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The cloud and voice assistant business that Amazon built are now forces to be reckoned with.
The success of Amazon’s onetime drags, Web Services and hardware, managed to drive the company past Wall Street’s loftiest expectations this past fiscal quarter.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the retail giant’s collection of subscription Internet services, has more than a million active individual users. It counts Spotify, Netflix, and Reddit among its top clients. And it holds a collective 1.6 times as much data as the other top seven other cloud providers — heavyweights like Google, Microsoft, Alibaba, Rackspace, IBM, and others — combined. So it’s not entirely surprising that AWS now accounts for 56 percent of the company’s entire operating income.
And even more amazingly, it’s growing. During Amazon’s second fiscal quarter alone, AWS revenue climbed 58 percent, from $1.8 billion in the previous year to a massive $2.9 billion.
AWS has come a long way since 2006, when it began as a slapdash effort meant to divvy up Amazon’s spare network resources among parties willing to pay. The service then, much as it does now, collated processors, storage, and networking from machines around the world into “instances,” or individual slices of resources. You can buy exclusive use of a processor for a certain number of hours, for example, or a virtual storage locker of any size.
It was a prescient gamble. Companies — and startups, especially — are increasingly seeing the appeal in farming out hosting responsibilities to a third party. Ease of use is the major motivator. Eric Knorr, editor in chief of InfoWorld, explained it succinctly: “Anyone can upload virtual machines, store data, and run compute jobs in the cloud just by filling in a few web forms.”
Amazon’s hosting business isn’t the only unlikely bet that’s beginning paying off. In terms of hardware, Fire tablets and e-readers remain the company’s bread and butter. Market research firm IDC estimates shipments of Fire tablets rose 175 percent to 5.2 million units last holiday season. Its Echo speakers have also managed to sustain an impressive degree of momentum. New estimates put shipments of the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Tap at a collective 3 million as of April, making them far and away the most successful home voice assistants ever.
Amazon is doubling down on the Echo’s technology. It’s dedicated a team of more than 1,000 to the Echo’s software. It’s proactively encouraged, in some cases monetarily, the deployment of “skills,” or apps, for Alexa, the virtual assistant that powers the Echo. Alexa now boasts more than 1,900, including Lyft, Kayak, SmartThings, Philips Hue, Domino’s and others. And rumor has it that the company is working on a new device, code-named “Knight,” that will have a touchscreen.
For the second quarter of 2016, the company recorded revenue of $30.4 billion — far beyond forecasts of $29.55 billion and up 31 percent from the $23.19 billion it recorded in the same period a year earlier. It’s the fifth quarter in a row that Amazon has posted a profit, and the third it has beaten earnings records.
Amazon’s legacy divisions helped drive some of that revenue, of course. Its retail business generated $17.67 billion in revenue in the second quarter, a 28 percent upswing from last year’s take, thanks to Amazon’s second annual Prime Day event. Orders rose more than 60 percent compared to last year’s inaugural sales holiday. And subscriptions to Prime, Amazon’s $99 a year subscription service that grants benefits like free two-day and discounted one-day shipping, food and grocery delivery, and free monthly ebooks, boosted the bottom line, too. Prime members, who now number an estimated 54 million in the United States, spent significantly more than non-Prime members in the past year — about $1,100 versus $600 for nonmembers, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).
Amazon’s plans for the immediate future involve growing out those core businesses. Now that the company’s hardware and cloud divisions have become essentially self-sustaining, Amazon’s seemingly intent on getting its retail division to the same point. It intends to break ground on 18 new fulfillment centers in the third quarter of this year, or three times the number it opened in the same period a year ago. It’s pledged to “double” its investment in its on-demand video service, Amazon Instant, in the second half of this year in order to “triple” the number of original movies and television shows it produces. And it’s leased as many as 40 Boeing aircraft in preparation for the launch of an in-house shipping service that could eventually rival the scale of incumbents like Fedex and UPS.
Given the low overhead of its cloud and hardware divisions — its web hosting services don’t exactly require warehouses millions of square feet in length, or the hundreds of personnel required to staff them — Amazon’s ambitions sound like a bit of a stretch. Its physical goods division, profitable as it is, seems unlikely to match its Web-hosting revenue anytime soon. But given the regularity with which Amazon proves pundits wrong, it may yet pull a rabbit from its retail hat.


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Here are three examples of investments in the future.
- I want to tip my hat to Orvis for being a corporate sponsor of the VT/NH Marketing Group. Although the two state area is home to many catalogs, Orvis is one of the largest, and feels that it is part of their responsibility to the future of the industry to support the VT/NH Marketing Group. They also feel it is important to be “putting something back into the community”. They could leave it up to the printers, co-ops and companies like Datamann to support the group. But Orvis – a mailer and not a vendor – recognizes that they need to ensure there will be future marketers, with new and different skills from today’s “catalogers”.
- Simon Property Group, the nation’s largest mall developer, is investing venture funding into new retail concepts. Simon, which owns and operates 200 malls, had sales last year of almost $5 billion. In the past 15 months, they have funded 18 new start-up retailers, ranging from $250,000 to $5 million. The reason they are doing so is obvious – they are looking for future tenets in their malls, and are looking for new and innovative concepts. They are investing in their future.
- The little town of Groveton NH (population 1,100) has been suffering with chronic unemployment since their main employer – a paper mill – closed in 2007. This past March, residents voted at the their annual town meeting to borrow $400,000 to install public sewage and water lines in the hope that new businesses will locate there – and bring tax money and jobs. The $400,000 sum may not seem like much to some of you, but that is a huge sum, and a huge risk, for a tiny town only an hour’s drive from the Quebec border.
These are three examples of investments in the future – two by companies, one by a municipality – that we seldom encounter in the catalog arena. And I’m not talking about a printer or a co-op database investing in some new catalog start-up (which never happens anyway). I’m talking about your own internal investment, seeking new ways of operating your own business.
As you finalize your plans for Fall/Holiday 2016, what percentage of your marketing budget did you allocate to “new concept testing”? This doesn’t mean testing down to segment 12 of your favorite co-ops’ synergy model, or adding Facebook to your retargeting ads. This means testing the acquisition of new customers in an entirely new media, without aid of your catalog, such as putting a video link on your home page.
Here is an even better investment – have you done a holdout test yet on your house file to determine what percent of your customers order without aid of the catalog? Do you realize the potential profits that would fall to your bottom line if you could eliminate 25% of your catalog circulation, with a 5% loss in sales? Oh, I know, you don’t want to risk running that test because you need every dollar of sales you can get this year. But, holdout tests are the best investment in your future you can make.
I’m not looking for you to commit much to new concept testing. But would 10% be a reasonable amount to allocate to securing your future? Come on – test something new this year. You know there is no dearth of companies willing to take your money to test their new concept. Good luck.
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by Bill LaPierre
VP – Business Intelligence and Analytics
Datamann – 800-451-4263 x235

