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Anytime an advance in technology transforms the way that motor vehicles are created, we’re interested in hearing about it. The auto industry advanced the craft of designing cars exponentially when CAD entered the mainstream, allowing engineers to conjure mathematical models of automotive structures that could be tested for torsional rigidity, crush capability and other critical considerations. Co-branded South Korean giants Hyundai and Kia are about to undertake the next major advance, introducing virtual reality into design processes at their global headquarters in Seoul. This new protocol will allow up to 20 designers, working remotely in different parts of the world, to simultaneously work digitally on new vehicle platforms.
Unveiling the new technological discipline at the Namyang Research and Development Center in Seoul, Hyundai and Kia rolled out the result of a $12.8 million investment in this new design practice. Besides allowing a lot of designers to work on one project all at once, the virtual reality system is expected to scissor up to 20 percent of the development time now typically required by new-vehicle projects. Virtual reality will come to be used throughout the R&D and design procedures at both brands. Virtual-reality headsets will allow operating designers to enter developmental simulations, utilizing 36 motion sensors that will allow the designers to work together in real time, regardless of location. The system was first used in the development of the HDC-6 NEPTUNE heavy truck that was first shown in October at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show. The three-dimensional system is capable of returning results with 100 percent accuracy.


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Fordpass will be free to anyone and everyone
Ford has announced that it is to introduce FordPass, a membership scheme that offers a number of mobility and information services to motorists, and which the company says will “do for car owners what iTunes did for music fans”.
FordPass membership – which will be free, irrespective of whether you’re a Ford vehicle owners or not – launches in April in the US, followed by other markets including Europe, China and Brazil later this year and can be accessed via smartphones.
Membership offers four main benefits:
Marketplace – aiming to offer members mobility services, Marketplace uses ParkWhiz and Parkopedia to help people find and pay for parking, and FlightCar to borrow and share vehicles when they travel.
It’s also planned to incorporate services such as ride sharing, car sharing, and different types of transportation, which members can pay for through FordPay – a virtual wallet.
Ford owners can also connect with their local dealer to schedule maintenance and service appointments or review any Ford Credit account details.
And if they have cars equipped with Sync Connect, FordPass will allow them to access features such as remote start; lock and unlock; fuel, oil levels and battery charge; tire pressure readings; and to locate their vehicle.
Fordpass can incorporate parking apps like Parkopedia and Parkwhiz
Fordpass allows users to check their cars fuel levels and tyre pressure remotely
FordGuides – a concierge-style service, members can access a guide on the telephone to help them with the likes of reserving parking at a avenue in advance of a trip.
Ford insists the guides will be available free of charge and that their only job is to “guide, serve and help solve mobility challenges – not to sell”.
Perks – members will get rewards for signing up, booking parking or using the FordGuides with special deals and merchandise at the likes of McDonald’s and 7-Eleven.
FordHubs – at these urban Ford stores (one is planned for London), consumers will be able to explore Ford’s latest innovations, learn about the company’s mobility services and attend exclusive events.
FordGuides will help members understand the various mobility options in their city, assess what’s best for them, view a real-time mobility map of their city and go to special events, including new vehicle reveals.
FordPass is really about listening to people’s needs
Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO, said: “As we’ve studied the mobility challenges people face, we designed FordPass to help provide services that make consumers’ lives easier.
"FordPass is really about listening to people’s needs and developing ways to help them move better.”
Stephen Odell, Ford’s executive vice-president for global marketing, sales and service added: “We want to hear people’s thoughts and we want to show them what we’re doing to solve the transportation issues of today and tomorrow – and not just in their city, but around the world.”
Ford say the app is designed to solve mobility challenges, not to sell

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This year’s PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) Annual Summit 2017 was held in Negombo, a laid back city along the west cost of Sri Lanka, lined with golden sandy beaches and friendly, welcoming locals all around.
Negombo is approximately 10 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport, our point of arrival. We flew with SriLankan Airlines; the PAS 2017 Official airline. The friendly staff, delicious menu and comfortable interior made my first experience flying with this airline a delightful one.
We arrived in Sri Lanka before dawn and the beachfront hotel, Beacon Beach, became our temporary home in Negombo. The welcoming staff raised our spirits and made our first day in this island nation a happy memory to look back upon.
After a good night’s rest it was time to attend the anticipated PATA Conference held at Jetwing Blue hotel, close to where we were staying.
The theme for this year’s PATA Annual Summit (PAS 2017) was “Disruption. Innovation. Transformation: The Future of Tourism”. The four-day event began on May 18th with 406 delegates from 39 countries, a true melting pot of cultures.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau hosted the event along with the Ministry of Tourism and Christian Religious Affairs of the government of Sri Lanka.
Various dynamic, innovative and knowledgeable individuals spoke at the event and gave valuable insights with respect to the theme.
PATA CEO, Dr. Mario Hardy perfectly summed up the objective of the Summit, he said “The PATA Annual Summit brings together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region. At PATA we understand that to overcome the challenges and issues facing our industry, the public and private sectors must work together”
On the conference held on Friday, May 19th, opening statements were given by the Hon. John Amaratunga, Minister of Tourism, Lands and Christian Religious Affairs, Sri Lanka, and by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai.
Mr. Rafat Ali, CEO & founder of Skift presented his keynote address; “Managing disruption through innovation”
He talked about “Mega Travel Trends” such as the consumer behavior of wanting to book tours and activities last minute, aversion from packaged tours, over-tourism, low cost long haul airlines, “festivalization” of meetings and events; for example innovative conferences such as SXSW and TED.
He gave his insight on how the idea of luxury has changed over the years, new luxury is small brands with larger than life stories and how dining out has itself become a huge event which has resulted in restaurants becoming destinations themselves while pushing airlines to noticeably improve the quality of food the serve.
Summit attendees listened to numerous international industry leaders and innovators including Aleandre Kwan, Philanthropies Asia Programme Manager – Microsoft; Andrew Chan, founder and CEO of ACI HR Solutions; Andrew Craig, Head of Corporate Communication India, South Asia and Southeast Asia – Visa Worldwide; Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and Co-founder – Tripfez; Greg Klassen, Partner at Twenty31 Consulting Inc.; Ha Lam, Co-founder and COO – Triip.me; Jesse Desjardins, Global Manager, Social & Content – Tourism Australia; Joe M. Naaman, Senior Executive Advisor – Global Advisory Council, Skylight Intelligence; Joe Nguyen, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific – comScore; Jeremy Jauncey, founder & CEO – Beautiful Destinations; Muna Haddad, Managing Director – Baraka; Oliver Martin, Partner at Twenty31 Consulting Inc.; Sarah Mathews, Head of Destination Marketing APAC – TripAdvisor; Thao Nguyen, Head of Strategic Partnerships, APAC – Airbnb; Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President, International Affairs, Office of the President & CEO, Etihad Airways, and Wong Soon-Hwa, Regional Director APAC – Blacklane.
The conference focused on the idea of embracing the disruption and using it as an advantage to triumphantly stride forward into this rapidly evolving digital age. Other topics discussed were: ‘‘The Transformation of Marketing”, “Research Innovation”, “Disrupting the Travel Industry”, “The Real Future of Tourism: Young Tourism Professionals”, and “Embracing Disruption: A Blueprint for the Future of Tourism”.
For the remainder of the ongoing summit, we stayed at the Jetwing Ayurveda Pavilions, Negombo. The tranquil atmosphere of the hotel can soothe the anxious and instill an aura of peacefulness. Staying here made it clear why this hotel is known as the best Ayurvedic resort in the country. Ayurveda is an ancient traditional system of healing with its roots in the Indian subcontinent. The resort offers its guests treatments customized to each individual’s body, mind and soul.
On May 20th, in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), PATA held a Ministerial Debate. The panelists for the debate included Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Director General – Tourism Malaysia; Mr. Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO – Nepal Tourism Board; Mr. Wander Meijer, Director Asia Pacific – GlobeScan; Mr. Hiran Cooray, Chairman – Jetwing Hotels; Mr Jon Nathan Pangilinan Denight, President and CEO – Guam Visitors Bureau; Mr. Lawrence Leong, Former Assistant Chief Executive (International Group) – Singapore Tourism Board; Ms. Thao Nguyen, Head of Strategic Partnerships, APAC – Airbnb, and Mr. Erick Stephens, Chief Technology Officer-APAC, Microsoft. Concepts such as Sustainability Leadership and the Sharing Economy, or as emphasized by Mr. Eric Stephens; Access Economy were discussed and how they affect the travel and tourism industry. BBC Correspondent & Presenter Yogita Limaye moderated the debate.
Dr. Taleb Rifai inspired the audience with his heartfelt speech regarding the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.
In his speech, Dr. Rifai expressed, “Asia and the Pacific, which leads the world in international tourism growth, can and should be a leader in sustainability and innovation; a leader in utilizing the transformative power of travel and tourism in building a new and better world, the world which is today without any doubt, steered by the Pacific. That is why PATA, bringing together the two margins of the Pacific is today a truly global and not only a regional organization.”
He also highlighted the importance of travel and the tourism industry.
“Our Industry is one of optimism and hope…
The more we travel the better we become, the more our eyes open…”
There were performances by extremely talented groups at the event. My favorite was the cultural dance.
The PATA Annual Summit 2018 will take place in Gangneung, the Republic of Korea.
To learn more about PATA, visit their website: PATA.org
Photos courtesy of e-Travelers Club
*Facts for this post partly obtained from PATA’s press release
Thank you for reading.
Connect with me on Instagram: @maria9saif


