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Sales of existing homes fell 6.4 percent in December to a 4.99 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. Sales are down 10.3 percent from a year ago and 12.8 percent from the recent peak of 5.72 million in November 2017. Sales declined in all four regions tallied: sales were off 11.2 percent in the Midwest and were 10.5 percent below the year-ago level; sales declined 6.8 percent in the Northeast, putting sales 6.8 percent below year-ago levels; sales dropped 5.4 percent in the South, leaving that region’s sales rate 8.7 percent below the year-ago pace; and sales fell 1.9 percent for the month in the West and are 15.0 percent below the December 2017 rate.
Sales in the market for existing single-family homes, which account for just under 90 percent of total existing-home sales, fell 5.5 percent in December, coming in at a 4.45 million seasonally adjusted annual rate (see chart). From a year ago, sales are down 10.1 percent. Sales were down across three of the four regions: sales dropped 11.1 percent in the Midwest to 1.12 million; the Northeast saw a 6.5 percent decline to 580,000; and the South posted a 5.2 percent pullback, coming in at 1.84 million. Sales rose 2.2 percent in the West to 910,000 from 890,000 in the prior month.
Total inventory of existing single-family homes for sale declined 11.1 percent to 1.36 million in December, the sixth decrease in a row, leaving the months’ supply (inventory times 12 divided by the annual selling rate) at 3.7, down 5.1 percent from November but 19.4 percent above the year-ago level (see chart).


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The Olde Time Antiques Fair is returning to West Jefferson, in North Carolina, for the second consecutive year thanks to its success in 2012. The organiser of the festival, Keith Woodie, said he is hoping for it to become an annual antiques fair that will bring visitors to the location.
According to Woodie, who also owns an antiques store in the area, the festival last year was a big hit, with local businesses benefiting from the event. He added that all the restaurants in the vicinity were kept busy throughout the antiques fair.
The planning and organisation of the event started in January 2013, as it takes time for approval from the town commissioners to arrive. The organisers have selected Jefferson Avenue, Third Avenue and East First Street for the September event. Among the vendors at the festival will be the Dr. Pepper bottling plant, Ashe County Cheese and the Ashe Historic Society. In addition to the antiques and collectibles that will be sold at the antiques fair, there will also be entertainment in the form of a Johnny Cash tribute and The King Bees, a local band. Every aspect of the antiques fair has reportedly been improved – including the type of entertainment – to increase the chance of the event being held for a third year.
During the remainder of the year, collectors of antiques browse antique dealers for that special item. In the UK, Preston and surrounding areas have antiques dealers specialising in antique furniture, like open bookcases and chests. Antiques fairs generally favour smaller items that are easier to transport.
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domain: news


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LOS ANGELES -- "Speed," the surprise hit action-adventure movie, will be released direct to the sell-through market Nov. 15 with a suggested retail of $19.98. The title is expected to gross $120 million at the box office and will be backed by a $12.5 million marketing campaign, said Bob DeLellis, president of FoxVideo. Although it is rated R, it is a "soft R," he said. "It's a different kind of action movie," said DeLellis. "It's not a body count movie. There's no sex. It has a female ...
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WASHINGTON – It doesn’t happen very often, but every now and then WTOP gets duped by amazing things we see on the Internet.
Most recently we wanted to believe that a pig saved a baby goat from drowning at a petting zoo.
Unfortunately, the whole thing was staged, the New York Times reports.
The 30-second YouTube video was actually created for a new Comedy Central series, “Nathan for You,” the Times reports.
The staged production involved about 20 crew members, including animal trainers and scuba divers.
In case you missed it, here’s the adorable but fake video:
Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
Long-distance travel inspired this fashion show where an entire airport was recreated.


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All the up-to-the-minute news about all the up-to-the-minute smartphones and industry developments.
Try out Google’s latest smartphone software before it’s officially released.
Voice assistant breaking out from iPhone, as Apple takes on Amazon.
Security function aimed at stopping users clicking on unsafe links.
Upstart mobile maker’s new phone appears to be imminent.
iPhone 8 rumours could be to blame for slow sales, suggests Apple CEO.
Evidence mounts about Apple's plans.
Big names pull their apps, as Apple Watch continues to struggle.
Bottom of device could display information depending on app being used.
iOS and Android game proves smash hit for Nintendo.
Latest clip plays up device’s touch sensitive edges.


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Shown off at the recent CES 2015, the CocoJet 3D Printer is a reality. It is a collaboration between Hershey and 3D Systems. It is a printer that prints chocolate shapes. Soon we might even be able to print our own Cadbury Eggs.
Up until now, the vast majority of 3D printers on the market have been designed to produce plastic models, and if there’s functionality, it’s pretty primitive – like rotating gears. But Voxel8 aims to change that, with their upcoming 3D printer that can not only print plastic, but also circuitry.
3D printers are getting cooler and cooler every day. Resolutions are quickly approaching the point where it’s possible to create very, very detailed surfaces with a minimum of aliasing. Yeah, I’m calling it “aliasing,” since that’s basically what it is and most of you geeks get the reference.
We’ve seen a couple of compact machines that can print, scan or mill objects. Fedor Gridnev and Elena Gaidar want to raise the bar for affordable workshop machines with the 5axismaker. It’s a 5-axis milling machine, a 3D printer, a 3D scanner, a water jet cutter and a wire cutter in one.
The plastic used in most 3D printers come in the form of rolls of filament. But Sculptify designed its David 3D printer to use pellets instead, hoping to make their device print in a wider variety of materials while saving users money in the process.
We’ve seen a couple of 3D printers that can create multicolored objects in one build, but they’re out of the price range of mere mortals. You can get the reasonably affordable MakerBot Replicator 2X, but it can only print in two different colors.
We’ve seen a couple of iPad apps that simplify 3D modeling for kids. Mission Street Manufacturing wants to go beyond that and teach children how 3D printers work as well. Its Printeer is designed to be used by kids and K-12 schools.
3D printers are very useful devices and there are plenty of them on the market today. You will spend at least $500 or more on most of the commercially available printers. That means that a lot of us who might like to play with a 3D printer, but aren’t yet ready to invest haven’t bought one.
We’ve seen 3D printers make chocolate, pizza, pasta and more. Here’s one that prints fruits. Or rather, “fruits.” Developed by English company Dovetailed, the printer uses drops of fruit juice to form food using a culinary process called spherification.
3D printers are becoming quite popular, and there seems to be no end in sight about the things that they can output. However, this is the first time I’ve heard anything about one that can print makeup.
If you liked the idea of the MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer that launched a couple years ago, but didn’t want to spend the money the thing costs, check this out. MakerBot has announced that it is now taking pre-orders for the cheapest 3D printer it has ever offered.
It’s not the world’s largest 3D printer, but the BigRep One still dwarfs most of the consumer 3D printers available today. With a build volume of 1.3 cubic meters, it’s big enough to print furniture in one piece.
A few years ago we found out about mighty Roombas that were moonlighting as sumo wrestlers. Jose Julio’s RepRap 3D printer also has a sporting spirit. The robotics enthusiast unlocked his gadget’s potential and turned it into an air hockey player.
We know that 3D printers can print objects out of plastic, food, animal tissue and metal. Now a company called Mark Forged claims that its upcoming Mark One 3D printer can print using carbon fiber, the wonder material known for its high strength-to-weight ratio and cool looks.


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Japanese automakers announced Friday a $1.6 billion joint-partnership to build a manufacturing plant that will bring 4,000 new jobs to the U.S. The location of the plant is unknown, but the Associated Press reports it is likely to be in the south near the rest of the automaker’s U.S.-based manufacturing spots.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff responded to the announcement with anticipation for the economic boost it would bring to the manufacturing sector of the city.
“Toyota is an important asset to our community, and we are seeking consideration as a location for the plant announced today,” Mayor Nirenberg stated. “The automotive manufacturing industry has long been targeted by local economic development officials. We’ve built a decades-long relationship with Japan and have an experienced workforce. We know the competition to win the plant will be fierce. Still, this team has been successful before, and we look forward to the challenge.”
In a 50-50 cost split, the automakers will complete the plant in 2021 with Toyota planning to build North America’s Corollas there, while Mazda will focus on crossover models. A Toyota press release outlines the details of the agreement and states that the capital alliance arrangement “preserves independence and equality for both companies.” It will further “deepen collaboration and achieve sustainable growth through their partnership, rising to face and overcome these pressing challenges.”
After San Antonio beat out locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and other Texas cities in 2002, Toyota established a $1.2 billion manufacturing plant in San Antonio and began producing its Tundra trucks here in 2006. All U.S. Tundra manufacturing moved to the San Antonio facility in 2008, and Tacoma production began here a year later.
“Bexar County and the City of San Antonio will work with the State of Texas and other economic development partners in a unified effort,” Judge Wolff stated. “Our community is very proud of our current Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas operation, the on-site supplier park and the nearly 7,000 men and women who build the highest-quality Toyota Tundras and Tacomas in the world. Toyota and Mazda are not going to find a better site than ours.”
During the first wave of Japanese automakers’ investment in the U.S. in the mid-1980s, Japanese-brand automakers provided fewer than 10,000 direct U.S. jobs, according to the Japanese Automakers Member Association USA General Director Manny Manriquez.
Currently, these companies provide more than eight times as many jobs, for a total of nearly 88,000 direct U.S. jobs.
Such jobs are considered high-quality employment opportunities, and for each manufacturing and research and development job created by the automakers, there are many others – from steelworkers to retail store employees, logistics providers to vehicle dealership associates.
“The greatest fruit of our partnership with Mazda is that we have found a new partner who truly loves cars,” Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, stated in a company press release. “It has also sparked Toyota’s competitive spirit, increasing our sense of not wanting to be bested by Mazda.
“This is a partnership in which those who are passionate about cars will work together to make ever-better cars. It is also the realization of our desire to never let cars become commodities.”
The Associated Press report also predicted that since the combined plant will build the Corolla models, it likely will be near Toyota’s current Corolla plant in Mississippi to be close to parts supply companies.


