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If you're a die-hard fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator films, or even just classic arcade shooters, you may well have picked up a copy of Terminator 2: Judgement Day on Game Boy. Also released on SNES, this was an official tie-in to the movie of the same name, but the developers faced a rather comical issue during development.
An interview from a - now pretty old - issue of gamesTM magazine has resurfaced online thanks to Twitter user @Matt_Paprocki, revealing the strange licencing problem. Conducted by Graeme Mason, this interview was held with Terminator 2 developer Jas Austin, who went into detail about the issues faced when dealing with the film company. It turns out that official imagery of Arnie caused a bit of trouble, but Linda Hamilton's character, Sarah Conner, was far more problematic due to an issue with her 'bangs'.
Thankfully, as you can see, it turns out that the film company didn't actually demand the unnecessary graphical enhancements that this comment might suggest, and was actually innocently referencing the character's hair. Phew! Still, it's easy to imagine the increasing levels of confusion spreading through the development studio with each new comment, and presumably the relief when the situation was finally resolved.
Well, there's a story that you'd probably keep away from the grandkids.


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Atlassian’s June quarter revenue is up 30% on 12 months ago to US$559.5 million (A$760m), but the losses continue for the 19-year-old software giant, which posted a US$213.1 million net loss for Q4 FY21.
The revenue figure is a considerable beat on market expectations and the company’s own Q3 prediction of US$513m to $528m.
The net loss is a US$172 million improvement on Q4 FY20’s US$385.2m loss.
But a rise in expenses matched the revenue growth, with costs such as R&D, marketing and admin up 30% YoY to US$469.1 million for the quarter.
The net loss for Q4 FY21 included a charge of US$200.5 million recorded in “other non-operating expense, net,” compared with a charge of US$382.7 million in Q4 FY20 relating to our exchangeable senior notes and related capped calls.
Of this amount, a loss of US$180.9 million is related to marking to fair value the exchange feature of the notes and related capped calls that remain outstanding as of quarter-end. In addition, a net loss of US$19.6 million is related to the net impact of settling a portion of the notes and the unwinding of the related capped calls during this quarter.
The net loss per diluted share was $2.79 for FY21, compared with a net loss per diluted share of $1.43 for FY20.
Subscription revenue was US$385.5 million for the fourth quarter, up 50% on 12 months earlier.
The operating loss was US$7.5 million for Q4 FY21 compared to an operating loss of $3.3 million for the fourth quarter FY20.
Atlassian’s co-founder and co-CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said it “was a ripper of a quarter” with subscription revenue up 50% year-over-year, and 23,000 new customers.
“We are incredibly proud of our resilience and execution during fiscal 2021,” he said.
“We continued to innovate with five new products built on top of our cloud platform, surpassed 200,000 customers and $2 billion in revenue, and added over 1,500 new Atlassians to the team.”
His co-founder and co-CEO Scott Farquhar the opportunities for the company have never been greater.
““We are reimagining the future of work and are keen to seize the massive opportunities that we see across our three core markets: agile development; IT service management; and work management for all teams,” he said.
“We will continue to put in the hard yards to execute and advance on our mission to unleash the potential of every team.”
In their letter to shareholders, the pair wrote:
“We capped off FY21 with strong operating margin and free cash flow margin results, even as we continued to invest heavily in cloud R&D and executed on certain marketing initiatives during Q4. Our strong financial position provides us with the flexibility to invest purposefully in FY22 to further our cloud-first goals and create value for our customers in our three core markets.”
The business ended the financial year with a total of 236,118 customers. Of the 23,311 net new customers during the quarter, 6,520 were single-user Trello accounts.
Atlassian now employs more than 6,300 people globally.
Total revenue for the first quarter of FY22 is expected to be in the range of US$575 million to $590 million.
As the business moves into its 20th year of operation, Atlassian hinted it may be in the black in the coming quarter, forecasting a net income per diluted share in the range of US$0.09 to $0.10 on an IFRS basis

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Janet Jackson's 'Scream' music video outfit sells for $125K at auction
The sale of 1,000 items includes gowns worn to the Oscars and Met Gala, as well as a number of tour looks
Janet Jackson’s ensembles she wore in the Scream music video opposite her brother Michael Jackson were among the items up for bid in a three-day auction.
Julien’s Auctions says her black circular bubble textured fabric long-sleeve shirt, black patent leather pants and black patent leather over-the-ankle boots sold for $125,000 Saturday. The auction, called Iconic Treasures From the Legendary Career and Life of Janet Jackson, will be held until Sunday, the singer’s 55th birthday.
Ahead of the auction, Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said: “Janet has never done anything like this before. We’ve approached her so many times, and it has always been very hard to find anything at auction from her because she kept and archived everything.”
Nolan later told The Observer: "Jackson has had this stuff in storage for years, and in her homes in Los Angeles, New York and London. She’s been incredibly hands-on with sending personal notes on each piece, remembering what she wore and when, which we’ve included in the catalogue. She now feels it’s time to let go."
Jackson partnered with Juilen’s Auctions to sell more than 1,000 items from her career and personal treasures. The auction was held live in Beverly Hills, California, and shown on Julien’s website.
A portion of the proceeds will go towards Compassion International, an organisation that helps children escape from poverty.
Jackson’s floor-length metallic silver coat with lambskin shearling lining, cuffs and collar, designed by Helen Storey, was bought for $50,000. Her silver string bikini and a pair of matching pants worn underneath the coat by Jackson sold for $25,600.
On Friday, Jackson’s original jacket from her 1990 Rhythm Nation World Tour along with a black 1814 1814 cap and black satin gloves with metal plaque decoration was sold for $81,250.
Other items such as Jackson’s silver-tone hoop earring suspending a key worn at the 1987 Soul Train Music Awards and her Rhythm Nation tour sold for $43,750.
- Additional reporting by AP
Updated: May 16, 2021 01:41 PM


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GPS fleet tracking users report positive ROI in less than six months. Get more interesting data points from 2020 Fleet Tracking Trends Report. Download now.
August 20, 2019
Rush hour. Inching forward. Aggressive drivers. Dangerous maneuvers. Being stuck in heavy traffic congestion is a universal experience that nobody enjoys. The problems traffic congestion causes go beyond fender benders and frustration, it actually has a tremendous financial impact on the trucking industry and the supply chain. When drivers get stuck in gridlock, it has a direct impact on delayed deliveries, fuel consumption, travel time, and vehicle wear and tear, all of which impact the cost of doing business.
For fleet managers looking to streamline operations, finding ways to help their drivers avoid heavy traffic congestion is a good place to start. In this post, we’ll cover the high costs of traffic congestion in trucking, the worst U.S. cities for delays, and ways GPS software can help fleet managers reduce driving time and improve fuel efficiency with improved routes.
Growing demand for deliveries, shortage of truck drivers
According to a study by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the trucking industry incurred more than $74.5 billion dollars in additional operating costs in 2016 due to traffic congestion1. On top of that, consumer demand to have goods delivered is growing thanks to e-commerce. Along with growing delivery needs, there is a severe shortage of truck drivers. The American Trucking Association estimates that there is a nationwide need for about 60,000 additional drivers, and that figure could increase to 100,000 in just a few short years; and about 51,000 drivers are already needed to fill existing (and growing) demand3. With exponentially increasing demands and a dwindling workforce of drivers, there are serious concerns about the ability of carriers to keep up.
The growing demand for deliveries is cause for concern for traffic congestion, too. Big brands like Amazon have begun hiring individuals to keep up with package deliveries, adding not just trucking traffic but road traffic from smaller automobiles as well. The more traffic congestion, the longer it can take for deliveries to arrive, especially for big retail brands expecting large shipments. Many companies, including the two major brands Wal-Mart and Kroger, are developing strict delivery policies for their suppliers and they are beginning to impose fines for late deliveries2. It’s a lose-lose situation for retailers and carriers: retailers lose potential revenue to online sales and carriers get fined for late deliveries due to increased traffic congestion.
Traffic congestion is a global issue. It has increased globally over the past ten years (TomTom) and the majority of congestion occurs in urban areas. Some of the most congested and dangerous areas are outside of the United States. Analytics from the INRIX Global Traffic Scoreboard found that Moscow, Russia, Istanbul, Turkey, Bogota, Colombia, and Mexico City, Mexico were amongst the worst4. Now, let’s switch gears and cover the worst traffic cities in the USA.
Worst traffic cities in the USA
In the United States, severe urban traffic contributed to 88% of the $74.5 billion dollars tied to traffic congestion (ATRI). Below are the top ten worst traffic cities in the USA with the average annual time spent in congestion and the cost of congestion per motorist:
- Boston, MA: 164 hours ($2,291)
- Washington, DC: 155 hours ($2,161)
- Chicago, IL: 138 hours ($1,920)
- New York City, NY: 133 hours ($1,859)
- Los Angeles, CA: 128 hours ($1,788)
- Seattle, WA: 138 hours ($1,932)
- Pittsburgh, PA: 127 hours ($1,776)
- San Francisco, CA: 116 hours ($1,624)
- Philadelphia, PA: 112 hours ($1,568)
- Portland, OR: 116 hours ($1,625)
As economic activity and populations in metropolitan areas continue to grow, it’s necessary for feet managers to make changes about the way they approach transportation in the supply chain.
Reduce costs with route planning software
The ATRI found that the cost of traffic congestion averages out to about $6,478 per large truck in the United States1. For a considerably small fleet with just 50 vehicles, that’s more than $320,000 in lost revenue annually. That is an eye opening number for fleet managers responsible for keeping operating costs under control. Route planning software can help you find cost-effective routes that avoid heavy congestion levels and other issues so that you start saving today. Some features and benefits of dynamic routing include:
- The ability for GPS maps to adapt routes based on real time traffic conditions like delays due to an accident or major construction.
- A unique ‘day- ahead’ view that allows you to make last-minute changes such as driver absences, out-of-service vehicles and new or changed jobs.
- Flexibility to view and edit routes for a specific day, add new jobs to a specific route or edit existing jobs
- Automatically assign a job to a route or update a single route or selected set of routes
The future of trucking and traffic congestion relies on technology and smart cities
Reducing congestion and keeping up with consumer demands are issues that will continue to be top of mind for transportation carriers and beyond. The future is likely to rely upon intelligent transportation systems and other emerging technologies that make smart cities and their infrastructure more connected with drivers and vehicles on the road.
- Trucking-only lanes that bypass on/off ramps.
- V2X communication warning drivers of accidents, inclement weather, infrastructure issues, and dangerous drivers nearby.
- V2I communication which allow vehicles to communicate with objects like traffic signals or smart parking spaces.
- Autonomous vehicles to address the shortage of available drivers.
- Fleet dash cams that record contextual elements of incidents and capture data that can be analyzed to make infrastructure updates.
- Smart mobility initiatives which include public transportation, car-sharing, and carpooling as a way to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
Traffic congestion is a serious issue that impacts the global economy, the daily lives of consumers and individuals, and the cost of doing business in the transportation supply chain. The shortage of truck drivers and increasing consumer demands are creating a unique and potentially volatile situation that is forcing businesses to turn to technology to make ends meet. Local and federal governments are evaluating ways to reduce congestion by introducing smart city technologies. Fleet managers are using technology available today to keep their drivers on the road and on time.
If you’re a fleet manager looking for ways to improve the use of technology in your operation, reach out today to the experts at Verizon Connect for help.