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Jill Duggar’s Followers Think Her Latest Outfit Is ‘Unflattering’ and ‘A Mess’
The Duggars have all grown up right before our eyes, and it’s hard to believe how far Jill Duggar has come. Fans used to watch Duggar interact with her family members on TLC’s Counting On, but times have certainly changed. Thanks to her controversial husband, Derick Dillard, and his slew of homophobic and transphobic tweets, these two are no longer featured on the show. Despite their lack of affiliation with the network, fans are still curious as to what they’re up to — and Duggar has a solid Instagram presence that gives insight into her home life.
Along with family recipes, photos of her husband and kids, and her new home, Duggar’s also known for showing off photos of her clothing. Unfortunately, fans think she seriously missed the mark with her latest choice.
Jill Duggar frequently posts sponsored content to her Instagram
Since Jill Duggar is no longer featured on Counting On, fans have grown suspicious as to how she’s making money. Derick Dillard seems to have a job now, but he was in law school for years — and we know the Duggar women don’t typically work outside the home. It appears Duggar may have been supplementing her income with sponsored content, as her Instagram is full of partnered posts.
Duggar has posted many photos of her wearing Citrus & Lemon’s items — and she’s even hosted giveaways with the boutique. Not only that, but Duggar also supports her cousin Amy’s shop, 3130 Clothing. From long dresses to pant styles that she probably never would’ve worn when living under Jim Bob and Michelle’s roof, Duggar frequently shows off the latest looks from these two shops — but her followers often tell her she’s not getting any style points for her choices. The other sisters also have taken to showing off sponsored content on their Instagrams, too, but this Duggar seems to post the most.
Fans can’t stand her latest outfit
It looks like Duggar is at it again with the sponsored content. She most recently posted a photo set of herself wearing clothing from Juniper Anne Boutique to advertise their 30% off sale, and she also added more information about it in her Instagram Story. Her latest outfits feature oversized green pants with a billowy white shirt as well as jeans with a striped top. And it seems the green pants are really giving Duggar’s followers grief.
“If you’re trying to sell things, I’d suggest you iron the clothes first. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. Also, the pants are not flattering on you,” one of her followers commented. Another added, “How is this post supposed to entice anyone to buy these items? The green trousers are dreadful, creased, baggy at the knees, discoloured, shapeless and unflattering. The top she wears with them doesn’t go, too baggy, the whole outfit is a mess.” Yet another wrote, “Girl Noooo! You’re so beautiful, and the pants in the first pic are not flattering at all!”
This is far from the first time her clothing has been critiqued
Paid sponsorships or not, it seems Duggar’s followers just aren’t a fan of the clothing she chooses. When she posted a photo of her wearing a dress to support her cousin’s boutique, fans flocked to the ‘gram to tell Duggar how they really feel. “You really need some help with your clothes, too bad Jinger is in CA! Take take this dress needs to go to GoodWill/Salvation Army/Trash ASAP!” a fan said about this oversized dress. And clothing aside, many others would love to see Duggar get a complete makeover in general, which includes cutting even more of her long locks.
Despite the constant critique, it doesn’t look like Duggar will stop the flow of sponsored posts any time soon. And it looks like her followers will have to deal with many more of her looks, too.
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The author of ‘I Want to Retire!’ shares his insights
Part-time positions often come with valuable perks, from huge discounts on meals, products and classes to free travel and housing
A wellness expert reveals how "skill power" can retrain your taste buds and make you disease-proof
New initiatives raise hope that our life expectancy will soon reach 120 years. But a survey finds many of us don't want all those extra birthdays.


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Anki, the robotic and artificial intelligence startup that first raced onto the scene during Apple's worldwide developers conference in 2013, has announced the next generation of its surprisingly popular racing game called Anki Overdrive.
For those unfamiliar, Anki's first game allowed players to steer a Matchbox-style car along a predetermined track using your smartphone. Gamers could race against the A.I. or line up against their friends so long as they also had a phone and a car to control.
At $149, it may sound a bit silly and expensive but consumers couldn't get enough of the tech during the holidays. According to Anki, it was the second best-selling toy on Amazon during the holidays (a Frozen doll beat it out). In fact, the company completely exhausted its inventory a full 10 days before Christmas.
The concept has taken a leap forward with Overdrive.
The starter kit includes something that users have been asking for since day one: modular tracks. Each section snaps together to the next using magnets. The new kit, which will also sell for $149, will include enough bits of track to create eight different layouts. If that isn't enough, there are expansion packs (priced between $10 and $30) that include jumps, U-turns and a four-way intersection to really spice up the action.
If you have kids or perhaps enjoyed playing with slot cars back in the day, Anki will likely appeal to you.


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Corporate executives don’t give a damn about their workers, and it’s all because of Reagan.
A new analysis released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows just how much of a “screw the workers” mentality today’s corporate executives have.
According to EPI, in 2013, the share of corporate income that ended up in the pockets of the men and women who make corporate executives so filthy rich hit its lowest point since 1950.
And, as Think Progress points out, corporate profits “have risen nearly 20 times faster than workers’ incomes since 2008, and on the whole workers have seen a lost decade of stagnant wage growth.”
So, corporations are taking in more and more money, their executives are getting bigger and bigger paychecks, but the workers responsible for all of that wealth are barely seeing a dime of it.
Why is that?
Before Reagan came to Washington, corporations knew they had a responsibility to a number of groups. They had a responsibility to their workers, to their community, to their customers, to the institution of the company itself and to the stockholders.
Believe it or not, they actually cared about their workers making decent wages, their customers buying reliable products and the impact of their behaviors on the community.
When people got laid off, it was considered a “failure of management.” Offshoring was unheard of.
But then things began to change.
Suddenly, thanks to Chicago School Boys like Milton Friedman, there was this idea floating around that CEOs and corporations only should do what was best for the shareholders.
Screw everyone else. Screw the community, screw the company, screw the customers, and, most of all, screw the workers.
Tragically, Ronald Reagan was a fan of that toxic thinking.
So, in the early 1980s, his administration changed tax laws and rules, to turn CEOs more into shareholders than employees.
All of a sudden, CEOs were getting huge chunks of their salaries not from regular payroll, but from stock options (with a lower tax rate), something that had been previously illegal.
Because of that, CEOs began to care more and more about what was best for the shareholders, while saying screw you to the workers, to the communities, to the institution of the company itself (if they could chop it up and sell or merge it, that’s just fine!) and to their customers.
Any loyalty to anyone or anything other than the stockholders was lost.
And that’s why today’s CEOs are raking in hundreds of millions dollars, while workers are seeing their lowest share of corporate income in more than six decades.
Just look at UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, Stephen J. Hemsley.
According to Forbes, in 2013, Hemsley had a base annual salary of $1.3 million.
BUT, thanks to Reagan, Hemsley also has over $700 million in unexercised stock options at a maximum 20 percent income tax rate.
That’s quite the nest egg, and it’s only getting bigger.
The US is one of only a very few countries in the developed world that rewards its CEOs with stock options.
This is bad policy for the United States, its workers and for the corporations themselves, and it’s time we change it.
Corporate executives today need to have more skin in the game. They need to be thinking about more than just the rises and falls in their stock.
We need to undo the damage done by Reagan, and make US CEOs answerable once again to their companies, their communities, their customers and their workers.
Only then will Americans overall begin to reap the rewards of corporate successes.


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Chicago (USA), Feb 17 (EFE).- Michael Jordan turns 60 this Friday. Unrepeatable phenomenon on the floor with the Chicago Bulls, he built an empire valued at 2,100 million dollars. His ‘Air Jordan’ shoes are worn on the five continents. The ones he wore in his career are auctioned for more than a million dollars. Charlotte Hornets and Miami Marlins shine in their investment portfolio. This is the empire of ‘MJ23’.
Michael Jordan celebrates his 60th birthday, considered the greatest in the history of the NBA, of which he was a six-time champion with the Bulls in the 90s, and established as a businessman capable of turning everything his name takes into gold. name. His number 23 jersey sells for $325 in stores. The series ‘The Last Dance’ was a global phenomenon on Netflix and the story of his millionaire sponsorship with Nike will come to the cinema this year with ‘Air’, the new film by Ben Affleck.
His talent and charisma forever changed the history of the Bulls, a franchise valued at 4.1 billion. Chicago does not forget his exploits. From the statue at the United Center to his hidden jewels around the city, EFE visits the sites that marked the legendary ’90s of ‘MJ’ and the Bulls.
Almost 1.5 million for his shoes
The link between Nike and Jordan dates back to 1984, in ‘MJ’s’ rookie year in the NBA. The Oregon company offered him a sponsorship contract of $500,000 per year, an astronomical figure in those years, and took advantage of the player’s talent and charisma, on and off the track, to launch a line of shoes that would become a absolute icon.
The ‘Nike Air Ships’ worn by Jordan in 1984 went up for auction in 2021 for nearly $1.5 million. It was the following year that the first sneakers bearing his name, the ‘Air Jordan 1’, were released. The success was immediate and the Oregon company is currently producing the 37th edition of a piece that was worth a fortune for the brand and for ‘MJ’.
Already universally regarded as a style icon, more than $500,000 is now paid to get their hands on an ‘Air Jordan 1S’ worn by the Bulls legend.
Its brand and its unmistakable logo transcend the borders of basketball and have opened up new business horizons even in the world of soccer. Paris Saint Germain, champion of Ligue 1 in French soccer, skyrocketed its sales in the United States by dressing Kylian Mbappé in his ‘PSG x Jordan’ kit since 2018.
The Hornets, the Marlins, Netflix and the movies
Among Jordan’s many investments are the Charlotte Hornets, of which he has held 70% of the quotas since 2010 for a value estimated by ‘Forbes’ at about 940 million dollars.
In addition, in 2017 he joined a group of investors who acquired the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball (MLB) team for an estimated $1.2 billion.
The streaming platform Netflix launched in 2020 ‘The Last Dance’, a series that had a record impact during the coronavirus pandemic, on the six titles won between 1991 and 1998 in the Bulls.
Jordan received a payment of nearly $4 million for his contribution to the series, which he donated entirely to fund charitable initiatives.
His link with Nike and his line of shoes will also hit the big screen in the coming months with the movie ‘Air’, by Ben Affleck, whose ‘trailer’ was released last Sunday during the NFL Super Bowl won by Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jordan’s legacy, unforgettable in Chicago
Twenty-five years have passed since the last dance of Jordan and the Bulls, NBA champions for the sixth time in 1998, but in Chicago the number 23 is still present in every corner of the city.
‘MJ’ has his statue in the United Center, with his photos in the stadium’s trophy case and with his number 23 hanging next to Scottie Pippen’s 33 on the roof of the facility.
“In the 90s the atmosphere here was very different. The stadium was always completely full and people arrived knowing that the team had everything to go to the end,” a member of the United Center security team, whose name cannot be disclosed due to internal policies, told EFE. After 30 years of working in the stadium, he lived in person the moment of glory for the Bulls.
Remember Jordan’s leadership and how his charisma changed the history of the franchise: “In the 90s, the players were already men. Now, despite being the same age, they are much more ‘children’”.
On Michigan Avenue, in the heart of downtown Chicago, tourists flock to the ‘Michael Jordan Steakhouse,’ a franchise opened by the player in the 1990s, and many of the city’s historic restaurants proudly display photos and gifts from their client ‘MJ’.
Jordan’s signed Bulls number 23 jersey is on display as an heirloom at Portillo’s, the city’s most famous hot dog restaurant, and in the back rooms of a State Street sports store in the Loop ‘, the economic center of Chicago, keeps a floorboard of the Bulls signed by Jordan to which EFE had access, whose value is inestimable.
Initially on public display, it has now been kept in a private area of the store and is only brought out for very special events.
This Friday, 25 years after that last title, Chicago celebrates the birthday of the man who forever put the Bulls on Olympus in the NBA and who helped boost the business of a franchise valued at 4,100 million dollars.


