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Cisco Systems plans to build small cellular base stations, building upon its fast-growing business in Wi-Fi base stations for mobile operator networks, Chairman and CEO John Chambers said on Tuesday.
A U.S. district judge has approved a request for class action in a lawsuit against pizza maker Papa John's International for allegedly sending hundreds of thousands of text spam messages.
AT&T will start offering the first Windows RT tablet with LTE capabilities on Friday with prices beginning at US$499, the U.S. wireless carrier said on Tuesday.
Telstra has opened online pre-orders for Nokia's hotly anticipated Lumia 920 Windows Phone, with the device officially set to release in Australia on Tuesday 27 November.
Australia's largest telco, Telstra, has stressed that its brand is strong enough to sell smartphones following the decision to release its own-branded device as the first 4G prepaid smartphone in Australia.
Anyone who finds it hard to believe that the average U.S. mobile subscriber sent 696 text messages per month in the second quarter of this year may be relieved to know that this figure fell to 678 per month in the third quarter.
As China continues trials of its 4G networks using the government-backed LTE TDD technology, mobile operator China Telecom is aiming to go another route and deploy LTE FDD technology for its upcoming 4G networks.
AT&T has reversed its decision to allow Apple iPhone and iPad owners to use Apple's FaceTime videoconferencing application only on the carrier's most expensive data plans or if they are connected to Wi-Fi.
Cellular telecom carriers spent Saturday working to restore wireless service to customers across the U.S. northeast, which is just beginning to pick itself up from the battering it suffered earlier in the week from hurricane Sandy.
A major investor in WiMax operator Clearwire told the company's board on Thursday to sell its excess spectrum for up to US$9 billion to prevent Sprint Nextel from buying out the company at a discount.
Microsoft said Thursday it will team up with Japan's largest mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo, to push Windows 8 on tablets to corporate customers.
Optus has activated its first 4G sites for customers in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast and in the Brisbane CBD.
Telstra has announced the release of its own branded, 4G-capable Android tablet, simply called the Telstra 4G Tablet.
Sprint Nextel's deployment of its ambitious Network Vision infrastructure, which includes the gradual rollout of 4G LTE technology, is about three months behind schedule due to several factors, the company said during its financial results call on Th...
Apple's new iPad mini will support the Australian 4G networks offered by Telstra and Optus, the company announced this morning.
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- Google announced officially Tuesday that searches on mobile surpassed desktop searches. In 10 countries, including the U.S., mobile search now makes up more than half of all Google searches.
- To respond, Google is offering new search ads and targeting hotels, automakers, and retailers.
- New ads include a carousel style that can rotate photos, one-click hotel booking, and an ad that lists nearby stores.
While it's no surprise that searches on mobile surpassed desktop, it still produces challenges for Google and its advertisers. The smaller screen means stiffer competition for space so the top-of-page ads Google is offering are essential. The sales funnel is disintegrating as people move from device to device — changing the rules of targeting. Options like a one-click sale could help combat the loss of the funnel.

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Gavin Slater, a former group executive at National Australia Bank, joined Nimble as its CEO in August 2018 after a stint as chief of the government’s Digital Transformation Agency.
Mr Slater told Fintech Business that when he joined Nimble it was made clear to him that they were pushing out of the lending space and into more consumer finance.
“When I was approached to join Nimble, I didn’t want to join a payday lender but I saw that there was an organisation with an amazing brand, some incredible analytical capabilities and had a fantastic online proposition.”
“I saw there was a wonderful opportunity to take that and pivot, particularly as there is a long tail off the back of the royal commission to disrupt the financial services industry.”
Mr Slater said there was an opportunity off the back of the industry disruption for a company like Nimble to come in and succeed.
“Changing that core business wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly and we’ve spent a considerable amount of time working with investors on the pivot and where we want to take the company,” he said.
Mr Slater said he had been working with Nimble and its investors to present why there is opportunity for Nimble and why he was confident they could succeed in the new space.
“Nimble has spent close to $70 million on the brand, it has great consumer recall and its entered into the consumer vernacular,” he said.
“There is considerable value in the brand so we don’t have to re-establish that and our culture of innovation and customer experience has existed since we started.”
While Nimble was pushing out of the payday space Mr Slater said there was a sector of the community that had a need for its services, despite his criticisms of it in the past.
“There is a sector of the community that absolutely has a need for this and its not well served by any in the financial system and our mission is to continue to serve that sector but do it differently,” he said.
The brand has earnt its ability to transform given its brand recognition in the Australian marketplace and its innovative stance.
“It was certainly one of the first disruptors back in the mid-2000s and now our plan is to move into more mainstream consumer finance but continue to disrupt in a positive way,” said Mr Slater.
Indeed, the lender has already been operating in an open banking way for years said Mr Slater and that was something that others were still catching up on.
“Nimble has been operating in an open banking world already and that comes down to how we do business. We scrape hundreds of transaction banking information which forms the basis of our lending decision,” he said.
“Open banking will broaden that and the value for us comes down to data as it will help us make informed lending decisions to support customers and also leverage that data to provide value back to them.”
Some ideas that Nimble has will be to analyse all the transaction banking information to identify patterns and even work toward predicting when customers would have future cash flow issues.
“We can compare patterns and see whose spending what on utilities, mobile phones and a whole range of things to provide back to customers ways that they can save money,” he said.
Ultimately Nimble would continue to work toward differentiating themselves in the market and they had a lot of announcements still to make said Mr Slater.
“Nimble will begin to reposition our brand and change the perception of the brand and what it stands for and to support that we will release new products that will give customers more access to our brand and to money,” he said.
Eliot Hastie is a journalist on the wealth titles at Momentum Media.
Eliot joined the team in 2018 having previously written on Real Estate Business with Momentum Media as well.
Eliot graduated from the University of Westminster, UK with a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism).


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Another round of alleged schematics provided to uSwitch appear to show that the iPhone 7 Plus will have a dual camera and Smart Connector, but lack a headphone jack. Leaked images sourced from Steve Hemmerstoffer of NowhereElse depict renderings of an iPhone 7 — which appears much like the iPhone 6s minus a headphone jack — and an iPhone 7 Plus that looks decidedly different. In addition to showing the three dots associated with the iPad Pro’s Smart Connector, the back of the larger phone has a bigger, oval-shaped camera cutout that lends more credibility to the rumor that the new Plus will feature a dual camera setup.
The stark differences between the two models could explain conflicting reports over whether Apple is adding the Smart Connector to its new phones and lend credence to the idea that Apple is considering a feature-heavy “iPhone Pro.” The one consistent change — the missing headphone jack — is in keeping with most speculation on the subject, but appear to show the phones still only have a single speaker instead of the stereo speaker configuration hinted at by earlier leaked images of cases.
Update: A new report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that Apple will in fact only be releasing a single iPhone 7 Plus version, rather than splitting the lineup into separately “Plus” and “Pro” models. Kuo indicates that the iPhone 7 Plus will ship with the dual-lens camera system, along with 3GB of RAM to account for increased image processing requirements. Kuo was the analyst who originally reported on multiple versions of the iPhone 7 Plus, and still believes that was once Apple’s plan but that the company has reconsidered as it doesn’t want to undermine demand for the dual-camera model. [via MacRumors


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India’s Maruti Suzuki and France’s Renault have announced more production cutbacks in the short term as the global semiconductor chips shortage continues.
Maruti has more than halved its September output forecast, expecting about 40pc of total volumes across its Haryana and Gujarat plants in India. The automaker cited supply constraints of electronic components in an Aug 30 filing with the country’s National Stock Exchange (NSE). This estimate comes on the heels of suspended activity in August for three days at the Gujarat unit.
Meanwhile, Renault plans to extend partial suspension until the end of 2021 at its three factories in Spain. The carmaker will halt its Kadjar and Megane line-up at the Palencia assembly plant for about 61 days and stop Capture SUV crossover production for nearly 40 days in Valladolid, according to media reports on Tuesday. Renault had shut its South Korean facility for two days in July due to the chip shortage.


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Seef District, Kingdom of Bahrain: The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain has recently published its latest Telecommunications Services Residential Market Survey report.
According to the results of the survey, Internet users have reached 99% which is a clear indication of the increasing affordability of Internet services in Bahrain. The Kingdom leads the global ranking of the percentage of Internet users, according to data released by the International Telecommunication Union. The results of the survey show that Internet applications represent most internet activities such as social media applications. For instance, 99% of respondents said they use WhatsApp and YouTube, 95% use Instagram and Facebook and 90% use Snapchat.
With regard to mobile telephony services, almost all respondents have a mobile phone service. However, the survey shows that the percentage of users having two or more mobile SIM cards is in decline, reaching 16% in 2018 compared to 38% in 2017. This reflects the developments in mobile telephony packages such as the introduction of new and comprehensive packages as well as the significantly increasing use of mobile data. The survey also indicates that the main reason put forward by respondents for having more than one SIM card was to have separate SIMs for business and personal use.
As for the fixed line service, the results of the survey showed that 16% of the households surveyed have a fixed telephone line due to the high dependence on mobile phone services.
Regarding telecommunications services users’ satisfaction, the survey results showed that 85% of respondents expressed their satisfaction with telecommunications services in Bahrain. Moreover, users' proposals were focused on lowering prices and increasing the quality of services.
"The results of this survey show significant developments in the nature by which telecommunications services are used and required by users." Says Acting General Director Sh. Nasser bin Mohammed Al Khalifa. “The high number of Internet users in Bahrain and the volume of internet usage that require high speeds and large amounts of data, in addition to the desire of users to obtain services at lower prices and better quality, all illustrate the importance of the deployment of the National Broadband Network using fiber-optic cables, which was achieved through the Batelco’s separation process. The network will enable the provision of high-speed broadband services to individual and business users.” Sh. Nasser added.
The survey included a sample of 1548 individuals in the age group of 15 years and above, who were surveyed on the availability and use of various telecommunication services as well as their satisfaction with telecommunication and online services.
Since its establishment in 2002, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain has been working with government, consumers, operators and investors to develop the country into the region’s most modern communications hub and to facilitate the growth of the market. As an exemplary Regulator for the region, TRA Bahrain independently carries out its duties in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner. More information about TRA can be viewed at www.tra.org.bh.
For Press inquiries and information please contact:
Media and Public Relations Department
© Press Release 2019