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D-Link camera can be hijacked to become a spy-cam
D-Link is working to fix a weakness that allows attackers to take over remote control of one of its cameras so they can eavesdrop, and the company is checking whether others of its products have similar vulnerabilities.
The vulnerability allows for the injection of malicious code and forces a password reset, which means attackers can gain remote access to the camera’s feed, thereby enabling eavesdropping, according to Senrio, a startup that monitors devices, scores how vulnerable they are and alerts when it detects suspicious behavior.
It also means that regardless of how strong a password users set up, it can be overridden.
The camera – D-Link DCS-930L Network Cloud Camera – might not be the only device affected by the vulnerability, a spokesperson for Senrio says. “Senrio has also agreed to evaluate a number of additional D-link products to assess if the vulnerability can be found in the firmware in those items,” the spokesperson said in an email.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here


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On Wednesday, consumer advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the FDA for their failure to address the overuse of antibiotics in animal feed. Factory farms include antibiotics and antimicrobial drugs in animal feed to fight against the myriad of illnesses that cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys suffer from as a result of their CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) lifestyle (horrendous living conditions, restriction of natural behaviors, use of unnatural feed and growth hormones). The antibiotics can also help increase production in food-producing animals which is an obvious plus for farmers. The major concern with this practice is that humans and animals will eventually become resistant to these drugs and then they will no longer be effective when they are really needed. The FDA itself has acknowledged that non-therapeutic use of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance in humans and has urged the meat industry to phase out antibiotics in feed. The FDA issued a draft guidance for the industry and recommends “judicious use” be applied. Specifically, the “FDA recommends that all antimicrobial drugs for animals and people be used only when necessary and appropriate.”
“I want to have everyone over for dinner and barbecue ribeye steaks and lobster tails.”
When I heard this I remember thinking, “wow, I would never choose to cook for myself and 40 friends on my own birthday. He must really love cooking.”
Hubby has always enjoyed being in the kitchen or standing over a smoking grill. We subscribed to several cooking magazines, but it wasn’t until we began getting Cook’s Illustrated that something changed. If you’ve never seen Cook’s Illustrated before, it is a thin publication that features no actual photographs of food, only artists’ drawings. Sounds rather dull until you read it. Every recipe is tested, and tested, and tested, until they have the perfect crepe, stir-fry, or pineapple upside-down cake. They also have a member’s website which has an extensive array of recipes, technique videos, and equipment reviews.
This is going to sound completely obvious, but the reason we use Cook’s Illustrated recipes day in and day out is because they always turn out great. Not good, but great.
Depending on what survey you look at, anywhere from 70-96% of Americans want labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. In the absence of such labeling, how do you know if something has GE ingredients? Chances are if it contains soy, canola oil, corn or sugar beets, it has an extremely high likelihood of being GE. What about fresh produce? The only way to know for sure is to buy certified organic produce.
Have you seen the Meatrix yet? It is a highly creative cartoon in which Leo, the pig, meets Moopheus, the sunglasses and trench coat-clad cow, who decides to take the red pill to find out the truth about factory farming.
“The Meatrix is all around you Leo. It is the story we tell ourselves about where our meat and animal products come from.”
The question is, are you taking the blue pill and living in the fantasy where meat is cheap and everything else doesn’t matter? Or, are you going to take the red pill and learn the truth?
From antibiotics and air pollution, to waste and workers, The Meatrix website does an excellent job at highlighting all the issues surrounding factory farming. Visit the site to learn more and find out how you can join the sustainable food movement.
In 2009, 93% of soybeans, 93% of canola, 86% of corn, and 95% of sugar beets (in 2010) grown in the United States were genetically modified. Stop for a moment and absorb that information; these are staggering numbers. In the US, a certified organic crop must be grown from non-GM (genetically modified) seeds. One of the major concerns with GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is cross-contamination. When you have a soybean farm on one side of a road using GM seeds and an organic farm on the other side, you can begin to understand how organic crops can easily become contaminated.
The Non-GMO Project was started to create a set of practices for manufacturers and growers to follow to avoid GMO contamination. The seal means that an independent third party has tested all ingredients (which grow in GM form) in a food product to ensure it falls below a 0.9% contamination level (in line with laws in the EU). According to the Non-GMO Project website:
“…what our seal means is that a product has been produced according to rigorous best practices for GMO avoidance, including testing of risk ingredients…The Non-GMO Project is the only organization offering independent verification of testing and GMO controls for products in the U.S. and Canada.”
The label appears to be catching on. Big players in the industry are participating in the project including: Whole Food’s 365 brand, Annie’s Homegrown, Barbara’s Bakery, Bragg, Eden, Garden of Eatin, Grimmway Farms, Kettle Foods, La Tolteca, Lundburg Family Farms, Nature’s Path, Nutiva, Organic Valley, San-J, and Yogi. All of these companies and many more are either in the process of becoming non-gmo verified are have already been verified. See full list of brands here.
While it is great for consumers to have another layer of protection under this seal, ultimately, we deserve to have labeling of all foods that are genetically modified. If they can do it in Europe, they can do it here. When you start looking at the statistics – 93% of all corn is GM – you begin to see how much money and power is at work to prevent this from ever happening. However, even if GM labeling was required, it would not address the concern of GMO crop contamination. Having organizations and growers committed to keeping contamination at a minimum will be important for as long as GM crops exist.
We want to hear from you. Is a non-GMO seal such as this one important to you? Does it influence your buying decision?
Last week, the California Assembly Health Committee passed a bill requiring the labeling of all genetically engineered salmon entering and sold within the state. Interestingly, genetically modified fish is not on sale anywhere in the United States. This move was a preemptive strike against the possible FDA approval of genetically engineered (GE) salmon.
In September 2010, the FDA found that there was not enough data to determine if AquaBounty’s GE salmon was safe for consumers or the fish themselves. AquAdvantage , the fish under consideration, is Atlantic salmon that has been given a gene from the ocean pout, an eel-like fish, which allows the salmon to grow twice as fast as a traditional Atlantic salmon. It also contains a growth hormone from a Chinook salmon and reportedly requires 25% less food.
There are a whole host of concerns surrounding GE salmon which are outlined in CA Assembly Bill No. 88. One major concern is that the FDA’s current review of GE salmon does not adequately consider the potential environmental effects and health effects associated with genetically engineered salmon, including, but not limited to, risks to native salmon populations and other freshwater and marine species. The bill expresses that “accurate and truthful labeling to describe whether or not salmon is genetically engineered is the easiest and most protective practice to provide additional transparency in the state’s seafood supply chain so that individuals may protect their health and California’s environment.”
Also included as concerns in the bill:
Unlike the European Union, as of today, genetically modified foods are not required to be labeled as such in the United States. The FDA has indicated that it will not require labeling of GE fish if approved which is in line with their position that labeling should not “suggest or imply that GM/GE foods are in any way different from other foods”. It seems, however, that the FDA’s position does not seem in line with public opinion. According to the bill,
“Public opinion polls indicate that 95 percent of the public want labeling of genetically modified foods and that nearly 50 percent of the public would not eat seafood that has been genetically engineered.”
Be Food Smart is based in California and we are surprised and encouraged by our state’s progressive position on this important subject. While the bill will not prevent GE salmon from being approved or possibly entering our wild fish populations, at least Californians will be able to make an educated purchase at our grocery stores and fish markets. The next step for the bill is the Appropriations Committee before being taken up by the full Assembly. Let’s hope it is approved and adopted in other states across our country. It we can’t have protection at a federal level, we need to look to our state government for solutions. We thank Assembly Member Jared Huffman for introducing the bill and the Center for Food Safety for co-sponsoring.
In September we reported that, the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) petitioned the FDA to allow the use of the term “corn sugar” as an alternative to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on ingredient labels. Instead of waiting for a ruling from the FDA, the CRA went ahead with a new ad campaign which uses the term corn sugar. This act has angered people in the sugar industry and on April 29th, a group of sugar farmers and refiners filed a lawsuit against the members of the corn refining industry. According to Food Navigator, “The suit…claims the industry’s corn sugar branding campaign for high fructose corn syrup constitutes false advertising.”
Watch the 30 second commercials here:
The United States uses more high fructose corn syrup than any other country in the world, but negative publicity over the last few years has caused many food manufacturers to switch to cane or beet sugar. The CRA maintains that HFCS is nutritionally equivalent to sugar and the name change will assist with consumer clarity. Hmmm…consumer clarity. That’s exactly what we were thinking!
The suit was filed in a Los Angeles US district court by Western Sugar Cooperative, Michigan Sugar Company and C & H Sugar Company; defendants in the case are ADM, Cargill, Corn Products International, Penford Products, Roquette America, Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas, and the Corn Refiners Association.