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Elon Musk dropped another gem during Tesla’s Q3 2022 earnings call that could predict the end of the gasoline car era.
The world’s richest man truly believes that it’s foolish to buy a gasoline car at this point because the residual low will be very low as the world moves towards electric vehicles.
Elon Musk Believes It’s Foolish To Buy a Gasoline Car Because It Has “Low Value”
Martin Viecha, the head of Investor Relations at Tesla, read a shareholder question about Tesla’s ability to perform in a prolonged recession.
That’s when Elon Musk predicted the end of gasoline cars and the inevitable rise of the electric vehicle revolution.
Here’s the exact quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk from Tesla’s Q3 2022 earnings call transcript:
So, I think the public, at large, realizes that the world is moving toward electric vehicles and that it’s foolish to actually buy a new gasoline car at this point because the residual value of that gasoline car is going to be very low. So, I think we have to be in a very good spot. But I wouldn’t say it’s recession proof, but it’s certainly risk — recession resilient because basically, it has — people both have large part made the decision to move away from gasoline cars to electric cars.
Global EV Sales Are Rising Every Quarter Since The Pandemic
How likely is the world to move away from gasoline cars in the near future? According to CleanTechnica, electric vehicles made up 6% of United States auto sales in Q3 2022 (Up from 2.2% in Q3 2021).
Electric Cars Auto Sales in United States By Quarter
Companies such as Tesla and Nio continue hitting record deliveries each year to fulfill the growing electric car demand.
Elon Musk Thinks Gasoline Cars are Low Value
Elon Musk is a long term thinker that plays chess while everyone else is playing checkers. He believes gasoline cars are low value because the demand for ICE vehicles will be extremely low by the end of the decade.
An electric vehicle is really a smart car just like a smarphone when compared to a standard cell phone. You cannot compare the two or nobody wants to switch back to a boring, old school cell phone after they owned an Apple iPhone.
Who is going to spend their hard earned money on a gasoline car that’s using technology from the 1800’s in the future? It makes sense that smart consumers adopt electric cars ASAP so their EV will retain some value in the future.
Elon Musk has made many bold predictions that have come true in the past. He predicted that Tesla’s market cap would exceed $700 billion in 2017, which came true last year. He also said that Tesla’s market cap could be worth more than Apple and Saudi Aramco combined in the near future.
Tesla has grown in value so much because the world desperately wants electric vehicles. I wouldn’t suggest betting against Tesla or Elon Musk at this point.
It may be time to research your next electric vehicle purchase and prepare for the inevitable electric car revolution.


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Christofle Promotes Krafft, Gerard
June 12, 2012,
NEW YORK-Christofle has promoted Nicolas Krafft to president and CEO to the Americas. Krafft previously served as president and CEO for the North American subsidiary of the French silver company.
In addition, Ginny Gerard has been named to the newly created position of executive vice president, overseeing the company's retail, wholesale, online and marketing divisions. Gerard, who reports to Krafft, most recently served as vice president of sales and also supervised the marketing department. Prior to that, Gerard served as national retail director and before that, director of business development for the central United States and Canada.
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Spectrum Brands profit doubles; dividends to start
Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. said Tuesday that net income for the fiscal third quarter more than doubled because of acquisitions, cost management, new products, improved pricing and other factors.
Spectrum Brands (NYSE: SPB), the Madison-based consumer products firm that sells Rayovac batteries, Remington shavers and George Foreman and Toastmaster small appliances, said net income in the quarter increased to $58.7 million, or $1.13 per share, from $28.6 million, or 56 cents per share, for the same period a year ago. Net sales increased 2.5 percent to $824.8 million from $804.6 million.
The company said the acquisitions contributed to the increase in sales and profits.
"We benefited from volume growth, retail distribution gains, new products, geographic expansion, select pricing actions, continued spending controls, and investment paybacks from our global cost improvement programs," said CEO Dave Lumley. "Our accretive acquisitions of the Black Flag/TAT brands and FURminator also were key contributors to our higher third quarter performance."
Spectrum also announced that its board of directors has approved plans to initiate a regular quarterly common stock dividend starting in fiscal 2013 of 25 cents per share and declared a one-time, special dividend of $1 per share to be paid in September.
"Initiating a dividend recognizes our company's strong, consistent and ongoing ability to generate free cash flow and reinforces our commitment to deliver attractive returns to our shareholders," Lumley said.
David Schuyler is Digital Producer overseeing website content and also serves as a reporter covering the arts and nonprofit organizations for the Milwaukee Business Journal.
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With our investment news briefs, Money Morning provides investors with a quick overview of the most important investing news stories from all around the world.
Time Warner Spinning Off AOL; Costco Misses Earnings; Posco Agrees to 33% Iron Ore Price Cut; Two Auto Parts Makers File Bankruptcy; Microsoft Launches New Search Engine; Geithner Will Prod China to Increase Consumption; P&G Forecast Far Short Of Street Estimates; Lexus Drops LPGA Tour Event
- Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) plans to spin off its AOL Internet unit by the end of the year, making it its own publicly traded company, Bloomberg reported. The decision reverses the historic $124 billion merger in 2001 that had hurt Time Warner more than it helped.
- Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) just missed Wall Street expectations for the quarter ended May 10, as shoppers cut spending and opted for cheaper retailers. Profits at the club retailer fell to $209.6 million, or 48 cents a share, compared to $295.1 million, or 67 cents a share, a year earlier, Reuters reported.
- Asia's third-largest steel mill, Posco (NYSE ADR: PKX) agreed to a 33% cut in iron ore prices with the world's second-biggest supplier, Rio Tinto Group PLC (NYSE ADR: RTP). The deal puts pressure on Chinese steelmakers who are demanding as much as a 50% discount, Bloomberg reported.
- Auto parts makers Visteon Corp. (OTC: VSTN) and Metaldyne Corp. have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for their U.S. operations. In its filing, Visteon listed total assets of $4.58 billion. Private equity firm Carlyle Group, Ltd. and RHJI International SA, which owns a 60% stake in Metaldyne's parent company, separately submitted letters of intent to purchase different portions of Metaldyne's assets, Reuters reported.
- Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: MSFT) will spend between $80 to $100 million to promote its new search engine, rechristened "Bing", in its continuing battle to counter Google Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) dominance in the Web search and related advertising business, Reuters reported, citing an article in Advertising Age.The world's largest software company has been testing the search engine internally under the name Kumo for several months, plans to launch the new service over the next few days.
- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will travel to China next week to encourage it to boost domestic demand and maintain flexible markets, a U.S. Treasury spokesman told Bloomberg. The spokesman said the discussions will include the importance of open trade and the need for both the U.S. and China to move toward balanced long-term growth strategies, including a flexible currency policy. China is the biggest foreign holder of U.S. government debt, with about $768 billion in Treasury securities.
- Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), the maker of Gillette razors and Tide laundry detergent, said its fiscal 2010 earnings will fall far short of Wall Street estimates, as it invests in international markets and new products, Reutersreported. But the consumer giant's shares fell only slightly as analysts said the investments were needed for future growth. The company's brands have lost market share as recession-hit consumers trade down to cheaper or private-label brands.
- Lexus won't renew its sponsorship of the Lexus Cup, a LPGA Tour women's team golf event in 2009, a senior official told Bloomberg. The Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) unit is struggling with the worst slump in its 20-year history as consumers pull back on auto purchases during the worst recession in decades. The Ryder Cup-style tournament, contested by teams from Asia against the rest of the world, has been an annual fixture on the tour since 2005. Lexus may back the tournament in 2010 if its business picks up, said Vince S. Socco, vice president of marketing.


