text:
America’s Un-carrier lights up data, calling and texting for customers travelling to Cuba
Bellevue, Washington—October 21, 2016—T-Mobile [NASDAQ: TMUS] today announced it’s lighting up Cuba with calling, texting and data roaming for customers travelling to the island nation. Thanks to an agreement inked earlier this year, T-Mobile customers can now talk for $2.00 a minute, send text and multimedia messages for $0.50 per message and receive them for free, and use data for $2.00 per MB while roaming in Cuba. And, as always with the Un-carrier, calling back to the US is completely free with Wi-Fi calling.
“The opening of Cuba has been historic—and we’re excited to do our part to help people connect,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “Since we have more customers of Cuban descent than any other wireless company, we’re incredibly happy to light up Cuba today for all of our T-Mobile customers. Dale, vámonos a Cuba!”
It’s no surprise Cuba has continually been one of the top requested additions to T-Mobile’s international roaming on social media. In the US, almost half (43.7%) of Cuban-born wireless customers are with the Un-carrier and wireless customers in Cuban-American hubs like Miami are consistently choosing T-Mobile over AT&T or Verizon.
T-Mobile moved to respond to those customer requests—signing a deal last spring with Empresa De Telecomunicaciones De Cuba, S.A. (ETECSA), the Cuban telecommunications company.
Back in May, T-Mobile enabled calls from the U.S. to Cuba for $0.60 per minute with its popular monthly “Stateside International Talk” feature ($15 per month). And, now, Un-carrier customers can stay connected while travelling in Cuba.
Today’s news is just one more reason the Un-carrier is the best wireless provider for people with passports. Now, with the addition of Cuba, T-Mobile customers can roam even more of the planet—most of it at no extra charge. T-Mobile customers with qualifying plans can use their phones in Mexico and Canada just like at home, and they get free data and texting and low flat-rate calling in 140+ countries and destinations globally. For more information on T-Mobile’s industry-leading global roaming services, please visit www.t-mobile.com/international.
Qualifying plan & capable device required; taxes additional. Communications with premium-rate numbers may cost extra. Coverage not available in some areas; high speeds not available in some locations--we are not responsible for our partners’ networks.
About T-Mobile US, Inc.
As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to more than 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS. For more information, please visit https://www.t-mobile.com.
# # #
T-Mobile US Media Relations
877-281-TMUS OR 212-358-3210


text:
Merchandise trade falls by 2.5 billion
By Hilary Mare
NAMIBIA Statistics Agency (NSA) statistician general Alex Shimuafeni has said that the month of November 2020 saw Namibia’s total merchandise trade declining from N$20 billion in October 2020 to the level of N$17.5 billion, a N$2.5 billion or 12.8 percent decline.
In a trade bulletin released last week, Shimuafeni also noted that this merchandise trade was also 8.5 percent less than the N$19.1 billion recorded in November 2019.
He further noted that the value of exports in November 2020 rose by 2.3 percent to reach the level of N$8 billion from its level of N$7.8 billion in October 2020. However, when compared to its level of N$8.3 billion observed in November 2019, exports deteriorated by 3.9 percent. The import side showed a negative trend, falling by 22.4 percent and 12.1 percent when compared to October 2020 and November 2019, respectively.
In essence, the country’s trade balance remained in a deficit with the current deficit amounting to N$1.4 billion, narrowing from N$2.4 billion recorded in November 2019 and from N$4.4 billion in October 2020.
“The November 2020 trade figures indicate that re-exports deteriorated, falling by 20.5 percent month-on-month and by 3.8 percent year-on-year. Non-ferrous metals took the largest share of re-exports, constituting a share of 55.4 percent of total re-exports mainly to China, Belgium and Germany. The non-ferrous metals which were re-exported were mostly sourced from Zambia and DRC. Important to note is that some commodities e.g. non-ferrous metals and metalliferous ores and metal scrap appear on both the export and import side. This is because such commodities are imported under warehousing procedures and re-exported thereafter. Hence, they form part of total exports (domestic plus re-export),” explained Shimuafeni.
Namibia’s trade composition by partner was skewed towards a few countries. China emerged as Namibia’s largest export market while South Africa maintained its position as the number one source of imports. The composition of goods exported remained the same mainly comprising of minerals such as non-ferrous metals, metalliferous ores and metal scrap, non-metallic mineral manufactures, as well as non-monetary gold. Fish remained the only non-mineral products among the top five list of exports. On the other hand, the import basket comprised mainly of non-ferrous metals, metalliferous ores and metal scrap, vehicles, electrical machinery and; iron and steel.
The composition of Namibia’s import markets remained the same comprising of countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Bulgaria, China and DRC which replaced Puerto Rico when compared to the list of October 2020. These countries supplied Namibia with 84.7 percent of all import requirements needed by the country.
On the other hand, China emerged as the largest export market for the country, absorbing 41.3 percent of all goods exports, ahead of South Africa in the second place whose market share of Namibia’s exports remained constant at 13.9 percent of total exports. Botswana claimed the third position to account for 8.1 percent while Belgium and Germany occupied the fourth and fifth positions with respective shares of 7.6 percent and 4 percent.
For this month, the category of spices, coffee, tea and mate was chosen as the commodity of the month. Namibia imported these products worth N$31 million in November 2020 mainly distributed among commodities such as spices, black tea and coffee mostly sourced from South Africa.

domain: news


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Software update to fix Escape, Fusion overheating issue
Ford Motor Co. has found a fix to address potential engine overheating and related fires in SE and SEL models of the 2013 Ford Escape and Ford Fusion models equipped with 1.6-liter engines.
The problem led to a voluntary recall being issued on the vehicles about two weeks ago. Until yesterday, the company had no repair procedure.
To fix the issue, Ford will update software related to the vehicles’ cooling systems, according to a news release from the company. The updated software is supposed to better manage engine temperatures.
The original cooling system design was not able to address a loss of coolant system pressure under certain operating conditions, the release said.
Ford now is working to deliver the software and repair procedure to its dealers. The company will notify customers to schedule service appointments with dealers beginning early next week. Until the software is updated, customers should not drive the vehicles and are advised to contact their dealers to arrange for alternative transportation at no charge, the release said.
When the overheating occurs, vehicles’ instrument clusters display messages such as, “Engine power reduced to lower temps” or “Engine over temp, stop safely.” The release said drivers who see such alerts should safely pull off the road as soon as possible, turn off the engine and exit the vehicle.
The Ford (NYSE: F) Escape is manufactured at the Louisville Assembly Plant on Fern Valley Road. This is the fourth recall for the vehicle. Others were issued in July and September.
David A. Mann covers these beats: Health care, health insurance, distribution/logistics (UPS), manufacturing (GE, Ford), environment, travel, minority/women’s affairs and Southern Indiana.
- Most popular
- Another business moving out of Westport Village
- Will Russell's plans for Funtown Mountain go well beyond the mountain
- New videos show how the bridges project is coming together
- New concept headed to former O'Malley's Corner
- Mr. Derby? Joey Wagner consolidates, expands his events business
- Chef Maria Bell opening bistro in Old Louisville
- Does National City tower sale have greater implications for downtown?
- Long John Silver's hires new CEO
- Louisville gymnastics club taking its tumblers to Bullitt County
- 21c Museum Hotels expanding into Indianapolis
Client Services Coordinator Networld Media Group | Louisville, KY
Online Media Specialist Networld Media Group | Louisville, KY
Commercial Loan Officer Southern Indiana Bank | Sellersburg, IN
Independent Insurance Agent Southern Indiana Bank | Charlestown, IN
Director of Operations RxCrossroads, a division of Omnicare | Louisville, KY


text:
THE NEUTRAL ZONE
Facebook is developing a new feature called Neighborhoods that aims to connect people within communities via Facebook groups. The feature places Facebook in competition with Nextdoor, a company that provides a platform for neighbors and local businesses to provide services, news updates, recommendations and items for sale. The new feature is currently only available in Calgary where it is being tested. Facebook’s efforts come as Nextdoor is seeking a possible IPO via SPAC at a $4–$5 billion valuation.
Nextdoor has come under scrutiny for minority users reporting instances of racism, harassment and exclusion. Facebook has also been dealing with its own controversies around banning racist and harmful content, which raised questions from tech watchdogs about Facebook’s ability to compete with Nextdoor without creating another environment that fails to prevent bullying and exclusion.
Facebook entering this space to compete with Nextdoor strengthens the House Antitrust Subcommittee’s allegation that Facebook is acting as a monopoly that buys, copies or kills competition. Facebook also received criticism over privacy violations, which will likely renew privacy concerns as it seeks to control more elements of user data.
Facebook is testing mini social networks focused on you and your neighbors – The Verge – 10/21/2020
Facebook’s critics say its new focus on groups has amplified a number of unpleasant trends, from the growth of the anti-vax movement to militias using Facebook groups to incite violence. Moderating these groups has required more effort than Facebook is willing to give, and the same damaging dynamics could easily repeat themselves in neighborhood-focused enclaves.
The Justice Department just slapped Google with a landmark antitrust lawsuit. That could be bad news for Amazon, Facebook, and Apple. – Business Insider – 10/21/2020
Google is the first tech giant to see major antitrust action since the US government went to battle with Microsoft in the late ’90s. It’s also not the only company being probed over antitrust concerns. Earlier this month, House Democrats concluded a yearslong investigation, accusing four of the biggest tech companies — Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google’s parent company, Alphabet — of monopoly power.
Is it too late to stop Google and Facebook? – San Francisco Chronicle – 10/21/2020
When I began covering tech in the 1990s — yes, this is another Tech Chronicle where I tell you about the days of yore — the pursuit of antitrust charges against Microsoft was a big story. Gary Reback, a Palo Alto lawyer who helped marshal evidence against the software giant, made the cover of Wired. When the Department of Justice finally filed a Sherman Act lawsuit in 1998, it gripped Silicon Valley.


