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Unveiling The Secrets Of The Cpi
To the uninitiated, the words and acronyms make as much sense as the lyrics to the 1963 song Louie, Louie. Seasonal adjustment. Fixed-weight price deflator. GDP, CPI, NAPM. Yet the ingredients of this alphabet soup play a critical role in financial market volatility. To help readers become better investors, we are starting an occasional series of stories that explain the major pieces of economic data that can roil stock and bond markets. This week, we look at the CPI--short for consumer price index.
When the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on May 14 that the consumer price index jumped a sharp 0.7% in April, it underscored the importance of low inflation to financial markets. Worries over rising inflation sent the Dow Jones industrial average tumbling 194 points and pushed long-term Treasury bond yields to a 12-month high of 5.92%. It was the unexpected jump in the April CPI that began the anticipation of a Federal Reserve rate hike on June 30.
UNEXPECTED JUMP. For the markets, the problem is not high inflation per se, but unexpectedly high inflation, says Nomura Securities Chief Economist David Resler. "High unexpected inflation is a wealth transfer from lenders to borrowers," he says, because the money paid back to lenders buys less and less over time. In addition, inflation determines long-term interest rates, which are embedded in future earnings expectations. Guess wrong on inflation, and you might overpay for a stock.
The government tracks inflation in various forms (table). For instance, the producer price index (PPI) captures changes in prices charged by U.S. goods producers. But it ignores inflation among most service companies. The employment cost index (ECI) totals up what businesses pay in wages, salaries, and benefits. For the best inflation reading, however, markets look to the CPI. It is the most comprehensive indicator because it covers all goods and services purchased by households. It's the timeliest because the report is released not quarterly, as is the ECI, but about two weeks after the end of each month. The CPI does include sales and excise taxes. But tax-related price hikes are less of a concern, since they reflect government action, not price pressures in the economy.
The CPI is not perfect. The elderly complain that the CPI, although used for adjusting Social Security checks, misses price hikes on drugs. Increases in property taxes show up only indirectly when the BLS calculates rents. And if your employer increases your health-insurance premium, the CPI won't reflect it.
The BLS counters that the consumer price index's aim is to measure prices for a specific basket of goods and services that the average household buys, according to surveys done from 1993 to 1995. This set basket leads to the biggest rap on the CPI: It does not allow for substitution. Say, a drought in Washington means a price jump for Red Delicious apples. Consumers might buy cheaper Granny Smiths. But the CPI would still give more weight to the price of Red Delicious apples.
FOOD PRICES. When you watch the CPI, you should focus, as economists do, on the core rate, which excludes volatile food and energy prices. Doing so gives you the best evidence of how prices are responding to economic activity. Swings in food prices often say more about the weather conditions in the Farm Belt, while oil prices track shifts in OPEC policy. In fact, the 0.4% rise in the April core CPI rattled the markets as much as the 0.7% spike in the index overall.
In the mid-1990s, economists criticized the CPI for overestimating inflation. Even Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan viewed it as flawed. For one thing, said economists, the BLS took too long to include new products, and thus the CPI failed to capture the price reductions that take place in the first years of a product's lifetime. Cell phones, for instance, were costly to use when they were introduced in the 1980s. But competition brought the connection fees down rapidly. However, the BLS did not include cellular phones in the consumer price index until 1998.
John S. Greenlees, assistant commissioner for consumer prices and price indexes, responds that cellular phones posed a specific problem: They did not fit into any category. Said Greenlees: "They weren't long distance, and they weren't a home furnishing," which is where home phones show up. Greenlees says the BLS is better at adding a new item that supplants an existing one, say, a new car model.
DREAM INDEX. Quality adjustment is another problem. How does the BLS account for air bags in cars, which add costs but save lives? This problem is especially acute in medical care. The Boskin Commission, set up in 1996 to examine the consumer price index, highlighted these problems and more.
Kenneth V. Dalton, associate commissioner for prices and living conditions, says the BLS was working hard to fix them even before the Boskin report. Economists applaud the efforts so far. But Dalton would like to intensify efforts to improve the CPI's quality-adjustment process. This wish list, of course, depends on unlimited funds. But the BLS recognizes that its monthly budget can buy only so much. Which, in a way, is one of the lessons of the CPI, as well.


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New Delhi: The updated BHIM app is now available on Google Play store. Bharat Interface for Money or BHIM app is based on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and was launched by Prime Minister Modi on December 30.
The app saw more than 10 million downloads in just 10 days of the launch.
The app is still available only for the Android phone users, and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is yet to launch an iOS vesion.
Considering the large number of BHIM downloads on Android phones, NPCI has updated the Android version of the app. The Android version v1.2, is available on Google Play store.
These BHIM v1.2 app comes with the following updates:
The app now has support for seven more regional languages. While it was launched in English and Hindi, the app is now accessible in Bengali, Kannada, Gujarati, Malayalam, Odia, Tamil, and Telugu.
The updated BHIM also adds the Pay to Aadhaar Number payment option, with which users can transfer money to the Aadhaar number linked with the beneficiaries’ bank account.
Paying more focus on the security feature in app, one can block unknown persons on the app by applying Spam Report feature.
Also, NPCI has added an improved Customer Redressal Mechanism as well.
Some more new features of the BHIM for Android are: the ability to retry mobile registration via OTP/ USSD, the ability to restore forgotten passcode, improved privacy settings alongside the option to disable mobile-number@upi, the ability to report issues to banks and view the status of resolution, the ability to choose SIM on dual-SIM phones and finally, the ability to reverse a payment received.
Source: Zee News

domain: news


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Here’s a glimpse at the new products introduced to the trucking industry last week (July 27-Aug. 2, 2020).
For more on each product, please click the company names below.
- Carrier Transicold updated its TripLINK data management platform for 24/7 remote monitoring.
- Dana Incorporated has introduced its Spicer Trac-Lok limited-slip differentials for medium-duty truck applications.
- Double Coin and CMA added the RLB452 open shoulder drive-position tire and RR202 5-rib highway service tire.
- Milwaukee Tool is expanding its workwear lineup with the addition of a multifunctional neck gaiter.
- Phillips Industries has created a hands-free door extension, the STA-SAFE, to attach to public door handles.