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Columbia Mall revamps with three major new projects
COLUMBIA -The Columbia Mall has three big projects on its radar including Dillard's Men's, a Hilton Hotel and Level Up Entertainment.
Dillard's will be opening a second location in the mall, replacing the former Sears store.
It will be called Dillard's Men's and will house the men's, children's and home departments of the store. It's set to open in Spring or early first quarter of 2020.
Columbia City Council approved the rezoning and re-platting of the former Sears building at their meeting on Monday.
Council Member Mike Trapp explained that the re-platting process separates the former Sears store from the mall.
"The mall was one giant parcel of land and we carved out the old Sears location to be its own parcel, so then that will facilitate the mall selling the Sears location to Dillard's," Trapp said.
Columbia Mall general manager Rusty Strodtman said the new Dillard's store will create space for new brands and products that they didn't have room for before.
The mall is also working through the city process to bring a hotel to the parking lot, according to Strodtman.
"It'd be a brand new four story hotel, a Hilton product, and it would be opening probably fall of 2020 if we are able to get through the city process," he said.
Level Up Entertainment will be opening a 30,000 square foot entertainment space on November 1st.
"It's got 12 bowling lanes, laser tag, two-story ropes course, arcade games," Strodtman said.
Although the mall is excited about the expansion and new projects, some shoppers are confused about having two Dillards stores in one mall.
"I don't get why they need two of them but we will see if men shop at that new one," One Dillards shopper said.


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CSR Limited will cut 150 jobs from its Viridian glass business as impact from the high Australian dollar and low construction activity take their toll.
The building products company will close a glass manufacturing facility and merge two others in Sydney, Australia.
Managing Director Rob Sindel said the major restructure of its Viridian glass operations reflect the reality of the market and will improve the short-term performance of the business, positioning it to compete successfully in the future.
CSR says the high dollar has forced down prices for its products and made it cheaper to import materials, and has downgraded its fiscal year profit forecast to between $30 and $34 million.
The redundancies, closures and merger are expected to cost the company about $34 million however will deliver $27 million to earnings annually from 2015.
CSR delivered a net profit of $17.5 million in the first half of its 2013 financial year.


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The latest AdDuplex report shows that the April 2018 Update has been rolled out to over 78 percent of Windows 10 PCs out in the world.
“April 2018 Update continues its speedy march through the PC world and is now on 3/4 of all PCs running Windows 10 according to our data,” AdDuplex notes. “The almost vertical growth line for the update is unprecedented in Windows 10 history.”
This report is the second to appear within the April 2018 Update’s lifetime. In last month’s report, AdDuplex first noted the historic speed at which the update was deployed, with the April 2018 Update rolling out to fully half of all Windows 10 PCs out in the world.
Two weeks later, Microsoft confirmed AdDuplex’s contention that the April 2018 Update had been deployed over twice as fast as the previous feature update, the Fall Creators Update. However, Microsoft’s data showed a very different figure for the total number of PCs to which the update was deployed. (250 million for Microsoft vs. 350 million for AdDuplex) The discrepancy is likely due to the fact that many corporate PCs don’t use the mobile apps on which the AdDuplex data relies.
In any event, AdDuplex also looked at PC maker usage share for the month, the first time it’s done so since March. Little has changed: HP is still number one, with 27.45 percent of all Windows 10 PCs out in the wild. They are followed by Dell (18.45 percent), Lenovo (12.3), ASUS (8.06), and Acer (7.99).
Microsoft, if you’re curious, only accounts for 2.51 percent of all Windows 10 PCs out in the world. This neatly highlights how few computers the company really sells: 2.51 percent of 250 million is just 6.25 million units. (2.51 percent of 350 million is 8.8 million units.) Those numbers aren’t “sales” but rather usage share, or “PCs out in the world,” so they represent a sum of sales over a period of years. For perspective, Apple sells 4-5 million Macs every quarter.
As a reminder, AdDuplex is the largest cross-promotion network for Windows apps, and the firm empowers developers and publishers to promote their apps for free by helping each other.


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East Africa Entrepreneurs Association – EAEA in collaboration with MÜSİAD invite you to participate in the MÜSİAD EXPO Trade Fair which will take place in Istanbul on November 18-21, 2020 at the TÜYAP Fair Center.
The event is being held every two years in Istanbul with a huge trade capacity and a harmonious meeting of hearts from Asia to Europe, African countries to the Turkish Republic and it is attended by international businessmen, national and international exhibiting companies.
The focus sectors include construction, materials of paysage, materials of durable consumption, tourism, medical, food& nourishment, stockbreeding, machine, metal, automotive, chemistry, energy, technology informatics, service industry and textile.
The EAEA delegation will participate in bilateral meetings with the Turkish companies in TÜYAP Fair Center and provided with 3nights accommodation covered by Republic of Turkey Ministry of Trade in TÜYAP Palas Hotel.
In case you are interested, send your expression of interest to East Africa Entrepreneurs Association (EAEA), Plot 19B, Chorley Crescent, Luzira, Nakawa Division, Email: [email protected] or Call Office: 0393-208214. OR Mobile: 0701342220. Deadline is 16th October, 2020.
Kindly note that you need to be a member of East Africa Entrepreneurs Association.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any further information.
Tentative Buying Mission Draft Program
- 18 November Wednesday Arrival to İstanbul
- 19 November Thursday Visit to the Fair
- 20 November Friday Bilateral meetings with the Turkish companies
- 21 November Saturday Departure from İstanbul
We look forward to your participation and be part of the EAEA delegation.


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Deconstructed cars, repurposed parts, tires as canvases—in this exhibition, creativity is at full throttle.
Mercedes-Benz has a long history in motorsports, starting from the first ever car race in France
Take a look at the marque’s historic motorsport vehicles.
The Autohub Group debuts its YouTube Channel with an exclusive vehicle
The Autohub Group celebrates their 23rd anniversary with the launch of their own YouTube channel, which will provide the latest updates, reviews, and news on their roster of top-notch car brands
The new MINI Countryman charts another path for the iconic British brand
Precisely refined design, attractive additions to the equipment range, and innovative technology underpin the exceptional status of the new MINI Countryman within the premium compact segment.
The Boat Tail: Rolls-Royce and Bovet’s fully bespoke years-long project
The nautical themed vehicle comes with two matching, adaptable timepieces
This Rolls-Royce Phantom is basically a jet on wheels
Rolls-Royce and Hermès collaborate on a stoneware-themed Phantom that’s built like a private aircraft.
RTFKT has designed a pair of Lexus sneakers
The sneaker is inspired by the Lexus IS 350.
Watch a Rolls-Royce tear through the Arabian sands
One brave owner shreds across the desert with the Cullinan
Aston Martin unveils a luxurious racing simulator
Now you can race right in your own home.
Now, even children can design a Rolls-Royce
Got aspiring designers staying at home? Here’s how to keep them busy.


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The long-running saga of India’s 5G spectrum auctions has finally seen some closure in 2022. The multi-band auction wrapped on August 1 with 71% of the available spectrum sold – a result that India’s government considers positive, as it will be sufficient to achieve nationwide 5G coverage within two to three years.
Apple stated it will appeal a ban it received from Brazilian authorities which prevented it from selling iPhones without a charger.
Smartphone shipments for Latin America declined 2.5% year-on-year to 32.2 million units in Q2 but proved to be a bright spot as the global smartphone market collectively dropped 9%.
The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) will implement a ban on manufacturing and importing 3G devices in a bid to drive smartphone adoption.
It may not come as a major surprise, but independent analyst company Canalys has now supplied the figures to back up the expected news that smartphone sales are falling in Southeast Asia.


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Please note that tax, investment, pension and ISA rules can change and the information and any views contained in this article may now be inaccurate.
UK hotel growth to decline in 2018
Professional services firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) believes that earnings growth in UK hotels will be lower in 2018. The company predicts a stronger than anticipated second half of the year thanks to a recovery in Europe and a weaker pound, but argues this is not sustainable.
Canaccord Genuity reckons Airbnb is a growing threat to the hotel sector as it gains more traction with leisure travellers.


