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Inflation Is Flattening And Gas Prices Are Under $4 — But Will It Last?
Families have been buried in rising costs for months.
After months of worrying about gas prices rising and inflation rates reaching record highs, there’s finally some (tepid) sign of relief. On Aug. 10, two welcome announcements dropped: July’s inflation report shows that inflation has flattened month over month, and gas prices dropped to a level we haven’t seen in months. While there’s no reason to pop out the celebrations just yet, overall, things just got a little easier for families.
For months, inflation rates have soared across the U.S., driving price increases for everything from electricity to car purchases to milk. And with no projection on when the rise would slow, July’s figures bring some relief to families.
Inflation rates fell slightly to 8.5% year-over-year (YOY) in July, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest Consumer Price Index (CPI). The number has finally dropped following historic highs in the months prior, including June’s 9.1% inflation rate, per CNBC.
The welcome drop in overall inflation has been tied to gas prices, which have dropped for the 8th straight week in a row. The average price per gallon nationally is now below $4, a rate we haven’t seen since March, according to AAA.
Overall, gas prices are still up from this time last year, when the national cost was $3.18 a gallon, per USA Today. But it’s still a drop, and one that follows weeks of consistent price drops from the unaffordable highs we saw in June when the national average price per gallon was over $5.
Food prices, however, continue to climb. They rose another 1.1% in July, or a 10.9% inflation year-over-year, which is “the fastest pace since May 1979,” CNBC reports.
The price increase for food staples has proven to be challenging for families. It’s been hard to put food on the table, even with strategic budgeting tips in place because everything at the grocery store is more expensive.
For example, according to retail analytics firm Information Resources Inc, per Bloomberg, the YOY prices of many food staples have increased:
- Eggs are 47% higher
- Milk and dairy products are 14.9% higher
- Butter is 26% higher
- Lunch meat is 24% higher
- Fruits and vegetables are 9.3% higher
- Bread and cereal are 15% higher
The cost of housing has also increased since last year by 5.7%, which accounts for one-third of the consumer price index, according to Yahoo! Finance. But, luckily, the publication also reports that statistics from the Labor Department’s jobs report for July “showed average hourly earnings increased 0.5% for the month and 5.2% on annual basis.”
Essentially, while inflation is flat this month, that doesn’t mean that nothing is increasing in price, especially when it comes to the cost of food and shelter. But with overall inflation rates flattening, and gas prices moving in the right direction, there is going to be some financial relief for families.
Whether or not it will last — or if prices will continue to drop and we’ve “turned a corner” on historic inflation — is another question altogether. "This is a step in the right direction but...we have many miles ahead of us before inflation normalizes. One month’s data point does not make a trend, however, so cautious optimism is likely the name of the game,” Mike Loewengart from E*Trade told Yahoo! Finance.


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Billionaire Anthony Pratt’s expansion of his cardboard making and recycling empire has continued with the opening of a new factory in the US, which will push revenues for his North American business towards $2 billion.
Mr Pratt, the executive chairman of Visy Group, one of Australia’s largest private companies, broke ground on a new $US44 million ($47.2 million) box factory in Ohio on Thursday.
His Pratt Industries, the Visy’s US enterprise, has now invested $1.8 billion in North America in the past decade. Visy now turns over more than $4 billion, including $2.5 billion from its Australian businesses.
Its earnings before interest and tax, depreciation and amortisation is believed to be about $200 million in the US alone.
The new 350,000 square foot plant, to be built next to an existing facility in Lewisburg, is expected to be completed by June next year. The start of its construction comes a few weeks after Mr Pratt announced a fourth US 100 per cent recycled paper mill would be built in the neighbouring state of Indiana.
‘One of the most environmentally-friendly’ plants
“It will be one of the most environmentally-friendly corrugated plants in the USA," Mr Pratt said of the Lewisburg facility. “Paper converted here will save as many as 10,000 trees a day and it will discharge up to 50 per cent less water into the local sewer system."
Pratt Industries is now the biggest Australian-owned employer in the US, with more than 4000 workers across the country in 70 facilities. It is the fifth-largest box producer in the US.
Mr Pratt’s wealth has risen by about $600 million since the BRW Rich List was published in May. His fortune was estimated at $6.5 billion in an updated list by BRW this week.
As well as Pratt Industries in the US, Mr Pratt has pledged much of Visy’s future in Australia to growing with the food making sector’s push to markedly increase exports to Asia.
Mr Pratt told The Australian Financial Review in June that government support for industries such as car making should instead be switched to food. He said Australia had much more of a competitive advantage in the agricultural sector.
His brother-in-law Raphael Geminder’s packaging company, PACT Group, is set to float on the Australian Securities Exchange with a valuation of about $2 billion. PACT’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation has been estimated at about $202 million for fiscal 2014.
The Australian Financial Review

domain: news


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By Tony Bartlett
Reed Travel Features
KO OLINA, Hawaii -- When the 387-room Ihilani Resort & Spa
opened in December 1993, it faced the challenge of marketing as a
new Oahu destination. It remains west Oahu's only hotel and the
island's only luxury property outside Honolulu.
Owned and managed by Japan Airlines, it is the only property at
the leeward coast's 640-acre Ko Olina Resort. "The challenge is
turning out to be our strength," said Jeremy Sosner, director of
sales and marketing. "People have a choice of Honolulu -- and
Waikiki -- or a neighbor-island resort. We're the only luxury hotel
that can combine the two experiences," he said.
Ihilani is 27 miles and 40 minutes away from the night-life and
shopping of Waikiki and 17 miles and 25 minutes from Honolulu
Airport. Sosner, who regards the neighbor-island luxury resorts as
the competition, said the hotel has tapped into many markets. These
range from incentive, corporate and association meetings and
wholesaler marketing to families, Hawaii residents and weddings.
"What sets us apart is our full-service health spa," he said. "We
have golf and tennis and a high standard of service, but so do many
The hotel has the 18-hole Ko Olina Golf Club, a six-court tennis
center and a 35,000-square-foot, four-level health spa second in
size only to one at Maui's Grand Wailea Resort. Last year, Ihilani
took third place in the Top U.S. Spa category in Conde Nast
Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards.
Sosner recalls making sales calls in Chicago soon after he
joined the hotel, in January 1995. Many thought Ihilani was on
Oahu's north shore (which has the Turtle Bay Hilton, Oahu's only
other resort outside Honolulu). "That doesn't happen today," he
said. "People know where we are.
"Occupancies last year were significantly above those of 1995,
and they are up again this year," he said. For 1997, Ihilani felt
comfortable raising rack rates for the first time (the six room
categories increased an average of $15 each).
Sosner said approximately 70% of business comes through a third
party -- travel agent, wholesaler, tour operator or meeting
planner. After he joined and expanded the sales team, the first
focus was the meetings market. Groups, he said, almost doubled last
year compared with 1995 -- accounting for 30% of business -- and
group business is up 15% this year. "Ideally, it would be 40% to
45% of business," he said, adding that the perfect group size would
fill 150 rooms. The largest corporate group was in May -- Merrill
Lynch's President's Club, with 300 rooms. Association meetings have
included the American Bus Association, which took 275 rooms for its
annual meeting last fall. The biggest group will be at Ihilani in
January for its fifth consecutive year when the hotel again will be
NFL Pro Bowl headquarters for players and coaches.
One market has been disappointing. "U.S. wholesaler business has
not expanded as we'd like to see it. We're in many brochures, but
that's not enough, so we've started co-op marketing programs with
wholesalers," he said. This year, Ihilani is included in programs
of MTI Vacations and Haddon Holidays for the first time. Others
featuring the Ihilani Resort are Classic Hawaii, Creative Leisure,
Gogo, Runaway Tours, Happy Tours, Sunmakers, American Airlines
Vacations and Certified Tours.
"We get a significant wedding business, mostly local, with four
or five on weekends. But this puts us in competition with
ourselves," Sosner said. He explained that with only one ballroom,
weddings cannot be booked if there is a group in house. To solve
the problem, a new, 4,500-square-foot banquet room will open in
January. Ihilani already has a 5,530-square-foot ballroom, holding
400 for banquets, plus six additional rooms.
For 1997, new menus with more Hawaiian items were introduced at
its all-day dining room, Naupaka Terrace, and at Azul, its
Mediterranean restaurant. Other dining outlets are a poolside
grill, Ushio-tei (Japanese) and 24-hour room service. The Spa Cafe
serves breakfast and lunch, and the golf club's Niblick features
Sosner said that Ihilani's luxury standards have surpassed
people's expectations. "It's been easy to do," he said, explaining
that with well-known luxury-brand resorts -- such as Ritz-Carlton
Kapalua, where he previously headed marketing and sales -- people
have certain expectations that must be met. "This was not so with
Ihilani. We've been the underdog, and I like that," he said.
Sosner also said that Ihilani has succeeded without the
"critical mass" of other properties planned for Ko Olina, although,
he said, "we really need another hotel here to help market the
destination." Three other properties -- a luxury beachfront
condominium, a Four Seasons and a 1,100-room hotel called the
Biltmore -- were envisioned, but plans fell through when Japanese
investment dried up as Hawaii entered the 1990s. Nevertheless,
condominiums have been built along the golf fairways and residents
already are moving in.
Each Ko Olina oceanfront site has a beach, leaving Ihilani with
four beaches to itself.
Ihilani's rack rates are $285, terrace; $310, golf-mountainview;
$385, oceanview; $400, oceanfront; $440, deluxe oceanfront, and
$575, deluxe spa. Suites are $800 to $5,000.
For information or to book, call (800) 626-4446.