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Le tue news sono pubbliche.Ora visibile a tutti sul News Stream.
News Fashion Weeks
The Business of London Fashion Week Part I
giovedì, nov 25, 2010, 14:48 / London, United Kingdom
This is the first of three installments focusing on the business side of the London Fashion Week.
She may only be sixteen, but millions of pounds rest on the way she walks. Hands on her hips, she sashays down the runway past eagled-eyed buyers who calculate profit margins faster than she can talk. All she has to do is return safely backstage without toppling over in her vertiginous heels, and the fashion house’s future will be secured – for another six months.
Behind the theatre, glamour and celebrity, London Fashion Week provides a serious business platform for designers to showcase and market their collections. The biannual trade event, organised by the British Fashion Council, is more than just a culmination of creative dreams: buyers, news agencies, sponsors and retail outlets in the capital are all looking to benefit from their equally dedicated work.
London Fashion Week is the youngest of the “big four” international catwalk influencers. First held in 1984, the event has helped launch the careers of several iconic figures in the industry. The star of the inaugural event was a young Gibraltarian-British fashion student called John Galliano who presented his unforgettable degree collection entitled Les Incroyables, inspired by the French Revolution.
Over the years, London Fashion Week has inspired many revolutions. While the innovations on the catwalk are often met with worldwide critical acclaim, the organisation of the event and the business it generates for the fashion retail industry – the second largest employer in the UK – are seldom recognised.
The British Fashion Council aims to support and promote leading British fashion designers in the global market place. Its greatest challenge is attracting big spending foreign buyers to the event. London lacks the commercial appeal of New York, renowned for big money. Neither can it compete with the allure of Milan’s offer of Italian manufactured aesthetics nor Paris’ hold on haute creativity and hegemony.
In 2007, the London Development Agency awarded the BFC a grant of £4.5m over three years (2007 – 2010) to provide specialist business support to emerging London-based designers and raise the profile of London Fashion Week in international markets. The BFC also receives generous sponsorship from its members, which include leading publishers and retailers like Condé Nast, IPC Media, the Arcadia Group and Marks & Spencers.
The funding allows the efficient staging of the six days of shows. Only a few years ago, London Fashion Week was under threat due to a slump in interest from influential foreign buyers. One of the key projects funded by the London Development Agency and UK Trade and Investment is the International Buyer Programme, which provides subsidised or complimentary travel and accommodation for selected journalist and buyers.
For the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week, last September, the BFC spent around £40,000 on subsidising the cost of targeted buyers, which included Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys as well as Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. Sponsors British Airways and The May Fair Hotel also offered their support to the programme.
The BFC has a particular interest in buyers from the United States and France. In order to ensure British designers have access to these lucrative markets, it has appointed a specialist New York-based fashion PR agency to promote London Fashion Week in these regions. The International Buyer Programme also extends to growing buying powers like China and Dubai. It is claimed the investment in the programme helped to generate orders in the region of £100m last season.
Pascale Camart, head of buying for women’s fashion at Galeries Lafayette has been coming to LFW for the last seven years. When asked what brings her to the capital she said: “London Fashion Week is much more ‘underground’, offers alternative to the classical fashion and is a good inspiration source.” This season, she is planning to spend four days in the city to “discover a new, young designer who makes an elaborated and different fashion with a sharp point of view compared to the other designers.”
Another revolutionary business strategy is the introduction of high street fashion to a previously exclusive high-end apparel event. In 2005, Topshop made history by becoming the first high street brand to present a collection at London Fashion Week. The company’s then brand director, Jane Shepherdson, had recently helped change the firm’s fortunes from that of a flopshop to a business generating £100m in profit for the year. However launching a high street collection alongside the likes of Julien Macdonald and Paul Smith was, at the time, deemed a risky venture.
Today, Topshop serves as one of the finest examples of what can be achieved when high street and high-end fashion collaborate. The marketing exposure and revenue generated from Topshop’s association with London Fashion Week is worth million of pounds for the Arcadia Group. Topshop in return offers generous support to young designers through its sponsorship of the NewGen programme.
NewGen recipients include Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab and Erdem. Their talent, nurtured through the sponsorship programme, has helped the designer fashion sector achieve a net contribution to the UK economy of £450 million per annum. As for its own catwalk presentation, the Topshop Unique show is one of the most sought-after tickets at LFW.
The London Development Agency supports the BFC as part of its role in ensuring London’s economic growth. LFW alone generates millions in tourism and retail. “Fashion, like the other creative industries, plays a vital role in London’s economic success,” said Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
According to a report commissioned by the BFC London Fashion Week is worth £30m annually to the capital in terms of direct spend. In addition, pictures, catwalk reports and front-row celebrity gossip are circulated across the globe, generating £50m in worldwide media coverage each season.
As for the young model, she, too, is enjoying the financial rewards of London Fashion Week. Once she has made it safely backstage, a knowing smile will cross her lips. Surely getting paid hundreds of pounds to walk a few metres is much better than working at McDonalds for £5.75 an hour. That is, until you see the heels she has to wear.
To be continued.
Ian Morales | TribaSpace
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China and New Zealand signed a currency swap agreement worth 25 billion yuan ($3.8 billion) today, according to a statement posted on the People's Bank of China's website.
The agreement will last three years and is open to extension, the statement said. The aim is to help boost bilateral trade and investment as well as strengthen financial cooperation, the PBOC said.
China is seeking to promote greater use of the yuan in global trade and finance to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, which has weakened against all 16 major currencies since 2008, according to
The facility gives the Reserve Bank the capacity to borrow RMB when financial market disruption makes it difficult for businesses to access RMB to settle transactions with Chinese businesses.
"While there is no need to use the facility right now, it is useful to have this capacity if markets were ever to become dysfunctional. In addition the signing of this swap line contributes to building the China-New Zealand relationship," Reserve Bank deputy governor Grant Spencer said,
Former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should flee Ukraine.


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It just meant a different approach.
“We asked can we create an environment downtown we can sustain from Thanksgiving to the first week in January,” Schutte said.
John Kelly, Visit Greater Springfield’s downtown events coordinator, said the long-term challenge was how to change the events and programming under the Holiday in the City brand. This led to the new plan, one which still encourages people to visit downtown without the crowd of 25,000 Holiday in the City draws on one day.
Schutte consulted with the Clark County Combined Health District for best measures to not put people at risk.
Now visitors can find a nightly winter wonderland on the downtown core block on the esplanade, starting with a sound system on top of City Hall playing holiday music from 5-9 p.m. daily, while the new lights will make the scope larger.
Scutte said it’s a great place for photo ops. He was pleased on Monday to find families and friends taking pictures despite the snow coming down rapidly, creating the desired response.
There will also be pop-up attractions such as projections and other surprises to give people reasons to revisit. It can also help promote downtown shopping and dining or taking advantage of the DORA program.
Visit Greater Springfield’s web page has a list of downtown merchants and restaurants and their hours of operation so visitors can shop and support local businesses and make a night out of it. Schutte also hopes it’s a destination for those visiting from out of town.
“We’re creating a family atmosphere downtown,” Kelly said.
Schutte added that plans are already being made for the return of Holiday in the City in 2021 and building the brand by involving other organizations and businesses past just that date and credits several local sponsors with helping fund the event.


