Keighley entering into several partnerships, one being with virtual reality (VR) company NextVR.
NextVR is synonymous with live-streaming sports and other events, so the company will be using its expertise to bring the awards to VR headsets. As its done previously, NextVR will have several cameras set up at the location, situated in prime locations including the front row for users to get the best viewpoint of the proceedings. There will also be an on-stage robotic camera, built especially for the show, that’ll move around during the broadcast to continually provide new perspectives of the awards and musical performances.
The awards will also be streamed live via Twitter, Facebook Live and Tencent’s integrated internet platforms in China, including QQ.com for the first time. Chinese viewers will get the option to use WeChat, QQ.com, and Tencent News App to vote on a special “Fans Choice Award,” based on nominees selected by Tencent’s gaming editors.
“Video games have the power to unite communities from all over the world, and this year we will share the power of gaming with more people than ever before,” said Geoff Keighley, creator/producer of The Game Awards. “For 2016 we will expand our all-digital, no-friction path to global distribution through partnerships that include the first live awards show broadcast on Twitter, an initiative with Tencent to bring The Game Awards live to China, and our innovative, first of-its-kind live VR broadcast with Next VR.”
As in 2015 The Game Awards will return to web, mobile and console platforms, airing on PlayStation Network, Steam, Twitch, Xbox Live and YouTube, with highlights featured in a Snapchat Live Story.
PlayStation Network, Steam, and Xbox Live will also host The Game Awards Sale, offering fans the ability to purchase select nominated games at a discount.
For all the latest VR news on The Game Awards, keep reading VRFocus.


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Astrel Group has made corporate social responsibility a daily commitment thanks to its expertise in the field of smart electronics, efficiency and sustainability being its core values.
More opportunities for solar PV self-consumption are now available using the new Smart Relay RC for Elios4you Smart systems.
A news generation of electronic boards created with environmental sustainability and energy saving in mind.
The combination of solar PV technology and the heat pump is definitely a winning formula for energy efficiency and the use of green energy.
Modo product range offers now a brand new solution to activate whirlpool pumps and lighting in pools and SPAs with time-out function.
4-noks website has been updated with new and complete tutorials for a better use of your homegrown energy.
Interview with Mr. Corrado Marchetti – Managing Director at Astrel Group.
Pellet and smart electronics: more efficiency and comfort in heating with pellet stoves thanks to Astrel Group technologies.
The exhibition Progetto Fuoco 2018 has successfully ended: Hottoh, business unit of Astrel Group, was present with the latest solutions for pellet and biomass stoves.
Astrel Group will participate in Progetto Fuoco 2018 with the best IoT technologies for energy efficiency.


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TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.
Amazon has revealed that the 2013 holiday shopping season was their biggest to date across the board. Customers purchased more than 36.8 million items during Cyber Monday - or about 426 items every second - and Amazon sold more than a million Prime annual memberships during the third week of December.
Amazon said the Cyber Monday shopping weekend was the best ever for Kindle Fire and Kindle e-readers according to a press release from the company. And those that needed some assistance with their new device via the Mayday button only had to wait about nine seconds to get in touch with a tech advisor - pretty impressive.
Other hot items this year include the new Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles. During their respective peak sales, customers purchased more than 1,000 systems per minute. Rainbow Looms, Hot Wheels, miniature flashlights and running shoes were also well shopped for this year.
Elsewhere, Amazon said their Prime Instant Video catalog swelled from 33,000 movies and television episodes to more than 40,000 during 2013 while Amazon Instant Video now plays host to more than 150,000 titles. They still have some work to do in catching up to the popularity and offerings from rival Netflix although plans to shoot all upcoming original content in 4K Ultra HD will certainly help matters.
It wasn't all great news this holiday season, however, as the huge influx of last-minute packages being shipped meant some didn't arrive on time. Affected customers will be refunded for shipping charges and the company will also offer a $20 gift card for the inconvenience.


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Hawaii has a history of hurricanes and more are sure to come. Officials recommend preparing for disaster now by making a family emergency plan, researching hurricane insurance coverage and putting together an emergency supply kit.
Getting supplies shouldn’t be a daunting or time-consuming task. Start with a week’s worth of non-perishable food and water per person in each household.
Then, visit your local drug and hardware stores. Most hardware stores will group things together like flashlights, batteries, butane stove and butane fuel. Even a generator is available for purchase.
Recommended items to include in a basic emergency supply kit:
- One gallon of water per person per day for at least seven days for drinking and sanitation
- At least a seven-day supply of non-perishable food
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
- Can opener for food
- Local maps
It’s important that families review the list and tailor it to their location and unique needs. Individuals should also consider preparing two emergency kits — one full kit at home and a smaller portable kit for the workplace or vehicle.
If finances are tight, buy a few things at a time until your kit is complete.
Beyond the basics, consider the following: cash in case credit cards or ATMs cannot be accessed, games and puzzles for kids to pass time, solar-powered cell phone chargers, extra infant formula and pet food, and family documents stored in a portable, waterproof container.
If you have a strong home with extra room, consider letting other family and friends come over to ride out the storm.
If you feel your home is weak, there are steps you can take to protect its roof, wall and foundation. Hurricane clips can prevent your roof from blowing off during a storm, especially if you have an older home with single-wall construction.
“The idea is to take a look at your house. What you want to ensure is a continuous load path, as the engineers say, between the roof, walls and foundation,” explained former State Civil Defense vice director and disaster expert Ed Teixeira.
Hurricane clips are inexpensive — most cost under a dollar a piece — and can be found in any hardware store.
They can be installed in about three to four days, or a carpenter or contractor can do it for you.
In 2009, Teixeira, along with other state and federal agencies, completed a catastrophic hurricane plan using a grim scenario — a category 4 hurricane directly hitting Oahu with damage to Kauai and Maui counties. The consequences would be disastrous, even for basic needs like food.
“A storm like that would require government to furnish two million meals a day,” Teixeira said. “Think about that. Two million meals per day, because of the number of residents and visitors who are still here who would be affected by the storm, can’t go back to their homes, will have stay in shelters and all of that… It’s just going to take some time.”
Time we might not have when a hurricane’s sights are on Hawaii.