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Sono Motors to present prototype in January
Sono Motors has announced its intention to present the new prototype generation of the Sion at CES in January 2021. Furthermore, that might soon not be Sono Motors’ only connection to the US, as the Munich-based startup is reportedly aiming for the U.S. stock market.
++ This article has been updated. Kindly continue reading below. ++
According to Sono Motors, the new generation prototypes will demonstrate the development progress the company has made despite the Covid 19 pandemic. It is to be unveiled at the all-digital CES (Jan. 11-14, 2021).
With the prototype, Sono aims to take another big step toward volume production. “For the first time, we integrated parts in a prototype that will also be installed in the series vehicle,” said Denis Azhar, Group Lead Sion at Sono Motors. “The successful assembly is the result of strong partnerships with suppliers and employees from the facility in Roding.”
Just last week, Sono Motors announced a collaboration with Team Rosberg Engineering. The chassis developed as part of the collaboration is already installed in the prototype and will form the basis for the production chassis, Sono said.
In the current announcement, the Munich-based company also refers to the situation of a year ago. On December 1, 2019, the company had announced that important negotiations with strategic investors had failed and that instead they wanted to collect 50 million euros via crowdfunding for further development. After an extension into January 2020, the goal was achieved.
In the future, Sono Motors apparently wants to tap new sources of funds: As reported by the German Manager Magazin, Sono Motors is also planning an IPO in the USA. Without naming any sources, it says: “They want to go public on the U.S. stock exchange, where, after Tesla’s share price explosion, other electric car start-ups such as Nikola or Fisker have recently sought and found their fortune in the hope of support from yield-hungry investors. And had used placeholder companies already listed on the stock exchange, so-called SPACs, to do so.”
These “placeholder companies” were usually formed precisely for the purpose of merging with another company and are therefore also known as “special-purchase acquisition companies” (SPACs). With such a SPAC deal, the otherwise usual procedures of an own IPO can be accelerated enormously in the case of a merger, since the SPAC is already listed on the stock exchange. In the U.S., a traditional IPO can take up to two years.
The report does mention SPAC, but not whether Sono Motors also plans to go this route. If the capital is to flow quickly, this route seems obvious, given the otherwise standard timeframes for a U.S. IPO. The company has not commented on the information.
Update 24 October 2021
The Munich-based solar electric car start-up has now officially filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the planned IPO of its ordinary shares. The number of shares offered and the price range for the potential offering have not yet been determined. Sono Motors is seeking to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “SEV”, according to the company.
Berenberg is acting as global coordinator for the proposed offering. Craig-Hallum will serve as co-manager for the proposed offering. Sion stresses, however, that “the offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether, or when, the offering may be completed or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.”


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Stocks roared into November, building on a big gain in October.
The Dow turned green for the year, soaring 165 points to 17,828. The S&P gained 24 points and the Nasdaq rose 73 points.
Big earnings movers were announced after the bell Monday. AMC (NYSE:AMC) tipped into the green after hours despite a slight miss on both profit and revenue.
Fitbit (NYSE:FIT) slid after hours despite obliterating expectations for quarterly earnings. The wearable device maker sold 4.8 million fitness trackers and more than doubled the profit estimate.
Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) took a hit after news of an E. coli outbreak forced the burrito chain to close 43 stores. Twenty-two people in Oregon and Washington who dined at the Mexican food chain have gotten sick. Chipotle is keeping those stores closed until state officials say it's safe to re-open.
A wild ride for wearable camera maker GoPro (NASDAQ:GPRO). It started the session held down by last week's disappointing earnings as it sunk to an all-time low of $24.30. But then GoPro did a 180 to end the day up 2%.
A historic moment for HP as it makes the split official. HP Enterprise (NYSE:HPE) and HP Inc. (NYSE:HPQ) took to the market in their first day of trade since splitting over the weekend. Hewlett Packard Enterprise rallied at first but ultimately ended the day in the red. Meanwhile, HP Inc., which will sell the printers and hardware, soared nearly 13%.
Valeant (NYSE:VRX) bounced back after hitting a two-year low early in the session. Allegations of inappropriate ties with the pharmacy Philidor have weighed on Valeant, but shares got a boost Monday after an announcement from Citron, the firm that published a scathing report on the company. Citron said it was done dropping bombshells for now, and would not be publishing any new allegations against Valeant despite promising an update.


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Shares in Just Eat surged more than 20 per cent after the takeaway delivery company confirmed it had reached an in-principle deal to merge with a Dutch rival.
The £8.2 billion all-share transaction with Takeaway.com will create a business big enough to take on the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats, processing 360 million orders worth £6.6 billion a year.
Amazon’s £575 million investment in Deliveroo effectively raised the competition stakes and perhaps even provided a catalyst for the combination, analysts said.
Shares in Just Eat surged more than 20 per cent after the takeaway delivery company confirmed it had reached an in-principle deal to merge with a Dutch rival
The Anglo-Dutch coupling provides vindication for activist investor Cat Rock Capital, which has been lobbying for this sort of pairing since taking a stake in Just Eat, whose investors will own 52 per cent of the enlarged group.
‘Activism is on the march in Europe and we can expect further agitation from investors to deliver more value,’ said Neil Wilson of Markets.com.
‘The more the likes of Cat Rock and Elliott pull the strings successfully, the more activists will be on the prowl. It could open up a bidding war now for a prize asset that needs some help.’
Just Eat’s chairman Mike Evans will maintain his role at the combined group, while Takeaway.com chief executive, Jitse Groen, will take over day-to-day running of the enlarged business.
Analysts warned against complacency as the merger isn’t exactly a slam dunk.
It’s possible we could see competing bids for Takeaway.com from technology investors Naspers and Softbank alongside offers from Delivery Hero and Uber.
Vodafone was up 4.3 per cent, or 6.24p, to 152.24p as the market began to price in the positive impact of the sale or demerger of the telecom group’s masts business
Just Eat shares ended the day up 22.7 per cent, or 144.4p, at 780p.
Talking of activist investors, reports that Nelson Peltz is leaning on Ferguson to offload its UK business had the plumber’s merchant’s share price spurting up 2.3 per cent, or 142p, to 6300p.
The FTSE 100, meanwhile, ended the day posting a triple-digit gain, ending 1.8 per cent, or 137.55 points, up, at 7686.61.
STOCK WATCH: Sanne Group
Sanne Group shares slumped by more than a third after the fund administrator cut its earnings guidance.
It won a record £16 million of business in the six months to the end of June, resulting in underlying revenue growth 13 per cent. The problem? Two words: profit margins, which will be lower than anticipated.
Both JP Morgan Cazenove and RBC cut their recommendations on the stock. Sanne had been a top pick for the latter. The shares closed down 33.8 per cent, or 254p, at 498p.
Vodafone was up 4.3 per cent, or 6.24p, to 152.24p as the market began to price in the positive impact of the sale or demerger of the telecom group’s masts business.
Astrazeneca (up 4 per cent, or 275p, to 7180p) benefited from a price target upgrade by the influential drugs team at Deutsche Bank. This followed last week’s upgrade to earnings guidance.
The wider drugs sector was given a pep as it emerged that Viagra-maker Pfizer was combining its Upjohn business with that of copycat drug maker Mylan.
There were multiple upgrades for Pearson, the formerly troubled educational publisher, which now seems to be seeing some traction for its digital strategy.
But the stock ended the session down 0.5 per cent, or 4.8p, at 922.2p.
Stepping away from the Footsie, investors in Ryanair heaved a sigh of relief after first-quarter results that could have, in the opinion of some in the Square Mile, been a lot worse than they actually were.
Hit by turbulence caused by Brexit, German competition and the grounding of its 737 Max fleet, a 24 per cent slump in profits was seen as a decent result, particularly after the group maintained its earnings guidance. The shares closed the session 0.7 per cent, or 0.07 cents, down at ¤9.88.
Cranswick brought home the bacon in the first quarter after an outbreak of swine fever in China boosted Asian demand for the UK group’s pork products. The shares advanced 7.9 per cent, or 204p, to 2780p, as the meat processor also announced it had bought Katsouris Brothers, a Mediterranean sausage maker, for £43.5 million.


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Xiaomi is planning to include another device in the Note 11 lineup. The new model is expected to be called Redmi Note 11S and will be released around the end of February 2022.
A well-known Chinese insider has confirmed that the Redmi Note 11S will come with an AMOLED screen. Shortly after, the official Redmi India Twitter account responded to his post, “We have set high standards with the launch of Redmi Note in 2021. Why should 2022 be different?
So far, it has been reported that the device will come with a 90Hz refresh rate screen. Although it was not known if it was AMOLED or LCD panel. The Redmi India comment actually confirms that we are talking about an AMOLED panel.
According to rumors, Redmi Note 11S will be equipped with MediaTek Dimensity single-chip system. In addition, Note 11S is expected to receive a triple main camera. The 108-megapixel Samsung HM2 image sensor will be the main one, there will also be an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle module with a Sony IMX3555 sensor and a 2-megapixel OV2a OmniVision macro sensor. On the front of the device is a 13-megapixel selfie camera.
Previously, there were reports that Redmi Note 11S will be the first $150 smartphone to support 120W charging.


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A real competitor for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3? Oppo is preparing a flexible smartphone in the same form factor
Oppo may launch a competitor for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. The source claims that the flexible smartphone of the Chinese giant will indeed come out.
Moreover, there are details. The device will be based on SoC Snapdragon 888. The main screen will have a diagonal of about 7.8-8 inches with a resolution of 2K and support for 120 Hz. Of course, this will be an OLED panel.
There is also a 32MP front camera and a 50MP main camera based on the Sony IMX 766 sensor. Since the source also talks about pre-installed Android 11, we can assume that the release of such a smartphone is not far off. It’s possible Oppo will unveil it in early 2022 at CES 2022.
The source in this case is the well-known insider Digital Chat Station, who has repeatedly proven his awareness. For example, he shared the characteristics of various Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones.