domain: news


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To use sports analogies, two of the giants of activewear underwent front office shakeups on Tuesday — and called on their benches for their new chief executive officers.
Nike and Under Armour both tapped new ceo’s who will take up their new roles in January. The switches came as the two companies have been buffeted by scandals over the last few years ranging from sexual harassment allegations to a “bro” culture to, in Nike’s case, allegations of funding a runners’ program that used illegal doping methods to boost performance.
Under Armour tossed the first lob when it made the surprise announcement before the market opened on Tuesday that its highly visible founder, Kevin Plank, will cede the ceo position to president and chief operating officer Patrik Frisk in January. Plank was named executive chairman and brand chief and Frisk will report to him.
Nike returned the volley after the market closed by making an equally surprising announcement that its ceo, Mark Parker, will step aside on Jan. 13 and be succeeded by John Donahoe II, a Nike board member. Parker will then become executive chairman.
Donahoe, 59, has been a director at Nike since June 2014 and is currently president and ceo of ServiceNow, Inc., a post he’s had since 2017. Before that, he lead eBay Inc. from 2008 to 2015.
Although its ceo Kasper Rorsted remains in place, Adidas too had a major resignation this week — Eric Liedtke, executive board member of Adidas AG, and the mastermind behind the company’s wildly successful collaborations with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and Beyoncé, said he will be leaving the brand at the end of the year “to pursue new projects and ventures.” Liedtke was considered by many to be the heir apparent to Rorsted.
The Under Armour news didn’t move the stock too much; it closed up 6.88 percent at $19.42 a share. Nike’s stock, which closed 0.64 percent in the red to $95.60 a share, turned positive in after-hours trading following the release of the news of the change in top management.
Just why either company decided on a changing of the guard is unclear. In the case of Nike, the company has continued to outperform on all cylinders, tipping past the $1 billion mark in profits at the beginning of 2019.
But even as Nike has remained unchallenged as the global market leader in activewear, it has been rocked by scandal after scandal under Parker’s watch. These allegations of a toxic workplace; female athletes getting paid less than their male counterparts; the departure of Trevor Edwards, president of Nike’s flagship brand, and criticisms for choosing professional football star Colin Kaepernick to lead one of the company’s marketing campaigns.
Most recently have been the allegations surrounding former champion runner Alberto Salazar and his Oregon Project at Nike. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency banned Salazar for “multiple anti-doping rule violations” and the project subsequently was shuttered. Salazar has denied the allegations, but reports indicated that Parker was aware of the work he was doing at the project.
Then there has been the controversy surrounding Nike star LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who ignited a furor by seeming to choose business over backing free speech when he said on social media that Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was “misinformed” in his comments about supporting the protesters in Hong Kong. Nike has a lifelong deal with James that will pay him an estimated $1 billion — and has yet to comment on James’ comments.
But while Nike has continued to grow profits and sales, the turnaround at Under Armour has been slower in coming.
The company’s stock fell sharply last winter after news broke that the company had stopped expensing executives’ trips to strip clubs amid the #MeToo Movement. This left a bad taste in the mouths of investors and consumers, many of whom felt it was a bit late. It was also hurt by by “getting too big too fast,” Plank has said, which included expanding product categories, selling to the highly promotional Kohl’s as a quick fix to boost sales, and moving swiftly into markets outside of the U.S.
Still, the company has made some strides.
Thanks in large part to Frisk’s operational skills, the brand has made progress on a five-year strategic growth plan designed to help it navigate through some rough waters while transitioning from a precocious upstart — albeit an almost $5 billion one — to a global sports powerhouse.
At an investors day meeting in December — its first in three years — Under Armour said its operating loss is now expected to be about $40 million to $55 million this year versus the previously expected $50 million to $55 million. On an adjusted basis, operating income is now expected to reach $160 million to $165 million versus the previous $150 million-to-$165 million range. Earnings per share are expected to grow at a five-year compound annual growth rate of about 40 percent.
On Tuesday, Plank and Frisk appeared together on CNBC and fielded questions on whether the board of directors — or any other internal issues — forced the change.
Plank insisted, “This is my decision,” adding that he and Frisk “complement each other so well.”
Using one of the sports metaphors that have been the rallying cry of the company since Plank created his first non-cotton compression shirt in 1996, he said: “The company is now moving from defense to offense.” He stressed that “there couldn’t be a better time for us to do this. You’re going to see this brand unleash. It will empower us. It’s going to allow Patrik to make decisions to run the day-to-day. And allow me to continue to have the vision and think about what’s next for this brand and where we can go. It’s a great partnership.”
He said he did not get pressure from the company’s “great” board of directors and said that “nothing is changing. Patrik will continue to report into me. And we’ll have the ability to divide and conquer.”
Frisk echoed Plank and said the “transition was planned and we’ll continue to run the same plan that was put in place. This is about continuity, running the play and turning from defense to offense.”
Cristina Fernández, director and senior research analyst for Telsey Advisory Group, was upbeat about the news, writing in a note: “We view the ceo transition as positive and believe Mr. Frisk is the right person to lead the company forward as its second ceo.” She said that while it was not clear when the move would be made, “we believe the leadership transition was anticipated.”
She pointed to Frisk’s role in the company’s transformation plan that has been in the works for the past 2 1/2 years where he oversaw revenue, product, marketing, strategy, and supply chain. He will now broaden his leadership, she said, while Plank will focus on “elevating the product, amplifying the brand, and maintaining the company’s culture. The two leaders seem to have a good working relationship and appear aligned in their goals for the company, which should help ensure a smooth transition.”
Even so, she said that the company’s North American sales continue to disappoint and it needs “stronger product innovation, a constant flow of newness, and more advertising to drive sales growth at full-price amid strong competition from bigger players Adidas and Nike and growing brands like Puma.” As a result, she said she is maintaining the company’s market perform rating and a 12-month price target of $23.
Edward Yruma, managing director of KeyBanc Capital Markets, also pointed to Frisk’s “initial success” spearheading Under Armour’s turnaround due in large part to “a renewed focus on operational discipline.” He called the elevation of Frisk “a logical progression” that allows Plank to continue as chairman while being freed up to “focus on longer term strategic plans, product, and most importantly, culture.”
Matthew Boss, managing director of equity research for J.P. Morgan, said the company’s 50 percent “rationalization” of stock-keeping units, 20 percent inventory reduction, 30 percent vendor base consolidation and “expense base right-sizing over the past three years” under Frisk’s leadership led to this “next natural step in the Plank/Frisk partnership.” He said Frisk is “well respected both internally and across the investor community” and is now viewed as “a tenured multiyear future leader” rather than a “hired outside gun.”
Also leading to the optimism was the appointment over the past 15 months of four other key hires: Stephanie Pugliese as North America brand president; Kasey Jarvis as chief design officer; Tchernavia Rocker as chief people and culture officer, and Alessandro de Pestel as chief marketing officer, Boss pointed out. These hires mean that the company’s organizational structure is now fully set for the next phase of its five-year plan.
The equity research team at Jefferies was perhaps the most positive, writing in a note: “This move supports our thesis that the Under Armour brand is strong, and with outsized growth ahead, high operational discipline is needed. We believe Mr. Frisk’s extensive background, with 30-plus years of experience in the apparel, footwear, and retail industry, will help to further instill such discipline and usher in a new era of success at Under Armour.”
They said that his success so far proves he is “an ideal candidate” and that “there is more growth ahead to be unlocked.” They also said they were glad that Plank will continue to be involved and the company can draw on his “deep industry knowledge and lengthy experience building the brand.”
Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, was a bit more reticent. He said that history has shown that when a founder hands off the ceo role but remains with the company, it often leads to trouble. He pointed to Stefan Larsson at Ralph Lauren, Eddie Lambert at Sears and Martha Stewart at her namesake company as examples. “The best corporate transitions are when the founder makes a clean break,” he said.
But while Plank was “an exceptional entrepreneur and visionary ceo,” now that Under Armour is “a mature company with rising competition,” it requires someone with a different skill-set to be at the helm. He said Plank has “made some real strategic blunders,” including the decision in 2016 to sell its product in Kohl’s, which is a highly promotional retailer, at the expense of its largest wholesale customer Dick’s Sporting Goods, which sells Under Armour at full price. “Rule number one: don’t screw up your primary relationship,” Johnson said.
While he was generally positive about the ceo shift, he hopes that further clarification about their distinct duties will be forthcoming in the near future.


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Cable network Viacom has tentatively reached an agreement with Sony to bring livestreams of its cable channels to a new TV service, the New York Times reported yesterday.
The agreement would go a long way in helping Sony’s forthcoming next-gen console the PlayStation 4 compete with Microsoft’s new …


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Electric toothbrushes not always better
A review of 42 trials showed that in most cases, the plaque removed by a manual toothbrush is as much as the more expensive electronic toothbrush, and has a protective effect on inflammation of the gums.
The study, led by Professor Peter Robinson of the University of Sheffield, claims that the only electric toothbrush that is more effective than a manual toothbrush is a toothbrush with a rotating function
It also found that only the round head brush moves in one direction for a quarter and then returns to a quarter, cleaner than the traditional toothbrush.
Professor Robinson explained, \"people who don\'t have a rotating electric toothbrush --
The swinging head should not be worried because it will not do any harm to them.
However, if they buy an electric toothbrush to keep their teeth as clean as possible, it\'s worth investing in a rotating toothbrush --
The authors of the report claim that people may waste their money on toothbrushes that they think will clean their teeth better, while much cheaper traditional toothbrushes can do the same.


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Pet of the day: Petra
Meet the Current-Argus pet of the day, Petra.
Petra is a medium black domestic shorthair mix. Her animal ID is 32051579.
Petra, like many other shelter cats, is waiting for a permanent home at Noah's Ark Animal Shelter.
The shelter is open from noon to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
For information, call 575-885-5769 or e-mail firstname.lastname@example.org. More pets can be seen online at noahsarkshelter.org.


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Toys ‘R’ Us has shied away from speculation claiming that it’s privy to the PlayStation 4’s release date. In a report published by BT Games, a spokesperson for the retail giant stated that it had been handed information on the next generation console’s launch plans “direct” from its suppliers – but it’s since admitted that this was a mistake.
The company had attached a 13th December launch to the Japanese giant's impending system, which it claimed was “accurate”. However, it’s since said that the so-called confirmation was just an old fashioned mix up. “The release date is not provided by Sony, but is an estimated date required by our system to allow us to take pre-orders,” a spokesperson explained.
Sony’s said that the PS4 will launch this year in Europe and North America, but additional details are scarce. A more specific date is expected at GamesCom, where the platform holder will likely reveal a handful of new games, too. When do you think that you’ll be able to get your eager mitts on the PS4? Let us know in the comments section below.


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Postmaster General Ranjith Ariyaratne states that measures will be taken to obtain the contribution of the private sector for boosting the revenue of the Department of Posts. MORE..
4 Dec 2022 (11:34 AM)
The ethnic, religious issues and other genuine concerns of the people could be put behind the past to prevent a break up of unity and integrity of the state by the 75th Independence Anniversary of the country. MORE..
4 Dec 2022 (5:39 PM)
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies says that the government has taken measures to revise the special commodity levy imposed on imported big onions and canned fish with effect from December 01, 2022. MORE..
4 Dec 2022 (9:49 PM)


