text:
Samsung S24: In recent years, it’s been increasingly irritating to see Apple’s seeming standstill in terms of innovation. The corporation that once transformed the technology industry with breakthrough designs and features now appears to be stuck in a cycle of recycling and rehashing. Each new iPhone release feels like déjà vu. Every time apple announces what they call the “best smartphone ever,” only to present a gadget that is essentially the same as its predecessor with slight modifications. Gone are the days of bold, industry-changing inventions. Instead, customers are exposed to a seemingly never-ending cycle of similar designs and features. This leading many to worry if Apple has lost touch with its innovative spirit. It’s depressing to see a digital behemoth rest on its triumphs, relying on brand loyalty and marketing hype. As supporters hunger for genuine innovation, Apple’s repetitious approach creates a hole that competition may soon fill.
Many optimistic tech enthusiasts thought that Samsung would fill the void left by Apple. With its wide range of products, Samsung appeared to be moving in the right direction for a while. Particularly, the Galaxy S and Note series demonstrated a readiness to explore novel form factors and integrate state-of-the-art technologies. In the realm of smartphone evolution, Samsung’s strategy made Apple look like a practical joke in sharp contrast to the latter’s gradual advancements.
Watch this video to see how Samsung beat Apple to produce a higher-quality screen. The 2011 Samsung S2 and the iPhone 11 Pro max are shown in the video. It was released in 2019, therefore the interval is roughly eight years. However, the older device Samsung projected sharp and deep blacks better than iPhone that was released in 2011. Now, Samsung has recently unveiled its much awaited S24 series through their Galaxy unpacked event.
Galaxy Unpacked: What is it?
Galaxy unpacked is Samsung’s yearly tradition of revealing its newest gadgets. The event has grown to be highly anticipated. Samsung uses this showcase to highlight its most recent and cutting-edge products. The Galaxy Unpacked events are enormous spectacles that are painstakingly planned to enthrall audiences and create anticipation. Every year, Samsung presents its newest flagship smartphones, tablets, wearables, and other technological marvels to an international audience, giving attendees and spectators a peek of what’s to come.
Samsung, once again reveled its newest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S24 series, during the highly anticipated Galaxy Unpacked event. The event was conducted recently in San Jose, California. This impressive range, which included the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, and the incredibly potent S24 Ultra, represented the pinnacle of Samsung’s technological capabilities. The S24 Ultra stood out among them all without a doubt because of its enormous 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, which promises an immersive visual experience. The gadget has a sturdy titanium frame that gives it a high-end, long-lasting vibe. The camera system, which boasts an incredible 200MP primary camera and signifies Samsung’s unwavering dedication to reinventing mobile photography. These are the thoughts of Samsung.
Galaxy Unpacked: Let’s Get Real!
As Samsung proudly unveiled its Galaxy S24 series at the Galaxy Unpacked event, the tech world was left in awe—until, of course, reality set in. The S24 Ultra’s monumental 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display promises an immersive visual extravaganza, but if you’re holding last year’s model, you might want to borrow a magnifying glass to spot the difference. With a titanium frame exuding an air of sophistication, the S24 Ultra could be mistaken for its predecessor, the S23, in a lineup where distinguishing features seem to be playing hide-and-seek. The camera system, a seemingly groundbreaking 200MP primary camera, shouts innovation, but the deja vu feeling remains strong when you realize it’s a mirror image of what we saw last year.
Everything just same, ditto and identical. At this point, I felt like I am out of synonyms for the word “Same”. In the grand theater of technological evolution, it seems Samsung decided to hit the replay button, leaving users wondering if they accidentally stepped into a time loop. Perhaps the S24 series should come with a detective kit, complete with a magnifying glass, to help users uncover the subtle nuances that separate it from the S23.
Galaxy AI: There’s Nothing Cool
In a bid to redefine user experience, Samsung introduces a game-changing addition to its arsenal – the Galaxy AI. This technological marvel isn’t just another gimmick. Live Translate, Interpreter, Chat Assist, Note Assist, and Transcript Assist are the new players in the Galaxy AI lineup. Need to bridge language barriers? The Interpreter feature has your back. Fumbling for words? Chat Assist swoops in to save the day. Forgot to jot down that important note? Enter Note Assist. And when it’s time to transform speech into text seamlessly, Transcript Assist steps up to the plate.
However, all of these are already present on Android but with a different name and approach. For instance, the Circle to Search feature, an S24 Ultra’s exclusive feature is already present on Google app. The reality taps its shoulder to remind us that Android users have been doing a similar dance with Google’s search feature for a while. Forget the fancy circle; all you need is a good old box that you can drag over your screen. The best part? You don’t need to break the bank for an S24 Ultra; your trusty $100 Android phone can join the party too. It’s like Samsung threw a glitzy gala for features that Android users have been enjoying in their own low-budget version of the tech runway. Take a look at this feature.
Samsung: The New Apple Inc
Now, the point is Samsung is slowly turning into its idol, The Apple Inc. Samsung, once the vocal critic, has now taken a leaf out of Apple’s book, and it seems like irony is having a field day. First, they took shots at Apple for ditching the charger in the box, only to find themselves singing the same tune. It’s like the tech world’s version of karma – mock and ye shall receive the same fate.
The whole S24 saga is more of like a Software update than a new series. Samsung don’t need to release a new phone; they just need to send a notification saying “Your S23 is now the S24!”. It’s like they’re treating phone releases as if they’re rolling out the latest software update – bug fixes, a few tweaks here and there, and voila, you’ve got the S24 experience. Samsung might want to consider rebranding their phone releases as “Samsung Galaxy S(ame)” because, let’s face it, the S24 saga feels more like a chapter in an ongoing story rather than the beginning of a new one. Hey Samsung, next time, just send us an update notification, okay?


text:
For Businesses: The internet of thinking is how all these different intelligent technologies change how consumers interact with a business or any other entity. With the increased expectations of instant feedback, companies need advanced computing power.
For People: The internet of thinking is how all these different intelligent technologies together change how consumers interact with a business or any other entity. With the increased expectations of instant feedback, companies need advanced computing power.
The past ten years were all about Cloud computing, which allowed enterprises to host extensive data securely in the cloud, accessing it on demand with large data processing capacity. Processing of the data is moving closer to where the action is, edge computing. The processing power of the semiconductor chips needs to increase to keep up with the demand. Companies need to reinvest in infrastructure and create partnerships to increase their capabilities and improve the consumer experience.
In other cases, less ‘urgent’ data continues to be processed in the cloud where multiple data sources are combined, resulting in updates to algorithms that are then pushed out to the consumers. Enterprises need to focus on what computing power is required as they will need to prioritize what needs to remain in the Cloud vs. in the Edge.
As companies become part of their consumers’ daily lives, they need to develop different trust levels with end-users. According to Elise Cornille, Accenture Managing Director, Technology Marketing & Communications, ‘with innovation comes obligation.’ Companies gather massive amounts of data about their consumers, and any misuse of this data could be very damaging to any company’s reputation.
Social Media companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter have found themselves in the middle of heated debates about the permissible use of data gathered on their platforms. To combat these challenges, large social media giants are working together to create a new social media contract and are shaping government policies protecting the consumers.
Public Health and Safety has been at the forefront, especially this year, with the ongoing spread of Covid-19. The Singapore government has taken many steps to protect their citizens and avoid the spread of the virus. As the virus can be spread through asymptomatic carriers tracing has become a big challenge. Once individual tests positive, what is the most effective and efficient way to trace all the places visited and people contacted?
Singapore’s Contact Tracing App connects intelligent technology to drive the desired outcome: reducing the virus’s spread through QR Codes.
Lifestyle companies continue to dominate the Internet of Thinking. Amazon, a major lifestyle brand player, continues to be at the forefront of innovation through the smart application of the latest technology, becoming a leading lifestyle brand for consumers.
In 2014 ‘Amazon ALEXA‘ was launched, a virtual assistant using AI technology. She can hear and respond to voice commands. Applying voice recognition Alexa finds music, turns the lights on/off, changes the room temperature, and numerous other manual tasks.
In 2017 the company launched Amazon KEY, which uses connected technology to allow delivery drivers to leave packages inside a home rather than on the porch exposing packages to thieves and the elements.
In 2020 Amazon launched ‘Amazon GO, a supermarket with no cashiers. Customers download an app on their smart device, enter the store by scanning their App, fill their basket, and leave using the ‘Just Walk Out Technology.’ The shopper receives an itemized receipt, and their Amazon account is charged as they leave the store without having to stand in line waiting to be checked out. Amazon uses advanced technology like deep learning, sensor fusion, and computer vision to create the internet of thinking supermarket ecosystem.
The fast advancement of interconnected intelligent technology that improves consumer experience and delivers real-time data through edge technology comes with heightened social responsibility. Companies that get it right and embrace the obligation and responsibility that comes with having ‘unlimited’ access to consumer’s lives will be winners of consumer loyalty for the unforeseeable future.
Technology is everywhere, and to satisfy consumers’ need for instant feedback, companies face the challenge of bringing relevant and timely insights to consumers at a moment’s notice.
On the spectrum of personal health technology, ranging from wearables to implants, a new entrant will revolutionize how we monitor our health: biosensors printed directly onto the skin.
The Agriculture and the farming industry is going through a significant transformation. Abandoning traditional farming practices, the agricultural industry is embracing digital connectedness and data. Increasingly, they are building an ecosystem of smart farms.