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ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — You’ve probably heard of the keto diet … the popular eating plan that encourages you to consume high-protein foods and fats while steering clear of carbohydrates. It can lead to dramatic weight loss, but there are some things to consider before you jump on the next band wagon.
You name the diet and Gail Gedan has been on it.
“I remember a lollipop diet where you would eat a lollipop in between meals,” smiled Gail.
And Gail is not the only one.
“The number of people losing weight or stating that they have tried to lose weight over the past year is 50 percent,” shared Ellen Schur, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, UW Medicine.
One of the most popular diets is the keto. It’s an eating craze that has many Americans hooked. The high-fat, high-protein, low-carb keto diet might help you lose weight, but there could be drawbacks. For one, fewer fruits and veggies, you’ll likely miss out on vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other vital compounds. There’s also something called the “keto flu” that happens when you restrict carbs. This may cause fatigue, poor sleep, dizziness, and constipation. Many people report bad breath while on the diet due to the breakdown of certain acids. Another negative? Experts don’t know the long-term effects of the diet.
Going keto could also impact athletic performance. In a recent study, people who followed the keto diet for four days performed worse on high-intensity exercises compared to those on a high-carb diet. In another experiment, Australian scientists tracked elite athletes on the keto diet and found they had increased signs of bone breakdown. Those on a high-carb diet didn’t see these changes.
The keto diet was first introduced in the 1920’s as a way to treat epilepsy. It somewhat fell out of popularity with the introduction of anti-seizure drugs but picked up steam in the last few years as a weight loss diet.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; and Roque Correa, Editor.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU TRY KETO: DOWNSIDES?
BACKGROUND: The Keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet similar to the Atkins diet. It involves reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which supply energy for the brain. Ketosis occurs in healthy people during fasting and strenuous exercise. In excess, blood ketones can produce a toxic level of acid in the blood, referred to as ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a known and life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes and has been described in some cases of healthy people eating a very low-carb diet. This diet has been shown to be effective in treating seizure disorders. Research is being done to see if the keto diet aids in managing other conditions including cancer and diabetes.
KETO: PROS AND CONS: There are some benefits of going on a low-carb diet. After about one week, blood sugar stabilizes and insulin levels dip, which is actually a bonus for those struggling with diabetes. In the process of ketosis, the body produces ketone bodies that enter the spinal cord and brain, where they have several impacts, including dampening hunger. Another benefit is that people lose more weight and keep more off than people on lower-fat diets that allow more carbs. An area of concern is the high level of fat, which could potentially worsen cardiovascular health, and the stress it can place on the liver. The American Heart Association recently warned that coconut oil, which is a staple in the keto diet, is loaded with saturated fat and can raise bad cholesterol. Because the diet can lack fiber, constipation can be an issue. So can a lack of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes, along with kidney stones. And, because the diet is so restrictive, it can be hard to stick with long-term.
NEW RESEARCH SAYS KETO DIET IN SMALL DOSES: In a Yale study published in Nature Metabolism, researchers found that the positive and negative effects of the keto diet both relate to immune cells called gamma delta T-cells, tissue-protective cells that lower diabetes risk and inflammation. When the body’s glucose level is reduced due to the diet’s low carbohydrate content, the body acts as if it is in a starvation state and begins burning fats instead of carbohydrates. This process in turn yields chemicals called ketone bodies as an alternative source of fuel. When the body burns ketone bodies, tissue-protective gamma delta T-cells expand throughout the body. But when the body is in this “starving-not-starving” mode, fat storage is also happening simultaneously with fat breakdown, the researchers found. When mice continue to eat the high-fat, low-carb diet beyond one week, they consume more fat than they can burn, and develop diabetes and obesity.
* For More Information, Contact:
Bobbi Nodell, Public Relations
Free weekly e-mail on Medical Breakthroughs from Ivanhoe. To sign up: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk


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The Chester Farmer’s Market is back for 2019 and has a new location! Gazebo Park on Main Street in the Borough!
The Market will be open June 16 through September 29* from 10am until 2pm
For news and announcements, Like @ChesterFarmersMarketNJ on Facebook.
*Market will be closed on September 9 for the craft show.


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MIDTOWN, Manhattan — FAO Schwarz is returning to NYC with a store opening in Rockefeller Center in the fall of 2018, the Commercial Observer reports.
The toy giant, known for its enormous plush dolls and floor piano made famous by the 1988 film “Big” starring Tom Hanks, closed its Fifth Avenue store in 2015 after 153 years.
The old store offered a whopping 61,000 square feet of space to customers at the General Motors Building.
The new store is about three times smaller, at 19,000 square feet, sources with “intimate knowledge” told the Commercial Observer.
It will replace the NBC Experience Store between West 49th and West 50th streets at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the website reports.
The length of the stores lease is not known, but it is reportedly set to open in the fall of 2018.
PIX11 has reached out to FAO Schwarz for comment.
Thousands of shoppers bid farewell to the former store when it shuttered its doors on July 15, 2015, after being sold by its owner at the time, Toys R Us. Last year, Toys R Us sold the FAO brand to consumer-product maker ThreeSixty Group.
Fans rejoiced in October when it was announced nearly 190 FAO Schwarz shops would open inside Bon-Ton, Carson’s and other department stores run by Bon-Ton Stores Inc.


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An extremely thin mannequin used by a New York lingerie store, La Perla, sparked such controversy on social media that the Italian upscale retailer has agreed to remove it from the store and from the face of the Earth.
The outcry started after a Twitter user named Michael Rudoy posted a picture that he snapped with his phone while strolling in the trendy SoHo neighborhood, in Manhattan.
The case has once again put forward the debate on whether the mass media is contributing to worsen the eating disorder epidemic affecting millions of girls and women worldwide.
The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness, for one, tweeted that the mannequin was “terrible!,” ABC News reports. A marketer for “Truth in Advertising Act” also responded to the tweet saying it was a “#horrible mannequin” and signed his tweet with a trending hashtag “#notbuyingit.”
The response has once again put forward the debate on whether retailers, advertisers and the media are contributing to the problem of eating, disorders which affect millions of girls and women worldwide.
After the social media storm, La Perla put out a statement saying the mannequins currently displayed in their U.S. stores will no longer be used.
“The mannequin photographed has been removed from the store and will not be used again by any La Perla boutique. We are in the process of redesigning all La Perla stores with a new concept image, and the mannequins that are currently displayed in our US stores will no longer be used,” it read.
“We appreciate and value everyone's comments. Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” the statement concluded.


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Chances are you’ve had supermarket corn tortillas, the thick, bland, chalky discs that Rick Ortega calls “hot dog tortillas.”
Ortega, along with business partner Omar Ahmed, runs Kernel of Truth, a Los Angeles company that makes tortillas almost unrecognizable in taste from those mass-retail bulk versions.
The two are pushing back against a tortilla-making process that became industrialized in the 20th century, particularly through the domination of Maseca, a producer of dehydrated tortilla flour.
Chefs and restaurateurs say they have been inspired by corn’s spiritual meaning in Mexican indigenous culture and by the decade-long battle that has been fought in the Mexican courts to keep genetically modified corn out of the country and from contaminating the country’s most valuable agricultural product.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.


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(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc will buy nearly 25% of Taboola.com Ltd and become its largest shareholder in a deal allowing the online advertising company to exhibit paid content on the web portal's many sites.
The 30-year contract, announced on Monday, marks a big bet by internet pioneer Yahoo on digital advertising at a time when industry giants from Alphabet-owned Google to Meta Platforms Inc are struggling with an inflation-driven downturn in ad spending.
The Yahoo-Taboola partnership is expected to generate $1 billion in annual revenue, but the companies did not provide any other financial details. Yahoo will also get a seat on Taboola's board.
Yahoo, owned by private equity firm Apollo Global Management since a $5 billion buyout last year, has over the years been overtaken by Google and Facebook, but it still has nearly 900 million monthly active users thanks to a collection of sites such as Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports and TechCrunch.
Taboola, whose shares rose 60% on the news, pushes links to articles paid by advertisers - known as native advertising - on many websites such as CNBC and NBC News.
The deal will hand Taboola exclusive rights to sell native ads on Yahoo's sites.
The advertising firm said it expects the agreement to add to its revenue, operating earnings and free cash flow. In its latest earnings, Taboola posted a drop in quarterly revenue and also lowered its annual forecast because of a weak ad market.
The deal, which has been approved by the companies' boards, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023. Taboola plans to host a meeting on Dec. 30 to seek shareholders' approval.
Taboola, which went public through an about $2.6 billion blank-check merger in 2021, has lost 75% of its market value this year, as of last close.
(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Devika Syamnath)


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Beating a path to India’s door…That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone
They say time flies when you’re enjoying yourself, so delegates attending India’s Free Trade Negotiations with the EU last month must have felt a bit Rip van Winkleish: they resumed their first round of discussions on 27 June (and finished them on 1 July), but the first round of negotiations started back in 2004…and eighteen years is an awfully long comfort break. So whatever else Boris Johnson might be reading this morning; he should take note of that cold reality: hoping (as he is) for a post-Brexit Fee Trade Deal with India by the end of the year; the UK only started negotiations twelve months ago… fat chance of that happening then. In fact, the EU are odds on favourites to get under the wire first, which is probably why they’ve already booked a venue (Brussels) for their next round of talks in September.
Questions of timing aside, it’s still highly significant that the UK and the EU (not to mention the United States) have been kicking up the tempo over recent months to try to get a trade deal in place with India: after all, global markets and increased connectivity are at the heart of everyone’s economic agenda these days, and that’s why the World is literally beating a path to India’s door….which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
US GDP projections have halved over the last six months, and, like most Western Economies, the Federal Reserve is struggling to come to terms with spiralling inflation: adopting a progressive upward ratcheting of interest rates, with a further half to three quarter-point rises expected later this month. And back in Britain, GDP is barely growing at all (the Governor of the Bank of England warned this week of three years of “static growth” (whatever that means)), and real-term inflation in the UK is likely to rise to 11% by the end of the year.
India, on the other hand, is the World’s fastest growing large economy, turbo charged by an unprecedented surge in consumer demand across what will soon be the most populous nation on the Planet: increasingly urbanised, increasingly middle class, and more tech-hungry and forward looking than ever. So who wouldn’t want to be India’s best friend in these uncertain times? After all, in the year to December 2021, the Subcontinent’s trade with the EU reached a super healthy $116.36 Billion, and, after the United States, the European Union is currently India’s biggest trading partner, as well as the second biggest destination for the Subcontinent’s exports.
Of course, the outlook for India is nothing like as bleak as the UK and the United States, but it is undoubtedly facing inflationary pressures of its own, which means it will probably increase domestic interest rates by something in the order of 75 basis points over coming months. Set against that, though, Prime Minister Modi’s Government is also adopting aggressive policies to entrench stability going forward: including new export duties on a sub-set of steel products (to protect local markets), as well as reduced import duties on key raw materials, secure in the knowledge that the Subcontinent’s tax take is on the up too.
Most businesses on the Subcontinent are now gaining market share with increased volumes and enhanced margins, and the Governor of the Reserve Bank was unquestionably right when he stressed the underlying resilience of India’s economy….
So don’t expect the phones to stop ringing in New Delhi any time soon.
It says a lot about the strength of India’s economy that so many Western economies are lining up to do a trade deal: the EU is ahead of the curve, but the resilience of the Subcontinent’s markets is the real point to focus on.
Red Ribbon Asset Management (www.redribbon.co) aims to harness the full potential of fast evolving and emerging technologies to meet the needs of global communities as part of a circular economy, fully recognising the compelling demands of planet people and profit.