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Last April, Black Shark Malaysia launched the Black Shark 4 here, making it one of the top gaming smartphones at the time. But since then, the Pro model remained elusive to Malaysians. Well, it looks like the company is finally launching it here.
Black Shark Malaysia has confirmed that the Black Shark 4 Pro would be launching here on 17 January 2022. This model comes with the Snapdragon 888 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of internal storage. Its display is a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED screen that supports a refresh rate of 144Hz and HDR10+. The battery isn't that big at 4500mAh, but it does support 120W fast charging.
Besides the Black Shark 4 Pro, we're hoping that Black Shark Malaysia would launch the Black Shark 4s here. This model was revealed in October 2021 and packs a Snapdragon 888+, which is an overclocked variant of the Snapdragon 888 chipset. It also comes in a custom Gundam Edition, though we doubt that edition would make its way here.
Having said that, do you have plans to get the Black Shark 4 Pro or wait for a newer model? Let us know in the comments below! Also, stay tuned to TechNave for more updates from Black Shark.


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The owner of a new vintage shop near the Mid-Century Furniture Warehouse, which was recently denied a zoning variance, says a petition against the store was signed by 28 residents, and that she personally supported the Warehouse.
| October 17, 2012 |
A Fishtown woman will soon introduce the community to her store featuring vintage and redesigned furniture and home goods. She'll also help promote other local businesses and artists.
| September 5, 2012 |
More Stories →
Jennings said her parents told her about the petition, which Jennings said they did not initiate.
Furniture store’s zoning denial was supported by 28 signatures →
“It wasn’t just two people,” Jennings said of opposition to the variance.


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Top 10: Chick-fil-A, Amazon, Lidl grab readers' attention
Restaurants that want to launch delivery services often aren’t sure where to start and whether to use an in-house program or to outsource it. Consider these tips to make the decision easier.
Summer adds a whole range of new food options fighting for the consumer dollar.
Read this week's list of top-clicked food and beverage stories, from competition on the grocery front to news from Campbell and Breyers.
In this interview, Nathan Pratt, nutrition analyst for Kerry, shares advice for how foodservice operators can reduce, replace and remove the ingredients consumers want to avoid and share compelling stories that reinforce their clean label message.
For food and beverage programs, technology is raising the bar for both anticipating guests’ needs and delivering on what they want in new ways.
CPG news about new products, better-for-you ice cream, McCormick's success on Amazon and Danone's sale of Stonyfield caught the eyes of readers this week.
As consumers continue to create market opportunities for specialty food and beverage products viewed as higher quality, we are often asked "Who is the premium consumer?”
Millennial snackers drive specialty food sales, trends
News about Nestle's investor pressure, a breakdown of where grocery shopping happens and a pair of yogurt stories were hot with readers this week.
Presenters at the 2017 Menus of Change conference agreed: For real change to occur in the food industry, taste is paramount.
Chefs are drawing on Brazilian influences to create modern dishes that blend Brazilian elements with current US food trends, and new concepts from Brazil are primed to enter the US market as interest in Latin American cuisine grows.
Stories about Amazon’s plan to acquire Whole Foods dominated the top 10 this week -- see what else caught readers’ attention.
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Hot Topics in the Industry
Within the past decade we have seen the rise of digital music services such as iTunes and Amazon. Physical music sales started to decrease, and digital downloads started to surpass all other outlets. This was mostly due to being able to download a single song instead of having to purchase full albums. But now, another music service is starting to rise up and compete with these digital downloading services, and many record executives call it the future of music.
Streaming music from “the cloud” has become a very popular choice for many music listeners all around the world. Services like Spotify and Grooveshark allow you to listen to any of their songs at any time for free. You can also upgrade your service for a small monthly fee to remove ads and increase your benefits as a customer, which includes such perks as offline and mobile access. This allows listeners to have thousands of songs without the hassle of having to store it on your computer or purchase individually. The deal is even better for heavy music listeners.
But many music journalists and writers have reported that they might not be able to keep this popularity up while being controlled by major record companies. As reported by Gigaom.com (among others as well), these services are getting the low end of the deal in their relationships with the record companies. These deals include the record company getting one of the following (which ever is largest I might add): Pro-rata share of minimum of $X per subscriber, per-play costs at $Y per play, or Z percent of total company revenue, regardless of other business areas (Michael Robertson, Gigaom.com). To break it down, the record companies take whatever deals makes them the most money, thus leaving the music streaming companies hanging.
They also require equity in the company and initial payments from the streaming services, among others. This is extremely detrimental to these companies because they are getting a heavy portion of their profits split with the record companies, and no company can keep up this type of relationship without eventually being sucked completely dry. At the same, these companies solely rely on the record companies to supply their music, which is obviously what the whole business model revolves around. This makes it so they can’t just move on to a new supplier like another business would. These record companies essentially have a monopoly on the music streaming industry, and can create these heavily one-sided relationships.
Now we understand why the top record executives say this is the future of music, because they are able to run the companies while making a substantial profit off of them. It will be interesting to see the future of these companies and how they will adjust to the market and their relationship with the record companies, but as we see it now, major changes are going to have to be made in order for them to have a future.


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WASHINGTON (AP) – The International Monetary Fund sees little evidence that China's central bank has deliberately reduced the value of the nation's currency – a position that contradicts the Trump administration's decision this week to accuse Beijing of manipulating the yuan.  The IMF said Friday in its annual review of China's economy that the yuan has been "largely stable" against other currencies, suggesting that there has been little intervention from the People's Bank of China. A weaker yuan would give Chinese exporters a competitive price advantage over foreign rivals.
On Monday, the Department of Taxation appointed China a currency manipulator for the first time since 1
"Obviously they are manipulating their currency," White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNBC Friday.
China's central bank sets the exchange rate every morning, allowing the yuan to fluctuate by 2% against the dollar during the day. The central bank can buy or sell currency – or order commercial banks to do so – to prevent the yuan's price from swinging too far.
As he let the yuan slip, the central bank reacted to the economic reality. China's economy is declining – in part because President Donald Trump has dropped its $ 250 billion Chinese import tariff – and market pressure is dragging the currency down.
The world's two largest economies are locked in a customs war over US claims that China is stealing trade secrets and forcing foreign companies to hand over sensitive technology. Twelve rounds of talks have failed to stop the curse, and a Chinese delegation is expected in Washington next month to continue negotiations.
But Trump rattled the financial markets on Friday by saying it would be "okay" with him if the talks ended. . The Dow Jones industrial average fell 90.75, or 0.3%, to 26,287.44, and the Nasdaq fell 80.02, or 1%, to 7,959.14.


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The corroded remains of a medium format folding camera have been found next to the remains of a dead soldier during an excavation in Russia.
Pictures of the remains of the camera were posted to the Vintage Camera Collectors Facebook page on Thursday (11 July) in an attempt to identify what kind of camera it was.
Russian camera collector Niken Vorozhitskiy said: “During the search for the site of the battle of the times of the War, a camera was found next to the remains of the soldier: a folding camera with a film rewinding mechanism — medium format. It’s hard to understand what a model is. Will the community help?”
Please for the camera’s provenance were originally posted by fellow Russian Ignat Kushnarev.
Despite being heavily corroded and in several pieces, certain parts of the camera were still identifiable enough for several fellow collectors to identify it as an Agfa folding camera. The most likely model is the Billy Record, a 6×9 folding camera produced by Agfa in Germany from 1933 to 1949, with a break in production during World War Two.
There was no further information on where the camera was located, nor the nationality of the dead soldier. Germany invaded Russia in 1941 and it was not until 1944 that Russian forces were able to push the German’s back past the pre-war borders.
Though the camera is likely to be German, it’s not given that the soldier it belonged to was German. Red Army photographers, such as the world famous Yevgeni Khaldei, tended to use more reliable Western cameras than those made by the fledgling Soviet camera industry.
- Many thanks to Niken Vorozhitskiy for his help with this article
- Pentax to release ‘two film compact cameras in Spring 2024’ - 01/10/2023
- Iura: The wood-and-paper Soviet Leica-like - 01/10/2023
- Rare wood-and-paper Soviet camera selling at October auction - 30/09/2023


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Apple cuts iPhone prices in an important market, and non-5G Androids are to follow
Just when we did a horror story analysis on flagship phone prices creeping upwards to the $1500 mark due to the wonders of 5G components and assembly, as well as the ever-increasing camera and zoom prowess, comes a piece of good news.
Apple already cut the price of its iPhone 11 trio in China, but the Industry Investment Department of the world's fourth-largest phone maker, Xiaomi, now predicts that 4G Androids will undergo a drastic price decrease in the next few months as well.
midrange chipsets, like the rumored Pixel 5 or LG G9 going forward, and users will have more variety to choose from.It is not hard to fathom why, given the coronavirus pandemic that is sapping demand, but also because 5G will be going into phones with
After a 50% drop in demand, Apple's resellers have cut the iPhone 11, Pro, and Max prices by 10-20%, and, given that the sales of the Galaxy S20 series so far are just 60% of the S10 models at that point, Samsung may soon follow suit.
Snapdragon 765 and less capable zooming abilities.It already announced a 50% buy-back guarantee, but a real tangible price cut may not be far behind in these trying for the global economy times. While 5G modems and antennas, coupled with expensive periscope zoom lens add significantly to the price of the new high-end Android phones, the economic reality is that people may still opt for a new 5G handset, but with Qualcomm's midrange
Thus, Google and LG's potential decisions to go with 765 may position their upcoming phones best when it comes to sales during an economic downturn. Hidden in Google code,the "redfin" and "bramble" marks that may turn into Pixel 5 and 5 XL, are based on the new Snapdragon 765 midrange chipset.
It comes with Qualcomm's first built-in 5G modem, so we may be looking at the two Pixel 5 models running on a much cheaper alternative to Snapdragon 865 which on top of that may be more power-efficient and cheaper to implement. Ditto for LG, whose heretofore "flagship" G-series, will reportedly be retooled to use a Snapdragon 765 as well in the G9 ThinQ.
If all those 5G midrangers materialize and with the current freeze in demand, the analysts' predictions for a huge drop in the price of 4G handsets may very well become reality very soon, for the benefit of those who are patient enough to wait before they click on the buy button.