domain: news


text:
Nokia is on route to posting next quarterly results at a loss
We already knew Nokia was expecting a lower profit in the second quarter of the fiscal year, but according to analysts, Nokia won't even make any profit whatsoever. According to a Reuters report, the mobile phone manufacturer will report a loss for this (Q2) and next (Q3) quarters.
Apple's iPhone and Google's Android are to be blamed for the current Nokia situation. Even at the market of lower-end devices and feature phones the Finnish company is losing ground to a tough competition coming from China.
However, the company should pick itself up and dust itself off for the Q4 by announcing its first batch of Windows Phone 7.5 powered devices at Nokia World in October. While there's no official announcement, Nokia and Movistar Equador have teamed up to offer an app competition. The winner will grab a ticket to London for the Nokia World event so we know both the place and month of Nokia's biggest event in the year.
mini hd camcorders
- 2012-01-01 15:09
that's easy. because phones come from china, and the closest market is usa! milions and milions of consumers with a single language and network configurations. english! europe is to tricky, and we've got lots of countryes with diferent rules, so ...
- 2011-06-15 11:19
I think you misunderstood him..he isn't saying CPU speed isn't a problem.. I believe he is saying it isn't the biggest problem out of many. And yes a single core can sell in this market(for now). But Nokia reminds me of Converse .. the top shoe comp...
- 2011-06-14 18:08


text:
The GoPro camera is a much-known device in the action sports world. A point-of-view perspective of the action is what the camera offers to its users. The camera has already been used in some of the most high-profile events of the TV, which include Red Bull’s weather balloon jump from outer space.
The GoPro Hero 5 was launched last year with a band of new features which forced many to wonder how all those features were incorporated into the small camera by the company. While people are still getting the hang of features like the Nightlapse of the Hero 5, rumors regarding the next addition to the Hero series, the GoPro Hero 5 have already started doing rounds on the internet.
It was reported that the price of the Hero 5 has been dropped by $100. It now comes with a price tag of $300 in the place $400 which was its price previously. The Hero+ is also being released by the company which coincides with the price cut of the Hero 4. It is being rumored that the Hero+, currently priced at $200, will feature a slight upgrade over the Hero 4.
The company is adding WiFi and Bluetooth support features to the device along with the capability of recording 1080p videos at 60 frames per second.
The Hero+ is scheduled to release on October 4th and thus it could be assumed that another GoPro device won’t be hitting the market for at least two months as the company will be focused on the marketing and sales of this new product released by them in the market. Hence, it could be stated that the company might be preparing for a December-January release for the Hero 5.
The GoPro hero 5 was scheduled to release this October but due to some technicalities, it will now be released next year. It is being rumored that The GoPro Hero 5 will come with the capability to record 8K videos and capture 3D motion and images.
The 8K quality which is also called the Full Ultra HD will double the resolution that was present in the previous versions of the GoPro series. The GoPro 5 will sport a mind boggling 4320 pixels.
The device comes with an A10 processor which helps the beast to run smoothly at Full Ultra HD resolution. The frames per second is decreased in the Full Ultra HD mode, but the option of running the device at 4K resolution with 60 frames per second is also available to users.
The device will reportedly have a 4K resolution video with 1080p resolution at 60 fps, 720p at 100 fps and 1440p at 30 fps.
The 8K or the Full Ultra HD quality is literally awe-inspiring, presenting a video with eight thousand lines of resolution, but at the same time the high quality recording will come at a cost of more battery consumption and grater storage space in the device’s memory card.
The GoPro Hero 5 is also rumored to have a dual lens setup, which makes it capable for 3D images and motion. It is also expected to come with a prolonged battery life which will provide a video playback time of 2 hours. The device will come with a 2800 mAh battery.
It is also being anticipated that the device will be made 50% smaller and 40% lighter than the previous installment in the GoPro series. The device is also rumored to be more compact in nature. It will be a snug fit with head gear and could be easily attached to any part of the body.


text:
Update VAT records by February 25, Facebook tells Nigerian advertisers
The parent company of Facebook, Meta, has asked that Nigerian advertisers to update their Value-Added Tax identification numbers by February 25.
The social media giant said its Nigerian customers risk not having their adverts displayed on the platform if they fail to comply.
This is after the Federal Government announced plans to tax foreign-based social media platforms earning money from Nigerian advertisers.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, in an apparent move to comply with the government regulation also requested its Nigerian customers to carry out basic requirements to help its compliance.
In a statement on Thursday, Facebook said recent updates have been made to allow Nigerian customers provide 11 or 12 digit VAT identification to pay the 7.5 percent charge.


text:
Don Quixote went around jousting windmills to no avail. It was such a pointless act, albeit a fictional act, that the word quixotic came into our lexicon. To be quixotic is to fight against something that you cannot defeat, and to do so passionately. The actual definition of quixotic is “exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.”
Why am I giving the etymological root of the word quixotic? This word, and even the etymology behind it (ESPECIALLY the etymology behind it) defines the efforts of the Teamsters Union that are attempting to negotiate a contract with UPS that would prevent it from using drones and autonomous vehicles.
The Teamsters Union is essentially asking UPS to sacrifice, in a fundamental way, its ability to become more efficient, more profitable, and to remain, at the very least, competitive with other shippers who are SURE to use these technologies.
The fact that the Teamsters are actually attempting to get UPS to end any pursuit of utilizing these technologies demonstrates that the Teamsters do not have a basic shared common goal with UPS, to continue to see UPS be competitive and profitable. Rather, they imagine they can protect their jobs with no consideration of competitiveness and profitability.
In short, the Teamsters need to get some basic economics lessons.
|Fighting The Future: Teamsters Demand UPS Ban Drones And Autonomous Vehicles|
Reports are coming out that as the Teamsters are entering negotiations on a new contract with shipping giant UPS, their demands include a ban on both drone deliveries and on the use of autonomous vehicles. These are, not surprisingly, both technologies that UPS has been experimenting with lately (as has nearly every other delivery company).
You can understand the short term thinking here, of course, UPS drivers see both of those options as potential “competition” that would decrease the number of drivers and potentially cause many to lose their jobs. And that might be true (though, it also might not be true as we’ll discuss below). But, at the very least, demanding that the company that employs you directly choose not to invest in the technologies of the future is demanding that a company commit suicide — in which case all those jobs for drivers would likely be eliminated anyway. While there are obviously a lot more variables at work here, it’s not hard to see how a competing delivery company — whether Fedex, the US Postal Service, Amazon or someone else entirely — could get drone/driverless car delivery right, and suddenly UPS’s service is seen as slower, more expensive and less efficient in many cases. If that’s the case, UPS would likely have to layoff tons of workers anyway.
The other key point: the idea that these technologies are simply going to destroy all the jobs is almost certainly highly overstated. They very likely will change the nature of jobs, but not eliminate them. Professor James Bessen has been doing lots of research on this for years, and has found that in areas of heavy automation, jobs often increase (though they may be changed). That links to an academic paper he wrote, but he also wrote a more general audience targeted piece for the Atlantic on what he calls the automation paradox. As Bessen explains:
Automation reduces the cost of a product or service, and lower prices tend to attract more customers. Software made it cheaper and faster to trawl through legal documents, so law firms searched more documents and judges allowed more and more-expansive discovery requests. Likewise, ATMs made it cheaper to operate bank branches, so banks dramatically increased their number of offices. So when demand increases enough in response to lower prices, employment goes up with automation, not down. And this is what has been happening with computer automation overall during the last three decades. It’s also what happened during the Industrial Revolution when automation in textiles, steel-making, and a whole range of other industries led to a major increase in manufacturing jobs.
|Read More at Techdirt.com|


text:
DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — The annual Whoopie Pie Festival, which draws thousands to downtown Dover-Foxcroft each summer, is returning on June 25 — and yes, that includes a whoopie pie eating contest.
Approximately 7,000 people have attended in other years, said Patrick Myers, executive director of the Center Theatre, which organizes the event with the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce.
Perhaps there’s pent-up demand for whoopie pies and the festival will see a record-breaking turnout this year, but it could be that people aren’t totally comfortable with massive gatherings, Myers said. Organizers are in planning mode regardless of the outcome.
After a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Whoopie Pie Festival will return this summer and be packed with food and drinks from vendors, crafters, live music and activities for kids. The festival — a tradition that began as a small fundraiser in the Center Theatre parking lot in 2009 and flourished — is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 25. Admission fees are $5 per person, with kids 12 years old and under free. The festival markets itself as the largest annual event in Piscataquis County.
A virtual version of the festival was held in 2020 and 2021. Maine bakeries were celebrated and promoted on social media. Patrons could use a map to find a place to pick up a to-go whoopie pie, Myers said.
“It feels great to be planning a good old-fashioned Whoopie Pie Festival,” he said, but it hasn’t come without challenges.
Some vendors that participated in previous years are now out of business, or they were temporarily during pandemic times and are trying to figure out if they have the resources to get up and running again, Myers said.
Although a fair amount of commercial bakers participate, the majority are small businesses and mom and pop stores, he said. Those have been hit the hardest, along with businesses that operate bungee jumping rides, bounce houses and other festival activities.
“They rely on summer festivals as their bread and butter,” Myers said. “And they haven’t been to summer festivals in a couple years.”
Despite the challenges, event organizers are eager to bring the festival back to town. It draws thousands of families to Dover-Foxcroft and exposes them to the charming community and local businesses, Myers said. It’s also a place for vendors and artists to sell their goods and get noticed.
The festival is also the largest fundraiser for the Center Theatre and Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce.
Whoopie pies are the center of attention at the event, but hamburgers, hot dogs and other foods will be available. Patrons may also want to stop at downtown eateries such as Pat’s Pizza, Myers said.
The Piscataquis County-based Doughty Hill Band will perform live throughout the day.
Other popular events in the past included a teddy bear clinic, hosted by Northern Light Health Mayo Hospital, and the Earn Your Whoopie Pie Race/Walk, organized by the Piscataquis Regional YMCA. Typically two races are held — one for children and another for adults, Myers said.
The Center Theatre has mainly been in charge of logistics, including organizing bakers, judges and children’s activities, Myers said. Denise Buzzelli, executive director of the chamber of commerce, works with artists, crafters and vendors, he said.
Every $5 entrance fee to the festival comes with four tokens to be used for samples there, Myers said. Bakers sell whole whoopie pies and offer samples at their booths. Once attendees run out of tokens, they can purchase more for 25 cents each, he said.
Bakers and vendors can register by contacting the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce; a form is available on the website.
In 2019, Ashley Robinson of Dover True Value Hardware began a home expo event in conjunction with the whoopie pie festival, and the business had various vendors and chainsaw carving in its parking lot. The business wants to bring that back this summer, Myers said.
Shaw’s is the lead sponsor of the event. Bangor Savings Bank, Bissell Brother Brewing, Mallett Real Estate and others are also sponsors.
For information, visit the Whoopie Pie Festival website.