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The battle between Detroit carmakers and the United Auto Workers union, which escalated Friday with targeted strikes at three locations, comes amid a once-in-a-century technological upheaval that poses major risks. for both companies and unions.
The strike comes as traditional automakers are investing billions to develop electric vehicles while still making most of their money from gasoline-powered vehicles. The negotiations will determine the balance of power between labor and management, possibly for years to come. As such, the strike is a struggle for the future of the industry as it concerns wages, benefits and working conditions.
The established automakers — General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis, which owns Chrysler, Jeep and Ram — are trying to defend their profits and their market place in the face of stiff competition from Tesla. and foreign automakers. Some executives and analysts have identified what is happening in the industry as the biggest technological change since Henry Ford’s assembly line movement began at the beginning of the 20th century.
Nearly 13,000 UAW workers walked off the job at three plants in Ohio, Michigan and Missouri on Friday after talks between unions and companies in three separate negotiations failed to result in agreements before the deadline of Thursday Pay is one of the biggest sticking points: The union has been asking for a 40 percent pay increase over four years but the automakers have offered about half as much.
But the talks are more than the pay. Workers are trying to defend jobs as manufacturing shifts from internal combustion engines to batteries. Because they have fewer parts, electric cars can be made with fewer workers than gasoline cars. A favorable result for the UAW would also give the union a strong calling card if, as some expect, it later tries to organize employees at Tesla and other non-union carmakers. like Hyundai, which plans to make electric cars in a massive new factory in Georgia. .
“The transition to EVs dominates every part of this discussion,” said John Casesa, senior managing director at investment firm Guggenheim Partners who previously led strategy at Ford Motor.
“It goes without saying,” added Mr. Casesa. “But really, it’s about positioning the union to play a major role in the new electricity industry.”
Under pressure from government officials and changing consumer demand, Ford, GM and Stellantis are investing billions to retool their vast operations to produce electric vehicles, critical to the response to climate change. But they make little if any profit on those vehicles while Tesla, which dominates electric car sales, is profitable and growing fast.
Ford said in July that its electric vehicle business would lose $4.5 billion this year. If the union gets all the wage increases, pensions and other benefits it seeks, the company said, its workers’ total compensation would be double that of Tesla employees.
The union’s demands will force Ford to scrap its investments in electric vehicles, Jim Farley, the company’s chief executive, said in an interview Friday. “We want to actually have a conversation about a sustainable future,” he said, “not one that forces us to choose between going out of business and rewarding our workers.”
For workers, the biggest concern is that electric vehicles have fewer parts than gasoline models and will make many jobs obsolete. Plants that make mufflers, catalytic converters, fuel injectors and other parts that electric cars don’t need will have to be overhauled or closed.
Many new battery and electric vehicle factories are popping up and may employ workers from plants that have closed. But automakers are working most aggressively in the South, where labor laws are tilted against union organizers, rather than in the Midwest, where the UAW has more power. One of the union’s demands is that workers at the new factories be covered by the automakers’ national labor contracts — a demand the automakers said they could not meet because those plants are owned by joint ventures. . The union also wants to take back the right to strike to prevent plant closings.
“We’re at the dawn of another industrial revolution and the path we’re on is the same way we were in the last industrial revolution – lots of profit for the few and misery and bad jobs for the many,” Madeline said. Janis, executive director of Jobs to Move America, an advocacy group that works closely with the UAW and other unions.
“The UAW is really standing up for communities across the country to make sure this transition benefits everyone,” added Ms. Janis.
Automakers have been making record profits for the past decade, but they can’t afford to lose time from layoffs in their careers to compete with Tesla and foreign automakers.
The three companies are already struggling to continue their electric car business. A new GM battery factory in Ohio has been slow to produce batteries, delaying electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup and other vehicles. Ford this year had to suspend production of its electric F-150 Lightning in February after a battery caught fire in one of the pickups parked near the factory for quality testing. And Stellantis won’t start selling any fully electric vehicles in the United States until next year.
Those problems and Tesla’s growing sales could put the union in a strong position to secure a good deal.
On Thursday, in a sign that automakers are willing to go further than ever, GM offered a 20 percent pay raise over four years. That’s half of what the union is seeking but more than workers have received in recent contracts. President Biden on Friday strongly supported the union in remarks at the White House. The administration is pouring billions into programs to promote electric vehicles and doesn’t want the strike to delay a centerpiece of its climate policy.
Despite all the money automakers have made in recent years, their executives have expressed deep concern about the growth of electric vehicles, which make up 7 percent of the US new car market right now. this year and is on track to surpass sales of one million this year. Managers are well aware that traditional firms like theirs have a poor track record of maintaining dominance after major technological changes. Witness the way Apple sidelined Nokia and Motorola as cellphones became smartphones.
Auto company executives and most industry analysts underestimate how quickly electric cars will catch on and are not confident in predicting how sales, which have been huge recently, will grow in the future. “I don’t think anyone can perfectly predict what the adoption will be,” said Mary T. Barra, the chief executive of General Motors, in an interview with The New York Times last month.
Speaking on “CBS Mornings” on Friday, Ms. Barra argued that excessive wage increases would hurt GM’s ability to continue making cars with internal combustion engines while also making electric cars. “This is a critical moment where investment is very important,” he said.
However, unions and their supporters are unlikely to express much sympathy for auto executives. Ms. Barra, Mr. Ford’s Farley and Stellantis’ chief executive, Carlos Tavares, have earned tens of millions of dollars in compensation packages over the years. The company’s shareholders are rewarded with dividends and share buybacks.
Unions “won’t have a lot of patience for sob stories,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars.com, an online marketplace.
Adjusted for inflation, wages for autoworkers in the United States have fallen 19 percent since 2008, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning research group.
At the same time, union officials are aware of changes in the industry and say they don’t want to handicap GM, Ford and Stellantis as the companies try to regain ground lost to Tesla, which has aggressively fought attempts to unite them. factories. Detroit’s automakers also face challengers like Rivian, a start-up that makes electric pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in Illinois, as well as foreign-owned rivals like Mercedes -Benz and Toyota, whose US factories, mostly in the South, are non-union.
“That’s the biggest challenge here,” added Mr. Brauer, “trying to commit to a long-term contract in an industry that is uncertain and unpredictable for the next five years.”
Union supporters say it’s wrong to blame workers if traditional carmakers can’t compete with Tesla and other rivals.
“If you look at the breakdown of what it costs to build an EV, manufacturing is a very small part of the equation. Batteries are the biggest,” said Ms. Janis of Jobs to Move America. “This idea that the UAW will price Ford, GM and Stellantis out of the market is untrue.”
But other analysts said the lengthy work stoppage could help Tesla and foreign automakers gain ground on GM, Ford and Stellantis.
“If something happens to disrupt their business, does that help emerging electric vehicle makers?” said Steve Patton, whose overseas consulting firm EY works with auto companies. “Who will benefit if there is a prolonged strike?”