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News : BT to Bring Call Centres Back to Britain by 2020
London, UK, May 16, 2018 -- BT embarked on a course to improve its reputation for poor customer service by pledging to bring all its call centres from offshore locations such as India to the UK and Ireland.
The telecoms provider had moved its call handling to India and the Philippines to save money, but customers repeatedly cited the use of foreign customer service staff as one of their major gripes about dealing with the company.
Now, all calls will be answered in centres across the UK from Newcastle to Plymouth by 2020, the company said.
The idea is one of 24 strategic moves being announced today by BT’s consumer business chief Marc Allera aimed at persuading customers to use BT for their mobile, broadband and wi-fi. These will include reintroducing the BT brand in High Street stores.
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Last week, BT announced it was closing its City headquarters and shedding 13,000 jobs, largely overseas and in management roles.
Allera, seen as a potential successor to BT chief executive Gavin Patterson, described customer service as "the first suitcase in the car", meaning it was his priority.
Despite the battered reputation of BT among customers, the brand will remain, trading alongside the EE and Plusnet businesses.
Allera comes from the EE side of the business, which started bringing its call centre staff back to the UK before it was taken over by BT in 2016, and recently completed the project. He said: "We found a big increase in customer satisfaction when we brought call centres back to the UK."
When EE first moved UK call centre work to the Philippines in 2011, management reportedly told staff in Darlington they could choose between taking lower-paid roles in Britain or relocating 7000 miles to Manila. Their wages in the Philippines would fall to £200 a month but the perks of moving would include a "rice allowance", they were told.
BT first opened call centres in India in 1995, but moved in earnest in 2000. By 2015, half of all calls for BT broadband were handled overseas, mainly in India.
BT declined to say how many new jobs would be created in the UK, but said the work would be "evenly distributed" among its existing call centres here.
Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Today's Tip of the Day - Systems To Support Promotions
More Editorial From BT
BT is provider of communications services and solutions for everybody in the UK and for corporate customers in the rest of Europe, with global reach through partnerships. BT provides services for all UK customers, network services and solutions for communication companies, worldwide business solutions, internet services, and advanced research and technology.
Published: Thursday, May 17, 2018
Atento is an employer in Brazil, recognized in the country and the world as one of the Best Workplaces by the Great Place to Work Institute. The company has operations in six major Brazilian urban cen...
Tech Mahindra is a leading provider of solutions and services to the telecommunications industry with a majority stake owned by Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, in partnership with British Telecommunicati...
|Centris Information Services|
Centris Information Services is a nearshore customer contact center focusing on bilingual call center and support services.
Telecontact - is an outsourcing contact center. Telecontact started it's operations in 1999 among first outsourcing call centers in Russia. Now the company operates a distributed contact center sys...


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Cummins backup generators ensure uptime, backed by 200,000 gallons of fuel stored on site in 4 huge tanks, enough to operate for 48 hours.…
September 03, 2016 | The Fiji Sun
Isuzu Australia (IAL) lifted the curtain on its new F-Series to the Australian medium-duty truck market, boasting two brand new engines, with one Isuzu claims to be the cleanest Japanese medium-duty diesel engine available down-under.
The 4HK1 diesel engine generates improved power and torque ratings, with the 207hp models, the Isuzu FRR, FRD and FSS 4×4 all producing 726 Nm of torque.
Recent News | 08/08/17
Recent News | 08/07/17
Recent News | 08/04/17
Almost 3M heavy-duty diesel trucks on the road powered by latest clean diesel engines, delivering clean air benefits and dramatic fuel savings.…


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Apple Stores across the US are organising mysterious meetings next week, on or close to the 24 June, and no one is exactly sure why.
The planning of the event was revealed by the Apple rumour site AppleInsider, which notes that although Apple hasn't officially announced what's happening, it also hasn't protected the secrecy of the event with the iron fist usually reserved for its biggest events. So we probably shouldn't expect the iPhone 5 to appear.
One of the most plausible reasons that have been proposed is that retail employees will be introduced to John Browett, the new head of retail at Apple and the successor to Ron Johnson. That idea was put forward by Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore.
Check out AppleInsider's story for the full details, including almost forensic analysis of the audiovisual equipment required at each of the presentation venues.
What has Apple boss Tim Cook got up his sleeve this time?


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14 April 2021
The blog has highlighted just how busy many hirers are at the moment, conveying a mood in stark contrast to the situation a year ago when the nation was in lockdown.
However, I had interesting conversations recently with three industry professionals who suggest this might bring its own challenges.
There might also be implications for hire rates.
First, I spoke with the MD of one manufacturer who said he and his team are working all hours, including weekend shifts, to keep up with demand.
“We’re almost at overload,” he said. “Suppliers don’t have key components, and certain parts that we’d normally have no trouble getting are impossible. Some items are on six-month lead times or longer. We’re even looking at ways of making them ourselves.
“Our engineers are working super-fast to source alternatives from potential alternative suppliers who we might have been in contact with in the past. I’ve simply never known anything like it,” he continued.
“We’ve added 20% more people at the factory over the last few months and others are working longer hours. We might introduce extra shifts,” he said. And this would obviously have cost and overhead implications.
He also told me what many are noticing, namely that second-hand values of equipment are rising sharply.
My second conversation was with a hirer who said he had sadly had to turn down a hire of four mini excavators that morning. It would have been a pleasing order over a decent period.
He simply didn’t have any machines left in the yard and wouldn’t have for some time. His favoured supplier had none available and he couldn’t find any to re-hire.
And the third discussion was with a hirer who was frustrated by rising raw material prices – something again mentioned previously on the blog. An attachment manufacturer had just announced a double-digit price increase because of the spiralling cost of steel.
These conversations show that, while very welcome considering that a year ago the country was in lockdown, such strong demand is clearly bringing its own challenges.
And another one is the perennial issue of hire rates. If costs are rising and availability is limited, prices can only go one way – as people discovered when trying to buy pasta and toilet rolls last year.
So, against this background of supply and demand, why should anyone need to discount hire rates excessively to win business?
Yet according to other conversations I’m having, some companies still are. I’ll be following up on this in a future blog post.


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Salmat blames loss of goodwill in the marketing solutions operating segment for financial year loss
- 29 August, 2018 07:38
Salmat has announced a $5.2 million loss for the last financial year, despite selling its contact centre business for $53 million.
The ASX-listed marketing services provider (ASX: SLM) sold its contact centre business in April to funds advised by Five V Capital in combination with the Probe Group, in order to free up capital and resources to invest in its marketing and micro-sourcing businesses.
In its full-year result to 30 June, Salmat reported revenue of $250.2 million, down by $8.3 million year-on-year. The group also attributed the bulk of $16.6 million in costs to an impairment on loss of goodwill in the Marketing Solutions operating segment.
Underlying EBITDA from continuing operations of $20.3 million was in line with the prior year, increasing $by $100,000. Underlying profit before income tax from continuing operations was $13.7 million and up $3.5 million on FY17.
“These results reflect Salmat’s new, smaller continuing operations following a year of change,” said Salmat CEO, Rebecca Lowde.
“The major contact centre business was sold following a comprehensive analysis of the entire Salmat Group through the strategic review process. We also sold the MessageNet business and some smaller digital businesses as part of the same review."
Lowde said the emphasis now is on driving results from the remaining marketing solutions and managed services businesses.
“While FY18 saw some significant change to the Group, FY19 represents a fresh opportunity to revitalise Salmat’s marketing solutions business and drive further growth in Managed Services," she said. “We have a well-defined path to innovate our existing capabilities and extend Salmat’s reach and market share. We look forward to sharing our progress during the year ahead."
Key strategic pillars for FY19 relate to marketing solutions evolution, sales excellence and operational sustainability, underpinned by people. Specific programs planned include the salmathub catalogue distribution app; Lasoo; data insights; automated collation technology; client engagement and retention; service standards; and culture.


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The ZenPad Z10 has the Snapdragon 650 SoC and Android Marshmallow OS.
Asus has unveiled a 4G LTE tablet in the US, which is named as Asus ZenPad Z10. The tablet is priced at $329.99 and will be available for purchase exclusively via US operator Verizon Wireless, starting October 13. The tablet comes only in Slate Gray color.
Asus ZenPad Z10 features a 9.7-inch QXGA (2048×1536p) IPS display. It comes with the 1.8 GHz hexa-core Snapdragon 650 processor (4x 1.4GHz ARM A53 + 2 x 1.8 GHz ARM A72), which is paired with Adreno 510 GPU and 3GB RAM. The tablet runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow operating system on top of which lies the ZenUI. A 7800 mAh non-removable lithium-polymer battery powers this tablet.
The ZenPad Z10 comes with 32GB of internal storage, which can be further expandable up-to 128GB via microSD card. The tablet has an 8-megapixel rear camera on the rear, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for video calling. Besides, the tablet offers 4G LTE, WiFi (802.11 ac/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/AGPS/GLONASS, USB Type-C, and Two front facing stereo speakers with DTS-HD audio support. The tablet weighs around 490 grams.
Asus Zenfone 3 Max was launched in India last year in November.
After recent complaints about no VoLTE support, this move will surely make ZenFone Max users happy as they will now be able to avail free voice and data service offered by Jio until March 31, 2017.
The smartphone is scheduled to be launch in the month of February.
The smartphone also houses a fingerprint scanner, which is integrated on its home button.
The company has refreshed the complete lineup for its Republic of Gamers series which includes laptops, PC, gaming peripherals and more.
Yesterday, the company also launched a new Chromebook Flip C302 2-in-1 convertible which starts at $499.
Asus Zenfone AR is the first smartphone which supports Tango and Daydream VR technologies.
The Zenfone smartphone is expected to come with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 835 SoC.
Qualcomm accidentally revealed that Asus will launch the second Google Tango-powered smartphone on January 4th.
Recently, Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom with dual camera set up was also spotted on TENAA site.