text:
New Woodlets Briquettes
Sustainable UK Briquettes We’re very excited to announce that we are now stocking Woodlets UK Briquettes. These high quality heat logs are made locally to…Read More >
Briquettes for the BBQ!
The warmer weather has brought out another call for research by the wood fuel testing team...to try out wood briquettes on the barbecue!Read More >


text:
WALMART TAKES A STAB AT FASHION
Walmart recently revealed a more sleek and modern website design to accommodate high-low shoppers. The company launched Lord & Taylor on the site in attempts to position itself as a digital destination for fashion.
To fuel its rebranding efforts and e-commerce business, Walmart has acquired several upscale online clothing brands including Bonobos and ModCloth. The company is attracting higher-income shoppers through its personal shopping offering that lets shoppers pick up online orders via curbside service at about 1,200 locations.
The introduction of Lord & Taylor may have given customers access to more premium products. But make no mistake: Walmart has a long way to go. With over 70 private labels, Amazon's fashion presence is still growing. Can Walmart keep up?
NORDSTROM EMBRACES THE SIZE SPECTRUM
Since Nordstrom's 2016 launch of Good America, a size inclusive denim brand, the department store has increased the pressure for its brands to expand sizing. Despite challenges, the company is committed to its size extension initiative and is raising the stakes.
If a brand carries a limited sizing range, they’ll be excluded from store design and online updates - which means missing out on valuable exposure. In 30 stores, Nordstrom is switching out mannequins to include versions in size 2 and 12, while adding a size search tool on its site to eliminate "vanity sizing."
The goal is that, two years from now, all women’s apparel brands carried by Nordstrom will offer sizes 00 to 24. “For our brand to be truly relevant to our customer, we really want all of the brands we carry to be more size-inclusive." says Tricia Smith, EVP of women’s apparel at Nordstrom.
FASHION'S NEW ROYALTY
Fashion has a new face of royalty—and it isn't Meghan Markle.
Over the past two years, more than a dozen luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Marc Jacobs have featured hip-hop artists in their advertising campaigns, while brands like Versace and JW Anderson have taken things a step further by collaborating with artists like 2 Chainz and A$AP Rocky on products. Hip-hop fledgling Cardi B could be seen in the front row of Alexander Wang's Autumn/Winter 2018 presentation, a seat usually reserved for people of inviolable status.
To reach Generations Y and Z, who are expected to account for 45 percent of the global luxury spend by 2025, according to Bain & Company, hip-hop has been powerful tool for delivering brand messages that resonate. "Hip-hop artists are storytellers and news reporters of the times, [and] with hip-hop being the number one music genre, it proves that hip-hop artists drive culture,” says stylist and fashion consultant Aleali May.
CAN BEAUTY SAVE DEPARTMENT STORES?
Shopping by department is a norm of the past. New department store templates entice consumers with exclusive services, products, and events. Stores are becoming open to experiential shopping, creating new attractions beyond the usual samples and makeovers.
It could take more than sprucing up the shopping environment to ward off competition, especially as online juggernauts like Amazon invest in beauty. What's worse, the department store concept as a whole falls flat with some consumers. Nevertheless, retailers are revamping their approach in attracting and retaining customer loyalty by focusing on beauty experiences. Nordstrom collaborated with the beauty website Byrdie on a standalone pop-up shop, Bloomingdale’s targets more niche and independent brands in its millennial-focused Glowhaus section, as does Neiman Marcus with its Trending Beauty Shop.
To give customers a “sense of discovery” and a reason to repeatedly return to the store, department stores will need to ensure both their online and in-store beauty counters keep pace with changing shopping patterns.
THIS WEEK'S BRIGHT SPOT
In today's shaky corporate climate, gender diversity in the workplace is gaining traction and awareness. Revlon has named Debra Perelman, President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. She is the first woman CEO in its 86-year history.
Perelman has had an extensive career with Revlon, serving in operational and leadership roles across all facets of the business, including finance, distribution and sales operations, international and marketing. She also has a track record for innovation and has launched a new partnership with the MIT Media Lab to explore new ways to disrupt the industry.
“Revlon has been a central part of my personal and professional life for more than 20 years. I love Revlon not only as a company but as a culture of employees and executives who are committed to delivering women and men the best products in our industry, " says Perelman.


text:
Cheers, Des Moines: El Bait Shop gives you 40 more excuses to drink craft beer
Craft beer fans have reason to raise a glass today — one of Des Moines’ busiest beer bars is growing.
El Bait Shop, the downtown bar boasting one of the world’s largest selections of American craft beer, plans to add 40 taps to its selection, growing the bar’s offering to 262 draft beers.
Owners hope to have the new taps up and running by mid-March, El Bait Shop co-founder Jeff Bruning said, in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
There’s no need to lose sleep, craft connoisseurs: Bruning said those taps will be going to American, and some European, offerings — including celebrated Delaware brewery Dogfish Head, which debuts in Iowa later this month. Bud Light will remain the sole commercial domestic on tap.
More:Who's raising a glass to the Republican tax law? Iowa's craft breweries.
Additional changes to El Bait Shop include replacing the garage door — located on the bar’s west wall — with a window and adding a to-go station for patrons to purchase bottles and 32-ounce crowlers.
The bar, which holds a capacity of roughly 100 people, rotates about 50-70 new beers on tap weekly. Roughly 40 percent of the taps feature Iowa-brewed product. El Bait Shop opened in 2006 and for the last decade has been voted one of the nation’s best craft beer bars by Draft Magazine.
More:Love vinyl records? How about craft beer? There’s a new Des Moines event just for you
Local dining reporter Wini Moranville first broke the news Tuesday on Facebook.
See what’s on tap at El Bait Shop by visiting elbaitshop.com.


text:
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a nice guy who doesn't know how to run a car company, says Bob Lutz, former vice chairman of General Motors.
- Tesla is an "automobile company that is headed for the graveyard," he says.
- Shareholder Ross Gerber called the federal investigation into Tesla an "annoying footnote."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a nice guy who doesn't know how to run a car company, Bob Lutz, former vice chairman of General Motors, told CNBC on Tuesday.
"They will never make money on the Model 3 because the cost is way too high. He's got 9,000 people in that assembly plant producing less than 150,000 cars a year. The whole thing just doesn't compute. It's an automobile company that is headed for the graveyard," he said on "Closing Bell."
"The jaws are tightening and I think in another year or two we'll see a movie called 'Who Killed Tesla,' a conspiracy movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio," Lutz added.
Earlier in the day, Tesla said the Justice Department requested documents last month relating to Musk's tweets about taking the company private. Tesla has since shelved such plans.
The acknowledgement followed a report by Bloomberg that the federal agency has opened a criminal investigation into Musk's comments.
Telsa shares sank as much as 7.1 percent on the news, ultimately closing down more than 3 percent.
Lutz said Tesla is "hemorrhaging cash" and because of the federal investigation, the SEC will not let it make a capital raise.
He also said there is competition coming from not only Audi but Mercedes, BMW and Porsche. And those auto manufacturers can sell their cars at a loss and make up for it on sales of internal combustion vehicles.
"Tesla has no … tech advantage, no software advantage, no battery advantage. No advantages whatsoever," he said.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lutz's remarks.
Tesla shareholder Ross Gerber doesn't think the Justice Department probe is anything to be concerned about.
"We all know what happened. I mean, Elon made a mistake," the CEO and president of Gerber Kawasaki told "Closing Bell." "I don't know if that's a crime."
He admitted it has been a tough year for Tesla, but he thinks the worst is over.
"This is an exciting time for the company. So this just another annoying footnote in what will be the long-term track record of Tesla and we're very confident over the next 12 months," Gerber said.
Oppenheimer analyst Colin Rusch is also focusing on the fundamentals since there will likely not be a resolution anytime soon by the feds.
And he told "Closing Bell" those are looking good.
He also disputed Lutz's contention that the SEC will not allow Tesla to raise more money, calling it "purely speculation."
Rusch has a buy rating and a $385 price target on Tesla.
— CNBC's Dawn Kopecki and Robert Ferris contributed to this report.
Disclosures: Gerber and his family own shares of Tesla. Oppenheimer & Co makes a market in the securities of Tesla.


text:
Kim Kardashian geared up to celebrate her 39th birthday, which is on Oct. 21, with a weekend getaway in Palm Springs. On Saturday, the reality star and entrepreneur brought sisters Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian along for the festivities and shared photos of their partying on Instagram. She got some makeup help from Kylie before sitting down for a "Kim Day"-themed celebration, followed by a game of Cards Against Humanity.
Last year, Kim received an extraspecial surprise from her husband, Kanye West. He ensured their minimalist living room had huge floral arrangements hanging from the ceiling and hired a pianist to serenade Kim. How sweet! We wonder what he has in store this year. For now, keep reading for an inside look at Kim's special weekend.