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Welcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone or tablet each and every Sunday.
A big congratulations to last week’s winners of the Note 5/OnePlus 2/Moto X pure giveaway: Saffya. (UK), Courtney H. (USA), Varun M. (India).
This week we are giving away the soon to be launched Nexus 5X
Starting at $379, the Nexus 5X is currently on pre-order, with an expected shipping date around mid-October. LG's third Nexu...


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BOSTON – Invaluable, a leading online marketplace for fine art, antiques and collectibles, has announced the strongest performance in company history with a record-breaking year in 2015. The fourth quarter of 2015 marked 29 consecutive quarters of year-over-year record-breaking growth. Invaluable helped deliver more than $10 billion in total hammer in 2015, with a 60 percent increase in live auction revenue over the year prior.
The company continues to lead the industry with cutting edge technology and investment in mobile growth, with 15 percent of Invaluable’s gross merchandise sales now taking place through the company’s mobile app.
International growth was a key factor for Invaluable in 2015, as the company now partners with auction houses in 52 countries, and welcomes Internet bidders from 184 countries around the world. Invaluable introduced more than 575 new auction houses to the marketplace in 2015, and provided online bidding for 17,000 live auctions globally. Unique buyers using Invaluable grew 60 percent in 2015, with the number of new buyers to the marketplace growing by 67 percent. Invaluable’s international team grew by more than 90 percent in 2015, and the company now operates offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and Belgium.
Asian Art & Antiques continued to be one of the most popular categories on Invaluable in 2015, with gross merchandise sales growing 74 percent over 2014. The Collectibles category saw 57 percent growth in gross merchandise sales year over year, with Fine & Decorative Art growing 30 percent in 2015 over 2014.
“It is a tremendous accomplishment to announce another record-breaking year in 2015 for Invaluable, and I couldn’t be prouder of our team,” said Rob Weisberg, Invaluable CEO.
For more information on Invaluable, to view upcoming auctions and to register to bid online, visit www.Invaluable.com.


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Netflix Trailer Released:
Kanye West has been on the news for every possible reason. From beef with Kim Kardashian to announcing Donda 2, to stealing the hearts of the world through his vents regarding parenting. Earlier this week, he managed to find himself back in the headlines with the release of his Netflix trailer.
Riding off of the momentum, Netflix has decided to release the official trailer to Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy. In the grainy 2 minute trailer, the audience gets to see a window into some of Kanye’s both notable and private moments. The “three-week global event” directed and produced by Clarence ‘Coodie’ Simmons and Chike Ozah is set to air on Netflix this month.
Following the release of the trailer, many of his fans are excited about its release. Many are hopeful that the documentary series will accurately capture Kanye’s life. For now, fans will have to wait until February 16th to watch the series.


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noun. An act of saving or being saved.
In 1965, while volunteering at a community meal site in Arizona, John van Hengel learned that grocery stores often had to throw away food that had damaged packaging or was near expiration. He started collecting that food for the community meal but soon had too much for that one program. He thought of creating a central location from which any agency could come and receive donations. Described as a classic case of “if you build it they will come,” the first food bank was created based on the model of rescuing food.
The Vermont Foodbank has been rescuing food since 1986 and continues to look for new sources of food to share with the as many as 86,000 Vermonters struggling with hunger. Last year, as part of a three-year pledge, VSECU decided to partner with the Foodbank to ensure that food that was otherwise going to waste, made its way to the tables of the most vulnerable Vermonters. According to Steve Post, VSECU’s chief executive officer; “VSECU is a committed long-time supporter of the Vermont Foodbank as its work is so vital to thousands of Vermonters across the state. Our Board of Directors believes that the Foodbank’s mission is so essential to the health of our state that they pledged $120,000 over three years to help power the Foodbank trucks that helps rescue and provide food to Vermonters in need.”
On a slow day, the VSECU truck makes eight stops—picking up meat, produce, and other grocery products in and around the Rutland area and making delivers of food to food shelves and to programs like Community Kitchen Academy in Barre. Driver, Joe Palmer travels a number of food rescue routes throughout Vermont. “When a new store comes on board and they start donating hundreds of pounds of food, I think about how all of that food—good food—used to be thrown away.” Last year, the Vermont Foodbank rescued more than 3 million pounds of food, making up more than 42% of our total distribution.
For more information on VSECU, please visit the VSECU website. Food rescue isn’t possible without the support of VSECU and individual supporters. Please consider giving to the Vermont Foodbank today!


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INDIANAPOLIS — Everyone has a unique story to tell; it’s just about asking questions to find it.
American Senior Communities (ASC) wanted to develop a more personal culture, so they started learning more about residents and sharing their stories.
“They all have something so unique about them. Things they’ve accomplished. Things they’ve seen,” said Janean Kinzie, ASC vice president of social wellness and enrichment. “It’s a great way to see people in a different way but also to make connections with them, too.”
Those efforts were so successful that ASC started doing the same with staff.
To learn more about ASC and their culture, visit the ASC website or call 317-788-2500.


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Lisa Rinna’s Today Show call may have been a hoax
HollywoodNews.com: Actress Lisa Rinna has hit out at people who said her recent robbery was a PR stunt.
Rinna, 47, and husband Harry Hamlin were in the middle of an interview on the Today show when a caller phoned in and said her LA clothing store had been robbed.
However, some people have claimed the call was just a publicity stunt to promote their show, ‘Harry Loves Lisa.’
Speaking to Extra about the claims, Rinna said: “That’s the funniest and sickest thing I’ve ever heard, but now I’ve dealt with the internet long enough for the last year that I know how sick it can be.”
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.
Source: Splash News


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This Recycle Week (16-20 October) First Mile is proud to celebrate the five-year anniversary of its RecycleID initiative – incorporating QR codes on 40 million recycling sacks across the UK and working together with its customers to tackle recycling contamination, boost recycling rates and reduce businesses’ carbon footprint.
Each First Mile customer has a personalised QR code, which is printed on its recycling sacks and scanned on both drop off and collection by First Mile. Customers can also scan their QR code using First Mile’s Smart Cities App to access their account and information. This is particularly useful for businesses with complex waste management needs, such as multi-tenanted housing and shopping centres.
This technology has revolutionised the recycling process, enabling customers to access real-time data about the recycling’s end location, ensuring complete transparency and accountability. It also gives customers the opportunity to access their individual recycling statistics, enabling accurate carbon data and recycling reporting.
As each code is specific to a customer, the technology also means that any contamination issues – such as food waste being put in a dry mixed recycling sack – can be identified. First Mile’s app sends a picture which is then emailed to the customer, alongside advice on how to resolve the issue. Since 2018, First Mile has sent 200,000 contamination emails to customers, working with them to educate and support them in ensuring that the right items are being placed in the right sacks, fostering a sense of collective responsibility towards the environment.
First Mile founder and CEO, Bruce Bratley, says: “Since its inception, First Mile has been committed to promoting environmental sustainability and the introduction of QR codes on recycling bags in 2018 marked a significant milestone in our journey towards a greener future. These QR codes have empowered our customers to gain valuable insights in their business recycling activity and they have embraced this technology wholeheartedly, with around 40 million bags being scanned and tracked to date. This achievement is a testament to our shared commitment to sustainability and our customers’ dedication to making a positive impact on the environment.”
QR codes form part of wider focus for First Mile to empower businesses to improve their sustainability through data and education on their waste management, offering free waste audits, workshops and webinars, and help in setting up their recycling stations. For more information visit thefirstmile.co.uk
Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals


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Jul 15, 2010
New York Antique Jewelry Show hosts over 100 Prominent Dealers & Exhibitors
Jul 15, 2010
NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--The 4th annual New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show today announced that it will feature the latest trends in antique and vintage estate pieces, jewelry, gemstones and watches from more than 100 prominent dealers at the annual event, July 23-26, 2010, at New York`s Metropolitan Pavilion.
Megan Collection to be shown at JA New York - Swarovski North America Ltd. Booth: 1661.
With the jewelry industry reporting strong retail sales for the first half of 2010, the four-day New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show expects to see an increase in sales and attendance.
"Consumer confidence appears on the rise as individuals look to invest in tangible, quality timepieces, gemstones and antique jewelry," commented Andrea Canady, fair director of the New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show. "In the intimate setting of the New York show, interested buyers will have the opportunity to meet with well respected dealers to see and learn about the lineage of the showcased pieces and walk away with fashionable pieces that are also investments in a part of history."
Designer pieces by Cartier, Rolex, Tiffany`s, Harry Winston, David Webb, Patek Philippe and Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as rare signed pieces will be abundant throughout the show floor. In addition, attendees can view and purchase adornments previously owned by celebrities and royalty.
"We`ve been exhibiting in the New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show since its inception," said Michael Brown, owner of M.L. Brown Inc. in New York City. "The show continues to help us develop lasting business relationships with domestic and international clientele and provides an ideal venue for us to network with highly reputable dealers with the best merchandise available on the market."
According to Gus Davis with Camilla Dietz Bergeron Ltd. in New York City, "The New York show provides a great selection of unusual, one-of-a-kind and signed antique and estate merchandise that buyers are seeking to purchase."
"We`ve been exhibiting at this show for two years and are again looking forward to the intimacy of this smaller show that attracts an intense group of wholesalers and retailers alike," said Paul Haig, owner of Haig`s of Rochester in Rochester, Mich.
"This year we will be bringing some great antique jewelry, ancient items and objective art, such as a very rare Chinese fan made with mother of pearl, ivory, silk, lacquered wood, and other materials in a fitted box."
The New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show will be open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 23; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 24, and Sunday, July 25; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 26. The one-time admission fee of $15 is valid for all four days of the show.
© Thomson Reuters 2023 All rights reserved.