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- Nobody wants to maintain servers from the Megaupload case [ITworld]
- Irfan Khan: SAP taking on Oracle with HANA initiative [ITworld]
- Chris Nerney: Is Big Brother watching IT? [ITworld]
- Kevin Fogarty: U.S. soldiers make get contact lends heads-up display [ITworld]
- Firefox working on click-to-play feature [ITworld]
- Does more technology equal fewer jobs? [ITworld]
- Keith Shaw: 'Failure means video death' in arcades in 1982 [ITworld
- Windows Phone app submission overwhelming app store infrastructure [ITworld]
- Kevin Purdy: 'You can't break anything' is the iPad's secret [ITworld]
- Android phones still lose to BlackBerry on security [ITworld]
Plus: More technology, fewer jobs?
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TOKYO — As much as the Tokyo Motor Show caters to its domestic automakers and customers, the event still warrants the attention of knowledgeable foreign new car buyers.
Falling between September’s Frankfurt and November’s Los Angeles international auto shows, the Japanese event hosts manufacturers from all around the world, debuting concepts and production vehicles they’ll sell globally. Here are the debuts from this year’s show that Canadians should care about:
2017 Audi A4
Japanese new car buyers get the full range of Audi’s A4 lineup, including the sporty S4/S4 Avant and RS 4 Avant models. And while it’s already been introduced for the North American and European markets, the best-selling, new-generation A4 family debuted for Japan during the Tokyo Motor Show.
Japanese customers can look forward to many of the same advancements the German automaker has already applied to its front- or all-wheel-drive four-door sedan and wagon in other markets. The A4’s dimensions have grown but its weight has been reduced by up to 120 kilograms – plus, it’s roomier inside, including a larger rear trunk.
2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell
As Honda’s latest hydrogen-powered vehicle, the Clarity Fuel Cell is an evolution of the outgoing Honda FCX Clarity that’s been available in limited quantities as a lease-only conveyance in California, the only North American district with any hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Like the outgoing FCX Clarity, the new Clarity Fuel Cell will also only be released in the Golden State, starting next spring.
With a smaller yet more powerful powertrain, there’s now room for five passengers and a larger rear trunk in the latest Honda hydrogen car. While the Fuel Cell version might be a nonstarter for Canadians, the Clarity may eventually be sold across North America with a more practical, plug-in gas-electric hybrid powertrain.
2016 Honda Odyssey Hybrid
Don’t get too excited, minivan fans: what we have here is the Japanese domestic market (JDM) Odyssey, now in its fifth generation. Smaller than our eight-passenger Canadian Odyssey, the JDM sports seats for six or seven, and is closer to the size of the outgoing Mazda5, much like the first-gen 1994–99 Odyssey that came to our shores.
If the idea of a space- and fuel-efficient people mover gets you hot under the collar, the big news for the 2016 JDM Odyssey is the addition of a new gas-electric hybrid powertrain, an updated version of Honda’s dual-motor Sport Hybrid i-MMD powertrain. There’s little chance the JDM Odyssey will come to Canada – but who doesn’t think the minivan’s new hybrid system would make a great addition to our Honda CR-V crossover?
Lexus LF-FC Concept
As Toyota’s Lexus luxury brand strives to be more exciting with every new model introduced, here is the very exciting-looking LF-FC Concept, a preview to the next-generation Lexus LS full-size sedan, slated to go on sale within the next two years.
While gas and gas-electric hybrid powertrains will likely motivate the production version, the Lexus LF-FC Concept sports hydrogen fuel-cell power. The layout sees the big sedan’s hydrogen fuel-cell stack at the back of the car, with hydrogen tanks mounted in a T configuration in the centre and the power control unit up front, resulting in a roomy and luxurious cabin.
Mitsubishi eX Concept
This new concept from the Japanese automaker gives both design and engineering clues to future Mitsubishis. The exterior styling of the eX Concept is another step forward for Mitsu’s new design language, first seen on the refreshed 2016 Outlander. But the smaller proportions of the eX suggest what the next-generation Mitsubishi RVR compact crossover may look like.
On the tech front, Mitsubishi is quickly moving toward making more of its vehicles electric. As such, the bright yellow concept’s all-wheel drive system consists of front and rear electric motors that make 94 horsepower each, powered by a 45-kWh, lithium-ion battery under the passenger compartment.
2017 Mini Cooper Convertible
Making its auto show world debut here in Tokyo, before it goes on sale next spring in Canada, is the bigger and more refined third-generation 2017 Mini Cooper Convertible. It joins the growing Mini Cooper family, following the two- and four-door hatchbacks and the forthcoming Clubman wagon.
In addition to adopting the new Mini Cooper’s more rigid and roomier platform – with more trunk space, reduced cowl shake and improved handling – the front-wheel-drive, 2+2 Convertible gets a new cloth top that its maker claims can open or close in just 18 seconds, with the vehicle moving up to 30 km/h. Expect the open-air Mini to be powered by the existing Cooper’s base, S and John Cooper Works engine lineup.
Nissan IDS Concept
The Japanese automaker’s IDS (which stands for Intelligent Driving System) speaks volumes about future Nissans. Its artificial intelligence systems hint at what Nissan has in store for a whole suite of autonomous driving theologies it plans on rolling out by 2020.
As well, the Nissan concept’s 60-kWh lithium ion battery doubles the density of the recently updated Leaf battery that gets an EPA-rated driving range of 173 kilometres of electrical range and is close to prediction. And the concept’s exterior styling (highlighted by leading-edge aerodynamic and lightweight technologies for a better driving range) gives big clues to the next-generation Leaf EV, speculated to arrive in 2017.
Subaru Impreza 5-Door Concept
By all accounts, we can expect to see an all-new Subaru Impreza compact late in 2016 for the 2017 model year. And to get folks excited about that, the Japanese automaker revealed its Impreza 5-Door Concept here at the show. A non-running vehicle, the Subaru concept’s main function is to advertise “the design direction not only of the new Impreza but of Subaru’s future models as a whole.”
The Impreza 5-Door Concept is not that different looking than today’s model, highlighted by more body sculpting on it sides, and could suggest Subaru is returning to a hatchback Impreza WRX model. Underneath, Subaru says the 2017 Impreza will be the first vehicle to come from the automaker’s new modular platform, which is expected to offer significant weight savings.
Subaru Viziv Future Concept
The new Future Concept is the latest in a series of Subaru Viziv show cars that date back to 2013. This one is the most production-ready, foreshadowing the Japanese automaker’s future automatic driving technologies, a downsized turbocharged gas-electric hybrid system and styling for a new family of crossovers.
Subaru says the Viziv Future Concept’s autonomous driving tech combines the automaker’s latest EyeSight advanced front recognition with all-direction radar sensing. In addition, “high-accuracy GPS” and map data are used to pinpoint the vehicle’s location precisely. And while the concept’s interior sports four bucket seats, expect a five-passenger production version (i.e. the next Forester) and a possible three-row crossover (to replace the slow-selling Subaru Tribeca) to arrive within the next few years.


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Nokian Tyres recently announced that its new Dayton factory in Tennessee has produced its first tire.
The Dayton facility is the first Nokian Tyres factory in North America built to expand and grow its operations on the continent. The company believes that this can be achieved only when the expectations of drivers are met.
Several team members gathered together to applaud when the first tire produced by the factory was revealed. According to the company, this was a big moment for the employees of the Dayton facility since several of them had undergone six weeks of training oversees to learn how to create safe and eco-friendly tires. The employees were thrilled to see the first tire come off the line since it was a product of their combined efforts.
The company states that the moment is also significant for North American drivers since the Dayton factory is slated to begin production for commercial sale in 2020. It intends to produce tires that are suited to the driving needs of the region. It has plans to design and create tires ranging from all-weather tires built for unpredictable winter weather to all-season tires for regular use.
Nokian Tyres believes that the first tire brings it a step closer to its goal.