text:
Batteries and battery cells are imported from the likes of China and the US. With plans to ensure that 30% of India’s vehicles are electrically powered by 2030, the demand for battery storage is pegged at 300 GW.
The Government of India is planning to establish battery making capacity of 40 gigawatts (GW) to give a boost to its electrical vehicles and renewable energy initiatives.
It will ask states to compete for the opportunity to set up internationally competitive facilities that will also service global markets.
Domestic and global battery makers will be asked to bid for setting up plants in the selected states.
The proposal is expected to entail investments of $40 billion in the next two-three years and is likely to garner interest from global battery manufacturing firms and renewable energy players such as SoftBank, Tesla and Panasonic.
The Centre is working on fiscal and non-fiscal measures to enable states to set up manufacturing units as competitive as those in China.
Bids will be judged on the basis of land, incentives, power tariff discounts and regulatory and industrial support. Plants have to be competitive so that exports are commercially viable.
The large-scale battery manufacturing proposal is aimed at making storage systems competitive in India so electric vehicle adoption becomes more viable.
Reference- Economic Times, PTI


text:
USA Today, CNN gain new readers among tablet users
A new Pew study found that tablet users are more likely to pay for content than general news consumers, and "power users" (who read news on apps) are the most likely of the tablet users to pay for news. But publishers pursuing mobile strategies are seeking not only revenue; they're counting on other benefits as well, including wider reach and perhaps new print subscribers. So, which news organizations are attracting new readers on tablets?
The phone survey (conducted July 15-30) of 1,159 tablet users found newspapers are drawing new audience to their products. Of the 894 respondents who read news on their tablets weekly, 40 percent said they are getting news from newspapers that they did not rely on as a source before. Ten percent said they get news from USA Today on their tablets and did not get news from the paper or website before. Ten percent said the same of CNN.
|Survey question: What news source or sources do you get news from on your [iPad/tablet/tablets] that you did not get news from before? (open-ended responses, 5 allowed)|
|9||New York Times|
|7||Wall Street Journal|
|3||International Newspapers other|
A little more than half of the respondents (54 percent) were not print subscribers, while 46 percent were. About a quarter of those print subscriptions included digital access.
"Power users" who rely on apps for news, decide which apps to download based first on whether "They were from a news organization you like" (84 percent said this is a major factor) and whether they were free (83 percent said this is a major factor). Recommendations, reviews and ads were less important.


text:
Unpacking has a release date, and it will be available on Xbox Game Pass from the start. During Gamescom 2021, Xbox revealed that a number of new Humble Games games would be available on the service from the start.
Unpacking, along with Archvale, Bushiden, Chinatown Detective Agency, Dodgeball Academia, Flynn: Son of Crimson, and Midnight Fight Express Next Space Rebels, was one of them (some of which have already been released on the platform). The task of unpacking appears to be next on the agenda.
Players can unpack their belongings and organize their new houses without the hassle of moving. The latest film features studio apartments, kitchens, living rooms, and more, all of which are well organized with soothing music playing in the background. Many fans have been anticipating the release of this indie-developed videogame, and they won’t have to wait long because it will be available in less than two months.
Unpacking will be available on Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on November 2, 2021. The trailer plays up the fact that the release date has been a long time coming. Unpacking was shown off years ago and got prizes at game shows and events as far back as 2018.
Although it may not be one of the significant autumn games of 2021, it was shown off years ago and received rewards at game exhibitions and events as far back as 2018. Fans will be pleased to discover that the zen puzzle game will be released in early November.
Because of the Humble Games and Xbox Game Pass partnership, the game will be available for free on Xbox Game Pass for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Game Pass is still a service with a lot of big triple-A games, with first-party Microsft games leading the way, but it also has a lot of independent games. The Humble Games library and Unpacking look to be an excellent addition.
Both in terms of quantity and diversity, the Xbox Game Pass catalog continues to expand. According to a recent announcement, Unpacking is not among the 13 titles that will be added to Xbox Game Pass in the coming weeks.
Some of them are smaller-scale independent games, but the service still has major hitters on the way, such as Halo: Infinite. Xbox Game Pass offers a lot to offer, whether it’s enormous RPG adventures, online first-person shooter action, or fascinating indie experiences. Many people believe that the service is the finest on the market in terms of value.


text:
Epic Games has revealed the launch date for its digital games production software product launch on April 10.
The new game production suite, Epic GameMaker: Studio, will allow game creators to create new and original content, from video games to novels, using the latest in technology, to make their games and entertainment experiences more accessible and accessible to consumers.
This includes the ability to integrate the latest graphics, effects, lighting and animation technology with Unreal Engine 4.
The studio will also offer a wide range of game-specific plugins, tools, game content, and a range of other products.
“With this new product launch, we are taking a big step towards giving everyone a place to make games,” said Epic Games co-founder and CEO Brian Fargo.
“Our developers and players have asked us to give them the tools and tools to create their next epic game, and we are ready to deliver it.
“We look forward for you to join us in making this launch happen.” “
The new Epic game production tools include: The studio’s tools include tools to build, create, test and publish Epic Games games. “
We look forward for you to join us in making this launch happen.”
The new Epic game production tools include: The studio’s tools include tools to build, create, test and publish Epic Games games.
These tools will allow developers to: Create their own Epic Games


text:
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells for his stellar work on the transport committee.
When railways transport goods across this country, or to international destinations, they have to do so safely. That is one of the reasons why my government is accelerating the withdrawal of certain tank cars that are considered less safe for the transportation of dangerous goods. We are retiring them years ahead of the original schedule.
Canadians know that rail safety is my number one priority. Canadians can be sure that we will deliver.


text:
The Meat Crisis Is Here: Price Of Shrimp Up 61% – 7 Million Pigs Dead – Beef At All-Time High
theeconomiccollapseblog.com / By Michael Snyder / May 15, 2014
As the price of meat continues to skyrocket, will it soon be considered a “luxury item” for most American families? This week we learned that the price of meat in the United States rose at the fastest pace in more than 10 years last month. Leading the way is the price of shrimp. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of shrimp has jumped an astounding 61 percent compared to a year ago. The price of pork is also moving upward aggressively thanks to a disease which has already killed about 10 percent of all of the pigs in the entire country. And the endless drought in the western half of the country has caused the size of the U.S. cattle herd to shrink to a 63 year low and has pushed the price of beef to an all-time high. This is really bad news if you like to eat meat. The truth is that the coming “meat crisis” is already here, and it looks like it is going to get a lot worse in the months ahead.
A devastating bacterial disease called “early mortality syndrome” is crippling the shrimping industry all over Asia right now. According to Bloomberg, this has pushed the price of shrimp up 61 percent over the past 12 months…
READ MOREIn March, shrimp prices jumped 61 percent from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The climb is mainly due to a bacterial disease known as early mortality syndrome. While the ailment has no effect on humans, it’s wreaking havoc on young shrimp farmed in Southeast Asia, shrinking supplies.


text:
The sun was beating down hard Tuesday, June 19, at the Hall County Farmers Market, making it easy to forget the heavy, steady rains of spring.
But farmers could still remember.
“It’s been bad,” said Jim Matthews of Maysville. “I would have sweet corn now, but I lost my second planting completely.”
It was a common story among the dozen or so growers who showed up at the market, which opened for the selling season May 8 and is held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 7 a.m. Saturdays.
Rains, winds and hail through much of spring — and particularly flooding from Subtropical Storm Alberto — ruined crops or severely limited what produce farmers could haul to the market off Jesse Jewell Parkway at East Crescent Drive.
“There’s some stuff I’ve planted three different times, such as peas,” said Edsel Thomas of Cleveland. “The hard, beating rain packed the ground so hard they wouldn’t come up.”
Hall County Farmers Market
Where: 734 E. Crescent Drive, Gainesville
When: 2:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 7 a.m.-noon or sellout
More info: 770-535-8293
He said Tuesday’s market was the “first time I’ve been here this year. This is the first time I’ve had anything to bring.”
“Spring was tough,” said Anita White of Lula. “It’s put us behind a great deal. The plowing was the problem. The fields were so wet, you couldn’t get a tractor in there. It delayed a whole bunch of planting.”
She sold flower arrangements next to husband David White, who brought squash, cucumbers, leaks, kale, radishes, spring onions, carrots and turnips.
“We lost a whole bunch of crops … and just have to count it off,” Anita said. “And you don’t want to start planting in July. It’s just too hot and the bugs are awful.”
The couple grow over three seasons — lettuces and greens in the spring, then squash and cucumbers and finally the flowers, mixed in with weeds Anita calls “flowers without a home.”
Fruits and vegetables aren’t the only agricultural products affected by bad weather.
Just ask Jay Parsons, owner of Dances with Bees in Cornelia.
“This year, I had no tulip poplar honey or blackberry honey,” he said.
Poplar honey particularly has “a huge amount of nectar,” Parsons said. “If it rains, is windy and all that, it just washes all the nectar out of your plants.”
“I feel like everybody shares a piece of the grief,” said Josh Presley, Hall County extension agent, a University of Georgia graduate who started the job June 13.
“If you flood out plants you have in the ground, you really suffocate the roots,” he said. “Blackberries are highly affected by rainfall. They get super mushy and you lose your harvest. Strawberries are the same way.”
Otherwise, high winds and hail can damage fruit trees.
“Sometimes you lose your initial investment … and then you lose even more investment as you’re trying to hopefully have something to harvest,” Presley said.
One crop that tends to be resistant to heavy rains is established corn.
“They can really thrive with more rain,” Presley said.
“But then, you never know. Mother Nature sails her own ships.”
By mid-June, daily rains and storms started fading, replaced by sunshine and summer-hot temperatures.
“Now, we need some rain,” Thomas said. “The root system is not very deep.”
White agreed: “Right now, it’s dry again — everything is suffering and wanting water.”
Crowds of customers, meanwhile, didn’t seem to shy away, with Chris Cleveland of Clarkesville seeing a steady stream of customers bagging his potatoes and tomatoes.
“We’ve got a crowd here and they’re optimistic, and we’re happy to have the sunshine,” Presley said. “(Farmers) are thankful to have something to bring, and we’ve obviously got enthusiastic customers.”
“Business definitely has picked up,” said customer Courtenay Wishousky. “When the season got started, there wasn’t even a handful of (farmers).”
Farmers were happy, too, mostly shrugging off what they’ve been through the past couple of months.
“Challenges are part of our life,” David White said. “And every year brings its own challenges.”