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Thousands of men and women in the nation's military and diplomatic corps are serving abroad during the holidays.
The Postal Service offers a reduced price of $17.40 on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box for mail sent to APO/FPO/DPO destinations worldwide - a $1.50 discount from the regular price. The Postal Service is expected to process more than 16.2 million pounds of mail for these destinations this holiday season.
To ensure timely delivery, the Postal Service recommends that cards and packages be sent to APO/FPO/DPO addresses overseas no later Dec. 11 for cards, letters and priority mail packages and Dec. 18 for priority mail express military service, available to most destinations.
Free military boxes and supplies are available. The Postal Service has created a free military care kit based on the items most frequently requested by military families. The kit contains address labels, tape, boxes and customs forms. To order the kit, call 800-610-8734. To order flat-rate boxes featuring the "America Supports You" logo, go to usps.com/freeboxes.
For more information on mailing packages and letters to military or diplomatic personnel, search for "military mail" at usps.com.


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VentureCrowd, a startup that has developed an online portal for connecting entrepreneur-minded students at universities, on Tuesday launched with its first customer, Northeastern University.
Two of VentureCrowd's co-founders are Northeastern alumni — Ryan Johnson (master's in technological entrepreneurship, 2012) and Bret Siarkowski (bachelor's in electrical engineering, 1987). The startup has a third co-founder who is not being identified.
VentureCrowd also has the Northeastern's Center for Research and Innovation as an investor; the center provided a seed round in August (the amount isn't being disclosed).
Johnson said the aim is to connect students from different areas of a university — such as in business, software development or design — with each other for the purpose of forming new ventures.
"In order to have a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem, we realized we needed to design a platform that could bridge these departmental silos," he said.
The site launched in connection with Global Entrepreneurship Week, and the plan is to bring the platform to additional universities in the Boston area so long as it proves successful at Northeastern, Johnson said. VentureCrowd had been in open beta since mid-October at the university, he said.


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If You Live Here, Authorities Are Now Limiting How Much Alcohol You Can Buy
Supply shortages have forced local officials to ration certain products on the shelves.
Whether it's enjoying a glass of wine with dinner or catching up with friends over happy hour cocktails, being able to enjoy your alcoholic beverage of choice can be an easy way for people to unwind at the end of the day. But thanks to ongoing shortages, some popular products are beginning to go missing from inventories. Now, authorities in one state are limiting how much of some types of alcohol customers can buy due to dwindling supplies. Read on to see which place is rationing certain beloved bottles.
RELATED: Major Airlines Are Banning This One Thing on All Flights.
Pennsylvania authorities are limiting the sale of certain types of alcohol.
At this point in the pandemic, shortages of many everyday items have become relatively common thanks to disruptions in global supply chains. But if you live in Pennsylvania, you may not be able to get as much of your go-to tipple as authorities in the state have begun to limit the amount of certain types of alcohol customers can purchase.
As of Sept. 17, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) announced that it would be rationing specific products, barring customers from buying more than two bottles per day and setting caps on how much restaurants and bar owners could purchase. "These bottle limits are preventative measures to fairly distribute products and minimize out-of-stock situations, which will vary by location," Shawn Kelly, press secretary for the PLCB, said in a statement.
The list of rationed items includes certain bourbon, champagne, cognac, tequila, and whiskey brands.
In total, the list includes 43 specific products that will be restricted "for the foreseeable future." And while the cited products only constitute about two percent of the state's full set of offerings, it does touch upon a broad range of styles, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Currently, rationed products include everything from bourbon and cognac to tequila and whiskey—and even champagne. Higher-end household brand names such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Hennessy, Don Julio, Buffalo Trace, and Patrón make up the bulk of the list of controlled bottles.
The shortages may affect your next bar outing or large event in the state.
The new daily limits may come across as inconvenient to retail customers trying to stock up on their favorites. But local business advocates warn that the most significant burden will likely fall on bars, restaurants, and caterers that depend on higher volume purchases to keep their inventories stocked, as well as anyone looking to throw their own large party or event, such as a wedding.
"Supply and labor issues are not helping with recovery" from the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association said in a statement, arguing for more support from the PLCB as the sole controlling body of the state's beer, wine, and spirits. "We hope the Legislature will take all of this into consideration when they return to Harrisburg. The industry still needs help moving forward."
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Other states have also been experiencing major alcohol shortages lately.
Pennsylvania isn't alone when it comes to a dearth of boozy beverages. Just last month, North Carolina, Ohio, Vermont, and South Dakota all reported experiencing alcohol shortages thanks to a lack of everything from required packaging and labels to warehouse workers and delivery truck drivers. The supply chain issues, coupled with an increased demand brought on by bar and restaurant reopenings, have strained resources across the industry.
"If you take a look at stories that have come out from around the country because of COVID-19, supply chains have been disrupted, production has been disrupted," Kelly said. "In some cases, there have been shortages of cans and bottles."


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(Reuters) – A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan.
Investor hopes that global inflation is finally on the wane or that central banks can relax were thrown a curve ball by Britain on Wednesday even as oil prices continued to ebb.
With markets awaiting minutes from last month’s U.S. Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday, double-digit UK inflation readings for July cut across the global ‘peak inflation’ narrative and suggest central banks may have to do more to control it.
UK consumer price rises topped 10% for the first time since 1982 – well ahead of forecasts, before fresh energy price hikes domestically and adding pressure for bigger Bank of England interest rate rises. While UK inflation had already been forecast to rise to 13% later this year, the strength of the price moves last month was jarring.
The fresh angst sent 2-year UK government bond yields to their highest in 14 years and spurred interest rate markets around the world, even in the United States. New Zealand’s central bank also announced its fourth consecutive half-point interest rate rise on Wednesday, with a promise of more rate rises to come there.
The British surprise adds to a series of conflicting signals on global inflation and growth – especially from the United States.
Tuesday’s U.S. soundings included dire housebuilding data for July but rapid growth in manufacturing and upbeat earnings readouts from retailers such as Walmart, whose stock jumped 4% as it upped its outlook while flagging deep discounting to clear inventories.
That all tees up Wednesday’s release of U.S. retail sales data for July and more retailer earnings from the likes of Target.
More soothing for inflation worriers was the ongoing decline in oil prices as Brent crude fell again on Wednesday to its lowest since before the Ukraine invasion in February.
Global demand worries and hopes of a revived Iran nuclear deal weighed on prices.
On the markets dashboard ahead of the open, S&P500 futures are a touch lower while U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar are firmer. The VIX index of equity market volatility remains subdued below 20. Asia and European stocks were mixed earlier, with Japan’s Nikkei outperforming and closing at its highest in seven months.
Key developments that may provide market direction on Wednesday:
* US Jul retail sales
* Fed releases minutes from July policy meeting – 1800 GMT
* US 20-year Treasury auction
* US earnings: Lowes, Target, Cisco
(Graphic: UK inflation rate hits double digits, https://graphics.reuters.com/BRITAIN-ECONOMY/INFLATION/lgpdwyqkjvo/chart_eikon.jpg)
(Graphic: US vs Euro zone inflation, https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/mypmnexrevr/One.PNG)
(Graphic: Forecast for 2022 oil demand, https://graphics.reuters.com/GLOBAL-OIL/egvbkdqwbpq/chart.png)
(By Mike Dolan; Editing by Toby Chopra)


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Zero Hedge points out that consumer credit is dropping so fast that old assumptions about consumption are way out of whack. Too bad over 70% of the U.S. economy depends on consumption. A couple of prominent economists at VoxEU voice the verboten view that, actually, the economy is headed down FASTER than it was during the Great Depression and the subsequent economic situation could well be worse. Scary! And that's it for the day. Enjoy.
Alex Salkever is the Director of Research at Piqqem.com, a stock prediction community powered by user sentiments and the Wisdom of Crowds.