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Last year more than 5,000 spectators enjoyed two days of thrilling motorsport at London's Crystal Palace. Now a major motor dealer group has announced a three-year sponsorship package for the event.
Ancaster Group, which has been established in the south London area for more than 50 years, said it was backing the "exciting" project while also using it to showcase its own cars.
Motorsport at the Palace took place over the Bank Holiday weekend of May 30 and 31, with an eclectic range of vehicles sprinting along the 700-metre course snaking through Crystal Palace Park. Cars racing against the clock included Lotus Cortinas, Minis, Aston Martins, Healey Sprites, Porsche 911s, Chevrolet Corvettes and even a 1903 Humber Humberette.
The sprints included hilly and wooded sections of the scenic parkland and incorporated sections once driven by stars such as Jim Clark, Stirling Moss, James Hunt, Jackie Stewart and John Surtees.
During last year's event Ancaster Group displayed its full range of Fiat and Nissan cars and commercial vehicles.
"We are always keen to get involved in our local community and this agreement gave us the chance to support a very exciting project, whilst giving Ancaster Group the perfect stage to showcase our exciting product range," said Stephen Wood, the group's managing director.
"Ancaster Group is delighted to be sponsoring the show over the next three years. We're looking forward to another thoroughly enjoyable and action-packed bank holiday weekend in 2011," he added.
For more information visit the Motorsport at the Palace website.


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By Christine Eade, Christine Eade26 February 1999
The chief executive Johan Visser reprieved 18 stores which were on the market and now, according to Poudstretcher’s property manager, Howard Greenwood, the stores are making money.
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- Jun 27, 2018
- Reaction score
They run them up and miles trying to find things before they clear production and shipping.Is the Pilot testing just a shakedown of models to be released soon? Surely the '24 RAMs have been in a test phase for awhile even before the engine introduced on the Wagoneer. Need a new truck and holding out for news.


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The maker of application development and deployment tools made $22.8 million, or $1.18 per share, for the fiscal year ended November 30, 135 percent more than the $9.7 million, or 53 cents per share, the Bedford, Massachusetts-based firm made in 1997.
"Our financial results were powered by the fact that [independent software vendors] sold more applications than in previous years," said Joseph Alsop, Progress's president. "We were also pleased by the adoption rate of our Internet-based products among some of the world's most progressive and result-oriented companies."
Much of Progress's income comes from other software vendors who use Progress's development tools to build their own software.
Progress's revenue for the year rose 27 percent to $239.9 million from $188.3 million in 1997. The results for 1997 do not include a one-time charge of $11.5 million for software development and write-offs related to the acquisition of Apptivity Corporation.
Revenue for the fourth quarter this year rose 32 percent from the like period last year to $69.2 million. Profits were $8.4 million for the recent quarter, up 127 percent from the $3.7 million posted last year's fourth quarter. Diluted earnings per share were 43 cents this year compared to 20 cents per share last year.


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With the repercussions over the end of all support for Windows XP still continuing, Microsoft has now warned customers about the looming end of mainstream support for other widely used products, including Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008.
Microsoft detailed the products that will reach the end of the mainstream support phase of their lifecycle within the next six months in a notice posted on its support site. The deadlines had already been disclosed, but Microsoft issued the notice as a reminder to customers.
The list of products includes Windows 7, all the versions of Windows Server 2008 (including R2 releases) and Exchange Server 2010, for which mainstream support will end on January 13, 2015.
However, the end of mainstream support is not as catastrophic as the final cut-off for all support that hit Windows XP this April. Instead, it means that these products are transitioning to the extended support phase, during which Microsoft will continue to provide security updates for the next five years, but will no longer add new features.
Support for the original release version of Windows 7 actually ended last year, in line with Microsoft’s support lifecycle policy of offering support for 24 months after the release of a successor service pack, with the new dates applying to the Service Pack 1 releases.
Meanwhile, Office 2010 Service Pack 1 and SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 1 are being retired on October 14 this year, but these have already been superseded by newer service packs that are still supported by Microsoft. The software giant advises customers still on the older release to migrate to the next available Service Pack to continue to receive security updates and be eligible for other support options.
Of more concern to Microsoft customers will be Windows Server 2003, which will reach its own final cut-off date on July 14, 2015. This platform is based on the same codebase as Windows XP, but was launched later.
Like XP, it is still being used by many companies, according to IT consulting firm Avanade, which warned that this is likely to raise the same kind of security and support issues once the July 2015 deadline has passed.
For Windows users, the situation could prove exasperating, as many business users are still in the throes of a complex migration away from the now defunct Windows XP, and will find themselves adopting a platform that is itself heading out of mainstream support.
Meanwhile, the most current version of Microsoft’s platform, Windows 8.1, is under mainstream support until January 9, 2018. However, customers still running the earlier Windows 8 have until January 12, 2016 to update to Windows 8.1 in order to remain supported, Microsoft said.


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Google to erase Ad IDs for Android users who opt out of personalized ads
While Apple forced apps ask permission for 3rd-party tracking, Android will wait for them to opt-out before automatically erasing the Ad ID field. It’s a step towards greater privacy but will also hinder analytics and fraud detection. Google has said that it will provide an analytics and fraud detection alternative in July. The company also plans to offer users more privacy options.


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If it wasn't already clear that Canada is becoming a hotbed for AI research, it is now: Samsung has opened an AI lab (shown below) at the Université de Montréal. The school's faculty and students (including long-time Samsung partner Prof. Yoshua Bengio) will collaborate with South Korean researchers on a slew of AI-related projects, including self-driving car technology, image recognition, translation and robots. While you may not see the first fruits of this lab for years, it underscores both Samsung's increasing dependence on AI and the tech industry's rapid shift to the north.
It's no secret that Samsung wants (and arguably, needs) to bolster its AI work. The Bixby assistant is already a tentpole feature for Samsung's smartphones, and it's spreading to devices like smart speakers or even appliances. If it's going to be a success, it needs to rapidly evolve past its current rough state and become something you'd actually prefer -- especially since it does have relatively unique features like object identification. Combine this with Samsung's early autonomous driving and robotics work and it's possible that the fate of the company could hinge on the strength of its AI labs.
And one thing's for sure: Canada's investment in AI (it earmarked $125 million in federal funding, among other initiatives) is leading to a fierce battle for talent, particularly in Montreal. While major brands are researching AI across the country, such as Google's DeepMind office in Edmonton and Apple's self-driving unit in Ottawa, Montreal was already home to teams from Facebook, Google and Microsoft. If Samsung didn't open an AI lab in the city, it risked losing talent. It's hard to say how much longer this trend will continue, but it's easy to see other big names following suit out of fears they'll miss a big AI breakthrough.


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Shares of Sunderland-based furniture and floorings retailer ScS Group fell 7% on Tuesday after it said its gross sales improved £5.8 million to £333.3 million in the 52 weeks ended July 27, 2019, but warned Brexit concerns and Bank Holiday hot weather had hurt more recent trading.
ScS said it remains conscious of the impending Brexit deadline “and the impact this may have on the market, consumer confidence and the wider economy.”
ScS added: “Whilst it is still very early in the new financial year, the group has had a more challenging start to FY20, with like-for-like order intake falling 7.6% for the period from 28 July 2019 to 29 September 2019.
“On a two year basis, like-for-like order intake was down 3.0%.
“The period has been impacted by the record temperatures seen over the key August bank holiday weekend and the increased political and economic uncertainty that the UK is currently facing.”
ScS CEO David Knight said in the firm’s statement: “I am delighted to report another year of good progress and growth for ScS in our continued effort to ensure we remain Britain’s best value sofa and carpet retailer.
“The group saw a £5.8m (1.8%) increase in gross sales in the year to £333.3m (2018: £327.5m).
“The increase was impacted by a lower opening order book at the start of the year, due to the warm weather and the football World Cup at the end of the previous financial year.
“Sales were also impacted by the closure of two stores, which did not meet the required level of return for the capital employed.
“Gross profit increased to £149.9m (2018: £147.2m), with the gross margin percentage being maintained at 45.0% (2018: 45.0%).
“Underlying EBITDA increased 3.0% to £19.7m (2018: £19.1m) and underlying profit before tax rose 7.1% to £14.6m (2018: £13.6m).
“Since the start of the current financial year, trading conditions have been more challenging, with like-for-like order intake falling 7.6% for the period from 28 July 2019 to 29 September 2019.
“This period was impacted by the record temperatures experienced by the UK across the August bank holiday weekend and the increasing political and economic uncertainty we are currently facing in the UK.
“We remain conscious of the impending Brexit deadline, and the impact this may have on the market, consumer confidence and the wider economy.
“However, the group’s financial health has never been as strong and with our resilient, debt-free balance sheet, we are in a good position to manage the ongoing uncertainty, and furthermore seek opportunities which will add value in the longer term.
“Our strong and clear value offering has proven successful, and we are confident it will continue to appeal to our customers who want to buy great products at the lowest possible price.”
Analysts at Peel Hunt wrote: “The very strong FY19 showing will unfortunately be overshadowed by current trading travails …
“August started well, but the Bank Holiday was a horror.
“More recently things have picked back up a bit, but in general industry-wide nerves are winning the day …
“We continue to class ScS as one of the clear winners in the sector, and with the valuation very low and the yield at 7%, we remain firm buyers despite the downgrade.”


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The Singer Company announced that it had agreed in principle to sell substantially all the assets of its tufting division to Spencer Wright Industries Inc., a new corporation. Singer announced earlier this month that it was terminating a variety of its business operations, including knitting, tufting, mailing equipment, venture capital and traffic control.
The tentative sales agreement is subject to negotiation of definitive contracts, bank financing and governmental approvals. The closing will take place about Dec. 31, Singer said. The new company, which will have its headquarters in Chattanooga, Tenn., said it planned to continue making and selling the tufting division's present product line and also provide technical service. The division makes carpet tufting machinery and finishing equipment.