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During this 12-month commitment, you paid a monthly fee for the basic service, and extra for additional calls. "Free" handsets enticed many customers - but others, quite rightly, could see there was a catch.
Pre-pay mobile phones, where you buy the phone outright and without having to sign any contract, are now revolutionising the process of getting connected. There is no commitment - if you find you don't use the phone, you are not contracted into making unwanted monthly payments. All calls are paid for in advance.
Initially, pre-pay packages were designed simply to appeal to those who could not pass the stringent credit checks undertaken on those signing a 12-month contract. The high cost of the handsets and high call charges put others off. But with all four network operators now offering pre- pay, the schemes have evolved so that they appeal to a far wider audience. Peak rate calls can cost as little as 25p a minute, and from 5p in the evenings and at weekends.
The price of the kits, which include a basic handset and your first few calls, have been forced down by the entry of the big supermarkets. It was Asda which threw down the gauntlet last month, by offering a Cellnet package for just pounds 69.99 - a pounds 30 reduction on the previous high street price, made possible by the supermarket cutting its profit margin on the package.
"We're launching the people's phone," said Asda's trading director, Mike Coupe, when the supermarket entered the arena at the end of October. "Our move will send a signal to the phone operators that it's time to ring the changes." His prediction proved right: within a week other networks had responded with similar price reductions.
Pre-pay packages are particularly appealing for those who just want a phone for emergency use, or for incoming calls. There is no monthly fee for line rental - all you need is to buy the occasional top-up voucher to ensure you stay connected. Cellnet's EasyLife kit wins here, allowing you to keep your handset ringing for just pounds 20 a year. Even those making an hour's worth of calls a day can find out that pre-pay packages can work out cheaper than a traditional contract agreement.
Pre-pay tariffs may not represent the ideal tariff for everyone - but the fact that you can buy them off the shelf without any fuss or paperwork has been the route of their success. They have also found approval in unexpected quarters: "They have proved particularly popular with start- up businesses and teenagers," says Ian Volans, a spokesman for One 2 One.
Recent price reductions follow similarly aggressive pricing or marketing of pre-pay in other European countries.
"In Italy, 9 per cent of the population have bought cellphones in the last year," explains Paul McAleese, Cellnet's head of consumer marketing. "And in Finland 95 per cent of 18 to 21-year-olds now own mobiles."
A disadvantage of pre-pay schemes is that the choice of phones is severely limited. Most of the handsets are large and offer few thrills. Furthermore, the number of services available to non-contract customers is also restricted.
"They are also a non-starter with corporate users," says McAleese "as there is no monthly bill."
Pre-pay is not the only way in which networks are enticing those who are worried about the cost of running a mobile. They are also spicing up contract tariffs. All-in-one kits, for instance, still require you to sign a contract, but by paying for your line rental in advance, the networks thank you with a substantial reduction in the first-year costs.
One 2 One's pounds 150 kit includes a basic handset, connection, and a year's subscription to a tariff which includes 45 minutes of calls a month - a saving of over pounds 100 on the usual price.
As networks try to appeal to more and more niche groups, and try to retain customers, the number of tariff options continues to go up. The myriad of price plans available means that it is even harder for users to be sure that they are getting the best deal.
Cellnet, for instance, has launched a new initiative where discounts are dependent on how long you have committed to the network, and on precisely which numbers you call. Uniquely, Cellnet allows you to sign a contract for just one month - but if you commit for longer you get lower call charges.
Those who sign up for five years get 15 per cent off. Imitating BT's Friends & Family scheme, Cellnet offers reductions of up to 50 per cent on calls made to 10 nominated numbers.
The confusion caused by such complex price plans has seen Orange introduce a value guarantee. Under the terms of this, users can opt for being charged by the price list of any of Orange's digital competitors.
The increasing complexity of the buying process may just be something we have to resign ourselves to. "By offering more choice and better value for money, the customer is bound to have more decisions to make," says Volans at One2One.
Chris George is a contributor to `What Cellphone' magazineReuse content


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ST. CROIX — Plans to locally manufacture 16.9-ounce bottled water are underway, board members from the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority learned Tuesday during a public meeting scheduled to hear requests from several companies seeking benefits.
Benefits include 90 percent reductions on corporate and personal income taxes and 100 percent exemptions on gross receipt, business property and excise tax payments. Benefits also include reduced customs duty from six percent to one percent.
Self Sufficiency During Disaster
Representatives of Yusuf Drinking Water (YDW) Inc. testified that after hurricanes Maria and Irma hit the territory, access to water was limited because of limited access to bottles and containers – bottles and containers that would typically come through the shipping ports that were shut down.
“The local companies that provided the local water – they had the water, but they didn’t have the bottles because the shipping industry was shut down,” YDW Co-Owner Maher ‘Mike’ Yusuf, who is also an owner of Plaza Extra East and Seaside in Gallows Bay, told board members on St. Thomas via videoconference call at the EDC office at the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park. “In this sense we’ll be manufacturing the bottles here, so we can get up and run it right away”
YDW plans to manufacture 1-gallon, 3-gallon and 5-gallon bottles, but their focus will be on manufacturing 16.9-ounce bottles from plastic resin.
According to YDW Finance Director John Gaffney, 16.9-ounce bottled water accounts for 50 percent of all drinking water consumed in the territory, but 100 percent of the supply is imported. He said that 40 percent of the transportation costs to import the bottles here trickles down directly to the consumer. Mr. Gaffney testified that by locally manufacturing the water here, YDW could help reduce some of the transportation costs.
The company has invested $2.5 million in equipment for high-volume reverse osmosis, ozonation, PH treatment and other water treatments to “produce the purest water at the lowest cost to residents,” according to Mr. Gaffney. One piece of equipment that produces distilled water cost the company an investment of $250,000, he said.
The water comes from wells and large cisterns, according to Gaffney.
YDW plans to operate out of a 118-thousand square foot building behind the Sion Farm Shopping Center. They boast access to privately generated electricity from five microturbines.
In exchange for EDC benefits, YDW promised to meet necessary criteria pertaining to employees. The team promised to employ at least 50 local workers and to offer two insurance plans. They promised to pay 50 percent of the $1,000 deductible on one plan and 70 percent of the $5,000 deductible on the other.
Two weeks vacation, three paid holidays, four sick days and a 401K plan would also come as part of the deal.
EDC Vice Chair Philip Payne told YDW representatives that he wasn’t impressed with 50 percent payment for employees’ deductibles on insurance. He also said that three paid holidays were way below the territory standard and that he wouldn’t recommend a business model like that one.
EDC Board Chair Jose Penn asked YDW for a breakdown of the number of local employees that would be hired each year during each phase of the project. Mr. Gaffney said they would hire a minimum of 25 employees in the first year.
YDW also intends on making charitable contributions such as donations to the Territorial Scholarship Fund and $50,000 to the pension plan. According to Mr. Gaffney, providing pure water to hospitals and making contributions to youth sports are also ways to give charitably.
What Happens Next If There Are No Benefits
Mr. Payne asked YDW representatives if they would still go on with their project if they weren’t granted benefits.
“Yes, the equipment is already bought and on island,” Mr. Yusuf said.
YDW hopes to eventually export to the British Virgin Islands and other neighboring islands. Presently the company is known by several trade names including Blue Oasis, Island Crystal and My VI.
The board didn’t take any action on the YWD application on Tuesday as the hearing was only meant to hear requests for benefits. A decision will be made after consideration of the applicant’s presentation.


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28 posts tagged "Zoe Saldana"
Crispy whites always get a lot of love this time of the year, so here at Style.com, we’re paying tribute to the reliably chic, flattering look our editors have coined “summer blacks.” Chalk it up to our New Yorker mentalities, but on any given day at the office during the warmer months, you’re likely to catch Nicole Phelps wearing her trusty 3.1 Phillip Lim jumpsuit, Katharine K. Zarrella donning inky Comme des Garçons, and the Williamsburg-based editors tucking vintage band tees into their dark skinnies. But we’re not the only ones championing—in the words of Jay Z—all-black everything this season. Celebrities from Zoe Saldana to Sofia Coppola have recently been spotted in head-to-toe onyx outfits, while the slimming noncolor remains a staple for models-off-duty like Anja Rubik, Liya Kebede, and Daria Strokous (not that they need the help). Designers including Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz and Josh Goot featured LBDs and graphite crop tops in their respective Resort lineups—more proof that black is, well, the new black.
When it comes to fashion, the red carpet can often be filled with the same old, same old. But now and again, some bold celebrities shake things up with experimental, next-level looks. Here’s what’s feeling fresh this week.
From classic hits to updated takes on the past, a wealth of noteworthy wares walked down the red carpet this week. A handful of stars opted for frocks with lace or insets. Cate Blanchett and Zoe Saldana chose looks with all-over lace. Saldana attended the L.A. premiere of Guardians of the Galaxy in an ensemble from the Louis Vuitton Resort ’15 catwalk on Monday night, and Blanchett stepped out in a white lace-covered cocktail dress with butterfly sleeves from Elie Saab’s Spring ’13 Haute Couture offering for a SK-II beauty event in Shanghai the following evening. In Hollywood, Diane Kruger turned up at the Fox All-Star party in a black Marios Schwab Resort ’15 jumpsuit with a lace keyhole cutout, which was a popular detail for the season.
A surprising, yet decidedly fresh trend this week was the contemporary take on the 80s prom dress. Perhaps one too many Sixteen Candles reruns were the cause for inspiration, but several celebs seemed to be channeling retro prom queens. Rachel McAdams opted for a one-shouldered Zuhair Murad Fall ’14 Haute Couture jewel-toned number with a modern interpretation of a bustle at the hip for the New York premiere of A Most Wanted Man. Kylie Minogue went for the shimmer-effect, donning a gold metallic Blumarine Fall ’14 frock for a photo call for The Voice in Sydney. Selena Gomez decided on a more literal approach, layering piles of tulle over a Dior Spring ’14 cocktail dress for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation gala in France. It appears there are still a few lessons we can learn from the decade of big hair, sleeves, and skirts.
Every year, the crème de la crème of the film industry get glammed up to hobnob and vamp for the paparazzi at the Cannes Film Festival. While A-listers such as Jessica Chastain, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Carey Mulligan, and Zoe Saldana have made an impressive showing thus far, they’ve arguably been eclipsed by the contingent of top-tier catwalkers who have flocked to the red carpets en masse. Yesterday, in particular, was a model-watcher’s paradise, with the likes of Joan Smalls, Petra Nemcova, Barbara Palvin, Chanel Iman, Jessica Hart, and Erin Heatherton posing for the cameras like the pros that they are. Milla Jovovich, Liya Kebede, and Doutzen Kroes were snapped multiple times earlier in the week, and Yasmin Warsame and Irina Lazareanu made some memorable cameos, too. Presumably, even more runway regulars will turn up at the amfAR blowout on Thursday—we’ve got it on authority that Liu Wen and Karolina Kurkova are already in town. Sorry, starlets. When it comes to posing and strutting in borrowed gowns, models simply do it best.
The results are in. Today, The Hollywood Reporter released its third annual list of Hollywood’s 25 Most Powerful Stylists. The winners include big names we’ve been hearing a lot about of late—Kate Young, who’s been whipping up a buzz with her new Target collection (and who styles Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, and Natalie Portman), came in at number four. Elizabeth Stewart, who chronicled her experience styling Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Chastain, Julia Roberts, and Cody Horn for the Golden Globes for Style.com, came in at number five. And Rachel Zoe, who styled Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence in their much-talked-about Oscar gowns, slid in at number three. Petra Flannery, who styles Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana, and Megan Fox, was this year’s runner-up. And the big winner is (drumroll, please) Leslie Fremar, who styles discerning stars like Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron, and Jennifer Connelly. A surprise on the list was designer (and Mick Jagger’s girlfriend) L’Wren Scott, who came in at number sixteen for dressing Nicole Kidman.