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The number of exhibitors and exhibition space at the three-day fair has increased with a rise in registrations from European exhibitors.
“The excellent situation with registrations clearly shows that we are on the right track and just how important Heimtextil is as an international world-leading trade fair for the industry. With its new products and trends, it kicks off the upcoming season and is an indispensable platform for companies and trade visitors alike, from purchasers and designers to interior decorators, hoteliers and architects,” said Olaf Schmidt, vice president, textiles & textile technologies, Messe Frankfurt
In the digital printing area, Epson, Hewlett Packard, Kiian, Mimaki, SPG Print and MS Printing, along with new companies such as Matsui and Schoeller Technocell will complement the line-up in 2017.
Exhibitors include well-known mattress suppliers such as Frankenstolz and Technogel Italia and renowned bedding companies such as Lefebvre Textile and Manterol.
In the growing area of decorative fabrics, many new companies from Belgium and the USA in particular have registered, including Bru Textiles, B&T Textilia, Burlington Technologies, P. Kaufmann, Van Moele Weavers and Weverij van Neder.
Heimtextil 2017 will also present the theme park trend section under the management of Exalis, experts from the French trend agency Carlin International will showcase 2017/2018 trends in various themed worlds during the trade fair.
The "Green Village" at the 2017 event will hold free expert presentations and give trade visitors an opportunity to talk to seal awarders and certifiers. The "Green Tour" at the fair will provide a guided tour of the entire trade fair stops at stands of companies with sustainable products and concepts. (HO)
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Half fat chocolate can retain taste, mouthfeel14 August 2012
A method for making chocolate with 50% less fat, yet retaining its taste and mouthfeel, has been developed by researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK.
The process replaces the fat found in cocoa butter and milk fats with tiny droplets of fruit juice measuring under 30 microns in diameter, infusing orange and cranberry juice into milk, white and dark chocolate using what is known as a Pickering emulsion.
The mouthfeel given by the fatty ingredients is retained, said the researchers, because the new technique maintains the prized Polymorph V content, the substance in the crystal structure of the fat which gives chocolate its glossy appearance, firm and snappy texture but which also allows it to melt smoothly in the mouth.
The final product will taste fruity - but there is the option to use water and a small amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) instead of juice to maintain a chocolatey taste.
“Our study is just the starting point to healthier chocolate,” said Dr Stefan Bon from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick. “We’ve established the chemistry behind this new technique but now we’re hoping the food industry will take our method to make tasty, lower-fat chocolate bars.”
The scientists used food-approved ingredients to create a Pickering emulsion, which prevents the small droplets from merging with each other.
Moreover, their chocolate formulations in the molten state showed a yield stress which meant that they could prevent the droplets from sinking to the bottom.
The new process also prevents the unsightly ‘sugar bloom’ which can appear on chocolate which has been stored for too long.
In a separate announcement, it was reported by scientists from the University of L’Aquila in Italy that cocoa flavanols could help improve cognitive function, delaying or preventing the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
90 elderly people with mild cognitive impairment were given varying strengths of a cocoa drink over a period of eight weeks. After the tests, many were found to respond better to visual stimuli and have improved memory. The improvement was particularly marked in those who had been given the higher strength drink.
Food ingredients Istanbul
Fi Asia China
Fi South America


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As many as 17 listed companies have completed their share buyback plans this year and repurchased stocks worth about Rs 500 crore,representing little over half of their collective targets.
Going by data available with market regulator Sebi,these 17 firms had targeted to infuse Rs 916.53 crore to buy out shares from the public shareholders through open market route on the stock exchanges.
Together,these companies utilised a total amount of Rs 494.42 crore or 54 per cent of the targeted funds planned for the purpose.
In the process,these companies have bought 7.30 crore shares out of nearly 12 crore that were on offer for buyback.
Buyback involves purchase of outstanding public shares by a company in order to reduce the number of shares in the market.
The largest buyback included that of JBF Industries which spent nearly 99.63 per cent of the Rs 73.50 crore it had fixed under its buyback plan. The diversified business conglomerate had begun its buyback programme on September 4 and closed it on September 27,2013.
Two other firms,SMS Pharmaceuticals and Zen Technologies,were also able to complete their buyback plans within a few months of launching it in 2013.
Other major buyback deal was that of Sasken Communication Technologies that used 76.6 per cent or Rs 66.26 crore to repurchase as many as 52 lakh shares. The company had sought to attain a maximum buyback of 58 lakh shares.
Besides,JK Lakshmi Cements (repurchase of 31.25 per cent of total target),Kanoria Chemical and Industries (98 per cent),Zee Entertainment Enterprises (21 per cent) and Kirloskar Oil Engines (21.3 per cent) were some of the companies that ended their share repurchase schemes in 2013.
At present,companies can buyback shares in two way open market and tender offer.
In an open market offer,firms can buyback shares from shareholders without knowing the buyer,while tender offer involves the company writing to its shareholders individually to know their willingness for sale of shares in the buyback.
In August this year,Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) introduced new buyback norms under which it will be mandatory for companies to repurchase at least 50 per cent of their offers.
Moreover,the companies are now required to complete their buyback offers within six months as against 12 months allowed earlier.
Those not able to meet the target will be barred from launching another offer for a period of one year while they could also be imposed with a penalty amounting to maximum of 2.5 per cent on the funds lying in the escrow account.


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Two well-known Texas retail brands are teaming up: HEB has partnered with James Avery Artisan Jewelry to open three stores in the grocer’s footprint in Texas. The locations will offer jewelry and services, including charm soldering and jewelry cleaning.
The Texas-based jewelry retailer already opened on September 15 the first 1,650 square foot space in the HEB at 2755 E League City Parkway in League City. James Avery will open the next store on September 29 at the HEB in Portland, outside of Corpus Christi, and on October 13 at San Antonio, at 211 and Potranco HEB.
To celebrate the opening of League City, customers who visit the James Avery store through September 25 can enter a draw for a chance to win one of 60 James Avery gift cards valued at $ 50 , $ 100 or $ 500. The hourly draws will take place on September 18 and 25 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thirty James Avery gift cards will be awarded each draw day: 24 gift cards of $ 50, three gift cards of $ 100 and three gift cards of $ 500.
The jeweler’s opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. James Avery customers can also take advantage of online purchase and in-store pickup options at JamesAvery.com.
“We are excited to be working with another iconic Texas brand,” said John McCullough, CEO of James Avery Artisan Jewelry. “HEB shares many of the same values and commitments as we do, and we are excited to bring our designs to places where our customers are already shopping! “
Based in Kerrville, Texas, James Avery is a vertically integrated family business. The retailer operates more than 100 James Avery stores in five states, with jewelry also available at more than 220 Dillard’s stores in Texas and 28 other states, airport stores in Austin and Houston, and Army and Air Force Exchange locations. Service to Fort Hood and Fort Belvoir.
“We are delighted to welcome James Avery to select HEB stores across the state,” said Winell Herron, vice president of public affairs, diversity and environment for the HEB group. “With our shared debut at Hill Country, we look forward to continuing to serve Texans for generations to come. “
In its continued quest to support local brands, HEB recently named four winners of its eighth annual Quest for Texas Best competition. This year’s competition broadened its search for the best food and drink in the Lone Star State to also include non-food items, inviting Texas-based suppliers of beauty items, toys, household items, and more. ‘household items, gardening supplies, coolers and everything in between. The winners of the 2021 event received a total of $ 70,000 in cash prizes and shelf space at HEB stores statewide. The four winners are listed here.
With approximately 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, based in San Antonio HEB is # 13 on the PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list the major food and consumable retailers in North America.


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2023: A Year in Review – The Tech Industry’s Biggest Fails
As the clock ticks towards the end of 2023, a retrospective glance at the year paints a vivid tableau of technological blunders. Each month of the year was marked by a significant tech failure, leaving a trail of lessons for the tech industry.
January to April: A Rough Start
The year kicked off with a prolonged outage of the Italian webmail services Libero and Virgilio, leaving hundreds of thousands of users in a communication blackout. February saw a sharp 9% drop in Alphabet’s shares following a glaring error about the James Webb Space Telescope in Google’s promotional video for its chatbot Bard. March bore witness to the premature closure of Disney’s platform, a stark testament to the risks of hefty investments. April’s debacle came in Italy’s promotional campaign for Botticelli’s Venus as an influencer, an effort that turned notorious for its gaffes despite its nine-million-euro price tag.
Summer’s Tech Turmoils
The discontinuation of YouTube stories in June marked Google’s shift towards Shorts, inspired by TikTok. July saw the closure of TikTok’s service ‘TikTok Now’, a seasonal fad that fizzled out quickly. The hipster bicycle company VanMoof declared bankruptcy, leaving customers high and dry despite a successful crowdfunding campaign. A bizarre story of a supposed fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg also took center stage.
Autumn and Winter: The Downfall Continues
September saw the release of the iPhone 15 marred by iOS 17’s overheating issues during charging. As Twitter rebranded to ‘X’, several failures throughout the year highlighted verified users as super spreaders of fake news. Discord’s chatbot ‘Clyde’, based on OpenAI services, was shut down after failing to meet expectations. Finally, as the year wound down, the E3 Show in Los Angeles, the world’s largest video game fair, announced its closure after 28 years, a victim of the rise of streaming services and the COVID-19 pandemic.
As we bid adieu to 2023, the tech industry has a year’s worth of failures to analyze and learn from. The coming year holds the promise of new beginnings and the hope of better strategies to prevent such mishaps. As we usher in 2024, the tech world braces itself to navigate the uncharted territories of the future.