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Large issues are occurring within the Polkadot ecosystem as the most recent information confirmed rising hypothesis.
Polkadot emerged as the highest chain by improvement exercise previously 24 hours. With an index worth of 344, the community heads opponents equivalent to Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and others.
Excessive improvement exercise is a sign that the blockchain will ship new options sooner or later.
DOT-ting the right traces
Polkadot is starting to emerge from its June- bottoms in some vogue after its newest collection of developments.
The community has been wanting to flex its muscular tissues regardless of the continuing volatility disaster within the crypto market.
Initiatives on Polkadot are persevering with to develop as per a current update. PolkaBridge has not too long ago been listed on Huobi trade marking a pointy rise in enlargement. Furthermore, Polkadot is now accessible for staking on Binance which can present an amazing vary of publicity to the community.
Not too long ago, the Galaxy Rating metric was revealed for Polkadot initiatives which exhibits the well being, high quality, and efficiency of the token. As per this checklist, Poolz Finance heads the way in which adopted by Ankr, Dock, and Mantra DAO.
Polkadot Inside has additionally launched an update on the efficiency of Bifrost Finance’s Rainbow Enhance 3.0.
Greater than 7900 customers have already joined the community with the highest 100 getting access to 47,000 raindrops.
Moreover, greater than 188,000 vKSM has been minted via SLP with over 42000 (22% of provide) minted in the course of the marketing campaign itself.
A tricky week
Regardless of the continuing improvement exercise on Polkadot, the token has slid underneath the radar with its efficiency. DOT has shed over 19.5% previously week with slightly below 5% worth misplaced previously day alone.
The token has continued to lose face worth after the crypto plunge on 19 August which noticed main cryptocurrencies lose key help ranges.
Regardless of the current restoration round a number of property, the case for DOT drags on into extra purple candles. The token, at press time, was buying and selling at $7.04, in accordance with CoinMarketCap.


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Global digital payments player PayPal is expected to offer domestic payment services in India from next week, as per sources close to the development. With its new service in India, PayPal is expected to act as a payment aggregator and work with banks to offer digital payment services to its customers.
The source stated that PayPal has tied up with a dozen merchants to start off operations in India, wherein during the online checkout process customers will be shown the PayPal payment option. PayPal, with its set of expertise, could also drive digital payments at merchant locations, which are still predominantly card or cash.
However, an email query sent to a PayPal spokesperson elicited the following response, “The story is speculative and PayPal does not comment on market speculations and rumors.”
PayPal And The Exploding Digital Payments Space In India
For now, PayPal is operational in India only for cross-border payments for small merchants, entrepreneurs and freelancers selling goods and services abroad. In August 2016, it announced the launch of PayPal.me – a new peer to peer payment feature which allows users to receive payment via the click of a link in a fast, convenient and personalised way.
If the development proves to be true, it will see yet another global player entering the digital payments market in India which is getting overcrowded with domestic and global companies. If PayPal brings in its domestic payment services, then it would have to battle market leader Paytm, along with players like Google’s Tez, WhatsApp, Flipkart-owned Phonepe, Mobikwik, and Amazon Pay.
Unlike India, in the US, the company has an expanded suite of offerings, including a payment gateway business, peer-to-peer payments, merchant payments, remittances, and retail offline transactions. The company also has a credit product there named PayPal Credit.
In India, however, it might only introduce merchant payments, to begin with. While it has not applied for a prepaid payments instrument (PPI) licence from Reserve Bank of India to operate a digital wallet, but it could use the Unified Payments Interface infrastructure through banks to facilitate domestic payments.
The global player has slowly been adding to its repertoire in India. Strengthening its leadership team in India, last year the company appointed its former technology head for Asia-Pacific, Anupam Pahuja, as its Managing Director for India. In July, it hired LendingClub’s former vice president of finance, Gunjan Shukla, as Chief Financial Officer for its India business. This was followed by the appointment of Siddharth Dhamija, previously Chief Growth Officer at Razorpay, as its head of growth and large merchant acquisition in India in September.
The digital payments player also grabbed headlines when it was said to be in the race to acquire 25% stake in FreeCharge for $200 Mn in December 2016. In August this year, it has announced the launch of two Technology Innovation Labs at the Chennai and Bengaluru Tech centres. The lab is the first by PayPal in India and the third after US and Singapore.
If PayPal does bring its entire range of payments services from North America to India, Indian audience will have yet another secure and safe way to make digital payments. And it will become yet another contender in the hotly contested digital payments turf in India, which as per the recent Google and Boston Consulting Group report, is projected to reach $500 Bn by 2020, contributing 15% to India’s GDP.


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Business News›standalone profit›Videos
Maruti Suzuki profit soars 4 times to Rs 2,062 crore in Q2, beats Street estimates
Maruti Suzuki India’s standalone net profit for the quarter ended September 2022 surged more than four-fold year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 2,062 crore, beating estimates by an ET Now poll of Rs 1,935 crore.Maruti Suzuki profit soars 4 times to Rs 2,062 crore in Q2, beats St...
Watch: Bosch reports standalone net profit of Rs 433.78 crore in Q4
Auto component major Bosch on Tuesday reported 1.51 per cent decline in its standalone net profit at Rs 433.78 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2018. The company had posted a standalone net profit of Rs 440.47 crore in the year-ago quarter, Bosch said in a BSE filing. St...
HDFC Q1 net profit jumps 54% to Rs 2,190 cr, income up 20% at Rs 9,952 cr
HDFC Ltd today reported 54 per cent jump in standalone net profit to Rs 2,190 crore for the first quarter ended June, 2018-19. The mortgage lender had registered a net profit of Rs 1,424.47 crore in the April-June quarter of last fiscal, 2017-18. (PTI)HDFC Q1 net profit jumps ...
ITC Q1 profit rises 10% YoY to Rs 2,819 crore
Diversified ITC today reported 10 per cent increase in standalone net profit at Rs 2,818.68 crore for the first quarter ended on June 30, 2018, aided by lower expenses, good growth in agri-business and other FMCG business despite decline in cigarettes sales.ITC Q1 profit rises 10% YoY to Rs 2,819 crore
Watch: Mahindra Finance posts Rs 342 crore standalone profit in Q3
Non-banking finance company Mahindra Finance on Wednesday said its standalone profit after tax stood at Rs 342 crore during the third quarter ended December 31, 2017, as against a loss of Rs 16 crore during the same period of last fiscal. The total income rose by 23 per cent to Rs 1,...
RIL Q1 standalone net profit beats estimates
Reliance Industries on July 15 posted 19.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY) jump in standalone net profit at Rs 7,548 crore for the quarter ended June 30. The reported net profit was ahead of ET Now estimate of Rs 6,441 crore.RIL Q1 standalone net profit beats estimates
Reliance Industries likely to report 10% surge in Q4 standalone profitReliance Industries, India's largest private sector company by earnings, may post a 10% increase in standalone profit in the fourth quarter from a year earlier on rising volumes and higher profitability of its petrochemical business and stable gross refining margins.Reliance Indu
Kotak Mahindra Bank Q4 stand-alone profit dropsKotak Mahindra Bank posted fourth-quarter stand-alone net profit (Rs.407.18 crore) lower than the fourth-quarter of last year. On a consolidated basis, its fourth-quarter consolidated net profit was Rs.663.31 crore, down from Rs.665.60 crore reported for the same period last year.Kotak Mahindra Bank Q4
HDFC Q4 standalone profit rises 8% to Rs 1862.4 crKeki Mistry, Vice-Chairman and CEO, HDFC Bank says the standalone profit increased 8 percent year-on-year to Rs 1,862.43 crore in March quarter, impacted by deferred tax liability. Mistry also adds loan book as on March 2015 was Rs 2.28 lakh crore, a growth of 15.7 percent compared to Rs 1.97 lakh c
Adani Enterprises Q4 stand-alone profit declinesAdani Enterprises Q4 stand-alone profit declines
Apollo Hospitals Q1 standalone profit at Rs 51 cr vs Rs 39 crApollo Hospitals Q1 standalone profit at Rs 51 cr vs Rs 39 crLoad More
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A barber shop in Lancashire has told customers it will reopen from Monday (May 18) in defiance of the Government's lockdown plans.
Dad's & Lads Barbers in Colne announced the news on their Facebook page today (May 14) with a picture of a staff member wearing a personal protective equipment (PPE) suit, face mask, gloves and a thermometer gun.
The announcement has provoked a strong response on social media with some praising the decision while others arguing it is 'irresponsible' and that they will be 'breaking the law'.
Shop bosses say they will check every customer's temperature on arrival and anyone showing signs of a fever will not be served.
The barbers, based on Richmond Court, will also operate a '1 in 1 out policy' unless they are members of the same household. They also say that hair cutting equipment will be 'cleaned and sterilised between each client'.
Earlier this week Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid out plans for the first stages of lifting lockdown.
Under the Government's plans to ease the restrictions barbers and beauty salons could be among the last businesses to open back up.
Classed as non-essential shops, hairdressers will only be allowed to reopen when it's considered 'safe to do so', and on the condition they are 'able to follow the new COVID-19 Secure guidelines'.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed that hairdressers and barbers, as well as pubs and restaurants, would have to wait until phrase three, from July 4 at the 'very earliest' to open.
He said: "Obviously the proximity in those two sectors... is something where we don't think we're ready yet, given where we are with the virus."
The Facebook post from Dad's & Lads Barbers has attracted more than 300 comments so far.
Bosses have responded to some of the criticism by arguing "there's no law, it's government guidelines".
They also challenged one person by saying "show me which law I'm breaking and I won't open" and told another "government guidelines isn't law my mate".
In another post, one woman wrote: "If you need to wear this amount of PPE and take these amount of precautions then doesn't that tell you it's not safe to open yet?"
Another barber shop owner said: "I own a barbershop in Torquay and we CANNOT open yet. It's irresponsible to open now and you will be end up getting reported, shut down and made to pay back the 10k grant."
Another posted: "Government guidelines have been put in place for a reason, now every barbers is going to open."
However other social media users have come to the defence of the barbers and said they should be allowed to reopen.
One man wrote: "Good for you. You got the right PPE. More PPE than a care home, and people can work there then go home then go to the supermarket etc etc etc. Man as to earn its good for his mental health."
Another said: "Book me in asap.... when can I come? What time. Cheers".
Another posted: "Well done guys and good luck."
After the story was published on LancsLive, Dads & lads Male Grooming & Barbering in Padiham posted a statement on Facebook clarifying they are not connected with the Colne salon.
They said: "We have had so many messages and posts sent to us about the dads and lads barbers in Colne opening and being on lancs news!
"We are not in business with that shop we sold the business a year ago, but still have the same name as things wouldn’t get changed!
"So please don’t get us mistaken we have one barbers in Padiham and we remain closed due to safety of our clients please share."