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Apple might or might not be making a full-fledged electric car but the firm is surely doing something in the auto space. Yesterday, the truth about Apple acquiring Tesla Motors was revealed and it was obvious that Apple is not likely to consider buying Tesla. The firm is again in the news about getting into the auto space and it’s all starting to add up.
German, Manager Magazin reported that Apple is in talks with BMW on the chances of using BMW’s i3 EVs as the building block for its own EV project. It was said that Tim Cook and some top execs visited BMW’s i3 production line in Germany.
Apple has not made a statement about the subject of its visit to Germany and its meeting with BMW. BMW has rejected the hints that it is in talks with the iPhone maker about building a car together. A BMW source told CNBC that it holds “regular talks with companies from the telecoms and IT industry, including Apple, about vehicle connectivity topics”… and that making cars are not part of such talks.
Poaching Tesla’s Talent
Despite Apple silence and BMW’s denial, it is obvious that Tim Cook wants the firm in the car space. The Wall Street Journal reports that veteran product design Vice President Steve Zadesky is leading the “car” project. He was reportedly given permission to create a 1,000-person team and poach employees from different parts of the firm.
Last week on Monday, news broke that Apple has hired Doug Betts in another sign of the progress of Apple’s secret car project. Doug Betts was the Senior Vice President of Global Quality for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Before then, Betts has worked at Nissan and Toyota. His LinkedIn profile lists his current position as Operations- Apple Inc.
Before Betts, Apple has been in the crosshairs for poaching Tesla’s talent pool. Some of the key Tesla employees that are now working on Apple’s car project include David Nelson (mechanical engineering manager at Tesla), John Ireland (senior powertrain test engineer at Tesla) and Lauren Ciminera (head recruiter).
Will Apple Make a Car?
The financial constraints of that stops Apple from buying Tesla aside, a Tesla buyout would be smart because Tesla would have saved most of the stress of building a car from scratch. In fact, it would be easier for Apple to buyout Tesla than to buyout BMW.
It doesn’t look as if Apple will build a car any time soon. Nonetheless, the market should expect Apple to unveil the next gen of infotainment, internet connected, navigation/mapping, for major OEM’s in the auto industry in the near term.


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Editor’s take: The movie business has principally recovered from the pandemic-induced downturn, popping out on the opposite aspect with a little bit of a special look. As pandemic restrictions ease (barring one other variant outbreak), it’ll be attention-grabbing to see if theaters get well additional in 2022 or if customers desire to look at from the consolation of their residence through digital supply.
The Motion Picture Association in its 2021 Theatrical and Home Entertainment Market Environment (THEME) report stated the mixed international theatrical and residential / cellular leisure market generated $99.7 billion in 2021. That’s up from simply $80.5 billion in 2020, and eclipses the $98.1 billion in income from 2019 / pre-pandemic ranges.
It’s the breakdown of income, nevertheless, that’s particularly attention-grabbing.
Last yr, a full 72 % of the aforementioned $99.7 billion in income – or $71.9 billion – was generated by digital supply. Before the pandemic in 2019, digital markets generated simply $45.5 billion.
Theatrical income dipped accordingly, from $42.3 billion in 2019 to $21.3 billion final yr. In 2020 throughout the top of the pandemic, the theatrical market turned out simply $11.8 billion in income as many theaters have been compelled to quickly shut over native Covid-19 tips.
The shift to digital content material consumption is in step with comparable traits we’ve seen because it pertains to shopper spending in subscription-based apps over the past couple of years and is essentially a byproduct of the pandemic. Faced with shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, content material creators and distributors needed to discover new methods to achieve audiences, and digital supply was the reply.
Image credit score cottonbro


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Are you looking for a new MacBook Air, but keep leaving the Apple Store disappointed by how stagnant everything has become? Well, 2018 could be your lucky year.
Must read: The five things that kill your iPhone's battery the fastest
According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and as reported by 9To5Mac, Apple is planning to release a new 13-inch MacBook Air that comes "with a lower price tag" during Q2 of this year.
The MacBook Air is currently priced starting at $999, and while it saw a minor upgrade back in June 2017 (where Apple upgraded the processor to the 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 part), it hasn't seen a major upgrade since March 2015.
How much cheaper than $999 this new MacBook Air would be, Kuo doesn't tell us. Dropping $100 off the price would certainly reinvigorate sales, while a slash down to $799 could put serious pressure on mainstream Windows laptops makers, and ignite a new price war.
And since we're already into March, we many not have long to wait for Apple to unveil this new MacBook Air. And since the MacBook Air is popular among students, an update in the run-up to the "Back to School" period would no doubt help boost sales.
Apple products you shouldn't buy (March 2018 edition)


text: The government has finalized the biggest increase in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) since 1978. That was the original date when the muscle car virtually went extinct like the dinosaurs. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne says muscle car,s such as the Hemi-V8-powered Dodge Challenger will become "as rare as white flies." The fuel economy of all vehicles will double from now through 2025 to a whopping 54.5 mpg, One analyst says that the cars on the road by 2025 “will change less than anybody imagines – but more than anyone wants." As a result, we can predict that cars will be slightly more expensive and much less cool.


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Mark Vale has been appointed as the new president of UPS UK, Ireland and Nordics to lead a key growth region for the postal giant. He will be responsible for all UPS operations in seven countries and more than 11,000 employees. “We are investing in our network in Europe, including the UK, Ireland and the Nordics,” said Lou Rivieccio, president, UPS Europe. “And this includes making sure that the network has the right leadership.” He added: “Mark brings a global […]
UPS has acquired temperature-controlled operator Polar Speed for an undisclosed sum.
The European Commission’s decision to prevent UPS from acquiring TNT Express “risks reducing competition, not increasing it”, an analyst at Transport Intelligence said. UPS has now pulled out of its multi-billion Euro plans to take over TNT Express, which the logistics analyst believes highlights the scale of the challenges the US parcel carrier faced in regard to meeting the regulatory requirements. Transport Intelligence head of consultancy Joel Ray said: “Their decision making process looks flawed, caused by a fundamental lack of […]
UPS has opened a new contract logistics centre in North Warwickshire to meet growing demand from its retail and technology customers.


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Hatsune Miku is a virtual pop star from Japan. A new game for PlayStation VR lets you join her in her reality.
Japanese virtual pop star sensation Hatsune Miku has been wowing fans IRL since 2007. There have been plenty of video games that have offered a chance to interact with her, but until now there hasn’t been a way to bridge the gap and enter her world. Now, however, there is.
Introducing Hatsune Miku: VR Future Live, a game for PlayStation’s forthcoming PlayStation VR platform that transports fans from their parents’ basements to a packed virtual stadium. There they’ll be given a personal performance by Miku herself. Sounds like just the ticket if you happen to miss one of her real world performances. The game will be available in North America and Europe on October 14. And, if you’re in Cologne this week, you can check it out at Gamescom.


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Android One is Google's pet project to increase adoption of smartphones in emerging markets with India being the first country where it is being piloted.
For presenting a more accurate and realistic price situation, government will release next month a new series of CPI with 2012 as base year.
The decision assumes significance following the enthusiastic response from retail investors in the Friday's stake sale in steel major SAIL.
So far, 2,140 of their retail outlets have been powered by solar energy. The target is to increase the number to 7,200 retail outlets by March 31, 2017.
Retail investors added fuel to institutional buying, analysts said, pushing many banks and brokerages to their 10 per cent daily limit.
At the end of the morning, the CSI300 index was off 0.6 percent at 3,084.98 points and the Shanghai Composite Index also lost 0.6 percent.
The Rs 175-crore company will compete with MTR, GITS and McCain in the category as it aspires to make processed food a Rs 300 crore business over five years.
Gap Inc has struck a deal with Europe's largest dedicated online fashion retailer Zalando to sell its core brand from next May.


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The current release of — Convertri Review is making waves among emarketing review professionals due to its claim of being faster and more responsive than LeadPages, InstaPages and ClickFunnels . The commencement of Convertri happens as a new report showing that Facebook is now letting advertisers restrict live audiences by gender, age and location.
IM Consultant HanifQ has prepared a comprehensive guide and bonus offer for the Convertri Platform which can be accessed on his review site:
Due to HanifQ's vast experience with marketing funnels and other internet marketing disciplines, he is considered a credible Convertri review critic. Mr. Quentino suggests that Convertri users take advantage of the new targeted options available with Facebook Live.
Previously all advertisers and marketers using Facebook Live, didn’t have an option of fine tuning the target audience. Every broadcast was for every Facebook user without any elimination. Well, there is a new option that was recently added to restrict the type of people who can tune into the Live Broadcasts. Note that, the feature is only available to those broadcasters who post their Live broadcasts to Facebook using API (application programming interface). Basically, that includes professional creators, media companies or other brands using any software to send their stream. Of course, the stream should be captured using fancy cameras or screen/game casting tools. Therefore, people who are streaming live using the Facebook app itself can’t use the feature appropriately. Unless they use the standard post setting offered by the platform. Thanks to this feature, broadcasters can now limit their audience using time zones, ages, location, gender and any other preferences.
With regards to the location, broadcasters can create a list of at most 25 countries where the audience will not have access to the live stream. On the other hand, they can use the feature to exclude regions such as specific cities in the US or certain zip codes. With the age restriction, users can set a minimum age of thirteen with a maximum age. Keep in mind that there is no maximum age limit for Facebook users. Although, anyone born before 1905 can’t own a Facebook account since that’s the upper limit. Another positive advantage from the new feature is the time limits have been reduced considerably. That way, broadcasters can post long live posts such as week or days long. Of course, the users will have to choose when they want to run their broadcasts and won’t be forced to notify people the start or ending times for the continuous broadcasts.
Hanif Quentino's complete Convertri review, in addition to his exclusive bonus offer, can be viewed on the following site:
Name: Hanif Quentino
Email: Send Email
Release ID: 125080