text:
September 18, 2014
The latest trend in baby births is turning the umbilical cord into art!
September 17, 2014
Polaroid has released a camera based on Instagram which was based on a real camera from Polaroid in the first place, is this a surreal case of pop culture eating itself?
It would be hard to call it a face-off, but..
September 16, 2014
Art Moscow, Russia’s oldest art fair, has been canceled
September 15, 2014
Art Basel is partnering with Kickstarter to promote non-commercial projects by non-profit art organizations around the world.
Sprüth Magers Gallery is to open a 14,000 square art gallery in Los Angeles,
Want brilliant, exciting and interesting art and culture news in your inbox every day? Course you do. Sign up to our newsletter below.


text:
McDonald’s recently reported that their same-store sales (at stores open at least 13 months) fell a whopping 4.6% month-on-month. That’s coming on the heels of a brutal fall in sales overall since early 2012. Global same-store sales also fell 2.2% month-on-month, suggesting that while the US was particularly hard hit, the backlash against McDonald’s is worldwide. The chain also announced that their fourth-quarter results would be negatively affected by both the fall in sales and a supply issue in China, to the tune of $0.07 to %0.10 per share.
Analysts have suggested that the fall in sales has been sparked by a shift in consumer preference towards chains like Chipotle, which offer greater personalization and customization, and somewhat more health-conscious food. Ironically, McDonald’s was an early investor in Chipotle, starting in 1998, but had fully divested itself of stock in the company by 2006—they were once a controlling interest in the competition that may now be killing them. Chipotle had 500 stores in 2006; it now has 1600, with a net income of $327.4 million in 2013. During third quarter 2014, Chipotle sales rose 19.8%, while McDonald’s fell 3.3%.
The question to be asked, however, is whether the shift towards outlets like Chipotle and away from McDonald’s is about awareness of the negative effects of McDonald’s on individual health and overall sustainability (and even corporate responsibility), and more about the perceived status increase of eating at Chipotle. My money would be on the latter: Chipotle works hard to provide its clients with settings that suggest upward mobility, much as Starbucks once did. That, plus the higher quality of food at Chipotle, would be what I would suggest sparked this shift in social attitudes.
Related: Even McDonalds Can Build Green
One way or another, does this spell the end for a brand that loomed over the 20th Century as the very symbol of the worst, most destructive, most ecocidal excesses of capitalism? I don’t know, but I’ll happily consider it over a Chipotle burrito.
Via Business Insider


text:
New report concludes that environmental best practices are entering the mainstream for UK supermarkets
Environmental sustainability has become a mainstream concern for the UK's supermarkets, with all the major chains investing heavily in improving their green credentials, according to a new report from...
All the latest news from the Katowice Summit
Oxford Sustainable Finance Programme launches new online tool designed to help more government's develop credible coal phase out strategies
Survey reveals trust in businesses to behave ethically is at a record high, but concerns over environmental impacts are also growing
Green Alliance report argues that by harnessing collective bargain power and focusing on greener supply chains, cities can ramp up decarbonisation efforts


text:
Fast food: No matter where you decide to eat, chicken is on the menu. Nowhere has chicken been more celebrated in this decade (at least) than as a delicious chicken patty between two soft buns. The world's largest fast-food chain is adding something new to the chicken discourse, and this time, it’s a twist on a American classic.
McDonald’s is testing a Big Mac that swaps the beef out for two fried chicken patties. Yes, that’s right: The Chicken Big Mac is on its way to one specific part of the states in a short run. Starting later this month, the Chicken Big Mac will be available for a limited-time at select McDonald’s restaurants in the Miami area, the company confirmed to TODAY Food.
Earlier this year, the Chicken Big Mac was introduced for a limited time at McDonald’s in the U.K. and, according to the company, it got rave reviews from customers. In fact, even the mention of a potential poultry-based Big Mac is causing some people on social media to celebrate.
“Finally, some good news,” tweeted one person.
“Looks good! I would give it a try,” said another Twitter user.
“Mac sauce does go good with mcnuggets,” said yet another. “Makes sense.”
And as a few folks pointed out, a version of the sandwich already exists in India. McDonald's India's Chicken Maharaja Mac features two chicken patties, jalapeño, onion, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and habanero Big Mac sauce.
McDonald's USA already has its own fried chicken sandwich; in fact, it introduced three last year as part of the “Chicken Sandwich Wars” amid Popeye’s uber-viral chicken sandwich release. While these sandwiches are still on the menu, this remix on the original Big Mac has the potential to get the wars raging again.
“We’re always looking to give our fans more ways to enjoy the classic menu items they know and love. And starting later this month, at select Miami restaurants, we’re testing a new twist on an old favorite: the Chicken Big Mac,” a McDonald’s USA spokesperson told TODAY, adding that the sandwich is made with two crispy tempura chicken patties, its iconic Big Mac sauce and topped off with pickles, shredded lettuce and American cheese.
“This sandwich brings some of our fans’ favorite flavors together for the perfect bite,” they continued. “While not everything we test makes it on our U.S. menus, we’ll use this time to gather feedback from both customers and restaurant crew as we consider opportunities to offer more delicious options in the future.”
Additionally, according to McDonald’s USA, chicken remains a business priority for the company as CEO Chris Kempczinski mentioned during a Q2 earnings call:
“Chicken continues to be a significant opportunity for us," he said. "We’ve got some great global equities already in our McNuggets and with McChicken, but we also have some equities in McCrispy and McSpicy that we think we’ve got an opportunity to do more with globally. So that’s going to be a priority area.”
The original Big Mac itself was actually invented in almost this exact same way. In 1968, a single Uniontown, Pennsylvania McDonald’s location was selling the sandwich at its location, and McDonald’s owner at the time Ray Kroc liked it so much, he spread the option onto menus nationwide and the rest is history. Perhaps, with any cluck, the Chicken Big Mac will have the same journey.


text:
Netflix has come up against a brick wall where China is concerned, meaning that the country with a total addressable market of 1.4 billion people remains off limits despite its best efforts. However, the company seems to have found so much success almost everywhere else that this isn’t a big deal. It had a nice gift for investors last night in the form of its third quarter earnings report as it returned to smashing Wall Street’s estimates after a weak second quarter.
Netflix admits near-defeat in China
Netflix said in its letter to shareholders last night that the market in China has proven to be a tough nut to crack. The company had high hopes for the huge market along with the rest of the world, but it said that China’s “regulatory environment for foreign digital content services” had become “challenging.” Instead of launching its own services into China, Netflix will simply license its original content to Chinese companies. It doesn’t expect much revenue from the licensing revenue, however.
The company launched in its first Asian market a little over a year ago, beginning with Japan. Chief Executive Reed Hastings said at the time that they were working on launching the service in every Asian country in 2016, which included China. Hastings had designs on the entire world, and in January, the company expanded into more than 100 additional countries. However, China, North Korea and a number of other countries continue to be out of Netflix’s reach.
Netflix not alone in being blocked in China
The company explained in January that it needs the Chinese government’s permission to launch there and that the process is quite lengthy. However, it viewed China as being a likely market at some point, as Hastings named Apple and Walt Disney as companies that had managed to fin success there. Chinese regulators have tamped down access to the market again though by shutting down Apple’s iBooks Store and iTunes Movie library there. DisneyLife also had its access to the Chinese market revoked.
Netflix insists that if or when Chinese regulators grant access, it will be ready.
Netflix earns a slew of price target increases
The company said last night that it added almost 3.6 million new subscribers during the third quarter, including 370,000 U.S. subscribers and 3.2 million international subscribers, so clearly markets other than China have presented big opportunities. Management had guided for approximately 2.3 million net ads, including 2 million international subscribers and 300,000 domestic subscribers.
Netflix reported that its new original series Stranger Things, Luke Cage and The Get Down did well during the third quarter, helping pull in new subscribers and limit the churn rate. The second season of Narcos helped also.
The company earned a long list of price target increases following last night’s earnings report. Even some of the most bearish analysts raised their targets, although they were not convinced of the company’s success even after last night’s report. Wedbush Securities moved its target from $50 to $60, while Pivotal Research upped its target from $125 to $155. Pacific Crest analysts raised their target from $125 to $135, and Stifel analysts upped their target from $130 to $150. SunTrust Robinson Humphrey analysts raised their target $15 to $115 per share, while JPMorgan moved from $122 to $140 per share. Nomura analysts increased their target by $20 to $130 per share.
Shares of Netflix skyrocketed 19% to as high as $119.82 during regular trading hours on Tuesday.


text:
How does the world’s top investor, at 84 years old, wake up every day and face the world with boundless energy?
“I’m one quarter Coca-Cola,” Warren Buffett says.
When he told me this in a phone call yesterday (we were talking about the death of his friend, former Coca-Cola president Don Keough), I assumed he was talking about his stock portfolio.
No, Buffett explained, “If I eat 2700 calories a day, a quarter of that is Coca-Cola. I drink at least five 12-ounce servings. I do it everyday.”
Perhaps only a man who owns $16 billion in Coca-Cola (KO) stock—9% of Coke, through his company, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A)—would maintain such an odd daily diet. One 12-ounce can of Coke contains 140 calories. Typically, Buffett says, “I have three Cokes during the day and two at night.”
When he’s at his desk at Berkshire Hathaway headquarters in Omaha, he drinks regular Coke; at home, he treats himself to Cherry Coke.
“I’ll have one at breakfast,” he explains, noting that he loves to drink Coke with potato sticks. What brand of potato sticks? “I have a can right here,” he says. “U-T-Z” Utz is a Hanover, Pennsylvania-based snack maker. Buffett says that he’s talked to Utz management about potentially buying the company.
Investors in Berkshire Hathaway may feel relieved that the CEO isn’t addicted to Utz Potato Stix at every breakfast. “This morning, I had a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream,” Buffett says.
Asked to explain the high-sugar, high-salt diet that has somehow enabled him to remain seemingly healthy, Buffett replies: “I checked the actuarial tables, and the lowest death rate is among six-year-olds. So I decided to eat like a six-year-old.” The octogenarian adds, “It’s the safest course I can take.”