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The S&P 500 hit a record high extending gains on Tuesday. Financials were among the leaders on the big board. The Dow was up 61 points or +0.28% to finish at 22,118. The S&P 500 climbed 8 points or +0.34% approaching the 2,500 boundary while Nasdaq went up 22 points or +0.34% to 6,454.28.
Gainers were across the board with tires (+3.10%), aluminum (+2.56%) and heavy construction (+2.12%) leading the industry groups. Laggards included water (-0.49%) and electricity (-1.75%). Restaurants and bars (-1.30%) dragged on Dow's performance as investors worried about the impact of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey on sales.
Oil price rebounded up +0.62% after OPEC said oil output fell for August suggesting cuts are having an effect. Gold slipped again down -0.01% as investors remain confident, even as the UN imposes sanctions on North Korea and the US presses China to impose stronger measures against North Korea.
- Dow 22,118.86 +0.28%
- S&P 500 2,496.48 +0.34%
- Nasdaq 6,454.28. +0.34%
- Russell 2000 1,423.46 +0.61%
- NYSE Composite 12,057.12 +0.39%
- Gold 1,335.6 -0.01%
- Oil WTI $48.35 +0.58%
- 10-Year Treasury 2.16 +0.03%
Hurricane impact expected on McDonald's and Starbucks' bottom line
McDonald's had its steepest one-day decline since July 2016 falling -3.22% on news that research company M Science forecasted weaker sales than market analysts for the fast-food company.
The hurricanes that affected Texas and Florida could have a negative impact on revenue and same-store sales domestically and suggested the company could miss consensus estimates. McDonald's has over 2,000 chains across both states.
Starbucks also fell -0.89% as investors expect a toll on sales performance post the catastrophes. It said in a letter to its partners on Monday that 400 stores closed in Texas and Louisiana will be reopened when it is safe to do so suggesting it could be many more days before "communities and our customers return to anything approaching a normal routine."
The company also closed 700 stores prior to Hurricane Irma across the Southeast and Puerto Rico which remain closed.
Starbucks warned that "like most retailers impacted by these storms, we are still assessing the impact they will have on our business and operations, but we do expect the store closures, dislocations and extraordinary hurricane-related expenses to have some impact on our current quarter financial results."
Quote of the day: “If we had a trader who traded bitcoin I’d fire him in a second for two reasons. One, it’s against our rules. Two, it’s stupid,” says Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan chief executive at a conference in New York on Tuesday. Source: Forbes


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- IGo and Netcentives rose above their offering prices in their initial public offerings Thursday in strong, but not sparkling, debuts for the e-tailing specialists.
San Francisco-based Netcentives ncnt closed at 12 9/16, fractionally above its $12 price. The stock opened at 13 1/2. It was the volume winner among IPOs for the day with 8.8 million shares trading hands.
In a sign of strong demand for its 6 million shares, the company priced at $12 per share, at the top of its $10-to-$12 range.
It's raising $72 million with underwriter CS First Boston. The company rang up a $14.1 million loss on $600,000 in revenues in 1998.
Cybergold shares were unchanged at 9 Thursday, even with the stock's Sept. 23 offering price. MyPoints, which debuted Aug. 20 at $8 per share, traded down 3/4 to 13 1/2 on Thursday.
"They're all based on the idea that as you make purchases you make money ... kind of like an online version of S&H green stamps," said Bruce Fox, editor of RT's ERetailing World, a unit of Dutch publishing concern VNU.
E-tailers and companies that work with them, such as Netcentives, are jockeying for the roughly $10 billion in online retail sales expected this holiday season.
Fox said next week's E-Retailing '99 conference in New York City is seeing huge growth from a year ago. Pre-registrations stand at 1,000, double last year's, and will feature 100 exhibitors, vs.15 last year.
IGo moves higher
Reno, Nev.-based IGo igoc closed at 14 1/16, or 17 percent above its upped price of $12 per share. The stock opened at 14 1/2. About 8.2 million shares traded hands.
The 5 million-share offering was priced above its $9-to-$11 range in a sign of keen investor interest.
The company sells accessories and services for mobile electronic devices online. It raised $60 million with lead underwriter BancBoston Robertson Stephens.
The e-tailer rang up $12.8 million in revenue and a loss of $2.1 million last year.
IGo founder Ken Hawk said the company is "real happy" with the IPO.
IGo touted its 35 percent profit margin on goods sold off its Web site as one of the highest in the business. The category of laptop and cellular accessories is expected to grow to $8.1 billion by 2001.
The company supplies the back-end commerce for the NEC Web site.
Hawk said IGo embraces growth in wireless access to the Internet because it'll drive parts sales for hand-held computers and wireless phones. "We love that trend," he said.
NetRadio's weak reception
Shares of NetRadio NETR, -0.16% fell below their offering price as investors dialed up static for the company's $35 million IPO, led by Gerard Klauer Mattison.
The Minneapolis firm opened at 11 3/4, just above its $11 price, but ended the day at 10.
A broadcaster of originally programmed audio entertainment over the Internet through a Web site, NetRadio rang up a meager $300,000 in revenue last year and a loss of $4 million.
El Segundo, Calif.-based Infonet is on a short list of billion-dollar IPOs.
Infonet, led by underwriter Merrill Lynch, joins a handful of billion-dollar IPOs, including Charter Communications, John Hancock, UPS and new U.S. listings by German electronics and components maker Epcos and Cnooc, a Chinese gas firm expected to debut Friday.
Although just a few companies actually raised $1 billion in their IPOs, about 70 new issues of '99 already have market caps above that level.
The biggest is Internet Capital Group icge with a market cap of nearly $12 billion, followed by Juniper Networks JNPR, +0.95% with $11 billion; Priceline.com " at $10 billion; and Foundry Networks fdry with $7.9 billion.
Spanish Broadcasting System IPO
Spanish Broadcasting System has a lot of nerve holding an initial public offering this month.
Think about it. Nowhere in the Miami-based company's name do you see one of those reassuring ".com" designations. In fact, the company's main selling point to prospective investors involves the old-fashioned business measuring stick of good demographics -- nothing to do with the Internet. The company's planned 22 million-share IPO will test whether solid demographics can sway a market that lusts after Internet companies but has been known to cast a cold eye on nontechnology companies. See related story.


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In some disappointing news for gamers, The Last of Us Part II has had its release date pushed back.
Given how so many projects across the entertainment industry have been delayed or outright cancelled lately, it’s not a huge surprise to hear that Naughty Dog has opted to pull the game from its May 29th release.
The full statement from Naughty Dog can be found below.
A message from us about the delay of The Last of Us Part II: pic.twitter.com/aGsSRfmJ8a— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) April 2, 2020
The Last of Us Part II is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Hell, we’d even argue it is the most anticipated game on most people’s radars right now.
Originally, Part II was pegged for a February release. That then was delayed until May 29th. And now, well now the sequel is seemingly on hold indefinitely.
Expect an update on The Last of Us Part II’s new release date as soon as we get it.


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Happy Meals, World Cup tie-ins and Extra Value Combos are the main messages on walking into any of McDonald’s 32,000 restaurants worldwide. However, all manner of controversies – everything from the obesity crisis and “supersize me” debate, through to allegations of litter creation, employee mistreatment and factory farming – have dogged the golden arches over the decades.
But perhaps none of these controversies has been more damaging than the notorious McLibel case of the 1990s – dubbed by the UK’s Channel 4 news as “the most expensive and disastrous public relations exercise ever mounted by a multinational company”. It is a tale of David and Goliath, an unusual legal climate, Pyrrhic victory and unintended consequences.
The case involves Helen Steel and Dave Morris – the so-called McLibel Two – both activists involved with a campaigning collective known as London Greenpeace (no relation to Greenpeace International) in the 1980s.
Steel and Morris were taken to court by the burger chain for their role in publishing a fact sheet – What’s Wrong With McDonald’s? – in 1986 that levelled a wide range of allegations against the company. It included claims of promoting unhealthy food, animal cruelty, anti-union activity, bad working conditions and contributing to starvation in the developing world.
Most disturbing of all to McDonald’s was the claim that the company’s beef was implicated in loss of tropical rainforest.
However, as Matt Haig argues in his 2003 book Brand Failures: The Truth About the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All Time, “very few people would now know about the contents of that pamphlet if McDonald’s hadn’t taken the matter to court”.
Through the 1980s, allegations of the company’s complicity in rainforest destruction were aired by the BBC2 Nature programme, as well as appearing in articles in the Independent newspaper’s magazine and in the Sunday Correspondent.
In all of these cases (and others), the company’s response was to have its law firm send a demand for an apology and retraction of the allegations, or face the threat of a defamation lawsuit under Britain’s famously strict libel laws, which require defendants to prove the truth of their allegations. In the cases of Channel 4, the BBC and many others, the recipients of the legal threats gave in to McDonald’s demands, rather than face the expense and uncertainty of prevailing on a libel case in a British court.
Also caught up in the controversy were John Elkington and Julia Hailes, co-founders of London-based consultants SustainAbility. In 1987 Elkington and Hailes co-authored The Green Consumer Guide, the bible of environmental consumerism, which included a mention of McDonald’s beef having been accused of involvement in tropical deforestation.
This prompted McDonald’s to threaten an injunction to remove the book from sale. Elkington says: “I understand McDonald’s didn’t initially notice the book coming out, but noticed increasing numbers of young people coming into restaurants and asking questions.” The legal advice was not encouraging. He says: “We were told by a very senior lawyer in London we were very unlikely to prevail – unless, that is, we wanted to ‘play poker’. We looked at the legal situation and felt, in fact, we could prevail.”
When McDonald’s leaned on Elkington and Hailes to retract the rainforest allegation, the pair put forward two conditions. First that McDonald’s implement a well-thought-out environmental policy across its operations. And second that the company develop a means to be able to tell, through the supply chain, whether its meat did or did not come from areas that had recently been forested.
Elkington and Hailes eventually met with McDonald’s, but before their meeting, Elkington says, the company sent its director