text:
Despite the disruption of COVID-19, Whanganui retailers have experienced their best year ever according to economic development agency Whanganui & Partners. Consumer data from Marketview shows that $569 million was spent in Whanganui in 2020, an increase of 1.4 per cent on 2019.
Spending nationwide was down 3.7 per cent, while the broader Manawatū-Whanganui region saw a modest increase of 0.6 per cent.
Jonathan Sykes of Whanganui & Partners says the district has seen continued growth in consumer spending since last year’s lockdown.
“Nationally, 2020 was a huge slog with a drop of $2.4 billion in retail spending. To see the continued growth in local spending is a clear signal of a healthy economy and that people continue to come here, be it as visitors or new residents.”
“It’s not a just a case of the losses being in large centres like Auckland – Palmerston North saw a retail spend drop of 2.3 per cent over the past year.”
“Whanganui & Partners has been supporting local businesses, not only through initiatives like the Regional Business Partners network but also through our biggest ever marketing campaign activity and unprecedented event support.”
“In all cases, central government funding has bolstered local government support and we’ve worked hard to tap into these funding streams for the benefit of the local economy.”
Sykes said with Whanganui now into the full swing of an events season, there was opportunity for businesses to take advantage of increasing numbers of visitors.
“Some sectors took a bigger hit than others in 2020 and there’s a big opportunity over the next couple of months. Some of our hospitality and accommodation businesses may still be playing catch up. This is a great chance for them to have some strong weeks and weekends with upcoming events like Masters Games, Sound Valley, Artists Open Studios and Whanganui Walls.”
Initiatives such as those between Masters Games and businesses offering special deals to participants were a good example of capturing the attention of visitors less familiar with what’s available, Sykes said.
“There’s huge positivity locally but you never know what is around the corner. We are encouraging businesses to make hay while the sun shines and take advantage of the thousands of people on their way.”
Get in touch with us.


text:
A good product
Published 7:29 am Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday Market is taking a break. Don’t worry. It will be back for another run next year.
Saturday Market, which comes to Washington’s waterfront the third Saturday of each month from May through October, provides area residents a somewhat unique option when it comes to finding something to do on those third Saturdays. Sort of like an open-air fair, Saturday Market provides visual artists, performing artists and agricultural artists — those who grow the produce, bake the breads and make the jellies and jams — an arena to showcase their talents.
Organized and presented by Downtown Washington on the Waterfront, Saturday Market also provides an opportunity for visitors to see, touch and taste what the locals add to the community with their creations, whether those creations please the eye or please the palate.
Saturday Market’s four components — an artisans market, a food court, a performance stage and the Farmers Market — provide four ways for people to display their talents.
Take the Farmers Market, which is held every Saturday from May through October. Farmers and producers have opportunities to show off their abilities to grow or make plump strawberries, succulent squash, sweet corn, peach preserves and blueberry jam.
As the farmers sell their produce, it’s not unusual for them to talk about how their goods made it to the market. They’ve been known to describe to young children who want to know where a basket of strawberries or a bushel of corn comes from how a field is prepared, seeds planted and crops harvested.
The performance venue provides a platform for local musicians and other performers to entertain folks visiting Saturday Market. It was at a Saturday Market that Bill Ebison, known as the Singing Meter Man, staged his production “Superschool!”
Ebison cobbled a group of musicians and performers who turn ordinary, inanimate items found in classrooms into things with something to say and sing. With characters such as Cheeree the Cafeteria Lady and Dawite the Dancing Desk, “Superschool!” is a fully staged presentation that targets children in the prekindergarten through third-grade levels.
Ebison adapted his program so it complements the state’s school curriculum. Ebison, the writer, musical director and producer of “Superschool!,” said his program teaches character building and emphasizes integrity, kindness, responsibility and perseverance.
That’s what’s so great about Saturday Market — it’s more than just entertainment and farmers selling produce.
The food court provides a venue for local churches, civic groups and nonprofit organizations to sell food to hungry market-goers, with the money they make being used to fund programs and projects that benefit the community.
The artisans market serves as a central location where area craftsmen demonstrate their creative skills as they offer their products to shoppers searching for birthday presents, holiday gifts and something for their homes and offices.
Sadly, Saturday Market is taking some Saturdays off during the next several months. But like spring strawberries that fade away as summer arrives, a new crop of Saturday Markets will be ready for harvesting next year.
Saturday Market brings people together, not only for buying and selling but for socializing, being entertained and enjoying the handiwork of talented friends, neighbors and strangers. What Saturday Market “sells” is the concept of improving the community.
That’s a concept the community should be buying.


text:
You are here
At FairPrice, sustainability is in its DNA
NTUC FairPrice, the largest supermarket chain in Singapore, on Thursday published its first sustainability report, which covers data and activities at all its 130 outlets and warehouse and logistics operations for the 2015 calendar year.
The 37-page document was released as part of a campaign by the co-operative to promote awareness on sustainability, environmental protection and volunteerism.
The report, which will be published annually, is "another milestone" in FairPrice's ongoing corporate social responsibility journey, said chief executive officer Seah Kian Peng.
"It affirms our commitment to ensure that through a determined focus on sustainability, we can continue to be a responsible and respected social enterprise recognised for 'doing well and doing good'," he said.
The report was developed based on the Global Reporting Initiative core guidelines, which is an internationally recognised standard on sustainability reporting.
Among FairPrice's achievements in 2015 was how it continues to stock over 5,000 products that are made in Singapore.
The organisation also invested S$1.1 million last year to support 270 small and medium-sized enterprises through a programme that sees local firms get help in managing their cash flow, and receive support to increase the awareness and sales of local products.
As for food safety, FairPrice has, since 2008, achieved the "Grade A" status by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore for excellence in food hygiene, sanitation and processing.
In terms of giving back to the community, FairPrice reported that more than S$98 million has been donated to the FairPrice Foundation to date since 2008. The target is to commit another S$50 million to the foundation by 2020.
The FairPrice Food Voucher Scheme has also received over S$13.2 million since 2002, while S$2.6 million was raised in 2015 for the NTUC-U Care Fund. FairPrice also donated S$80,000 worth of rice to low-income families.
FairPrice said in the report that it wants to extend its volunteering programme beyond employees to partners and customers.
As part of its community engagement campaign, there is an open invitation for the public to volunteer for charitable causes together with FairPrice staff, with the aim of achieving a total of 5,500 volunteer hours in 2016.
The supermarket giant is also looking to save 11 million plastic bags this year through its bring-your-own-bag initiative, called the FairPrice Green Rewards Scheme.
This would beat the 2015 figure of 10.1 million by about 10 per cent. The scheme rewards customers with a 10-cent rebate when they bring their own bags with a minimum spend of S$10.
The full sustainability report can be viewed at www.csr.fairprice.com.sg. An abridged version will be given to customers who either sign up for the volunteer programme, take part in the bring-your-own-bag initiative or complete an online quiz on the report.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Starboard wages proxy war for Office Depot board seats
Send this to a friend
Office Depot's largest shareholder Wednesday said it will formally launch a proxy fight for board representation.
Starboard Value LP, which holds a 14.8 percent stake in the company, wants four of its choices on the board of directors for Boca Raton-based Office Depot, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Now that a Delaware judge confirmed that the company must hold its annual meeting on Aug. 21, Starboard has proposed a slate of four directors that includes former Home Depot and Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli and Starboard's own Jeffrey Smith.
Starboard sued the office supplies retailer in Delaware on June 12 seeking a court order for a meeting date. Less than a week later, Office Depot announced the meeting date.
Starboard is pushing for board representation even though Office Depot plans to merge with its rival OfficeMax (NYSE: OMX) by the end of the year. The activist investor has said it will remain the largest holder in the combined company and wants the best representation on the board of the new Office Depot/OfficeMax.
Shares of Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) were up 2 cents, or 0.51 percent, to $3.93 in pre-market trading on Thursday.
Shaun Bevan is the digital producer for the South Florida Business Journal. Stay on top of the latest business news with our free daily newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
- Most popular
- Health inspectors close 5 South Florida restaurants temporarily
- Man sentenced to 150 years in prison in Miami money laundering case
- Meet the Power Leaders in Health Care - slideshow
- Seminole Tribe in deal to acquire South Florida bank
- Tiger Woods to open restaurant in Jupiter
- Miami man arrested, charged in $24M Medicare scheme
- Espirito Santo Bank sued over bad $38M investment in related company
- South Florida flooded with million-dollar home listings
- Two Miami Beach men charged with duping investors in TV network
- New York couple buys $22.5M retail building on South Beach
Essential business news for South Florida leaders.
Software Architect American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Technical Project Managers American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Quality Assurance Manager American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Quality Assurance Engineer American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Software Engineer-PEGA American Express | Fort Lauderdale, FL


text:
Around 77 percent of pasteurised milk samples assessed in a study were found to have high levels of bacteria, making direct consumption of such milk unsafe.
The level of bacteria found was beyond the standards set by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, said the study.
“Raw or pasteurised milk available in the market are found to be contaminated with disease-causing organisms and should not be consumed without thorough boiling,” said Mohammad Aminul Islam, associate scientist and head of the Food Microbiology Laboratory at icddr,b.
Consuming such milk can cause various diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid, he said.
“And, even if you drink the milk after boiling, nutrition value is heavily compromised,” said Aminul, principal investigator of the study conducted by icddr,b, with support from CARE Bangladesh.
The International Journal of Food Microbiology published the study on April 24.
To assess the microbiological quality of milk at different stages of the dairy value chain, scientists collected 438 raw milk samples from milk producers, collectors, chilling plants and restaurants in 18 upazilas of Bogra, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Rangpur and Sirajganj.
Additionally, 95 samples were collected from commercially processed milk found on the shelves of retail stores in Dhaka and Bogra.
Scientists found that at the primary producers’ level, 72 percent milk samples were contaminated with coliform and 57 percent were contaminated with faecal coliform bacteria. And, 11 percent of samples had high levels of E. coli.