text:
Teradata has denied it is a cloud laggard as it faces increased cloud-based data warehousing and big data analytics competition in the enterprise market.
Teradata launched its cloud-based data warehousing solution, Teradata Cloud, in earnest a year ago, but at the moment it only sells that solution from a US-hosted data centre.
While any company outside the US can theoretically buy into that solution, it acknowledges that it needs data centres outside the US to help further stimulate demand - particularly amongst organisations who want to access their sensitive data from locally-based data centres to meet regulatory requirements, and also reduce the chance of latency problems in accessing their data.
When asked about the current value of Teradata Cloud sales by ComputerworldUK, Teradata chief analytics officer Bill Franks said the firm was not revealing the value at this stage, but acknowledged they were "relatively small" for the $2.69 billion turnover company.
Franks said: "At the moment many of our customers would prefer to run Teradata as an on-premise system and not in the cloud." He said the company could make no commitment yet as to when Teradata Cloud would be available in the UK direct or from any other country direct outside the US.
Teradata maintains that many sales prospects ask about a hosted Teradata solution in the cloud, but at the same time are either in no position to move into the cloud yet or simply don't plan to at the moment.
However, in the big data cloud hosted market, Teradata is facing increasing competition from the likes of Oracle, SAP and Amazon, for instance. The challenge from Amazon was illustrated at Teradata's Partners user conference in Nashville this week, when Netflix revealed it considered Amazon Redshift as a cloud-hosted data warehousing solution over Teradata Cloud.
In the end though, Teradata Cloud won out, after being deemed a more fully featured solution. Netflix chose Teradata Cloud last year after already being in the cloud with Amazon Web Services for various functions, before Amazon Redshift made an appearance. The company is still a committed AWS customer for those other functions.
Vishal Jain, manager for data platforms at Netflix, told delegates in Nashville: "Our Teradata infrastructure was previously not in the cloud and we did not want to invest any more in our data centre to meet company growth, so we wanted to move our warehousing and analytics into the cloud.
"Amazon Redshift integrated well into our ecosystem, but Teradata had a very mature ecosystem of its own which matched ours, so we chose that over Amazon Redshift. We used exactly the same codebase in the cloud, and while there were initially some latency problems, these have now been ironed out."
Such latency problems may have been linked to the fact Netflix is serving an increasingly international business from a US-hosted data warehousing solution.
When asked by ComputerworldUK as to whether Teradata was moving quick enough to build out its Teradata Cloud access network, Jain said: "The cloud sees low margins being achieved through high volumes, so cloud providers have to increase those volumes quickly.
"As I understand it Teradata Cloud is currently only available from the US at the moment, they will have to move quickly to make sure they address the needs of the market."
In response to this, Ed White, general manager for Teradata Cloud, said: "We're in the middle of building out our cloud offering with a global presence, in mind to global compliance needs and regulatory environments. We are still deciding where to locate new data centres in response to demand."
Build and they will come?
One could say "build and they will come", but White emphasised that Teradata Cloud regional expansion was reliant on "real production environments" needing "data replication with loads of up to 150 terabytes".
White said: "We have to make sure the demand is there, you can't go into Europe half-hearted, you have to go fully in." He said Teradata Cloud was not strictly in the same market as Amazon Redshift, as Redshift also relied on business involving smaller piecemeal batch loads.
However, Mark Rousel, head of information delivery at Australia-based Fairfax Media, which is currently an on-premise Teradata user, told ComputerworldUK: "Netflix were absolutely right, Teradata will have to move fast in expanding its cloud offering. Amazon Redshift may not be the ready-made solution to fully compete with Teradata at the moment, but that may well change in the near future."
Rousel added: "We have a CIO who is now looking at a 'cloud first' strategy, which illustrates the position in which Teradata finds itself."


text:
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Bill recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari will force companies to innovate to meet the taste of consumers.
This was disclosed by President of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, as he commended President Buhari for signing the bill into law.
It could be recalled that, the Chamber through its Policy Advocacy Centre (PAC) organised a stakeholders roundtable on the legislation in December 2018 during which it urged the President to sign it into law.
His reaction was contained in a press release from the Chamber in which Prince Kayode explained that the law is particularly important to the Organised Private Sector (OPS) because of the deregulated nature of the Nigerian economy pointing out that it will make for critical market forces of demand and supply to determine the prices for goods and services.
“In this regard, companies and business entities will introduce innovative with the aim of meeting the taste and preference of the consuming public.
“It is therefore my expectation that, within the shortest possible time the business environment in Nigeria will revolutionise and if it is implemented properly and impartially, the entire economy will be better for it,” he said.
Source – Daily Trust
Leave A Comment


text:
With consumers spending more time at home due to COVID-19 social measures, they had more time for sit-down home breakfasts. Thus, sales of breakfast cereals will remain positive in 2020, although they were somewhat impacted by economic uncertainty and weakening incomes due to job losses and high inflation.
Nestlé Nigeria will continue to lead breakfast cereals in value terms in 2020, after taking the top place from Kellogg Co in 2016 in the economic crash. This is partly due to the ongoing popularity of its Golden Morn brand, which drives other breakfast cereals, (though the launch of new brand Sunvita Choco Crunch by Promisador in 2019 has also helped to boost the range of affordable products in other breakfast cereals).
Breakfast cereals had already been exhibiting strong growth prior to the COVID-19 crisis, driven by the strong child population growth and children being major consumers of breakfast cereals. In 2020, with school closures and children spending an increased time at home, children’s breakfast cereals received further demand, with busy and stressed parents finding it preferable to provide breakfast cereals for their young children, as opposed to cooking meals each morning.
A more stable economy following the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Nigeria’s revenue base is expected to lead to improved consumer disposable income which will help spur recovery in demand over the forecast period. It is not expected that work at home measures will last for a significant period beyond 2020 for the majority of professional working consumers as there is a lack of infrastructure supporting work from home in Nigeria (such as stable internet connections).
Strong competitive activity, including the provision of more affordable products in smaller pack sizes, is expected to continue over the forecast period, with greater affordability helping to expand the consumer base beyond upper- and middle-income consumers. With imports being negatively impacted by a depreciated local currency as well as by the closure of borders and international movements in 2020, local producers are stepping in to increase their share, with a focus on more affordable brands.
Over the review period, prior to the 2016 recession, breakfast cereals saw strong demand due to growth in urbanisation, increase in the child population, increase in professional employment, and adoption of Western eating habits. The economy experienced further set back in 2020 due to COVID-19 but is set to recover from 2022 onwards.
Files are delivered directly into your account soon after payment is received and any tax is certification is verified (where applicable).
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Breakfast Cereals industry in Nigeria with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
If you're in the Breakfast Cereals industry in Nigeria, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
This report originates from Passport, our Breakfast Cereals research and analysis database.
If you purchase a report that is updated in the next 60 days, we will send you the new edition and data extract FREE! Home Page


text:
After three years of closing stores, Subway has hired former Burger King CEO, John Chidsey. Chidsey was the CEO for Burger King running from 2006 until 2010.
Subway lost over 1000 stores in 2018, up from the over 800 stores in 2017 and over 350 stores in 2017. The good news is that in 2019, store closures are at a low 775. Chidsey has his work cut out for him. Subway has become extremely unpopular since the Jared Fogle controversy.
Chidsey was described as unpopular by his former employers. According to the New York Post, Chidsey oversaw Burger King during a time where Franchisee moral plummeted. The report states that Burger King franchisees sued the parent company over a promotion where Franchisees would sell cheeseburger for a dollar (and at a loss). Franchisees voted against the promotion twice.
Chidsey is optimistic on his new role.
“I am honored to be joining such an iconic global brand and I am most excited about the future of Subway,” said Chidsey of his new role, which kicks off on Monday. “I look forward to learning from and working with the many constituents who have built this brand.”


text:
Shares in sofa chain ScS Group fall as it blames Brexit uncertainty and heatwave for summer sales slump
- ScS said it had a 'challenging start' to 2020, with like-for-like sales down 7.6%
- That is in contrast with a 4.2% rise over its full-year to the end of July
- Shares in the retailer closed than 7% lower at 220p on Tuesday
Sofa chain ScS Group has blamed a mix of Brexit uncertainty and hot weather during the August bank holiday weekend for a reversal of fortunes at the start of its new financial year.
The Sunderland-based firm - famous for its La-Z-Boy sofas - said it had a 'challenging start' to 2020, with like-for-like sales falling 7.6 per cent between the end of July and the end of September.
That is in contrast with a 4.2 per cent rise over its full-year to the end of July, and sent shares falling 7 per cent, or 17p, to 220p towards the close.
Despite falling sales, ScS said finanitscial health had 'never been as strong'
Commenting on the past couple of months of trading, ScS chief executive David Knight said: 'This period was impacted by the record temperatures experienced by the UK across the August bank holiday weekend and the increasing political and economic uncertainty we are currently facing in the UK.'
He also said that while the impending Brexit deadline continued to impact the wider economy, ScS's financial health had 'never been as strong'.
Pre-tax profits for the full-year that ended in July rose 5 per cent to £14.3million.
It comes after rival DFS Furniture warned last week that sales were suffering as the Brexit impasse drags on, and shoppers put off making big purchases or moving house.
'The sharp decline in orders reiterates how fragile consumer confidence is and will remain until Brexit is resolved,' said Matt Walton, a retail analyst at GlobalData.
'Even if an extension is agreed to the end of January this will impact its key Boxing Day sale period.
'It will also be going up against a comparative which includes £7.3m in gross sales from its now-exited House of Fraser concessions, making it harder still to record growth in FY2019/20.'
Most watched Money videos
- Mercedes announces smart home system to control home from your car
- TV advert for TUI encouraging people to book holidays abroad
- Three Minute Money: Should every saver have Premium Bonds?
- Three Minute Money: Should we fret over house price indexes?
- Which shares could do well if inflation rises?
- Porsche's eFuel could dramatically cut CO2 emissions of cars
- Land Rover unveils the fastest and most powerful Defender V8 yet
- Mercedes releases footage of new EQS electric vehicle
- Three Minute Money: What will make savings rates rise?
- Three Minute Money: How hard is it to set up a new bank?
- Nissan unveils all new Qashqai SUV, made in Sunderland
- Three Minute Money: What error are accidental savers making?