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The Argentine Football Association (AFA) and BC.GAME, the award-winning best crypto casino of 2022, have entered into a global agreement that will unlock an international path that leads both brands to reach a wider audience and create new activities that will bring the organizations and their players closer together.
Fans and gamers from all around the globe may now enjoy the offerings of BC.GAME, the premier crypto casino. The Argentine national team, as well as the Qatar World Cup games, will be supported by BC.GAME in the next months. Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala, Angel Di Maria, and other outstanding Argentine superstars will meet and engage with BC.GAME gamers.
This collaboration is more than simply an agreement, with the goal of creating an international gateway for the AFA and BC.GAME brands to reach new audiences and generate new income streams across several categories. Both businesses will cooperate for six months to offer the most of the collaboration.
Chris Butler, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BC.GAME shares:
“The Argentine Football Association has proven to be one of the most intuitive organizations on the planet. We, at BC.GAME, are thrilled to find that many of our long-term goals were in perfect alignment with the AFA’s plans to form partnerships with the top companies in the blockchain industry. Moving forward, we aim to introduce mutually beneficial revenue streams as well as unhindered access to our massive community of gamers, punters, and football fans who frequent the BC.GAME Casino and social channels. As exciting as this is for all of us at BC.GAME, we are equally humbled to have this opportunity.”
Claudio Fabian Tapia, President of AFA, also said:
“We are very happy to present this new agreement with BC.GAME. At AFA, we are always looking for opportunities to harness emerging technologies to improve the experience of our National Team and League fans. This agreement allows us to create new digital products and, by this, generate a new stream of the source of income. We welcome BC.GAME as a new commercial partner of our Association.”
BC.GAME is a community-based crypto casino that offers our players the best online casino experience they can achieve with our platform. Launched back in 2017, BC.GAME is among the first casinos to support lightning networks – not only revolutionizing the casino industry but also the blockchain space.
With the recent addition of Sports betting, users can enjoy more than 10,000 games, including but not limited to sports, slots, live table games, and even the most famous bitcoin crash game. Recently in 2022, the BC.GAME has won multiple awards in the industry, making it the number one Crypto Casino of the Year (PR News Wire, 2022). It offers almost every top Cryptocurrency and has recently also started accepting fiat payments.


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Historic Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts plays host every day in December to the World’s Largest Wallet, freshly crowned by Guinness World Records.
More than just a simple celebration to kick off the holiday shopping season, the 21’x10′ wallet is also a fund-raising vehicle to remind holiday shoppers to help the poor and needy.
Cambridge, Mass.-based walletiers Big Skinny makes wallets, which are claimed to be the thinnest in the world.[ Also Read: Meet the New Tallest Married Couple ]
It has created the giant wallet as a unique way to raise funds for more than eleven non-profit partner organizations such as the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, PATS Kids, Salvation Army, and others.
Each has a wallet pocket and their representatives stand at the wallet every day in December increasing awareness and growing donations. Visitors can also donate online to the non-profit of their choice at www.bigskinny.net.
Also, the Big Skinny website streams live video of the wallet. Over 10,000 viewers have already watched the passionate dedication of the non-profits and charities braving winter weather in Harvard Square to help the poor and needy.[ Also Read: Celebs Join Hands to Combat Hunger in the U.S. ]
Big Skinny owner Kiril Stefan Alexandrov previously co-founded two non-profits before taking on the challenge of manufacturing wallets. Big Skinny creative director Catherine Alexandrov spent hundreds of production hours constructing the wallet in her Cambridge office.
“The wallet is a perfect counterpoint to the commercialism of this season,” said Alexandrov. “Our hope is that our big crimson wallet urges folks to open their wallets to help address the needs of the underserved community.”
Wallets are the most frequently given gift at the holidays, and this year the record-setting Big Skinny wallet encourages giving meaningful gifts to those that really need help.
Big Skinny says its proprietary, ultra-thin nylon micro-fiber and top grain leather along with unique designs result in over 50 percent reduction in wallet size even when stuffed with all your cards, cash, and paper.
It said today, Dec.8, that it will present the World’s Largest Wallet as an annual fund raising tradition.


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GREENSBORO, N.C. — The holidays are right around the corner and many are expected to shop online. Soon unattended boxes will start to show up on the door step.
Iris Perez says one of her packages was swiped right off her front steps in Greensboro, and it was all caught on camera.
“This is the first time anything has happened like this,” Perez explained.
In the Ring camera video she shared with FOX8, a person picks up a package and takes off with it into another yard.
“He even looks at the camera,” she said. “He looks right up to the camera, and he walks away with the package.”
It was a scary sight for Perez as it unfolded while she was home alone.
“I was afraid, but I was also very angry that this happened right when I was here,” Perez said.
It’s a reminder to keep an eye on when packages are being delivered.
Perez isn’t the only one. Greensboro police report 40 incidents of stolen property within half-a-mile of her home over the past six months.
“It’s crazy to feel like these people would come in broad daylight even when the cars were here on the driveway,” Perez explained. “It’s like they have no fear of anything.”
She hopes whoever stole her package will think again next time.
“He had the choice to not do it and do the right thing, and he still chose to take the package,” she added.
If you have a package on the way, police encourage you to use delivery alerts. Also, ask a trusted family member or friend pick it up for you if you can’t make it home in time.
Some companies, like Amazon, offer delivery to a secure location where you can pick it up.
Greensboro police have not arrested the suspect.


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discoDSP has announced a spring sale offer with price reductions of 40 to 50% valid until April 10th.
Viewers of this article also read...
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- DiscoDSP releases Discovery Pro 6.5.4 Beta DiscoDSP has released a Beta of version 6.5.4 of their Discovery Pro virtual synthesizer and sampler, including VST3 and multi-channel support.


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Russia, Iran and Turkey will establish a Foreign Trade Action Plan among themselves and will cease to use the US$ as a trading currency between them.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has set a US$200 billion target for bilateral trade between Russia and China.
Russia and China discuss the possibility of involving Chinese companies in the construction and upgrading of power plants in the Russian Far East.
Russia is powering ahead with its digital technology plans and is set to become a “fast follower” 5G nation on the global stage.
The Russian Finance Ministry has announced plans to “de-dollarize” by 2024, that is, to wean the country off US dollar dependence.
British business is looking at other markets. One of them, despite the political coldness between London and Moscow, is the Russian market.
Russia and Uzbekistan have agreed to US$27 billion worth of investment deals with Russia at the first Russian-Uzbek Inter-regional Cooperation Forum, held last week in Tashkent.
Chinese companies are ready to deploy their own advanced technology, equipment, and engineering in the construction of infrastructure in Russia’s Far East.
Buoyed by an economy re-modelling itself after Western-imposed sanctions, Russia’s exports are expected to grow to US$250 billion by 2024.
The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade have announced that Chinese and Indian companies are investing millions of dollars in the Klyuchevskoye Gold Depots.


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ADB approved $ 350 million loan to rehabilitate and upgrade two state highways and 23 major district roads totalling about 850 km. in Chhattisgarh. It will improve the connectivity and access to basic services and livelihood opportunities in the state.
Indian Multination conglomerate, L & T Finance Holdings, launched “Sabse khaas loan” for two wheeler customers. The scheme provides burden free and low-cost finance for two – wheelers eliminates the need for hypothecation of the vehicle to the financier over the tenure of the loan. Borrowers can choose 3 different EMI periods – 6, 12 & 18 months with the interest rates between 7.99% and 8.99%.
Ahead of International Yoga day celebrated on June 21st, the ministry of AYUSH has launched Yoga locator – an app to locate Yoga events and centres providing training and instructor within the users range. This app is a map – based application which allows the instructor for register themselves and reach out to Users.
India’s Favourite domestic airline Spice Jet’s chairman and MD Ajay Singh was elected to the board of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The new board would be chaired by Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr. Founder and former Chairman of the now newly revived Jet Airways Naresh Goyal was a member on the previous board.
Popular Consumer brand, Veeba Foods make inroads into a nutrition segment with its new brand V – Nourish, a nutrition supplement for kids above 5 years appoints Shah Rukh Khan as its Ambassador. The Company has partnered with Shah Rukh Khan for V – Nourish’s launching campaign, “Real Ingredients and whole some Nutrition for Shaitaan Ki Jaan”.
The Medical and Health Department of Rajasthan was conferred with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Tobacco Control Award for 2019 in recognition of its achievements in the field of tobacco control. It was presented on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) celebrated in May 31 2019 in an event held in New Delhi. It was received by Rohit Kumar Singh Additional Chief Secretary, Medical & Health Department of Rajasthan.
State Health Department of Goa announced the appointment of Panaji-based, Namrata Menon, Yoga Instructor, and fitness expert, as brand ambassador to promote yoga in Goa. She is appointed to promote the ancient system of physical and mental practices to raise awareness about the benefits of yoga so that people follow it on a daily basis.
PepsiCo India will invest nearly 500 crore to build a food manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh. It will invest $2.1 bn in India by 2022, which is part of the $5.5 bn it had promised in November 2013. It is part of PepsiCo’s efforts to expand capacity in India’s growing packaged foods market. The makers of Lay’s chips and Kurkure snacks, PepsiCo will invest along with its local bottling partner.
In the Central American country of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele has been sworn-in as the nation’s President. Bukele was sworn-in by the Speaker of the National Assembly in downtown San Salvador. Bukele was elected in February to succeed Salvador Sanchez Ceren, a leftist former guerrilla.