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- Nothing and Flipkart have posted an image showing the back of the Phone 1.
- The image indeed shows that the phone has a transparent back of sorts.
- We can also make out a dual rear camera system here.
Nothing, the new startup by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, has been incessantly teasing its upcoming Nothing Phone 1 smartphone for a while now. We got a few teaser images earlier this week, and now the company and Flipkart have revealed the back design in full.
The image (seen above) shows the rear cover of the phone in full, and it indeed looks like we’ve got a transparent back. However, the wireless charging coil looks like the main element that’s visible here. We can also spot a Nothing logo on the back of the device, although we’re not sure if this also serves a practical purpose (e.g. a magnet for accessories).
The Nothing Phone 1 render also shows a dual rear camera system with a flash and unspecified sensor next to the housing. We hope this setup consists of a main camera and telephoto or ultrawide shooter rather than a token 2MP macro camera or something similarly gimmicky.
What do you think of the Nothing Phone 1 design?
Otherwise, the phone packs flat edges along with iPhone-style antenna strips at the top and bottom. This is in line with the company’s previously teased images. Nothing also posted a video earlier this week, showing that the wireless charging coil is capable of lighting up.
Either way, it looks like the transparent back here seems less bombastic than efforts from the likes of HTC and Xiaomi in the past. Xiaomi in particular simply pasted dummy parts on the back of its Mi 8 Explorer Edition back in 2018.
Of course, the design is only one part of the puzzle. We’re still waiting for more specs to emerge, and we’re sure Nothing will post a drip-feed of information in the lead-up to the July 12 event.
What do you think of the Nothing Phone 1 design though? Let us know via our poll above.


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NEW YORK — According to Deloitte’s 2010 Consumer Food Safety Survey, while 90% of consumers felt that food-related recalls are on the rise or on par compared with findings from Deloitte’s 2008 Consumer Food Safety Survey, fewer people seem to be anxious about them.
The number of consumers concerned about the quality of food they eat decreased 17% from 2008 to 65% in 2010, the results showed.
Three-quarters of those surveyed felt that the manufacturers/food companies are responsible for communicating product recall information, followed closely by government organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration at 73%, while expectations from retailers and the media were lower at 53% and 51%, respectively.
“The decline in consumers’ concern for quality from our 2008 survey is due, in part, by their need to become more aware and engaged in choosing the products they buy,” said Pat Conroy, Deloitte’s vice chairman and U.S. consumer products practice leader. “Consumers view food safety and quality as important issues, and are looking to manufacturers, food companies and government regulatory bodies to drive communication, as well as tackle food quality and safety issues.”
Half of those surveyed said the new country-of-origin labels help in determining which fresh meat, fish, fruit or vegetables to purchase, and 45% said they would like to find out the country of origin on a website for all ingredients in a packaged/bottled food product. This may become of increasing importance to consumers, since the survey found that more than half (53%) of consumers frequently or always read the list of ingredients on an unfamiliar packaged or bottled food item, up from 50% in 2008.
Read More of Today's Headlines


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Experience design agency Imagination has introduced Ford’s new all-electric Explorer SUV with a brand-first digital driving experience to set a new standard for brand experience in the automotive industry.
The interactive campaign saw Imagination flip the traditional in-person car reveal on its head and produce an immersive virtual event for the vehicle’s unveiling.
Powered by pixel-streaming technology from gaming platform Unreal Engine, Imagination created a high-fidelity virtual world to generate a hyperreal digital environment for an interactive metaverse experience. The virtual technology allows consumers to test drive a product that doesn’t yet exist, from the comfort of their home.
Peter Zillig, Marketing Director, Ford in Europe, said: “The reveal of the new electric Explorer SUV is a milestone moment in our journey to an all-electric future in Europe, featuring cutting-edge Hollywood-style CGI and a pixel-streamed virtual test drive. It is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for us to create meaningful connections with potential customers.”
The launch will take place in three stages, having begun on 21 March with a live seven-minute virtual reveal on LinkedIn featuring photoreal CGI content starring Lexi “Limitless” Alford, the youngest person to travel to every country in the world..
Watch the virtual reveal here
Stage two has seen viewers gain the opportunity to get behind the wheel themselves in an immersive Virtual Test Drive to get to know the car through interactive participation.
Try the virtual test drive here
Imagination will seek to capitalise on the momentum gained from the first two stages by sharing content across Ford’s social channels encouraging people to visit its website to book reservations to drive the physical car once it’s available.
James Keane, Creative Director, Imagination, added: “When we were asked to support the reveal of the new all-electric Explorer SUV, we knew we had to deliver something that hasn’t been done before, and at scale, to create a lasting impact. Our digital launch has demonstrated Ford’s vision for the industry and resonates with its European brand narrative.”


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California-based Foothill Entertainment and New York’s Sockeye Media are partnering to co-develop and co-executive produce a CGI-animated version of the Mother Goose Club series for the global marketplace.
Sockeye’s Mother Goose Club preschool property is a YouTube mainstay, with its channel garnering more than six billion views to date.
The new 52 x 11-minute series will reimagine Mother Goose Club’s six main characters in CGI-animation with a story-driven narrative. The series is in development for a 2017/2018 delivery.
The growing Mother Goose Club brand includes hundreds of live-action and animated videos currently available on YouTube, as well as original songs, an app and coloring books. And in an effort to further expand the property, Sockeye has appointed Foothill Entertainment as the distributor for the Mother Goose Club.
As part of the agreement, Foothill Entertainment will present the Mother Goose Club series for the first time at next month’s MIP Junior and MIPCOM.


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Renault Samsung Motors said it had released the 2016 QM3, facilitated with the Euro 6 engine that has dramatically reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
From its enhanced gas mileage of 17.7 kilometers per liter to advanced programs including the auto stop and start system, the best-selling compact sports utility car has some of the best features in the market.
And the price is still relatively low, starting from 22.3 million won ($19,000) by the end of the year, adjusted for the individual tax discount. On top of that, the carmaker will knock another 1 million won off the price to cover registration tax until Dec. 31.
The discount program was designed to boost the sales of the already best-selling compact SUV. According to Renault Samsung, 41,651 QM3s have been sold since the vehicle’s launch in December 2013.
The QM3 is seen as an iconoclastic figure in the domestic car market: Developed in France and manufactured in Spain, the car sold by local automaker Renault-Samsung has benefits of both domestic and imported cars.
“Strongly influenced by the vivid exterior of a European car, we provide a wide range of choice in color: from the conventional black and silver, to the conspicuous orange, fair red, ivory and others. You can also have two-tone, adjusting different colors to different parts of the body,” a Renault Samsung spokesman stated.
“But at the same time, we provide equal after-sales service fees and insurance premiums are also similar to that of a domestic car — lower than those for imported cars. This is a double benefit.”


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The Art Festival showcases some of the finest artists from the Bay Area – some returning artists as well as many new exhibitors. We are privileged to have such a creative community in our own proverbial ‘back yard’ and we are honored to showcase them during the Vintage Festival. All of the art items available at the Vintage Festival are handmade by the artist – no kits or items made from kits are permitted. Fine art and craftsmanship in wood, ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, paper, mixed media, textiles, oil, watercolor, photography, and prints will be on display Saturday and Sunday in Sonoma Plaza.
To become a vendor at the 2020 Festival, click here.


