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The company’s reduced expectations come as it sharply curtails its ambitions in the smartphone business.
Microsoft is backing off its timeline for getting one billion devices running Windows 10, the latest casualty of the company’s sharply curtailed ambitions in the smartphone world.
The Redmond company last year set a goal of reaching one billion devices running the new operating system by mid-2018.
But the company acknowledged in a statement to ZDNet that it will “take longer” to reach that goal. Yusuf Mehdi, who runs the Windows marketing team, attributed that to “the focusing of our phone hardware business.”
It didn’t offer a new expected date. Microsoft last month said there were 350 million devices running Windows 10, a tally that analysts say predominantly involves personal computers.
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Windows 10, released in July 2015, is designed to run with a similar look and feel across personal computers, tablets, smartphones and Microsoft’s Xbox One game consoles. The operating system was pitched as a way to broaden the company’s reach beyond its PC comfort zone.
When Terry Myerson, who leads Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group, announced the one billion target, the company had just wrapped up a year in which it sold about 34 million Windows smartphones.
Since then, Microsoft has all but eliminated the smartphone hardware unit it acquired from Nokia in 2014, taking about $10 billion in write-downs and restructuring costs, laying off thousands, and shuttering or selling factories worldwide. The company’s smartphone sales totaled just 2.3 million in the first three months of 2016.
“It’s hard to know what exactly they were counting on,” said Steve Kleynhans, an analyst with Gartner. “At the time, they did have some pretty high expectations around Windows Phone.”
Weak PC sales, he said, also likely played a role in Microsoft’s changed expectations.


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All texts by Kieran Harris
Devolver previously confirmed that a release date would be on the way.
It's said to include "all new bosses" and "familiar enemies."
We give our first impressions following the game's Ubisoft Forward spotlight.
The open world sports title was delayed indefinitely earlier this year.
It will include an exclusive version of Todrick Hall's song 'Nails, Hair, Hips, and Heels'.
Cross-progression between all platforms is also arriving at the same time.
The big reveal from this presentation has been teased to be a new game from Eidos Montreal.
This will be the pair's first E3 conference together following the acquisition.
It also received a new trailer at the second Guerrilla Collective E3 showcase.
It will have an initial run of six episodes.

domain: news


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It has been 10 years when the game was in development, so waiting for two months doesn’t hurt, right?
After rumors of the release schedule for Final Fantasy XV being moved to November 29 by Gematsu after some sources inside GameStop claimed that new promotional materials have arrive with a new release date. This caused many to speculate that Square Enix will be making a new announcement for the said delay.
And just recently Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata has posted a video message in regards to the current status of the game, and it was confirmed that it will in fact be delayed to a November 29 release. Tabata also revealed that the master version of Final Fantasy XV is already completed and they will be releasing a 30-minute gameplay trailer to showcase the finished product, those who will be at Gamescom this week will be able to play the master version. Tabata also noted that to ensure the game will be in the best quality, a day one patch will be released and will be included on the disc on release day.
You can watch Hajime Tabata’s message below:
Final Fantasy XV will be available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One


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The world is talking about GNU/Linux and Free/Open Source Software
Jury: Newegg infringes Spangenberg patent, must pay $2.3 million
MARSHALL, TX—Newegg, an online retailer that has made a name for itself fighting the non-practicing patent holders sometimes called "patent trolls," sits on the losing end of a lawsuit tonight. An eight-person jury came back shortly after 7:00pm and found that the company infringed all four asserted claims of a patent owned by TQP Development, a company owned by patent enforcement expert Erich Spangenberg.
The jury also found that the patent was valid, apparently rejecting arguments by famed cryptographer Whitfield Diffie. Diffie took the stand on Friday to argue on behalf of Newegg and against the patent.
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An analysis reveals that regardless of the huge, over-stuffed aisles, consumers aren’t getting the vast range of choices they think they are.
The Food & Water Watch, located in Washington D.C. recently released an analysis of the nation’s grocery industry.
In it, they reveal that regardless of the huge, over-stuffed aisles, consumers aren’t getting the vast range of choices they think they are.
According to their findings, the major brands and mega-stores only offer the appearance of choice.
The business practices of both manufacturers and retail facilities actually diminish consumers’ access to goods from smaller farms and producers.
On the producer end, it’s not uncommon for big companies to create what only looks like brand competition.
For example, people looking for healthy cereal options and deciding between Kashi and Bear Naked are actually going to end up buying a Kellogg’s product either way, as the company makes both.
Similarly, ConAgra puts 6 types of popcorn on grocer’s shelves.
As far as retailers go, it’s become common practice to give the best shelf placement to the highest bidder, squeezing companies that can’t pay the premiums out of the running.
Considering that over 50 percent of all groceries are sold by 4 retailers – Kroger, Target, Walmart, and Safeway – that’s a lot of advantage for those that can cover the display cost.


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Apple announced Apple Music, the relaunch of Beats Music, at WWDC this morning. “It’s going to change the way you experience music,” Tim Cook said, before introducing Jimmy Iovine. The service has long been rumored and talked about how it would shake up the music industry like iTunes once did. The service has access to the full Apple library, which sounds like the full iTunes library is up for streaming.
You’ll be able to try Apple Music starting June 30 for $9.99 per month, or $14.99 a month for a family of 5. It’ll be available then on iOS, OS X and Windows, with an Android version coming this fall. The shift from Apple only supporting Apple products to supporting Android and even Windows phone is surprising, but its the best way to compete with Spotify and Rdio.
The core feature of Apple Music is connect; a ping like feature that lets you connect with artists who can push photos, videos, music and more to their followers. It is integrated with Facebook, Twitter and each artist’s official website. Unsigned and indie artist can all use the feature which is nice and prevents small unknown artist from having problems connecting with new fans and current fans.
Apple’s new radio station, Beats1, is being run by popular DJ Zane Lowe. It’ll also feature other high profile DJ’s from LA to NY so it can have music playing night and day.
Apple Music is a pretty powerful service that will surely be able to make waves in the industry and compete with powerhouses like Spotify. With its 24/7 live radio, smart playlist, and the ability to follow artist it’s an making it appealing for users who already use iTunes, and couldn’t find Spotify, Rdio, or Tidal appealing.
Tell us in the comments below what you think about Apple’s new streaming service, Apple Music!


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U.S. stock benchmarks closed mostly higher Friday, with gains partly attributed to better-than-expected retail sales in September, along with an improvement in consumer sentiment, relieving some fears about a slow economic recovery.
Wall Street sentiment was also supported by news that a Pfizer vaccine might be submitted for approval by next month, even as the spread of the viral outbreak has forced some restrictions on business and travel in major European cities.
How did stock benchmarks perform?
The Dow Jones Industrial Average
On Thursday, the Dow fell 19.80 points, or 0.1%, to 28,494.2, but well off its intraday nadir of 28,181.54; the S&P 500 index finished down 5.33 points to end at 3,483.34, a drop of 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite Index slumped by 0.5%, a fall of 54.86 points to 11,713.8.
For the week, the Dow eked out a 0.1% gain, the S&P 500 rose 0.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.8%.
What drove the market?
The stock market on Friday snapped a three-session skid to end a choppy week, with a report on U.S. retail sales suggesting consumer spending is more resilient than expected in the midst of the worst pandemic in more than a century.
U.S. retail sales in September rose 1.9%, compared to consensus estimates from economists polled by Dow Jones for 0.7%, underscoring that consumers, the lynchpin of economic health, continue to buy amid the viral outbreak that has hobbled the economy for months.
“Amid a stagnating labor market, the jump in retail sales this month suggests consumer strength is pretty robust—with the highest number we’ve seen in three months,” wrote Mike Loewengart, director investment strategy at E-Trade Financial, in a Friday note.
“The momentum on that front could be a positive for the market as investors look for signs of recovery. That said, it remains to be seen if this is an outlier or trend,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Pfizer Inc.’s
More than half-a-dozen states, including Ohio and Michigan, reported record numbers of new coronavirus cases Thursday, pushing the U.S.’s single-day total above 60,000 for the first time in over two months, the Wall Street Journal reported.
White House and Democratic negotiators agreed to include a national coronavirus-testing strategy in relief legislation, but Senate approval for any large-scale stimulus is unlikely, even as President Donald Trump pushed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “go higher“ and push forward a more expansive package than the White House’s current $1.8 trillion offer.
Pre-election fiscal stimulus would be “a nice-to-have,” said Michael Stritch, chief investment officer at BMO Wealth Management. “I don’t know if it’s a need-to-have. Without additional stimulus, we will continue to make progress but it will be a little more uneven and lumpy. “
There are also many possible outcomes from the upcoming November election, Stritch said in an interview. “It’s hard to make big bets ahead of that.”
Even as some market participants have rotated toward value stocks and cyclical trades, “We have yet to embrace the cyclical part of the story,” Stritch said. “We want to make that move but we just have to see that consistency. We’re in the wait and see camp.”
In other economic reports, a reading on U.S. industrial production came in weaker than expected, dropping 0.6% in September, compared against an expected increase based on average economist estimates for a rise of 0.5%.
Some took that as as sign of weakness in the economy despite the strong retail sales report. “Industrial output came in well below expectations, one of the first real signs that the recovery is losing momentum under the weight of the ongoing health crisis and fading support from fiscal relief,” wrote economists at Oxford Economics in a Friday report after the data.
Meanwhile, a preliminary reading of consumer sentiment index edged up to 81.2 this month from a revised 80.4 in September, the University of Michigan said Friday.
Which stocks were in focus?
Shares of Boeing Co.
-0.14%were up 1.9% after the European Union’s aviation regulator said the 737 Max is safe enough to fly again in Europe by the end of 2020
Shares of General Electric Co.
gained 6%, as a maker of Boeing engines, giving it its highest close since June.
Shares of Hertz Global Holdings Inc.
-13.20%soared over 140% Friday, after the bankrupt rental car company said it secured $1.65 billion in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing.
Shares of Schlumberger Ltd.
+0.26%dropped 8.9% after the oil services company reported a third-quarter adjusted profit that topped expectations but revenue that fell more than forecast, hurt by a miss by its drilling business.
First Citizens BancShares Inc.
+3.58%and CIT Group Inc. CIT, +5.32%said Friday they have agreed to an all-stock merger of equals that will create the 19th biggest bank in the U.S. by assets. Shares of First Citizens were up more than 11% and CIT’s gained nearly 27%.
- Aligos Therapeutics Inc.’s ALGS, initial public offering priced late Thursday at $15 a share, in the middle of the expected range of between $14 and $16 a share.
How did other assets perform?
The greenback was 0.2% lower on Friday, based on the ICE U.S. Dollar Index