text:
A Trade and Economic Development Advocate, Mr Ken Ukaoha has urged the Federal Government to adhere to stipulated measures by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to prevent unwanted importations into country.
Ukaoha, President of the National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) made the call in an interview with the Nigeria News Agency on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ukaoha was reacting to allegation by some Nigerians that China had resolved to push its used vehicles to Nigeria and other global markets as a strategy to shore up its income from automobile.
The trade advocate explained that the WTO does not take away a country’s’ right to regulate importation but empowers it to strictly regulate unguarded importations that could be detrimental to its economy.
“Article six, seven, eight, 17, 18 and 19 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of 1994, provides safeguards measures against unwanted importations and influx of products that can be detrimental to the economy.
“That is why WTO’s rules created tariff and non tariff barriers, administrative and technical barriers.
“It is not that China is dumping cars or planning to dump cars in Nigeria. We have the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the ports. Even if it is cars used in China, it is still Nigerians that will import them into the country.
“I have heard about this allegation, I checked around but I am yet to see made in China cars driven in Nigeria here. China manufactures cars but you do not find such cars here,’’ he said.
Advising Nigerians on the need to be careful on allegations that are unverifiable, Ukaoha said that there was an Auto policy created and developed to restrict importation of cars for local manufacturers to gain momentum.
Ukaoha said that the intention of the frame mass of the Auto Policy was also to boost job creation from that particular automobile sector.
“However, we have a situation where our policies are likely unimplemented, there must be some strictness in the implementation of policies for people to be serious.
“We have also opened up the space, even in the auto policy, there are provisions there for manufacturers outside to come down here to open up indigenous manufacturing companies.
“But there is also a proviso that such can also import Completely Knocked Down (CKD) and assemble it in Nigeria,” he said.
He said that the reason for that particular proviso was to ensure that Nigeria was not just importing wholly manufactured vehicles that did not create one job.
According to him, by the time a firm here brings up tires, engines, and body of cars among others for coupling, they have created some jobs for those who will do the coupling, packaging, mechanical and painting work.
Ukaoha said that those value chains would create subsidiary jobs for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country but most importantly there would be knowledge and technology transfer through the assemblages.
“Technology transfer comes in to build up our own people in a robust manner from the primary status to the secondary assemblage of such vehicles. The same thing applies to all of these Tricycles.
“So if some companies here are doing that, people should not look at it from a negative perspective, they must look at it from what the policy seek to address,’’ he warned.
Speaking on industrial development, and drawing examples from most industrialised countries like Britain, Germany and Japan among others, he urged Nigerians to support indigenous products to boost industrialisation.
He said that there could be industrial development if Nigerians could stop underrating and disparaging indigenous products.
“There was a time if you bought something, Nigerians will say this one is Taiwan or Japan, its substandard. They also used to say this one is made in China, yet the same China is moving and producing also for U.S.A market.
“We should get out of this mentality, we should value our own. The Aba shoe and cloth manufacturers must thrive. When you take the same Nigerian products overseas, everyone admires them,” he said.
He also urged the Nigerian media to ensure that made-in-Nigeria products were projected and promoted in a good way.
“Innoson is producing beautiful cars but people overlook them and buy from abroad.
“So, it is also the responsibility and the role of the Federal Government to begin to purchase Innoson cars to promote local content.’’
He lauded the Federal Government’s recent policy that military uniforms should be made in Nigeria and advised that it should be replicated in other sectors.
According to him, it will make a huge impact positively on the economy through job creation.
Edited by Ese E. Ekama
- Committee to restructure Jigawa Golden Stars FC inaugurated
- Use National Health Act to fast track UHC, Anthropologist tells FG
- Pensioners beg FG over speedy payment of N20b arrears
- Passenger slumps, dies at Lagos airport
- Kaduna govt offers digital skills training to 360 youth
- NYSC to review collaboration with NHIS on healthcare of corps members
- FG investigating Sowore-DSS incident – Malami
- Obasanjo hails Gov. El-Rufai’s pan-Nigeria character
- Buhari congratulates Maryam Uwais at 60
- Bingham varsity commences post-graduate programme in communication
- FEC approves portal for import duty exemptions, N40bn for road projects
- Expect more road repairs in 2020, lawmaker tells Lagosians
- Food System Vision 2050 Prize: UNILAG group engages stakeholders across value-chains
- 2020: All Africans can come to Nigeria without visa – Babandede
- Buhari condemns killing of 67 soldiers in Niger Republic
- Shell takes free eyecare services to host community in Bayelsa
- Nasarawa to provide schools with water, sanitation facilities
- SDGs: Quality, inclusive education my priority – Gov. Sule
- States can’t withdraw from minimum wage agreement, law binding to all — NLC
- U.S. to provide life-saving HIV treatment to 43,000 people in Imo
- Bauchi govt.to spend N12 bn to build 2,500 houses in 2020–Official
- Farmer calls for establishment of livestock agency to boost beef, dairy production
- Putin condemns EU stance on Nazi-Soviet WWII pact as ‘shameless lie’
- U.S. aviation regulator not likely clear 737 MAX before end of 2019
- We are on track in improving Manchester United, Solskjaer says
- NiMet predicts sunny, hazy weather condictions for Thursday
- FG says tackling global health problems requires global disciplinary cooperation, expertise
- Makinde signs Oyo State Anti- Corruption Bill into law
- Yuletide: Sanwo-Olu’s wife urges Nigerians to be security conscious
- Defamation: Edo Ex-speaker demands N500m from APC chieftain
- Anthony Joshua to present world championship belts to Buhari soon
- NLNG signs sales deal with Vitol SA on Train 1, 2 and 3
- NOC sets up 4-man committee on AFN crisis
- Plateau Govt. repeals disability commission act, to enact new law
- HIV/AIDS: Kwara Dep. Gov. harps on regular medical check-up
- End your strike to allow for negotiation, NECA urges electricity workers
- Committee expresses determination to host successful Abuja 2020 Para-Powerlifting Championships
- LASG to convert Majidun Rehab Centre to psychiatric hospital – Commissioner
- Christmas: FRSC promises free flow of traffic on Kaduna highways
- LASTMA arrests 25 for driving against traffic
- 261 Ogun pilgrims depart for Jerusalem
- I will alleviate your suffering, Makinde assures pensioners
- Practitioners that violate CRFFN Act risk expulsion, says governing council
- Education, powerful tool for driving growth, human devt.–Oyebode
- Alleged pension scam: How Maina illegally acquired property in son’s name–EFCC witness
- YouTube updates harassment policy to ban implicit threats, insults
- HMD Global launches new devices to enhance creativity, excitement for users
- No ‘dark Christmas’: S African leader promises action over power cuts
- Nigerian reseacher flays promotion of bone marrow transplant for HIV/AIDS cure
- INEC tasks stakeholders on free, fair elections


text:
With £5.25bn of development underway in the London Borough of Croydon over the next five years, Redwood was delighted to be one of the ambassadors for the commercial anchor, at the Ruskin Square stand for Schroders and Stanhope as part of the London pavilion at MIPIM.
A model depicting the two million square feet of development proposed at Ruskin Square was on display and hundreds of individuals visited the stand to learn more about the plans. The £500 million development will see the creation of up to 625 new homes, plus 1.25 million square feet of offices and 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurants on a nine acre site immediately next to East Croydon station. The first phase of the residential element is already under construction with the first office due to start on site over the coming months.
Redwood secured speaking slots for Stanhope and Schroders on the Croydon and Office Supply panels hosted by the London stand, and the week was topped off with the announcement that Box Park would be launching a Croydon venture at Ruskin Square in summer 2016.


text:
A sealed copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario 64 has been sold at an auction for $1.56 million, considered to be the highest price ever for a video game at auction.
The Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, which conducted the auction, tweeted Sunday that the 1996 game was sold for a world record price. It smashed the previous record price of $870 thousand for an unopened copy of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda on Friday.
The whereabouts of the person who purchased the classic Nintendo Super Mario 64 game are not known.
In a tweet, the auction house said, “#HERITAGELIVE #WORLDRECORD!! Super Mario 64 – Wata 9.8 A++ Sealed, N64 Nintendo 1996 USA just sold for $1,560,000 at #HeritageAuctions, smashing previous mark of $870K, set Friday at Heritage for The Legend of Zelda!”
Super Mario 64, which was released in 1996, became the best-selling game on the Nintendo franchise. It was the first to feature the Mario character in 3D.
According to Heritage, it was the first time a game had been sold for more than $1 million.
Valarie McLeckie, Heritage’s video game specialist, said, “After the record-breaking sale of the first game in the Zelda series on Friday, the possibility of surpassing $1 million on a single video game seemed like a goal that would need to wait for another auction.”
Heritage Auctions reportedly had sold an unopened copy of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros for $660,000 in April.
For comments and feedback contact: email@example.com