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It has been quite some time since the PlayStation 4 was rolled out into the market. The latest reports on the PlayStation scene suggest that Sony might be developing a brand version of the said PlayStation, only this time it will be able to output 4K graphics for games.
Sony is quiet tight-lipped regarding the matter as of now, however, several insiders are reporting that the new PlayStation might be rolled out in the oncoming year. If indeed that is the case, the device will be sold alongside the existent PlayStation 4.
Rumors state that the PlayStation 4K will have a number of 4.5, that its it will be called- PlayStation 4.5. It should be noted here that the existent PlayStation 4 has been developed to support both 4K photos and videos. However, it is incapable of running games in 4K resolution.
The PlayStation 4K will be built with a stronger processor and GPU which will provide it with that extra juice required to output 4K quality games. This new console will be targeted towards the high-end games of recent times and the ones that will be released in the future.
The PlayStation 4 has been quite successful and till date over 36 million units of it has been sold on a global basis. Keeping in mind how advanced modern games are becoming with time, it can be safely assumed that the PlayStation 4K too will be able to find numerous takers in the gaming world.
Various reports state that Sony will come forward with the announcement for the PlayStation 4K before their Virtual-Reality headset- the PlayStation VR is released. It should be noted here that the PlayStation VR is scheduled for an October launch.
The PlayStation VR will likely be compatible with the PlayStation 4K and the powerful processor and the GPU of the latter will come in handy to unleash the full potential of the Virtual reality device.
A renowned website reports that Sony might have already developed a prototype for the PlayStation 4K in their research and development labs. Apparently, the device will be able to play non-interactive Ultra HD media. It will be playable in a number of forms. Some other features that the device might carry include high-dynamic range and expanded color depth.
The graphics processor unit on the device will be twice more powerful compared to the one that is found in the existent PlayStation 4. Rumors also have it that Sony has already granted access to the device to a number of game developers.
The developers are reportedly using the technical information gained from the device to create games accordingly which will be compatible with the device. Modernization of games will find a new meaning if indeed Sony rolls out a 4K resolution supported gaming console in the future.
However, technical experts are somewhat skeptical about regarding the whole matter. Sony is basically upgrading the processor and the GPU of the PlayStation 4 to create the PlayStation 4.5.
The skeptics point out that by merely tweaking around with the hardware of the PlayStation 4, the developers might not be able to create a device which will possess the capability of outputting 4K graphics quality for games.
AMD is the company that develops both the processor and the GPU for the PlayStation 4. Till date the company has been using the 28nm transistor process in the PlayStation consoles. This was introduced back in 2011 and it has become somewhat outdated after a period of five long years.
Various reports indicate that is currently upgrading the 28nm transistor process to a brand new 3D FinFET process which will come with 14nm to 16nm transistors. This new process will enable the console to function much better compared to the PlayStation 4.
The power consumption of the device will remain unaltered and there won’t be any change in the size of the device too due to the incorporation of the new process transistors.


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European satellite operator Eutelsat yesterday announced it will be launching a Europe-only satellite broadband service in June while Thales will launch a UK system. Eutelsat's consumer service will provide internet access in Europe where conventional hard-wired broadband is ineffective or just not possible - such as in remote towns and villages.
Development partner ViaSat will provide the terminals to access the service. They will be based on the company's SurfBeam DOCSIS technology which is used by satellite broadband providers all over the world.
The service will start with Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal before moving into other countries. The company will set aside extra bandwidth for expansion.
Eutelsat co-developed the system with Skylogic and ViaSat - developers of a widely used standard in satellite broadband technology. The data will be relayed using Eutelsat's Hot Bird 6 satellite with a central hub point in Turin.
UK satellite broadband
Meanwhile, communications company Thales today told Tech.co.uk it will offer its first satellite broadband service to the UK on 21 May. It also said it will consider providing consumer services once its business service is successful.
Thales UK last week announced it had become a distribution partner of Inmarsat 's Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) mobile satellite broadband service, and will help provide access to UK businesses.
According to Thales, to access the satellite broadband there is no need for specialist technical knowledge. All a user needs is a laptop PC, a special satellite BGAN unit and a telephone handset or headset. The company believes the service will have speeds of up to 492kbps.
The Inmarsat-4 satellites sit in a geostationary orbit and are used to carry data around the planet as Internet Protocol packet-switched data - the language of the internet.


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Just a few years ago, the Subway chain was a fast-food dynamo. For example, see Eat Fresh at Subway and Fastest-Growing U.S. Franchisors. Even today, there are nearly 44,000 franchised outlets around the world, with 25,000 stores in the United States.
But Subway is now in a tough situation. As Josh Kosman reports for the NY Post:
“Subway, the struggling family-owned sandwich chain, has hired consultant Bain & Company to professionalize operations and possibly set itself up for a future sale, the NY Post has learned. The 52-year-old chain, the largest in the U.S. by the number of locations, had previously resisted bringing in outside professionals for anything other than advertising, according to two Subway insiders. Perhaps because of that insular culture, Subway has posted declining same-store sales for more than five years.”
“Customer traffic plummeted a whopping 25 percent from 2012-17, according to a Nov. 30 internal Subway memo. To turn things around, Subway has been promoting a $4.99 foot-long sandwich, something it had done often in the past — but that has irked many franchisees because it is hard to make money on such a promotion. Plus, it does not seem to be working, sources said.”
See click the image to read more.


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This year, multimedia IP solutions provider Vivante Corp.’s revenues doubled for the fourth consecutive year. The reason is that cumulative 40 companies have licensed Vivante GPU cores this year, and multiple customers are integrating Vivante's multicore GPUs into semiconductor SoC solutions for launch in 2011. In addition, the developer said that the performance of the ultra-low power mulicore GPUs has been extended to over 1 GHz.
According to Vivante, the pace of growth in the licensable GPU market in 2010 has been dramatic. Demand for GPU IP cores has increased markedly over 2009 across a spectrum of applications including smartphones and tablets; gaming consoles and home entertainment; automotive instrumentation, navigation and rear seat entertainment; highly cost sensitive applications such as printers, cameras and cordless phones; as well as non-graphics computing applications in the GPU pipeline.
"In 2010, we saw a number of factors combine to drive healthy increases globally in both the quantity and quality of our GPU IP licensing business," said Wei-Jin Dai, president and CEO of Vivante, in a statement. “The rapid consumer acceptance and demand for Google's Android environment across a range of platforms. The industry's standardization on OpenGL ES 2.0 in application content, as well as the web infrastructure provided by WebGL, Adobe AIR/Flash and HTML5 is driving healthy growth in demand for both our highest performance multicore and established single core GPUs.
Another factor contributing to this growth is that Vivante’s existing customer base is migrating to the top end of the company’s product line. In addition, high performance in the silicon budget and low power consumption is driving new customers to Vivante GPU cores, according to the maker.
Apple's 13 percent sales decline and subsequent stock price drop this week has lead to the usual crazy talk about how to "fix" the company. Vivek Wadh…
Over the past 13 years, Apple has been one of the most successful companies in the world of tech, posting sales growths in 51 straight quarters. That …
Travel may be starting to make a bit of a comeback, as a new report suggests that shared-space providers like Airbnb and WeWork are on the rise.
One of the great downsides to having a lot of content in any one place is that, after a while, it starts looking downright pointless to add more.
A new and unsettling movement is taking place in the content markets, and it's focused around one of America's most hated companies: Comcast.


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WARM AND FUZZY: Upper East Siders Gigi Mortimer and Courtney Moss have teamed up to create a line of accessories just in time for the fall chill. Called Glamourpuss NYC, the collection of Rex rabbit fur neck warmers and fox fur mittens — which retail for $199 and $315, respectively — will arrive at boutiques such as Kirna Zabête and Calypso beginning later this month. Items are already available for purchase on the company’s Web site, glamourpussnyc.com. The fashion-savvy duo — Mortimer designed accessories for Ralph Lauren and Vera Wang, while Moss has worked in public relations at Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani — came up with the idea for the line while suffering through their grade school sons’ early-morning hockey practice in Central Park. “Everyone there was pale and ugly and miserable,” recalls Mortimer. “And we thought, ‘Even though it’s cold, why can’t we be glam?’” Friends Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Stephanie Clark and Elizabeth Lindemann appear in the Glamourpuss look book, but Mortimer knows she is her own best advertisement and already has been spotted wearing her neck warmers around town. Presumably, Mortimer also will be wearing her wares when she and Moss host an official launch party at Calypso’s Madison Avenue outpost on Oct. 29.
BLUE FAIREY: Artist Shepard Fairey is creating a co-branded capsule collection with Levi’s that will go on sale in select Levi’s stores beginning Oct. 29. Created in partnership with Fairey’s Obey clothing label, the line includes T-shirts, denim and jean jackets, which will incorporate Fairey’s artwork. The line will be branded Obey x Levi’s, and hangtags are emblazoned with Fairey’s seminal Andre the Giant graphic. Pieces will retail from $34.50 to $148. Fairey, known for his street art as well as creating the iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster during last year’s election, will install an original work outside the Times Square Levi’s flagship during a party on Oct. 29 to celebrate the collection. Previous Levi’s collaborations with artists on capsule collections include those with Damien Hirst and the Warhol Foundation.
BARTLETT’S QUOTATIONS: With the decision by Liz Claiborne Inc. to move the Liz Claiborne and Claiborne by John Bartlett labels exclusively to J.C. Penney and QVC, designer John Bartlett is exiting the company. He will stay on at Claiborne for a few more weeks to ensure a smooth transition of the brand, as well as put the finishing touches on the spring men’s line, the final collection helmed by Bartlett that will ship to retailers, including Bon-Ton. “It was wonderful working with Liz Claiborne, and I learned so much,” said Bartlett, who has won two CFDA men’s wear awards during his career. “I have a nice blank slate now to consider what I want to do moving forward.” The designer began work on the Claiborne by John Bartlett label in 2008, and he held a three-year contract with the company. Bartlett operates a small John Bartlett store in New York’s West Village, for which he produces a men’s wear collection under his own name. He does not wholesale the line but said he may work to expand the line to other retailers.
MOVING DAY: Celine is moving to a temporary store in Paris while its Avenue Montaigne boutique goes under renovation for a few months, according to a spokeswoman. The luxury fashion house will move into long-vacant premises previously occupied by Fendi, next to L’Avenue restaurant nearby. Phoebe Philo’s pre-spring collection will go on sale in the temporary store from mid-November.
ARMANI TECH: It looks like Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer is becoming a fashionista. “There’s no question. This is the most glamorous venue I have ever had the chance to speak in and frankly…the most fashionable phone I’ve ever had the chance to talk about. And that is as good as it gets for me,” he said at the Armani Teatro in Milan at the launch of the Giorgio Armani-Samsung smartphone, which features Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 software. He added: “I even got a tie today. The phone is beautiful, but Mrs. Ballmer’s going to love the tie, signed by Mr. Armani himself.” Ballmer declined to be drawn on whether the deal prefaced closer links between Microsoft and fashion companies, saying only the Armani-Samsung-Microsoft tie-up was “unique.”
JUST THE ESSENTIALS: Naeem Khan is the latest designer to be wooed by HSN. The designer is rounding up friends to raise a glass Thursday to celebrate this month’s launch of his Timeless collection of evening essentials made exclusively for the shopping network.
BARBIE BOY: Christian Louboutin is the latest designer geared to give Barbie a makeover, with three dolls he’s conceived top to toe due to be released over the coming months. Louboutin has even reshaped the dolls’ figures as he doesn’t find the classic Barbie’s morphology très flattering. “He found her ankles were too fat,” said a Louboutin spokeswoman, who revealed one of the dolls would be released in time for the Cannes International Film Festival. “They’re completely wild and even come with mini Louboutin boxes for the shoes,” she said.
ON THE HUDSON: Jennifer Hudson will perform at the Whitney Museum of American Art Gala and Studio Party on Oct. 19. The event is being sponsored by Versace and this year honors Leonard A. Lauder. Those expected at the event, which is chaired by Donatella Versace, Penelope Cruz and Liz Swig, include Mischa Barton, Taylor Momsen, Lauren Santo Domingo, Gerard Butler, January Jones and Mamie Gummer.
THE PRADA TOURIST: At Prada, new print means blueprint. The Italian fashion brand this month will launch a collection of souvenir T-shirts for men and women called JWP Epicenter, which reproduce graphic prints, façades, floorings and blueprints of some of Prada’s most famed stores in Tokyo, Beverly Hills, New York, London and Milan’s Galleria, and men’s and women’s stores on Via Montenapoleone. Colors will range from white for the Tokyo, Los Angeles and Via Montenapoleone Women’s banners, and red for the New York store, to light blue for the Via Montenapoleone Men’s boutique, light green for the London one and white or black for Milan’s Galleria store.