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Chatmeter helps multi-location brands stay on top of things like responding consistently to reviews. Now it is showing how this industry is advancing in the AI era.
This week Chatmeter announced Risk Monitoring, which the company says is “an AI technology that gives businesses the ability to identify and prevent the next major crisis. Risk Monitoring is the newest feature of Chatmeter’s Pulse AI platform.”
This new tool seems like a natural marriage between AI and reputation monitoring. Simply put, Risk Monitoring uses AI to sift through reviews and social media posts to flag potential problems in the modern world where brands have to have their guards up across a multitude of fronts.
The new Chatmeter tool classifies risky reviews and posts into one of seven categories – discrimination, harassment, customer safety, employee safety, unfair business practices, theft, and food safety. It’s not difficult to imagine the potential consequences of missing a red flag in any of these categories.
Essentially this is what reputation monitoring has always set out to do. Now AI makes the process faster and presumably better.
Just in Time
Chatmeter CEO John Mazur suggests in his comment for the announcement that AI-based risk monitoring has arrived just in time, given the pace and risk level of online reputation monitoring.
“In the realm of online reputation management, the stakes have never been higher for businesses navigating the digital landscape,” Mazur says.
“Negative, business-threatening commentary spreads online with the click of a button. Therefore multi-location brands must put themselves in a position where they can address – and take action against – these risks. Recognizing this, our team has pioneered Risk Monitoring. , a groundbreaking product that leverages proprietary Chatmeter AI to sift through the noise of online reviews and social media to pinpoint potential risks with unprecedented accuracy.”
The shift to AI-based risk monitoring has made it easier for Chatmeter to avoid the landmines that brands face today. Today, user-generated content can make or break a business.
“Chatmeter’s new Risk Monitoring feature is assessing our online reviews in a way that truly matters in today’s hyper-digital era,” said Lloyd Kim, Operational Services Manager at Paris Baguette North America.
“We have increased visibility and awareness of risks that may impact our business. And that allows us to respond quicker than before. Our responsiveness to tackle risks has improved like never before.”


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Sales over holidays dissatisfy retailers
Published: Friday, January 5, 2007 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, January 5, 2007 at 12:02 a.m.
NEW YORK — December's lackluster retail sales left the nation's merchants wondering Thursday about their chances for a turnaround in 2007 — even as several big merchants were scaling back their fourth-quarter earnings expectations.
As retailers reported their sales for the month and the entire holiday season, many blamed their disappointing showings on mild weather that depressed sales of winter wear like heavy coats, and on consumers who waited until just before Christmas to do their shopping. But it was clear that shoppers, worried about the housing market and energy prices, were waiting to get the lowest possible prices — a cautious stance that's expected to continue this year.
December's disappointments crossed all retail categories, from Limited Brands Inc. to jewelry chain Zales Corp. and could be a harbinger to weak profit reports when retailers release their fourth-quarter results next month; retailers' fiscal years generally end in late January. A number of retailers including Zales, BJ's Wholesale Club Inc., Gap Inc. and Ann Taylor Stores Corp. cut their profit outlooks Thursday because they were forced to slash prices to lure shoppers.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. posted better-than-expected results for December following a dismal November, but the discounter's overall holiday season was still its worst ever, analysts said.
"The season depended not on what the current economic conditions were but what consumers perceived," said Michael P. Niemira, chief economist at International Council of Shopping Centers. He noted that while gas prices declined and the housing market's slump appeared to be leveling off, "these concerns were pretty much ingrained in the consumers."
The International Council of Shopping Centers-UBS sales tally posted a 3.1 percent gain in December, in line with original expectations. That means for the November-December period, same-store sales averaged a 2.8 percent gain, slightly below the original forecast of 3 percent. The tally is based on same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year; these sales are the industry's standard for measuring retailers' health.
"The tone was more pessimistic than optimistic," Niemira said. "I think when you look back, November-December may be a good bellwether for the industry performance for this year."
For 2006, the ICSC-UBS survey averaged a 3.7 percent gain in same-store sales, but Niemira expects the pace to slow in the new year to about 3 percent.
Although retailers had a good start during the Thanksgiving weekend, many stores struggled in December and a shopping surge just before and after Christmas wasn't enough to make up for lost sales. Merchants tried to stick to their previously planned discounts, but at the season's end they resorted to bigger-than-anticipated cuts to pull shoppers in.
Balmy weather across much of the country meant consumers were disinclined to buy coats and gloves, depressing sales at many apparel stores. Declining gasoline prices and a steady job market should have helped merchants, but Ken Perkins, president of RetailMetrics LLC, a research company in Swampscott, Mass., believes the recent drop in home equity loans — a big source of buying power over the past few years — curtailed spending among middle-income shoppers.
Sales figures were also hurt by two big shifts in the way consumers shop: the increasing popularity of gift cards and the growing migration toward online buying, which is not reflected in same-store results. Gift card sales are only posted when they are redeemed rather than bought.
Wal-Mart, which warned early in the season that its same-store sales gain would be no better than 1 percent, posted a 1.6 percent increase for December. Retail industry analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected a 1 percent gain.
The results followed Wal-Mart's 0.1 percent decline in same-store sales in November, its first monthly same-store sales drop in a decade.
Wal-Mart had its weakest December performance since 2000, when it posted a 0.3 percent gain, according to Thomson Financial. The slim 0.8 percent increase for November and December combined was the worst since Thomson Financial began tracking the data in 1995.
Wal-Mart has struggled with a mix of problems, including the fact that its lower-income customers were hurt by gas prices. But the company's lackluster sales have persisted even as the cost of gas retreated — partly because its attempt to broaden its appeal to higher-income shoppers was poorly executed, particularly in apparel and home furnishings.
Rival discounter Target Corp. had a 4.1 percent gain in same-store sales, below the 4.5 percent estimate.
Costco Wholesale Corp. posted a 9 percent gain in same-store sales, beating Wall Street's 5.7 percent estimate. BJ's Wholesale had a 0.6 percent same-store sales gain, below the 1.3 percent estimate.
Federated Department Stores Inc., which acquired May Department Stores Co., had a 4.4 percent gain in same-store sales, below the 5.5 percent estimate from Wall Street. The same-store results include only the Macy's and Bloomingdale's stores that existed before September, when the company transformed most of the former May Co. stores to Macy's units.
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. had a 2.6 percent gain in same-store sales at its department stores, slightly better than the 2.4 percent estimate. Internet sales rose 15.2 percent.
Nordstrom Inc. reported a robust 9 percent same-store sales gain, exceeding the 4.3 percent forecast. Luxury retailer Saks Inc. had an 11 percent same-store sales, gain, nearly twice the 5.3 percent estimate.
Pier 1 Imports Inc. suffered a 10.7 percent drop in same-store sales, worse than the 9.4 percent analysts anticipated.
Zale, which did not break out December same-store sales figures, reported a same-store sales increase of 2.3 percent for November and December. It said profit margins were below expectations due to more aggressive price cutting.
Limited Brands had a 4 percent gain, well below the 9.3 percent Wall Street expected.
Gap, which has long struggled with its fashions, suffered an 8 percent drop in same-store sales, worse than the 5 percent estimate. The company said it was slashing its annual profit outlook.
AnnTaylor posted a 5.3 percent decline in same-store sales; analysts predicted a 0.6 percent gain.
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January 17th, 2013 - Lacy
On January 15th, the USDA announced the appointment of Dr. Francis Thicke, Ph.D. by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This 15-member board has the sole authority to approve or remove substances from a list of items approved for use in organic foods.
Read More:Organic Dairy Farmer Appointed to the National Organic Standards Board
December 18th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
The organic farming community is grieving the loss of Russell Libby, who died on Sunday at the age of 56 from cancer. Mr. Libby was known as one of the nation’s leading voices for organic farming.
Read More:Champion of Organic Farming, Russell Libby, Dead at 56
November 23rd, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
A new report released by the USDA’s Advisory Committee of Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture received condemnation by the National Organic Coalition– an alliance of organizations focused on maintaining the integrity of organic standards.
Read More:USDA Report on GMOs “Ill-Conceived” Says the National Organic Coalition
August 9th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
Jigmi Thinley prime minister of Bhutan, the small Himalayan country situated between China and India, has announced that the nation is planning to convert all its agricultural land to organic farms, reports Rodale.
Read More:Leave Your Chemicals at the Border: Bhutan Going 100 Percent Organic
May 18th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
A “conspiracy” between corporate agribusiness and the USDA is being dubbed “The Organic Watergate” by the nation’s leading organic farming watchdog, The Cornucopia Institute.
Read More:“Organic Watergate”: Major Accusations Point to USDA and Agribusiness Conspiracy
March 15th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
Promising new research coming out of France shows that a dramatic reduction in pesticide use can be achieved without a negative impact on crop yields, according to the Pesticide Action Network of North America.
Read More:French Study Reveals Cutting Pesticide Use in Half Won’t Affect Crop Yields
February 11th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
The 2012 GRAMMY Awards airing this Sunday, February 12th will be a night of firsts (and not just because Skrillex has 5 nominations). Chipotle, the fast casual Mexican-inspired restaurant chain will run its first national television advertisement during the awards ceremony and the longest commercial to air during a GRAMMY awards ceremony.
Read More:Chipotle Supports Sustainable Farming with a Super Long GRAMMY Commercial
December 17th, 2011 - Erin Shaw
Shamrock Farms is under fire from the USDA for questionable “split operation” livestock management practices that could get their organic certification revoked. The USDA investigation is in response to a formal complaint by the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog that first inspected Shamrock in 2008. Cornucopia found “inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility,” and learned from Shamrock employees that “the confined cows had not been out in weeks.” Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed, a practice that some factory-scale dairies shirk according to Cornucopia’s investigations.
Read More:Busted: USDA Finally Enforces Organic Standards at Shamrock Farms
November 29th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
More good news for organic farming enthusiasts. Despite longstanding opinions that organic farming could not successfully challenge the perceived efficacy or durability of conventional farming, or the big push from Monsanto and other manufacturers of genetically modified seeds that claim to provide higher yield and less dependence on pesticides, the benefits of organic farming are becoming more apparent and desirable.
Read More:New Research Shows Organic Farming as Viable as Conventional
November 8th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
In efforts to meet a pre-Thanksgiving holiday break deadline, the House and Senate ag committees are working via a joint panel to create the national food and farm policy for the next five years, with what could have significant repercussions for the nation’s farmers markets.
Read More:New Supercommittee Budget Cuts Threaten Farmers, Markets and More