text:
Our nation is better because we create better. We innovate. We try new things. We risk failure. But when we fail, we pick ourselves up and we try again. We create new business models and they succeed. And then newer models come along and destroy them.
One example is television broadcasting, which blossomed for years until cable TV came in and quickly took market share. Then satellite was launched, and it stole some of cable’s share. Now fiber and wireless networks are delivering broadband entertainment to millions of Americans.
The same happened for retailers. Walmart, Target, Best Buy and RadioShack became destinations for Americans wanting a great deal. But then Amazon and eBay created new business models and enticed many of those same Americans away from the shelves to their computers.
These examples illustrate disruptive innovation and how central it is to America’s entrepreneurial culture. Critics may claim that disruptive technologies hurt certain businesses and industries, but the reality is that “creative destruction” drives the market, displaces older technology or ideas with the new, and offers consumers value they didn’t dream up yet.
Take these new online services that are making it easier than ever to innovate. If you have an idea for a great new product, take it to Quirky.com. If the Quirky community likes it, they will improve it and bring it to market and you and whoever helped in the project will get a cut of the sales. For example, a high school student who won a science fair made big money on Quirky for proposing a flexible power strip. And if you want to make the product yourself and simply need funding, go to Kickstarter.com. There, interested investors and buyers help innovators get their products off the ground with funding.
Even Congress has made crowdfunding easier. The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act that passed with bipartisan support in April 2012 makes it easier for startups to attract investors. Since passage of this bill, crowdfunding platforms have seen their usage increase, leading to more investments and business innovation.
America’s culture, which fosters entrepreneurship and risk-taking, is the key ingredient that allows it to be one of the most innovative nations on earth. But we’re losing our edge. The Global Innovation Index of 2012 is a tool for innovators, policymakers and business leaders to see its country’s progress on an annual basis. According to the latest report, the U.S. ranks 10 out of 141 countries. While this remains a positive score, a year-by-year comparison shows that the U.S. dropped three ranks from 2011 to 2012.
The United Nations’ report weighs a nation’s innovative strengths and weaknesses based on a set of metrics, like business sophistication, creative outputs and infrastructure. According to the rankings, the U.S. excels in a variety of different metrics – investments, venture capital deals, e-participation and ease of starting a business. But one of the ways in which America can improve is by increasing the number of graduates in science and engineering. Additionally, we must reform our immigration policies to make it easier for highly skilled immigrants to build and grow their businesses here. America should reform those policies so that we don’t lose these entrepreneurs to competitor nations. This would be a step in maximizing America’s innovative culture.
For the U.S. to continue to lead the global economy and bounce back, we need to pursue national policies that encourage innovation, creativity and new ideas. We need to invest in technological innovation and create an environment where entrepreneurs can challenge, improve and strengthen our society.
We need this help now more than ever, as our economy faces a looming fiscal cliff and the debt clock ticks past $16 trillion. This election has highlighted differences on taxes, economic policy, the role of government and the rules affecting businesses. But instead of focusing only on the differences, both sides should must also come to agreement on the importance of innovation and how the private sector can restore America’s place as the most innovative nation on earth.
Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®, the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream.” Connect with him on Twitter: @GaryShapiro.


text:
Puffin Post is to be discontinued in the new year after Penguin brought the brand back in house.
The consumer magazine will no longer be available, although this does not affect the Puffin Book Club, which is distributed via schools. Both were bought by The Book People in 2007 when Penguin sold its direct sales company, Index. Penguin announced in November that it had bought them back.
Penguin and The Book People told Puffin Post subscribers: “Thank you for all your support and apologies for any disappointment the closure of Puffin Post may cause.”
Francesco Dow, m.d. for Penguin Children’s, has said the Puffin Book Club will be relaunched with a new look in spring 2013.


text:
Hear the name Samsung and you’re likely to think smartphones, flat screen televisions and—microwaves?
Well, not the latter, at least not yet. But Samsung’s CEO of Consumer Electronics, Boo-Keun Yoon, is out to change that.
Samsung’s high-tech cachet has surged over the last few years thanks to its iPhone-rivaling Galaxy smartphones and slick LED televisions that have dethroned Sony as king of the living room. Yoon is betting that the momentum and reputation of those products can translate across products into the more mundane world of refrigerators, ovens and vacuums (yes, vacuums).
But why would Samsung--currently in a bruising battle with
There’s been much hype over the late-to-arrive Apple TV and Tim Cook’s mission to own the living room. For Yoon and Samsung, the living room isn’t enough, they want the whole house--especially when the U.S. housing market is getting firmer and China is caught in a fever (some say a soon-to-burst bubble) of home-building. The idea is if you have a Samsung T.V. hanging on the wall and a Galaxy 4S in your pocket, you'll want a Samsung dishwasher under your counter.
Yoon is trying to transfer the swift, innovative culture of Samsung’s T.V. and mobile divisions to the slower-changing appliance world, focusing on consumer pain points to make leaps in design. For professional insight he’s partnered with top chefs like Michel Troisgros who will suggest ways to give ovens and ranges a functional boost. On top of design, Samsung is cramming wireless technology into products to let appliances talk to you, and someday, each other.
To an extent, that’s already happening. Today, you can control your Samsung T.V. with a Samsung smartphone. The latest Samsung WiFi-equipped washing machines come with an app that allows you to start a load while sitting in your office and will buzz your phone when your towels are dry. Other appliance will get similar functions soon. If Yoon has his way, you’ll be able to preheat your oven, switch off a burner and defrost a steak without having to get off the couch or take your eyes off your Samsung flatscreen. Keep that up, and he might want to get into the treadmill market too.


text:
Creating the tastes of tomorrow
“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” said Peter Drucker, world renowned business strategist. He may well have been speaking of the shifting patterns in taste and flavour preferences. Givaudan’s FlavourVision® is a future-focused programme that connects global markets with consumers, helping our customers to stay ahead of the game, transforming trends into flavours.
Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of FlavourVision®, Givaudan has launched an entirely revamped version of the programme that is truly industry leading. FlavourVision® 2018 reveals seven key consumer trends ranging from Crafted Identities to Risk Aware and Human Connection. These trends are brought to life with over 250 market examples including a fresh take on how health, identity, and enjoyment are translated into eating and drinking experiences.
The future is a difficult thing to predict, and the pace of change and diversity of consumer desire are forever gaining momentum. But when the food and beverages industry asks Givaudan: “What are the next winning flavours that my customers will want in the future?” we’re able to draw on FlavourVision® to deliver future focused and actionable innovation concepts, tailored to brand needs and backed by our technical expertise.


text:
The owner of Jo & Co. Jewelers was a freshman in college with plans to be a globe-trotting detective when she entered the jewelry business. Sure, she loved her job at Haywood’s Jewelers in Rocky Mount, Va., but the jeweler’s life wasn’t her destiny – or so she assumed.
“I double-majored in international studies and Russian with a minor in criminal justice,” Joanna Gruver recalls. “I was going to travel the world.” After she graduated, she even interviewed with the State Department and with NCIS “before there was the TV show.”
When the year-long interview process ended without an offer, Gruver turned to her employer and mentor at Haywood’s, Harold Ingram. By this time, she had been working with him for nearly six years.
“We were talking about Smith Mountain Lake and the potential for opening a store there, and he said, ‘If you can come up with half the money, I’ll come up with the other half and we’ll open another store.’ … I was 23, and had no money, so I begged and borrowed from friends and family, and in 2004 we opened a store at Smith Mountain Lake.”
Although the new store was also named Haywood’s (Westlake), Gruver was a 50-50 partner and operated it independently while Ingram continued running the original store in Rocky Mount. Ingram’s daughter Bernice worked between the two stores.
Whereas Rocky Mount serves many lifelong residents, Smith Mountain Lake is home to both lifelong locals and well-traveled customers who moved there to access beautiful lakes and golf courses.
“The two stores are pretty different,” Gruver says. With the latter clientele, Gruver finds her store does more custom work, and “probably more fashion looks, rather than traditional bread-and-butter jewelry.”
In 2014, ten years after opening, the store under Gruver’s guidance and her team’s hard work outgrew its space and relocated to a larger spot in the same shopping center, the Westlake Town Center.
From there, she enjoyed growth of a different sort: In 2022, she and Ingram agreed it was time for her to strike out on her own, and she bought his share of the store.
And finally, this summer came the rebranding: The new name, Jo & Co. Jewelers, debuted officially on July 1.
“It’s been very well-received,” Gruver says. The branding includes a stylish new sign and logo that looks like a vivacious signature written with a fine-tipped marker, a theme that repeats itself in sections of the store
Established customers respond favorably to the new look, even when caught by surprise, Gruver says.
“They’ll say, ‘OK, I love it but just wanted to make sure my people are still here!’”
Jo & Co. is almost all female run, with Gruver’s brother Joel, the office manager, being the only male in the operation. It’s a coincidence, but it works, thanks in part to longevity.
The store manager, Charity Evans, has been with the store some 16 years, since she was about 18, and Gruver can relate to that. She says they have a truly special friendship and bond.
“She and I can read the same paragraph and it will mean one thing to me and a completely different thing to her. We challenge each other,” Gruver says.
The two usually work together and arrive at an interpretation that falls between their two disparate perceptions. And then a third perspective comes along when Sierra Dubbeld, the assistant manager, weighs in.
Rounding out the femme-strong team are lead sales associate Caroline Adkins and the store’s amazing jeweler, Gruver’s tremendous friend and colleague Beverly “Bev.” Coleman – Gruver stresses that “if you spell it ‘Bev’ you have to put the period!”
Gruver says everybody on her team is passionate about what they do, and that’s what makes it work.
“We all genuinely like each other, and we all go out and do things together outside of work. It is great working with some of your best friends.”
Legacy and newer challenges abound: On the legacy side, Jo & Co. remains committed to continuing a 19-year pattern of giving back to the community. Often, the store designs and donates pieces.
“If there is something going on for a charity in our area, you can almost guarantee we are helping to support it,” Gruver says.
A major charity event is the annual Diamond Dig, which entails the store setting up a sandbox stocked with a grand-prize 2-carat diamond and thousands of dollars of other loose gemstones. Patrons can donate $35 or more to receive a small bucket, scoop out some sand and move to a sifting station – and they can keep whatever stones they find.
“This year we raised $21,000 in four hours for the American Cancer Society,” Gruver says.
As for new challenges, Gruver says developing the store website, something completely out of her wheelhouse, was the biggest. It resulted in something to be proud of, and she looks forward to growing the online side of the business.
Gruver says she likes to network and finds the biggest impact on her business has been her 11-year membership in RJO. The friendships, discounts and education have all impacted her business in a huge way. She sits on the Merchandise Review Committee and also travels as part of a think tank. These things give her “a great pulse on what is going on in the industry,” she says.
Besides networking, Gruver says her favorite part of the jewelry business is building relationships with her customers and community.
“And I like pretty, sparkly things!”