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UK based SMEs leave traditional marketing behind in favour of digitalPushON | May 15th 2013
UK SMEs are leaving traditional marketing strategies behind and are instead choosing digital marketing channels. That is according to research from Pitney Bowes.
Of those businesses surveyed, 26 per cent are spending only 10 per cent of their marketing budget on traditional, non-digital, marketing activities, with 22 per cent claiming they spend nothing at all on traditional marketing.
Small businesses appear to have embraced digital marketing the most, with 54 per cent claiming they prefer online and mobile marketing as ways to develop their business.
Traditional strategies are suffering at the hands of digital marketing. Printed advertising has been hit the hardest, with only 28 per cent of SMEs planning to use this again in 2013. In contrast, direct mailing is still popular, with 20 per cent of SMEs seeking to employ this in the coming year.
Whilst confidence in traditional marketing is on the wane, mobile marketing is attracting more spend. Optimised websites, mcommerce and payments and QR codes are all proving of interest to SMEs. It is expected that mobile marketing will see an increase in investment from SMEs this year.
According to Ryan Higginson of Pitney Bowes:
“Many SMEs success, and even survival, can depend on targeted, effective and easy to implement marketing that covers a multitude of channels. Offline will always play a very important role in any strategy but online has really come to the fore.”
It is clear that the future of marketing for SMEs is digital. Whilst some elements of traditional marketing will continue to exist, the main driving force is likely to be mobile.


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This post is part of the On the Margin blog.
That afternoon, it was Roark Capital Group’s turn, when it bought the 37-unit Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q.
And that would be just the beginning of what has been a busy week in the restaurant merger and acquisition market that would include just about everything: Acquisitions of chains in need of revitalization, franchisee deals, traditional next-step acquisitions and growth chain investments.
On Wednesday, Flynn Restaurant Group bought 34 Panera Bread locations, continuing a long-term trend toward larger franchisee operators.
Oh, and lest we not forget, Panera Bread Co. shareholders approved its sale to the investment firm JAB Holding.
As I write this, there are still several hours left in the day Friday for a deal to be announced that would complete the week.
That so many announcements came this week is likely coincidental, a result of the recent July 4 holiday pushing some announcements back. Yet it’s hardly a surprise to see so many deals, especially this year, which is turning out to be huge for restaurant mergers and acquisitions — which was clear would be the case back in February.
There have been more traditional deals this year, with private-equity groups buying up brands and making investments in chains wanting to take the next step in their development — following what was a record year for growth-chain investments in 2016.
To be sure, strategic buyers made their move. Restaurant Brands International bought Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. And Darden Restaurants Inc. bought Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.
And buyers are willing to pay high prices. Both JAB and RBI paid two of the highest multiples ever paid for a restaurant chain in making their deals.
Weakened chains are getting interest, too. The bankrupt Ignite Restaurant Group, owner of Joe’s Crab Shack, has attracted multiple offers. And L Catterton and Mill Road Capital both made lifeline investments in Noodles and Co.
And hundreds of franchisee locations have changed hands this year. The biggest: The sale of 194 Burger King locations to Atlanta-based operator GPS Hospitality.
We don’t think it’s over, either. Even if it was, it’s safe to say that 2017 has been big for restaurant companies changing hands.
The activity stands in contrast to the performance of the industry — a performance that continues to be weak, as evidenced by the 1 percent decline in same-store sales in June, according to Black Box Intelligence.
Still, restaurants are perceived to be safe investments. Amazon is currently ravaging all sorts of industries, and investors in companies like Costco or even Sysco are worried that it could target them.
Yet until Amazon develops the Echo Food Replicator, it is unlikely to do much to hurt restaurants. Blue Apron isn’t believed to be a serious competitor, either.
The perceived safety is luring consumer investors looking for places to put their money. Demand for growth, meanwhile, is driving demand for many of the largest deals, notably the RBI-Popeyes acquisition the Darden’s purchase of Cheddar’s — not to mention just about every franchisee deal out there.
Jonathan Maze, Nation’s Restaurant News senior financial editor, does not directly own stock or interest in a restaurant company.
Contact Jonathan Maze at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter at @jonathanmaze


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Sorry, Walmart: Catherine Plamondon says it's too little, too late. Plamondon was one of 19 people with intellectual disabilities receiving on-the-job training at Walmart stores in Quebec who saw the program cut, then reinstated, all in the past few weeks. After a wave of sharp criticism, the company reversed its decision, saying "all program participants who want to return under the same conditions that were previously available can do so." But for Plamondon, 39, who worked at a store in Shawinigan in Quebec's Mauricie region, the damage was done. She said she has no intention of going back to Walmart. "I don't want to go back. They caused us too much pain," she said.
The City of Toronto has introduced two-hour free parking along Eglinton Avenue for the duration of Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction in order to support local businesses in the area.
Dog-eared Ste-Catherine St. bookshop and comic store will end 31 years of business on July 1
The only dedicated comic book store in the Annex, Labyrinth Bookstore on Bloor, is closing, but its Oakville location is staying in business.
Taco Boyz, a P.E.I. tex-mex restaurant that launched in Charlottetown in 2014, is expanding to Fredericton, N.B., and is offering franchises.
Built it by Design, a Mississauga based contracting company, told insauga.com that it officially launched construction last week and expects to complete the project by the end of June.


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YouTube Opens Taiwan Site
Google Inc.'s YouTube said Thursday it has launched a version of the video-sharing site in Taiwan in its latest push to expand in foreign markets.
The site features locally produced content, including that from YouTube's four Taiwan media partners, China Television Co., Sanlih E-Television Co., Lion Travel Service Co. and Taiwan Broadcasting System, YouTube said in a statement.
The interface of the site, http://www.youtube.com.tw, is in Chinese.
YouTube aims to eventually launch localized sites "in every country, in every language," said YouTube's international manager, Sakina Arsiwala. She declined to give a timetable for future launches.
U.S.-based YouTube launched its first Chinese-language Web site in Hong Kong Wednesday, and recently launched local versions of the site in Brazil, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the U.K.
YouTube isn't aiming to make an immediate profit from the Taiwan Web site, Arsiwala said.
"The goal is to get more users engaging in the Web site," she said.
YouTube will adopt Google's newly developed "YouTube Video Identification" technology in its foreign-language Web sites, as well as in its main global site, said Steve Chen, the site's co-founder.
The new technology, launched Monday, is used to identify potentially copyright-infringing video content.
"We need to work with content providers to collect a database (of video clips)," Chen said.
YouTube is facing several copyright-infringement lawsuits, including a $1 billion action filed by Viacom Inc. alleging YouTube and Google passed on thousands of videos illegally copied from popular TV shows owned by Viacom.
Last year Google bought YouTube, the world's No. 1 video sharing Web site, for $1.65 billion.