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Following on last month’s search privacy video from Google, the Google Blog announced that a new installment dealing with personalized results is now available. Meanwhile, two new articles about privacy issues and naming Google in particular have also come out today.
The video discusses how Google can use your IP address, domain, or location to better personalize your search results. The video also shows how they can use your web history to do the same. Plus, the video ends with showing how you can pause Google from recording your web history, delete specific items in your history, or completely wipe out all your web history. Here is the video:
As for the articles, Global web privacy rules needed in 5 years: Google from Reuters covers more on the push for global privacy standards Google started earlier this month.
Seeking the key to web privacy from the Financial Times takes a look at a bunch of privacy issues in relation to search.


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For the Japanese, patience is a defining virtue: for Toyota, it could sum up its entire environmental policy.
The carmaker launched its first hybrid vehicle, the Prius, to an unsuspecting UK public 20 years ago. It became something of a cliché that tree-huggers delighted in the quirky car’s green credentials, but they were an exclusive bunch. In its first four years, Prius sales accumulated fewer than 1,500 models.
It took another four years before Prius achieved a foothold in the market, while registrations peaked at just more than 10,500 in 2010. Since then, newer Toyota hybrids have carried forward the baton, notably the Yaris Hybrid which finds almost 16,000 new owners each year.
From modest beginnings, Toyota has now sold 374,570 hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars in the UK, plus a further 130,560 Lexus hybrids. Patience indeed.


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International Business students have raised £133 for White Lodge Centre in Chertsey, which supports disabled children in Surrey.
Students enrolled in the TASIS England International Business course have set up a model business using theory learned during the first session of summer school. The class decided to name the business TSB Co-operative (TASIS School of Business). To market their new events and sales business, the group designed promotional posters and then held a TSB fair on the TASIS England campus. The event included stalls selling food and handmade jewelry, and there were music and games to entertain peers.
International Business teacher, Ms. Kyriazi commented, “The students were engaged in a step-by-step process leading up to the fair, which consisted of: developing product ideas, conducting market research, creating a business plan, budgets, and promotional material, then predicting costs and revenue, and, finally, launching the products on the day of the fair. I think they did a great job!”
After the fair students decided to donate the profit to a local charity that helps disabled children. Today, three representatives from International Business class visited White Lodge Centre to present the check to Head of Fundraising, Mrs. Steptoe.
Mrs. Steptoe was grateful for the students’ effort, and commented, “It is extremely important that our local community supports us, it means so much to the Centre and it helps to keep our work here going. Thank you all very much.”


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Offered by Happy Vitals, Inc., the home test uses the company’s scientific and digital technologies to provide an detailed assessment of the nutrition and immunity status of breast milk—fats, proteins, carbs and key vitamins—all charted over time with an integrated digital portal for personal health tracking. In addition, Happy Vitals also offers heavy metal toxin tests for pregnant women and children via non-invasive hair or fingernail/toenail samples.
Finding the best mix of nutrients to foster childhood development both in utero and after birth is one of the emphases of the dietary supplement industry and functional foods industries. Folate, for instance, has a health claim associated with it for its link to the reduction in risk of neural tube defects when used by pregnant women, and the addition of DHA to infant formula has long been associated with the health development of infants’ brains.
Healthy Vitals co-founder and CEO Eric Feigl-Ding, PhD, believes there is a lot more to discover along these lines, and says his company is at the forefront of communicating the benefit of nutritional interventions to consumers.
Quantified health movement
“We are primarily a quantified health company,” Feigl-Ding told NutraIngredients-USA. “That’s an umbrella, a new movement in which people can actually measure their own health and keep track of it. This is a huge movement in the future of nutrition.”
Feigl-Ding, who is an epidemiologist, nutritionist and health economist, was until recently was on the faculty at Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health. He has more than 100 publications and has served as a consultant for the World Health Organization and an adviser to the European Commission. His wife and co-founder, Andrea Feigl-Ding, PhD, is also on the faculty at Harvard. Part of the motivation for founding the company and offering this first product was to find out what’s best for their 2-year-old child.
The breast milk test kit costs about $150 for a basic version, and supplies the mother with vials and a cold pack-cooled shipping container for samples.
“It’s a direct to the home lab testing service for nutrition,” Feigl-Ding said. “We provide overnight express shipping to our laboratory, which is a certified government lab in Canada.”
The results include a tie-in to a mobile app that helps mothers understand and use the data, Feigl-Ding said.
“The key thing is that we are not just sending a sheet with numbers but we explain the results to the mother with the mobile app,” he said.
Feigl-Ding said those results can be used by mothers in a variety of ways. Among the key questions the test kit seeks to answer are:
- Is the baby receiving proper nutrients?
- How does what the mother eats affect what the baby receives?
- Can breastmilk be optimized?
Feigl-Ding said that research has shown that for breastfed babies, supplementation for the mother is a more efficient approach to improving the infant’s nutritional intake as opposed to trying to supplement the child directly.
“For instance, it has been shown that supplementing the mother with vitamin D is just as effective as giving the babies vitamin D drops,” he said. “In terms of vitamins and micronutrient levels in their breastmilk the information would clearly be aimed at helping them to modify their diet.”
Infant health study
Another goal of the company’s test kits would be to assemble enough data over time to be able to do a longitudinal study on early childhood nutrition among breastfed babies. There are a number of troubling spikes in certain conditions among children in recent decades, Feigl-Ding said, and too little information is currently available to be able to parse out the reasons for this.
“Allergies, autism and asthma have double or tripled in the last 15-20 years. It is quite staggering and we don’t know the causes. We think it has something to do with early childhood nutrition. There are theories out there, but we actually have no clue,” Feigl-Ding said.
Women who purchase the kits would have the option of donating the data on their milk and participating in the study that could give baseline measurements on a host of development milestones, he said. The number of participants necessary to get a valid study would depend on what endpoints were desired, Feigl-Ding said.
“The US has never had a nationwide children’s health study. With our kits we could collect actual nutritional data that would quantify a whole range of nutritional markers. We could look at things like when these kids take their first steps or say their first words. For first steps or first words, you could get good results with just a few hundred participants. To look at things that are more rare like autism or other childhood diseases, you’d need a much bigger number,” he said.
Staying within the boundaries
Feigl-Ding said rules governing health information on mobile apps have been loosened recently. Nevertheless, he said he is well aware of the high-profile problems genomic testing company 23andMe has had with authorities. The information Happy Vitals will dispense will stay well within the realm of nutritional recommendations and will stay away from the discussing the genetic predisposition for certain diseases, which is what got 23andMe into hot water.
“Dietary recommendations have changed over time, but we are getting them more and more precise. At Happy Vitals we are part of the personal quantified health movement in which people can have the most up-to-date scientific information about their nutrition at their fingertips,” he said.


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SHEFFIELD men have the third largest waistlines of people in any British city, according to a survey.
Website Fits.me says the average Sheffield man’s middle is now 91.52cm, or just more than 36 inches.
Birmingham is the worst, at 92.06cm, followed by Belfast, which has an average of 91.68cm.
The average British male waistline is 91.16cm, while the trimmest men in the UK can be found in Brighton, at 89.12cm.
The figures come from analysis of the measurements of men who have submitted their own measurements to one of Fits.me’s virtual fitting rooms, used by brands including Adidas, Pretty Green and Thomas Pink, to help customers buy the right size when shopping online.