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This should be taken strictly as speculation, so don’t read too much into their claims for the time being. However, the insider seems to think there’s a good chance we’ll hear about a performance update for the critically acclaimed cowboy epic this year.
Elsewhere, they also touched on the long-rumored Red Dead Redemption remaster, which is still apparently in the pipeline but is unlikely to be seen this year.
We last heard about this in November 2021, and given Rockstar has dabbled in remastering with Grand Theft Auto Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, there’s a chance it could happen. If it does, we certainly hope it’ll be a lot more polished that the GTA collection, that’s for sure.
Red Dead Redemption was released in May 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360, while the sequel arrived in November 2018 on PS4 and Xbox One.
[Source – DualShockers]


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Markets may sway to the tunes of foreign institutional investors (FIIs), but the average retail investor does not appear to follow their cues. Trends in the shareholding of listed companies for the four quarters to December 2011 show that retail investors have, in fact, picked up stakes in companies ignored by FIIs.
About 10 per cent of the CNX-500 companies have seen FIIs shed significant stake of 5 percentage points or more. In more than half these stocks, retail investors have hiked their holdings.
Ignoring FII movements
In Allied Digital, for instance, FIIs trimmed their holdings drastically, from 24.7 per cent to 3.6 per cent, by December 2011. Retail investors mopped up the chunk of these shares, trebling their holding to 34.9 per cent.
Likewise, FII holdings in Balrampur Chini dropped 10 percentage points to 14.6 per cent over 2011.
Here too, retail investors upped stake to reach their current 20.5 per cent. Other stocks where retail investors stepped in to replace FIIs were Firstsource Solutions, KS Oils, Lanco Infratech and Unity Infra.
FIIs seem to have shunned companies with high debt on their books, exiting such such as 3i Infotech, GTL, GVK Power Infra and Patel Engineering.
Cementing their disregard for FII movements, retail investors have not bought into stocks where the FIIs increased stakes either. Among the 30 stocks where FIIs hiked holdings by five percentage points or more, hardly any have seen a rise in retail holding.
Not following in the footsteps of the FIIs has actually helped retail investors pocket quick gains in the recent market rally. Debt-laden companies and those beaten down by governance issues have, in fact, led the recent gains in the stock market.
As a result, almost all of the stocks in which retail investors significantly raised holding have outperformed the market from January ‘12 to date.
These stocks have clocked an average return of 44 per cent against the 18 per cent managed by the CNX 500 index.
But the recent gains may not last. In the longer term, FIIs have had a better record in picking outperformers. Among the stocks in which FII stakes rose significantly between December 2010 and 102, six of every ten beat broader market returns from December '10 to date.
For instance, FIIs increased holding in Amtek India to 18 per cent from the 7 per cent at end-December ‘10.
The stock has almost trebled in price from then to now. Similarly, stocks which saw a drop in holdings performed worse than the broad market in the same period.


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CCEP appoints Damian Gammell as CEO
Mr. Gammell was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Coca-Cola Enterprises in October 2015.
He was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Anadolu Beverage Group, one of the world’s largest beverage organisations with both a Coca-Cola division and a beer division (in partnership with SAB Miller).
Mr. Gammell was also previously Chief Executive Officer for Coca-Cola businesses in Russia, Germany, Eastern Europe and Australia.
Mr. Gammell will succeed John Brock, who has decided to retire after the successful merger to create Coca-Cola European Partners
Mr. Brock is an international beverage industry leader with a wealth of experience in the Western Europe market.
He joined Coca-Cola Enterprises in Atlanta, Georgia, as Chief Executive Officer in April 2006, before becoming company Chairman in April 2008. ■


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After smuggling rice from government depots in Chattogram, the food grains are being diverted on a large scale to private godowns at dead of night. Some officials and employees of the government warehouses in the port city are stealing rice and selling them to the local hoarders.
sPolice on Monday night seized a government rice-laden trick in front of a private godown at Chaktai, one of the commercial hubs in Chattogram.
The stockpiled rice sacks are kept at government warehouses to keep prices stable in the country’s market alongside for distribution among the poor as relief and ration for cops and army as well. But syndicates of unscrupulous food officials are looting the government rice in different ways and selling it to local traders under the very nose of the authorities concerned.
However, the authorities concerned say they are investigating the incidents, adding those who are involved in smuggling rice will be punished accordingly under the purview of law.
Police suspect that syndicates may have unloaded huge amounts of rice in a similar way earlier. So, it is not possible for some employees to misappropriate a huge amount of rice without inside assistance from their high ups.
It has been noticed that rice traders' syndicate always maintains good relations with food officials to get the stolen rice at cheap rate. After purchasing the stolen rice from the food officials, the traders take the food grains out, and then pack them in fresh sacks inscribed with the names of different rice mills so that none can suspect the sacks.
The officials and employees who loot
public money must be brought to book
The government has been trying to stop the smuggling of rice by taking various measures such as installing cameras in warehouses. But the corrupt employees and officials showing thumb to the measures are easily smuggling sacks of rice out of warehouses. The chain of corruption, the biggest racket, has not yet been broken.
Corruption has long been a major problem hindering the sustainable development of the country. In this regard, reaffirming her government’s tough stance against corruption, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina several times directed the Public Administration Ministry to issue a strong warning against graft by government employees and officials.
We must raise our voice against corruption. The authorities concerned must break the graft chain and take legal action against the officials identified earlier as corrupts. If the government wants to establish a graft-free administrative system in the country, at first its officials and employees must be honest, accountable and transparent.
The officials and employees who loot public money must be brought to book immediately. Otherwise, government all efforts to build Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country, free of hunger and poverty will go in vain.


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5 Things You Need To Know About Grab’s Acquisition Of Uber
The deal positions the Singapore-based tech firm as the undisputed market leader in the region, and is a landmark moment for Generation T listers Anthony Tan and Hooi Ling Tan, who co-founded the company just over five years ago.
Here are five things you need to know about the merger.
1/5 It’s been a long time coming
In July 2017, Grab completed an eighth round of fundraising, generating an estimated US$2.5 billion. The investment put Grab’s valuation at US$6 billion, making it Southeast Asia’s most valuable startup in the process.
The investment round was led by Chinese peer Didi Chuxing and Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group. Given SoftBank’s pre-existing investment in Uber, a consolidation had been widely anticipated since last summer. Indeed, both parties assert that the deal was “driven independently” by both companies, with SoftBank playing a supportive role.
2/5 It’s one for the record books
While the exact value of the deal has not been disclosed, Grab is officially calling it the largest-ever deal of its kind in Southeast Asia. “We are humbled that a company born in Southeast Asia [is used by] millions of consumers daily and provides income opportunities to over 5 million people,” said Anthony Tan in a statement. “Today’s acquisition marks the beginning of a new era.”
3/5 It’s the third time Uber has waived the white flag in under three years
Starting in April, Uber’s ride-hailing and food delivery businesses will be swallowed by Grab in eight markets across Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
It’s the third time Uber has called a truce in overseas markets. In 2016, Uber sold its China business to rival Didi Chuxing after investing US$2 billion in a price war, and last year sold its Russia operations to local firm Yandex.
4/5 But it’s not necessarily a defeat for Uber
Most pundits are billing the deal as a loss for Uber, but that’s perhaps oversimplifying the narrative. As part of the deal, Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi will join Grab’s board, and Uber will take a 27.5 per cent stake in the firm. Given that Grab was recently valued at US$6 billion, that stake is currently worth US$1.6 billion. Not a bad return from the US$700 million Uber’s invested in the region over the last five years.
5/5 It’s about a lot more than cheap taxis
While ride-sharing currently represents Grab’s chief source of revenue, this deal is also about ending the battle for food delivery supremacy and helping to establish Grab's new mobile payment service, GrabPay.
The acquisition means the integration of UberEats into Grab’s food delivery service, GrabFood. Currently operating in Thailand and Indonesia only, GrabFood will double its number of markets overnight as it takes over UberEats' operations in both Singapore and Malaysia.
“We will rapidly and efficiently expand GrabFood into all major Southeast Asia countries in the next quarter,” said Hooi Ling Tan. “GrabFood will also be another great use case to drive the continued adoption of GrabPay mobile wallet and support our growing financial services platform.”