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After the heavy comfort foods of winter, spring is a great time to lighten up.
That's right -- it's officially salad season!
And all of those delicate lettuces and garden veggies that are sprouting up sure make for one tasty salad bowl.
But if you're partial to romaine lettuce -- the pale green variety that's a staple of Caesar salads and bagged salad mixes -- you're going to want to listen up before you dig in.
Back in January, I told you about an outbreak of the lethal bacteria E. coli that sickened 60 folks in the U.S. and Canada, and romaine lettuce was the suspected culprit.
Well, it turns out that salad greens may be a repeat offender -- because the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) just linked romaine lettuce to a NEW crop of E. coli infections that have sickened 35 people across 11 states since late March.
And just 10 days ago, the agency started telling us to stop eating romaine (at least until further notice).
More specifically, the CDC has traced the infections back to pre-chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region, although no specific farm or brand of lettuce has yet been identified.
Now, if you live far from Arizona, you might think that you're in the clear.
But since grocery stores and restaurants across the U.S. source their romaine from Arizona, you're vulnerable wherever you live.
Cases of E. coli have popped up from as far away as Washington and Idaho in the West… and Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the East!
And they haven't been mild.
As I've told you before, E. coli can cause abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea so severe that you need medical attention.
To date, 22 folks have been hospitalized, and three people have even developed "hemolytic uremic syndrome," a type of kidney failure.
And since many strains of E. coli are resistant to antibiotics, you don't want to let these bad bugs in!
The bacteria tend to hide out in the nooks and crannies of the lettuce leaves, so washing your lettuce WON'T send them down the drain.
You could cook them off... but who cooks their salads?!
For now, the CDC recommends that everyone avoid chopped romaine sourced from Yuma.
But since it takes some detective work to figure out where your lettuce was grown, it's best to steer clear of ALL romaine (especially the bagged, chopped variety) for the time being.
Make sure that your restaurant order doesn't contain it... get rid of any romaine that you may have in the fridge... and check those salad blends to make sure that romaine isn't in the mix.
When in doubt, toss it out!
On a more positive note, think of this as an opportunity to fill your salad bowl with leafy greens that are even healthier than romaine.
Darker greens -- like spinach, kale, and chard -- contain more nutrients than pale romaine and iceberg, so they’re a better base for your salad creations.
Plus, you can sauté those greens to kill off any and all bad bugs… even the ones we don’t know about yet.


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02/02/2022 10:24 am
It was recently revealed that professional football player Mason Greenwood has been removed from Manchester United, following his arrest this week on suspicion of assault, rape and death threats. With this, EA has confirmed that Greenwood has been removed from FIFA 22.
Through a statement, an EA representative revealed that Mason Greenwood is no longer available on the active teams of FIFA 22as well as in FIFA UltimateTeam. In this way, it is impossible to get this player’s card. However, those who already have it, will be able to continue using it. This was what was said about it:
Mason Greenwood has been removed from active squads in FIFA 22 and has also been suspended from appearing in FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT) and Ultimate Draft packs.
But nevertheless, Mason Greenwood is still available as a player on Soccer Manager 2022, although the developers will evaluate this position as police investigations progress. This was what it was commented:
“Sports Interactive has not yet made a decision on the status of Mason Greenwood in Football Manager 2022 and will not do so until the findings of the current police investigation are made public. On previous occasions where players have been suspended by their clubs in similar circumstances, we have removed them from the game as soon as possible.”
On related topics, Jorge Campos has returned to FIFA UltimateTeam. Similarly, FIFA establishes new rules for its eSport.
Via: Man Utd


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It’s becoming a familiar story: marketers are shifting their budgets from traditional to digital marketing. Indeed, just 1 in 4 media buyers believe that traditional media will maintain a greater share of the marketing budget than digital in the years to come, according to a recent STRATA survey. The latest installment of The CMO Survey [pdf] from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business indicates that CMOs continue to see a brighter future for digital than traditional media spending.
In this latest survey, CMOs estimated that they will increase their digital marketing spending by 10.1% over the next year. By comparison, they expect to rein in traditional media ad spending by 2.1%.
Interestingly, while the overall pattern continues, the gap in perceptions has narrowed slightly from previous installments of the survey. The 10.1% projected increase in digital marketing spending is the lowest growth estimate since the August 2009 survey. And while the 2.1% projected decrease in traditional media budgets can’t lay claim to that feat, it is slightly rosier than the last survey, and arrests what had been a clear downward trend in forecast budgets.
Such a narrowing can be expected to occur over time as CMOs optimize their media mix to take advantage of both traditional and digital media opportunities.
Breaking down the responses by company type, the study finds that B2B service firms will pull back on traditional advertising the most (-3.9%), with B2B product companies (-2.4%) also curtailing spending at a higher-than-average rate. B2C services (-1.9%) companies project a slightly slower decline, while B2C product (+0.8%) companies are actually forecasting a slight increase in their traditional media ad budgets. There is less variety in projected digital spending increases, which range from 9.5% to 11.1% across company types.
Meanwhile, CMOs are projecting increased budgets across a number of other areas, though they seem to have softer expectations than in the previous survey released in February. They’re expecting to spend more on new product (7.1%, down from 8% in February) and service (4.9%, down from 5.8%) introductions, while also forecasting an 6% increase in budgets devoted to customer relationship management (down from 8.1%), and 4.6% more spending on brand building (down from 6.8%).
Overall marketing spending is expected to grow by 4.3% over the next 12 months, a fairly marked step down from February’s 6.1% growth forecast. Currently, marketing budgets are reported to account for an average of 9.4% of firm budgets, down from 10.6% in February.
As a percentage of overall firm budgets, B2C product companies devote the largest share to marketing (14.3%).
About the Data: The CMO Survey is conducted online twice a year. The latest survey was fielded from July 16 to August 6, 2013. The survey had 410 respondents, of whom 93% were VP level or above.


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According to Tourism New Zealand, two million holidaymakers visited our shores to enjoy what New Zealand had to offer in 2018. These visitors spent around 40 million dollars every day and this money was used back into our communities. The tourism industry plays a huge part in showcasing our corner of the world to the rest of the world and this is where we need people join the tourism industry.
That’s why Crown Institute of Studies has recently announced their new Diploma in Tourism and Travel programme. The Diploma in Tourism and Travel is an innovative qualification and is now open for applications. It is a great program for people who are looking to immerse themselves in New Zealand’s thriving tourism industry and be a part of change that would lead to make New Zealand as one of the most visited countries in the world.
Tourism is an exciting career path. Many pursue tourism because it gives them a great opportunity to see the world. Whether you are playing your part 30,000 feet in the air, or taking a group of people for a tour through Hobbiton, the jobs available in the tourism industry are endless and this gives graduates a way of working while enjoying the many benefits tourism has to offer.
At Crown Institute of Studies, they offer Travel and Tourism courses that will help you get into the tourism industry and 'hit the ground running'. They have industry experts that help them design their courses and can also provide students with work experiences in the industry while they study. Their courses are guided by an advisory group of industry experts, helping keep their courses practical and relevant.
Whatever the reason maybe, when you apply to Crown you can achieve an exciting career in an industry that is forever ‘woke’. Applications are currently being accepted for their first intake, starting 11 February 2019. For more inquiries, visit https://www.crown.ac.nz/ today.