text:
Blog: Shot to pieces
Chris Brook-Carter | 2 December 2003
Last Thursday, just-drinks was lucky enough to attend the drinks launch of Halewood International’s redSQUARE HOT SHOT at a nightclub in London. As promised on the invitation, “shot-fuelled fun” was had by all. There were shots of HOTSHOT, shots of Sidekick and they could all be washed down by soon-to-be launched redSQUARE vodka lager.
The shot market has a wealth of potential. The category is currently worth £150m, according to Neilson, while Mintel predicts sales growth in the sector of up to £100m over the next two years.
As the night was drunk and danced away, and fuzziness crept in, one concern remained prevalent in just-drinks’ head. Swaying on the platform waiting for the last Underground train, some of the drinks adverts on display started shouting rather loudly. One in particular read: “Your friends at Jack Daniel’s remind you to drink responsibly”.
A rummage through the pockets produced a bottle of HOTSHOT. At 20%ABV with a retail price of £4.49 for 35cl, the bottle contains the equivalent of two-and-a-half shots.
Let us clarify. A customer buys a bottle of HOTSHOT in a bar or nightclub, then downs the equivalent of two-and-a-half shots, probably as a chaser before drinking other beverages. Share it with a friend, perhaps? But who gets the half?
Having recently sealed a contract with the National Union of Students, and carrying an advertising strapline of “It’s not big, it’s not clever,” in these days of binge-drinking paranoia in the UK media, Halewood looks to be blowing raspberries at the consensus of opinion that youngsters nowadays are drinking too much, too quickly.
While innovation within the industry such as redSQUARE’s vodka lager is to be applauded, the marketing of these products is going to come under closer and closer scrutiny, and needs to be handled with kid gloves, to make sure the kids are alright.
Heineken is known for its flashy adverts. Now the brewer has given the star treatment to a new recruitment drive with a glamorous and highly-persuasive ad that, quite frankly, had the staff here at...
Move over iPhone 7 headphones-gate, there is a new Apple product causing a stir. Or a shake. Or just a shot....
I was full of questions yesterday when reading our news story about Bacardi's Martini Smart Cube. An ice cube-shaped device that can provide real-time information about its consumer? How? What? Why? H...
News reaches us today of what has been heralded as the "world's most daring whisky challenge". The Ultimate Ardbeg ARDventurer has been launched this week with an inaugural three-day camping trip....
- It isn't just men who like beer - Comment
- What do US wholesalers think of spirits trends?
- Why sports drinks fail to ride the Olympic wave
- How the craft economy is loosening alcohol laws
- How soft drinks can exploit alcohol's loss
- Diageo merges US, Canada spirits units
- Johnnie Walker's Bourbon bent "coincidental"
- Diageo investment paying off for Captain Morgan
- "We're not complacent about Brexit" - Diageo
- Luxury and e-commerce a "natural fit" - Diageo
- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- The Next Seven Big Beverage Markets
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global RTD insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global non-Scotch whiskies insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends


text:
Automat the AI-driven Conversational Marketing expert has revealed its new chatbot advice website beauty.bot.
The website is an online hub for beauty brands, tech vendors, developers and consumers to access information and resources on the increasingly popular digital programme.
Beauty.bot offers three key services for users: a bot directory of current services in the industry, case studies of existing chatbots aiding user experience and news from the industry.
Andy Mauro co-founder and CEO of Automat said: “At Automat, we recognise a need to educate brands, developers, tech vendors and consumers about the rapidly growing, dynamic beauty bot space and to pull information that can be hard to find into one comprehensive resource.
“Beauty.bot exists to help the industry collectively learn and share.”
The .bot domain has been provided by Amazon Registry Services, a branch of the e-commerce giant.
Stacey King, General Manager at Amazon Registry Services, said: “We are pleased to welcome Automat as one of .bot’s early adopters and are excited by their promotion of the beauty bot market segment as a whole.
“With .bot we’ve aimed to create a place where anyone can launch their chatbot, find development resources and drive discovery - helping to bridge the gap between .bot developers and customers.”


text:
Alcoa Corp (NYSE:AA) has posted its numbers, and the first-quarter earnings season is unofficially underway. And, if the company really is the tone-setter for earnings reports, we have good reason to be excited.the aluminum company topped its earnings expectations, and AA stock advanced 4% in response.
And yet, the look back wasn’t the most exciting aspect of Wednesday’s report. Rather, it was the look ahead that made investors take notice. After years of running on thin supplies that still managed to meet demand, the industry suddenly finds itself in a position where consumption could actually outpace the available supply of aluminum in the very near future.
Yes, other companies have reported their first quarter earnings — major companies too. Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC) gave us its numbers on Monday and so did Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX). Nobody’s disputing that Alcoa isn’t actually the first name to dish out numbers. And, nobody’s denying that aluminum demand isn’t really a great economic barometer any longer.
Still, it’s a respected tradition to call Alcoa’s report the kickoff of earnings seasons.
All the same, to the extent Alcoa’s earnings are a harbinger of what’s to come, investors have reason to be optimistic. The aluminum icon topped earnings estimates of 70 cents per share of AA stock with a profit of 77 cents. And, revenue of $3.09 billion was better than the $3.08 billion analysts had been modeling.
Revenue was up 16% year-over-year, while per-share earnings grew 22%.
Better Days Ahead
As healthy as earnings were, things could get even better for Alcoa as this year progresses.
A quarter earlier, the company had been expecting demand for aluminum to outpace its supply this year by somewhere between 300,000 and 700,000 metric tons. That expected shortfall has since been ramped up to a range of 600,000 and one million metric tons for 2018, thanks to an expected 4.25% to 5.25% increase in demand for the industrial metal.
Alumina is also now expected to be in short supply, anywhere from 300,000 to 1.1 million metric tons.
…not that Alcoa is complaining. A smaller supply translates into higher prices, and aluminum prices have firmed up quite nicely already. Currently valued at roughly $2300/metric ton, aluminum prices are up nearly 60% since their late-2015 low.
Yes, politics is playing a huge role in the commodity’s pricing dynamics. Case in point? Recently-enacted sanctions on Russia have crimped trade with aluminum company Rusal, which is the world’s second-biggest supplier of the metal. Meanwhile, a new 10% tariff imposed on aluminum imported into the United States — a move mostly aimed at China — further obscures the future.
The earnings press release from Alcoa accurately explained: “Considerable uncertainty remains in the global supply chain due to multiple trade actions, sanctions, and supply disruptions.”
Although uncertainty abounds, there’s little doubt that acquiring aluminum and alumina is only becoming tougher and more expensive to do — which is great news for Alcoa.
Bottom Line for AA Stock
All too often, waning supplies of a commodity lead to sky-high prices. This in turn ramps up production, which subsequently creates an adequate supply… if not a glut. (That’s what happened with oil back in 2014.) AA shareholders may want to at least consider the possibility that this supply crimp and the resulting rise in aluminum prices could eventually burn out on its own.
There’s also the distinct risk that the politically-charged jockeying could end with little to no warning, as China and the United States each agree to lower or cancel tariffs rather than to reciprocate and raise tariffs.
Somehow though, that doesn’t seem to be likely in the foreseeable future. It can take years for suppliers and miners to bring new capacity online. And, while the tariff-war talks will likely abate, the willingness to use aluminum as a political pawn has been established. That genie won’t be put back in the bottle anytime soon.
In other words, while Alcoa stock may be a bit overbought today thanks to the 4% post-earnings surge, it’s certainly not a bad pickup on a dip. It could be a year or more (probably more) before the supply/demand/sentiment dynamic starts to threaten Alcoa’s growth.
On that note, analysts are looking for sales to grow 6.9% this year, to $12.45 billion. That should be enough to raise per-share profits from last year’s $3.01 to $3.60 this time around. That outlook, though, may not fully reflect the looming supply shortfall.
For more perspective on the premise, Century Aluminum Co (NASDAQ:CENX) will post its quarterly numbers on May 3rd. Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (NASDAQ:KALU) will release last quarter’s results on April 25th.
As of this writing, James Brumley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. You can follow him on Twitter, at @jbrumley.


text:
IBM Chops Prices on Racks, PDUs, and UPSes
March 22, 2010 Timothy Prickett Morgan
If you are looking to build out your data center, server room, or data closet and you are in need of new server racks, power distribution units, and uninterruptible power supplies, IBM has a deal for you.
In announcement letter 310-135, Big Blue announced that it is chopping prices on selected racks and rack options between March 17 and June 30, the end of the second quarter. The lowered prices are only available to customers who buy directly from IBM’s online store. IBM has cut the price of its S2 standard 42U rack by 25 percent, to $1,207, and the price on the S2 expansion rack is also 25 percent lower, at $1,001. The price on the S2 Dynamic Rack was cut by 30 percent, to $1,539. The 1U slide-away 17-inch flat panel display for the IBM racks got a 35 percent chop, to $1,007, and the 19-inch kit, which has a DVD/CD burner, was also cut by 35 percent, to $1,494. The 1×8 console switch for the racks had its price reduced to $615, and the 2U UPS 10000XHV uninterruptible power supply costs 30 percent less, at $3,744. IBM’s various power distribution units for its racks got a 40 percent slice off the top, with prices ranging from $299 to $659 after the cut.
As The Four Hundred reported last week, IBM has already announced a new S2 half rack (25U in height, so technically more than half a rack), that costs $1,485. Its price was not cut as part of last week’s promotion.


text:
In last week’s column I wondered whether this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert would take a different direction, in order to prevent any suggestion its campaigns were losing their edge.
Certainly, this year’s edition, which features a sentimental journey through pop-superstar Elton John’s career, is a departure from previous incarnations. At the end of the advert – which is set to his classic hit ‘Your Song’ - an infant Elton unwraps his very first piano, whereupon John Lewis suggests that ‘some gifts are more than just a gift’.
YouGov BrandIndex data indicates that John Lewis’ Ad Awareness score (whether someone has seen or heard an advert for a brand in the last fortnight) has climbed sharply since the campaign’s release. Its rating has jumped from 22% to 43% - a rise of 21%.
Similarly, the retailer’s Word of Mouth score (which measures if someone has discussed a brand with a friend, colleague or family member) has also grown significantly, from 16% to 25%.
Its overall Ad Awareness is higher right now than any other brand that has released a Christmas campaign. It also has the highest level of Ad Awareness uplift among any brand YouGov tracks. It should be noted at this point, that some big brands have scaled back on Christmas campaigns this year.
These figures are broadly in line with last year’s – and show a similar level of Ad Awareness uptick. Perhaps its scores could have been even more impressive had its launch day not clashed with news surrounding the Brexit deal and cabinet resignations, which diverted news attention away from the retailer.
The choice of Elton John not only adds star quality, but plays well with John Lewis shoppers. YouGov Ratings data indicates that two thirds (66%) of those that would consider shopping at John Lewis have a positive opinion of Elton, compared to 58% of the public more generally.
After this successful launch, John Lewis will be hoping to maintain this momentum into the Christmas period, which is even more crucial this year owing to the difficult high-street retail situation.
This article originally appeared in City A.M.