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Cloud News & Reviews - Page 9
More Cloud News
eWEEK DATA POINTS: The internet of things, smart devices and new content platforms have telecommunications companies facing a data onslaught. Here's what they are doing about it.
NEWS ANALYSIS: Cyber-criminals are getting better at finding ways to extract large sums of money from companies through the use of email and phishing attacks.
NEW-PRODUCT NEWS: Slack unwrapped several new features at its annual Frontiers conference, including the new no-code Workflow Builder and the ability for traditional email users to participate in Slack messaging.
eWEEK is building a new IT products and services section that encompasses most of the categories that we cover on our site. In it, we will spotlight the leaders in each sector, which include enterprise software, hardware, security, on-premises-based systems and cloud services. We also will...
eWEEK DATA POINTS: Machine learning and artificial intelligence can be hard terms to define, so how does this play into security product marketing? Are the terms being oversold--or undersold--to potential buyers? Here are some suggestions on what questions to ask security vendors.
VMware is including the Pod Security Policy capability, which is still considered to be a beta feature in the open-source Kubernetes cloud-native container orchestration project, as a supported component in its enterprise-grade Kubernetes platform.
eWEEK DATA POINTS: By 2023, Forrester is forecasting that the global market for cloud security solutions will reach $12.7 billion, as organizations across multiple sectors continue to deploy mission-critical workloads in the public cloud.
eWEEK IT SCIENCE: Desigual had a five-month runway to deliver an assisted-shopping application and one additional month to roll it out. With Docker's help, it was delivered and deployed on time and efficiently.
NEWS ANALYSIS: The traditional enterprise software axis of Oracle and SAP has infiltrated Google, which until now was known as a technology powerhouse that was lacking in enterprise chops.
eWEEK DATA POINTS: We present several examples of efficient and sustainable energy innovations that are transforming the data center industry from a power-guzzler to one of energy efficiency.
eWEEK DATA POINTS: Big retailers like Amazon don’t offer brands much control over their customer experience, so Toys 'R' Us can set itself up for success by working together with brands to help create the ultimate customer experience and give them more control throughout the shopping journey.
NEW-PRODUCT NEWS: The addition is the latest hosting option available for enterprise Azure users as they refine their Azure cloud deployments.


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ForgeFix has reassured its customers that it is doing everything it can to overcome the supply chain issues due to a container shortage carrying building supplies to the UK.
ForgeFix, which has manufacturing facilities in the Far East and has supply chain managers in situ, has also expanded its customer service team to provide extremely high service levels to its merchant network. ForgeFix believes that despite the disruption the pandemic has caused, its long-term investment in its supply chain is paying off.
Michael Brown, Managing Director of ForgeFix said: “This is an extremely challenging time but it's been inspiring to see our team formulate creative and flexible solutions that have kept our supply chain moving.”
“We've been able to achieve this through the identification of the correct suppliers and remaining loyal to them, as well as having a dedicated import team that manage the incoming supply supported by an excellent shipping agent. It’s all backed by the flexibility and team ethos to work weekends and nights to offload containers. We are also planning to work between Christmas and the New Year to receive anything that becomes available.”
The Guardian newspaper reported in December 2020 that the UK’s ports have been grappling with a surge in freight volumes at a time when their ability to process it all is hindered by coronavirus restrictions. Since September, the country’s biggest container port, Felixstowe, has been handling about 30% more goods than usual, with businesses rushing to replenish stock after the end of lockdowns and building stockpiles before the end of the Brexit transition period.
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has also reported that instead of taking one week to unload a container it was taking four and that as the high level of demand has prevented the building trade from stockpiling in the run-up to Brexit.
According to the British & Irish Association of Fastener Distributors, container return times to ports in all import markets have significantly increased, due to coronavirus-related shortages of vehicles and drivers.
Container shortages have also been exacerbated by the volumes of personal protection equipment being imported. Furthermore, the British & Irish Association of Fastener Distributors have warned that the shortage of shipping containers at major global export ports is now seriously impacting fastener availability in the UK and Ireland.
“If any of our customers have any questions, then please speak with our Customer Service team. We have been praised by many customers for our honesty when explaining the situation, even when the news is not always positive,” Brown continued.
“We are confident our long-term supply chain management and strategy is the right one. Supply has been affected but I would like to thank all of our merchant customers who have been patient as we work extremely hard to minimise the effect on them.”


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Microsoft and content delivery network services provider Akamai are collaborating to produce a new video service that promises to deliver high-speed video streaming that will not require any buffering.
Panasonic and LG have announced new Blu-ray players for the Australian market priced at under $500. The new models feature the latest Blu-ray technology and features, including BD-Live and Dolby True HD audio. The LG BD300 will be available in late O...
There's never been a better time for a business to refresh its devices. Intel offers a range of business solutions, from Servers to SSD, but also 2 in 1 products and also the NUC unit which is set to revolutionise your desktop. Click here to read more information on these products.
LG Electronics plans to construct two new production lines for solar cells in space currently occupied by a PDP (plasma display panel) manufacturing line at its Gumi plant in South Korea, it said Monday.
A tenth of a millimeter might not seem like much, but in the competitive world of flat-panel televisions it's enough for Samsung to steal the thinnest-TV crown from Philips.
The music industry is going through a lot of changes as it tries to grapple with the move to digital, but these days it is much more upbeat about the future.
Apple customers unhappy that the company dropped FireWire from its newest notebooks are venting their frustrations on the company's support forum in several hundred messages.
Premier Media Group [PMG], owner of the Fox Sports Channel, has appointed m.Net to build a dedicated mobile site for Fox Sports Australia.
Hybrid Television Services, the company behind the Australian release of the TiVo media device, today announced a deal with popular electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi that will allow TiVo set-top boxes to be sold in its stores.
TiVo’s retail reach within Australia is expanding after the Seven Media Group announced Thursday that JB Hi-Fi will this month commence selling the product in its stores.
NEC Thursday launched its first full-HD plasma TV, the 50-inch PXT-50FHDP1.
Sony Australia today announced the launch of new high speed Memory Sticks in 4GB and 8GB capacities.
RealNetworks has asked a federal judge to lift a temporary restraining order that has blocked the company from selling its RealDVD movie copying software, court documents filed Monday showed.
Adobe Systems has disputed reports that bugs in its Flash server software let people pirate movies and television shows streamed from Amazon.com's new Video On Demand service. Instead, Adobe hinted that Amazon had not switched on encryption.
A group of technology and entertainment heavyweights is undertaking a public relations campaign to dissuade consumers from illegal file sharing, something the group calls "net pollution."
Alcatel-Lucent lost another round against Microsoft last week in a continuing court battle over patents for the MP3 digital music format.
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GGG Evaluation Team
First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.
For work use, Microsoft Word and Excel programs pre-installed on the device are adequate for preparing short documents.
The Fujitsu LifeBook UH574 allowed for great mobility without being obnoxiously heavy or clunky. Its twelve hours of battery life did not disappoint.
The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.
My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.


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OYO announces launch of an online travel portal for travel agents
Over the course of last four years, Oyo has partnered with close to 12000 travel agents across India and the new portal will simplify the booking experience for travel agents and will help them engage better with consumers.
Why 50 years and above is the new target consumer group for some brands
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Countries like US, Japan, China ageing, India getting younger: Sushma Swaraj
Sushma Swaraj, in her inaugural address at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, said the Indian diaspora has dramatically changed the world's perception of Indians and our country.
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Soccer-Championship leaders Wolves secure promotion to Premier League
SOCCER-ENGLAND-CHAMPIONSHIP/WOLVES (UPDATE 2):UPDATE 2-Soccer-Championship leaders Wolves secure promotion to Premier League
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India's demography is often touted as a great strength. Currently, more than half of the population is under the age of 25, and more than 65% is below the age of 35.


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Kenya mulls powder milk importation
Thursday, August 27th, 2020
- Kibogy said in other years, milk production is normally high during May and June, but the trend has been different this year largely due to cold and disruption of market in terms of animal feeds production and distribution of the same.
- Various estates and informal markets are grappling with low milk supply due to high consumption of the same at the household level as people continue staying at home due to Covid-19. Demand for long life of milk has increased while yoghurt and “Mala” have decreased.
Kenya is likely to import powder milk from neighbouring countries to boost local demand, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said yesterday.
He said the country is experiencing reduced milk production since January, a situation, he added, has a lot to do with effects of Covid-19.
“We are experiencing a crisis as processors do not have sufficient raw materials to process milk for the formal market.
We have experienced reduction in milk production for the last seven months largely due to the effects of the Coronavirus,” Munya added.
“If the situation continues, we are likely to resort to imports from neighbouring countries to meet the deficit,” he said during a forum with dairy sector stakeholders at a Nairobi hotel yesterday.
Since January to July milk production in the country has decreased by 33.3 per cent, a situation that has led to major processors apart from New Kenya Co-operative Creameries (NKCC) to experience shortage of powder milk.
Kenya has one of the biggest dairy sectors in Africa producing 5.2 billion litres per annum, with more than half of the same being consumed at the household level.
Munya directed NKCC to release 1,000 tonnes into the market to boost current stocks.
Early this year, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the release of Sh1 billion to NKCC to stabilise milk prices and support modernisation of its facilities located in different parts of the country.
Further, Munya said in addition to milk reduction, livestock farmers in some regions are grappling with foot and mouth disease and the cold weather season.
“We urge counties to intensify vaccination of livestock to the levels required to protect them from contracting transboundary diseases.
I direct the veterinary department to ensure the counties comply,” he added.
But even as the country is likely to resort to imports, Munya warned that the government will institute strict regulations and increased surveillance along the porous borders and final destination markets.
Kenya Dairy Board managing director Margaret Kibogy confirmed milk production has dropped from 63 million litres in January to 42 million litres.