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- READ MORE: Grammy-winning producer Knxwledge on dishing out the beats in ‘Capcom Fighting Collection’
It looks like WWE 2K17, 18, 19 and 20 have all been removed from Steam with no current explanation as to why, alongside all the major DLC for these games as well. Players can still access these games within their library, but they are no longer available to be bought directly from Steam itself (via PC Gamer).
Steam Tracker indicates that these delistings took place on July 13, with a Reddit user spotting the removals yesterday (July 24). Both WWE 2K22 and WWE 2K Battlegrounds and their DLC are still available.
The WWE 2K18 – Accelerator pack is still listed on Steam, and it indicates that the delisting was in fact at the request of 2K, as it reads: “At the request of the publisher, WWE 2K18 – Accelerator is no longer available for sale on Steam.”
As of publication, it’s currently unclear if, or when, these delisted WWE games will come back to Steam.
These WWE games aren’t the only surprise delisting message from digital storefronts recently, as Ubisoft dropped that it was going to delist Assassin’s Creed: Liberation HD. After some initial confusion, it’s been confirmed that whilst Liberation will go off sale on September 1, it will still be playable.
Elsewhere in the realm of professional wrestling, Paul “Triple H” Levesque will now take on all responsibilities in relation to WWE creative, which were previously controlled by Vince McMahon, who retired from the business on July 22 last week.


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Data localisation requires data about residents be collected, processed, and stored inside the country
The RBI will not relax the October 15 deadline for global financial technology (fintech) companies to comply with its data localisation norms in the public interest, according to sources.
The central bank in April gave six months time to global payment companies to store transaction data of Indian customers within India. The RBI's data localisation norms will kick in from Monday.
According to the sources, global fintech companies reportedly sought an extension of the October 15 deadline but it seems that the RBI is not inclined to relax the norms.
Data localisation requires data about residents be collected, processed, and stored inside the country, often before being transferred internationally, and usually transferred only after meeting local privacy or data protection laws.
Although domestic companies have welcomed the guidelines, global companies fear increase in their expenses for creation of local servers.
To avoid this rise in cost, global companies in recent meeting with the RBI proposed to provide mirror data instead of original data to which the central bank did not agree, the sources said.
Last week, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met RBI Deputy Governor B P Kanungo to discuss RBI's data localisation norms. The meeting was also attended by Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar and IT Secretary Ajay Prakash Sawhney.
The RBI in April said in order to ensure better monitoring of payment service operators it is important to have unfettered supervisory access to data stored with these system providers as also with their service providers/ intermediaries/third party vendors and other entities in the payment ecosystem.
All system providers shall ensure that the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in a system only in India, it had said.
The RBI further said data should include the full end-to-end transaction details, information collected/carried/ processed as part of the message/payment instruction.
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Vodacom launches phone for visually-impaired, elderly
Vodacom has introduced the Alcatel 2019G phone series, which comes standard with a large keypad and simple user interface with big icons, ideal for those with low vision as well as the elderly.
The company says with the launch, Vodacom is committing to building an accessible and inclusive digital society using technology that is relevant to everyone.
The Alcatel 2019G, which retails at R649, comes standard with a dedicated charging dock, SOS emergency function, torch, lock and unlock key, 16 hours talk time, 2MP rear camera as well as a wireless FM radio that users can enjoy without a headphone.
Karen Smit, Vodacom principal specialist for specific needs, explains: “Some of our senior citizens have been consistent in their feedback to us – they prefer a device with a large keypad.
“In line with our purpose pillar of creating an inclusive digital society, the introduction of the Alcatel 2019 series helps us make sure no one is left behind. As we move into the digital age, we want to make sure all segments of our market migrate into this new digital world.”
Vodacom says as part of its continued commitment to connecting the most vulnerable citizens and removing barriers for all, it is also offering text-based channels for deaf, hearing-impaired, speech-impaired and deaf-blind customers to access emergency services.
“The Vodacom 112 Emergency Service App allows users to contact the ER24 Emergency Contact Centre such as police, ambulance, fire and sea rescue for themselves or for others by simply downloading the app from their respective app stores.
“The Vodacom SMS Emergency Service allows registered customers to request emergency services by sending an SMS with the word ‘Help’ to 082 112, along with information relating to the emergency.”
Furthermore, Vodacom says to ensure all people with communication barriers on its network have access to emergency service information, it has included the emergency services for people with communications barriers link on Vodacom’s zero-rated ConnectU platform.
“A key strategy to Vodacom’s Specific Needs department is ensuring each and every customer with a communication barrier experiences excellent customer service through all our channels, including social media platforms,” says Vodacom.


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You will be amazed as to everything you can experience during a vacation to Lake Powell. You will be able to fish, hike, camp and explore the waterways aboard a houseboat, making your Lake Powell vacation one of the best outdoor getaways you have ever experienced.
In an effort to eradicate illegal fishing and seafood fraud, the Obama Administration is launching a fish tracking system that would eventually tell consumers where their fish was caught, processed and stored.
Anglers heading out to the waters at four Missouri parks
Refer to this visitor’s guide to Yellowstone National Park – the world’s first national park featuring more geysers than any other location in the world.
The Missouri Department of Conservation says it was a pet that had been released.
Every couple should make plans at least once in their relationship to experience the romance of the Poconos. This area offers couples plenty of things to do, both in their room and out of it.
Mo. Department of Conservation says Tyler Goodale caught the fish at Duck Creek.
An empty 18′ fishing boat was discovered by a barge worker just after 3 a.m. Friday near the Chain of Rocks bridge.
With Father’s Day fast approaching, find the ideal gift your dad will appreciate at these specialized stores in St. Louis.
The fisherman snagged the grenade around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Fellows Lake. It was encased in an old, white tube sock and the pin was in it.


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Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier
The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Sau saal jiyo
That's what record-breaking athlete Mann Kaur, who is 103 years old, seems to be telling fitness enthusiast Milind Soman during the announcement of the launch of a marathon, at a Lower Parel restaurant on Tuesday. Pic/Atul Kamble
A frame from the archives
How very desi
There are parts of Wolverhampton in the UK where you would struggle to find a white face on the streets. This is because after about 40,000 Punjabis migrated there between 1960 and 1980, they grew in number to become an important fabric of the local society. Anand Chhabra is a photographer who accessed the family albums of some of these people. He told this diarist ahead of a talk on the project at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, "It's of utmost importance to preserve the photographic history of this community within Wolverhampton, which proves their arrival and impact in the region." No doubt about that, we feel.
Tinder on gender
The conversation around LGBTQI rights and gender equality has heated up in India after the Supreme Court's landmark judgment that gave a semblance of dignity to same-sex couples. And online dating app Tinder has now taken a step forward in the right direction after a certain decision to upgrade its user interface. Earlier, users had only two options to register their gender while signing up - male or female. But now, they have 23 different options to choose from after they click on the "edit info" button. What's more, people can also choose to display their chosen gender on their profile if they wish to do so. Humsafar Trust, an organisation that champions LGBTQI rights, was part of the advisory panel for this initiative. Ashok Row Kavi, its chairman, says, "For numerous Indians who identify as trans and non-binary, this will be their chance to be their true selves online and in person." And that, we feel, deserves a clap.
Children have something to sing about
There is nothing like music to lift people's spirits sometimes. And on the occasion of Children's Day, a burger chain is injecting just that into the life of some underprivileged kids. A global anti-hunger initiative it runs, called addHOPE, aims to provide 20 million meals to those who need it the most by 2020. And children from addHOPE centres across the country will now star in a music video about the cause, which releases today. Music director Shlok Pal has composed the tune, while singer Tushar Joshi (in pic) - who has featured in the soundtracks for movies like Harry Met Sejal and Jagga Jasoos - has lent his voice for it.
Talking of Mumbai
Major Lazer has done it. So has Calvin Harris. And then there is Coldplay, too, among others. Now, record-breaking German DJ Robin Schulz has joined the list of artistes who have shot videos for their songs in India. For, the video for his upcoming track, Speechless, was shot at a street restaurant in Mumbai, where the protagonist plays the role of the cashier. The song releases worldwide this Friday, and when it does, it will be another feather for this country's burgeoning electronic music scene.
This is just not model behaviour
Diet Sabya, the Instagram account dedicated to the cause of calling out copycats of the fashion world, is unstoppable. Last week, they put up a post featuring Twinning, an online fashion show hosted by models Erika Packard and Gabriella Demetriades.
In one episode, Packard (in pic) refers to a jacket she owns as a DIY project made from her uncle's shirt and her "mom's old sari". In reality, it's a piece designed by Chandni Sareen (inset), founder of Ikat Story. When we saw Sraeen at her pop-up shop at Khar Social this weekend, we prodded her and she just shrugged. "The weird part is they know me!" When asked if Packard had bought the jacket, on display at the pop-up, Sareen responded saying, "No, she actually sourced it!" Tsk, tsk, Gabriella and Erika have a lot of explaining to do.
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August 2, 2022
Today, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes announced that Utah is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 attorneys general to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States. This bipartisan nationwide Task Force has one goal: to cut down on illegal robocalls.
“Robocalls aren’t just a Utah problem. They are a nationwide threat,” AG Reyes said. “That is why I am proud to partner with both the Utah Division of Consumer Protection and my fellow Attorneys General across America.”
AG Reyes continued: “We will take this fight to anyone who helps these scammers and robocallers. We’ve appreciated working with the telecom industry to try and address this issue. We know they have attempted to curtail illegal robocalls. But it’s still not enough.”
The Task Force has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities allegedly responsible for most foreign robocall traffic. Gateway providers that bring foreign traffic into the U.S. telephone network have a responsibility to ensure the traffic is legal, but these providers are not taking sufficient action to stop robocall traffic. In many cases, they appear to be intentionally turning a blind eye in return for steady revenue.
“Robocalls are particularly damaging to consumer trust, ” said Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Margaret Busse. “Virtually everyone has received these types of calls. When consumers get an unsolicited call, it can sow distrust in all marketing calls. We support all efforts to stop companies from unethical marketing practices.”
The Task Force will focus on the bad actors throughout the telecommunications industry to help reduce the number of robocalls that Utah’s residents receive and benefit the companies that are following the rules.
Attorney General Reyes is committed to stopping illegal and unwanted calls. According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include Social Security Administration fraud against seniors, Amazon scams against consumers, and many other scams targeting all consumers, including some of our most vulnerable citizens. An estimated $29.8 billion dollars was stolen through scam calls in 2021. Most of this scam robocall traffic originates overseas. The Task Force is focused on shutting down the providers that profit from this illegal scam traffic and refuse to take steps to mitigate these scam calls otherwise.
Attorney General Reyes offers the following tips to avoid scams and unwanted calls:
- Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. For example, the Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards.
- Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls to individuals.
- If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information.
- Contact the Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection at consumerprotection.utah.gov.