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Proton Suprima S GXR: First drive reviewTurbo hatch disappoints on the road.
- 06 December 2013 (3 years ago)
On the wingProton has thrown the works into its affordable hot hatch Satria GTi. Thanks to input from Proton-owned Lotus, the GTi h
- 27 July 2011 (6 years ago)
Jumping JumbuckIt's well-equipped, the price is right, and its cargo area will swallow almost as much as a Falcon ute's. Without a load
- 20 July 2011 (6 years ago)
Missing true valueDespite its massive warranty, a recalcitrant Jonathan Hawley dismisses the Proton Waja 1.6X.
- 26 July 2011 (6 years ago)
It's a worry, er, warriorComfort and smooth handling are the Proton sedan's strong points. Quality and misguided pricing are not.
- 26 November 2001 (15 years ago)
This GTi offers affordable funOne of the best things about Protons new Satria GTi is that it seems to have filled a void left by most other manufactur
- 07 July 2011 (6 years ago)
Unsubtle. And loving itHot hatches not only have to perform but also must look the part. Inside and out, the Malaysian-built Satria GTi has pre
- 06 July 2011 (6 years ago)
Proton denies Rover linkProton has denied it is interested in a possible joint venture with Rover, following reports in Britain's Business Times
- 22 August 2000 (17 years ago)
Proton PersonaThis Malaysian-built car is still a work in progress, writes BRUCE NEWTON.
- 29 September 2008 (9 years ago)
Proton Savvy recalledWheel bearing fault leads to recall for Proton Savvy.
- 02 April 2008 (9 years ago)
Proton-VW marriage is offMalaysia's national car maker Proton has called off alliance talks with Volkswagen.
- 30 August 2010 (7 years ago)
Malaysia's Proton plans petrol-electric carWith limited resources, Proton plans to compete with Toyota and Honda in the hybrid market.
- 06 July 2005 (12 years ago)
Proton tries zero financeProton Cars Australia has launched an Australia-first zero percent finance package it says will save buyers up to $4000
- 17 April 2002 (15 years ago)


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Lidl has said it is to scale back its store openings and instead focus on growing warehouse capacity instead.
According to The Grocer, the discount grocer averages around 50 new store openings a year, with 54 being opened last year, in a bid to hit its target of having 1,100 by the end of 2025.
However, it now aims to open just 25 stores this year.
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“In 2023, we are opening 25 stores, which equates to one a fortnight,” a Lidl GB spokeswoman told The Grocer.
“Whilst this is a slowing on store openings, we are focusing on investing heavily in our warehouse capacity: opening Luton, completing extension works on our Bridgend and Belvedere sites, and looking for a new site for the south.”
The slowdown comes despite the cost-of-living crisis continues driving shoppers from traditional supermarkets to both Lidl and Aldi.
This comes as this morning, Lidl revealed it has gained nearly £11 million in switching gains from M&S, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s in the past month, an increase of over £10 million year on year.
According to the discount grocer, over the past year, it has seen a total of £120 million coming from households choosing to shop at the company instead of traditional supermarkets.


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We know this was a purely digital menswear season in Paris, but it was nice to see a designer attempt to put on something close to a show – named "The Horsepower Takeaway" from Denmark’s Henrik Vibskov.
No city stages fashion presentations as succinctly as Milan, all the way through the past week, which ended with the city closing its doors dramatically on Sunday after the first deaths from the coronavirus in Italy.
A score of mannequins sat in the front row at JW Anderson on Wednesday, heads covered by cardboard cut outs of the face of Arthur Rimbaud. An homage to the French poet, but also to cult figure David Wojnarowicz.
During Paris Fashion Week, showroom for up-and-coming brands Designers Apartment shone the spotlight on 13 innovative brands working to make a name for themselves in an increasingly competitive and harsh environment.


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Walmart, which has deployed its financial might to squeeze extra gallons of gas out of its trucks and shave pennies off the price of laundry detergent, did something unexpected this week: It muscled its way into a divisive social debate.
In an announcement circulated and recirculated among incredulous gay-rights advocates, Walmart posted a statement in its Twitter feed that asked the governor of Arkansas, its home state, to reject legislation that critics say could allow discrimination against lesbians and gay men.
The bill’s passage “threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion present through the state of Arkansas and does not reflect the values we proudly uphold,” Doug McMillon, Walmart’s chief executive, said in the statement on its Twitter account.
“Every day, in our stores, we see firsthand the benefits diversity and inclusion have on our associates, customers and communities we serve,” he said. “For these reasons, we are asking Governor Hutchinson to veto this legislation.”
Many credited Walmart’s influence as a major factor in the decision on Wednesday by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to ask state lawmakers to amend the legislation or take other action to avoid the potential for discrimination.
For many, Walmart’s pointed intervention into what amounts to a civil rights issue highlights a cultural transformation underway inside the company’s Bentonville, Ark., headquarters. Known for its insularity and discomfort with social issues, Walmart has studiously avoided touching public policy for the most part, rigidly adhering to its founder’s vision of a company focused relentlessly on low prices and big stores.
But now, generational change, as well as business imperatives and rapidly shifting public opinion on issues like same-sex marriage, seem to have pushed Walmart to take a strong, public stand that would have been unthinkable several years ago.
“They’ve done a complete 180,” said Justin G. Nelson, co-founder and president of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. “You have a company that frankly was abysmal on L.G.B.T. issues if you go back five years, but has now become an employer that has a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity, that is headquartered in an incredibly conservative state.”
Mr. Nelson added: “The fact that they came out and said that this bill cannot discriminate against L.G.B.T. people, that’s very powerful to say. I don’t know that there is a stronger corporate voice that could have said that than Walmart. It’s been an evolution. It almost mirrors how America has evolved in those issues.”
The company declined to elaborate further on Mr. McMillon’s statement.
Walmart remains under fire for its stance on some hot-button issues, like firearm sales, which the retailer has wavered on. It seemed to move away from guns a decade ago only to reintroduce them at more stores in recent years.
But on the issues surrounding the Arkansas law, Walmart has joined many large corporations, like Apple and Marriott Hotels, in opposing segments of similar legislation that were signed into law in Indiana last week.
That state’s law evoked a boisterous backlash with top businesses announcing boycotts, and the titans of Silicon Valley denouncing the state’s action. As the nation’s largest private employer, Walmart, it seemed, could hardly ignore the spillover and concern landing in its own backyard, as the Arkansas legislature passed the bill this week.
Walmart’s public foray into social issues dates back to the mid-2000s. Under assault by organized labor for its business practices, Walmart started to tiptoe into areas like environmental sustainability — though mostly, critics noted, in ways that would improve its bottom line.
Walmart then surprised civil rights advocates by becoming the first prominent company to back the renewal of the Voting Rights Act in 2006, a decision informed by the retailer’s standing as the nation’s largest private sector employer of African-American workers.
That same year, Walmart joined the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. That was a short-lived partnership, however, as pressure from the religious right forced Walmart to scale back on its promises to explore gay-friendly policies. The chamber dropped the partnership the following year.
But Walmart has again embraced activism directed at the outside political world — and has done so increasingly publicly, not through quiet back channels. It worked with Bob Witeck, a well-known consultant who helps companies develop gay-friendly business strategies, to update its anti-discrimination rules and work with sexual minority suppliers and marketers.
In February, Walmart came out against another Arkansas bill that would limit cities and counties from passing nondiscrimination ordinances to protect gay rights, though, as critics noted, only after the bill was signed into law. Now, Walmart has jumped back into the conversation.
“They’re really thinking about how can they expand their market share and how can they be relevant in the 21st century to every household,” Mr. Witeck said. “They see diversity inclusion as a business case.”
Witeck Communications, Mr. Witeck’s firm, estimates that 6 to 7 percent of the adult population in the United States is willing to self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Their total buying power, the firm estimates, amounted to $830 billion in 2013.
Walmart may even have more immediate, practical reasons to take a stand against the Arkansas bill, said Nelson Lichtenstein, a labor historian and director of the Center for the Study of Work, Labor and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“It would be very disruptive for Walmart if an individual employee, say in the bakery department, who is given an order for a wedding cake for Joe and Jim, says, ‘I’m not going to fill this order because this new Arkansas law lets me,’ ” he said. “That would be very embarrassing, and the last thing Walmart wants.”
The company also has been making changes that would appear to be efforts to improve its tarnished image on work force issues after years of labor disputes. It announced this year that it would increase hourly wages to at least $10 next year.
Mr. Lichtenstein said that Walmart’s past struggles to set down roots in urban areas had also led the retailer to court a more liberal standpoint.
“As the company moved out of Arkansas, and they wanted to move into New York, coastal California, Chicago, Washington, D.C., they’ve realized they’ve got to be savvier,” he said. “Walmart officials see coming out against the bill as a big feather in their cap for the next time they go to New York.”
Its foray into social policy has won it some unexpected admirers. Christine C. Quinn, who as speaker of the New York City Council vehemently fought the store’s plans to open stores in the city, took to Twitter to express her admiration for the retailer.
“I hate 2 compliment Walmart,” she wrote, “But their opposition to Ark’s discrim ‘relig freedom’ really deserves 1.”
In contrast to all the uproar back home in Arkansas, it was business as usual on Wednesday when Greg Foran, the company’s chief executive for the United States, gave investors at the New York Stock Exchange a dry rundown on topics like inventory and pricing. While investors asked questions about the wage increase and other bottom-line matters, no one asked Mr. Foran about the retailer’s decision to take such a highly public stance on a social matter.
Mr. Foran did give some hints about Walmart’s long-term approach to corporate transformations.
”I can tell you we’re 100 percent committed to getting this right,” he said, “not just for a year or two, but for a couple of decades.”