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Night Curfew and Shops Timing in Punjab: Amid growing concerns over the Covid situation, the Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced stricter restrictions on movement from Tuesday onwards, advancing weekday curfew by 2 hours and a strict weekend lockdown.
The development comes at a time when the COVID situation in Punjab has affected its healthcare system.
Captain Amarinder Singh said in a tweet that the Punjab government was enforcing lockdown from 6 pm to 5 am on weekdays and a weekend lockdown that would begin at 6 pm on Friday until 5 am on Monday.
"Due to continuous and rapid rise of Covid--19 cases in Punjab, Cabinet today has decided to impose daily lockdown from 6 PM to 5 AM and weekend lockdown from Friday 6 PM to Monday 5 AM. Urge you all to stay at home & step out only if absolutely necessary. Seek your full cooperation," he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the shops in Punjab would be closed by 5 pm. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar after a cabinet meeting said that “All shops will remain open till 5 pm from Monday till Friday.”
As of now, the night curfew timings in Punjab were from 8 pm until 5 am.
In another tweet, Captain wrote: "Situation of Oxygen supply in Punjab is extremely critical due to rising Covid-19. Request Union Home Minister Amit Shah Ji and Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan Ji to urgently enhance daily quota and to ensure allotted Liquid Manufacturing Oxygen supplies are released to Punjab."
Click here to follow PTC News on Twitter


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LEGO has announced it yet but in the latest LEGO Club Magazine, there’s a little blurb about the release date of the Series 15 Collectible Minifigures (71011). As you can see below, Series 15 will be available in February along with the Series 7 LEGO Mixels, most likely on February 1st. I know people have been wondering and asking about it since they were revealed a few weeks ago. They’ve usually had a January release the past few years but LEGO has some huge releases next month including the LEGO Nexo Knights, LEGO Ghostbusters Firehouse Headquarters (75827), the Brick Bank modular building, and the rest of the winter wave sets. I have a feeling that LEGO wanted to save something for February and not overwhelm everyone next month. For people across the pond, [email protected] UK has Series 15 with a January release.
Thanks to everyone who emailed/tagged me on this piece of info.


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Irish butter manufacturer Kerrygold has announced that a number of its beloved ads will undergo a reboot guaranteed to take the people of Ireland on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
On Friday, Ireland's first €1 billion food brand revealed that its iconic television ads would be getting a 2019 makeover, presenting Irish viewers with such unforgettable lines as 'Who's taking the horse to France?' and 'Put a bit of butter on the spuds, Andre!' once more.
Today's top videos
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Kerrygold's new campaign, 'Tastes Change, Taste Never Does', will be launched across television, print and digital media from Friday November 8 until the end of December.
The campaign will seek to relive the nostalgia of the beloved originals in a new contemporary context, reinforcing the timeless quality of the Kerrygold brand through a juxtaposition of the old and new.
Speaking about the campaign, Ornua Foods International Marketing Manager Kate Saul said: 'At Kerrygold, we're extremely proud of our brand heritage and of the journey we've charted over the years, taking Kerrygold butter from humble beginnings to setting records as Ireland's first €1 billion food brand.
'In the context of this incredible achievement, we thought what better way to celebrate an incredible year for Kerrygold than by paying homage to the brand milestones along the way that have made Kerrygold butter what it is today -- an iconic Irish brand.'
Kerrygold was founded in 1962 by Anthony O'Reilly, the CEO of An Bord Bainne.
Mr. O'Reilly sought to establish a premium brand to showcase the quality of Irish milk, and Kerrygold has developed close associations for many in Ireland and overseas with its rural origins and unmistakeable taste.
The familiar golden packaging now graces the shelves of food outlets all over the world, bringing a comforting taste of home to the Irish diaspora as well as attracting international customers.


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Consumer and Marketer Trends report shows video is one of the fundamental elements in social media marketing.
The report by Animoto.com surveyed 1000 consumers and 500 marketers to help analyze how video is influencing purchaser behavior.
This was meant to help understand if marketers are actually keeping up with the constant changes and increase in “video-first landscape.”
The top three challenges marketers face when creating a video is that it’s time consuming, the tools and software can be complicated, and sometimes video is out of their budget. That is why 84% of marketers rank video creation skills important when hiring for a marketing position.
The survey showed 93% of businesses gained new customers due to video on social media. Also, 88% of marketers are satisfied with the return on marketing investment of the actual video efforts, which emphasizes the importance of video as an element of marketing.
The social media ROI showed 63% of marketers ranked video as their #1 or #2 as the type of content that gets the best return when investing in social media marketing.
The report by Animoto also showed the top three platforms for video marketing were Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
On Facebook, 81% of marketers put ads against video. On Instagram 74% of marketers posted at least two videos on Instagram stories a month. On YouTube, 70% of marketers post video to boost their brand’s social media presence.
Video content as a marketing technique has become so important due to consumers great response to it. 73% of marketers are creating at least two videos a month for social media marketing.
When comparing video, photo/graphics, blog posts, and infographics, video was the one with the #1 Social media ROI.


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Aston Martin's boss Andy Palmer refused to field questions about his future after the luxury car maker swung to a £78.8m loss in the first half and the company's shares took yet another tumble.
The loss reverses the £20.8m profit Aston made in the same period last year and marks the latest blow for the company since its disastrous flotation at the end of last year following a shock profit warning last week.
Shares plunged again as investors digested the results, falling as much as fifth before closing 12.3pc lower at 498p.
The company’s market value has fallen by more than £3bn since its initial public offering when the shares were listed at £19. There is speculation in some quarters it could...
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Apple no longer has the best-selling phone in China for the first time in five years, after it was toppled by Oppa Electronics.
The Oppa R9 managed to achieve four per cent market share in 2016, denying the US tech giant’s iPhone 6S top spot with its two per cent market share, according to Counterpoint Research.
“Apple with slowing traction for its flagship iPhone 6S during the year saw its double digit negative growth being somewhat offset by relatively healthy demand for the newer flagship iPhone 7 series in Q4 2016,” said MengMeng Zhang, research analyst at Counterpoint. “However, Apple still remains in a vulnerable position and there is higher expectation already with the next year flagship which is rumoured to be substantial upgrade from both design and components perspective.”
This is not the first example of Apple’s struggles in China. In July 2016, the iPhone maker reported a drop of 33 per cent drop in Q3 revenues, for the three months ended 25 June, year-on-year (YoY) in the East Asian country. Its misery was further compounded in October when it reported a drop of 30 per cent in Q4 revenues. Apple saw a drop from $12.5bn to $8.8bn for this period YoY.
Despite Apple’s evident struggles in the world’s second largest economy, its shipments grew six per cent YoY to 465m units for the whole of 2016 in China.