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Konami’s Metal Gear 25th Anniversary Event: Unveils A Movie, Smartphone Game, and Open World Game
Konami’s Metal Gear 25th Anniversary event just finished in Tokyo, and revealed a ton of great news.
Mr. Kojima introduced the seriesâ€™ first ever social media content, â€œMETAL GEAR SOLID SOCIAL OPS,â€ talked about the series becoming a live-action Hollywood movie, and showed off new footage from â€œMETAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE,â€ the new title that brings an all-new METAL GEAR feel to the series with its focus on exhilarating action. Furthermore, the new game engine currently under development, â€œFOX ENGINE,â€ got its first unveiling worldwide in a live demonstration of â€œMETAL GEAR.â€
Hit the jump to read all the details!
First up was the announcement of a Hollywood live action Metal Gear movie. Avi Arad, the founder of Marvel Studios, was on hand to make the announcement. “The movie will be developed by Mr. Aradâ€™s production company, Arad Productions, together with Columbia Pictures. The production and distribution will be managed by Sony Pictures Entertainment.”
Next up was the announcement of Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops, a newly designed game coming to smartphones.
Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. will be releasing the first social media content ever in the METAL GEAR series, â€œMETAL GEAR SOLID SOCIAL OPSâ€ (hereafter â€œMGS SOâ€), developed in collaboration with GREE, Inc. for the GREE smartphone social networking service.
â€œMGS SOâ€ features a colossal roster of characters and mecha from the long-running franchise, and will see players infiltrating enemy territory, facing off against the giant weapons known as Metal Gears, and going on a multitude of other heart-pounding missions within the unique METAL GEAR world. All-new digital artwork and high-definition 3D visuals will draw players deeper into the experience like never before.
Last, but definitely not least, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, the next installment of the Metal Gear franchise, was announced and revealed to be an open world game. It will run on the all new Fox Engine. According to 4gamer.net, it was shown on a PC, but said to have equivalent specs on the PS3. There was also some gameplay shown, but not much info has actually been released.
Stay tuned, as we will bring you all the news as it is revealed, and our very own PaulFierce will be attending the Konami 25th anniversary event during PAX PRIME, and bring us the latest!
Source: Konami Press Releases


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The Formula One global motorsport series has signed a new partnership with apparel and merchandise giant Fanatics.
The company will be tasked with leading the revamp of the championship’s merchandise strategy, with trackside souvenir tents set to be introduced from the beginning of the 2018 season.
In 2015, Fanatics signed a similar ten-year deal with US stock car racing organisation Nascar, with a new ‘superstore tent’ central to the agreement. Two years later, however, Nascar opted to revert back to the traditional trailers which it had previously used to sell team and driver merchandise.
The length and financial terms of Fanatics’ deal with Formula One have not been made public.
“I'm not sure that we are going to revert to the 1970s of leaning over a table and saying, ‘I want this one,’” said Sean Bratches, Formula One’s managing director of commercial operations, speaking to Motorsport.com. “We have engaged Fanatics, which is the market leader in this space and has a lot of knowledge in terms of sporting events and how product is merchandised and sold.
“Next year, we will have a massive tent experience. You will be able to pick items up off a rack and see if it fits, then go into a queue with 15 to 20 registers and if you want to send it home, our partner DHL will be there to take care of it for you.”
The 2018 Formula One season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix on 25th March.


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A County Durham tech firm has announced ambitious plans to grow turnover by 500% within three years as it sets its sights on international markets, including Australia.
Ascarii, the latest tenant to take up a space at NETPark in Sedgefield, says it hopes to boost revenues from £2m to £10m by 2019.
By the end of 2016, headcount is set to rise from 10 to 15 - a figure that should double to 30 within the next five years.
Founded in 2012, Ascarii has grown into one of the UK’s leading providers of Cloud-based SAP Business One business management solutions, which save time and costs.
The software works across a single business system through which accounts can be accessed and processes such as stocktaking conducted from anywhere in the world.
CEO Stuart Wilson said: “We have an international client base, with more being signed up every month.
“The east coast of the US could be a strong market for us; therefore it is on our growth roadmap, and our current focus will be to open an office in Australia so we can truly provide 24-hour support.
“Our solution benefits both start-ups with ambitious growth through to brewing and beverage giant SABMiller, which has 64,000 employees.
“SAP Business One Cloud offers a solution that can not only grow as you grow; it also offers stability and operational performance increases to already established businesses.”
Ascarii chose NETPark partly because of the high-tech businesses on the site, as well as the support provided by staff at Business Durham, the county’s economic development company, which runs park.
Mr Wilson added: “It fits perfectly for us that we’re surrounded by like-minded companies at NETPark.
“There are a number of highly skilled people in the area who can help us grow our business.
“The facilities and services offered by NETPark are first class, they make office life simple and engaging.”
Simon Goon, managing director at Business Durham, said: “Ascarii is a welcome addition to the high growth, innovative companies based at NETPark which have exciting global ambitions.
“We wish them every success as they continue to thrive among their peers and across the world.”


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Blog: US FTC report treads lightly on child food marketing
Chris Mercer | 4 January 2013
The US Federal Trade Commission continues to have little appetite for a fight with food companies over marketing to children, judging by its new report.
The Commission (FTC) ripped open a fresh sack of carrots to mark its first major update on marketing food to children and adolescents since 2008.
There has been "commendable progress" by industry to reduce marketing of high-fat, salt and sugar foods to young people, says the US government body. Among the 44 companies assessed by the FTC, marketing to youth dropped by close to a fifth between 2006 and 2009, to US$1.79bn. There has also been a 46% drop in in-store marketing to children and teens, to $113m.
Some of this may be accounted for by a natural shift towards online marketing, which is cheaper and can be more targeted. For example, the FTC notes that spending on digital and viral food and soft drink marketing rose by 50% between 2006 and 2009, albeit still only accounting for 7% of total expenditure, at $122.5m.
By contrast, spending on television advertising to youth fell by a fifth over the same period.
Still, beyond this natural shift in marketing platforms, FTC is convinced that things are changing for the better as a result of self-regulation.
This attitude continues into the realm of nutrition, which is the next key step of both the FTC and industry in 2013.
By the end of this year, those food giants part of the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) - such as Nestle, Kraft and Unilever - will introduce uniform nutrition criteria for marketing to children and teenagers. This includes limits on calories, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and sugars, as well as active promotion of healthier food and drink.
On this issue, the FTC is keen to see more, but its words sound more like fatherly advice than those backed by the full force of the world's largest superpower.
Nutrition criteria, it says, "will likely lead to further improvements in the nutritional quality of foods marketed to children, but could be further strengthened to more closely track key dietary advice in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans".
In the conclusion, it adds: "The Commission believes that the food industry can – and should – make further progress in using its marketing ingenuity and product portfolio to address childhood obesity."
Inevitably, those campaigning for faster change via regulation will see the FTC's stance as too soft. For the food industry, there is certainly little in the FTC's report that will set the heart racing.
Trace One and SGS Supply Chain Solutions have developed a social network platform they believe will improve product safety globally by enabling more effective real-time communication in the supply cha...
3D design company Lehrmitt Design Studios is offering designs using 3D printing technologies that, it says, can add an "artist's touch" to assembly line chocolate. ...
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- UK organic industry's bullish outlook
- UPDATE: Mondelez confirms Irish plant changes
- Dr Oetker to buy Coppenrath & Wiese
- Hain buys 100% of deli meats firm Empire
- Saputo's Warrnambool to buy Lion's cheese arm
- Post Holdings launches breakfast biscuits in US