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DC Comics has released the fourth issue in its Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point mini-series, giving fans the latest installment in the expanded storyline, as well as a code to redeem the Deathstroke Glider for free. Only two issues remain in the series, with the fifth issue scheduled for release shortly after the next Fortnite season arrives.
Epic teamed with DC Comics to release a limited comic book series based on the event we saw in past Fortnite seasons. The storyline revolves around Batman after Agent Jones enters his dimension and brings him to the battle royale island. Batman doesn’t remember who he is or how he got to the island.
The comic books shed light on aspects of the battle royale game storyline that is missing from the actual game, giving fans more insight into the Zero Point plot. The comic books also tie into the Batman universe, which has had multiple crossovers with Epic’s hit game. The fourth issue in the Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point comic book series was released on June 1.
As with the previous issues, the comic book — both print and digital editions — comes with a code that can be redeemed for a Fortnite in-game item. This issue comes with the Deathstroke Destroyer Glider, which goes with the Deathstroke skin that arrived in the Fortnite Item Shop on June 1. The next two issues will offer Harley Quinn’s Revenge Back Bling and the Batarang Axe Pickaxe.
Assuming you get all six issues in the comic book series and you redeem each code, you’ll unlock the Armored Batman Zero skin on July 6 when the last issue is released. The digital edition is available to paying DC Universe Infinite subscribers who are located in the US and who aren’t in the free trial period.


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Japan's Fast-Fashion Frenzy (JC Report)
"Japanese consumers have fallen head over heels for cheap clothing and may never turn back."
The Gap's Resurgence: Great Start to the Holiday Season (Seeking Alpha)
At Gap, "spending is up significantly" for November 2008 compared to last November.
Retailers Will Find It Hard to Keep Shoppers' Attention This Year (Seeking Alpha)
Though Black Friday sales were impressive in the US, many analysts think that consumers wouldn't be able "to sustain their buying frenzy for the duration of the holiday season."
People lining up to purchase goods at Topshop in Tokyo, photo courtesy of jcreport.com.


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The management team at Incisive Media, the business publisher that owns titles including Legal Week, Investment Week, the British Journal of Photography and Search Engine Watch, has made a £199m offer to buyout the company, backed by private equity firm Apax Partners.
Today's bid, which is being recommended to shareholders by the company's independent directors, will make multimillionaires of chief executive Tim Weller and his team, who hold 11% of the business.
Mr Weller, who set up the business 12 years ago, said he was disappointed to take the company private again, added that it has been prevented from taking part in the industry's consolidation by an inability to raise cash in the public markets.
"We have made concerted efforts to try and consolidate the market and yet even with our performance our share price relative to our peer group has been discounted," he said. "Apax has made it clear that they want to invest in the business to get it to the next stage."
Incisive's chairman Mike Masters said the independent directors had rejected an early approach from Apax in August as too low, but added the new deal is "a fair price". At 195p per share, however, the bid is a mere 13% premium to yesterday's closing price.
Mr Masters said the bid is a 23% premium to the average share price over the past three months and a 26% premium compared with the average price over the last year.
But he admitted the Apax offer could flush out other bidders. "There could be other offers coming in, [but] at least we have a starting price," he said.
Mr Masters also took a potshot at the City's inability to see the value of Incisive - which has recorded annual earnings per share growth upwards of 20% for the past six years.
He said management had been looking to spend upwards of £100m buying titles in the business to business publishing market but could not use its share price or the debt markets to fund such a move.
"Incisive wanted to be to be a leader of the consolidation in the business to business sector but has been hindered by, amongst other things, funding constraints in the public markets," he added. "Despite the best efforts of the executive team the share price simply has not performed"


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Canon shows forthcoming RF lenses including radical 70-200mm F2.8 IS
Alongside the EOS RP, Canon has announced the next six lenses it plans to introduce for its RF mount. Don't be fooled by the timing: although they are being announced with the RP most of these lenses are not being targeted at entry-level or even mass-market customers.
Canon has already said it's working on a full frame mirrorless camera aimed at professionals, and most of today's development announcements make clear it intends to have appropriate lenses ready to suit it. All six lenses will be formally launched by the end of 2019, the company says.
Details are pretty scant right now (technically Canon is only announcing its intention to develop these lenses), but mockups of all six were on show at the pre-launch RP event.
Camrote version 1.2.0 adds new zoom and time-lapse capabilities to select Sony camera systems.
A new type of ultra-thin lens uses a large number of microstructures to focus light onto a sensor.


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In February 2016, Sony announced three “GM” lenses, and now according to the latest rumors from SR4, Sony will also announce six more new FE lenses this year. These lenses will start shipping in early 2017.
Three new announced “GM” lenses are now available for pre-order!
- Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM lens Pre-order at Amazon| B&H| Adorama| eBay
- Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM lens Pre-order at Amazon| B&H| Adorama| eBay
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS telephoto zoom (Pre-order at B&H)
Read More: Sony lens Rumors


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Under normal circumstances, handling a recall repair was relatively simple. You received a notice in the mail, then took your car to the nearest dealership for the necessary repairs. However, in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, consumers across the country are wondering how the outbreak will impact the auto recall repairs process, and if it’s even safe to take the car to receive the repairs it needs. Let’s take a closer look at how the current outbreak—and the safety measures in place to curb the spread of the virus—may affect the recall repairs process.
Dealerships are Considered “Essential Businesses”
One main concern that consumers often have is that dealerships will be closed for the next few months, making it impossible for recall repairs to be made. However, dealerships and automotive repair facilities are still considered to be essential businesses, and many of them remain open throughout this global health crisis. So, if you receive a notification about a recall to your vehicle, call the dealership to ask about their hours of operation, as they may have been altered a bit during this time.
Car Repairs are Important Right Now
While you may think that it’s not necessary to repair your vehicle right now, especially if you are working from home and spending little time on the road, it’s important to to realize that proper vehicle maintenance is essential. First, think about how important the repair is to your safety; if it’s a minor cosmetic issue, it can certainly wait. However, if it’s a serious matter, like a faulty airbag or other safety issue, it may be worth it to seek the necessary repair sooner rather than later. You may need to weigh the pros and cons of risking exposure to the virus to obtain the repairs versus waiting on the repair but exposing yourself and passengers to potential danger in the future.
Mitigating Your Exposure to the Virus
If you decide to seek the recall repair, make sure you ask the dealership what steps it is taking to protect its employees and its customers from exposure to the virus. Most dealerships have been vocal about practicing social distancing, limiting the number of customers at the dealership, and making concerted efforts to disinfect and sanitize all surfaces frequently. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask when you visit the dealership, do so. Ultimately, if you don’t feel comfortable visiting the dealership right away, it’s completely fine to wait a few more weeks (or months) to obtain the repair.
Lemon Law Partners, LLP is dedicated to helping consumers throughout the Oakland or Greater Bay Area successfully resolve their lemon law cases. To learn more about your rights under California Lemon Law, call (510) 944-0336 now to schedule a free case evaluation.