text:
Is SMS Marketing useful?
Is SMS Marketing useful or not? That is the question for this brand new article. What is SMS Marketing? “Marketing through cellphones”. First of all, SMS stands for Short Message Service. This service became popular in the early 2000s. Businesses started to collect mobile phone numbers and send off content. On average, SMS messages are […]
Turning a negative customer experience into a positive one
Turn a bad customer experience into a good one? It is not that easy because of the exploding mobile industry! Read our tips!
Infinity is almost here
I’m pretty sure that BT doesn’t get a lot of online orders at 230am most days. Last night however I thought I would see how the march towards BT Infinity was coming on. The last time I looked the scheduled date for availability in Hook, Hampshire was June. June! Anyway. I was up soothing the […]
Wishful thinking from Microsoft
A video conference From a British train Almost impossible for more than 20 seconds, surely (I found this advert on the train to Basingstoke) The post Wishful thinking from Microsoft appeared first on Mobile Industry Review. Original article here
Pinterest Revamps Design
This week, social media site Pinterest has announced their upcoming new redesign. This is the new look with bigger pictures and more discovery features that it first began testing back in January, with the proviso that if it proved popular it would roll it out more widely. This week, Pinterest said it would be turning it on for everyone, with invites to all appearing soon.
BlackBerry gets the Evening Standard treatment
You can’t launch a handset in the UK nowadays without doing a full wrap of the London Evening Standard newspaper. I am sure this advertising will be turning a lot of heads, especially the ‘stop pausing start peaking’ message. The post BlackBerry gets the Evening Standard treatment appeared first on Mobile Industry Review. Original article […]
Fantastical: The calendar app that changed my life
Somebody recommended Fantastical to me a little while ago. I can’t remember who it was. But I’m thankful that they did. It’s a really, really smart overlay application — that is, it sits on top of your existing iPhone calendar system — and offers, in my view, a much nicer interface. That made it very […]


text:
Nearly 3,000 pressure washers from Lowe's were recalled because the lithium-ion battery can overheat and cause burn injuries.
More than 4,200 magnetic ball sets from Walmart were recalled due to choking and life-threatening safety hazards if they are swallowed.
About 25,000 Hover-1 Helix Hoverboards were recalled after 3 reports of battery fires, which resulted in injuries and $25,000 in damage.
About 319,000 PowerXL Dual-Basket Air Fryers recalled after 3 people were burned when the basket inside the air fryer broke.
About 12,000 portable Murphy beds that were sold exclusively on Wayfair.com have been recalled after 11 people were injured.
Oreck has recalled about 6,200 vacuums because the electrical prongs can detach from the plug, which poses a shock hazard.
Around 2.7 million bottles of Wet & Forget Outdoor Mold & Mildew Stain Remover were recalled after 28 reports of skin or eye irritation.
Nearly 3,000 Lenovo USB-C Laptop Power Banks were recalled after a fire was reported when the lithium-ion battery overheated.
Nearly 30,000 electric heated blankets were recalled because they can overheat, burn, or melt, which poses a fire and burn injury hazard.


text:
Oxford, UK – 6 June 2019. Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), A Sysmex Group Company, has celebrated the opening of its new facility in Cambridge, UK. The opening ceremony, which took place on 3rd June at the company’s new premises on the prestigious Cambridge Science Park, was attended by the Department ... Read More...
- Concrete Bonding Agents Market – Insights, Opportunity Analysis, and Industry Forecast until 2025 August 16, 2019
- Shane Lowry’s Credits his Team as the Key to His Success August 13, 2019
- THE EDGE by Future Electronics features CoolSiC MOSFET Power Modules August 12, 2019
- Shane Lowry Takes Home the Claret Jug to the Emerald Isle at the 148th Open Championship July 31, 2019
- OGT makes market-leading NGS coverage and expertise more accessible June 13, 2019
Submit Your Press Release at eNewsWire
eNewsWire is an online press release service offering both free and paid distribution. eNewWire distributes business, organisational and personal news and press releases using the Internet. Submit your press release here.


text:
- Elon Musk, who regularly engages with antisemitic users on X, agreed with a post that said Jewish people hold a “dialectical hatred” of white people.
- The White House called Musk’s reply an “unacceptable” act that endangers Jewish communities.
- Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, attempted to do damage control as Paramount and Warner Bros among others also pulled ads.
- Meanwhile, several Tesla Inc. shareholders also spoke out against Musk, with some saying he should be suspended from his post.
- The European Commission advised staff to stop advertising on X due to “an alarming increase in disinformation and hate speech,” it said in a statement.
Outcry over unchecked antisemitic content and commentary on social media site X, some of it endorsed by the platform’s owner Elon Musk, reached a tipping point on Friday, with large advertisers such as Apple Inc. pulling ads and the White House chastising the billionaire.
Musk, who regularly engages with antisemitic users on X, agreed with a post that said Jewish people hold a “dialectical hatred” of white people. “You have said the actual truth,” Musk responded. The White House called Musk’s reply an “unacceptable” act that endangers Jewish communities.
Meanwhile, several Tesla Inc. shareholders also spoke out against Musk, who is the chief executive officer of the electric car maker, with some saying he should be suspended from his post.
Americans have “an obligation to speak out against anyone who attacks the dignity of their fellow Americans and compromises the safety of our communities,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement on Friday. Musk’s companies, including Space Exploration Technologies Corp., hold several government contracts.
Musk’s remarks added to backlash sparked by a report released Thursday from Media Matters showing ads for Apple, International Business Machines Corp., Oracle Corp., Comcast Corp.’s Xfinity brand and the Bravo television network running on X next to pro-Nazi content. IBM said it will stop advertising on X until the situation is resolved.
The European Commission and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. also said they would pull ads on X. Walt Disney Co. said it was pausing spending on X, Paramount Global announced it was suspending all advertising, while CNBC reported Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. has halted its ad campaigns on the platform.
Apple, one of the biggest advertisers on X, said it’s taking a pause in showing ads on the site. The two companies already had a precarious relationship.
After Musk took over the social network last year – unleashing a torrent of job cuts and policy changes – Apple also suspended advertising for a while. Musk escalated tensions by implying that he might break Apple’s App Store rules in order to stop paying fees.
But he and Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook met at the iPhone maker’s headquarters late last year and patched up the relationship. Musk said in December that Apple had “fully resumed” advertising on what was then called Twitter.
Cook has previously called X an “important property” but said he disagrees with the antisemitic discourse that has allegedly increased since Musk took over. He has said that the Cupertino, California-based company “constantly” asks itself if it should continue advertising. Axios earlier on Friday reported that Apple is pausing ads on X.
Last year, the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy organization, called on Musk to apologize after he deleted a controversial tweet that made a satirical comparison between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Adolf Hitler.
Musk has accused the ADL, a Jewish civil rights group, of undermining X’s advertising revenue by highlighting a rise in extremist content that has caused advertisers to flee. Ad sales on X are down 60% “primarily due to pressure on advertisers” mounted by the ADL, Musk said in September, after the organization said reports of harassment and extremist content spiked since he took over the company.
The European Commission advised staff to stop advertising on X due to “an alarming increase in disinformation and hate speech,” it said in a statement on Friday, which didn’t specifically cite Musk’s posts. The move was initially reported by Politico.
Comcast is looking into the matter, a spokesperson said. Apple and Oracle didn’t respond to requests for comment. IBM’s decision was reported earlier by the Financial Times. X did a sweep on the accounts that Media Matters found associated with the offensive content and they will no longer be monetizable, Benarroch, said. The specific posts will be labeled “Sensitive Media.”
The X system is not intentionally placing a brand actively next to this type of content, nor is a brand actively trying to support this type of content with an ad placement, Benarroch said.
Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, also head of project-management software maker Asana Inc., said Yaccarino should ask Musk, who owns X and serves as the company’s chief technology officer, to resign.
(With inputs from agencies)


text:
Victor, NY, December 17, 2011 --(PR.com
)-- Retrotech, Inc, a specialist in the design, modernization and optimization of automated material handling equipment, has been named to the eighth-annual Food Logistics 100 list. This is the second consecutive year the firm has been named to this list.
Each year, the editors of Food Logistics recognize 100 software and technology providers that better enable grocery and foodservice distributors and manufacturers to realize their business goals. This year, the publication focused on solution providers that are helping their customers differentiate themselves in the marketplace, while simultaneously facilitating improved safety and traceability throughout the supply chain.
“This year Retrotech was acquired by Savoye, a French corporation with roots in the wine industry," said Burke McCarthy, Retrotech Marketing Director. "We now can leverage our expanded capabilities to help even more firms in the food and beverage industry achieve desired business results with world-class automated order fulfillment systems.”
The FL100 listing serves as a resource for grocery and foodservice distribution and manufacturing executives. After receiving nomination forms from end users and solution providers, the editorial staff reviewed over 160 submissions to compile this year’s listing. Final recipients are featured in the November/December 2011 issue of Food Logistics, as well as online at www.foodlogistics.com.
Pete Hartman, Retrotech President remarked, “We are pleased to once again be part of the FL100 listing. Being named to such a widely respected list two years in a row provides us with a great sense of pride.” Hartman continued “this recognition further validates our position of focusing on customer needs instead of wants and providing them with an exceptional experience every step of the way.”
The FL100 is not a ranking. The alphabetical list has been designed to help the readers of Food Logistics identify the leading software and technology providers in the food and beverage industry.