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A few days ago we told you that the Galaxy X, Samsung’s long-rumored foldable phone, might have a serious contender next year, as Huawei confirmed that it’s going to make foldable phones of its own, with one set to debut in 2019.
But that might not be Samsung’s only headache when it comes to the Galaxy X. In fact, it turns out that Microsoft’s rumored Surface Phone is more real than ever, and the company is looking to launch the “new and disruptive” device category within the year.
The Surface device, code-named Andromeda, has been in development for a few years and seems to be the culmination of several similar projects that Microsoft worked on in the past. Tech-savvy readers will remember the Courier foldable tablet that was supposed to compete against the original iPad. Microsoft also canceled a few years ago an even more portable Surface laptop, the Surface Mini.
Of course, Microsoft could always cancel the Surface Phone, but evidence obtained by The Verge seems to suggest that Microsoft is determined to see this one through. Technology advanced to a point where it’s possible to design powerful yet pocketable devices that can run a full operating system like Windows 10 and offer a sophisticated feature like a bendable display.
A Microsoft internal email obtained by the tech site, Andromeda is a dual-display device that’s also going to be pocketable. Here’s how Microsoft describes the device:
It’s a new pocketable Surface device form factor that brings together innovative new hardware and software experiences to create a truly personal and versatile computing experience.
The computer “will blur the lines between mobile and stationary computing,” according to Microsoft.
The pocketable Surface features a wraparound display that bridges the gap of the hinge and looks a lot like this 3D concept, which was created in late December using existing Microsoft patents:
— David Breyer (@D_Breyer) December 18, 2017
Andromeda devices might have stylus support and ship with apps that can capture notes.
It’s unclear at this time whether these smartphones/laptops would rely on ARM chips from Qualcomm or whether Intel will provide the processors.
Microsoft aims to launch the device this year, with OEM partners supposed to create similar versions in the near future. The Verge mentions Asus and Lenovo as potential partners. A previous leak said Dell is also working on a similar gadget.
Samsung is rumored to sell the Galaxy X for around $2,000 when it launches next year. It’ll be interesting to see how much Microsoft will charge for its versatile Surface computer. The report, however, makes no mention of a price.


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In the US, some businesses have also started accepting them as currencies for payments. Tesla famously started accepting it and then stopped it a few months back, citing environmental concerns. But CEO Elon Musk now says they may accept it again soon.
Microsoft, Coca Cola and AXA Insurance have also shown willingness to accept cryptocurrency as payment for select services and products in some territories.
In India, amid heavy resistance from the government and the Reserve Bank of India, cryptocurrencies are yet to gain a broader acceptance.
Did you Know?
SAP has launched a new enterprise on the Metaverse with the aim of accelerating cloud adoption among Indian firms. The interactive and immersive ‘cloud on wheels’ platform will enable customers to experience the full range of SAP’s offerings and reimagine processes for improved business outcomes.
Cryptocurrencies are neither legal, nor illegal in India. Lately, banks, likely on the insistence of RBI, have started disassociating from cryptocurrency exchanges. Other government agencies have also started tightening their noose against these tokens.
Their major concern is the anonymity that the blockchain network -- the technology on which cryptocurrencies are based on -- will lead to tax evasion, terror funding or any other nefarious activity. However, businesses are taking additional measures to track where the money is coming from.
“It is a misconception that crypto transactions cannot be tracked. It is easily verifiable on the blockchain, as opposed to the incredibly difficult ways money can be hidden in the real world. As we have seen with so many people during the Panama Papers episodes. Our invoices clearly mention that money was taken in certain currency on this date and at this price. Everything is absolutely above board,” said Raghav Gupta, Director at The Rug Republic.
Some sovereign countries such as Nicaragua and El Salvador have embraced cryptocurrencies, with the latter becoming the first country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender.
Gupta, who exports his products outside India as well, said his firm will not accept crypto payments outside India, as such transactions could be in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), as they constitute cross-border payments in a currency not recognised by RBI.
Is it a publicity stunt? Why else is he taking such a risk when the rules regarding cryptocurrencies are not clear? The promoter says he believes these tokens will eventually gain prominence in India. And, it will form a good asset base for him in some years.
“It is clear that not even 5 per cent of my revenue will come from it. I am extremely bullish on it in a 5-10 year scale. I am very happy to take this risk. Ethereum will be much more valuable by then,” said Gupta.
- Front Page
- Pure Politics
- Brands & Companies
- Rout in Adani Group Stocks, Banks Drags Down Indices
India’s leading stock indices fell on Friday as the extended slump in Adani Group shares, and its ripple effect on banking stocks, led to a slide in equities for the second session in a row.6 Banks Join GT in Legal Fight Against Winsome’s Mehtas
At least half a dozen banks in India have staked their claims on the future spoils of a complex legal battle — the first of its kind that local lenders are experiencing — in a London court spearheaded by Grant Thornton UK against Jatin Mehta and his family, the promoters of one of the country’s largest wilful defaulters Winsome group.Loan Exposure Fears Hit Big Bank Shares
Brokerage CLSA said Adani Group’s debt disclosures indicate a declining share of bank funding in Adani’s overall debt mix.
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With the aim of expanding operations in Vietnam, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) has become a new competitor in the race to seize the stakes in Hanoi Beer, Alcohol and Beverages Corporation (Habeco) and Saigon Beer, Alcohol and Beverages Corporation (Sabeco).
|Australian brewer CUB will join the fray for the shares of both Habeco and Sabeco
The companies intentions were stated by CUB general director Jan Craps at the meeting of Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and the delegation of Australian enterprises on July 24, according to newswire Vnexpress.
According to Jan Craps, CUB plans to expand its operations in the southern province of Binh Duong and is looking to become the strategic investor of both Habeco and Sabeco.
According to information released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) at its monthly press conference organised on July 14, the sale of state stakes will be carried out this year.
Bui Truong Thang, deputy director general of MoIT’s Light Industry Department, said Habeco will submit its divestment plan to the ministry this week and Sabeco’s divestment plan will also be submitted before the end of the month.
At present, Habeco signed with Bao Viet Securities Company (BVSC) and Vietnam Valuation and Finance Consultancy (VVFC), appointing them as the consultancy firms for the state divestment.
Regarding Sabeco, according to unofficial information, a venture of BVSC, VVFC, and Earnst & Young Vietnam Limited was selected as the consultancy group for the state divestment.
The state divestment from Sabeco and Habeco has also attracted numerous foreign investors. Notably, in November 2016, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (Thai Beverage), Japanese Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. and Kirin Holdings Co. released their plans to bid for Sabeco’s shares.
Several other foreign brewers have been eyeing Sabeco since it was earmarked for equitisation, such as San Miguel, Heineken, and SABMiller. The move is part of these companies’ overseas expansion plans to counterbalance shrinking domestic markets.
Danish brewer Carlsberg, owning a 17.5 per cent stake in Habeco, also intends to increase its holdings.
The reason for foreign investors’ interest in Habeco and Sabeco is that Vietnam ranked among the Top-10 beer consumption markets in the world at the end of 2016, with total consumption projected to grow by 10 per cent year-on-year, to reach four billion litres in 2017.
Established in 1907, CUB is currently the largest beer brewer in Australia, holding 47 per cent of the beer market. Some of Australia’s most famous brands, including Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draught, Crown Lager, Melbourne Bitter, Pure Blonde and Cascade come from the company’s breweries. In 2011, the company joined the SABMiller group, the second largest brewer in the world.