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Stephen Fry Invents 3DTV
LONDON: U.K. satellite TV carrier BSkyB enlisted actor Stephen Fry to explain its new 3DTV service, set to launch Oct. 1. It’s not geared toward the intellectually curious. Fry opens with a madcap spear attack wearing cardboard anaglyph glasses.
“3DTV’s no longer a gimmick,” he says, “and it’s poised to revolutionize the way we enjoy our entertainment. It’s far more than a man throwing something at the camera. So what is 3DTV, and will it make grandma’s eyes pop out…”
Fry describes how the 3D technology used in movie theaters is coming into the home. Content is filmed with two cameras capturing a view for the left and the right eye, he explains holding up goofy googly eyeballs in front of his face.
“Using a bit of wonderful digital trickery, both pictures are processed into to created a single image, which can only be viewed with 3D glasses,” he informs.
The three-minute spot offers a rudimentary explanation of the difference of passive and active 3DTV, and where the medium came originated. That would be Fry himself, who claims to have invented 3DTV. Until a SKy engineer walks in and says the TV provider’s been working on 3DTV for years. He’s clearly an engineer as identified by his long white lab coat. Fry gives the man a face blubber.
Fry’s performance is in 2D at Sky’s 3D Web site (opens in new tab).
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Latest figures from Nanos reflects fading optimism over the strength of Canada's economy
Consumer confidence across Canada continued its downward trend last week, according to the latest figures from Bloomberg and Nanos Research.
The weekly Bloomberg Nanos Canadian confidence index registered at 61.57 for the week ending September 03, 2021 – down from the 64.93 four weeks ago and almost five points since hitting a record high in July.
According to Bloomberg, the figures reflect fading optimism over the strength of the economy as Canadians worry about the impact of the ongoing fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bloomberg also noted that the decrease in consumer confidence coincides with “a string of poor economic numbers that suggest the nation is repairing damage from the crisis more slowly than analysts had been anticipating.”
“Canadian consumer confidence continues to be on a negative trajectory with noticeable four week drops in positive sentiment for real estate value, views on the future strength of the Canadian economy and personal finances,” said Nik Nanos, chief data scientist of Nanos Research.
The consumer confidence index is a composite of date from random interviews with 1,000 Canadian consumers, using a four-week rolling average of 250 respondents each week, 18 years of age and over. A score of 50 on the diffusion index indicates that positive and negative views are a wash while scores above 50 suggest net positive views, while those below 50 suggest net negative views in terms of the economic mood of Canadians.


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The people at Ubisoft who made the decision to pick up Trials developer RedLynx probably had a pretty terrific weekend. It was recently revealed that Trials Evolution broke the record for “highest grossing day-one sales” among Xbox Live Arcade games.
It’s a shame that gatekeepers of digital distribution platforms like XBLA tend to keep specific figures internal, but thankfully, that’s where sites like Gamasutra come in. Looking through leaderboard data, they’ve come to the conclusion that Evolution sold in the neighborhood of 100,000 copies during its first day. I wonder how long it’ll take to reach a million copies sold?
Congrats, RedLynx. The success is certainly warranted. Now, if we could have a word or fifty about some of those level-specific Achievements …
Trials Evolution breaks XBLA record with highest day-one sales, 100K downloads [Gamasutra]


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Japan wants to bring flying taxis into the mainstream over the next decade and it's putting together a government-led group in order to do so, Bloomberg reports. The country's trade ministry said to today that the group will bring together at least 21 businesses including Uber, Boeing, Airbus, Japan Airlines and Toyota-backed Cartivator, which will meet next week to discuss plans going forward. For its part, the government will work on ways to regulate these sorts of vehicles. "The Japanese government will provide appropriate support to help realize the concept of flying cars, such as creation of acceptable rules," the ministry said.
A number of companies are already working on various versions of flying taxis. Rolls-Royce unveiled its Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing concept last month and Airbus' Vahana took its first flight in January. Volocopter, which is backed by Daimler, has been testing its flying vehicle in Dubai while Passenger Drone and EHang have been busy conducting flights with passengers. Porsche has said it wants to get in the game as well. And Uber has five aerospace companies partnering with it on its flying taxi project while Terrafugia, owned by Volvo parent company Geely, says it plans to have its Transition ready for sale next year. Larry Page's Kitty Hawk company also unveiled its Cora air taxi earlier this year.


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- Géraldine Pamphile spent a decade as vice president at NBA.
- She pivoted to the metaverse in 2021 with wearable augmented reality company Magic Leap.
- She was most recently general manager of investment platform Aser Ventures.
Former NBA & Magic Leap Exec Géraldine Pamphile has joined Neal Stephenson’s Layer 1 blockchain and metaverse company, Lamina1, as Chief Business Development Officer.
Pamphile previously spent a decade at the NBA, where she was VP of international media distribution in Asia Pacific from 2009 – 2015 and subsequently VP of international business development from 2015 – 2019.
Prior to her work at NBA, she was a founding member of music and culture media publisher TRACE, a group of media entities dedicated to urban music and culture, initially backed by Goldman Sachs –– where she spearheaded international business growth and expanded the channel to over 110 countries.
Pamphile pivoted to the Web3 space in 2021 with wearable augmented reality company Magic Leap. She joins Lamina1 from her most recent role as CEO of Aser Ventures’ LIVENow, a marketing, distribution, and monetization platform for creators and content owners.
In her new role, she will leverage her background in growth strategy, distribution, and global partnerships to helpLamina1 build its emerging metaverse business – most notably via her expertise in the Asia market
“Leveraging technological innovation to establish new avenues for consumers to meaningfully engage with their favorite brands and creators has been a driving force throughout my career, and exploring these possibilities within an Open Metaverse presents an exciting opportunity,” said Pamphile. “There is so much potential to reinvent the user experience and enhance it through immersive technologies, and joining the Metaverse, AR/VR, creative, and business pioneers at Lamina1 provides a strong launching pad to achieve this.”
Pamphile is the most recent high-profile addition to Lamina1’s growing executive team. She is joined by immersive technology leader and fellow Magic Leap alumni, Rebecca Barkin, as President; metaverse pioneer and former head of AR/VR at Unity, Tony Parisi, as Chief Product Officer; and former EA and Google executive, Jamil Moledina, as Vice President of Games Partnerships & Media.
“Geraldine has a rare, highly desirable combination of experience driving partnerships at the cross-sections of entertainment, gaming, and emerging technology. The strength and breadth of her network, her strategic vision, and her talent for negotiation make her a real force and a fantastic partner,” said Rebecca Barkin, President of Lamina1. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Geraldine to execute game-changing partnerships in the past, and I’m thrilled that she chose to join us at Lamina1.”
Lamina1 was founded earlier this year by Neal Stephenson, renowned futurist and science fiction author who originally coined the term “metaverse” in his 1992 novel Snow Crash – and cryptocurrency pioneer, Peter Vessenes, founder of the first VC-backed Bitcoin company.
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Pat, I am not an Apple disciple, I don't own anything made by Apple, and I don't like their business practice.
But look at what the articles are saying:
Paul Semenza, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, a research firm that follows the display market, said that for January, Apple had expected to order 19 million displays for the iPhone 5 but cut the order to 11 million to 14 million.
Looking to the first quarter of 2013, DisplaySearch's original estimate of 57 million has now been reduced to a range of 33 million to 42 million
Did you notice how the numbers given by NYT are exactly a third of the numbers given by CNET, and they represent 1 month vs. a quarter (3 months)? The main difference is that according to CNET these numbers are estimates made by DisplaySearch, both the initial one and the current estimated range. Analysts analyze data and give estimates. It might even be illegal for them to get direct evidence on how many parts are being ordered because it might lead to insider trading acusations.
As for the 65 million, it is most likely the number of parts ordered for last quarter (since the previous analyst estimate was that Apple sold 61 million iPhone5s in Q4 2012, it seems reasonable).


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Today is Friday, May 20th, 2022.
Some weeks are pretty uneventful and some weeks seem to pop off with one cool thing after another, and we are happy to say that this week has been of the latter variety!
Hailey Piper’s QUEEN OF TEETH nabbed a Stoker Award for “Superior Achievement in a First Novel” and we’d be lying if we said that didn’t put a spring in our step the last several days.
Yesterday, we posted the entire list of winners and nominees, including links to where you can purchase the work, or learn more about the artist and their projects.
We’ve had several cover commissions roll in this week, too. Some pretty big projects with big names attached, but you’ll have to wait for official announcements before we can divulge any more info. In addition to those, we’ve also posted brand new pre-mades.
And, maybe the most exciting bit of news is that we are finally getting our hands on print proofs of the CHROMOPHOBIA hardcover edition! Don Noble has seen it and given his approval. Sara Tantlinger and Nicholas Day should get their copies in the mail, today. We are so ready to start getting these books into people’s hands!
And, will there be reviews? We are patiently waiting, oh yes we are…
All that said, we are ready for the weekend, and we hope you have a good book to read or a good movie to watch. On Monday, we will be posting some pics of the CHROMOPHOBIA print proof! See you in a couple days.
Thanks for reading and for the support and remember to…


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Obey writes about Zimbabwe's potential lost millions in revenue due to smuggling syndicates operating in the north-eastern border of the country.
"THE government could be losing millions of dollars in revenue via its north-eastern port of entry at Forbes Border Post due to under-declaration and false classification of goods by importers to evade paying the correct taxes as corruption takes its toll, border officials, clearing agents and others have said
With companies struggling to remain afloat due to the economic problems, government now relies on tax heads such as excise duty and value-added tax (VAT) to meet its revenue targets.
Under-declaration of goods is whereby importers misrepresent the quantity of goods they are bringing into the country in a bid to avoid paying the correct taxes while, on the other hand, false classification of goods involves a situation whereby importers present false goods to the tax officers for purposes of evading paying the correct taxes." Click here for the full article.