text:
Amazon has poured $20 million in Yummy77, a food delivery site based in Shanghai. Yummy77 confirmed the funding in a post on Weibo and said it will use the capital to expand into new markets and help Amazon’s China site expand its selection of goods. This marks the first time that Amazon has invested in a Chinese company after launching in the country a decade ago. Amazon said it will hold a minority stake in Yummy77, which will continue to operate independently instead of being folded into Amazon China.
Amazon has invested $20 million of funding in Shanghai-based online food vendor Yummy77. It is the first time that the U.S. e-commerce giant has invested in a Chinese company, ten years after it first entered the Chinese market. Amazon disclosed that it will hold a minority stake in Yummy77, which will continue its independent operation after the funding. The fund is expected to help Yummy77 enrich product categories and expand operations beyond Shanghai. Launched in February 2013, Yummy77 is focused on fresh and gourmet foods, such as seasonal fruit, fresh seafood, eggs, meat, dairy products, etc. It is tapping the growing demand among urban Chinese residents for high-quality imported foods and swift delivery. The company’s sales reportedly exceeded 100 million yuan (around $16 million) in December last year and its registered users reportedly surpassed 1 million as of February this year. Amazon launched online fresh food business Amazon Fresh in 2007 in the U.S. market. But it does not provide this service in China.


text:
The new film is part of the lingerie brand’s Tease & Hustle Campaign for Autumn/Winter 2017. The brand has hired filmmaker/photographer Anton Corbijn and models Elise Crombez, Magdalena Frackowiak and Abbie Fowler.
Consolidated net sales fell 0.1% in the first quarter and comparable sales fell 1.1%. The retailer reaffirmed its full year guidance and expects its second quarter comparable sales to decrease in the low-single digits.
Honey Birdette's unique brand of sexy upscale lingerie has won over Australia and is now growing in Britain, and the US as founder Eloise Monaghan puts women back in the driving seat of a previously overlooked segment.
UK fashion chain Joy has gone into administration for the second time in a decade, and been bought in a pre-pack deal, administrators told Fashion Network on Friday. It said 21 stores have been saved with 11 to close.


text:
Capcom just announced they'll be revealing a brand new beast for Monster Hunter World: Iceborne later this week. This monster is slated to be a "fan-favorite," but there's little else to go on right now.
As per the tweet from the official Monster Hunter: World Twitter account just below, "Developer Diary 5" will be airing later this week on March 21. These developer diaries usually involve three members of the development team outlining new content, including a look at brand new monsters arriving in the game very shortly.
We know two of these monsters will be Furious Rajang and Raging Brachydios. These two ferocious alternate forms of the regular beasts will be arriving for all Iceborne players just a few days after Developer Diary 5 airs, on March 23. We should be getting a look at both beasts in action, and probably a sneak peek of both their respective armor sets.
As for the "fan-favorite" monster that'll be revealed during the developer diary, it's anyone's guess. The announcement in the tweet above does state that the monster will be arriving in Iceborne in May however, so we've got well over a month to get repeatedly murdered by Raging Brachydios and Furious Rajang before this new monster arrives.


text:
THE virgin coconut oil downstream processing products by Milne Bay coconut growers have impressed show organisers at the World Coconut Day celebrations last weekend.
The biannual event, celebrated only in Milne Bay, attracted growers from Alotau, Samarai-Murua, Esa’ala and Kiriwina-Goodenough.
Milne Bay division of agriculture and livestock principal advisor Jonathan Kapoila said since the inaugural celebrations in 2019 at Bubuletta, coconut growers had improved the quality of their products.
Milne Bay Integrated Cooperative Association chairman, Noah Taugaloidi said the growers were serious about being involved in small-medium enterprises.
The products include soap, body lotions and oil. The event was supported by the division, provincial government and the Kokonas Industri Korporesen.
Achieved so far are:
- 20 coconut nurseries established each having a capacity of 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000;
- 220,000 coconut seedlings raised;
- 60,140 seedlings planted covering 488 hectares;
- 3,500 Farmers served;
- 25 small-medium businesses established;
- 28 white copra facilities distributed to farmers;
- THREE coconut based farming established;
- MARKET chain outlet for virgin coconut oil for Milne Bay farmers; and,
- DISTRIBUTION of 28 electrical graters to farmers.


text:
LODI, Calif. (KTXL) — As people across the nation hunt for essentials at their local grocery stores, a Lodi shop is putting a sweet spin on a stressful situation by making cakes that look like rolls of toilet paper.
As California restaurants and shops try to adapt to the stay-at-home, Maria Mendiola is running her business, Charitos Cakes, out of her home. Mendiola said with a lack of events and large gatherings, she has had to get creative with her cake-making.
On Wednesday, Mendiola offered a $12 special on the rather convincing toilet paper treat. Normally, she says, the TP cakes that serve six go for $18.
They come in flavors like chocolate with chocolate chips, vanilla with fresh strawberries and chocolate with vanilla chocolate chips.
Charitos Cakes delivers locally to those in the Lodi area. Click or tap here for more information.


text:
Cadila Healthcare Ltd. has reported a net profit of Rs 79 crore for the quarter ended June 2019, a sharp decline by about 75 percent from Rs 310 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. Total standalone revenues of the company’s operations fell to Rs 1344 crore for the quarter as against Rs 1505 crore reported in the same quarter last year. On consolidated basis, the company’s net profit stood at Rs 304 crore for the quarter, decline by 34 percent as against Rs 460 crore reported for the same period last year. The company reported consolidated revenues from operations at Rs 3496 crore (Rs 2894 crore). Earnings-before-interest, depreciation and tax (EBIDTA) for the same quarter was Rs 632 crore.
The consolidated financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, include the operations of Heinz India Private Ltd., which got merged into Zydus Wellness products Ltd. Hence, the financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, are not comparable with those of the previous period. The company’s India business, which comprises human formulations, consumer wellness, and animal health business, posted sales of Rs 1675 crore for the quarter. The company’s business in the US posted sales of Rs 1367 crore for the quarter ended June this year. During the quarter, the company launched eight new products in the US. It filed four additional abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) with the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and received 10 ANDA approvals during the quarter. The business in emerging markets of Asia, Africa, and Latin America posted sales of Rs 220 crore during the quarter under review.


text:
And it’s not going to stop! Business intelligence firm MicroStrategy has poured another billion into cryptocurrency, and now owns close to 90,531 Bitcoins, with plans to buy more.
This makes it a major corporate backer of the original cryptocurrency.
The firm has confirmed that it bought another 19,452 Bitcoins, worth around $1.03 billion. The move swelled its holding of the cryptocurrency, and sent its share prices eight percent higher in premarket trading.
Headed by CEO Michael Saylor, one of the most vocal proponents of Bitcoin, MicroStrategy bought the cryptocurrency in cash at an average price of $52,765 each.
“We will continue to pursue our strategy of acquiring bitcoin with excess cash.”
The world’s largest publicly traded business intelligence company, MicroStrategy spent last year steadily amassing Bitcoin after making its first investment in August. It engaged in some $1 billion convertible note offering with the proceeds used for buying Bitcoin.
In total, the company owns close to 90,531 bitcoins, which were acquired at an aggregate purchase price of about $2.17 billion. Average purchase price came in at $23,985 per bitcoin.
According to calculations, the company’s Bitcoin holdings are valued at about $4.48 billion now.
The information provided on this website does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice and you should not treat any of the website's content as such. Crypteligence.com does not recommend that any cryptocurrency should be bought, sold, or held by you. Do conduct your own due diligence and consult your financial advisor before making any investment decisions.


text:
By Thomas Wootton
The Cancer Research UK shop on Horsforth Town Street has received a flood of donations, just one week after leaving the second lockdown.
The second lockdown, although shorter, has had a heavy financial impact on businesses and the charity sector.
In June, figures from Pro Bono Economics estimated that UK charities were facing a £10.1 billion funding gap across the remainder of 2020.
Lorraine Bare, the assistant manager, said: “Donations are the lifeblood for this charity and the entire sector”.
“We’ve suffered heavy financial losses as a result of the second lockdown, particularly as the timing is close to Christmas which is when we’re most busy selling Christmas cards and goods.”
The ongoing pandemic has resulted in the charity shops and its customers having to abide by strict Covid regulations.
Lorraine said: “We’ve had to impose and maintain strict Covid measures to ensure both the customer’s safety, our shop’s demographic mainly being those who are classed as vulnerable.
“The measures are also there to ensure the staff and volunteers are safe. We each use separate cups and even wrap up individual biscuits.”
The measures have made things more difficult all round, as one volunteer explained: “The measures – while necessary – have made things a bit awkward with regards to social interactions between us and the customers.
“However the customers have been fantastic in following the measures and being respectful of one another.”
Despite the financial losses incurred as a result of Covid, the charity and its volunteers have remained positive towards the shop’s future.
Another volunteer, Charlie Hogston, said: “ The pandemic and the lockdown have been daunting, we didn’t know what to expect.
“But it’s been really lovely to see the customers old and new coming out in support – we’ve had not only an increase in donations but also gift-aid.”
Lorraine was hopeful that the trend would continue into the future.
“We’re very very positive here and we see no reason why we can’t reach previous records and maybe some weeks will be even better,” she said.