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Mislabeling has led to a recall of 9 million bottles of liquid Tylenol cold products, which do not warn consumers they contain alcohol on the label. This is the latest in a series of recalls by Johnson & Johnson in recent months.
On November 24, the FDA and McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson & Johnson, announced the recall of three Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom liquid products due to labeling errors.
The drugs’ flavoring agents contain alcohol, but it is not listed as an active ingredient on the front of the package, as required by FDA regulations. The Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Liquid recall is being undertaken at the retail and wholesale level, and consumers are not being asked to return the products.
This recall comes just days after Johnson & Johnson’s beleaguered McNeil division also had to pull 4 million packages of children’s Benadryl and 800,000 bottles of junior-strength Motrin because the products failed to meet manufacturing standards. That recall was also done at the wholesale and retail level. In both cases, the company alleges that there is no risk of harm to consumers.
The Tylenol recall affects Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Daytime 8 oz Citrus Burst Liquid, with an NDC Code of 50580-257-08’ Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Severe 8 oz Cool Burst Liquid, with an NDC Code of 50580-351-08; and Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Nighttime 8 oz Cool Burst Liquid, with an NDC Code of 50580-269-08. All of the 9 million bottles affected were sold in the U.S. and are only being recalled from distributors and stores, not from consumers.
McNeil and Johnson & Johnson have been under scrutiny since a massive recall on April 30, which affected 40 different liquid medication products, including Tylenol, Benadryl and Motrin. That recall affected 136 million bottles of children’s medications, and resulted in the shutdown of the company’s Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania, plant, and the suspension of the production of all of McNeil’s children medications.
Following that recall, the FDA has received nearly 800 complaints of problems with Tylenol and the other recalled drugs, including at least seven reports of deaths associated with the medication. However, the FDA says its investigations so far have not directly linked any of the recalled products to any of the deaths.


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HTC’s second-quarter net profit dropped 58 percent year on year, the company reported Friday, a sign that its newest smartphones are not doing as well as it hoped.
The Taiwanese smartphone maker made net profit of NT$7.4 billion (US$248 million) in the second quarter, down from NT$17.5 billion a year earlier. HTC’s revenue for the quarter was also down, by 27 percent year on year, at NT$91 billion.
The company has reported net profit declines for three straight quarters, brought on by increased competition from Samsung and Apple.
HTC, however, had expected to see its second-quarter earnings stabilize at last year’s level with the introduction of its new HTC One series of smartphones. The company had previously lacked a definitive flagship device, which hurt its competitive edge, according to research firms.
But in June, HTC revised its revenue forecast, bringing it down from NT$105 billion to NT$91 billion. The company attributed this to lower anticipated sales in Europe, along with delayed shipments of smartphones to the U.S., the result of its patent battles with Apple.


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Thomas Cook have announced new routes from Leeds Bradford Airport for their Summer 2017 schedule. They have announced that they will be starting services to Faro, Naples, Mahom, Tenerife, Larnaca & Alicante with Monarch from Leeds, as well as operating flights to Palma Di Mallorca with Evelop Airlines.
James Burrows, Thomas Cook’s aviation director, said: “One of the things that makes Thomas Cook holidays stand out for customers to be able to access our quality holidays from as many departure points in the UK as possible. We’ve teamed up again with Monarch to launch a regional programme from Leeds Bradford Airport, which has allowed us to open up a set of really exciting new routes.”
Tony Hallwood, Leeds Bradford Airport’s aviation development director, commented; “Leeds Bradford Airport is pleased to see the reintroduction of Thomas Cook departures from West Yorkshire in Summer 2017. With seven routes across Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Italy offering up to 13 weekly departures, the range of holiday products on offer will appeal to families and couples alike. Flying locally from LBA will be a major benefit for Thomas Cook holidaymakers who will be able to once again fly closer to home.”
The Thomas Cook 2017 programme features the following operations as mentioned earlier!:
- Faro – Tuesdays and Saturdays
- Naples – Fridays
- Mahon – Mondays and Fridays
- Tenerife – Tuesdays and Fridays
- Larnaca – Wednesdays and Saturdays
- Alicante – Thursdays and Sundays
All of these flights will be operated under Monarch & Evelop operations accordingly during that summer schedule.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Retail stocks got a baby boost after the weekly reports showed that sales rebounded during the second week of April, thanks to the heat spell that blanketed most of the U.S.
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi-UBS Warburg retail chain stores sales index rose by a solid 1.4 percent last week, compared against the prior week.
"Sales were generally on-to-above plan for most retailers," said BTM analyst Michael Niemira. "Sales were particularly strong for spring merchandise."
The latest numbers reversed the prior week's 0.7 percent drop.
Meanwhile, Redbook's national report showed that sales rose 3.2 percent last week against the week prior.
The retail sector responded positively to leave the S&P Retail Index $RLX at 948.14.
The company said sales will be flat in the second quarter and expects to earn 28 cents or 29 cents a share. In the second half, RadioShack thinks sales will grow by 4 percent or 5 percent. At First Call, analysts reached a consensus estimate of 29 cents for the second quarter $1.67 for the full year.
SWS Securities quickly upped its stock recommendation to "buy" from "outperform," but Merrill Lynch reiterated its "cautious outlook."
Analyst Peter Caruso has a long-term "buy" on the stock, but a short-term "neutral," which he said "reflects concern over the outlook for (the fourth quarter) - particularly given the company's inconsistent performance in Q4."
Meanwhile, rivals Best Buy
J.C. Penney JCP was higher by 83 cents, or 3.9 percent, to reach $22.10.


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Some National Association of Manufacturing staff got a sneak peek Tuesday of the Washington Auto Show, which officially opens today. I decided to go along with my 14-year-old son, Ian.
Visiting an auto show is a must-do experience for most red-blooded American males and their sons. There’s nothing like that new car smell or the glint of polished chrome.
But with oil flirting at $100 a barrel and prices at the pump so high, I had little appetite for massive SUVs and other models that get less than 20 miles to the gallon, city driving.
My son finally found the car of his dreams. A gold 2008 BMW 335i convertible with 300 horses under the hood. Price tag: $49,875.
There’s no way I could afford the car. But the price tag wasn’t what I was looking at.
“Ian, what kind of mileage does that thing get?,” I asked.
Fuel economy was also on the minds of officials of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which is hosting the show at the Washington Convention Center. According to President Dave McCurdy, manufacturers are offering environmentally cleaner, safer and more fuel-efficient models than ever.
There are now 12 million alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids and clean diesel cars, on American roads. Auto manufacturers are offering even more for sale this year, McCurdy said, and many were on display on the car show floor.
But considering there were more than 240 million vehicles registered in the United States as of 2005, we still have a long way to go when it comes to buying vehicles that run on alternative fuels.
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Germany-based sex shop chain Beate Uhse AG says its holding company is filing for bankruptcy restructuring after failing to raise financing from investors and restructure its debts.
A company statement said Friday that the filing would apply only to the holding and that the company's operating businesses would continue operations.
Continue Reading Below
CEO Michael Specht said in a statement that the company's goal was "to quickly and sustainably implement operational and financial restructuring" while under administration.
The company sells sex toys and lingerie in stores and online in several countries, also using the brand name Pabo in several places and the name Adam & Eve in France. The company was listed on the Frankfurt exchange in 1999.


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Metal crowns, cat ears, bare midriffs and VERY racy cuts: New racing trends revealed at the Myer Autumn launch - but it looks like Rachael Finch didn't get the racy memo
- Department store Myer showed their Autumn Racing collection on Tuesday
- The renowned store used Jennifer Hawkins and Jodi Anasta among others
- There were plenty of unusual trends on display for the new season
- The trends included cat ears, metal crowns and exposed midriffs
- These looks are a far cry from more traditional racing offerings
- Jennifer Hawkins spoke on Today Extra about what she is excited about
When it comes to racing fashion, what comes to most people’s minds is prim, proper dresses in block colours, smart cuts, and elaborate headpieces or hats.
Which is why Myer’s Autumn Racing Fashion Launch at the Old Clare Hotel in Sydney was unusual - the display presenting a slight divergence from the norm.
From metal crowns by Victoria Novak, to exposed midriffs and even a cat head on top of one model’s head, there was plenty to inspire the more edgy fashion lovers who plan to go to the races this season. It was in fact only Rachael Finch who turned up in a more demure outfit.
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Break from the norm: Myer's autumn racing launch in Sydney showcased a slightly different style to the norm
Racier affair: Instead of the usual prim and proper dresses, the department store showed exposed midriff, as seen here on Kyly Clarke
Prim and proper: It was only Rachael Finch who turned up in a more demure outfit for the day's events
Model Jennifer Hawkins looked pretty in pink wearing an off-the-shoulder hot pink dress, but the dress also featured cutouts and Hawkins paired the look with a metal crown.
‘For the colder weather I think different fabrics and thicker fabrics as well as a different colour palette work well,’ Hawkins told Today Extra on March 15.
‘But the millinery coming through is so beautiful. I think the veils, headpieces and headbands are really beautiful too.’
Lead by example: Model veteran Jennifer Hawkins led the autumn charge, pictured here in black White Suede
Playful twist: Myer ambassador, Jodi Anasta, donned a traditional cut polka dot dress, but with cat ears
Different looks: Elsewhere were asymmetric cuts and flashes of leather
The 32-year-old veteran later sported an off-the-shoulder black dress by White Suede.
Myer ambassador Jodi Anasta donned a traditionally cut polka dot dress for the stylish event, but opted for the playful addition of a pair of cat ears to her hair.
Kyly Clarke, meanwhile, wore a racier option – flashing her midriff in a Daniel Avakian outfit and exposing an area that is typically forbidden at the races.
Rachael Finch, on the other hand, seemed not to get the racy memo, turning up for the day's events wearing a fascinator, flowing blouse and knee-length skirt.
But whether you prefer wearing neutrals, as Bambi Northwood Blythe did in silky khaki, or you like to stand out in colour, like Tania Gagic, who wore an eye-popping liquorice allsort-inspired dress, there was something for every fashion rule breaker at the star-studded event.
Many an option: There were both neutrals, as seen on Bambi Northwood Blythe (left), and eye-popping colours, as seen on Tania Gagic (right)
Spot the crown: One model even wore a cat's head on top of her own hair, as seen in this group shot
One model, spotted in a group shot, even wore a cat’s head on top of her own hair.
Veils were another different addition to the traditional affair, as were asymmetric cuts and quirky headpieces such as a giant flower.
Take us to the races!
New addition: Veils were another unusual addition to proceedings, as seen here on Jennifer Hawkins
Take us to the races: From asymmetric cuts to metal headpieces and exposed flesh, there was something for everyone
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RIG Enthusiasts’ League of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro (RELIC), a group of PC enthusiasts, gamers and modders, is thrilled to announce the holding of LINKED 2020, the 7th Edition of the Computer and Gadgets Expo set February 21-23 at Limketkai Center in Cagayan de Oro City.
This year’s event will showcase the best and newest computer hardware and gadgets. LINKED 2020 will also have RIG Show, Toy Display, Game Tournaments such is Tekken 7, CSGo, Dota 2, NBA2k20 and PUBG. Also one of the exciting highlights during the event is a Cosplay Competition in the afternoon of February 23, 2020.
Linked 2020 is brought to you by RELIC and Limketkai Center, in partnership with Adtech Computer Sales and Services, Tekken CDO and CDo Toyzone. You can visit RELIC’s partners and sponsors’ booth to know the latest in computer and gaming community.
For more information, you can visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RELIC.PH/