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LIVING standards in the UK are yet to feel the full brunt of the recession, with the biggest hit to take-home income likely to come over the next year as gains are eroded by higher inflation.
New figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) show that average take-home pay actually went up in both 2008-9 and 2009-10, even taking into account inflation and an increase in unemployment.
Median salaries are shown to have risen during the recession, climbing one per cent in 2009-10 to continue the pattern of slow growth seen before 2008, said the IFS.
But the increase is likely to be reversed soon, as inflation rises and the temporary effect of uprating benefits and tax credits wears off, the IFS warns.
Rates on most benefits and tax credits rose above inflation during the recession, when retail price index figures were just 0.5 per cent.
But according to the IFS, real-term incomes have fallen 3.8 per cent in the first eleven months of 2010-11, and average forecasts indicate that a drop of three per cent in take-home pay could be felt by the end of the year. This would constitute the largest drop in median incomes since 1981, leaving pay levels close to their 2004-5 rates.
The latest research also shows that levels of poverty in the UK have fallen for the second year running – dropping by 500,000 to 10.4m in 2009-10 – with poverty among children and pensioners at the lowest level since the 1980s.


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Despite not being able to meet in person during the RV Industry Association’s annual RVs Move America Week, which would have taken place last week, Association committees met virtually throughout the week to chart the future of the RV industry.
Of note, the Standards Steering Committee, Public Relations Committee, Public & Legislative Affairs Committee, and the Go RVing Coalition all met last week to discuss everything from standards enforcement dates to policy priorities to upcoming Go RVing campaigns and efforts to sustain the continued run of positive press surrounding the RV industry.
The week was capped off with a meeting of the RV Industry Association Board of Directors on Thursday, June 10.
During the meeting, the Board unanimously voted to become a Silver Sponsor of the RV Women’s Alliance, the two-year-old organization dedicated to fostering the next generation of female RV leaders and innovators. Funding provided by the RV Industry Association will help to further the Alliance’s mission and support educational and professional development opportunities for Alliance members.
The Board also unanimously approved the establishment of the Emerging Leaders Coalition. The group had previously been a Task Force and will now be a standing coalition. The primary purpose of the RV Industry Emerging Leaders Coalition is to strengthen institutional industry collaboration, competency, engagement, inclusivity, and innovation by identifying, recruiting, developing, engaging, and retaining emerging industry leaders and harnessing and elevating diverse emerging industry leader perspectives.
The RV Industry Association looks forward to once again meeting in person and advocating for the RV industry on Capitol Hill during next year’s RVs Move America Week scheduled for June 5-9, 2022, in Washington, DC.


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As the Bank Holiday weekend approaches, Nisa has shared ice cream category trends, new-to-market products and sales data with partnered retailers.
Sorren Ashmore, wholesale category controller at Nisa, said: “Ice cream really is one of the biggest growth drivers with the average basket spend increased from £7.63 to £9.86 when an ice cream product is included.
“With ice cream being a destination category for stores, we want to provide as much help and support for partners as we can so they can exploit these sales opportunities.”
Alongside a selection of branded new products, Co-op own label has also launched new a new vegan brand of Gro ice cream lines comprising individual ice cream treats as well as share tubs.
“Spring is well and truly upon us and everyone is hoping the warm weather will hit us soon, so we’ve been preparing our retailers for this and provided them with an excellent range of all the latest ice creams.
“A massive 95% of all ice cream sales are bought on impulse and with basket spend increasing by 29% when ice cream is included, it’s certainly worth stocking this year’s must try new lines,” said Sorren.
Read more: frozen products, news and articles


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Job offersmore »
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87% of the world's population doesn't consume enough fruit and vegThe majority of the world's population, up to 87 percent, doesn't consume enough fruits and vegetables, and their intake is characterised by a lack of variety and quality, according to a study which involved the participation of more than 200 thousand people from 52 countries.
The Global Report on Phytonutrients, published in the British Nutrition Review in 2014, looked at fruit and vegetable intakes, quality and variety.
The result was that between 60 and 87 percent of the population did not reach the intake recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO); that is, 400 grams or five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, as pointed out in an interview with Notimex by Audra Davies, Professor of Nutrition Sciences.
The most consumed are tropical and citrus fruits (oranges), which contain the phytonutrient called hesperidin, which is an antioxidant; and the least consumed ones are purple fruits and vegetables (blackberries, beet).
Given the study's results, it was concluded that it is necessary to promote the recommended intake of 400 grams a day, to increase the variety by identifying five key phytonutrient colours (white, orange, green, red and purple), and to take a nutritional supplement to reduce those shortcomings.
Audra Davies, vice president of Product Development for Nutrition at Amway, explained that phytonutrients are organic compounds found in fruits, vegetables and other sources that are linked to numerous health benefits and are part of a proper nutrition.
During the presentation of the new generation Double X, a supplement containing 12 vitamins, 10 minerals and 22 plant concentrates (phytonutrients) grown on their organic farms, she explained that the intake of quality supplements can help lead a healthy lifestyle and guarantee quality ageing.
This product is subjected to 25 thousand tests a month to ensure its quality, and can be consumed by vegetarians. It contains no gluten or lactose, does not irritate the stomach and contains peppermint, which helps in the digestion process.
It is contraindicated for patients receiving chemotherapy, because it interferes with the treatment, and the recommendation is to always ask a doctor before consuming any nutritional supplements.
Publication date: 10/27/2017
Other news in this sector:


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Tucker approves special land use permit to renovate Chevron gas station
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By Logan C. Ritchie, contributor
A second read of the Special Land Use Permit to renovate a Chevron gas station at LaVista Road and Northlake Parkway passed 6-1 at Tucker’s City Council meeting on Jan. 27.
The property owner of 4246 LaVista Road intends to renovate the property, installing new gas pumps and a convenience store with alcohol sales. The property abuts Northlake Senior Apartments and an I-285 onramp.
The application was delayed in 2019 when the Georgia Department of Transportation requested dedication of the property’s frontage as right-of-way needed to complete the widening of the LaVista Road bridge.
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Lisa Morchower, legal counsel for property owner Mohammed Tarek, suggested Tarek maintain ownership of the right-of-way to protect himself in the case that GDOT’s project never occurs. In an amendment, Morchower wrote that Tarek is legally required to dedicate the right-of-way to GDOT when the project begins.
All council members voted to pass the two SLUPs except Noelle Monferdini, who expressed concern for setting a precedent with new construction.
Tarek said he will landscape and maintain the right-of-way. “For our own interest, we want to make the area clean and make it look nice,” he said.
City council members heard the first read of an application to revamp and remodel 4650 Hugh Howell Road at the corner of Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Developer Branch Properties proposes to bring retail and restaurants, flanked by a national chain grocery store.
The M (light industrial) zoning district currently allows retail under 5,000 sq. ft. and retail warehouse/wholesale over 70,000 sq. ft., but prohibits grocery stores and shopping centers. The proposed commercial development would serve nearby residential developments and employees of the industrial corridor.
Council member Michelle Penkava said, “I just wonder why the whole piece has to be rezoned when the grocery is the complicated piece, and retail and restaurant is already allowed in the industrial zoning.”
Jack Haylett, Branch senior vice president, responded, “In today’s day and age, unanchored shopping centers are just not as successful. They need a grocer. They need a national, main chain like we are bringing here. That’s what brings the vibrancy to make the restaurants and banks and everything around it successful.”
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The proposal includes more than 500 parking spots, a walking trail, and tree-lined entries. Branch plans to demolish all existing buildings except for one that they “don’t have a plan for yet,” according to Haylett. He also said the development would be “extremely high end.”
Council members expressed concerns about an increase in traffic, lack of traffic lights, asbestos removal on the site, the property fitting into the city’s comprehensive plan, and sprawl.
Mayor Frank Auman asked, “We are going to be faced with more great things like this, as opposed to industrial uses. Is there anything we can do about that? If we want to grant this, but carve it out and say, ‘No more?’ How do we prevent the next and the next and the next?”
Two neighbors spoke in favor of the development, citing walkability and jobs growth as a plus. The second read of the application will be in February.
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Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) has revealed further details about the work its researchers have been doing in developing a neural wristband prototype that can be used to control an augmented reality interface.
The company explained in a post the wristband would be in-built with compute, battery, antennas, and sensors capable of reading electrical signals from the brain through the wrist to the hand, which can then be translated into "intuitive" digital commands to control the functions of an AR device.
The prototype is based on technology developed by CTRL-Labs, a startup that the tech giant acquired in 2019.
"What we're trying to do with neural interfaces is to let you control the machine directly, using the output of the peripheral nervous system -- specifically the nerves outside the brain that animate your hand and finger muscles," FRL Neuromotor Interfaces director Thomas Reardon said.
The social media giant, however, insists the wristband will not be able to read our minds.
"Think of it like this: you take many photos and choose to share only some of them. Similarly, you have many thoughts and you choose to act on only some of them. When that happens, your brain sends signals to your hands and fingers telling them to move in specific ways in order to perform actions like typing and swiping. This is about decoding those signals at the wrist -- the actions you've already decided to perform -- and translating them into digital commands for your device," the company said.
As part of initial development, the company explained the wristband will be developed to read pinching-based gestures -- an "intelligent click" -- to control certain demands, much like tapping on a button.
There are also plans to introduce haptic feed to the wristband, so users can "feel" movements that are reflected in the VR interface.
Eventually, Facebook wants to develop the wristband to enable controls such as being able to touch and move VR objects or type on a virtual keyboard at high speed.
The wearable wrist device has the potential to sync up with other VR devices that Facebook is working on, including its smart glasses.