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LACONIA — The idea for one of downtown’s new businesses was inspired many years ago, when Kristin Bastille saw the 1995 film Empire Records. It wasn’t until recently, though, that she decided it was time to press play.
Bastille is the operator and one of the owners of Defiant Records and Craft Beer, which she hopes to open next week, once she gets all of her necessary licenses. The shop and taproom will be located in the Colonial Theatre building, at the corner of Main and Canal streets.
“I’ve always had a passion for music and beer,” said Bastille. She made her career in insurance, and when she wasn’t working, she spent her time going to music festivals and visiting breweries.
Along the way, two things happened. Her boyfriend, Mike Testa, who is acting as a silent partner in the business, got her into vinyl records. She said the sound quality of analogue can’t be matched, and that the rest of the experience of handling and experiencing a vinyl album is more satisfying. “It is nice to have something tangible,” she said.
The other thing was watching as downtown Laconia started to shape itself into something new. Bastille grew up in Franklin, and for her early adult years Laconia’s downtown was not the kind of place she found appealing. That’s not the case today, she said.
“I really like what Laconia is turning out to be,” Bastille said. She wanted to be part of a “small business family,” and to continue a trend started by Karen and Reuben Bassett, who started Wayfarer Coffee Roasters and Burrito Me. “They are the pioneers of what is happening in Laconia . . . I want to contribute to it.”
Defiant will have stacks of records for people to thumb through, perhaps while enjoying a glass from her rotating selection of draft or canned beers. She said she will focus on New England breweries, IPAs for sure, but also sours and ciders, as well as craft seltzers. She will also have non-alcoholic root beer on tap.
For food, Bastille said she will offer simple “pub eats.” Soft pretzels, pizza, tots. “Something that goes good with beer,” but not aimed at competing with nearby restaurants. “I’m no Trillium or Local, if you want quality food, you’ll need to go across the street.”
She thinks her storefront will attract people looking for a beer before a show, as well as the vinyl aficionados looking to fill a hole in their collection. And the one might turn into the other, she said. Common, un-collectible records will cost $1, and prices will go up to reflect rarity and quality.
Bastille is arranging a “listening corner,” with a turntable and headphones, for those who wish to hear what music sounds like on vinyl. It’s a different experience, she said, listing Queen’s epic “Bohemian Rhapsody” as an example.
“It has so many moving parts that you don’t hear with radio or on Spotify,” Bastille said. “On vinyl is a whole other level.”
More and more people are making that realization, said Dan Mack, whose business NH Vintage Vinyl has been buying unwanted collections of vinyl and stocking them in places around the state, such as at Greenlaw’s Music, across Canal Street from Defiant. He said he will partner with Bastille and Testa to keep their stacks filled.
“My business locally has been steadily increasing each month,” said Mack. “Greenlaw's has been expanding what they have for vinyl retail space, and in turn that has brought more people into the store to dig as well as kept them in the store for longer.”
He said that vinyl keeps winning more fans, even though it isn’t as convenient as digital streaming services. “Physical media brings you so much more to enjoy than just the music. The artwork, liner notes, and above average sound quality are all things that streaming music cannot deliver on,” he said. He argued that a valuable vinyl album should be considered an investment, one which will continue to hold its value in the eyes of other collectors.
If downtown is changing, Defiant is timing the trend precisely, said Karmen Gifford, president of the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce. “I think Kristin Bastille’s vision is a perfect fit for downtown Laconia, especially with foot traffic from both the Colonial Theatre and the future events of Chaos & Kindness.” Gifford noted that Defiant will blend retail activity with gathering and socializing. “I’m looking forward to her opening and exploring the great vinyls she has collected. There is an awesome groove enhancing the vitality of downtown Laconia,” Gilfford said.


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Piscine Global Europe, the international swimming pool and wellness exhibition, will open its doors to all the professionals in the sector from 13 to 16 November 2018 at Eurexpo in Lyon.
The next edition of Piscine Global Europe, the leading show in its sector, will shine the spotlight resolutely on the pool lifestyle, the customer experience and digital technologies.
“The next Piscine Global Europe will respond to the expectations of exhibitors and visitors in terms of customer experience. Presenting pools as a lifestyle is now part of the exhibition’s DNA: a dependable event with quality as its watchword, showcasing French know-how and covering a global network”, Piscine Global Europe director Noémi Petit explains.
Since residential pools have now become living areas in their own right, Piscine Global Europe is adopting a highly innovative, renewed approach spanning the complete sector including segments such as spas, the outdoor pool environment and wellness.
In a friendly, professional setting more than 600 exhibitors will welcome the 18,000 visitors expected to attend this event, which is considered the world’s biggest meeting for the pool and spa sector.
Piscine Global Europe at the heart of the Piscine Global network
In November 2016 Piscine Global became the global network of pool and wellness events, currently comprising four industry-leading professional exhibitions: Piscine Global Asia, Piscine Global Middle East, Piscine Global Brasil, and Piscine Global Europe.
Agence Bonne réponse - +33 (0)4 72 40 54 10
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Snapchat's strength has always been its popularity among young people. But that popularity has been called into question since Snap (NYSE: SNAP) went public and showed slowing user growth while Instagram's user growth accelerated. The Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) subsidiary's most recent sign that it's stealing engagement from Snapchat was an announcement that its younger users spend over 30 minutes per day in the app on average. That came just ahead of Snap's second-quarter earnings report.
But Snapchat is still extremely popular among smartphone owners under 25 years old. A recent survey from ComScore found it was the third-most popular app among 18 to 24-year-olds in the United States, just behind YouTube and Facebook. Snapchat notably fell to sixth in the 25 to 24-year-olds, and missed out on the top eight in older demographics while remained popular for users up to 54 years old.
Snap's earnings report corroborates those survey findings. Near the end of the company's conference call, CEO Evan Spiegel told analysts the average user under 25 years old spends 40 minutes per day in the app.
Where is Snapchat's growth coming from?
Instagram continues to grow in popularity, and young people are spending an increasing amount of time in the app every day as it adds new features (it copies from Snapchat). But Facebook hasn't been able to replicate that same success with its flagship app. Its implementation of Stories hasn't garnered the same attention as Instagram Stories, and teens are starting to use the app less. A recent report from eMarketer found 1.2% of teens in the U.S. left Facebook last year, and it expects that number to accelerate this year.
Likewise, Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) is losing users in the United States. Last quarter, the company reported a drop of 2 million U.S. users to fall to 68 million. That's up just 3% from a year ago, and Twitter faces seasonal challenges in the second half of the year, which could lead to even slower growth.
There are only so many hours in a day. The average 18 to 24-year-old spends 3.2 hours using apps every day, and the average person spends about half that time in a single app, according to ComScore. If a person loves Snapchat and Instagram, that doesn't leave much time for anything else.
But older users still aren't getting on board
The concentration of app usage is not unique to young people, however, so Snapchat's inability to resonate with an older audience also means it's not seeing the same level of engagement from older people. Indeed, Spiegel said users over 25 years old are still spending "over 20 minutes per day" using the app -- the same amount of time they spent last year. By comparison, young users engagement has moved from "over 30 minutes" to "over 40 minutes" per day in the same period.
ComScore's survey found Snapchat's popularity falls off as users get older. Comparatively, Facebook's flagship app tops the chart for older users and Instagram remains popular even among younger users as well.
Snap's management seems fine with its user base concentrated among young people. Young people are extremely attractive to brand advertisers, and most of Snapchat's ad formats are designed for brand advertising.
But as Snap moves into more auction bidding for ads, and more targeted ads, it may find its lack of a more diverse user base is detrimental. Snap already noted auction bidding had a negative impact on average ad prices, but it expects prices to increase as more bidders join the auction. Attracting more advertisers requires a wide range of users like Facebook has and strong returns on investment. Snap may find new advertisers don't join the platform as quickly as expected.
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Things to know about met gala 2023
The Met Gala, one of the year's biggest fashion events. Each year, the Met Gala is scheduled for the first Monday in May. This year, it falls on May 1, 2023.
The Met Gala is a charity event that supports the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
The exhibit is assigned a specific theme each year, with guests being expected to follow but not mandated
The 2023 Met Gala's theme is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," which pays tribute to the late fashion designer.
The official live stream of the red carpet event will be available on
Vogue's official website