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19 May is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which aims to raise awareness about digital access and inclusion. Nearly 15% of the global population are people with disabilities. Yet, digital design has traditionally focused on serving the majority, and today only 1% of the top one million commercial websites are digitally accessible.
Ingka Group recently launched a new Digital Inclusive Design, Equity & Accessibility strategy to take on these challenges and increase its focus on making the digital experiences for co-workers and customers more inclusive.
Ingka Group is investing in the area and actively recruiting to bring more people onto the strategy team. In addition, the team is working to make the recruitment system more digitally accessible. The company’s Chosen Names project where people can use their chosen names in digital systems instead of their legal names has started in the US and Canada and is being rolled out to more markets. Furthermore, Ingka Group has enabled a possibility for co-workers to submit suggestions for accessibility and inclusive design developments and improvements.
“We want to design a digital world where everyone can feel at home, a digital world for more of the many people,” says Tie Wang Jones, Head of Inclusive Design. “This is the right thing to do, and we recognize that we’re at the beginning of this journey.”
In fact, the EU Web Accessibility Directive and the European Accessibility Act says that by summer 2025, all digital products and services that are sold or used within the EU must comply with a common set of accessibility standards outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
This means, at the very least, any externally facing digital tool must be accessible. “Our growing team of accessibility experts is conducting audits, taking corrective action on a risk remediation plan, and building a framework to move us forward from being reactive to proactive,” Tie says.
Going beyond to inclusive design
Once the foundation of digital accessibility is built, Ingka Group will go beyond towards inclusive design. Inclusive design is a strategic approach to creating experiences that meet the needs of people of all diverse backgrounds and stages in life.
“There are infinite ways to leverage the diversity among people to benefit our co-workers, customers and communities in digital spaces,” Tie says. “Through inclusive design, we look at many more of the infinite diversities such as gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, language, thinking styles, and personality types.”
As a driver of human-centric technology, the Digital Inclusive Design, Equity, & Accessibility strategy enables Ingka Group to put people first, use data and digital assets as a force for good, and create fair and sustainable solutions.
“We want to spearhead a social movement across the world,” says Tie. “By radically disrupting the field of design and leading by example, we can help make the digital world feel more like home for everyone.”
For further information, journalists and media professionals can contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org or by calling +46 70 993 6376.


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Hi Hat Coffee, 5012 State Line Road, last week found itself on “Cozy Places,” a Reddit list with more than one million members.
The words “cute” or “cozy” are frequently used to describe the 245 square-foot Westwood Hills coffee shop, which is why owner T Jensen is not surprised about it’s recent spotlight. Jensen said the 21-year-long tradition of friendliness sets the coffee shop apart from others, and contributes to the coziness.
“It’s not just a coffee business, it’s equally a people business,” Jensen said. “We make great coffee, but the people part of it is what makes us cozy. It’s a little space and the intimacy of being able to give each customer that one-on-one thing, that’s why it’s always worked.”
As a small business without an advertising budget, Jensen said posts like the Reddit list helps to get the word out. Word of mouth is the coffee shop’s main way to attract business, although it’s had an “unbelievably group of loyal customers” since 1998, he said.
Reddit’s “cozy” list includes a variety of places from cabins and tiny houses, to the streets of Jerusalem and the canals of Venice. The post spurred 415 comments, including several from locals who were surprised to see a Kansas coffee shop on a popular Reddit list.
“There’s never cool internet places near me,” Reddit user McBrayerDontCare wrote. “I’ve never been so excited to see a Kansas coffee shop.”
Jensen opened Hi Hat in 1998 and converted it from a one-chair hair salon into the coffee shop it is today. The building itself has existed since at least the 1930s, when it was a Phillips 66 gas station, he said. As “one of the grandaddies” of the Kansas City metropolitan coffee scene, he said Hi Hat’s focus has and will continue to be relationships formed with customers.
“We’re a people business, we’re not just looking at the ticket and saying, ‘Oh, there’s another cinnamon honey latte,’” Jensen said. “We know the person who likes it stirred up a little more. That’s the little touch that I think makes us cozy and friendly.”


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It really hurts watching things that used to have good prices, rot to the ground! God knows what happened to this dealership as it now has a parking lot full of abandoned vehicles that are ownerless now!
The several global economic crisis have left almost inerasable mark in world`s economy as well as history. For instance, the Great Depression that struck the USA in the 1930s nearly paralyzed the nation but due to the Second World War, my factories were opened which decreased the unemployment. Moreover, the issues with real estates and high fuel prices caused a long lasting impact and nearly created the States as we know them nowadays. Lots of various businesses were obligated to close their doors for the customers. Among them, car dealerships. However, we thought that car dealerships have overcome their crisis! But it seems like that`s not all in all true since we now see this plethora of abandoned vehicles! All kinds of vehicles there, just waiting for an owner!
Today`s article is specifically for them. You have the possibility to see pictures from abandoned car dealerships with unused vehicles from around the world. It may never be resolved why they were actually closed in the first place, when they could at least try to sell those cars to a third party. Maybe they did, but unsuccessfully. The presented images display different types of brand new vehicles in East Liverpool, Ohio; Alfonso Molina, Spain; Nicosia, Cyprus; Toronto, Canada; Collier Motors in North Carolina and Kolding, Denmark. It just hurts seeing all those ownerless vehicles in places that look like ghost town. All is left to hope that these automobiles may see a better day.
At last, click here to read 11 honest confessions of a car dealer. Get ready to get shocked again!


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Elizabeth Weise and Kevin Johnson 5:35 AM The FBI confirmed on Friday that North Korea was behind the cyber attacks on Sony Pictures.
Peter Baker The United States is weighing up how it should react to the cyberattack on Sony Pictures, an official says, while Sony executives apparently thought the offending film was "desperately unfunny".
Telstra has secured a contract to provide planning and design for the national broadband network worth up to $390 million.
Ben Grubb So much has happened since hackers began publishing data stolen from Sony Pictures Entertainment's computer network late November, it's hard to keep up.
Matthew Hall Despite high profile damaging data breaches, a clear strategy for cybersecurity remains elusive.
Dan Levine Claims that Google's Android rules restrict competing apps and therefore raise the price of phones are speculative and need more facts, judge says.
David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth US intelligence officials have concluded that the North Korean government was "centrally involved" in the recent attacks on Sony Pictures' computers,
The latest anonymous post claiming to be from hacking group Guardians of Peace appears to contain links to thousands of Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton's email.
Stuart Corner Cyber attacks are costing large Australian enterprises up to $8.3 million a year, but the real costs could be much higher.
Beverley Head Australia's top ranking university thinks it will take more than celebrity lecturers such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak to attract postgraduate entrepreneurs.
Paul Mozur, Shanshan Wang In China, the smartphone battle used to be Samsung versus Apple. But not anymore.
Stuart Corner Cellular networks, internet of things, virtualisation... Nokia still has much to look forward to according to Ray Owen.
Paul Budde While we can argue Australia will have a second-rate version of a National Broadband Network, the reality is that with the new $11 billion deal with Telstra inked, this will be as good as it will get for the foreseeable future.
The 3.6 metre long remote-controlled Yamaha helicopter will be equipped with two 10 litre tanks of herbicide.
Jonathan Weisman, Paul Mozur Geneva talks on technology trade collapsed in acrimony, a sign that China is still unwilling to open its markets to competition where it is most vulnerable.
Old Telstra and Optus pay-TV cables will be used to roll out the National Broadband Network quicker and cheaper, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.
Drew Turney Titanium has been talked about everywhere from 3D printing and heavy industrial parts to the cyborg exoskeleton in the 1987 film Robocop, now moves are afoot to establish a new refining process that could make Australia a titanium leader.
A trillion dollar deal at the World Trade Organisation to reduce tariffs in the vast information technology sector may not come off.
Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley A pipeline blast near a Turkish town in 2008 was probably one of the first shots in the cyberwar era, US intelligence officials say.
Lia Timson Forget Facebook, Yammer, Chatter and Slack, office workers now have a chance to air their grievances and gossip via an anonymous social network app designed just for them.
Women in tech
Hannah Francis Software engineering is about to face a serious skills shortage, and Tracy Chou knows where to find the right candidates.
Brandon Bailey Retail and aviation apps among the new offerings from Apple and IBM for business customers.
Sylvia Pennington Technology education from early years will enable future generation of wealth creators, former Young Australian of the Year Marita Cheng says.
Jessica Guynn Apple and Amazon, two of technology's most powerful companies, are refusing to release US data on the diversity of their workforces.
Matthew Hall Steve Huffman has some regrets about selling Reddit when he did.
Rose Powell Online petition site Change.org is in the business of social change but unlike many of their fellow social change campaigners battling budget cuts, it's turning out to be a remarkably profitable.
A Chinese government news portal has released a photo of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg with a copy of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book on governance at his desk while hosting a top internet regulator from China, known for tight censorship.
Hannah Francis He makes a living selling you bargains you don't need, now Gabby Leibovich has put $20 million into robots to speed up your orders.
Beverley Head Executives and public servants afraid of putting their documents on an overseas cloud have been assured their data will not leave Australia after March.
Amy Remeikis Police Commissioner Ian Stewart sees the future of Queensland policing looking a lot like Robocop.
Geoff Lewis The idea that failures are to be valued and not feared is discouraging start-ups and their founders from believing in their visions.
Choe Sang-Hun North Korea has denied responsibility for hacking the computers of Sony Pictures but appeared to relish the cyberattack that crippled the computer systems of the Hollywood company, which is set to release a comedy involving an assassination attempt of its leader, Kim Jong Un.