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It's November 14 once again, a date plenty of people don't consider special. I was part of a telephone-only CAMUS user group meeting today. While we chatted before our meet began, I asked if anyone knew the significance of the date. It took a few minutes of hinting before someone -- Cortlandt Wilson of Cortsoft -- said this was the day HP ended its future vision for a 3000 business.
At the time the announcement emerged in 2001, HP said it was worried about the fate of the MPE and 3000 ecosystem. It had good reason to worry. It was about to send a shock wave that would knock out many denizens in that ecosystem. The losses to customers can be counted many ways, and we have done that every year since that fateful day. This is the 12th story I've written about the anniversary of the HP exit. The day remains important to me when I count up what's been pushed to extinction, and what has survived.
Companies come to mind this year. The photo at right shows the vendor lineup for our printed November 3000 Newswire in 2001. (Click it for details.) It was a healthy month, but not extraordinary. Almost 30 vendors, including three in our FlashPaper, had enough 3000 business to make budget to advertise. We'll get to the ones who remain in business after a dozen years. But let's call the roll to see what HP's ecosystem exit pruned or hacked away.
3KWorld.com was a worldwide 3000 website operated by Client Systems. It was large enough to draw its own advertising and used all of the content of the Newswire under a license agreement. It's gone. Client Systems has hung on, though.
Advanced Network Systems (web software circa 2001) and Design 3000 (job scheduling) and Epic Systems (hardware resales) are all gone, too. Interex went out of business in 2005 in a sudden bankruptcy; OmniSolutions (MPE interface software) and TechGroup (consulting) and WhisperTech (a programmer's suite) and COBOL JobShop (programmer services) are all gone, too.
Believe it or not, out of a list of 29, those are the only complete extinctions. Some of the rest have changed their colors like a chameleon, blending into the IT business of 2013. And many have gotten too pared down to consider the broad business outreach they felt confident about in 2001.
A few others have evolved but remain alive after being absorbed. WRQ is now deep inside Attachmate, so deep the WRQ name is no longer part of the corporation. Quest Software slipped into Dell this year. Both of these acquired companies still sell, or support, MPE clients. The same is true of Speedware, which rebranded as Fresche Legacy while it's now honing in on IBM AS/400 clients.
And then there's Hewlett-Packard. Ah, the hand that threw the switch that sent a shock to the ecosystem. Within six months of November 14, the dominant Compaq managers were led by a CEO in her third year to erase HP's Way. Bill Hewlett's son Walter lost a proxy fight so legendary that it's the example used on the Wikipedia entry for proxy fight.
It's coincidental that the departure of 3000 products from HP's future happened at the same time as the vendor's decade-plus slide. The company has reported profits each year. HP became Number 1 in sales by adding billions in PC business. But the rest of the company's heritage has become a specter. Some community members take some bitter solace in knowing that the HP which believed in their computer died its own death less than a year later in a courtroom, where that proxy fight had its finale.
People must weather change as a regular part of life. One friend of mine took note a personal shift in business opportunity, on the heels of a decline, and uttered the prayer of the pivoting hopeful player: "The only constant is indeed change."
The tally of 3000 pros and resources pushed into extinction after these 12 years isn't limited to the Newswire's November 2001 lineup. Other extinguished companies from the Interex side include Hi Comp (backup software) plus the lineup of Interex conferences including HP World, the HP e3000 Solutions Symposium, and one of the hardest-working technical meetings, SIG/3000. A meeting in person is a high-risk opportunity to learn and grow. The Web filled in, at a rate we couldn't imagine in 2001.
Oh, the irony of that November. We wrote a lead story for our Flash Paper that reported a record month for 3000 sales at the US distributor of the server. We then had to fold over another sheet of paper at presstime, an Extra, to explain that HP said it only started a two-year period of "business as usual," to quote the impossible spin of the vendor's marketing chief. "There really was no other choice," said the company's general manager of the time about the exit scheme.
There was another choice, but HP didn't make it for the 3000. Get over it, or forget it, or take the time to make a good transition -- these were all responses that changed tens of thousands of lives and careers. We don't know of many people who left IT altogether for another career since then. Some have retired, or at least planned to do so.
Through those dozen years I've tried to put the most reasonable face on the inevitable trend that HP started. The vendor said its decision to talk about its walkout on this market was "about concluding it's time to advise customers about the long-term trend." It's certainly been a longer term than HP could imagine in 2001. More than twice as long if the remaining vendors and customers count for anything. I believe they do -- representing sage management of a resource, or the prospect for a transition-migration services company and vendors of products for the same.
If 20 out of those 29 advertising partners are still in business, the impact of that trend is limited to what two-thirds of them have done next, or what they've done with what's left. Downsized with layoffs and canceled projects. Consolidated product lines and froze enhancements. Launched new products into different, crowded markets. Found a buyer or a senior partner to infuse cash and new commerce in a new direction. Timed their own exit with enough fortune to retire.
Unlike these companies -- some so small their operating budget wouldn't buy coffee service for a single HP sales region -- Hewlett-Packard didn't want to be the last person to leave the MPE party. Lead onward to Unix, it figured, telling customers on Transition Day No. 1 that free licenses for HP-UX were available. Six years later, according to Dr. Robert Boers of 3000 emulator vendor Stromasys, HP told them that 75 percent of former 3000 owners were using something other than HP servers.
It's a story with potential to be a rousing case study by business graduates, the exit of a vendor that could bank on more than 25 years of business selling a proprietary product. But it can be debated that a simple roll call of survivors tells just the most public part of the story. The career changes and chameleon shifts, the evolution of the elder generation of computer wizards can only be told one story at a time. If there are any less than 4,383 stories like that to tell, I'd be surprised. But we've all lived though a dozen years of surprises throughout that inevitable trend. I'm still here to tell stories, about survival as well as slippage. Try to permit next year's November -- the 40th year of MPE -- to contain a memory of the day your ecosystem changed.


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Centex to develop homes at The Reserve
BRADENTON -- Centex has started developing 85 single-family home sites at The Reserve at Crossing Creek at 44th Avenue East and 69th Street in Bradenton.
Scott Mairn, vice president of sales and marketing for the company, said new one and two story single-family homes at The Reserve Crossing Creek will be priced from the low $200s.
A model park with two model homes and a sales center are scheduled to start construction early next year, he said.
Winn-Dixie launches hunger relief program
TAMPA -- Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. has launched the Winn-Dixie Hunger Relief program during the holiday season.
From now until Dec. 24, Winn-Dixie is asking itscustomers to donate any amount they choose using tear pads/scan sheets at store registers or purchase specially marked Winn-Dixie brand products, including water, coffee, diapers and condiments, whose manufacturers have donated to the program.
Donations go directly to local Feeding America-affiliated food banks, including Feeding America Tampa Bay.
Feeding America Tampa Bay is projected to distribute more than 35 million pounds of food this year.
Winn-Dixie and Feeding America Tampa Bay are also asking customers to further the cause by helping spread the word through social media.
Twitter users are encouraged to follow
29th Avenue East industrial building sold
BRADENTON -- GST Exempt Martial Trust has sold a 9,260-square-foot industrial building at 3004 29th Ave. E. to Andres Thomas, Inc.
Roberta Kolton, of the commercial division of Michael Saunders & Co., represented the seller. Leslie Wells, of Leslie Wells Realty Inc., represented the buyer.
Office buildingsold for $220,000
SARASOTA -- David and Joy Bailey have sold a 1,920-square-foot office building at 2929 Sterling Lane, Sarasota, to Kevin Hohnwald. Sale price was $220,000. Massey & Lancaster of the commercial division of Michael Saunders & Co. facilitated the transaction.
-- Herald staff reports


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Let's face it, landlines are out.
The sale of home phones is expected to fall again this year and next — just like it has for the past four years. In 2005, more than 55,000 home phone units were sold, totaling about $1.14 billion. Compare that to next year's projected sales of a measly $369 million, according to the Consumer Electronic Association.
Consumers have been dropping their landline for years now — in 2007, a government survey found that one out of every six American homes relied solely on cellphones. It was a shocker back then, but makes sense now. "It came down to a question of cost and benefit for the consumer," says Shawn DuBravac, the director of research at Consumer Electronic Association.
And now these customers are up for grabs, and practically every telecommunications company is trying to figure out the best way to help future consumers simply have a conversation — whether it be on a landline, cellphone, over the web or all three.
Start-up TelCentris and telephone manufacturing company Siemens Gigaset, a licensee of electronics powerhouse Siemens, recently stopped by FORTUNE to demo their new products that aim to address this very issue. More
|Regulators pave way for Internet "fast lane" with net neutrality rules|
|What stumps Warren Buffett? Minimum wage|
|Analysts offer no apologies for missing Apple's Q2 2014 earnings beat|
|Facebook profit triples on mobile growth|
|Apple shares soar on increased buyback|