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Adapteva $99 parallel processing boards targeted for summer
Effective corporate governance employs multiple strategies, study says
The most effective corporate governance occurs when a mix of complementary mechanisms that include CEO incentive alignment and both internal and external monitoring mechanisms are present, according to a new study from Penn ...
Controversy over tax maneuver might help spur reforms, professor says
In recent years, a number of U.S.-based corporations with significant international holdings have shifted their headquarters overseas in an attempt to lower their tax bills. At 35 percent, the U.S. nominal corporate tax rate ...
Concentrator solar cell with world's highest conversion efficiency of 44.4%
Sharp Corporation has achieved the world's highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 44.4%, using a concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell. These solar cells are used in a lens-based concentrator ...
IBM to invest $1b in Linux, open-source
IBM said Tuesday it would invest $1 billion in new Linux and open source technologies for its servers in a bid to boost efficiency for big data and cloud computing.
Researchers at Toshiba design quantum network for secure communications
New technology protects against password theft and phishing attacks
New technology launched today by Royal Holloway University, will help protect people from the cyber attack known as "phishing," believed to have affected 37.3 million of us last year, and from online password theft, which ...
Internet address system upgrade likely to be smooth
The Internet is set for a major upgrade in the coming week, but if all goes well, users won't even know it's happening.
IBM introduces new powerful mainframe computers
IBM on Tuesday introduced a new line of mainframe computers the company calls its most powerful and technologically advanced ever.
Mid-2013 expansion for Internet names targeted (Update)
Hundreds of Internet address suffixes to rival ".com" should be available for people and businesses to use by the end of the year, the head of an Internet oversight agency said Monday.
How Apple's phantom taxes hide billions in profit
On Tuesday, Apple is set to report financial results for the second quarter. Analysts are expecting net income of $9.8 billion. But whatever figure Apple reports won't reflect its true profit, because the ...
Apple paid only 2 pct tax on earnings outside US (Update)
Apple Inc. paid an income tax rate of only 1.9 percent on its earnings outside the U.S. in its latest fiscal year, a regulatory filing by the company shows.
Suitable Technologies set to market new 'Beam' Remote Presence Device
SpaceX poised for high-stakes space station launch
SpaceX on Saturday aims to become the first private company to send its own cargo ship to the International Space Station, a feat that only a handful of world governments have pulled off.


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MIREMS works to make diverse voices accessible by providing translated summaries of web, print, ratio and TV news, advertising and advertorials.
African American: "P&G's Marc Pritchard: 'We are reinventing the agency models to get the best creativity'"
Baton Rouge's Weekly African American source The Drum reports:
P&G chief marketing officer Marc Pritchard says the company's new dedicated agency – which will break ground by bringing talent from competing holding groups together under one roof – will improve not just the company's bottom line but also its creative output. The 'People First' agency will operate from P&G’s New York office, led by Andrea Diquez, chief executive of Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi. It will combine Publicis talent with that of WPP and Omnicom to work on P&G's North American fabric care brands including Ariel, Tide and Gain. Speaking to The Drum in the wake of the shock announcement, Pritchard reveals how the model came to be – and how he anticipates it will function. "What we are now doing is reinventing the agency models so we can get the absolute best creativity and do it in a way that will grow our brands and the business of our agencies as well," he says. "We see this as a joint value creation opportunity." (10/04/2018)
Chinese: "Facebook and Instagram outlined the steps they have taken to prevent drug sales"
New York's Chinese web source World Journal reports:
There are a lot of hashtags relating to painkillers, opioids and addiction, among others. Thousands of pictures show people being addicted to these drugs, showing off their party life, etc. Users can find drugheads and their posts easily - this is Instagram's algorithm for ads. Next to these ads, there are posts from brands including Target, Chase, P&G, et cetera. (27/09/2018)
African American: "P&G – not the first brand to attempt WTF trademarking"
The Drum a weekly African American source from Baton Rouge reports:
Procter & Gamble’s attempt to connect with a millennial audience by trademarking acronyms such as WTF, LOL and NBD has raised eyebrows, but the practice of laying brand claim to everyday slang is not as unusual as it may seem. P&G has filed to trademark LOL (laugh out loud), WTF (what the fuck), NBD (no big deal) and FML (fuck my life). Initially reported in AdAge, the news has drawn the attention of global outlets such as the BBC and Bloomberg, which have questioned if owning such colloquialisms will really entice a younger customer base. David Born, director of entertainment licensing firm Born Licensing, agrees that P&G’s interest in the acronyms is driven by a millennial targeting strategy that a number of brands are actively undertaking. "This also appears to be the reason why we are seeing emojis almost everywhere we turn, whether on products or in advertising,” he said. “We recently worked with Just Eat who licensed emojis as part of their Real Reviews campaign, and have a number of other advertisers that have shown interest in using emojis as a way to communicate with their target audience." (24/08/2018)


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The Government should pay greater attention to motor retailers because of their numbers and the amount they contribute to the UK economy.
Peter Johnson, made the call at last night's Retail Motor Industry Federation annual dinner in London.
The RMI's deputy chairman told guests the retail sector employs 600,000 people and contributes £50 billion to the annual economy.
"Too often government listens intently to the manufacturing sector but takes scant account of the interests of retailers.
"I would suggest given the importance to the economy of these 8,000 businesses, that needs to change."
He also said the National Franchised Dealers Association (a part of the RMI) is continuing to lobby "both in Westminster and Brussels...seeking a level playing field with our manufacturer partners".
Expanding on the issue, NFDA director Sue Robinson said it had been clear from attending party conferences in the summer that MPs were ignorant of the investment - and impact - of dealer network on local economies.
"I asked MPs if they had visited dealerships in their constituencies. The answer was no. But you'd think understanding the local impact of dealers' contribution you'd be important in the run up to elections."
On the significant and on-going issue of the manufacturer code of conduct, Robinson said that in appealing to the UK government to put more pressure on manufacturers to enter a dialogue with dealers on the issue she had been told "we would if Europe told us we should".
"We want the UK to understand that there are two parties involved in motor retailing in the UK and there should be more equality in the voice that gets heard and the attention dealer receive," she said.
On the issue of the potential initiation of a "legally binding solution" by the European Commission to improve relations between franchised dealers and manufacturers (part of the CARS2020 project), Robinson said was on hold while manufacturers agreed to talks. "ACEA said it was very difficult to even get the manufacturers together to agree on their position."