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Weekly Highlights: Ford's iPhone Deal, Facebook Outage And More
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) had a good week, but it didn't include any product announcements.
It did, however, enjoy a new sale from Ford (NYSE: F).
Facebook's (NASDAQ: FB) week did not go nearly as well. The social network unveiled a new app, which is always interesting. Unfortunately, a massive outage took center stage as consumers scrambled to exist without their favorite social network.
Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) introduced a new online game service, but Wedbush doubts that it will have a meaningful impact on sales.
iMakr opened the world's largest 3D printing store in New York.
Finally, Nintendo may hold off on releasing a new console in 2017 -- even Wii U sales don't rebound.
Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Ford Expected To Buy 9,300 iPhones
Facebook Went Down Again
MacBook Pro Got A Little Cheaper
Apple quietly adjusted the price of its old MacBook Pro this week.
The standard (non-Retina) model now sells for $1,099. The specs haven't changed since 2012, and Apple has given no indication that it intends to upgrade this model or release another non-Retina laptop. Thus, this is likely the closeout price designed to get rid of old MacBook Pros that have yet to be sold.
Nintendo Unlikely To Launch New Hardware Before 2018
Could Nintendo dump its ailing Wii U console and replace it with a newer, more attractive machine?
History shows that console manufacturers tend to move away from failed devices. At the very least they don't extend the console's life beyond the old five-year cycle.
Unfortunately, Juniper Research does not believe that Nintendo will release a new console in 2017 -- five years after Wii U's arrival. Instead, consumers may have to wait until 2018 or 2019 to play the next Nintendo console.
Thinknum Raised $1 Million
Not long ago, Thinknum was a two-man startup that was operated out of a home office. Now it is picking up steam and just raised $1 million.
"We're currently part of a 500 Startups accelerator here in Mountain View, but we're going back to New York in August to open our New York City office," Thinknum co-founder Justin Zhen told Benzinga.
Massive 3D Printing Store Invaded New York
The world's largest 3D printing store just opened in New York.
Built by iMakr -- a startup that specializes in selling 3D printers, materials, 3D art and 3D scanners -- the new store gives consumers the chance to see and touch these expensive items before making a purchase.
"Most people are not willing to spend one to three thousand dollars for something they can only view online," Sylvain Preumont, CEO of iMakr, told Benzinga.
Facebook Announced Another Familiar Feature
How many features can one social network borrow from it competitors?
There may be no answer to that question if Facebook continues to draw inspiration from others within the industry.
Facebook's latest target is Snapchat. The company failed to successfully acquire Snapchat last fall, so it has decided to release another app to take its place.
EA Launched A New Online Service
Electronic Arts announced a new online game service this week.
Currently exclusive to Xbox One, the service allows users to download and play a small number of EA games for $5 per month or $30 for the whole year.
"[It's] pretty much a non-event," Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter told Benzinga. "Very limited offering (only EA games, only on Xbox One, mostly one year old), albeit at an inexpensive price. I don't see EA offering this if it impacts sales of games. If it doesn't impact, then the value isn't that great for the consumer."
More Stories You Can't Miss
The preceding slideshow was just the beginning. Check out these other hot stories right here on Benzinga.
- Did The World Cup Display Why Facebook Wanted To Buy Snapchat?
- Young Silicon Valley Interns Rake In The Dough And Perks
- Facebook Lays To Rest Old Worries About Mobile Strategy
- What Will Facebook Do After Its Most-Talked About Event Ends?


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Xilam’s ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’ gets a waxwork at Grévin Museum
MUMBAI: Xilam Animation’s flagship property ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’ has taken up residence at the Grévin Museum in Paris. Created at Grévin’s workshop, wax works of Oggy and the three pesky cockroaches – Joey and Deedee and Marky – were unveiled at a ceremony and are now open to the public.
This installation follows a raft of brand activity which has been held throughout the year including the opening of the brand’s first escape room in Paris, museum partnerships, exhibitions, a roadshow, street marketing and more.
Xilam Animation CEO Marc du Pontavice said, “It’s been a fantastic year for ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’ as we’ve celebrated the 20th anniversary with fans of all ages. We’re delighted ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’ has been chosen as one of just a handful of kids’ brands to set up home in the wonderful Grévin Museum and look forward to seeing families further engage with Oggy in this exciting new way for years to come.”
Now in its seventh season, ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’ reaches 600 million households in 190 countries through global deals with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, along with a robust line up of local broadcast partners. The property the company claims has a strong global presence on YouTube with 7+ million subscribers and 200 million views achieved every month.


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SAN FRANCISCO — Nokia is leveraging its considerable portfolio of navigation services to become the first company to offer free navigation worldwide on its handsets. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) shook up the nav market earlier when it announced free maps and navigation on Android-based handsets in the U.S., but Nokia has considerably more reach.
The new offering, Ovi Maps, has its roots in Nokia’s multi-billion purchase in 2007 of navigation leader Navteq. Nokia previously charged for the services, which include turn-by-turn navigation in 74 countries, it’s now offering for free.
“Google’s in the U.S. only, while Nokia via Navteq offers the best coverage in the world from Africa to China, Europe and elsewhere,” Dominique Bonte, practice director at ABI Research told InternetNews.com. “What’s unexpected about this is that when you get something for free, it’s not usually the best in the market, but this is.”
But where Google’s Android OS is appearing on a growing number of smartphones, Ovi Maps is, for now, only available on Nokia smartphones. The Nokia 5800 and E72 are among the ten the Finnish mobile phone giant it’s available on now with more to follow. Starting in March, Nokia said it plans to preload phones with Ovi Maps. Lonely Planet and Michellin Travel Guide content is also being made available free to Nokia users.
Christof Hellmis, vice president of location services for Nokia, said the company is definitely interested in getting its mapping services onto competing handsets. “Why not? Yes, eventually we’d like to see these services on other devices, not just Nokia’s,” Hellmis told InternetNews.com at a media event here.
Bonte said he fully expects Nokia to offer navigation to other handset makers. “The whole Ovi service platform is like a separate business unit and that’s always been the master plan to offer these services to others,” he said. “Otherwise they are limited to their own devices, but what they really want to do is offer navigation, music and money/payment services to a variety of handset makers.”
Hellmis said Nokia is actively pursing distribution and support of a software development kit (SDK) designed to help developers bring out new location-aware applications. The company already offers a level of integration with Facebook with and Twitter, which lets users keep in contact with friends by letting them see where they are geographically.
Hellmis said that as maps are entering a new 3-D world that allows for a lot more information and geo-tagging to be embedded in buildings, historical monuments and the like.
From a competitive point of view, Bonte said Nokia has a deeper offering than Google which he calls “offboard” navigation in that all the information resides on a remote server. Nokia’s “onboard” software runs locally on the device letting users download maps and, for example, work out travel plans offline.
“I just spent 11 hours on a flight coming out here and I was able to figure out everywhere I needed to go and how to get there when I was in the plane without an Internet connection,” said Hellmis.
Bonte said he thinks the addition of free navigation services could help Nokia in the U.S. where its share of the smartphone market remains in the single digits. “Their sales have been dismal in the U.S. but this might be the kind of thing to get Nokia clicking with U.S. consumers,” he said.


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What will drive consumer tech sales in 2021?
Propelled by pandemic needs, consumer tech sales in the U.S. saw their strongest growth in 2020 in at least seven years, according to NPD Group’s “Future of Tech” forecast. This week around 2,000 vendors are attending the first-ever virtual CES show to drive that growth further.
According to NPD’s survey, sales in the U.S. consumer technology industry jumped 17 percent through Dec. 26. Sales are expected to climb 12 percent in the first quarter.
Overall sales, however, are expected to decline two percent in 2021 as the outsized 2020 comparisons are anniversaried. NPD also predicts a decline of two percent in 2022, followed by flat sales in 2023.
Stephen Baker, VP, industry advisor at NPD, in a statement stressed that, despite year-over-year declines in 2021, the results will still represent double-digit growth versus pre-pandemic levels.
“The pandemic has renewed recognition of the critical value of technology to consumers, so while sales comparisons may stagnate, demand on an overall basis for consumer electronics will be higher for the next two years than it would have been without the events of 2020,” said Mr. Baker.
NPD expects smart home and PC gaming related products to grow 9 percent and three percent respectively in 2021. Both categories were seen having long-term growth potential pre-pandemic.
By 2023, the top five segments based on revenue (notebooks, tablets, headphones, TVs and smartwatches) are predicted to expand to over 55 percent of all tech sales from 44 percent in 2017.
“In the latter half of 2021, we expect to see a renewed focus on mobility: charging solutions for phones, thin and light PCs, and the build out of 5G, as consumers begin to return to a more ‘normal’ life,” said Mr. Baker. “We also expect previously less important trends, like improved in-home connectivity, home based work and education, the growing number of screens to enable content consumption, and connected video capabilities in the home, to take hold more permanently as a result of the pandemic.”
This week’s CES event will showcase a number of high-tech masks, smart air purifiers and UV-C-germ killing devices as well as items to support at-home work and entertainment needs due to the pandemic.
- NPD Forecast: Historic U.S. Consumer Technology Sales in 2020 Set the Stage for Long-Term Industry Expansion – The NPD Group/PRWeb
- CES 2021: The World’s Largest Tech Show Trades Las Vegas for Cyberspace – The Wall Street Journal
- Here’s What’s Next For Gadgets In 2020 – The Verge
- CES 2021 trends: Top 6 things we expect to see at the all-virtual show – CNET
- What to Expect From the First-Ever Virtual CES – Wired
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How do you see the pandemic influencing consumer electronics trends this year and in the years ahead? What tech innovations are you most excited about seeing?