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No matter your business or profession, whether as an individual or an organisation, as of 25 May 2018 the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will mean something to you.
That may seem like some time away, and it is, but businesses that fail to adapt in time may get left behind. One man who knows a thing or two about GDPR is Mark Roy, founder and chief executive of Read Group, the UK’s biggest data provider.
Roy has been lobbying the EU over GDPR, and was an instrumental figure in its final design through his former position as chair of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). "The first version of GDPR that was presented to us was a case of ‘pack up, turn the lights off and go home,’” he says. Still not entirely happy with the outcome, he tells me that “the reality is that we’ve ended up with a decent piece of legislation that has been watered down.”
What is GDPR?
GDPR is the long-awaited EU response to the outmoded Data Protection Directive (DPD), which enforced in 1995, “predates the digital age and is no longer fit for purpose,” says Roy. Each of the 28 member states of the bloc already have individual data protection laws, such as the Data Protection Act (DPA) in the UK, which GDPR will replace with a single pan-European piece of legislation.
The data landscape has changed dramatically in the last two decades, with the rise of social networking sites, cloud computing and location-based services. Although it may be unbeknown to some, every business uses personal data; whether you’re a local contractor holding customer invoice details, or a brand using programmatic advertising to direct targeted marketing.
GDPR regulates the use of EU citizens’ personal data by businesses, and although in theory applies to the bloc, is supra-continental. Any organisation handling EU citizens’ data has to abide by it and its strict data protection compliance regime or face severe penalties of up to 4 per cent of global turnover. No other EU law of such breadth, scope and international relevance has ever been implemented.
The GDPR is 200 pages of ambitious legislation and far too complex to detail in a short article. Primarily it ensures that businesses must have permission to hold personal data, and replenish permission every six monnths. Other concepts such as the extension of the “right to be forgotten”, data portability, data breach notifications and accountability will also take some getting used to.
Why it’s important
Roy talks of the “fair exchange of data” – that is the theory that consumers should get something in return for use of their personal data. “To be honest I think it’s rubbish, I don’t think consumers really care much about all of that. I think what people really care about is their data being used safely and kept secure.”
He says that consumers have broadly accepted that, in exchange for continued use of a service, the cost is their personal data, and that actually people are more concerned about trust. “Trust in the journey of their data, and knowledge that businesses aren’t going to go and sell that to a whole bunch of people without permission.”
Roy, although a sceptic of the final version of GDPR, says that the diminished trust between marketers, advertisers and consumers is a product of its success, but blames global media conglomerates for letting the mistrust get so out of hand.
“Where it started was around this issue of ownership from Facebook, Google and Whatsapp – that photo you took on a night out, does it belong to you and your mates, or does it belong to Facebook? The issue was that when we (as European citizens) went online, our data was taken abroad, to America. And we had safe harbours that existed until the ECJ screwed it up.”
Last year the European Court of Justice ruled that the transatlantic Safe Harbour agreement, which allowed American companies to use a single standard for consumer privacy and data storage in both the US and Europe, was invalid. Under Safe Harbour, US companies could self-certify that they would comply with EU data protection standards in order to allow for transfer of European data to the US. “The problem was that Facebook and co were taking the piss,” says Roy.
He is an industry stalwart, a darling of data, and the lack of transparency and occasionally misuse of data is one reason he supports GDPR. “It does sort of lift the veil slightly on what’s going on, and demands that organisations like us are open, honest and transparent. Not that we aren’t already – that’s always been our mantra.”
Roy thinks that laying down a set of rules and standards for businesses holding data is essential to restoring consumer trust. “They are driving the change, they want it. GDPR is happening because consumers want to be able to trust the brands, but feel like they can’t.”
The mistrust is a product of an industry free-for-all as it adapted to the digital age. “I think the internet is making the same mistakes we did in direct mail during the early 90s – just carpet bombing consumers, in hope that if you hit them enough, they’ll eventually convert. It was certainly a license to print money, but I think there’s an enormous fatigue with consumers now. They want to be targeted reasonably, in a refined way, and most importantly, in a way that is relevant and timely.”
“Consumers are right at the centre of GDPR, if you ignore their wishes, and what they want, then do so at your peril. And as we’re trying to build relationships it seems odd to try and ignore the key party.”
For those who voted for Brexit to escape the grip of EU red tape, it may seem rather bizarre that UK businesses will still have to abide by GDPR if they want to deal with EU citizens’ data. Roy has a solution that fixes both the watering-down and Brexiteer’s qualms by calling its bluff. He thinks that implementing our own data regulation that overrides GDPR can make us world leaders in data standard-setting.
“I think there’s an enormous opportunity, which I think we should be moving towards now. We cannot have a watered down version of GDPR – we should have an authentic version, as intended. One that is led by Britain, where anyone wanting to hold British data would have to abide by it. If you go into a different country you have to abide by their laws,” he says, “it’s no different online, you have to accept it.”
The watering down he talks of is multi-faceted, often driven by the unreliable jigsaw of self-interested EU states vetoing important aspects. “It pretty much prevented the opportunity to sell to people,” he says. “The thing that gets my goat more than anything else is that, by definition, the EU has to work to the lowest common denominator. That for me, as someone who has spent all my life trying to work to the highest common denominator, is a bit of a conflict.”
The industry certainly needs a fundamental shake up to restore confidence in brands, but Roy believes that GDPR doesn’t go far enough.
“Perhaps I’m foolishly optimistic but what I’d like to see is UK legislators building a something which is global, with us leading the way, doing it our way, not answerable to the EU.”


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In a kind gesture, a young man in Mumbai sold his prized SUV worth Rs 22 lakh last year to buy oxygen cylinders for the people in his locality.
Shahnawaz Sheikh, a resident of Malad, sold his Ford Endeavour SUV to donate oxygen cylinders to hospitals and several corona-infected patients who have been crippled by the oxygen crisis in recent days.
Sheikh has also set up a control room where a team is working day and night in order to coordinate and communicate effectively over phone call with those in need of help. The team is currently receiving around 500 phone calls every day.
After he sold his Ford Endeavor, Sheikh managed to procure as many as 160 oxygen cylinders for the needy. He has helped over 4,000 people so far with free oxygen cylinders.
Heroes like Shahnawaz Sheikh are really needed at this hour when the entire country is facing an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders, beds, ICUs and other necessities, including medicines, to fight the deadly virus. His story has gone viral on the internet and people are appreciating his efforts to help the needy in times of crisis.
See the comments here:
Shahnawaz Sheikh sold his SUV last year to buy 60 Oxygen cylinders + 40 he took on rent .Arranged 300 cylinders for patients last yr Covid.This yr he is getting 500 calls a day ,arranging as much as possible , all for free ,for saving lives in Mumbai .
Hats off ! pic.twitter.com/JcPzy2Iq7Y— Kishlay (@Kishlaysharma) April 20, 2021
The monk who sold his Ferrari and the mumbai man Shahnawaz Sheikh who sold his ford endeavour to procure oxygen for needy.— Brihaspati Jyotish (@BrihaspatiJyot1) April 22, 2021
Would you sell your car to help others?— Karmdeepsinh Zala (@imKzala) April 22, 2021
Shahnawaz Sheikh, a man from Mumbai, sold his 22lakh Ford Endeavor, to help COVID19 patients with oxygen cylinders
Shahnawaz said that he had run out of money helping people so he had to sell his car#Verified #OxygenShortage #CovidHelp pic.twitter.com/BIMS5cpd8H
Shahnawaz Sheikh https://t.co/XPd5eshVHl— Azad Miah (@AbuLiyana1) April 22, 2021
The second wave of coronavirus has caused a grim situation in every corner of the country. The country reported the world's highest single-day spike with over 3.14 lakh cases on Thursday.


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AustCham ASEAN partnership to examine ASEAN market opportunities
The CRCNA has commissioned the Singapore-based Australia-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce (AustCham ASEAN) to examine the key export opportunities for northern Australian agri-food businesses into ASEAN markets over the next five years.
The four-month long project will complement existing CRCNA research by identifying additional markets and commodities in ASEAN which could provide opportunities for northern Australia and assist in developing a further understanding of barriers and required actions to capture these opportunities.
It will focus on five high-value agricultural commodities : beef, soybeans, on-shore aquaculture, avocados and macadamia nuts.
ASEAN is a key export destination for Australian agricultural products, accounting for 21 per cent of Australia’s agricultural exports between 2014 and 2016.
CRCNA Chair Sheriden Morris said northern Australia is particularly primed to benefit from increased cooperation in agriculture and food trade given its geographic proximity to Southeast Asia.
“It’s well known that the increasingly urbanised ASEAN population has a growing appetite for the clean and green food for which northern Australia is recognised, so it’s crucial we gain a better understanding of what exactly it is these consumers are looking for and how northern Australian producers and businesses can capitalise on these opportunities.”
AustCham ASEAN representatives will be discussing their findings at the Developing Northern Australia Conference in Karratha, WA from July 11 to 12, 2019.
CRCNA Communications Manager
0499 330 051


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CANCUN Quintana Roo. (Times Media Mexico) – The Governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez, announced that as of September 7, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum would already be in yellow at the epidemiological traffic light.
This implies that the beaches of said places will be open to the public, at 60% of their capacity. This measure will also be applied in Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, and Kantunilkín, which will also be yellow.
To access the public beaches, the visitor must pass the sanitary filters; in addition to that, according to the governor of Quintana Roo, it will be prohibited to enter food or drink / alcoholic beverages to the beaches and groups that exceed five people. When the traffic light turns green, the public beaches will be reopened in their entirety.
In addition to the beaches, restaurants, shopping centers, theaters, cinemas, historical centers, and hotels, they will open at 60% of their capacity.
According to the Governor, from September 7 to Sunday 13th, the northern zone will advance to the color yellow, while the southern area will remain orange.
What activities can be done at a yellow light?
Essential activities that can be conducted with their normal capacity are:
General grocery stores, tortilla stores, butcher stores, self-service stores, fruit and vegetable stores, hardware stores, tendejón, mini-supermarkets, poultry stores, and bakeries
Banks and financial institutions
Printing and publishing of newspapers, magazines, and books
Hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, drugstores, and dentists
Public safety, procurement, and justice
Sale of equipment and computers (opening at 80%)
Administrative, professional, and technical services (open at 75%)
Gyms and sports clubs -open spaces at 70% and closed spaces open at 50%.
Open at 60% of capacity
Hotels, restaurants, historical sites, theme parks, golf courses, and tourist services
Beaches and public parks
Theaters and cinemas
Manufacturing (Manufacture of machinery, equipment, metal products, petroleum products, minerals)
Hair and beauty salons
Maximum Transport Capacity (Seats)
Private vehicles: 4
Cabs: 3 (including the driver)
Public transportation: 50%.
What is not allowed?
Bars, discos, nightclubs, and casinos
These activities are only allowed when the traffic light is green.
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The charges cover Solutia's share of restructuring costs at its Astaris and Flexsys joint ventures, increases to environmental and self-insurance reserves, additional severance costs and the write-down of certain non-performing assets. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2000 was $12 million, or 12 cents per share, on sales of $731 million, excluding $96 million, or 93 cents per share, of after-tax charges associated with the $100 million cost reduction initiative and the write-down of certain non-performing, non-strategic assets. Including previously announced charges, Solutia reported a net loss for the fourth quarter 2001 of $101 million, or 97 cents per share, compared to a net loss of $84 million, or 81 cents per share, for the fourth quarter of 2000.
Solutia's results for the quarter versus the year ago period were positively impacted by the effects of significantly lower raw material costs and the implementation of its $100 million cost reduction program. However, these benefits were more than offset by the effects of lower average selling prices and lower sales volumes associated with recession-like demand and aggressive competitor actions in many of Solutia's global markets. In addition, unfavorable manufacturing volume variances from significantly reduced capacity utilization rates continue to adversely impact the company's profitability.
"Solutia's businesses have weathered a very challenging year by aggressively implementing our cost reduction program, which delivered more than $50 million to Solutia's bottom line in 2001. We are focusing on our straight-forward portfolio strategy and delivering on the opportunities in the portfolio that can provide shorter-term appreciation in cash flow and earnings growth," John Hunter, chairman and chief executive officer said.
"In these uncertain economic times, we remain committed to prudently managing our costs, focusing our growth and capital spending on those opportunities that can deliver the most immediate return to our shareholders and positioning our businesses to take advantage of a future global economic recovery," said Hunter.