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Today I would like to share some potential good news for consumers concerned about media consolidation and reduced competition in the broadband market for high speed Internet access. After AT&T accidentally posted public comments to the FCC proving that it’s merger with T Mobil USA was really about reducing competition and consumer choice, firing workers and raising prices opposition to Ma Bell‘s proposed merger that would set consumers and the wireless market back 30 years is growing. For most of the twentieth century AT&T had a monopoly over wire-line communications in the market for telephone service but its Ma Bell monopoly was fortunately broken up in 1984 by the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division to increase competition and provide consumers more choice. Unfortunately in the 2000s the FCC and US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division chose to revisit that decision and made a historic mistake when they allowed AT&T to reconstitute Ma Bell by re-merging with two of the original Baby Bells SBC Communications and Bell South that had been part of the Ma Bell system. Now if the mergers involving AT&T Mobility, T Mobil USA and Qualcomm were to proceed it would set consumers and the telecommunications market back another 30 years with AT&T and Verizon Wireless controlling nearly 80% of the wireless market. Effectively AT&T and Verizon Wireless would have a near duopoly of the wireless market for post-paid cellular phone services and the mobile broadband market. Today the wireless market is already an anti competitive oligopoly and the wire-line broadband market for fixed high speed Internet access is a duopoly of big cable and phone companies that has gotten worse with Qwest acquiring US West and now merging with CenturyLink. To allow more consolidation in either the wireless or fixed wire-line markets will result in even fewer consumer choices, higher prices, reduced investment and the potential for more market abuse and ISP discrimination online.
Therefore I oppose Ma Bell’s plans to monopolize the Internet and all our communications technologies. I have seen through their empty rhetoric promising that if their allowed to merge it would magically result in increased consumer choice and that they would provide universal access to broadband. Ma Bell wants to create an anti consumer and anti competitive Ma Cell and they must be stopped before it’s too late.
I also have serious concerns about Time Warner Cable the nation’s second largest cable provider for high speed Internet and digital cable TV service buying Insight Communications the ninth largest cable provider of broadband and digital cable TV service in the country. Previously I have also spoken out against the Comcast NBCU merger that was unfortunately approved For it’s anti competitive and anti consumer harms. However, I am pleased because of it’s approval of that merger that the FCC despite opposition by cable companies is strengthening carriage rules.
I worry about not just telecom companies discriminating online but cable providers as well with cable companies setting up unfair bandwidth caps online to discourage consumers from using services from often smaller competitors providing alternative video related services online. The cable companies cannot offer cheap a la carte programming options nor can the satellite TV providers obligated by programmers to bundle channels by the major broadcast and cable TV networks making consumers pay for channels they may not even watch. To this end they might try two things that might be unfair for consumers. First of all since cable companies also provide broadband in addition to their basic and digital cable services they might discriminate against a la care offerings online by capping the bandwidth of users subscribing to their broadband services but exempt their own services unfairly from competitors. Second create proprietary online services for viewing video online and discourage consumers from cutting the cord by bundling online TV offerings with their paid TV offerings requiring consumers pay for bundled channels.
Already a number of paid TV providers to this end have launched TV Everywhere online services for video requiring authentication so only consumers who subscribe to digital cable or satellite TV that have bundled channels can watch TV online. In fact Time Warner Cable and satellite TV provider Dish Network have created native mobile applications for Apple’s iPad devices to stream live TV channels to Apple’s iPads so you can watch TV also on your iPad. However, since it is part of TV Everywhere you can only watch TV programs using their apps on your iPad if you pay either provider for their TV services. TV Everywhere providers are trying to create a walled garden where you can freely watch live TV streamed to an iPad or other devices as long as you don’t cancel your cable or satellite.
On the issue of broadcast retransmission I often side with the TV providers over the greedy programmers wanting the providers to pay them more each time their retransmission contacts are up for renewal. In fact I have supported Time Warner Cable’s Roll Over or Get Tough web campaign urging them to get tough with programmers as any increase in the fees they have to pay programmers would have to be passed on unfairly to consumers. I have even supported Time Warner Cable’s I Want My TwCable TV app web campaign telling greedy programmers wanting providers to pay them more letting consumers stream programs to an iPad that they should not be double dipping. Instead of price gouging providers and consumers the few greedy TV networks should join the supportive TV networks who are allowing their programs to be streamed by providers to iPads using apps like Time Warner Cable’s TWCable TV app and Dish Network’s DISH Remote Access for no additional fees. After all paying for TV even if you don’t have a DVR/HD DVR and video on demand and/or premium movie channels is still expensive because of bundled channels.
One thing I don’t like in the TV market is the lack of customization of digital cable boxes and satellite TV boxes as you cannot install your own software, change the user interface etc. I have been using Apple Macs with Front Row which was unfortunately discontinued for Mac users in OS X Lion but can continue to use it with my MacBook Pro running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and do plan to do so. I have chosen not to upgrade to Lion so I can keep using Front Row which in my opinion is the best media center software for the Mac available as it has a great user interface. I have also seen Windows Media Center which is more sophisticated than Front Row as it allows users with TV Tuners in their computers to record live TV via Media Center.
Personally I prefer an application called Virtual Dub though when using Windows PCs for capturing and editing TV programs. I like Boxee and the original Apple TV which let’s you sync content to the device as opposed to the new streaming only model of Apple TV. I think streaming is a great idea but the new streaming only modeI of Apple TV is more limited than the original model which I have. I would prefer syncing and streaming as opposed to the new model’s streaming only emphasis. Both the original Apple TV and the new streaming only model use a Front Row like user interface for navigating and accessing content.
I know Dish Network offers their subscribers Google TV but don’t know why anyone even using Dish Network that wants Google TV would pay Dish Network more for having Google TV when they can simply buy a set top box like the Logitech Revue that comes with Google TV software on their own and use it.