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New Zealand food safety officials who
have tested infant formula for melamine contamination, and are now
testing products containing Chinese milk say they have not yet set a
limit for melamine content in NZ foods.
They are waiting for data that will reveal a dietary level of
melamine that does not lead to formation of kidney stones before
setting an acceptable level of contamination in NZ foods.
In the meantime, NZ will rely on a European Food Safety
Authority scientific opinion to be issued later this week on risks
to human health associated with melamine in products that may have a
low level of contamination.
About 22 Chinese dairy companies are reported to have had
contamination detected, but the first reports and the highest levels
were in “Bei Bei” infant formula made by Fonterra’s Chinese joint
Big food companies overseas, such as Nestle, have said melamine
is found throughout the food chain across the world in minute traces
which do not represent any health risk for consumers.
There is a generally accepted “tolerable daily intake” of
melamine in food in the EU (0.5mg for each kg of body weight daily)
and in the US (0.63mg/kg of body weight/day).
Melamine traces which can be measured by commonly-used testing
equipment down to levels of 2 parts per million – 20 times below
But the principal advisor on toxicology for the NZ Food Safety
Authority, John Reeve, said today that while the agency is aware of
tolerable daily intake levels set by the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA) the “NZFSA
has not yet established an ADI (acceptable daily intake) or its
equivalent for New Zealand”.
“It is important to remember that the science on this is very
new,” he said.
A lot of research was based on melamine found last year in
American pet foods that contained Chinese ingredients and killed a
lot of cats and dogs. That problem prompted recalls of more than 100
pet-food brands in the USA.
“Melamine on its own is not particularly toxic, however it is
the combination of factors such as the presence of other substances
in urine that appears to influence the development of crystals, (in
the kidney)” Mr Reeve said.
The basis on which the European limit had been set was not clear,
but the FDA figure was based on the “no observed adverse effect
level” for kidney stones in rats.
He said the formation of crystals of melamine in urine arising
from its insolubility and the concentration of bodily wastes in the
kidney was what was likely to be leading to the kidney failures
reported in Chinese babies brought up on milkpowder contaminated
“We simply don’t know enough at present to determine the
concentration of melamine that can reach levels that cause
crystallisation to take place,” he said. Recently born infant
children might not have fully functioning kidneys, and the American
kidney stone study was probably on rats with mature kidneys, which
would seem likely to be more tolerant to crystal formation.
NZFSA deputy chief executive Sandra Daly told NZPA that though
the agency was waiting on information from Europe, “NZFSA will act
on any level which is indicative that dairy product has been
adulterated for economic gain, regardless as to whether this may be
lower than that which may be tolerable toxicologically”. Products
which mainly consist of dairy ingredients would be the main target
of such checks, rather than multi-ingredient products where a
detection of low levels “may be associated with a coincidental
contamination of a minor ingredient” and where no risk was posed to
The agency is testing White Rabbit Creamy Candy milk-based
sweets, after reports from Singapore that melamine has been found in
some of the milk-based lollies.
Ms Daly said a second report from Singapore had contradicted the
first. She did not believe there was not much risk to consumers,
even if the sweets did contain melamine, as there was a low risk of
people eating a lot of sweets with a high melamine content.
Ms Daly told the New Zealand Herald it was difficult for
laboratories to test products which were not liquid or powder for
In China, four babies have died and China’s Health Ministry said
over 50,000 had been hospitalised with kidney problems.
So far four Hong Kong children have developed kidney stones,
after drinking Chinese-made Nestle milk, making them the first
victims of the tainted milk outside of mainland China.


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AG Sues Head Shops To Crack Down On Bath Salts
Albany, NY (WIBX) - State officials are coming down hard on sellers of bath salts.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is filing a dozen lawsuits against 16 head shops around the state, including Goodfellas Alternative Smoke Shop in New Hartford.
The AG accuses the shops of purposely selling specialty products like bath salts as something to be either ingested or smoked to get high.
The lawsuit comes as makers of products like bath salts and other synthetic drugs continue to alter their ingredients to avoid a statewide ban.


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Senior management changes have been announced at MultiChoice Group and MTN South Africa.
Cell C CEO Jorge Mendes has said that not only has the business been saved, but that its best days are yet to come.
Thabi Leoka, the businesswoman accused of lying about her academic qualifications, has quit the board of MTN South Africa.
MTN South Africa has announced aggressively priced data plans aimed at supporting MultiChoice’s newly relaunched Showmax.
OpenRAN technology promises to revolutionise network management, but it’s been slow to mature and show its true value.
Tower operator IHS and its second largest shareholder, Wendel, have reached an agreement on corporate governance matters.
The new Showmax, which MultiChoice unveiled on Monday, will cost R89/month, from R99/month previously.
The number of MVNOs in South Africa has ballooned in recent years, with the promise of many more to come.
Competition to deliver satellite mobile broadband connectivity from space is intensifying.
Ericsson is growing a fintech business that enables mobile payments across the developing world.


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Xilinx, Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) announced that its industry-leading programmable logic devices (PLD) and complete solutions will be showcased at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. The benefits of Xilinx low-cost development solutions for HDMI video connectivity, digital display, mobile handset, image processing, automotive infotainment and driver information applications will be featured in a variety of end products by exhibiting companies and through demonstrations at the Xilinx exhibit in the South Hall, booth #35768.
Xilinx Meeting Room — South Hall #35768
Xilinx Low Power Solutions: Demonstration of Xilinx industry leading low power solutions for consumer applications featuring Xilinx Spartan(TM)-3 generation FPGAs and CoolRunner(TM)-II CPLDs.
HDMI & Digital Display Connectivity Solutions: Demonstration of cost-effective programmable HDMI connectivity for HDTV and flexible flat-panel interfacing driven by Xilinx Spartan-3A devices.
MPEG De-Blocking and Noise Reduction: Demonstration of Apical’s Sinter, based on Xilinx Spartan-3 devices. Provides spatial noise reduction and reduces MPEG blocking and compression artifacts with supports for up to 1080p processing.
Dynamic Range Extended Camera System: Demonstration of surveillance camera system with Sanyo Camera and Iridix wide dynamic range IP driven by Xilinx Spartan-3E FPGA based development board. Provides improved image quality in demanding lighting conditions, rapid time-to-market, and freedom of sensor choice.
logiCRAFT3 Rear Seat Entertainment System: Demonstration of automotive development platform and IP solutions driven by Xilinx Spartan(TM)-3E devices. Provides ultimate system flexibility and scalability for single and remote display systems.
logiCRAFT3 Concept Cluster Development Platform: Demonstration of fully reconfigurable cluster development platform with scalable graphics accelerator for real-time gauge animation driven by Xilinx Spartan-3E devices.
Automotive ECU Development Kit with MOST Daughtercard: Demonstration of turnkey automotive development kit providing audio streaming and control over the MOST network driven by Xilinx Spartan-3E XA devices. Xilinx Network Interface Controller (NIC) LogiCORE(TM) IP for MOST with MicroBlaze(TM) soft processor running Mocean Network Services software provides industry’s most flexible embedded development board for quick prototype of networked ECUs using CAN, MOST, or FlexRay networks.
Xilinx Solutions at the Heart of Innovation throughout CES
- Amimon, Wireless — HDTV, HDMI
- Anchor Bay — Set Top Box
- Casio — Mobile Handset
- Clarion — Car Navigation
- Delphi — Rear Seat Entertainment
- Dell — Server
- Ericsson — Modem
- Gibson — Les Paul Digital Guitar
- Hitachi — Digital Tuner, PDP
- HP — Server, Mobile Handset
- HTC — Mobile Handset
- LG Electronics — LCD TV, PDP, In-car Navigation, Mobile Handset
- Sony — BluRay Recorder, Camcorder, LCD TV
- MEI — Projector, LCD TV
- MIO — Mobile Navigation
- Motorola — Mobile Handset, Modem
- OQO — Handheld PC
- NEC — PDP
- Palm — PDA
- Panasonic — LCD TV, PDP
- Philips — LCD TV
- Pioneer — A/V Receiver
- Samsung — LCD TV, PDP, HD DVD, Media Player, Photo Printer
- Seiko Epson — Home Projector
- Sensio — 3D Display
- Sharp — LCD TV, HDD Recorder, PDA
- SiRF — Navigation System
- Slim Devices — Squeezebox
- Sprint — Mobile Handset
- Sony Ericsson — In-car Bluetooth
- Toshiba — HD DVD
- Vestel — LCD TV, PDP
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, South Hall # 35768
January 7-10, 2008
Monday, January 7 — 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. PST
Tuesday, January 8 — 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. PST
Wednesday, January 9 — 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. PST
Thursday, January 10 — 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. PST
Xilinx is the worldwide leader in complete programmable logic solutions.