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You never know what a man’s been through until you step into his shoes, and for Michael Jackson fans they’ll finally have this chance. According to reports buyers will now have the chance to own the“magic shoes” MJ wore when he first did the now famous moonwalk dance for a “very conservative” $10,000.
According to GWS Auctions Jackson wore the pair of Florsheim Imperial leather loafers while rehearsing for his appearance on the “Motown 25” anniversary special. It was during this 1983 performance of “Billie Jean” that Jackson debuted the reversed-glide now known as the moonwalk, thus, supporting claims the loafers were the ones worn the first-time Jackson successfully completed the famous dance move. Adding to the validity is a letter of authenticity where the King of Pop himself calls the loafers his “magic shoes,”
Since Jackson’s death in 2009, demand for memorabilia has skyrocketed.
“Anything related to Michael Jackson is extraordinary, and to have something so incredibly historical as these shoes worn by Michael when he first did that now famous moonwalk is beyond special,” Brigitte Kruse said in an email to CNN explaining how “honored” her company is to host the auction.
The shoes – which Jackson gave to dancer and choreographer Lester Wilson following the 1983 TV special – are set to hit the auction block on May 26.


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Sunday newspaper share tips
EACH week, This Is Money brings you a round-up of who is being tipped in this weekend's City pages. Click here for the Financial Mail on Sunday's Midas column.
James Fisher, the shipping company, primarily carries petrol and diesel on behalf of the oil majors. Profit growth looks set to continue and both chairman and chief executive have bought stock. At 118 1/2 p, shares appear seaworthy.
Plumbers merchant Wolseley should deliver another solid set of results on Tuesday, with housing starts in the US - where it makes two-thirds of sales - remaining resilient. UBS Warburg rates Wolseley as a buy at 636p.
Synergy Healthcare, the hospital laundry firm, should add another £50 million to its order book from an expected deal to buy Hays Clinical Services. Synergy has grown steadily since flotation last summer and shares are now 225p.
Online betting firm Gaming Insight, operator of the Harrods online casino, should complete a fund-raising process this week before signing a clutch of joint venture deals. Shares are tipped to recover from 6p, near a record low.
Hanover International, the four-star hotel group, appears to offer value in a sector recovering after September 11. Its position for acquisitions should benefit from a joint venture with Royal Bank of Scotland. Buy at 100p.
An oversubscribed rights issue at Dyson Group - a maker of materials for foundries - showed strong investor demand for the company's shares. Given its focus on higher growth areas, shares are a buy at 190 1/2 p.
Profits at BBA, the materials and aviation services group, have been hurt by September 11, although it now appears well-placed to benefit from an upturn in the US economy and increased use of corporate jets. Buy at 293p.
Hit Entertainment, the company behind Bob the Builder, has established a leading position in preschool children's entertainment. Products such as Pingu should keep the success story running and shares are tipped to rise from 361p.
Shares in Internet publisher Lavendon have fallen to half of their level at the height of the dotcom boom but the company has 170 publishing customers and could become more attractive as it heads towards break-even. Worth a look at 156p.
Sports-based media group should benefit from a World Cup advertising boom on its TEAMtalk 252 radio station this summer. With the company having more than £20 million cash, shares could be worth tuning in at 3 3/4 p.
Retailer Homestyle's shares have fallen 20% this year, although like-for-like sales are ahead 12% and margins have improved. The group aims to boost its share of the furniture market and shares look cheap at 309p.
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SAN FRANCISCO – Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trading in Friday's session are Blackstone Group, Jabil Circuit Inc., and Corus Bankshares Inc.
After Thursday's closing bell, Blackstone Group's (BX) initial public offering priced at $31 a share, at the top end of the private equity firm's guidance of between $29 and $31 a share.
Also, Standard & Poor's said that Discover Financial Services (DFS) will replace ADC Telecommunications Inc. (ADCT) in the S&P 500, and ADC will replace PH Glatfelter Co. (GLT) in the S&P MidCap 400 after the close of trading on June 29. Morgan Stanley (MS) is spinning off Discover in a transaction expected to close by that date. Additionally, S&P said that Covidien Ltd. (COV) will replace National Semiconductor Corp. (NSM) in the S&P 100, and Sanmina-SCI Corp. (SANM) in the S&P 500. Also, Tyco Electronics Ltd. (TEL) will replace PMC-Sierra Inc. (PMCS) in the S&P 500, and the new Tyco International Ltd. (TYC) will replace the pre-spinoff Tyco in the S&P 100 and 500. Tyco is spinning off Covidien and Tyco Electronics in a transaction expected to close by June 29.
Corus Bankshares Inc. (CORS) declared a special cash dividend of $1 per share, payable Aug. 1 to shareholders of record by July 18. The Chicago-based bank holding company said the special dividend represents a total distribution of more than $56 million.
Cognos Inc. (COGN) (CSN) reported first-quarter net earnings of $22.4 million, or 25 cents a share, up 54 percent from $14.5 million, or 16 cents a share, during the year-ago period. Excluding amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and stock-based compensation expense, earnings were $29.2 million, or 32 cents a share, compared with 19.8 million, or 22 cents a share, last year. The Ottawa, Canada-based business-software maker said that revenue for the three months ended May 31 rose to $236.7 million from $217 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had forecast, on average, a per-share profit of 32 cents on revenue of $237 million. Additionally, Cognos said it expects second-quarter per-share earnings of 25 cents to 30 cents, or 34 cents to 39 cents on a pro forma basis, on revenue of $245 million to $255 million. For fiscal 2008, the company said it sees per-share earnings of $1.66 to $1.73, or $1.98 to $2.05 on a pro-forma basis, on revenue of $1.065 billion to $1.085 billion. Separately, Cognos said it has named Rick Gilbody president of the Americas, reporting to Chief Operating Officer Les Rechan.
Franklin Resources Inc. (BEN) said it has approved the buyback of an additional 10 million shares of its common stock. The new authorization is in addition to the existing program, of which 222,758 shares remain available for repurchase as of June 15, the San Mateo, Calif.-based investment-management company said.
Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) named Ron Coughlin senior vice president of worldwide marketing for the imaging and printing group, effective by July 23. Coughlin most was recently senior vice president and chief marketing officer of PepsiCo's international beverage business.
Hologic Inc. (HOLX) agreed to acquire BioLucent Inc., an Aliso Viejo, Calif., medical device company, for $70 million and a two-year earn-out. The purchase price will consist of $5 million in cash and $65 million in cash, shares or a combination. The earn-out will be payable in two annual cash installments of up to $15 million. Concurrently with the acquisition, BioLucent will spin off its brachytherapy business into an independent entity. Hologic, Bedford, Mass., is a diagnostic and medical imaging company.
Jabil Circuit Inc. (JBL) reported third-quarter net earnings of $6.23 million, or 3 cents a share, down from $64.2 million, or 30 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding certain items, the company reported core earnings of 23 cents a share versus 36 cents a share last year. The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based provider of services and products to the electronics and technology industries said revenue in the three months ended May 31 rose 16 percent to $3 billion from $2.59 billion last year. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were expecting, on average, a per-share profit of 21 cents on revenue of $2.95 billion. Jabil forecast fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of 7 cents to 16 cents a share, or core earnings of 25 cents to 31 cents a share, on revenue of $3 billion. Analysts are looking for a per-share profit of 30 cents on revenue of $2.96 billion.
JMP Group Inc. (JMP) reported first-quarter net earnings of $825,000, or 17 cents a share, up from $412,000, or 11 cents a share, during the year-ago period. The San Francisco-based investment banking firm said that revenue for the three months ended March 31 rose to $21.9 million from $18.8 million. Investment banking revenues were $11.5 million for the quarter, compared with $10.4 million last year.
Metabolix Inc. (MBLX) said the German Federal Patents Court has dismissed a patent suit filed by Procter & Gamble Service GmbH (PG). Cambridge, Mass.-based Metabolix said the suit challenged the validity of a patent that is licensed exclusively to Metabolix by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The patent upheld in the suit is the German counterpart of European patent that covers a method of producing some types of biopolymers, Metabolix said.
Panera Bread Co. (PNRA) bought 32 restaurants and area development rights for markets in Illinois and Minnesota from franchisees for $36 million. About $34.2 million of the acquisition price was paid with cash on hand, with the remaining $1.8 million to be paid with interest in 12 months, the company said. Panera expects the transaction to have a neutral effect or to "modestly" boost earnings for fiscal 2007. Shares of the St. Louis bakery operator were $46.50 in recent after-hours trading after closing at $46.41.
Pfizer Corp. (PFE) obtained approval under priority review from the Food and Drug Administration for its Lyrica treatment for managing fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition. Pfizer said Lyrica has been prescribed to more than 5 million patients worldwide, and had received earlier approval for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, and for treating partial-onset seizures.
Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) said a U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled in favor of the company and dismissed all claims relating to the company's branded pharmaceutical products in a class-action lawsuit involving several pharmaceutical companies and the setting of average wholesale prices for prescription products.
SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. (SIRF) said it has agreed to acquire Centrality Communications Inc., a developer of navigation processor solutions for mobile navigation devices, for $283 million in cash and stock. Headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., Centrality has more than 190 employees. San Jose, Calif.-based SiRF is a developer of semiconductor and software products.
State Street Corp. (STT) increased its quarterly dividend 5 percent to 22 cents from 21 cents a share. The dividend is payable on July 16 to shareholders of record as of June 29, the Boston-based financial services provider said.
Symmetry Holdings Inc. (SHJ) agreed to buy all issued and outstanding shares of Montreal-based Novamerican Steel Inc. (TONS) for $585.2 million. Symmetry said Novamerican shareholders will receive $56 in cash for each outstanding Novamerican share. The per-share consideration is a 19 percent premium over the volume-weighted average Novamerican share price of $47.03 for the past 20 days. On the deal's closing, Symmetry will also pay a dividend to Novamerican shareholders on a pro-rata basis equal to the lesser of the amount by which Novamerican's cash at closing exceeds $80 million or the amount by which the sum of cash and inventory exceeds $225 million.
Tektronix Inc.'s (TEK) fiscal fourth-quarter net income fell 12 percent to $27.9 million, or 35 cents a share, from $31.9 million, or 37 cents a share, a year earlier. Excluding acquisition-related costs, share-based compensation and other items, earnings from continuing operations were 45 cents a share. The Beaverton, Ore., maker of testing and measurement systems said sales for the quarter ended May 26 rose 3.2 percent to $298.5 million from $289.3 million a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial expected, on average, earnings of 42 cents a share on sales of $295 million.
Thoratec Corp. (THOR) named Elisha W. Finney to its board and Neil F. Dimick, currently chairman of its audit committee, chairman. The hemodynamic restoration therapy products company, based in Pleasanton, Calif., said Finney is senior vice president and chief financial officer of Varian Medical Systems Inc. (VAR), a medical device company. Thoratec said Dimick will replace J. Donald Hill, who will become vice chairman. Hill had been chairman since 1995. Shares of Thoratec closed down 32 cents, or 1.7 percent, at $18.66 in trading Thursday.
Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates Inc. (VSEA) will establish operations in Switzerland as part of a plan to improve the alignment of its legal entity structure with the geographic mix of its customers and suppliers. The Gloucester, Mass., semiconductor company said it expects to incur tax charges that will result in an effective tax rate of 73% for the fiscal third quarter and 48 percent to 52 percent for the fiscal year. Varian also sees an effective tax rate of 30 percent to 32 percent for fiscal 2008, said the rate may be lower in subsequent years. The company also cut its fiscal third-quarter earnings outlook to a range of 26 cents to 29 cents a share and boosted its revenue outlook to a range of $283 million to $289 million.
Viragen Inc. (VRA) halted development of the its avian transgenic technology for making therapeutic proteins, and will terminate research and license agreements with Roslin Institute and Oxford BioMedica Plc (OXB). The Plantation, Fla., company said "the distance between research and commercialization is simply too great" for the project, and it will focus on cancer therapies. Viragen will maintain its intellectual property portfolio for the product, called the Ova System, for potential licensing
Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) said it has agreed to acquire CIT Group Inc.'s (CIT) construction lending unit. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. CIT Construction had $2.4 billion in assets and 235 employees as of March 31. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of June. Headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., CIT Construction will operate as a division of Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Inc.