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Singapore, - 701Search, Singapore Press Holdings' (SPH) JV media company specialising in building and growing online marketplaces in regional emerging markets, will have a new partner in Telenor ASA, Norway's leading telecommunications operator.
701Search was established in 2006 with SPH Interactive International Pte Ltd (SPHI) and Norway's Schibsted Classified Media AS as equal partners. It operates the online classified companies Mudah.my (Malaysia),
Berniaga.com (Indonesia), Ayosdito.ph (The Philippines) and Chotot.vn (Vietnam).
With this strategic move, 701Search will be able to reap potential synergies by leveraging on Telenor's established Asian telecommunications network, mobile internet capabilities and subscriber base. Telenor's expertise in mobile is also useful as 701Search brings online classifieds into the mobile sphere.
Together with Schibsted, which brings extensive knowledge and experience from the online classifieds business as well as SPH, a leading media company in Singapore with expertise in print and online advertising, 701Search will greatly benefit from the contributions of all three shareholders when the transactions are completed by the end of the year.
The transactions are subject to regulatory and other relevant approvals and conditions. On closing, 701Search will be owned 1/3 by SPHI, 1/3 by Schibsted and 1/3 by Telenor. 701Search will continue with its business of offering online classifieds in the region.
Mr Alan Chan, Chief Executive Officer of SPH, said:"701Search has turned in a good performance since it started, achieving market dominance in some areas and growing rapidly in others. With the participation of another strategic investor, and the different strengths and extensive knowledge of SPH, Schibsted and Telenor, we can work towards penetrating the online classifieds market in South East Asia and beyond."
“We believe we will succeed in bringing our popular products and proven business-models to rapidly developing economies in Asia. This joint venture formed by three knowledge-driven and industrially oriented companies gives us even more financial and operational strength to pursue attractive number 1 positions. We can do more, and we can move faster. This will improve our chance to succeed,” said Schibsted CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal.
“Bringing Internet to the masses is a key objective for Telenor. Online classifieds on mobile is growing fast. Being one of the largest mobile operators in the world with a strong footprint in emerging markets, it makes perfect sense for Telenor to team up with two world class companies like Schibsted and SPH to create a leading online classifieds player,” said Rolv-Erik Spilling, EVP and Head of Telenor Digital.
“SPH, Schibsted and Telenor are a perfect match. SPH and Schibsted are leading providers of one of the most popular Internet services in online classifieds, and reach around 100 million people worldwide. Telenor is one of the world’s leading mobile companies already bringing communication and Internet services to 150 million customers in Europe and Asia,” said Mr Chan, Ryssdal and Spilling.
Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Co. Regn. No. 198402868E
For more information, please contact:
Chin Soo Fang
Head, Corporate Communications & CSR
Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Tel: 6319 1216
Deror Wong (Mr)
Corporate Communications & CSR
Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Tel: 6319 1226
About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is Southeast Asia's leading media organisation, engaging minds and enriching lives across multiple languages and platforms. SPH has 19 titles licensed under the Newspaper Printing and Presses Act, of which nine are daily newspapers across four languages, and over 100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region. On an average day, – 3.05 million individuals or 76 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH’s news publications. SPH’s internet editions of its major newspapers enjoy over 300 million page views with 20 million unique visitors each month. Other new media initiatives include AsiaOne, omy.sg, ST701, Stomp and The Straits Times RazorTV. SPH has also ventured into book publishing, broadcasting, out-of-home advertising and properties. For more information, please visitwww.sph.com.sg.
701Search Pte Ltd is a joint venture between Southeast Asia's leading media organisation Singapore Press Holdings and Norway’s Schibsted Media Group. It is a new media company specialising in online classifieds services for the Asia-Pacific region. The service allows anyone to buy and sell in his or her region conveniently in a very simple manner.
Headquartered in Singapore, the company currently operates online classifieds in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Launched in November 2007, Mudah.my is now the largest online marketplace in Malaysia with more than 10 million unique visitors and over 700 million page views per month on both mobile and desktop. Berniaga.com and Ayosdito.ph have also made major in-roads in their respective markets in Indonesia and the Philippines and both are now the second largest online classifieds websites there. Despite just being over a year old, Chotot.vn is now the largest online marketplace in Vietnam as well as the fastest growing Vietnamese website, with over 4 million users and 100 million page views every month.
About Schibsted Media Group
SHAPING THE MEDIA OF . TODAY.
Schibsted is an international media group with approximately 7,800 employees and operations in 29 countries.
Schibsted’s strategy comprises two main objectives: further development of our media houses and establishment of popular online classifieds services. Several of our media houses are among Europe’s leading online newspapers and pioneers in the fields of web TV, mobile and paid online services. The industry know-how which our media houses possess about the interaction between established and new media forms much of the basis for our ambitions for future growth. In recent years we have been systematically expanding our online classifieds business, both through acquisitions and organic growth. The online classifieds segment is a long-standing and important part of our business model.
For more information about Schibsted Media Group, please visit Schibsted.com
About Telenor Group
Telenor Group is an international provider of tele, data and media communication services. Telenor Group has mobile operations in 12 markets in the Nordic region, Central and Eastern Europe and in Asia, as well as a voting stake of 42.95 per cent (economic stake 33 per cent) in VimpelCom Ltd., operating in 17 markets. Headquartered in Norway, Telenor Group is one of the world’s major mobile operators with more than 150 million mobile subscriptions in its consolidated operations per Q2 2013, revenues in 2012 of NOK 102 billion, and a workforce of nearly 34,000. For more information about Telenor Group, please visit www.telenor.com


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I love what I do and am honored to be recognized by EY. Building Traeger every day has been such an incredible experience." - Jeremy Andrus, CEO of Traeger Grills
Salt Lake City (PRWEB) June 06, 2016
EY announced that CEO, Jeremy Andrus of Traeger Grills, Creator of the Original Wood Pellet Grill, has received the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2016 Award in the Consumer Distribution & Manufacturing category for the Utah Region. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Andrus’ award was presented at a gala event at The Grand America Hotel on June 4, 2016.
“I love what I do and am honored to be recognized by EY. Building Traeger every day has been such an incredible experience. Of course I couldn’t do it without an entire team of individuals who care about the brand as much as I do. They are truly the best collection of entrepreneurs I have ever worked with, and I continue to be impressed by how they push the boundaries to create amazing products that enrich the lives of our customers,” said Jeremy Andrus, CEO, Traeger Grills.
Andrus joined Traeger Wood Fired Grills as President & CEO in January 2014 and acquired the business alongside private equity fund Trilantic Capital Partners in July of that year. Prior to Traeger, he served as the President and CEO of Skullcandy as well as on its board of directors. In eight years, Andrus helped grow Skullcandy's annual sales from less than $1 million to nearly $300 million. He currently sits on the boards of directors for Wilson Electronics, PurePredictive, and TrueGreece, as well as investment committees for Kickstart Seed Fund and University Venture Fund. He volunteers on the loan committee for microfinance agency International Rescue Committee and on the advisory board for Utah refugee youth soccer club Break Through Soccer. Andrus received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and B.A. from Brigham Young University. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Kristin, their four daughters and twin boys.
Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs who are job creators, risk takers, and standout innovators who inspire us all to build a better future. These leaders demonstrate ingenuity and their discipline has propelled the success of their companies, invigorated their industries, and benefited their communities. Now in its 30th year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee Company, Robert Unanue of Goya Foods, and Mindy Grossman of HSN. Recent US national winners include Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn; Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of Chobani; and 2015 winners Andreas Bechtolsheim and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks.
As a Utah Region award winner, Andrus is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 national program. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year recognizes them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 19, 2016. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth ForumTM, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies. The US Entrepreneur Of The Year Overall Award winner then moves on to compete for the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in Monaco, June 2017.
Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are sponsored nationally by SAP America, Merrill Corporation, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In the Utah Region, sponsors also include Beehive Startups, The Community Foundation of Utah, Corporate Alliance, Digital Bytes Production & Design, Diversified Insurance Group, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Strong & Hanni, The Summit Group Communications, and Utah Business.
About Traeger Grills
Traeger Grills, headquartered in Salt Lake City has been revolutionizing BBQ grilling and outdoor cooking for over 30 years with one simple, all-encompassing cooking solution. Traeger pellet grills use 100 percent all natural hardwood fuel to infuse food with healthy and flavorful smoke, this makes food taste delicious and memorable. As the inventor of the original and world’s top selling wood-fired grill, Traeger utilizes wood-fired convection air to provide 6-in-1 versatility; grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and BBQ meals to perfection every time. For an innovative cooking solution, visit http://www.traegergrills.com for more information.


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US: Monster plans US$250m share buyback
Monster has authorised another share buyback programme
Monster Beverage Corp's directors have authorised a US$250m buyback of the group's outstanding common stock.
The move represents the second buyback in three months, after the California-based energy drinks group okayed a $500m share repurchase in August. “The company expects the share repurchases to be made from time to time in the open market or through privately-negotiated transactions,” it said in a statement today (14 November).
Monster, which announced a slowing of nine-month net profits last week, has seen its share price dive in recent weeks as the company has dealt with a series of issues. It is facing action from New York's attorney general over the marketing of its products, while two Illinois senators are pushing for a wider crackdown against the energy drinks market.
Meanwhile, the firm has been hit with a lawsuit in the US from the mother of a 14 year-old girl who died after allegedly drinking two cans of 24-ounce Monster energy drinks. Monster's CEO Rodney Sacks said last week the claims in the lawsuit are “totally baseless”.
It also facing scrutiny from the US Food and Drug Administration after it emerged that Monster product have been cited in relation to the death of five people since 2007.
The company insists it products are safe.
Sectors: Soft drinks
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