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Gates added the new mansion to his suite of several other properties, including the main $127 million Washington state mansion.
Look inside a glass-walled McDonald's that's one of the most beautiful fast-food restaurants in the world
The restaurant in Batumi, Georgia, is surrounded by stretches of manicured grass and a reflective pool.
Designers behind Google and Microsoft's headquarters imagine what satellite offices could look like for companies eager to return to a safe, collaborative workplace
Clive Wilkinson is behind Google's Silicon Valley HQ and Microsoft's Seattle HQ. He's currently working on creating "smaller hubs" for companies.
A new $75,000 bulletproof concrete prefab tiny home is now up for preorder as tiny homemakers see success amid the pandemic
Like other tiny homemakers during the coronavirus pandemic, Argentina-based Grandio has seen global success since unveiling the concrete tiny home.
San Francisco startup Bumblebee Spaces can make small apartments livable for remote work by turning studios into offices and storing furniture in the ceiling — see how it works
Smart-home robotics company Bumblebee was started by an Apple and Tesla veteran, and is having a moment with the growth in working remotely.
The pandemic has killed cookie-cutter offices, says the first-ever CEO at one of NYC's cutting-edge architecture firms
A+I Architecture's Kate Thatcher, who did headquarters for Equinox and Peloton, says spaces look different when they don't need to fit every employee.
The property next to Taylor Swift's Rhode Island mansion is on the market for nearly $12 million — see inside
Swift reportedly bought her property for over $17 million in 2013.
Late Kleiner Perkins cofounder Frank Caufield's 12-acre California estate just sold for more than $32 million to a mystery buyer — see inside
The house had an unusually high amount of interest, according to realtors.
A real estate developer bought Jeffrey Epstein's former Palm Beach home for $18 million, and now he plans to demolish it.
A construction-tech startup that's developed a faster way to model a building's energy efficiency used this 13-page pitch deck to nab $5.7 million
Cove.tool, a software company built from an energy modeling practice, cuts the time it takes to understand energy efficiency of a building's design.
IndieDwell has a factory in Caldwell, Idaho, and a new factory opening soon in Pueblo, Colorado to create tiny homes for those who need them.
A startup that made office phone booths for Google, Uber, and NASA is teaming up with co-working company Industrious
Workplace startup Room released mini modular workspaces that can modify a traditional office to be safer during the coronavirus pandemic.
Billionaire James Dyson just sold his Singapore penthouse at a massive loss a year after his company scrapped plans to design an electric vehicle in the city
He purchased the home in 2019 for $54.2 million after announcing Dyson was moving its headquarters to Singapore.
This off-grid office under construction in Europe is designed to float in case sea levels rise, completely negating the effects of climate change
Its designers call it "climate-resilient" and it is implementing a strategy companies might look toward to minimize the effects of climate change.
Unlike other Google campuses, the San Jose location would be mixed-use and open to the public if approved by the city.
4 major changes to apartment buildings from the pandemic, according to a 30-year architecture veteran
CBT's Vickie Alani says developers and investors need to keep in mind safety and a higher quality of life as they envision future projects.
Meet one of NYC's first resident landscape architects, who's on hand to build a 'garden oasis' for every luxury condo owner in his Tribeca building
Cape Advisors, the developers for 30 Warren Tribeca, hired Todd Haiman as a full-time landscape architect this year and boy, has he been busy.
This home made out of tiny units can be built in any configuration and proves prefab architecture doesn't have to be boring — take a look
Whitaker Studio designed The Anywhere House, which is being built in Canada.
This startup designed rentable backyard offices built out of used shipping containers — see inside the tiny workspaces
ootBox tiny offices are delivered by truck, and just need to be plugged into a standard outlet for full functionality.
A retro 1980s mansion in an exclusive California enclave is selling for $10 million under its original asking price — take a look inside
The 7-bedroom home is painted multiple shades of pink and comes with a dedicated garage for golf carts.


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This blog is the third part in a series about the G6, P3, and CKYH carrier alliances. Check out Part 1: Hunger Games of the Sea: G6, P3, & CKYH Alliances Fight for Shipping Dominance and Part 2: Catching Fire on the Sea: International Shipping Moves & Counter Moves.
The Mockingjay became a symbol for the people of different districts in the Hunger Games series to unite against their oppressive government. There’s no such symbol for real life shippers; however, shippers from the U.S. and China are uniting to oppose the P3 Network.
As shipping lanes are becoming more and more controlled by carrier alliances instead of being filled by ships from different competing carriers, worries are springing up about how these powerful alliances, especially the P3 Network, will negatively affect shippers.
With the P3 Network and G6 Alliance expansion approach approval, there seem to be positive and negative effects they will have on international shipping and shippers. Before we outline the negative effects of the alliances that have shippers worried, let’s take a look at the positive.
Positive Effect of Alliances on Shippers – Increased Shipping Service Frequency
International shipping service does have room for improvement.
Carriers in the international shipping industry have been known for being inconsistent, even bad, when it comes to keeping cargo ships on schedule. And if a shipper’s cargo containers miss a ship loading deadline, it could cost the shipper several days or even a week and beyond to get their cargo delivered.
The P3 Network and G6 should both create serious increases in sailing frequencies from port to port, supplying considerable improvement to international shipping service. Even Evergreen joining the CKYH Alliance could cause some sailing frequency increase.
For example, an article from Hellenic Shipping News reports:
Assuming that the future G6 network will be the sum of the current New World Alliance and Grand Alliance services, frequencies between major ports will reach record levels. This means five direct weekly sailings from Shanghai to Los Angeles and four direct weekly services from Rotterdam to New York.
To US inland destinations such as Chicago, which can be reached from Asia via Los Angeles/Long Beach or via Pacific Northwest ports and can be reached from Europe via New York, Norfolk or Montreal, there will be even higher frequencies of sailings.
Increased sailing frequencies is a big win for shippers. With it, shippers should have more flexibility on cargo shipping combined with better schedule reliability from carriers.
Potential Negatives Outweight Potential Positives of Carrier Alliances
Unfortunately, most of the potential ways carrier alliances like the P3 Network will affect shippers are negative. That’s why The Asian Shippers Council, the China Shippers Association, the Hong Kong Shippers Council, the US Shippers Association, Med-America Shippers Association, Gemini Shippers Association, Fashion Accessories Shippers Association, and the International Longshoremen’s Association are all opposing the P3 Network.
Cargonews Asia caught the feeling many shippers have over the P3 Network:
“With 255 vessels totalling 2.5 million TEUs, the P3 will be dominant in the east-west trade – 42 percent of Asia-Europe trade, 50 percent Asia-Mediterranean and 24 percent transpacific.”
[Asian Shippers’ Council] chairman John Lu said: “Such concentration of capacity is untenable. We fear for the worst should the P3 get regulatory approval.”
Negative Carrier Alliance Effect on Shippers – Competition Crushing
It’s not likely the savings the alliances create in underlying operating costs will translate to lower freight rates for shippers.
It has been suggested that lower underlying costs for carriers will result in more stability in the international shipping industry. But as this whole series paralleling carrier alliances with the Hunger Games has suggested, the results are more likely that many weaker carriers will die, being driven out of business by the stronger.
With fewer carriers controlling huge chunks of the market while improving their operating costs through these alliances, the ability to drive competition out of business drastically increases.
If the competition shrinks to near monopoly levels, freight rates are likely to increase while service suffers.
Negative Carrier Alliance Effect on Shippers – Freight Rate Collusion
Carrier Alliances are supposed to be strictly operational while the carriers in the alliances still compete for customers. The alliances are not pricing cartels.
Yet, there is much worry that there will be or even is already communication between carriers about freight rate pricing. That international shipping carriers are already under investigation for freight rate collusion doesn’t help matters.
Shanghai Shipping Freight Exchange’s article sums up this legitimate concern well:
“Shippers can never be sure whether [A P Moller-Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM, the P3 Network carriers] have talked about rates or not. Shippers are suspicious whether these shipping lines are just service sharing, or consolidating all the operations,” the Hong Kong Shippers Council said. “If they have such a big market share, they will easily come up with very unfavourable freight charges; they may even demand double freight rates during the peak seasons.”
Even without collusion, freight rates could easily hike from the smaller competition pools created by the alliances.
Negative Carrier Alliance Effect on Shippers – Increased Risk
This one is more for larger shippers. Spreading out shipments between different carriers supplies risk mitigation from cargo damage by having their cargo containers on different ships. It’s kind of like the old platitude of not having all your eggs in one basket.
With alliances sharing ships, this strategy becomes difficult as the two carriers could easily sail the shipments together. Despite the shippers attempt to separate her eggs into different baskets, the carriers dump them all together. Then if something happens to that basket…
Negative Carrier Alliance Effect on Shippers – Additional Fears
There are more issues shippers are worried about.
These fears include transit times increasing from increased use of transhipment hubs, alliances growing to include feeder services like inland rail from hubs, powerful carriers being able to put pressure on terminal operators, and carriers having increased influence on jobs all across the supply chain.
If the carrier alliances keep moving forward as planned, it seems inevitable that smaller carriers will be pushed out of the market.
The international shipping industry and its freight rates have always been volatile. With bigger carriers taking control of more of the market and sharing resources through alliances could bring more stability and increased service.
With the decrease in service, freight rates may be driven up while service eventually suffers.
Time will tell how all the moves made by the various carriers as they fight for dominance in the Hunger Games of the Sea, but there’s plenty of room for speculation now.
What are your thoughts on the carrier alliances?


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(CNN) – Consumer reports found listeria in leafy greens of various food chains, according to a new report.
Consumer Reports Purchased Whole Foods, Costco, Hannaford, and Acme Store Leaf Patterns in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey
Of 284 samples, six were stained with Listeria monocytogenes – four in bundles or loose heads and two in prewashed ones , pre-packed salad mixes.
Consumer reports indicate that the sample size was not large enough to draw conclusions about the safety of certain stores or brands, and that the results show that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of leafy vegetables.
Results prompted FDA No results available yet.
According to health experts, infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals are most likely to be affected by Listeria.
You can still eat leafy green, just stick to the cooked varieties.
According to consumer reports, it has been decided to test leaf green for bacteria after several outbreaks involving romaine lettuce. While they found Listeria, they did not find other bacteria that cause food-borne diseases, such as Salmonella and E. coli.
While they claim that few people are likely to have products in their homes, those who bought products from them, stores from early to mid-June should wash or sanitize their crispers or wherever they were stored.