text:
Microsoft Cautiously Preparing Smaller Next-Gen Surface Models
Microsoft is currently said to be planning on introducing its second-generation of Surface tablets with smaller displays this upcoming June. As part of this release, the company is reportedly taking a “cautious” approach since the initial models got off to a lukewarm start. Sources in Microsoft’s upstream supply chain indicated to DigiTimes
that the new Surface-branded devices are expected to be announced at the company’s Build Developers Conference, schedule for June 26 through June 28. If the source turns out to be correct, the new hardware would be unveiled roughly a year after the first Surface units were announced, though the actual hardware didn’t go on sale until late 2012.
Current suppliers for the second-generation models include manufacturer Pegatron, chassis maker Ju Teng, displays from both LG and Samsung, and processors from both Intel and Nvidia.
Microsoft is expected to introduce new Surface models with screen sizes between 7 and 9 inches as the market trends toward smaller tablets. For those of you unfamiliar with the original model specs, the first-generation of Surface hardware featured 10.6-inch displays.
The recent report also reiterated claims that Microsoft only achieved sales of 1.5 million total Surface units to date with a million of those being ARM-based Surface RT devices, and the remaining 500,000 being Intel-based Surface Pro units. The numbers were said to be about half the sales of the 3 million to 4 million that Microsoft had anticipated. Because of the apparently disappoint sales, Microsoft is reportedly taking a “cautious attitude” when it comes to hyping its second generation of Surface units.
We’ll have to wait and see what Microsoft reveals and if it will truly stack up well enough against its competition in order to gain further traction.


text:
Sony explains why no Vita UMD transfers for US
How come Japanese Vita owners can pay a few dollars to get digital copies of PSP UMD games, but we can’t? According to Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida, it’s down to two main reasons: the PSP is more popular in Japan, and games are cheaper in the US.Alice O’Connor
February 22, 2012 2:15 PM10
Vita owners in Japan who’ve upgraded from a PSP can slap down a few bucks to get downloadable versions of their UMD games onto their Vita, but sadly Sony hasn’t brought the UMD Passport scheme to the Western market. This, SCE worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida has explained, is down to two main reasons: the PSP market is much more active in Japan, and games are cheaper in the US.
“I’m sorry we are not doing it in the States,” told Yoshida Wired, saying that there’s simply less demand for such a scheme over here.
“When you look at the release schedule of new titles there are still lots of PSP games being released in Japan and being announced for release. Lots of people who are interested in trying Vita are also interested in playing PSP games that they might purchase before Vita comes out, and will not necessarily choose the digital version.”
Tying into this, according to Yoshida, is the fact that games are cheaper in the US and Europe, so presumably players are less bothered about tossing their UMDs and buying digital Vita copies.
“… PSP games in Japan are sold at a much higher price, so people see the value in spending the $5 to $10 to get the digital copy,” he said. “But when the games are already sold at a lower price in the U.S. we see less value in introducing that kind of system.”
While there may be less demand for the UMD Passport plan in the US and Europe, by Sony’s logic, there is still very much a reasonable interest in having it here too. It’d certainly be a welcome gesture to the PSP owners Sony surely hopes will upgrade to a Vita.


text:
American equity firm reportedly makes offer on Boots UK
In Pharmacy NewsStay up to date with all the news, learning and insight in the world of pharmacy.
Record learning outcomes
American private equity firm Bain Capital has reportedly made an offer to purchase Boots UK from parent company Walgreen Boots Alliance.
Bain, which is headquartered in Massachusetts, made a takeover approach two months ago, the Times reported on Saturday January 1.
The paper said Bain was “positioning itself as a frontrunner in a forthcoming auction for Boots” having spent months carrying out due diligence on the multiple. Neither Bain nor Boots responded to requests for comment from Pharmacy Network News.
This follows reports in early December that WBA had hired Goldman Sachs to explore a potential sale of the Boots UK business, with both private sales and stock market listings being considered as potential options.
Along with Bain, some of the world’s biggest private equity firms such as CVC and Carlyle are reportedly considering a potential offer for Boots.
While it was initially reported that the 173-year-old multiple – which has 2,200 stores and employs over 50,000 people – could be valued at up to £12bn, “several sources” have told the Times that it is “much more likely” it will command a price tag of between £6bn and £7bn and that because it only holds the freehold for around a quarter of its stores it is unlikely to sell for more than £7.1bn.
WBA sold its European wholesale distribution arm Alliance Healthcare to AmerisourceBergen for approximately $6.5bn almost exactly one year ago.
Walgreens first acquired a 45 per cent stake in Alliance Boots for $4bn in 2012 before purchasing the remaining 55 per cent for $5.3bn in 2014. These transactions would be worth around £8.2bn in Sterling today.


text:
A new consumer survey by Deloitte sheds light on just how fast smartphones are impacting the retail scene.
By 2016, smartphones will influence $689 billion or 19 percent of total U.S. store sales, according to results of the survey. Direct mobile commerce sales will surpass $30 billion by then, according to industry estimates.
Hermès is launching a Laundromat pop-up shop in NYC - dubbed Hermèsmatic - where customers can bring their old scarves to be dip-dyed by an expert. Get all the details on WWD.com. #wwdnews (📷: @donstahl)


text:
INDIAN SPIRITS INDUSTRY
Archery, boxing lift Indian spirits at Rio Olympics
Women archers were on target in the individual events, while Manoj Kumar scripted a triumph of the underdog in the boxing ring as India bounced back.
There is going to be derating of spirit industry: Hemang Jani, Sharekhan
Ban on liquor ban in Indian states is going to impact the industry b...
Indian pharma industry facing growth headwinds: ICRA
"In spite of these ongoing challenges, several Indian pharma companies are increasing th...
Indian brand Officer's Choice, No. 2 among global spirits brand
India is the second-largest spirits consuming country behind China and the largest whiskey drinking nation, with annual consumption reaching 189 million cases in 2015.
Service tax on tour operators: Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry approaches government
Currently, tour operators pay 10% on the invoice value for booking hotels and for other tours the tax is payable on 30% of the bill.
Outlook negative for Indian footwear industry: Icra
The Indian companies have been trying to increase exports to other continents, especially the US, but there has been limited success till date.
Indian IT industry can bounce back: Kris Gopalakrishnan
In addition, the Indian IT companies have almost zero debt, their credibility is very high and they are reasonably well-governed, he added.
Booming Indian startup industry fails to fill policy void
There is a genuine need for the government to build an agency to hear and resolve local internet entrepreneurs’ concerns, said Sharad Sharma, governing council member of iSPIRT, a think tank for the software product industry.
Brexit negative for Indian IT industry: S Gopalakrishnan
In a historic development, the UK has voted to leave the European Union after 43 years, with 51.9 per cent Britons favouring exit from the 28-member EU.
Euro 2016: May the best team spirit win, says Tata Industries's KRS Jamwal
Jamwal says that while playing a game, one tend to look at success as the work of a team, and that kind of approach is half the match won.
Indian staffing industry likely to grow 12 per cent this year
The staffing industry provides a platform for recognised employment, work choice, even compensation, annual benefits and health benefits for temporary workforce.
US promises to look into visa concerns of Indian IT industry
Sushma Swaraj asked US to find a "just and non-discriminatory" solution to the issue to avoid any adverse effect on the bilateral trade ties.
Confederation of Indian Industry hails Narendra Modi's demonetisation as 'masterstroke'
The body called for a little patience for benefits to play out, saying a stronger economy will emerge as use of financial technology will foster.
GST - Real game changer for Indian industry
The basic philosophy behind GST is to expand the tax base and not to enhance tax burden on businesses.
How GST is going to impact Indian movie industry
The move could help multiplexes escape 29 different state markets and their idiosyncratic taxes, instead multiplex operators will pay a GST to Centre.


text:
During a press conference last week, Mayor Richard M. Daley tied Fashion Focus Chicago 2007 to the city's Olympic bid. The press conference previewed the Oct. 9-14 celebration of the city's designers, retailers and fashion schools.
"As we move toward the 2016 Olympics, this is going to be part of what the city is about," Daley said during a Q&A. "We really feel the designers here are unique. Fashion is part of the soul of the city."
This year, Fashion Focus will be condensed into a six-day October lineup of runway shows, shopping tours, student designer events and more, from 12 days in September last year. That will ease conflicts with fashion weeks in New York and elsewhere, increasing the chances of national retail buyers and other fashion experts attending, said Melissa Turner, the city's fashion arts and events director.
Also, "the feedback we had from the public was that it was just a little bit long [last year]," Turner said. "The idea was that this would grow into a traditional fashion week anyway, so it made sense to shorten it."
Highlights of events, many of which will be at Millennium Park:
* Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion runway show will be Oct. 9, and its Shop CHICago event, in which visitors can buy wares from some of the designers in the runway shows, will be Oct. 13 at Millennium Park, a change from last year's Union Station venue. Call 312-229-1701 or see genart.org.
* Chicago Sister Cities International Program will present the World Fashion Chicago runway show Oct. 10, showcasing high-end designers who represent each of Chicago's 27 sister cities and whose work can be purchased in Chicago. Call 312-744-8074.
* The Apparel Industry Board's "Chicago Is ... Red Hot" fashion show, with fashion photographer Victor Skrebneski as creative chair, will be Oct. 11, starting with a cocktail reception. About 12 emerging designers and 36 established ones will be featured. Call 312-836-1041.
* Macy's will house the city's new Fashion Incubator at its State Street store, launching it on Oct. 5. Taking a cue from a similar program in Toronto, the incubator will provide space for sample production, offices and showrooms as well as mentoring to six emerging designers for one year. Call 312-744 2400.
* For the finale Oct. 14, a new runway show, the Allure of Couture, will feature urban wear, avant garde and couture designers of diverse ethnicities. Included are Nick Cave, Sujata Gazder, Michelle Tan and others. Call 312-670-8900.
The City of Chicago's official fashion Web site, chicagofashionresource.com, will launch in the fall to report on designers, boutiques, resources for designers and neighborhoods.
"The secret is getting out," Daley said. "These are great designers, artists. This is not just a small Midwestern city. It really has a global feeling."