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Welcome to our Technology News and Tips. Your Miami business can save time and cash at present with Public Curiosity Pc and Know-how’s managed providers, community solutions, IT support and more. The company’s CloudPredict SaaS service allows companies to be more proactive as their multicloud environments get more complex.
Scientists do not know what influence their findings will have on technological advancement, but biomolecular computing units could redefine what a pc is. A computer is defined as a machine made of 4 parts — hardware, software program, input and output,” Keinan said in a press release.
Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak, in a Bloomberg interview, said, “Apple isn’t the leader in issues just like the folding phone, and that worries me as a result of I really want a folding phone.” Noting that Apple “at all times has surprises” engaged on loads of issues within the background, he added iPhone was so successful that it was Apple’s enterprise for a long time.
The way it’s affecting industries: Although cognitive applied sciences have a broad vary of purposes, Deloitte predicts that the business sector most affected by this pattern initially would be the software sector with 95% of enterprise software program companies projected to adopt these technologies by 2020.
Although the foundational ingredient was eliminated, nobody really went after Apple arduous till last week, when Google launched a comprehensive strategy that clearly focused the corporate. In accordance with Deloitte, corporations like Google are using machine learning on cellular devices which might proceed learning even when offline.


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Despite the expansion of the coronavirus throughout the country, producers are harvesting the lemons in the Argentine Northwest (NOA) and oranges and mandarins in the Northeast (NEA). Producers have implemented prevention protocols among agricultural workers, which are most exposed to the risk of contagion, to carry out the harvest and assure the supply of citrus fruits.
"The worst issues we've had were the blockages of the traffic that prevented the fruit from being moved and the transfer of the harvesters. This issue was solved with a transport protocol for the harvesters thanks to the union and the government. They decided that only 50% of the seats should be used and that people should wear protection," said Jose Carbonell, the president of Federcitrus. "The factories also implemented protocols," he added.
Carbonell stressed that supply is normal in the domestic market, so prices shouldn't increase in the supermarkets as sales are reaching historical highs.
He also said that they had good expectations for the external market. In fact, he said, the sector will export more than last year. In 2019, total citrus exports did not reach 400,000 tons and according to estimates, the sector will export 100,000 more tons this year.
Lemon is the main citrus fruit for export. In 2019 they shipped 250,000 tons of lemon and they expect exports to increase because the main producing countries had poor harvests and demand has increased.


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William Smithburg's announcement last week that he plans to step aside as soon as the board finds a successor leaves a power vacuum that would-be suitors might try to fill.
This could be the time to strike, with Snapple gone, Gatorade's sales strong, other Quaker brands healthy and the company easily digestible. Though Quaker's brand portfolio is strong, a sale of the company-particularly to a larger concern well-versed in international distribution-would probably boost sales.
The list of potential suitors is diverse, depending on whether Quaker is sold as a single entity or in food and beverage pieces.
Marketers such as Grand Metropolitan or Nestle could easily integrate Quaker's food and beverage divisions into their own businesses. So, too, could Unilever, which is expected to have $5 billion to spend after shedding its specialty chemical division this year.
Gatorade alone is attractive to any beverage company. Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo both were said to be eager to grab Gatorate recently, but balked when that would have included Snapple.
Quaker's food division has many coveted high-profile brands. Its cereals-oatmeals, Cap'n Crunch, Life-could easily join those at General Mills or Kellogg Co. Kraft Foods could take Quaker's entire food division, encompassing grain and cereal lines.
Also, financial investors such as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. shouldn't be dismissed as potential acquirers, said First Boston analyst Michael Mauboussin.
'ANYONE HAVE GUMPTION?'
"All the iterations make tons of sense on paper," he said. "The question is does anyone have any gumption to get it done?"
The specter of a sale or takeover obviously could hamper efforts to lure the best candidate to succeed Mr. Smithburg. The roster of possibles includes James M. Kilts, who resigned recently as exec VP of Philip Morris Cos.' worldwide Kraft divisions. Mr. Smithburg acknowledged Mr. Kilts' name has come up but added, "He's not part of this process."
Other potential candidates: Charles Gaillard, president of General Mills; James J. Postl, president of Nabisco Biscuit Co.; Douglas R. Conant, president of Nabisco's U.S. Foods Group; Robert F. Bernstock, president of Campbell Soup Co.'s U.S. grocery division; Dale F. Morrison, president of Campbell's international grocery and specialty products division; and former Pet Inc. CEO Miles Marsh, who now runs James River Corp.
Quaker directors whose names have emerged are Kenneth L. Chenault, president-chief operating officer, American Express Co.; Judy C. Lewent, senior VP-chief financial officer, Merck & Co.; and John H. Costello, senior exec VP, Sears, Roebuck & Co.