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(CelebrityAccess)–Sony Pictures posted a loss of $103 million for the April to June quarter, despite sales rising 20 percent on a dollar basis and 7 percent once converted into yen.
The recent strengthening of the yen has reduced the value of dollar earnings when they are repatriated to Japan.
The Angry Birds Movie and higher television advertising revenue in India and South America helped boost income, along with increased television licensing fees. The loss for the quarter was around 10 percent lower than for the corresponding period in 2015.
Sony cut the full-year sales forecast for the pictures division by 9 percent to ￥920 billion ($8.86 billion at current exchange rates), reducing its operating profit prediction from ￥43 billion to ￥38 billion ($365 million).
Sony Corp. posted group-wide net income of $205 million (￥21 billion), down 74 percent over the same quarter last year. Sales at its smartphone and semiconductor businesses were down, partly offset by the ongoing strong performance of the PlayStation 4 console. -Staff Writers


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Driver’s side airbags in certain Honda Accords and Civics are being recalled becasue of a potentially-dangerous defect that could lead to injury or even death.
The recall extends a November 2008 recall by about 440,000 vehicles, including 2001 Honda (Stock Quote: HMC) Accords and Civics in which too much air pressure during airbag deployment could cause an inflator casing to rupture, possibly causing metal fragments to pass through the cloth airbag cushion material, Honda says.
Registered owners of vehicles affected by the recall will receive a recall notice in the mail during the next few months, with the owners of vehicles most likely to include a problem airbag being contacted first, Honda says. The notice will include instructions for consumers to schedule a repair or replacement airbag.
Drivers can confirm their vehicle's recall status by visiting Honda online. Owners of affected vehicles are encouraged to wait to receive a recall notice in the mail before scheduling an appointment with a dealer for a repair or a replacement.
—For the best rates on loans, bank accounts and credit cards, enter your ZIP code at BankingMyWay.com.


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Boohoo is facing a major backlash from the public and workers’ unions for “marketing face masks as a fashion item” while its staff complain of safety concerns. The online fashion…Read More
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23/11/2020 12:21 PM
This year’s Black Friday Cyber Monday weekend will look very different. When we think of Black Friday, we conjure up scenes of mayhem: people camping outside shops and rushing through…


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By Martin Kidston/Missoula Current
A month after traveling to China as part of a trade delegation, Sen. Steve Daines on Friday said an agreement had been reached with the Asian power that will open its markets to U.S. beef this summer.
In exchange, the U.S. will issue a proposed rule allowing Chinese cooked poultry to enter the U.S.
Daines, who visited with Chinese officials during last month’s visit, including Premier Li Keqiang, said a formalized agreement should be reached in the coming weeks, and markets should open to beef exports no later than July 16.
“With over 95 percent of the world’s consumers living outside of the U.S., access to foreign markets is critical to growing good-paying jobs and maintaining Montana’s strong economy,” Daines said Friday. “In a state where there are nearly three times as many cattle as people, opening Chinese markets to Montana beef is essential to our state’s number one economic driver – agriculture.”
Opening Chinese markets to U.S. beef serves as a win for Montana ranchers. China banned U.S. beef imports in 2003 after a single case of mad cow disease in Washington state, effectively cutting off exports to one of the world’s largest economies.
The deals announced Friday likely stem from trade talks that began in April when President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Florida to discuss the two economies.
According to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the countries have agreed that China will allow U.S. imports of beef no later than mid-July. The U.S. will issue a proposed rule to allow Chinese cooked poultry to enter U.S. markets by the same deadline.
Other trade issues with China remain in play.
“The easiest place for us to focus for the moment is agriculture,” Daines said. “When you look at these emerging Asian markets, it presents a tremendous growth opportunity for Montana agriculture.”


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Good news for foodies all over the country: GCash is giving away multiple foodpanda voucher codes when you order and pay using GCash!
Not yet on Foodpanda? For a minimum order of P200, new users can instantly enjoy P100 off when they use the voucher code “GCASHNEW” and pay using GCash for their very first order.
Meanwhile, existing subscribers can enjoy P50 off their order when they use the voucher code “50GCASH” for a minimum order of P250.
GCash also has free deliveries covered! Customers can simply use the code “GDAYSUNDAY” on all Sundays of March while paying via GCash to enjoy free deliveries on minimum orders of P200!
GCash foodpanda voucher codes
|New users on first order
|Valid once every Sunday
By ordering through foodpanda using GCash, customers will be able to eat good food while staying at home, while also protecting themselves from the recently rising COVID-19 cases through physical distancing.
“GCash is making ordering food online more fun, affordable, and most importantly, safe. With our partnership with foodpanda, GCash customers get to enjoy great food with multiple discount options, without the need for physical cash payments, and while still being able to protect themselves against COVID-19,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash.
GCash customers can add their GCash wallet on the foodpanda app by checking out their orders and by selecting GCash as the payment method to link their wallet before placing their order.
“With GCash, foodpanda customers nationwide are assured of safely and securely ordering without the need for paying cash or change, while observing social distancing protocols to protect them from the pandemic,” said Daniel Marogy, Managing Director of foodpanda Philippines.
Promo runs until March 31, 2021.
Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.
GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.


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A judge has dismissed the felony grand theft charge against a former Idaho City postmaster accused of stealing items from the mail — but that doesn’t mean the case against Teresa Belau has been dropped.
Fourth District Judge Patrick H. Owen last week remanded the case back to Magistrate Court.
Belau’s attorney, Brad Poole challenged whether Target gift cards — which Teresa Belau is accused of taking from the mail — are, in fact, “financial transaction cards” under state statute. Belau was charged with felony theft because prosecutors believed the gift cards met the statute.
But Lisa London, supervising court clerk, said Judge Owen determined that Target gift cards do not meet the state’s legal definition of financial transaction cards. The judge said the cards work the same as cash, London said.
Belau’s next court appearance is at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 30.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Nissan North America, Inc. NSANY, -1.54% on Thursday reported sales 82,644 cars and trucks in January, up 8.9% from 75,891 units in the same month last year. There was an additional selling day in January when compared with 2006. After adjusting for the extra day, sales rose 4.5%. Nissan posted car sales of 48,779 in the month, up 25% from last year, while truck sales fell 8% to 33,845. The Nissan division reported sales of 73,680, up 8.9% from last year, while the automaker's Infiniti division racked up sales of 8,964, up 11.3%.
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Brad Miller has opened Worldwide Cactus & Exotics, or more accurately is in the process of opening the store at 2630 E. Central a few blocks west of Hillside.
He’s had the 3,000-square-foot building for a few months, but there have been a few delays in getting it ready.
The store has plants now, and as of a few days ago also has a point-of-sale system.
“We just kind of opened piecemeal a little bit,” Miller says.
He’s been in the cactus business previously and one of his employees, Debbie Williams, used to work at Nature’s Way. Her family also had Oklahoma-based Midwest Cactus, the exclusive cactus vendor to the former Nature’s Way store.
“She had an extensive history,” Miller says.
He says he plans to sell more tropical plants than cacti.
“We want to have real exotic . . . rare plants from all over the world,” Miller says. “Stuff you don’t see.”
He says there will be a range of prices, from high-end collector’s items to “small house plants that everyone can afford.”
Miller is building a fence around part of his parking lot for overflow plants, which he brings out daily and takes in each night.
Look for a grand opening in a couple of weeks.


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News stories about Android's dominance in mobile never ends. In a Wired article, Marcus Wohlsen speculates that Android might be the MS DOS of our generation.
It's a bold statement to make, but he has some evidence to support his claim. Android has now surpassed 80 percent market share world-wide. In contrast, iOS sits at around 13 percent.
The triumph of Android would seem to vindicate Google's choice not to go head-to-head against Apple with its own proprietary mobile operating system and hardware. In retrospect, it was a no-brainer decision, owing to on very obvious precedent
Of course Wohlsen is talking about Microsoft and DOS, and later Windows. Back then, Apple, Commodore, Atari, and IBM were all players in the computer industry. Yet, Microsoft - a software company - won the race, by selling its operating system to everyone.
Google is a services-driven ad business that makes more money as more people use its services — and use them more often. By giving away an open source operating system that, among other things, helps hardware makers set lower prices, Google ensures maximum exposure to the maximum number of mobile users. Android gets users locked into Google, which lets Google show them more ads. In short, Google wins.
It's hard for Apple, which makes the vast majority of its money from hardware to compete at least in terms of market share. "Meticulously crafting" its hardware is part of Apple's image. Their design and service get people to lineup around the block for their products.
Now, most tech journalists, by touting Android's market share gains, reveal their inner Android fanboy. Wohlsen doesn't do this. Instead, he provides a very sobering analysis. He argues that Apple wins by continuing to keep its system closed. Opening up their platform and "compromising its design principles... would strip Apple of its core value proposition." He says Apple should keep being Apple.
If anything will hurt Apple, it will be price. Mass market pricing has been a winning strategy, and it's something that Microsoft can now accomplish in mobile now that it owns Nokia.