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Paul Stewart of Kingswood Autopart Ltd has been crowned the winner of the latest competition organised by engine cooling parts manufacturer Nissens and FPS Distribution.
The awards ceremony took place at Stewart’s Bristol-based motor factor where Nissens UK General Manager Duncan Rainbird and FPS Marketing Campaign Manager Sarah Matthews, handed over a life-size cheque to the victor. “When I was told that I won the competition I didn’t believe it at first”, said Stewart. “It’s a great prize to win. I am a motor racing fan and not many people get the opportunity to go to NASCAR” he added: “It’s a good competition to be put on through the motor trade and I’m really happy Kingswood Autopart won it”. Stewart’s first place prizes include a trip for two to Orlando Florida with £500 spending money, car hire and tickets to the NASCAR Daytona 500 Racing.
Rainbird said the competition partnership with FPS, has seen a ‘positive’ increase in sales from its engine cooling range during October and November, where entrants would receive a ticket for every £100 spent on Nissens engine cooling and air con parts before entering the prize draw. “Looking at the figures we’ve seen on FPS sales during these months we’re both up year-on-year in what is usually a quiet time in terms of engine, engine cooling and climate products that we offer”, Rainbird elaborated: I think one of the things we are keen to promote is the association that we have got together. People now associate FPS with Nissens and likewise with FPS, and the service capabilities for what they can offer”.
FPS Distribution’s Sarah Matthews added: “It’s been a good opportunity to work with Nissens, get to know them and help promote the brand”. Matthews is now in the process of sending out the second prize to its 80 winners who will each receive £25 worth of Love2Shop vouchers to spend at a number of high street retailers up and down the country.
Before drawing the ceremony to a close, Rainbird gave some final words to Stewart. “I hope Paul has an enjoyable time with his wife in Florida and escapes some of this English winter. Have a great time”.


text: A nearly fully-occupied Santa Clarita Valley retail center has sold for $72.5 million, according to its buyer, InvenTrust Properties Corp., a real estate investment trust in Oak Brook, Ill. Stevenson Ranch Plaza is anchored by a Ralph’s supermarket. It has 187,035 square feet center and sits on nearly 20 acres at 24917 Pico Canyon Rd. The seller was a Los Angeles-based private investor. The center was 97 percent occupied at the time of the purchase, according to InvenTrust, and also includes an LA Fitness, PetSmart and a Stein Mart. The REIT, which focuses on multi-tenant retail properties, said the purchase will offer long-term value for its investors and fits its retail portfolio. “With strong residential growth and high traffic, Stevenson Ranch Plaza is a property that checks all the boxes for us and provides InvenTrust the opportunity to further expand our presence in Southern California,” said Christopher Covey, senior vice president of transactions, in a statement. Kevin Fryman and Edward Hanley of Hanley Investment Group brokered the deal on behalf of both parties.