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California’s groundbreaking Safer Consumer Product regulations took effect October 1, 2013. The long-in-the-making green chemistry regulations establish a process for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to identify...Show More Summary
California lawmakers are calling for an investigation following two reports that say the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control refuses to revoke the permits of companies that repeatedly violate environmental laws, and lets hazardous waste polluters operate on expired permits for years at a time. The reports found that the DTSC has consistently failed to protect [...]
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) just released a document stating that some polishes brands contain a 'toxic-trio' of chemicals and are harmful to one's health, as well as the environment. This year, we'll be celebrating...Show More Summary
Toxin-Free Nail Polish Still Contains Toxins: California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control found that several nail polishes claiming to be “3 free” (that’s sans chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate), often contain the toxic ingredients anyway. Show More Summary
Many nail polish brands claim that their offerings are free of certain toxic chemicals. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control put those claims to the test in a lab — but the findings are very concerning. More »
Tim Tebow and Kim Kardashian may wanna skip the MANis and pedis! The Department of Toxic Substances Control reports several nail polishes found in salons that claim to be "non-toxic" do in fact contain harmful chemicals. The dangerous substances known as the "toxic trio" includes toluene, DBP and formaldehyde have all been linked to serious illnesses such [...]
California is throwing down the gauntlet on toxic beauty once again. First it was Brazilian blowouts, and now it's nail polish. The state's Department of Toxic Substances Control announced that some of the lacquers used in California salons are guilty of false advertising. Show More Summary
Californians are ready to claw someone's eyes out after a report from state's Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) found that several nail polishes billing themselves as "toxic free," were, in fact, toxic times three: they contained formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), also known as the "toxic trio" of chemicals. More »
A considerable number of so-called "non-toxic nail care products" do, in fact, contain toxins, the DTSC (California Department of Toxic Substance Control) has warned in a new study released today. Although several labels claimed to be...Show More Summary
The state Department of Toxic Substances Control is expected to issue a report Tuesday showing that investigators found toxic chemicals in several nail products that had claimed to be toxic-free, bad news for people who work in California's ubiquitous nail salons.
Here’s the latest policy, enforcement and legal news affecting corporate environmental and energy executives. Today’s briefing includes 10 items. The California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) will imminently release its...Show More Summary
This is the first in a series of postings about Assembly Bill 1879 (AB1879), California’s “Green Chemistry” program. This summer California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) issued draft regulations, the comment period for which is currently open. Let’s start with the mega-view of the nascent program. In the organic statute, AB1879, DTSC was charged [...]
California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control just released its proposed “green chemistry” regulations. The regulations implement Assembly Bill 1879, which is a potential game-changer in how chemicals are regulated. Eschewing...Show More Summary
Maureen Gorsen, Director of California's Department of Toxic Substance Control gave a brief presentation on what the state is doing to crack down on toxic materials being used in products we consume on a daily basis, and outlines how the state is particularly poised to influence how products are manufactured. Click through to watch her presentation....


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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 at 15:09 and is filed under Accessories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
You’ve seen our reviews of UNIEA products and you know that we dig what it’s got. Now you can dig ‘em for a mere $5.95 shipping no matter where you live in the world. Well, maybe not Antarctica. Maybe the BBC can drop it off on its next filming expedition down there. But everywhere else, dude you’re set! Take a look its website and shop with confidence!
$5.95 Flat Rate Shipping Comes To UNIEA.com.
The program comes just in time for the Christmas shopping season.
USA — November 16, 2011 — Universal Electronic Accessories (“UNIEA”), a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative electronic accessories, announced today that it will now offer $5.95 flat rate shipping on all orders placed on UNIEA.com. The shipping policy is not a limited promotion, but rather a policy that will remain in place indefinitely.
The new shipping policy covers all worldwide orders placed on UNIEA.com, with no order minimums: customers can order as many UNIEA products as they want and pay just $5.95 in shipping. Shipping and processing times will take anywhere between 7 and 10 business days, depending on the shipping destination.
UNIEA’s new $5.95 flat rate shipping policy comes just in time for the Christmas holiday shopping season, where many shoppers will turn to ecommerce for making Christmas gift purchase, looking for great deals and avoiding the shopping crowds. According to E-Commerce Times, “Three out of four holiday shoppers said they plan to shop for holiday gifts online, and 75 percent said they are likely to purchase gifts online from small businesses. Nearly a third of holiday shoppers said that they would do half or more of their holiday shopping online, and nearly two thirds said online specialty, “niche,” or boutique retailers are one of the “best places” to shop for unusual or hard-to-find gifts.”
As a result, UNIEA’s new flat rate shipping will allow Christmas shoppers to stock up on multiple UNIEA cases, bags, and electronics accessories for one low shipping rate.
UNIEA will also be unveiling a deep Black Friday discount early next that, when combined with $5.95 flat rate shipping, will offer online shoppers one of the best deals in consumer electronics accessories this holiday season.
About UNIEA Ltd.
Founded in 2005, Universal Electronic Accessories (“UNIEA”) designs and manufactures high-quality accessories for consumer electronics, including iPod, Laptop, iPhone, and Smartphone. Headquartered in Hong Kong, UNIEA is consistently seeking to expand into new markets worldwide and promote our products to tech-savvy consumers who are in search of accessories for their electronics that combine protection and ergonomics with a hip style and look.
Given the unique quality and design of its wide-ranging products, the company is actively participating in various worldwide tradeshows and exhibitions. Instead of being a mere manufacturer of electronic accessories, UNIEA is committed to enhancing people’s life with products that speak to people’s needs and capture their imagination. For more information about UNIEA, please visit www.UNIEA.com.


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Will Sirius Finally Make its Move?
No matter where investors stand on Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI), most agree that the stock’s lack of movement in 2013 has been baffling. Bulls say keeping the stock price low is a good thing, as it encourages larger investments, while bears say the lack of movement indicates Sirius is not primed for major growth. Yet the latest round of news seems to indicate the time for Sirius has finally come.
Investors who picked up Sirius at $1 per share will note that Sirius has been a good buy for years. The stock’s resurgence and ability to withstand general market fluctuations (with a little help) has made it a favorite for the meek at heart this year. What is the evidence that Sirius is just pausing on its way to much higher prices?
Most analysts point to the growth of the auto industry, the company’s strong financials and the resolution of leadership issues with majority interest-holding Liberty Media (NASDAQ:LMCA) as good reason to consider Sirius on the rise. Ahead of Tuesday’s earnings report, Sirius rose to $3.12 for week, beating the S&P 500 average and clocking a rise of nearly 4 percent for the week. News of year-long free packages for BMW and MINI drivers didn’t hurt, either. Indeed, it appears investor optimism is finally taking hold…
Though Sirius’s year-to-date growth has been anywhere from negligible to modest, its past year was impressive, gaining over 40 percent since April 2012. With the latest round of buying, Sirius will need to rise above $3.28 to score a win for its new-found bulls, and that seems like a legitimate possibility for the country’s lone satellite radio provider.
So why isn’t Sirius earning in proportion to top automaker sales reports? that questioned has baffled investors for months, and should give anyone thinking about going big with Sirius reason for pause. Its price hike on subscriptions made it a considerably more expensive service than, say, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), which has risen over 100 percent in the past year. Netflix has proven that consumers are fully open to subscription services, as long as they are priced right and deliver essential services.
As Pandora (NYSE:P) continues to make its presence felt in the industry, trial subscribers may decide Sirius isn’t worth it. More than half of trial subscribers (54 percent) already do. Of course, the bullish stance holds that the volume of new car sales makes that number indicative of highly positive trends. In that estimation, the glass is just about half-full.
Investing Insights: Does LinkedIn Support All-Time Highs?