text:
NEW YORK — Shares of Ralph Lauren Corp. fell nearly 8.6 percent Wednesday after the company posted a first-quarter decline in profits.
Shares closed at $173.13 in Big Board trading on Wednesday. While the results generally were in line with Wall Street estimates, the fashion firm typically posts results that beat estimates by a healthy margin. In the current quarter, higher operating expenses due to overall business expansion, required infrastructure investment and the integration of the Chaps men’s sportswear operations hurt the bottom line.
For the three months ended June 29, net income fell 6.2 percent to $181 million, or $1.94 a diluted share, from $193 million, or $2.03, a year earlier. Net revenues were up 3.8 percent to $1.65 billion from $1.59 billion. Revenues included a 5.9 percent gain in wholesale net sales to $735 million and a retail sales increase of 2.6 percent to $879 million, although comparable-store sales decreased 1 percent. The balance of revenues was from licensing income.
The integration of Chaps reflects an increase in wholesale net sales offset by a decline in licensing income from when it was a licensed operation prior to Warnaco Group Inc. being acquired by PVH Corp. Ralph Lauren took back the license, and told Wall Street analysts that the company will also distribute Chaps in the Mexican market in both retail and wholesale locations next spring through a distribution partnership.
The hit to the bottom line was a 5.5 percent decline in operating income to $276 million from $292 million. That’s due to higher operating expenses that reflect the company’s overall business expansion as it continues to invest in growth initiatives and the required infrastructure. Operating gross margin for the quarter was 16.7 percent of sales, or 160 basis points below the year-ago period.
Ralph Lauren, chairman and chief executive officer, said, “We opened a spectacular men’s luxury flagship store in Hong Kong, our first Polo store in East Hampton [N.Y.] and several additional, high-profile projects around the world are developing nicely….I am confident that the investments we are making today can support profitable, sustainable growth for us over the long term.”
Roger N. Farah, president and chief operating officer, said during the call to Wall Street analysts, “The first-quarter results that we are reporting today continue to demonstrate the resilience of our diversified operating model….We expect our recent investments in new stores, e-commerce operations and international expansion to continue to accelerate sales and profit momentum in the second half of the year.”
In a telephone interview, Farah said that the new Polo flagship on Fifth Avenue here is scheduled to open in September 2014. Currently a selection of men’s Polo items are offered at the Ralph Lauren stores. The East Hampton Polo store, and the one set to open by early fall in Short Hills, N.J., currently include women’s Blue Label. Once the flagship opens on Fifth Avenue it will house for the first time the initiative for the Polo women’s line. “It will be the world of Polo, and will be our first efforts [Polo in one store] for men’s, women’s and children’s,” Farah said.
He noted that the smaller Polo stores, such as in East Hampton and Short Hills, will likely continue to offer some women’s Blue Label instead of Polo women’s merchandise even after the women’s initiative launches. Blue Label for women’s is already featured in the higher-end Ralph Lauren stores.
The company in June opened two Ralph Lauren retail locations in China: a men’s flagship in central Hong Kong and a men’s and women’s store in Shanghai. According to Farah, it will open a Ralph Lauren store in September 2014 in Lee Gardens, a key downtown Hong Kong luxury shopping destination in Causeway Bay, that will house both men’s and women’s fashions and accessories. The Hong Kong store and the Polo flagship here on Fifth Avenue will likely have their store openings a week apart, Farah said.
As for the nonapparel categories, Farah said handbags, small leather goods and footwear have been trending well for the company. There has also been consistent momentum in both watches and eyewear, he noted.
Addressing the consumer base, globally, Farah said, “There’s strength in Germany, U.K., the Scandinavian countries and in emerging markets such as Turkey. That offsets slower sales in the southern European countries, such as Spain, Italy and, to a smaller extent, Greece.”
Farah added that sales in the U.S and China, as well as Southeast Asia, are good. What has been the overall problem has been sales in Japan and South Korea. “When you buy product a year in advance, it takes a couple of seasons to cycle through,” he said.
Of the early read on fall merchandise that has started to ship, Farah said, “We always ask ourselves when we deliver the product in June and July, ‘Who will buy this?’ So far there’s been strong reaction to the women’s Black Label products.”
The company said it expects 4 to 7 percent growth in consolidated net revenues for fiscal 2014, and for the second quarter consolidated net revenues to increase by a low-single-digit percentage.


text:
For those who are anxiously waiting for the successor of Samsung Galaxy S II, then the wait seems to be getting over soon. Samsung Galaxy S III, which was expected to be released at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona in February, will now be launched on May 3.
The Korean electronics giant is now sending formal invitations for the launch event of Samsung Galaxy S III to be held in London on May 3, 2012. The invitation card does not provide any details about the most anticipated smartphone except for the words- “come and meet the next Galaxy”. Samsung has also published the image of this creative invitation on its Facebook page but without any mention of the date of the event.
For the time being, just keep your fingers crossed and wait for May 3rd as it is certainly going to be a happening event.


text:
NEW DELHI: More than 100 Indian companies including Mahindra and Mahindra
, Bajaj Auto
, Tata Motors
, Kirloskar, TVS Motors
, and Escorts
is going to participate in The India Show, to be held from 25 – 27 August, 2015 at Lagos, Nigeria.
This three day event, themed at “Building Relationships to Nurture Growth
between Nigeria and India”, will witness the biggest ever showcase of Indian products and technology.
The show will also be an excellent opportunity for Indian and Nigerian companies to meet and enter into business partnerships
, joint ventures and technology transfer
.READ ALSO: 50 Indian companies, including auto, to promote 'Brand India' at Nigeria show
This is a joint initiative of the Confederation of India Industry
and the Indian High Commission in Nigeria and is supported by Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.CII
will also be organizing a business seminar on “Enhancing Trade
and Investment between India and Nigeria” on the sidelines of this event.
India's exports to Nigeria have grown in the last few years - from $1.08 billion in 2007 - 08 to $2.66 billion in 2013 - 14. This event would further boost India’s exports to Nigeria.
A twenty member business delegation comprising senior members of Indian Industry
will be visiting Lagos during the India Show. H E Akinwumi Ambode, Governor of Lagos would be inaugurating the event.Photo Courtesy: Thinkstock Photos


text:
Known for billion-dollar bank heists from financial institutions worldwide, the Carbanak gang recently redesigned its flagship malware to target companies in the hospitality industry. According to Threatpost, the new strain targets hotel and restaurant call centers in the U.S.
While the code itself is fairly hard to detect and efficient at grabbing credit data, the real problem stems from social engineering. Call center agents, trained to be helpful and polite, are empowering the spread of this code as cybercriminals leverage existing reservation procedures to sneak their malware onto corporate systems.
Too Much Hospitality
As noted by SC Magazine, the new version of this old malware depends on helpful call center agents and Microsoft Word for success. It starts when attackers call customer service lines and claim they’re unable to submit reservations through the hotel or restaurant’s online portal. Then they ask if it’s possible to send an email attachment with their reservation request, which contains the Carbanak dropper.
While this seems like a relatively easy scam to spot, fraudsters have upped the ante by using callers who are fluent in English. They take the time to develop a rapport with customer service agents, making staff more willing to assist however they can. Callers stay on the line while they wait for agents to open their malicious attachments, then abruptly hang up.
Once opened, the attachment runs macros in Microsoft Word and uses an encoded .VBS script that can steal system information, take desktop screenshots and download additional malware, which enables it to map target networks and work its way into payment systems and card processing devices. According to IT World Canada, Carbanak also replaces existing svchost.exe processes with a custom version that seeks out specific antivirus tools and disables them to avoid detection.
While the form has changed, the intent remains the same — grab financial and credit card data and stay hidden as long as possible. But with the original malware version picked apart by security researchers over the last year, the gang needed a new iteration.
By blending multiple types of their existing malware suite and adding abilities such as remote desktop enabling, password stealing and email searching, Carbanak’s creators have made it difficult to detect before it gets to work and starts grabbing credit data.
But it’s not all bad news. Since the malware relies on .VBS to begin the infection process, disabling macros in Microsoft Word effectively cripples this code before it can do any damage. As noted by ZDNet, a resurgence of macro-based malware led Microsoft to include new group policy features that allow admins to block macro execution in risky environments. Activating this option is a surefire way to shut down any Carbanak compromises.
Cancel Carbanak’s Reservation
Despite the inherent risk of macros, however, willing and helpful customer service agents represent the biggest threat to hospitality organizations’ credit card data. Avoiding social phishing scams in this scenario is tough, especially when staff members are trained to minimize customer frustration and enable simple transactions.
The solution is a detailed policy that specifies what types of transactions are acceptable. For example, companies should clarify that any complaints about the online reservation portal — no matter how articulate or convincing — are escalated to technical support rather than avoided by accepting email attachments. If consumers complain, escalate the call up the chain of command.
The Carbanak gang is back and inviting itself into the networks of restaurants and hotels across the U.S. Cancel its reservation by disabling macro functions and empowering staff to detect phishy phone calls.


text:
The two East African nations, Kenya and Uganda have called off their trade spat which saw the restriction of certain products from both countries for some time now.
The agreement was reached after a bilateral meeting held in Nairobi between Kenya’s Agriculture Cabinet secretary Peter Munya and his Ugandan counterpart, Frank Tumwebaze.
A joint statement from the two parties says “the ministers noted that there have been disruptions in trade in poultry and poultry products between the two countries and both parties agreed to immediately remove any administrative measures that have inhibited trade in these products,”
The trade spat affected agricultural produce on the part of Kenya whilst Uganda’s diary sector suffered the most. The new agreement has been seen as a step in the right direction, especially within the confines of the continental free trade agreement.