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Sonora Quest Laboratories Enters Into Draw Center Deal With Safeway
Sonora Quest is now offering laboratory services to patients as they shop for groceries. The Arizona-based Sonora Quest, a joint venture between hospital operator Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics, has entered into an agreement with retail giant Safeway to place patient service centers in its stores. The first two patient service centers opened at Safeway […]
Sonora Quest is now offering laboratory services to patients as they shop for groceries. The Arizona-based Sonora Quest, a joint venture between hospital operator Banner Health and Quest Diagnostics, has entered into an agreement with retail giant Safeway to place patient service centers in its stores. The first two patient service centers opened at Safeway stores in Scottsdale and Phoenix last month.
"The endeavor between Sonora Quest Laboratories and Safeway is an investment in innovative capabilities in this new era of health care consumerism," said Christina Noble, Sonora Quest's vice president of business development. "We are proud to work closely with Safeway to continue our mission of empowering consumers to manage their health by offering laboratory testing in a unique and convenient way through one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States."
Financial terms of the agreement between Sonora Quest and Safeway were not immediately available.
Although Sonora Quest is by far the largest lab in Arizona, with more than 2,500 employees and facilities in five states, it has been facing some pretty keen consumer-oriented competition from upstart Theranos. That California-based lab, which claims to be able to perform hundreds of laboratory tests with just a few drops of blood, has opened up more than 40 locations at Walgreens pharmacies throughout much of the Phoenix area. The company also lobbied hard to get a change in state law to allow direct marketing of tests to patients. Theranos prices its assays at half of Medicare rates, with some tests available for less than $2. However, Theranos has been under intense media scrutiny of late and could slow down its plans for rapid growth. It was reported by the Wall Street Journal last month that Safeway was trying to extricate itself from a deal with Theranos to build testing centers in its stores. A Sonora Quest spokesperson declined to say if the lab was taking over any of the planned Theranos sites.
Although Sonora Quest Chief Executive Officer Dave Dexter told Laboratory Industry Report earlier this year that it is not competing with Theranos, it now offers about 100 tests directly to consumers, and has posted its prices at its draw centers.
Takeaway: Rising consumerism in health care delivery drives Sonora Quest to enter into a pact with a grocery giant.
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In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation went into effect for European Union citizens, creating the need for organizations to take a hard look at their data collection and storage practices. The GDPR was designed to protect data privacy of EU citizens and to adjust organizations’ approaches to collecting EU citizen data.
These regulations apply to future data, as well as any data collected in the past. According to Gartner, more than 50% of companies will be unprepared for full GDPR compliance by the end of 2018. Preparing for the future of big data now comes with the extra tasks of reaching GDPR compliance.
GDPR will have big implications for companies, as not meeting compliance can result in potential fines of up to 4% or $25 million, whichever is greater, of annual revenue, according to Oracle.
“The GDPR will affect not only EU-based organizations, but many data controllers and processors outside the EU as well,” said Gartner research director Bart Willemsen in a press release. “Threats of hefty fines, as well as the increasingly empowered position of individual data subjects tilt the business case for compliance and should cause decision makers to re-evaluate measures to safely process personal data.”
To ensure full GDPR compliance, companies should enlist legal counsel, but here are some suggestions on lining up with GDPR regulations.
Focus on High-Priority Changes for GDPR Compliance
Gartner gives five high-priority changes for companies looking to get in line with the GDPR requirements.
- Determine your role under the GDPR. The GDPR affects not only EU businesses, but any businesses outside the EU that collect or process personal data for EU citizens. All organizations should choose someone to be a point of contact for GDPR data protection authority and data subjects.
- Appoint a data protection officer. When an organization is public and has many operations to process data, it should find a data protection officer to monitor all these processes.
- Demonstrate accountability in all processing activities. In other words, make sure that the processes in place are quality and relevant. All organizations affected will have to show transparency in all data processing activities, as well as the decisions behind those activities. Additionally, the GDPR mandates that the subject consent to all data acquisition.
- Check cross-border data flows. Data being moved to EU member countries is still permitted, and the 11 countries within the European Commission allow it if the transfer has an adequate level of protection. Outside of the EU, companies with EU citizens’ data need to make sure they use the right mechanism to ensure GDPR compliance.
- Prepare for data subjects exercising their rights. Under the GDPR, they have the right to be removed from company systems and to see their data, as well as be informed when or if a breach occurs.
The IBM GDPR Framework
IBM built out a framework for companies to help them in their GDPR readiness, and the goal of this framework is “to help clients manage security and privacy effectively in order for them to reduce risks and therefore incidents.”
The five steps of the framework are:
- Assess: create GDPR assessments of risk and privacy across many platforms, including people, data, processes, security and governance to create a roadmap
- Design: make GDPR compliant standards for each area of the organization to define an implementation plan
- Transform: generate new procedures and tools, as well as GDPR training, to enhance processes
- Operate: keep up with new processes and monitor data subject consent and access rights to establish an operational framework
- Conform: continue to monitor and assess GDPR standard adherence to ensure continuous reporting
The GDPR requires more security controls, as well as more protection for personal data. IBM poses that artificial intelligence will play a role in helping companies keep within GDPR compliant practices.
The Benefits of GDPR
While the GDPR does create extra costs, it also provides much-needed structure, according to The Economist. Implementing well-defined processes and ensuring transparency gives the data subjects more control over what information they have given to companies. Thus, GDPR makes sure that data collection is taken much more seriously and protects EU citizens. Companies will have to practice better “data hygiene,” meaning they need to examine the type of data, risks of keeping it, protecting it and cleaning up what’s left.
Those who are not yet ready for full compliance will need to pay attention to how the laws are enforced, as the meaning of compliance may evolve.
“The legislation is four to five times more complicated than existing law,” said Eduardo Ustaran with law firm Hogan Lovells, in an interview with The Economist. “We’ll probably spend the next 20 years figuring out what it means to be compliant.”
Jacksonville University’s online business programs, like the Master of Science in Applied Business Analytics, can give professionals the information they need to help make data-driven decisions that will power companies toward GDPR compliance.


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This cartoon by Paul Thomas from the Daily Express relates to news that every dog owner in England will have to microchip their animal from 2016 under plans intended to cut a rise in strays (a pet that is lost or has left its home). The microchips will be coded with owners' details, and owners who do not comply could face fines of up to £500. Read more >>
The cartoon shows a pair of cats sitting in a tree in a park. One of them has some sort of electronic device which it is using to interfere with the dogs' microchips, sending them flying up in the air. The dogs look startled, and their owners surprised.
The dogs have leads around their necks.