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We have to thank Sporcle’s users, as they are more than just visitors of our site, but they also are the ones who help create the fun games and quizzes.
Seattle, Wash., and San Francisco, Calif. (PRWEB) April 25, 2011
Sporcle, the fun and addictive quiz and trivia game website and mobile application, has achieved a significant milestone with 500,000,000 online games at Sporcle being played since its launch. From one-time visitors of the site, to frequent quiz participants, millions of hours have been spent trying to beat the clock on thousands of brain-busting quizzes and games in order to reach this number.
The online trivia quiz and games community has continued to grow over the years, with more people going online in search of trivia challenges to test themselves and their friends. In a report by The Nielsen Company, in 2010, of the time Americans spend online, 10 percent of that time is spent playing online games. And Sporcle has become a part of it.
Since its inception in 2007, Sporcle has become an increasingly popular online trivia game and quiz site. By offering more than 175,000 user generated games in an endless range of topics, Sporcle has become an online destination for a wide-array of users. From a college student looking for a study break to friends looking to challenge each other’s trivia knowledge to anyone looking to kill time, Sporcle has become a solution to a number of educational and entertainment needs.
“We are proud to have reached the 500,000,000 online games played milestone at Sporcle,” said Ali Aydar, CEO, Sporcle. “We have to thank Sporcle’s users, as they are more than just visitors of our site, but they also are the ones who help create the fun games and quizzes. Achieving this milestone is a testament to not just the diverse set of games we are able to offer, but also the dedication and loyalty of our team and users.”
Since starting with their first game, the US Presidents quiz, Sporcle has expanded its game and quiz offerings drastically. From fun sports trivia games, such as the NFL teams quiz, to educational games like geography quizzes, including the US States game, there are endless opportunities. Sporcle is always adding the latest games, trivia and quizzes, whether around current events or popular topics. But if there is something missing from the list of games, visitors are always welcome to sign up and create their own game.
Sporcle offers online trivia games and quizzes through the Sporcle.com website and mobile applications for the iPhone, iPad, and Android platforms.. Founded in 2007, Sporcle came to life with the response to its first quiz, naming the U.S. Presidents. As avid crossword, Jeopardy! and trivia fans, the original quiz was not only to test knowledge, but also as a way to learn a piece of information that seemed to come up again and again.
Sporcle continues to create quizzes for entertainment, memory and diversion. You can play one of the thousands of quizzes and trivia games or create your own games!
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Since Tata Motors took ownership of Jaguar in 2008, there have been speculations on whether Jaguar still uses Ford engines. Jaguar initially used Ford engines, but not anymore. There was an agreement between Ford and Tata motors that Ford would stop producing Jaguar engines in December 2020, but Jaguar stopped before the stipulated time.
Transition of Ford to Jaguar engines
When Tata Motors acquired Jaguar from Ford Motors in 2008, they didn’t just change all of Jaguar’s components immediately. Even though Tata Motors had been making cars before then, they needed to understand the concept of Jaguar motors.
Long before Ford sold Jaguar to Tata Motors, Jaguar was known as a high-performance car. Tata Motors did not want to bring down the standard in any way, which might be why they still held on to Ford motors for a while. They at least wanted to understand how to produce engines that can fit into Jaguars before building their own.
That said, Jaguar had to agree with Ford Motors when Ford was expected to stop producing engines for Jaguar Motors. This agreement was to expire in December 2020, after which Jaguar was expected to make its own engines. However, Jaguar took bold steps to be ready ahead of time.
Before 2020, Jaguar had already started producing engines to replace some of Ford’s engines. But at that time, the agreement between Jaguar and Ford was still on. Jaguar was just getting prepared.
In 2017, Ford announced that engine supply to Jaguars would end in September 2020. This was three months earlier than the initial agreed-upon date. So, in September 2020, Jaguar stopped using Ford’s engines.
So, it is correct to say that Jaguar no longer uses Ford engines today. However, you may find Ford engines in older models, just not recent models like the 2021 Jaguars.
Jaguar engines before September 2020
The first proposed Jaguar engine was the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine which was part of the Ingenium family of every aluminum factory. The engine was made in the UK and the then-new power facility in China. Jaguar used this engine to replace Ford’s 2.0-liter turbo engine found in many Jaguar and Land Rover cars.
The Jaguar turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is common in China, where driving cars above a 2.0-liter engine is not allowed. At this time, Ford was still producing the V6 diesel engine and the V6 and V8 supercharged gasoline engines. However, Jaguar soon replaced the V6 engine with its 6-cylinder edition of the Ingenium lineage.
Before long, Jaguar replaced Ford’s 2.2 with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter diesel engine of the Ingenium family. In 2016, Jaguar also produced a 4-cylinder gasoline engine at Wolverhampton, Central England. According to Jaguar, this engine is fuel-efficient and will improve fuel economy by 15% compared to Ford’s engine equivalent.
In 2017, when Ford announced the early termination of the initial agreement, Jaguar was said to be producing the turbocharged 3.0-liter engine. Many thought that proper charging of this engine could take the place of the V8 initially produced by Ford Motors.
And in 2019, Jaguar (Jaguar Land Rover) announced the much-rumored inline-six engine. But instead of the regular engine, the inline-6, 3.0-liter gasoline engine was combined with a 48 Volt electric design. This was to help supercharge the engine electrically and delay when the engine turns off while driving or stops at a traffic jam.
The Ingenium family
The Ingenium family denotes all modern engines built by Jaguar Land Rover in diesel and gasoline variants. These engines utilize modular design, making it possible to be made in 3, 4, and 6-cylinder options. They are usually produced with around 500 cc Cylinders, depending on request or requirements. These were the same engines that replaced the Ford engines in late 2015.
Which engine was most-produced by Ford for Jaguar?
The four-cylinder gasoline engine was the most produced Ford engine that Jaguar used. It accounts for half of all the engines produced by Ford and about 25% of all engines that Jaguar has ever used.
Do Jaguar and Land Rover have the same engine?
Yes, Jaguar and Land Rover cars have the same engines, even while Ford was still building these engines. When Tata Motors bought Jaguar from Ford in 2008, they also bought Land Rover. In 2013, Jaguar and Range Rover were merged into one company. Presently, Jaguar is referred to as Jaguar Land Rover.
Does Jaguar still use Ford engines?
No, Jaguar vehicles no longer use Ford engines. In September 2020, Ford stopped supplying engines to Jaguar Land Rover. However, even before 2020, Jaguar Land Rover had started building its own engines. That way, they could master which engine fit which car right away.
Which Jaguar cars used Ford engines?
You will find Ford engines in most Jaguars produced before 2015. The XKR, XJS, and the AJs are good examples of cars that used a Ford engine. But all Jaguars made after September 2020 don’t have Ford engines. Why? Ford has completely stopped supplying Jaguar engines as of September 2020.
Where are Jaguar engines produced?
Jaguar engines are produced in the Jaguar Land Rover engine manufacturing plant in the UK, which has been building engines from 2015 to date. They also have another manufacturing plant in China which began engine production in 2017 and are still producing today.


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A cheaper price may not always be a good indicator to know if the item is counterfeit or not, as some are produced to look almost the same as the genuine ones – but there would be marked differences in terms of the product’s odor, appearance and packaging, owing to the lack of strict quality control during manufacturing and the fact that counterfeit items are produced at cheaper rates to scale.
Galderma Philippines, the authorized distributor of Cetaphil has warned Filipino consumers need to be more vigilant when buying skincare products after news of alleged counterfeit of a popular skincare product have reportedly entered the local market.
Cetaphil, a brand recommended by dermatologists for sensitive skin, received initial reports that counterfeit beauty bars and moisturizers bearing the brand’s name are beingsold in the Philippines.
These counterfeits place consumers at risk of potential skin harm and severe health issues in the long run. In particular, these include Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Cetaphil Cleansing Antibacterial Bar, CetaphilRestoraderm Skin Restoring Body Moisturizer and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion 591mL.
Especially for people with sensitive skin, the formulation of the counterfeit products may cause mild skin irritation to serious flare-ups.Moreover,consumer may face the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals.
“Laboratory tests conducted on samples of counterfeit products show that these counterfeits do not follow established quality specifications of our product. Also, keyingredients found absent in the counterfeit products” said Atty, Edmund Jason Baranda, counsel of Galderma.
Without proper quality control to ascertain the right formulation that goes into each product, the counterfeit itemmay seriously put the safety and health of consumers at risk and they end up paying more, especially when they expose their skin to unnamed and unchecked ingredients that go into the counterfeit items.
Here are some consumer guidelines on how to spot counterfeit items:
• Check if there is a difference in the product’s odor or color with the original;
• Look at the physical casing or packaging
• Check if the box has lot number, expiry dates, and brand stickers
“Galderma is committed to provide only quality products to consumers which is why we adhere to strict manufacturing protocols and quality controls. The safety of the consumers is of foremost importance to us, especially since we provide products that care for the skin. Galderma has open communication lines with its consumers so as soon as we received information about the counterfeit items, we promptlysought the assistance of the authorities for appropriate action” said Baranda.
In case you have bought a suspected counterfeit item, kindly report the details of where and when you bought the product to Cetaphil’s official Facebook pageCetaphil Philippines. A customer service representative will respond to your notification.


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- May 19, 2022 8:55 PM
- July 30, 2019 11:59 AM
- May 21, 2022 12:11 PM
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, (Xinhua) -- Brunei opened a container shipping route between Muara Port, its sole deep-water port, and Beibu Gulf Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, marking the first such route between the Southeast Asian country and China.
At the ceremony to launch the maiden container ship voyage on the route, Haji Mohd Amin Liew, Brunei's minister at the Prime Minister's office and second minister of finance and economy, said the new container shipping line is crucial to the development of the Brunei economy and to the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) as it will facilitate import and export, and open new markets.
Cai Lixin, visiting vice governor of Guangxi, said opening the new route is an important event in strengthening China's cooperation with the BIMP-EAGA region and for speeding up the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.
The new route is of great significance to furthering trade and economic cooperation between China and Brunei, she noted.
"In February 2017, Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group Company Ltd. and Brunei's Darussalam Assets formed a joint venture company to operate the Muara Port container terminal, injecting new vitality into the port," Xiao Jianguo, Chinese ambassador to Brunei, told the ceremony.
The opening of the new container shipping route marks another step forward in infrastructure connectivity and trade flow between China and Brunei, which will facilitate bilateral economic and trade relations and help Brunei's economic diversification efforts, the ambassador added.
The ceremony was attended by about 150 people including senior officials of the Brunei government, representatives of Chinese enterprises and personalities from all walks of life in Brunei.