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Oct 21, 2021 - Health
CDC: Salmonella outbreak linked to whole onions
The CDC announced on Thursday a salmonella outbreak linked to imported red, white and yellow onions.
Why it matters: The outbreak has now reached 37 states, with 652 illnesses and 129 hospitalizations, per the CDC alert.
Details: Fresh, whole onions imported from Chihuahua, Mexico, by ProSource Inc. are linked to the illness and should not be eaten, sold or served, the CDC said.
- The agency is advising consumers to also throw out unlabeled onions and sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with the produce, per the announcement.
- The tainted produce was last imported on Aug. 27, the CDC said.
Threat level: Most people recover from salmonella within a week.
- The CDC urges people to look for symptoms such as a fever higher than 102°F, diarrhea that lasts for more than three days and other signs of dehydration.


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Watchdog to put telecoms to the test
OFCOM, the newly created industry super-regulator, is to launch the first wholesale review of Britain's £48 billion telecoms industry since the advent of mobile phones.
Ofcom, which takes over regulation of the communications industry from a series of other bodies including telecoms supervisor Oftel later this month, said the review would begin in January and is expected to last a year.
The first industrywide study for 13 years, it will look at the extent to which existing regulation has delivered the 'goals of lower prices, high quality and wider choice'.
Ofcom chief Stephen Carter said the review was a unique opportunity to take a fresh look at the whole industry including a full study of the views of consumers.
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Cryptocurrencies are still reeling from a brutal 2022 but the overall global crypto market cap has risen 5% to $871 billion since January 1
Tesla’s second-quarter net profit fell 32% to $2.26 billion compared with the previous quarter. Total revenue fell to $16.93 billion from $18.76 billion in the previous quarter
Recent crypto chaos proof that Beijing’s ban on cryptocurrency trading was justified, says Chinese state-run newspaper The Economic Daily
Energy consumption on the bitcoin blockchain network has declined by up to 35% amid a meltdown in the value of the cryptocurrency, Mint reported, citing trackers of crypto energy usage
Moody's placed its ratings on review for further downgrades, saying Thursday's move "reflects Coinbase’s substantially weaker revenue and cashflow generation"
The crypto lender said it carried out an emergency assessment of its business operations to determine the company's liquidity status.
The crypto sector was fearful on Monday as investors worried that contagion from problems linked to several large crypto players may lead to a major shakeout if not contained.
CBDCs such as China's digital yuan (e-CNY) are centralised by design and don't need a decentralised ledger, such as in the case of bitcoin
The biggest cryptocurrency is down about 32% over the past month and almost 60% this year
The world's largest cryptocurrency was trading at $22,338.49 on Thursday in Asia, according to Coinbase, after falling to $20,079.72, its lowest level since December 2020
Falling values could turn into a vicious downward selling spiral as buyers willing to provide price support evaporate.


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Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - According to an article published yesterday by El Informador, after at least 12 violent incidents between local taxi and Uber drivers, Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña has started a security operation to prevent the ride-hailing service from operating in Puerto Vallarta without permission.
Uber began operating in Puerto Vallarta on June 27, and the nonconformity of traditional taxi drivers was immediate, since the private transportation service is not authorized to operate in the city.
The company filed an amparo that protects them from adhering to the State Mobility Law, which means the Mobility Secretariat (Semov) can not prevent the platform from operating in the Metropolitan Area. However, Puerto Vallarta has its own transportation system, so the city can prohibit Uber from providing services in the tourist center.
"If Uber is not authorized to operate in Puerto Vallarta, we will not allow them to be operating here. Until they comply with all the requirements requested by the Semov, they can not operate in city centers, such as in the case of Puerto Vallarta," the Mayor explained. "I asked our Director of Public Safety and the Municipal Traffic Director to act in accordance with law and in accordance with our regulations."
The municipal government has imposed violations on Uber cars, although it is necessary to find the drivers in flagrante. That is to say, authorities must be there when the user climbs into the car and prove that the service is being provided by the platform, which is not so simple, warns the Mayor, as some Uber cars have plates from different states and are not on record.
Dávalos Peña mentioned that the taxi drivers have created their own "operation," which consists of getting tourists out of Uber cars and into their own cars, then taking them to their destination - free of charge. Surprisingly, this has not gone over well with Uber users, who argue that everyone has the right to choose the mode of transportation that suits their needs.
He pointed out that the confrontations have not been one-sided, saying that the Uber drivers have also had face-offs with the taxi drivers.
"We are a tourist destination and any act of violence or confrontation of this kind hurts us. Local restaurateurs and merchants have met with the taxi drivers and their unions, asserting that we do not want scandals; that if they care for this tourist destination, they will call a truce until July 17, when the federal authority determine whether or not Uber services will proceed," the Mayor concluded.Source: El Informador


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NRF Retail’s BIG Show Booth #3345 - As the retail and payment ecosystem evolves, merchants want to reduce friction in the checkout process and engage consumers in new and innovative ways
KOAMTAC®, Inc., a leading manufacturer of Bluetooth® barcode scanners, RFID readers and mobile point of sale (mPOS) companions, has expanded their portfolio to include a KOAMTAC Data Collector (KDC) with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology.
Elo, a leading global supplier of touchscreen computing solutions, has announced the new 03-Series touchscreen monitors for healthcare settings and an expansion of the 02-Series touchscreen family for retail, hospitality and other commercial touchscreen applications. Both the 02- and 03-Series monitors deliver versatility for an array of applications and feature Elo’s TouchPro™ PCAP touch technology for a tablet-like user experience.
Zebra Technologies Corporation, the market leader in rugged mobile computers, barcode scanners and barcode printers enhanced with software and services to enable real-time enterprise visibility, recently announced new retail solutions designed to help retailers outperform their competition, elevate the customer experience, and strengthen their operations.
Gorilla Safety, provider of an innovative, proprietary and patented software solution that fully automates all aspects of fleet and safety management, announced recently a special offer to help those fleets not yet compliant with the recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) mandate, which calls for all motor carriers and commercial drivers to have an installed ELD in every truck
Handheld Group, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computers, today announced the new NAUTIZ X9: anultra-rugged enterprise handheld built for fieldwork in the most challenging outdoor or industrial environments.
Though email and phone dominate, instant messaging and video/web conferencing gain ground. By Christine Kern, contributing writer
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Sometimes looking at issues from outside a healthcare perspective can be illuminating. This is especially true as your healthcare clients interact and partner with an increasingly diverse group of vendors and organizations. An NTT Communications report brings new emphasis on how important it is for organizations of all types to understand the cost of security breaches.
According to an ONC report, patients are becoming more comfortable sharing their health data as their trust of technology increases. By Katie Wike, contributing writer


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Samsung reports increased profits but still falls just short of expectations
Samsung Electronics Co. today reported a lower-than-expected rise in its fiscal second-quarter operating profit, with reduced smartphone sales dragging down its bottom line despite strong demand for its server chips.
In its preliminary earnings guidance for the second quarter, the company estimated its operating profit at 14 trillion won ($11 billion), up 11% from a year earlier but just below the analyst consensus of 14.5 trillion won.
Despite the miss, Samsung said it was its best second-quarter earnings performance in four years. The company projected total sales in the quarter of 77 trillion won, up 21% from a year ago and just above the consensus estimate of 76.7 trillion won.
Samsung, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of both memory chips and smartphones, did not offer a detailed breakdown of its respective business units, with its full earnings report set to come later this month.
However, it’s known that Samsung continued to see strong demand for its memory chips in the quarter. The company manufactures both dynamic random-access memory, which is used in personal computers and servers, and NAND flash memory chips for smaller devices such as smartphones and USB drives. During the quarter, global shipments of DRAM rose by 9%, while NAND shipments increased 2%, Yonhap reported.
Dragging on Samsung’’s profits, however, were inflation-hit smartphone sales. Yonhap said a drop in consumer spending has resulted in lower sales of smartphones and other products, such as TVs. As a result, Samsung’s income took a big hit.
Analysts estimate Samsung’s smartphone shipments at 61 million units, down 16% from the previous quarter. As such, the business unit’s operating profit is likely to fall to 2.6 trillion won, down from 3.2 trillion won one year ago.
Analyst Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. remarked that in an environment that’s marked by a lingering pandemic, war and fears of a recession, it’s something of a positive when the world’s largest memory chip and smartphone maker has to pre-warn investors that it’s second quarter will be its best in four years.
“It’s good to see the mixed technology approach working for Samsung, with chips being the growth engine, and TVs and smartphones the laggards,” Mueller added. “Now all eyes are on the final results by end of the month and how Samsung will do in the second half of the year.”
It may not do quite as well. Samsung is bracing itself for further sales declines later in the year, with the ongoing war in Ukraine, increased inflation and ongoing COVID-19-related lockdowns in China battering the global economy and reducing consumer spending. In light of these problems, Gartner Inc. recently forecast a 7.6% decline in shipments of consumer electronic devices such as smartphones and PCs.
Fears are rising that the negative outlook could have a knock-on effect in the semiconductor industry, leading to weaker demand as consumer electronics brands struggle to shift their existing inventories. One of Samsung’s biggest rivals in the memory chip market, Micron Technology Inc., last week warned investors that it expects its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings and revenue to fall some way short of expectations.
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Latest news stories from Hyperlocal sites tagged with 'Traffic Problems' :: Page 1
August 28 2012, 2.46PM Westfield Common Residents' Association (WCRA)
Information on Stage 8 of the Tour of Britain cycle race which comes through Westfield Common on Sunday 16th Sep 2012.
October 19 2011, 12.25PM EastLondonLines
Local traders have united to stop big chain expansions in New Cross as Sainsburyâ€™s plans to open another location. The New Cross Federation has g...
April 13 2011, 11.34AM Westfield Common Residents' Association (WCRA)
Hoe Valley Scheme has displaced deer onto the roads - motorists and nature lovers urged to slow down