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We’re only a few short weeks into 2021, but already there have been some surprises in the stock market, including with some of America’s most well-known companies. Mostly, these have been upside surprises, although not all are keeping up with the market so far. These surprises are a good reminder for investors that no one can predict short-term movements in stock prices. It also points out the benefits of a diversified portfolio. While it would be great to have all your money in a stock that has already doubled, if all your money was in a stock that was down 20% instead, it could be very disruptive to your long-term financial plans.
Before you pile into a stock that’s shooting higher — or scoop up shares of one that has fallen — do your own due diligence to determine if the stock fits in with your investment objectives and risk tolerance. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the big movers in the stock market so far in 2021.
The Stock Market Keeps Going Up
2020 was quite a year in the U.S. stock market. In March 2020, the S&P 500 index fell 30% in just 22 trading days, the fastest 30% drop ever. But then, the index immediately turned around and made new highs, marking the shortest bear market, at 33 days, in the index’s history. The market finished the year up a relatively astonishing 16.26%, nearly double long-term averages.
Investors could be forgiven for taking some profits at the beginning of the year, given the volatility of 2020 and the double-digit gains earned by the market. However, the market is continuing to trend higher. Even transitioning to a new president and the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6 couldn’t hold back the stock market.
Tesla Keeps Going Up
Tesla is one of the most controversial stocks on Wall Street, thanks in part to its maverick CEO Elon Musk. 2020 was definitely Tesla’s year, however, as the stock shot up an astonishing 700%. With the stock at such stratospheric levels, a significant pullback is likely in the cards at some point. However, as of Jan. 20, that point has not yet been reached. Tesla has continued its record-breaking run, tacking on another 20% in the first few weeks of January alone. The more people doubt the stock, the higher it seems to go.
General Motors Is Reborn
General Motors stock has hardly gone anywhere for more than 10 years, but starting at the end of 2020 — and continuing into early 2021 — General Motors is absolutely skyrocketing. Why is this old-line, traditional automaker suddenly becoming a Wall Street darling in the era when Tesla seems like the wave of the future? Well, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them.
At the end of 2020, General Motors announced it would be accelerating its electric vehicle development program, to the tune of $27 billion. According to some analysts, GM can make those vehicles profitable. In January 2021, GM primed the pump even further when it announced a partnership with Microsoft to help develop electric vehicles. With electric vehicles finally having their day in the sun, General Motors looks like it is set up to get a piece of the growing pie.
Netflix Pops 17% in a Single Day
Netflix can be a volatile stock, but even seasoned investors were likely surprised when the stock jumped by 17% in a single day. Even more surprising was that on that day, Jan. 20, Netflix actually reported earnings that were lower than expected, coming in at $1.19 versus analyst expectations of $1.36. However, with Netflix, the story is rarely about earnings. The reason for the massive stock jump was the huge upside surprise in new subscribers. Whereas Wall Street was looking for 6.03 million new subscribers, Netflix signed up a whopping 8.51 million. That pop dug Netflix out of a hole early in the year and now puts it at over an 8% gain for the year.
GameStop Pops Over 100%
GameStop has been a huge surprise in early 2021 for a few reasons. First, the magnitude of the stock’s gain is simply astronomical, reaching over 118% in just the first three weeks of 2021. Second, this huge move has not been the result of a huge earnings surprise or a bold move into a new product line. Rather, GameStop’s move has been the result of a combination of new management and a short squeeze. Late in 2020, Ryan Cohen, the founder of Chewy, joined the board and promised new, customer-focused changes. Perhaps in response, those who had sold the stock short began to cover those positions, resulting in massive buying of the stock. Whether the stock continues to skyrocket or if profit-taking sets in is a matter of debate at this point.
Bed Bath & Beyond Up Over 55%
Whoever thought retail stores were dead as of 2020 must be astonished to see Bed Bath & Beyond jumping 55% in the first three weeks of January 2021. What’s even more astonishing is that Bed Bath & Beyond’s last earnings report was lackluster. On Jan. 7, the retailer reported that same-store sales were down 5% in the quarter and that fourth-quarter earnings were likely to show a double-digit drop from a year earlier. Although that was enough to take the stock down as much as 13% in premarket trading, since then the company’s shares have gone nearly straight up. As with GameStop, a lot of this gain is likely to be due to short-covering, but momentum traders may continue to take the stock higher.
Ocean Thermal Corporation Jumps Over 100%
Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation is another company joining the triple-digit club to kick off 2021, posting gains of over 120% through the first three weeks of January. Of course, monstrous stock gains are easy on a relative basis when you are dealing with a penny stock like Ocean Thermal. Even after more than doubling, the company’s shares trade at just 6 cents, meaning huge gains — or huge losses — may still be around the corner.
Occidental Petroleum Rises Over 32%
Occidental Petroleum had a very rough 2020. As the pandemic spread across the globe, worldwide demand for oil and petroleum products fell off a cliff, to the point where at one point the price of oil was actually negative. As such, a recovery in the price of Occidental Petroleum isn’t entirely unexpected, as the price of oil has normalized and hopes are high for the end of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the magnitude of Oxy’s move is quite startling, up over 20% just in the first three weeks of 2021.
ODP Corporation Up Over 55%
ODP Corporation, likely better known by its flagship brand Office Depot, is another relatively unloved retailer that has sparkled thus far in 2021. Of course, the company got some help from the parent of competitor Staples, which offered to buy the company for $40 per share on Jan. 11. Yet, the stock has continued to rise, in part because ODP actually rejected Staples’ offer on Jan. 20. Under this scenario, ODP appears to be shopping for a better offer, either from Staples or some other source, which could trigger further stock gains. Of course, if no suitor materializes, ODP could trade back down to pre-offer levels.
FNMA Down Over 20%
The Federal National Mortgage Association is making waves in 2021, but unlike all of the other names on this list, it’s due to a major stock drop, not a gain. The sell-off in 2021 is really a continuation of the bad news that the company received in mid-December. The company’s stock had previously run-up in anticipation that the Republican administration would remove the stock from government conservatorship and return it to shareholder control. However, as then-Treasury Secretary Mnuchin stated in mid-December, that was unlikely to happen before the inauguration of Joe Biden. As the incoming presidential administration is unlikely to make this transition a priority, shareholders have fled FNMA stock.
More From GOBankingRates
- These Are the Best Banks of 2021 – Did Yours Make the Cut?
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Photo Disclaimer: Photos are for representational purposes only.


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Vodafone hit with $350,000 fine
Customers overcharged $285k.
Vodafone has been fined $350,000 after pleading guilty to overcharging customers and breaching the Fair Trading Act.
Vodafone’s terms and conditions said it would stop charging customers either 30 days after they gave notice to end their contracts or on an agreed date. However, from January 2012 to December 2018, the telco issued invoices to more than 29,000 customers that contained fees beyond the agreed end date. As a result, consumers overpaid by around $285,000.
“Customers have the right to expect businesses to invoice them accurately and it is vital businesses take care to ensure their billing systems and processes are doing that,” said Antonia Horrocks, the Commerce Commission competition and consumer general manager.
“All businesses need to ensure that their billing systems are robust, and that they are making accurate representations when they invoice their customers,” she said.
In sentencing, Judge Thomas said “Vodafone breached the trust that all consumers should be entitled to place in suppliers’ representations”.
This isn’t the first time Vodafone has been fined for breaching the Fair Trading Act. In 2016, it was fined $165,000 after pleading guilty to making false price representations.
Last year, the company earned a place as one of the worst performers in our Best and Worst Awards.


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The new and resurrected Yezdi range of motorcycles will be sold alongside Jawa motorcycles in the same dealerships. Classic Legends Private Limited, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, which is also the parent company of Jawa motorcycles, will be launching the resurrected Yezdi range of motorcycles on January 13, 2022. In a tweet, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra has given a glimpse of what the new Jawa-Yezdi dealerships will look like. “Long lost brothers. United,” Anand Mahindra tweeted with an image of the dealership.
Long lost brothers. Reunited… pic.twitter.com/aVl27I9UcU
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 12, 2022
Classic Legends is expected to introduce three new bikes under the revived Yezdi brand name. All three bikes are expected to be based on the same platform, and we expect the bikes to use the 334 cc single-cylinder motor seen on the Jawa Perak. While details on the power and performance figures are yet to be revealed, they are likely to be similar to that of the Perak. The Perak develops about 30 bhp and 32.74 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The brands could share other cycle parts too in order to maximise economies of scale.
Just ahead of the launch, Classic Legends released another teaser video, giving a glimpse of the new Yezdi motorcycles. The three new Yezdi models are expected to be a classic roadster, a scrambler, as well as an adventure-styled model. More details, specifications and prices of the new range of Yezdi motorcycles will be announced on Thursday, January 13, 2022.
The Yezdi brand will be the third resurrection from Classic Legends after Jawa and more recently, BSA, which has been announced for European and American markets for now. The Yezdi brand was a creation of Ideal Jawa, owned by the Irani family who sold licensed Jawa motorcycles in India beginning in 1960. The Yezdi brand was introduced in 1973 by the same firm and was based on the Czech-origin Jawa bikes.
Classic Legends is betting big on the Yezdi brand, reviving nostalgia from the 1960s and 1970s when the original Yezdi motorcycles with a 250 cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine, as well as a 350 cc twin and a 175 cc single-cylinder engine were introduced. The most popular Yezdi was by far the one with the 250 cc single-cylinder engine which was introduced in several models and variants, and continued to be on sale till the mid-1990s.