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A global study by Nielsen finds that a majority of consumers
do not, in general, typically trust any type of paid advertising-and TV, print,
outdoor and radio ads all score higher on the consumer trust list than online
and mobile ads.
Branded websites, however, are trusted more than any type of
advertising other than recommendations from friends and consumer opinions
The study shows that the best form of advertisement for a
brand is to win over users who then can tout it to their friends or in comments
online. In the study, 92% of people said they "trust completely or somewhat"
recommendations from people they know when buying a product; 70% trust consumer
opinions posted online.
Branded websites and editorial articles about products and
brands are each trusted by 58% of those surveyed, while information in an email
a consumer signs up for is trusted by 50% of those surveyed. No other
advertising is trusted by more than 50% of the respondents.
Ads on television, ads in magazines, outdoor advertising and
brand sponsorships are each trusted by 47% of those surveyed. Ads in newspapers
are trusted by 46%, ads on radio by 42% and ads before movies in theaters by
And for those marketers who believe that product
integrations can work because they are seamless-only 40% of respondents trust
TV program product placements.
Online video ads and ads on social networks are trusted by
only 36%, online banner ads and display ads on mobile devices by 33% and text
ads on mobile phones by 29%.
The survey points out that while paid advertising scores low,
the medium continues to thrive, hinting that marketers may need to reevaluate
how they spend their promotion dollars.
Randall Beard, global head of advertiser solutions at
Nielsen, says for most brands, a strategy that would give up paid advertising
completely and move into more branded websites and social media "isn't really
feasible given both the broad reach and historical success associated with paid
Instead, Beard says, "we need to start thinking of how paid,
owned and earned can work together to improve trust and deliver better results."
He says marketers "continue to discuss them as if they are mutually
exclusive media. They're not. And now technology is blurring the lines of paid,
owned and earned media more than ever. Paid can now also be social, as social
is often about paid. Owned can have paid embedded media in it. And sometimes,
all three can exist in one consumer touch point."
Nielsen offers three examples of convergence between paid,
owned and earned media.
1. Combining paid ads
with social advertising
"Research on Facebook ads with and without a social layer
shows that social ads generate much stronger breakthrough and purchase intent
than ads without a social layer," Beard says. The reason is that knowing that
the advertised brand is liked by friends builds trust.
Nielsen research shows that a brand gets 55% greater ad
recall when a social element is added.
2. Paid digital advertising
can drive consumers to a brand's owned media
In one example of many in a Nielsen study that yielded the
same results, 5.4% of those exposed to an online display campaign for a brand
subsequently visited that brand's website, while only 0.4% not exposed to the
online display advertising visited that brand's website.
3. Owned media can work
harder than paid media alone
An example in the Nielsen study shows that exposure to a
brand's website drove almost three times the sales lift of paid digital ads
"Addressing the truth deficit in advertising is more than
just making ads that are true," Beard says. "It's also about how to use paid,
owned and earned media to your brand's advantage. Why not build social into
your paid advertising where possible, use your paid ads to drive consumers to
your website and optimize your site to drive maximum on- or off-line purchases?
Why not experiment with the myriad ways to engage your customers across the
paid, owned and earned continuum?"
Beard says overcoming the trust deficit in advertising is "about
adding in social and owned media experiences in ways that give paid media more
legitimacy, enabling it to work harder for your brand."
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Since May 8 of last year, one Bitcoin address has started accumulating a balance, reaching 118,300 BTC at the time of writing. Currently, this bitcoin whale is the third largest address with the most BTC.
In accordance with Data powered by Arkham Intelligence, a Bitcoin funds tracking platformthe direction bc1q…59v2 belongs to Robinhood Markets Inc., a financial company that has been providing cryptocurrency buying and selling services since 2018.
It’s specifically about that a company called “Robinhood: Jum Trading Custody”, and has so far amassed the equivalent in bitcoin to $3,080 million. One of the most notable transfers came from the Gemini exchange, as he showed yesterday the reporter Colin Wu on the platform X.
Since the release of the information, some people have they speculated that it could be a cryptocurrency exchange consolidating its funds. Others dared Point to BlackRock, a company that manages investments, as a possible owner of the previously mysterious address because they filed an application to manage a Bitcoin-based ETF in June, CriptoNoticias reports. According to this argument, BlackRock would need to raise funds in BTC to support its ETF, although this is not true.
In any case, the Robinhood team has not provided any information on the address in question, which is among the top addresses with the most resources, right behind Binance Cold Wallet (248,597 BTC) and Bitfinex Cold Wallet (178,010 BTC). accordingly BitInfoCharts.
in the latest report The company’s financial statements also do not reflect the money movements in Bitcoin. However, this is evident in the last quarter The company saw an 18% drop in revenue from cryptocurrency trading. compared to the previous quarter. Specifically, Robinhood received $31 million in benefits.
Actually, Robinhood’s cryptocurrency trading volume fell by 68%. until it reaches $2,100 million in May 2023.
This decline could be related to that a decrease in the number of users The company’s monthly revenue fell to 10.8 million, down 1 million from the previous month and down 3.2 million in the year-on-year period.
In June of this year, Robinhood took three cryptocurrencies off its platform after the US Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit against Binance and Coinbase, CriptoNoticias reported. This circumstance may have contributed to the decline in revenue and user numbers over the past two months.


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Samsung pushes out yet another update to fix graphics issues with the Galaxy Tab 10.1
Specifically, the P7510UEKME software update addresses the issue plaguing some Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi tablets. Previously, tablet owners experienced the display not working properly, which ultimately required a reboot to correct the problem. Furthermore, Samsung stopped the roll out of its TouchWiz UX update soon afterwards to better assess the problem.
Thankfully, things appear to be in good hands now that the 3.5MB update is available for download and installation – thus, quashing any of those annoying display problems. So far, it doesn’t appear that Verizon’s LTE enabled Galaxy Tab 10.1 is affected by the bug. Nevertheless, Galaxy Tab 10.1 owners all around can rejoice and enjoy the new customized Android experience in peace.
1. som (Posts: 768; Member since: 10 Nov 2009)
Now Samsung can tell EU judge that Galaxy Tab and Galaxy phone looked different from iPad and iPhone after the update is completed.
Samsung should give EU judge a real Galaxy Tab and phone to play with, so they can tell the different from iPad and iPhone. Photos are no good from Apple.
3. JamesTownsend (unregistered)
I hate to break it to you, but the judge's decisions were based on physical examinations of the products themselves. That's why these stories are nothing but interesting...It would be interesting if the court would overturn its decision, but its highly unlikely...


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However, a recent report from Forbes shows CVS’ tobacco free policy is helping their bottom line in addition to their customers’ health.
CVS reported a record $37.1 billion in sales in the fourth quarter thanks to increased pharmacy sales. Forbes also recently reported that CVS’ tobacco free policy helped them build new hospital and health system partnerships.
This success and CVS’ new partnerships make sense when one thinks about tobacco’s harms. Last year’s U.S. Surgeon General’s Report highlighted the progress that has been achieved over the past 50 years, since the release of the first U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking.
One of the conclusions drawn from the report indicated that, “Although cigarette smoking has declined significantly since 1964, very large disparities in tobacco use remain across groups defined by race, ethnicity, educational level, and socioeconomic status and across regions of the country.
This certainly holds true to Wisconsin, where 18% of the adult population smokes and disparities persist class, education, health status and race:
- 35% are people with annual incomes below $15,000.00
- 33% of Wisconsin smokers are people with less than a high school degree
- 29% of Wisconsin smokers are people who suffer from depression
- 27% of Wisconsin smokers are African Americans
I couldn’t be happier about seeing CVS prosper from their tobacco free decision.
I am a local store owner of the Atkinson Food Market, and I have never sold tobacco products. I have still been able to run a successful business for 50 years, so I don’t see why other local stores who still carry tobacco products would feel like tobacco is necessary for them to survive.
I believe that CVS going tobacco free will encourage other pharmacies to rid their shelves of tobacco products for good. It just makes good business sense.
Members of the Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Poverty Network are proud to have CVS Health as a partner in reducing tobacco’s toll.
For more on local tobacco prevention and control efforts, contact the WTPPN at (414) 418-6449 and follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WiTPPN. Tobacco users can also call 1-800-QUIT NOW for free help and medications.


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emisphere GPS - YTO OEM Alliance for Outback Guidance - 15/02/2011
Hemisphere GPS and YTO Group Corporation have entered into an OEM alliance to launch Outback Guidance precision farming products in China. YTO, a manufacturer with over fifty years of experience, provides a series of agricultural, construction and power machinery, vehicles and spare parts. YTO are now complementing their farm machinery product line with Outback guidance systems, GPS and the eDriveX system that will automatically steer their farm machinery to centimetre-level accuracy.
YTO has recently been awarded a number of units in a recent tender in Heilongjiang. Hemisphere GPS also recently displayed the Outback Guidance products on YTO’s new and largest tractor, model YTO-LA2004, at the Information and Modern Agriculture Exposition (IMAE2010) in Beijing.
"Our customers will now be able to improve their farming practices and efficiency through the GPS-based Outback S3 and eDriveX automated steering system by Hemisphere GPS," says Xie Fang, Chief of Products Management at YTO. "We added more value to our farm tractor product line through the alliance with Hemisphere GPS."
Outback Guidance precision agriculture products by Hemisphere GPS help to minimise costs and maximise yields. The eDriveX automated steering solution reduces the potential for skips or overlaps and enables farmers to apply seed and chemicals only where they are needed – minimising application costs and increasing productivity. Outback Guidance products are designed to be easy to install, operate and deliver a quick return on investment.
"Our new OEM relationship with YTO helps us build upon our position in China’s rapidly growing precision farming market,” said Steven Koles, President and CEO of Hemisphere GPS. "YTO’s successful history in farm machinery combined with one of the world’s largest agriculture markets adds up to significant potential for Hemisphere GPS.”