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The demands of a changing workforce are creating increasing demand for incentive professionals to boost...
Research / The IRF 2021 Wellness in Meetings and Incentive Travel Study
by Incentive Research Foundation
Wellness has long been a part of meetings and incentives. With COVID continuing to pose health threats and impact attendee comfort and confidence, meeting and incentives planners are looking at the concept of wellness through a different lens. At the fifth annual Meet Well Summit on September 8 – 9, more than 50 meeting and incentives planners and suppliers from across the country gathered in at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, Arizona, to experience wellness inclusions and discuss the changing definition of wellness.
As masked attendees participated in health screenings upon arrival, it immediately became clear that the concept of wellness has moved far beyond the healthy dining options, spa experiences, and morning yoga discussed in previous years. During facilitated discussions, attendees considered how factors such as health & safety, attendee mental health, physical health, food & beverage, and sustainability impact the overall attendee experience and level of comfort.
As a result of the pandemic, the priority for wellness has shifted to addressing attendee concerns about their physical and mental health and safety. Many potential meeting and incentive attendees have not traveled or been in large groups since March 2020. Even for those who have travelled since the pandemic, many have new concerns as the delta variant changes the landscape. Attendees expressed concerns about travelling, being in an environment that they can’t control, and the uncertainly of a new location. There’s fear of known threats, and perhaps even more apprehension about the unknown.
Corporate leadership is also concerned and cautious about bringing groups together. There’s often a hesitancy to convene people for liability reasons, and many companies still have travel restrictions in place. At the same time, they also acknowledge fatigue with virtual meetings. As in-person meetings are planned, more lawyers are involved, and waivers and liability concerns are taking the lead. From the leadership’s view, issues resulting from COVID need to be dealt with before other types of wellness can be considered.
Planners agreed that the focus is on how to keep attendees and staff safe. Standard wellness elements (spa, yoga, etc.) have frequently been put on hold while planners deal with COVID. Before other elements of wellness can be addressed, foundational health & safety considerations need to be addressed by planners first.
There are many factors and shifting concerns when establishing health & safety protocols, and priorities vary from company to company. One planner summed it up by saying, “It’s important to take a Swiss cheese approach to COVID. Layer the protocols in such a way that ultimately all the holes are covered. There’s no one approach that will cover it all.”
Wellness in meetings has always been driven by the goal of making attendees feel comfortable and cared for, but the emphasis on emotional wellbeing has increased because of the pandemic. COVID seems to have raised more awareness of mental health concerns. Work-related team meetings are often check-ins with people, and there’s more transparency, vulnerability, and compassion.
The group discussed how attendees are different since the pandemic, and how they are more open about expressing their emotional needs. People have worked from home for so long, and coming back to a meeting is, as one planner put it, like “coming back into the sunshine.” The group also acknowledged that many attendees could have anxiety about being back in a group. Some people are ready to be part of the event, just not all of the event all day.
Communication is critical to helping attendees feel informed and in control of their experience. One planner explained how “overloading” attendees with information ahead of the event helped to manage expectations and empower attendees to make decisions for themselves. Some attendees find a great deal of comfort and protection in clearly-communicated health & safety protocols, while others prefer to know what types of rules and restrictions they are expected to abide by. One size does not fit all, and a regimented schedule does not work. A big part of achieving attendee comfort and peace of mind is assuring attendees that you are providing flexibility and options regarding the agenda, breaks, and spacing.
Mental health is also being addressed in education sessions and activities at meetings and events. In-person and virtual meetings have had sessions on mental health, dealing with the work from home environment, and professionally-led active stretching breaks. Incentive programs are building in spa time and intentional rest and recreation time.
Safety and peace of mind extend beyond the event to travel and return home. Planners noted attendee concerns about bringing back virus to people in their care, such a children and vulnerable populations. The post-event experience should include follow-up communications that provide updates on any reported COVID cases… or hopefully an update two weeks later that the event was COVID-free.
For safety and comfort, planners reported a trend toward smaller meetings and a strong desire for outdoor space for meetings and receptions. A lot of groups want small, local, boutique hotels, because they have fewer people in general and fewer leisure travelers. There’s a lot of interest in hotel buy-outs and, takeovers, and having a private space at a resort that is exclusively for their group.
Since attendees need more flexibility to feel comfortable in the current environment, agendas need plenty of space. Attendees may need more breaks, moments of solitude, opportunities to go for a walk or spend time alone in their room, and the option to take meals away from the group. Plan to provide attendees with extra physical space, such as time outside of the meeting room, space for social distancing in larger rooms, or wave planning to rotate people through rooms and transportation.
One planner reminded the group that providing space and careful room set up does not always keep attendees safe. Their team went ahead of time to a five-star restaurant to rearrange tables to make sure they were spaced properly for a medical industry dinner. Upon arrival, the dinner attendees moved all the tables close together for dinner. Others chimed in about dealing with “furniture movers” at meetings and events.
Planners noted that the need for more space has logistical and cost implications. Private space comes at a premium, large rooms are often hard to acquire, and outside space may need awning or heaters depending on the season. It’s important to educate the client or leadership about the cost of extra space.
The classic wellness retreat at a spa has also been impacted by health & safety protocols. Spas require a lot of closeness and touching, which can be inconsistent with protocols. One planner said that a spa retreat she planned to work with was too restrictive and even required masks in the pool. Another planner reported that her incentive program was successful because the high-end spa allowed attendees to feel pampered, safe, and comfortable.
Healthy food and beverage options continue to be a mainstay of wellness inclusions. Personal and lifestyle choices and differences are more important than ever as people adapted to new eating habits while in lockdown. People are more mindful of the food they eat, but still expect food and beverage to elevate their experience. Planners are avoiding processed foods and offering more healthy options, including more fish entrees and innovative vegetable preparation. Careful attention to dietary restrictions is the shared responsibility of the planner and F&B team. Wellness and inclusivity can also mean fewer alcohol-centered activities and more thoughtful non-alcoholic beverage options, like locally-source fruit juices or signature mocktails.
New health & safety procedures have changed the dining experience at events and meetings. Served buffets are cost-effective, and they allow attendees to see their food being served according to health standards (servers are masked, gloved, behind plexiglass barrier). Planners noted that they need to build in longer wait times for serving buffets. Many noted that clients are requesting more plated meals again.
The costs associated with healthy food selections as well as maintaining health & safety standards can pose a challenge. Planners noted that prices are up and budgets are down. Supplier issues are driving prices up, and food and beverage options may be limited. At the same time, clients and companies are expecting to come back from the pandemic to find great deals. Actual pricing does not often align the “impossible budgets” described by some planners.
Planners reported that sustainability is important to them and helps contribute to the attendee wellness experience. They acknowledged that in many ways, the response to COVID often feels counter to sustainability. In an effort to reduce contact, there’s a significant increase in packaged, single serving food and beverage. Planners noted there’s a lot of concern about so much packaging and waste, and recycling is more important than ever.
However, planners were happy to point out ways in which sustainability has improved over the past 18 months. Concern over travel has resulted in more meetings held locally. The desire to reduce contact has boosted adoption of conference apps that replace printed materials. Hotel health & safety protocols, as well as the labor shortage, has resulted in less frequent changing and washing of linens.
Locally sourced food is very popular and contributes to the authenticity of an event at a special location. Attendees enjoy a unique experience at Farm to Fork and Farm to Table events, with thoughtful enhancements such as custom menus and talks by local farmers, artisans, and the chef. Serving locally sourced food is also a great way to support the local economy.
While traditional wellness inclusions such as yoga, healthy food, and use of the spa remain popular, the focus for wellness has shifted to self-care and safety in the wake of COVID. Given that attendee readiness varies widely, planners are factoring in health & safety protocols, attendee peace of mind, and physical health as they strive to make all attendees comfortable. Clear attendee communications, space and breaks, and strong partnerships with the venue are critical components of accomplishing the new goals of wellness in meetings and incentives.
Useful insights and benchmarks on merchandise, gift cards and event gifting. Focusing on European data, we discussed how incentive professionals are addressing current challenges, including rising costs and a tight labor market.
We discuss what lies ahead for the incentives industry as reported in The IRF 2024 Trends Report, including inflation, a younger workforce, and AI.


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Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has signed a 210-room hotel in Sylhet, Bangladesh set to open in the third quarter of 2018. It will also feature a large retail wing as its located in one of Bangladesh’s busiest commercial and tourism area.
Sylhet is known as the “land of boundless beauty”, and is classed as one of the best tourism destination in Bangladesh. The scenic city is surrounded with beauty, such as the Ratargul Swamp forest and lalakhal only a few miles from where the new The Mövenpick Hotel Sylhet will be located.
Guests at this new Mövenpick in Sylhet will be able to relax on the rooftop which will feature an infinity pool and indulge in some signature treatments at the spa. Mövenpick team also plan to introduce a fitness center, tennis court, and a bowling alley.
According to the IMF, Bangladesh was the second fastest growing economy globally in 2016. Bangladesh a country with a population of 163 million people recorded over 500,000 overseas arrivals just last year.
Let’s hope this growth continues in Bangladesh as we have seen many organisation trying to start up 5-Star resorts and failing due to lack of government support and fundings.


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WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Brown Shoe Co. bws posted third-quarter earnings of $1.13 per share on sales of $439.4 million, compared to the prior year's $1.18 earned on sales of $486.3 million. The profit for the three months ended came in ahead of the company's own forecast of $1.00 to $1.10 and beat the $1.10 estimate carried by the one analyst polled by Reuters Research. The company cited "strong" back-to-school business at its Famous Footwear stores as well as strength in its branded wholesale businesses. Brown Shoe also said its Naturalizer stores ran a narrow operating loss for the latest quarter. In addition, Brown Shoe reiterated that it expects to earn $2.75 per share for the full fiscal year, with earnings for the fourth quarter projectd at 50 cents per share compared to the prior year's 51 cents. Brown Shoe's shares lost 22 cents to end at $32.77 on Tuesday.
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After the latest deal with Google on personnel, the next flagship out from HTC is the U12+, succeeding the squeeze-focused U11 and U11+ from 2017. For this generation HTC will only launch a single model called the U12+, rather than a U12 now and another one later, with the company citing that it felt too many of its enthusiast users would wait for the plus model, so instead they have decided to just go with a singular unit with the upgraded name. The headlines on the U12+ include a quad camera design, an upgraded Edge Sense detection system, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, an IP68 ingress rating, and an upgraded BoomSound experience. We had the chance to get a hands-on with the device at...
HTC Teases Next Flagship Phone for May 23rd - HTC U12 Incoming?
HTC has begun to ramp up their marketing campaign for their next major smartphone release, teasing that they will be making a proper announcement on May 23rd. In an email...36 by Ryan Smith on 5/3/2018