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iPhone 6S pre-order availability starts on…
The iPhone 6S rumour season is in full swing, and the latest leak is a particularly juicy one.
A new report claims it has knowledge of the iPhone 6S pre-order date.
According to French site Mac4Ever, you’ll be able to throw down holding cash for Apple’s next smartphone on September 11.
The information is purported to come from an anonymous source with insider knowledge of French mobile operators.
We’ve got no way of actually verifying this information unfortunately, but it does seem to be a likely date.
That’s because Apple is widely rumoured to be plotting a launch event for the iPhone 6S on September 9.
What’s more, the actual on-sale date of the handset has been tipped for September 18 by multiple sources.
Don’t forget that September 11 is a Friday. That gels with Apple’s release schedule yesterday, which saw pre-orders open up for the iPhone 6 on Friday, September 12, 2014.
- The money the Witcher 3 earns to its producer continues to surprise
- Render image of LG V60 ThinQ smartphone model leaked
- According to the report, Apple iPhone 9 test production started
- Huawei’s patent reveals possible Mate X2 design: 6 cameras and pen support
- Apple closes stores in China due to coronavirus
We’re expecting Apple to unveil two handsets this time around – the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
Both handsets are tipped to feature Apple’s new iOS 9 software, Force Touchdisplays, and 2GB of RAM.


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Pepsi Dumps Super Bowl for Social Media
Posted by Vaibhav Kalamdani on December 26, 2009
Those who are skeptical about social media’s popularity and ability might put their thinking caps on after reading this post. World’s renowned cola brand Pepsi has astonished the advertising industry by its latest move to ignore Super Bowl this year and instead focus on social media. For those unaware, Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League, and is considered as the most-watched American television broadcast.
Pepsi, in an effort to leverage social media, has opted to award grants of thousands of dollars in its “Pepsi Refresh Project”, which would be rolling out in January, 2010. As social media is all about people and communities, that’s exactly what Pepsi would be focusing on. It would allow people to visit the “Refresh Project” via several social media platforms and suggest ideas on how the brand could refresh their community. The next process involves voting, which would be carried out during February. Finally, the amount of money ($20 million) saved by not advertising through Super Bowl would be diverted to the project in form of prizes.
Mission Social Media – Would it be Successful?
Over the years, consumers have seen Pepsi as a brand associated with celebrities like Britney Spears, Cindy Crawford or Justin Timberlake, thanks to Super Bowl. But with the change in decision to adopt social media and build communities for a cause, could it mark as a milestone for the company in setting up a trend for other players? Will social media prove to be the right decision for Pepsi over Super Bowl? It is difficult to predict! However, one thing that is indeed certain is that if the plan works, the social media fraternity would be taken even more seriously, forcing other brands to consider it as a powerful marketing medium.
This entry was posted on December 26, 2009 at 8:22 pm and is filed under Business and Social Networking/Social Media, Social Media Promotions. Tagged: marketing and promotion, Pepsi Refresh Project, social media, super bowl. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


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CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — China’s African swine fever outbreak is far more severe than previously thought and the full impact of the disease on animal feed producers has yet to be realized, Archer Daniels Midland Co. said last week.
The fatal pig disease has slashed China’s hog herd by as much as half since August 2018 and has already lifted margins for processing soybeans into animal feed, said Ray Young, ADM’s chief financial officer.
Millions of pigs have died from or been culled to control the disease in China and other Asian countries, such as Vietnam. China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reported a new case of African swine fever on a farm in the southwestern province of Yunnan on Nov. 13, the day Young made his comments.
The spread of ASF in China has redrawn global food supply chains as the country has had to rely more on imported pork and less on domestic production.
That shift is reducing Chinese imports of raw soybeans, but ADM is expected to benefit as other countries expand livestock production to feed China. This boosts demand for ADM’s feed ingredients such as soymeal. ADM operates 45 oilseed crushing and origination plants in Europe and the Americas, but none in China.
Annual pork production in China has likely dropped by 20 million tonnes this year from ADM’s previous estimate of a 10-million-tonne decline, Young said.
“I think probably on a marginal basis, there’s been some positive impact. But the overall impact, we probably haven’t felt yet in terms of overall crush margins.”


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Logistics company Trackon to enter international markets
Trackon, a logistics company, stated that it intends to extend its operations by entering worldwide markets, with the goal of generating around Rs100 crore in income from additional areas.
The logistics firm, which handles over two lakh packages every day, has announced that it would expand its services from India to around 69 nations. “We are also considering a strategic collaboration in which some mid-level logistics businesses would transport Trackon’s international shipments and we will deliver their domestic goods using our well-established network,” said Chairman and MD P K Anand.
The firm, founded in 2004 by PK Anand, Dinesh Rautela, PK Singh, and YK Dabas, now covers 5,600 pin codes and expects to reach 10,000 in the next years.
Currently, the firm handles over two million packages each day; by next year, this number is predicted to nearly quadruple to 3.5 million. Additionally, the firm has been focusing on its premium product, Prime Track, as a blue-chip service and rapid delivery that caters to high-value and time-sensitive shipments, and is anticipated to create substantial growth for Trackon in the future.
Despite the Covid-19 epidemic, the company’s sales surged by 35 percent last year, from Rs 222 crore in FY 2021 to Rs 301 crore in FY 2022.
“We are considering end-to-end tech integration with all incoming consolidators and partners for our international expansion.” Trackon’s chief executive officer, Rajesh Kapase, stated, “We are committed to enhancing the customer experience by delivering the promised service, which will also help us create greater visibility for our internal business users, customers, and business partners across various technology platforms.”
The firm intends to access worldwide markets during the first quarter of fiscal year 2023. The worldwide logistics industry is over $200 billion and is projected to reach approximately $350 billion within the next five years.
Source : Economic Times
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So if you were like one of the millions of people out there watching the Chinese livestream (because we still haven’t figured out streaming apparently) of today’s reveal of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch, you probably were wondering if that was really Kevin Durant who was standing in the middle of the front row. Well, the above Instagram pic by Durant should ease your mind because it was him…
What could this mean for Durant and Apple? Was KD just there as a guest because he was in the area maybe to work with 2K Sports on NBA 2K15 (2K is located in Marin County)? Or could Jay Z and Roc Nation Sports be lining up their biggest client to hook up with Apple a la what LeBron James has with Samsung? Stay tuned…
Sneakerheads around the world rejoiced last week when they found out that Nike had matched and surpassed Under Armour’s offer for Kevin Durant. For much of August, the buzz was all about Under Armour and how they were going to change the sneaker game by bringing on somebody like Durant, only one of the most popular athletes in the
US world today. Some were for the move because it would have been our first real look at some sort of competition among the top athletes and brands (even as the market share remained lopsided in Nike’s favor) while others were not ok with KD moving on. Alas, it was not to be as Nike would bring back Durant to the fold, but for $150 million more than they had hoped. With signature sneakers already becoming as costly as they are, one can only imagine what kind of impact this new deal will have on KD’s Nike products moving forward.
But Under Armour was not done making news. After the Durant courtship ended, Under Armour announced they had signed supermodel Gisele Bundchen to lead up their growing women’s line alongside ballerina Misty Copeland, skier Lindsey Vonn and surfer Brianna Cope. Then before the weekend hit, it was reported that Under Armour had surpassed adidas as the #2 sportswear brand in the US, with $1.2 billion in sales so far this year compared to $1.1 billion for the three stripes. Sure, that’s a paltry number compared to Nike’s $8.9 billion, but 10 years ago Under Armour was mostly known for their decently priced gear and as the official outfitter of the XFL (remember that?). That’s a “started from the bottom” moment if there ever was one.
They might not have gotten their man, but the message was clear: Under Armour is gunning for that #1 spot no matter the cost.
The chase for Durant was a watershed moment for the Baltimore-based brand; after years of being primarily known as an apparel company, they were willing to break the bank for the reigning NBA MVP and take a genuine stab at basketball footwear, a category that Nike has dominated for decades. One has to imagine that CEO Kevin Plank is reveling in all of this attention that his company got from the Durant courtship. And I doubt he’s crying over the potential loss of sneakerheads who were cheering Durant’s return to Nike. He’s got bigger fish to fry…
By signing Bundchen, Under Armour is looking to open things up and get people out of thinking that their brand is just for the hardcore athletes. They want the soccer moms, the gym fanatics and the weekend warriors all on board with Under Armour. Bundchen’s profile and input will also give Under Armour a stylish edge and a fanbase that even Nike doesn’t have, no matter what we think of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
Durant coming over to Under Armour would have been a game-changer for sure, but the cost and pressure to deliver would have been damn near insurmountable. By letting Nike pay a pretty penny for Durant, this ends up being a very good publicity play for Under Armour because if you’re a top-level athlete that is either looking to make a switch or a rising star in the college ranks, you might think twice before signing that low-level Nike contract where you get nothing more than free kicks every once in a while. Personally, whoop-de-damn-doo. While my preference would be to have a Nike contract like Durant’s, I’d rather be Stephen Curry forging a legacy of my own with Under Armour than be a mid-tier guy at Nike wearing mid-tier kicks with my logo on it.
While they still trail adidas on a global scale, getting that #2 spot in the US is a huge win for Under Armour. They have the right products and the right roster to pitch those products. And with adidas losing ground just about everywhere (they’re being called an “underdog” in some circles now), this is the time to strike. While they don’t have is a strong lifestyle category, something that adidas dominates (at least perception-wise) with their Originals brand, that will come in time because right now it’s hard to imagine rocking a casual sneaker with that UA logo on it, no matter how dope it might look.
A few years ago, there was a rumor floating around that Nike was looking to buy Under Armour, but UA declined in a “nah, we’re good” moment. If that’s the case, then maybe the swoosh saw potential there and they were going to squash it and bring it under their umbrella before it had a chance to grow and compete with them. Will we see Under Armour surpass Nike in our lifetimes? Sure, why not? I haven’t used an Android phone in three years, but I think it’s great when Samsung goes there and has the guts and the money and the tech to go head-to-head with Apple. That means Apple can’t be content to just crap out new a iPhone with minimal upgrades and expect the casuals to go and buy it. So in the sneaker world, I would love nothing more than two (or three if adidas can get their sh*t together) brands battling it out for supremacy in market share. That means better quality (no, I don’t mean retros) products for us at competitive prices. Under Armour already delivers that. They just need to figure out a way to make up that $7.7 billion difference with Nike. No big deal, right?