text:
Oh hai iPhone 5 rumors, you never stop amazing us! As the Verizon iPhone 4 is already capable of GSM as well CDMA dual mode, we are hearing that the iPhone 5 will also bear the same capabilities and that’s not it, iPhone 5 will also be a world phone!
Apple always keeps itself ahead of others when in comes to adopting new technology, they did the same while introducing iPhone 4 for Verizon by including a dual mode Qualcomm baseband chip that could handle both GSM as well as CDMA networks. As the Verizon iPhone 4 was launched way after the GSM one, it didn’t make any sense to enable both the modes as the version was only meant for Verizon’s CDMA network. iPhone 5 will be launched for both Verizon and AT&T at once and hence it totally makes sense to introduce the same hardware for both the carrier – the same is the rumor flying all around! What we didn’t hear up to know was, iPhone 5 could be a world phone! Verizon’s CFO said at company’s earnings call today:
The fluctuation, I believe, will come when a new device from Apple is launched, whenever that may be, and that we will be, on the first time, on equal footing with our competitors on a new phone hitting the market, which will also be a global device.
With many Android phones now featuring the world phone functionality, it could be a little disgusting for Apple to not have it. Nice job Steve Jobs, you leveled a fine ground for Cook to play on.
Update # 3:
iPhone 5 4G to be Sprint Exclusive.
Update # 2:
Here you go folks! All the wait is over as Apple has finally sent out the invites for a media event for the announcement of iPhone 5. The event would take place on October 4th at Apple’s TownHall campus in Cupertino. The invite Apple sent out is a bit mysterious one with subtle hints at what Apple is going announce.
Update # 1:
With the iPhone 5 launch expected in just over a month, we’ve seen massive speculation about the features that Apple intends to pack into the new device. For example, since this post was written WWDC has come and gone and we were introduced to the features in iOS 5. Apple also released some exciting stuff about the iCloud service, including iTunes Match. There’s also been several leaked parts, which lead to some guesses about the possible design. Apple is also training their staff on the new software, so things are moving right along! In fact, some iFolks can pre-order the device right now! Apple has also confirmed a media event called “Let’s Talk iPhone” for October 4th. You can also find all our coverage of the event and device HERE. And don’t forget to vote in our iPhone poll! You should also check out the brief history of the iPhone from then til now.
To subscribe, like us on Facebook


text:
In the face of so many automakers skirting the rules by buying up these credits, the Golden State looks to make things a bit more difficult.
The state of California has a unique approach to promoting zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) -- credits. Automakers buy and sell them to be compliant with the state's mandates. But now, California may change things up, making it harder for manufacturers to comply while skirting by without actually producing significant quantities of ZEVs.
As the program currently stands, you need a certain number of ZEV credits to sell cars in California. If an automaker produces more credits than it needs, it can sell those credits to other automakers, which may lack the production to achieve compliance on its own. Trouble is, this is allowing automakers to skirt ZEV regulations consistently -- some automakers have less than 10 percent ZEV penetrations in their fleets, Bloomberg reports.
Thus, California is considering ramping up its ZEV requirements in order to boost that penetration rate to 15.4 percent by 2025. It'll issue an evaluation of its system in the fourth quarter of this year.
While that might seem like a net positive, certain automakers aren't going to take this lying down -- namely, Tesla. The electric-car manufacturer produces only ZEV cars, so it sells a good deal of its credits. The company sold $168.7 million in regulatory credits last year, and setting a potential limit on the number of credits one can sell would hamstring a reliable source of cash for the growing company.
Higher ZEV targets, on the other hand, would be less onerous on Tesla, even though Bloomberg points out that some view the current system as a "Tesla subsidy program" already. But if it gets to a point where automakers can't just buy their way out of the situation, the increase of ZEV vehicles would benefit us all, even if some cars built for program compliance -- like the Ford Focus Electric and the Chevrolet Spark EV -- aren't available nationwide.


text:
This story was published more than 12 years ago.
According to a report by the BBC, the Scottish bookmaker Scotbet has been bought out by its management.
The company, which has an online presence in addition to 65 retail outlets has reportedly been for sale for about a year. Complete terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it has been revealed that former CEO Kenny Waugh will not have a position at the company after the buyout.
The company's incoming Chairman John Heaton said that the buyout had been planned for close to a yer and that the company remains a solid investment, even with stiff competition from large sportsbooks Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill. He also said, "There are a lot of offshore businesses which are very successful, but this company is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission with 65 high street outlets. This is a small, well-run group which is profitable and it's a good opportunity to expand."


text:
Not Your Average Joe’s admits credit card breach
Last week, Jonathan Chinitz got a phone call confirming that he had recently signed up for a new American Express credit card.
The problem is, the Acton resident never opened an American Express account, nor had he received the card the company sent out.
Now Chinitz, who is chairman of the Acton Public School Committee, believes he was one of an unknown number of residents across the state who had credit card information stolen after eating at one of 13 Not Your Average Joe’s restaurants in the state, including one at 305 Main St. in Acton. The Dartmouth-based chain also has a location in Virginia.
“Have you ever been thrown into a bathtub full of ice cubes? That’s what it feels like,” said Chinitz, who ate at the Not Your Average Joe’s on Main Street for the first time three weeks ago and paid with a credit card.
The restaurant chain acknowledged this week that credit card information was stolen from a number of patrons between early August and Sept. 29. According to a statement that will be posted restaurant’s Web site, restaurant executives estimate that fewer than 3,500 of the approximately 350,000 patrons who dined at a Not Your Average Joe’s location in that period were affected.
“It appears that Not Your Average Joe’s has been targeted by an individual or individuals who got access to a very small number of customers’ credit card information,” said Diana Pisciotta, a spokeswoman for the Massachusetts restaurant chain.
Pisciotta said the company “redoubled” its security efforts after it was alerted of the problem by several credit card companies earlier this month. But she declined to comment further citing security concerns.
It is unclear how credit card information was obtained from Not Your Average Joe’s locations across the state, but Pisciotta said an internal investigation indicated that employees were not involved. She said the chain has also contracted an outside forensic analyst to determine the cause of the breach and is working closely with credit card companies.
Pisciotta said that customers who may have been affected should check their credit card statements for suspicious charges and contact their credit card companies immediately to avoid being charged.
The incident is also under investigation by the Secret Service, the government body that handles credit card fraud, according to Special Agent Steven Ricciardi, who heads the agencies Boston office.
Ricciardi said he could not comment further on the ongoing investigation.
The breach comes less than a year after Framingham-based TJX Cos. disclosed that hackers had stolen millions of customers’ credit card numbers from the company’s chain stores, including TJ Maxx and Marshalls. There is a TJ Maxx location on Massachusetts Avenue in Acton just a mile from the Not Your Average Joe’s.
Bruce Cartwright, chief operating officer for Not Your Average Joe’s Inc., downplayed the possible risk to consumers in a letter to Temporary Town Manager John Murray.
“We are confident that our system is secure and that customer credit card information is safe,” Cartwright wrote. “In addition, we have been in close contact with all the major credit card companies to monitor the situation.”
Murray contacted Cartwright after hearing from Chinitz that his personal information had been stolen. Since then, the letter has been circulated widely around town via e-mail.
The letter also says that the restaurant only has access to the card holder’s name, the card number and the card’s expiration date making it “impossible for someone to steal the type of identifying information personal information necessary for a true ‘identity theft’ case.”
There are Not Your Average Joe’s restaurants in Acton, Arlington, Beverly, Burlington, Dartmouth, Hyannis, Lexington, Medford, Methuen, Needham, Newburyport, Randolph and Watertown.
But Chinitz said whoever opened a credit card account in his name needed access to his social security number, date of birth and address.
Chinitz said he has not ruled out ever dining at Not Your Average Joe’s again.
“Its’ a great restaurant,” said Chinitz. “Next time I’ll just make sure I stop at an ATM first.”
Christian Schiavone can be reached at 978-371-5743 or at email@example.com.


text:
January 19th, 2019 11:00AM iHeart Radio
Dr. Deborah and Jack are excited to welcome their next movers and shakers to the show, Amy LaBelle and Cesar Arboleda, owners of New Hampshire’s own LaBelle Winery! What started as a batch of blueberry wine in Amy’s Boston apartment has grown into a multi-faceted, award-winning business. Over the years they have worked side-by-side, growing both their family and their business. Today LaBelle Winery not only has a wide selection of award-winning wines, but they also have launched The Bistro at LaBelle Winery, the Winemaker’s Kitchen line of culinary products, and an event center which has been selected for The Knot Best of Weddings and Wedding Wire’s Couples Choice Awards. Under their leadership, LaBelle Winery is setting a new standard and making its mark in the wine industry in New England, across the country, and even across the world.


text:
AKRON—Class, pay attention. The professor now will explain why exchange rates—specifically those involving Chinese currency—matter.
The professor is Dennis Byrne, actually professor emeritus in economics from the University of Akron. He was one of the speakers at the ITEC conference and exhibition in Cleveland recently, giving his views on the extremely broad topic of the economy, international trade and the tire industry.
I've heard Byrne speak before, and he knows his stuff. I liked his very clear-cut explanation of the China yuan vs. the dollar, so here's a brief summary.
Byrne said suppose in two countries a certain tire can be produced for $50. It's exactly the same tire, and the exchange rate is one-to-one.
So what if Country A—let's call it China—can either reduce or keep its currency value low. “All of a sudden $1 buys two units of Chinese currency,” Bryne said. “What that means is the $50 tire in China now sells for $25 in the U.S., and the $50 tire in the U.S. now sells for $100 in China.”
Byrne said it doesn't take a genius to figure out the result of that situation.
The outcome is fewer tires made in Country B—we're talking about the U.S.—causing cuts in production and sending tire workers to the unemployment office.
The professor said that while the Chinese yuan definitely is undervalued, the powers that be in China really are letting it rise, but ever-so slowly. “We don't want to cause disruption” by a rapid rise to realistic valuation, the Chinese authorities say.
“And of course they don't,” Bryne said, because that would cause manufacturing to slow and unemployment to rise.
Byrne said China has massive trade imbalances because the government is subsidizing every tire that is exported. “It just doesn't show up in the books,” he said.
Never fear, though. Byrne believes this is the “Chinese decade,” similar to the days when Japan was an economic powerhouse invading the U.S.
“Japan is now stagnant,” Byrne said. Like other economists, he believes China's economy can't sustain 10-percent growth forever, and some systemic troubles, such as the environment, social problems and skilled labor shortfall, ultimately will burst the economic bubble.
We just might have to wait 15 years for that to happen, Byrne said.
So don't hold your breath.
Noga is the editor of Rubber & Plastics News.