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The event on Saturday, September 28, which is being set up by Hampshire Skinhead Association, is aiming to celebrate the spirit of 1969 to mark 50 years of the skinhead movement, as well as raise money for charity.
The festivities will run from 6pm to midnight, and promise live music from artists across the country, including headliners Symarip Pyramid, who last performed in Portsmouth in the 1960s.
Stalls selling both used and new vintage clothing will also feature, as well as a raffle and an auction selling posters and flyers signed by the festival’s line-up.
The proceeds from these activities will go to the Specialized Project for Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Music and Portsmouth’s Tonic Music for Mental Health, as well as the Southampton Doing It For The Kids charity.
One of the organisers, 57-year-old Keith Thripp, has insisted that the event is for everyone and wants to remove the stigma surrounding skinheads.
‘All are welcome’ he said. ‘We just enjoy going out and having a great time’.
The Hampshire Skinhead Association enjoyed one of its most successful charity fundraisers in 2017, when the group hosted a night of music and entertainment at the Dockyard Club in Southsea for around 200 people, but with over 400 tickets already sold for Skinfest, this years event is shaping up to be even bigger.
A small number of tickets are still available – for details look for ‘HSA Skin-fest 2019’ on Facebook.


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New boss puts Kmart in checkout
Wednesday, July 26th 2000, 12:00 am
By: News On 6
Former CVS president Charles Conaway, now head of Kmart, will close 72 stores, including one in Rhode Island, and get rid of inventory to keep pace with its rivals.
In his first major move since moving from CVS Corp. to head Kmart Corp., Charles Conaway will close 72 of Kmart's less-profitable stores, including a store in Middletown.
The closings will affect 5,000 employees in 28 states. The move is designed to help Kmart, the nation's third-largest retailer, catch up with industry giant WalMart and other rivals, such as Target.
Kmart, of Troy, Mich., also said yesterday it will cut inventory at many stores by putting merchandise on sale.
Conaway, Kmart's new chairman and chief executive officer, was previously president of CVS. Since leaving the Woonsocket-based drug store chain to take over Kmart from retiring chairman Floyd Hall on May 31, Conaway has spent much of his time touring Kmart stores.
He is considered an expert in inventory control.
Kmart said it will put piles of merchandise filling its warehouses on sale and invest in more-efficient inventory control in an effort to improve earnings.
Kmart turned over its inventory 4.1 times last year, less than Wal-Mart's 7.0 times and Target's 6.3.
"Controlling your inventory is so important in this business and it's something they've fallen short at," said Timothy Ghriskey, a senior portfolio manager at Dreyfus Corp., which has owned shares in Kmart.
The company will take pretax charges of $290 million for inventory clearance sales throughout the chain, and $75 million for the replacement of computer systems that are under development.
Kmart said most of the stores being closed are marginally profitable but don't justify additional investment because of factors including location and suitability for expansion.
They include 66 traditional Kmarts and 6 Super Kmarts, most of which will close by Nov. 1.
The Middletown store is located at 288 East Main Rd., in the Main Shopping Plaza. Kmart spokesman Steve Pagnani said hourly workers at the affected stores will lose their jobs, but are being advised to apply to other Kmart locations. Managers are being transferred.
The 5,000 workers affected by the store closings represent about 2 percent of Kmart's 278,000 employees.
None of the other Kmart stores in Rhode Island, Massachusetts or Connecticut will be affected by yesterday's announcement, according to a list released by Kmart.
Analyst Patrick O'Keefe, of Conway, MacKenzie and Dunleavy said the store closings are the next logical step in the retailer's long-term restructuring plans.
"It's part of the cleansing process. You want to take charges early, up front. It's a lot easier to get bad news out once. It's another thing to have continued disappointing earnings quarter after quarter in drips and drabs," O'Keefe said. "Clean out unprofitable stores and products . . . Investors would be disappointed if Kmart didn't have this kind of news."
After the closings, Kmart will have about 2,093 stores.
"You go into a Kmart and they're dirty stores, they're out of stock and it takes a long time to check out," said Jeffrey Edelman, an analyst at PaineWebber Inc., who rates Kmart shares "neutral." "I would expect more initiatives in the not-to-distant future to move them on the right path."
As a result of the restructuring, the retailer will take a one-time charge of $740 million during its second quarter. Those earnings are scheduled to be released Aug. 10.
Kmart also said earnings in the fiscal second quarter in this year will decline from a year earlier. Excluding the charge, profit in the quarter ending this month will fall in the range of 4 cents to 7 cents a share from 26 cents a year ago. The average forecast of analysts polled by First Call/Thomson Financial was 16 cents.
While Kmart is considered more financially sound than it was in the mid-1990s, it has struggled to compete with Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart and Minneapolis-based Target.
"Kmart is years behind its two competitors," said Brian James, an analyst at Loomis, Sayles & Co., which owns shares in retailers. "There are a lot more than 72 stores that will eventually have to go."
Kmart's stock price is down more than 54 percent in the last 52 weeks, from its high of $15.25 June 28, 1999.
Shares in Kmart (KM:NYSE) closed yesterday at $6.875, off 18.75 cents a share.
Kmart's shares aren't as highly valued by investors as some of its competitors. Kmart trades at 6 times its earnings, while Target trades at 23 times earnings. Wal-Mart has a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.
Kmart is in the midst of an ambitious year-long plan to build its presence on the Internet as well as renovate and open new stores. Kmart earned $403 million on revenue of $35.9 billion in fiscal 1999.
At a shareholders' meeting in mid-May, Kmart said it would spend $340 million to open 20 new Big Kmart stores, expand 12 to 15 existing stores and add five new Super Kmarts -- 24-hour centers that combine traditional Kmart discount stores with full grocery operations.
Kmart said yesterday it will invest $460 million this year to upgrade its information systems, and $210 million to improve its distribution and logistics network.
Initiatives include installing new scanners in all stores, new registers in the company's 300 highest-volume stores, and new systems to help Kmart's merchants monitor and manage inventory.
With Associated Press and Bloomberg News reports


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Characterized as South Korea’s largest ebook service, Ridibooks’ parent company raises funds. And Quarto Group Takes on Zest Books distribution.
Among the many partnerships being announced this week during BookExpo in New York City, many include international elements.
The European Commission calls Amazon’s antitrust commitments ‘a timely, effective and comprehensive solution to the competition concerns’ raised.
Citing robust international publishing output and efforts to tackle problems, Bloomsbury’s Richard Charkin gives an overview at Abu Dhabi.
Publishers, distributors, booksellers, and authors find themselves pointing at each other in a reported ‘vicious circle’ for Nigeria’s market.
In an effort to combat counterfeit print textbooks, distributors partner with publishers on a protocol of inspection and alerts.
In the UK: There’s a new call for creative proposals on online literature; and a Nigerian and UK publisher are among new Consortium clients.
In a land of nearly 2,000 small book publishers, Myanmar’s post-junta industry is strengthening its ties to ASEAN and serving a youthful demographic.
Online retailer Elefant.ro dominates Romania’s online book and ebook sales. Now, the company has plans to expand to other regional markets.
‘To keep and develop publishers’ traditional core values and at the same time adapt as quickly as possible’ is no mean feet. And Jens Klingelhöfer says the industry can’t afford to fail.


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Tag Archives: Swedish online gambling
- Two Spots open for Solution Providers at 2011 iGaming Forum
April 6, 2011
The 2011 iGaming Forum in beautiful Stockholm Sweden will have the presence of all the gaming boards in Scandinavia in attendance. If you don’t have your place reserved already for the 2011 iGaming Forum taking place from April 11-13 in Stockholm, Sweden, just keep it locked on CalvinAyre.com for the...
- Swedish gaming company breaks into Channel Isles
October 8, 2010
Though online gambling is currently exploding in the European market, many companies are still trying to earn licenses in new territories to expand their business. Now, Swedish software provider Net Entertainment AB has announced its successful acquisition of a category 2 license to expand their online gambling operations…to the Island...
Alderney gaming body hits back at IMF money-laundering criticisms
January 27, 2011
Weekly Poll Results
October 28, 2011


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It is an undeniable truth that the marketing team behind the new Barbie movie all deserve a raise. And now, this has been levelled to major new pink and plastic heights because if you’re lucky (and can fly yourself to Malibu), you can stay in the legit Barbie dreamhouse.
Although it may sound like fantasy, this is not a drill.
The good folks over at Airbnb have come through with the likes of Hobbiton and Wes Anderson-esque accommodation oddities before, but we’ve never seen anything quite like this gigantic, real-life Barbie dreamhouse.
A ‘Barbie’ dreamhouse in Malibu will be open to book a stay on Airbnb starting July 17. pic.twitter.com/LG9ttXOrX2— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 26, 2023
Opening up to the public for bookings on July 17 (that’s July 18, for all of us in Sydney), this mammoth mansion comes with a rainbow rollerblading rink, a life-size horse mannequin (dressed in a pink feather boa, obviously), an infinity pool, an outdoor disco and Ken’s actual closet. Whatever you want, you’ve got it – and it’s in every shade of peach, fuchsia and magenta that you can possibly imagine.
Located right next to the beach in Malibu, this life-size dream house has been put on Airbnb by none other than Ken himself, who has described the place as his “Kendom”, with Barbie having given him the keys for one night while she’s away.
With this pink palace only sleeping two guests for two separate stays on the nights of July 21 and July 22, it’s unlikely that most of us Down Under will be able to stay, but the fact of its mere existence is enough to put a little (arched) spring in our step.