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Valve Shares New Steam Statistics After Discovery Update
We know that Steam is the largest platforms for PC game developers to release their titles. It is known that big publishers will get an uplift in their sales if they release games to the digital distribution platform, but now we also know that the small indie developers are also experiencing the same.
Recently, Valve Corporation shared new statistics for the service after incorporating the effects of Discovery Update which changed quite a few things about how things work.
First off, Steam manager Tom Giardino revealed how the update had increased visibility of the titles on the front page of the website by a multifold:
Prior to the Discovery Update, the [front page carousel of games that we refer to as the main capsule] could only show 10-to-20 games per day to every user. [That was] regardless of what those customers owned, what they played, and what they liked. As a result of the changes introduced with the Steam Discovery Update, now over 4,000 unique titles are shown and clicked on via the main cap every day.
I am sure that this is going to boost the confidence of smaller development studios about releasing games to the platform.
Next, Giardino said that the growth is their sales was not simply attributed to major players, “but also from the smaller titles that are now better able to reach the audience that is right for them.”
Smaller scale developers (those that don’t form the top 500 best sellers) have experienced an 18 percent increase in their sales after the Discovery update was released!
Lastly, it was revealed that the curators were also playing a major role in ushering the customers towards new titles. Around 6000 of them are being followed by at least 10 people and in total around 1.3 million users have at least one Curator that they are following. Around 3.1 unique users took advantage of curator recommendations and went to given title’s page.
These are interesting improvements on Steam and another reason why we might see more and more PC game developers heading to Steam in the very near future. What do you say?


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US: Buoyant activity – BNP Paribas
US economy’s economic activity has been buoyant so far, largely thanks to tax cuts, according to analysts at BNP Paribas.
“For the foreseeable period, a landing is more than a possibility nInterest rates hikes and tariffs increases on worth $300bn of imports will start to weigh on firms profitability, then activity.”
“The downward adjustment could be sizeable in highly leveraged sectors such as energy and IT. As a consequence, the monetary tightening could rapidly come to an end, after a supplementary 50-75 bps hike in key rates.”
“Long term-bond yields would also stabilize, at around the 3pct level.”


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Permission granted for new cruise ship berth in Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire Harbour has been granted permsison for the development of a new cruise berth. The development, which is expected to cost €18 million, will accommodate vessels with a maximum length of 250m.
Welcoming the decision, a spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company said the expansion and development of the cruise business will "offer significant economic benefits to Dún Laoghaire and the surrounding areas."
Read more here: http://dlharbour.ie/dun-laoghaire-harbour-company-welcomes-berth-planning-decision/


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Russell Wilson is rolling in the dough after hitting a new deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
The quarterback announced on April 16 a massive contract extension with his team — which makes him the highest-paid player in the NFL. Wilson is set to receive $140 million over the next four years (around $35 million a season), as well as a hefty $65 million signing bonus.
The 30-year-old has a number of ventures outside his football career that help pad his bank account.
For one, he reached a longterm deal with Nike in 2016. The terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it was speculated to be one of the biggest deals in the league at the time of signing.
In the fashion space, Wilson has a clothing and footwear brand called Good Man Brand, which sells at Nordstrom. Launched in 2016, Good Man Brand offers a mix of product including tailored blazers and snazzy lifestyle sneakers; the company donates $3 for each item purchased to the Why Not You Foundation, which focuses on children’s empowerment.
As of 2016, Forbes projected the NFLer’s net worth to be around $42 million, accounting for his NFL salary as well as his miscellaneous endorsement deals. Wilson’s other partnerships have included Microsoft, Bose and Braun, according to Forbes.
The athlete has been married to “1, 2 Step” singer Ciara since July 2016. Appearing on “Watch What Happens Live” after her husband reached his new deal, Ciara joked that she planned to splurge with the new funds, saying, “I want an Hermès bag.”
Ciara Looks Stunning in a Leopard-Print Outfit That Matches Russell Wilson’s Shoes on Date Night
Ciara Wears the Leggiest Dress on the Red Carpet at NFL Honors With Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson’s First Nike Sneaker Is Designed to Go Anywhere From the Gym to the Red Carpet


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In this exclusive interview with 'India Global Business' Bob van Dijk, CEO, Prosus and Naspers discusses investment opportunities in India, the importance of social finance and how start-ups and SMEs be brought in as stakeholders in addressing social challenges.
What are your thoughts on India as an investment destination Which sectors offer opportunities?
We have a long and deep relationship with India, having invested in the market and worked with some of its most dynamic emerging businesses since 2005. We've committed more than USD 5 billion to Indian technology businesses to date and continue to believe that Indian entrepreneurs are among the best in the world, with exceptional abilities to build products, and understand scale and value. That is critical in a country as vast as India.
Our India investments span classifieds, payments and fintech, ecommerce, food delivery and education; these are sectors that continue to excite us where we expect to see impressive growth and innovation.
We have always taken a partnership approach in India, which means our commitment is long-term, our capital is patient, and our expertise complements the entrepreneurs we back. India's digital revolution, in our judgement, makes it one of our most exciting technology investment destinations in the world today.
Have you read
India′s edtech sector is seeing a boom. How do you see this sector growing?
Helping to grow consumer internet platforms is in our DNA and our Prosus Ventures arm works to identify emerging sectors and businesses that provide the strongest opportunities for disruption and then replication, quickly and across geographies. From classroom tools for teachers through to fully digital executive education, edtech has excited us for some time now.
Our international approach to edtech investing means that we are well positioned to now act on the opportunity in India, where the pandemic has accelerated the bias towards online learning across the chain from vocational to professional learning. Prosus entered the edtech market in 2016, with investments in Brainly, Codecademy and Udemy, and has continued to expand its investments in the sector.
Our portfolio also now includes BYJU's, Eruditus, Skillsoft and SoloLearn. In India, we anticipate increasing use of more affordable smartphones and deeper bandwidth penetration to remote communities, which will enable delivery of online tools to supplement existing K-12 education in physical schools.
What are your thoughts on bolstering social finance in India How can companies become involved and which sectors should they be looking to invest in?
Entrepreneurs like to solve customer problems and are always looking for ways to provide great customer experiences and seamless products to address specific needs in business or society. We as investors are always on the lookout for a great sector or an opportunity to invest in.
In our case this has come together beautifully in the project Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility (SICA). Through Prosus SICA we are seeking to support great companies whose innovations can make a difference to society, thereby creating large-scale benefit for all.
How can start-ups and SMEs be brought in as stakeholders in addressing social challenges particularly around social finance?
Many of today's start-ups and entrepreneurs feel quite passionate about supporting social challenges. As a result, sectors such as healthcare, mobility and education have seen great innovations. Equally, investors are increasingly looking at how they can go beyond creating financial value and also create real social value. Impact investing is one way which has proved to be beneficial for society on the whole. At Prosus, we have always placed an emphasis on working with companies and start-ups that are committed to creating positive societal impact alongside long-term profitability.
How does the 'Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility' launched by Prosus tie into the above issue and what was the inspiration in launching the scheme?
It is estimated that 25 per cent of the world's population will need some form of assistive technology by 2030. If you apply that need to India alone, it presents a huge challenge, and an opportunity to find tech-based solutions that will positively impact both lives and livelihoods.
In August, we announced a nationwide challenge to discover the most innovative start-ups in assistive technology in India. The Prosus Social Impact Challenge for Accessibility (SICA) will fund and nurture start-ups that have developed the most innovative interventions in technology that assist people with vision, locomotor, developmental and psychosocial disabilities, as well as people with neurological conditions. A grant of 16,500,000 will be awarded through this annual challenge over the next three years.
We're fortunate to have some fantastic partners supporting us, including Invest India, Startup India and Social Alpha (backed by the Tata Group), all of whom share our vision to inspire meaningful change in accessibility for people with disabilities. Beyond funding, Prosus and its partners will provide the three annual winners with technical support, mentorship and business advice, with the aim to help these start-ups succeed.
Our decision to support assistive tech development in India goes beyond altruism; it is grounded in a belief that empowering and better equipping people with disabilities with technology is a significant business opportunity, and Indian start-ups can lead the way.
How do you see the role of funds and investors evolving after the pandemic Do you think there will be a shift towards greater sustainability and social parity?
We were already seeing a significant shift in the expectations and obligations from companies and their investors on an approach to a more inclusive form of growth that benefits all stakeholders, not just shareholders. The pandemic has clearly accelerated that shift and is something that businesses are having to respond to quickly and in an uncertain economic environment. As a public company, but also as investors, we recognise that we share a responsibility in demonstrating our contribution to a more sustainable way of living.
At Prosus, we have done a lot of work in recent years to develop and refine a sustainability strategy that is not only aligned with our business activity, but also rooted in the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a responsible business committed to making a lasting positive difference, we identify and focus on achievable goals, and the role of technology and entrepreneurship are clearly at the heart of many of our sustainability efforts. SICA is just one example of putting our commitments into action.


text: Traveling sans companions has become more and more popular among travelers, especially women. When The Huffington Post’s article “The World’s Best Destinations for Solo Travel” named Paris as one of the places most visited by single travelers, it made the City of Love into the City of Love Yourself. The Post claimed solo travel offers individuals “a way to learn about oneself… and discover the freedom of exploring a place on their own terms.” Accompanied by Bali, Bangkok and Vancouver, Paris is not the only city feeling the love. A poll by travelgaurd.com found that 59 percent of travel agents said more of their customers are traveling on their own than they had in 2003. The number of women traveling without a partner has also increased as women are becoming more financially independent than in the past.