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Geely chief builds $9 bln stake in Germany's Daimler
Steve Jobs' pre-Apple job application expected to raise $50000 at auction
Samsung Max launches as a new tool for privacy protection, data savings
A weird Parkland conspiracy video topped YouTube's trending list
Nintendo 3DS had its best January sales since 2013
Safer Internet Day: Club backing worldwide initiative
08 February 2018, 09:37 | Megan Pierce
Today February 6th is Safer Internet Day
Sarah Badley is one of Dorset Police's safer schools officers.
EE is marking Safer Internet Day by announcing rolling out specialist online safety training for staff in its 600 retail stores up and down the UK.
Helen Westerman, the charity's campaigns manager, said: "Children love being in the online space". Finally, as they become ready to graduate as digital citizens, they will be prepared with online financial literacy and cyber crime concepts so that they are future ready. "By utilizing the insight presented in this report, and by implementing the clear recommendations, we can help to ensure that we maximize the vast opportunities provided by digital technology to children, whilst minimizing the risk of harm, for the benefit of all in Sri Lanka" added Mr. Sutton.
"Children aren't emotionally mature enough to navigate all of those risks".
In an ideal world we'd expect good parents to already be doing things like this but that isn't always the case.
The NSPCC workshops include information on apps and their suitability to different age groups, how to manage children's usage of phones and how parents can be positive role models themselves.
We are proud to partner with governments, the private sector and non-government organisations to help keep girls, boys, women and men safe online.
USA official warns of growing threat from North Korea
China has 300 warheads, making it the world's fifth nuclear power, after the US, Russia, United Kingdom, and France. Much of the regime's coal and fuel shipments passed through Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, or Russian ports.
Helen said more and more children are contacting Childline with issues stemming from social media.
The ability to surf freely means children could potentially have access to a wealth of age-inappropriate content, which not only a poses a risk to their own safety and personal data, but also that of their family.
Meanwhile, also to mark Safer Internet Day, cybersecurity company TrendMicro has launched its seventh annual youth internetsafety video competition.
Much has been made recently about the growing issue of technology addiction among young people and teenagers, and the importance of education and healthy boundaries online is vital. "For some people that's great, it gets people connected, but for other children it's really isolating and risky". For certain sites, like YouTube and Instagram, there are quite nuanced settings available that you can set for individual accounts, so be sure to check the settings when your child is setting up the account. A lot of the content isn't suitable for under 18s.
She said: "As today's figures show, the internet can and does have a positive effect on young people's lives but we must all recognise the dangers that can be found online". It can help to assume that they want to use technology safely, responsibly and positively, but sometimes may struggle with that and need your support.
To make it easier for parents to discuss internetsafety with their children, EE has also teamed with Internet Matter to develop "The New Talk".
Brokers Opinions on: The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS)
The Walt Disney Company's Average Earnings Estimate for the current quarter is $1.76, according to consensus of 7 analysts. It dived, as 90 investors sold DIS shares while 649 reduced holdings. 97 funds opened positions while 258 raised stakes.
Jaguar Land Rover Sales in US, Europe Weigh on Tata Profit
Its Ebitda margin stood at 9.0%.· Further, it made an investment of Rs 1,021 crore in products, platforms and technologies. On NSE, shares of the company tumbled 5.14 % to end at ₹375.45. "The company is getting aggressive on all fronts.


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- "Covid is surging again across the country," CEO Jeff Gennette said. "And that continues to impede our recovery."
- The United States has regularly been logging more than 100,000 daily new Covid infections in the past two weeks.
- Macy's said it has plans in place to close additional stores if necessary but is hopeful that won't be the case.
"Covid is surging again across the country," CEO Jeff Gennette said during a post-earnings call with analysts. "And that continues to impede our recovery, in international tourism and urban areas. And the supply chains have opened up, yet problems remain."
The retailer's online business, which grew 27% during the latest quarter, is expected to rise "at a very aggressive rate" and could expand even faster, depending on whether states and cities shutter stores again, Gennette added.
Macy's said its flagship stores like its Herald Square location in New York City have been hit hardest during the pandemic. The lack of tourists and office workers shopping over lunch breaks and after work has hurt traffic, he said.
One of the company's locations in El Paso, Texas, is closed due to a surge in cases there. Mall owner Simon Property Group said earlier this month it had been asked to shut down its Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso. The United States has regularly been logging more than 100,000 new daily Covid infections in the past two weeks.
Gennette said Macy's is monitoring other communities closely and has a strategy to work through additional store closures. "We are getting expert at this," he said. "We're ready to go, no matter what comes our way."
Gennette said he is optimistic consumers will be eager to get dressed up again, post-pandemic. The retailer's sales have declined with fewer people visiting its stores for work clothes, prom dresses and wedding gowns in 2020.
"A vaccination is obviously on everybody's mind, ... and I think there is going to be a surge of demand when that happens," he said.
People who "have been wearing the same clothes, lounging in active and in casual sportswear ... they're going to want to dress up," Gennette said.
Macy's shares were flat at midday Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the company reported a third-quarter, same-store sales decline of more than 20%. It said it expects same-store sales of owned and licensed stores to decline by a low- to mid-20s percentage during the fall.


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Good news for the Triangle came Tuesday when an online learning company announced that they will expand its Cary operation, creating 450 new jobs.
The company is Relias Learning who offers online occupational training and continuing education modules in health care, public safety and social services, including certification programs for states around the country. The company says more than 50 million of its courses have been taken nationwide. More details to follow.
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The Great Easter Egg Hunt
An Easter egg hunt in Leamington town centre this April is aiming to hatch a bit of fun while encouraging families to support their high street as lockdown restrictions ease.
Encompassing 50 shops, The Great Easter Egg Hunt will run from Thursday April 1 to Wednesday April 28 and will also introduce treasure hunters to some new businesses as well.
BID Leamington has organised two trails around the town centre where colourful eggs will be displayed in shop windows.
There are two ‘golden eggs’ to be found, one on each route. Once found, the treasure hunters just have to jot down the name of the shop onto the entry form to be entered into a grand prize draw to be in with a chance to win one of five £50 vouchers to be spent in Leamington Spa town centre shops.
There is also an adaptation of the trail online at www.loveleamington.com for those who cannot make it into the town centre.
The Great Easter Egg Hunt coincides with the planned reopening of shops on April 12, and Alison Shaw, BID Project Manager at BID Leamington, hopes it will encourage people back into the town.
She said: “We wanted to spread a bit of Easter fun around Leamington and give families a reason to come back into the town and visit our fantastic shops.
“It’s a great way for people to explore the town again, visit a wide range of retailers and enjoy themselves after what’s been a tough year.
“We hope plenty of people give The Great Easter Egg Hunt a go, and we’re looking forward to seeing our shops welcome back their customers once again.”
Treasure hunters can also view artwork from youngsters who participated in the ‘I Love Leamington’ campaign organised jointly with Go Go Makers, who asked children to create a self-portrait inside a heart – including the words ‘I Love Leamington’.
Their pictures are now on display in a selection of shop windows until April 6, and will then be displayed in the Royal Priors Shopping Centre after April 12.
Alison added: “We’re delighted with what the young artists have created. Their work and the Great Easter Egg Hunt will both help to encourage people into town as our shops reopen.”
Entry forms for the Great Easter Egg Hunt can be downloaded online at www.loveleamington.com, can be picked up from the white unit on the Lower Mall of Royal Priors, or can be found in the Leamington Observer. Forms will also be available from shops once they have re-opened. A post box for posting entries will be located at Coffee Break on the Upper Mall of Royal Priors, or entries can be posted directly to BID Leamington.
Closing date for postal and online entries is Wednesday, April 28 and the winner will be notified by Wednesday, 5 May.
Further information can be found on www.loveleamington.com.
Image: Alison Shaw (left) with Esquires owner Martin Brown.


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Supreme West Hollywood officially opened on Thursday and nobody died. In honor of the official opening at 8801 Sunset Boulevard in the heart of the Sunset Strip, the store offered a free sticker with purchase that paid tribute to the former Tower Records Store. The signature red and white boxed logo was changed to yellow and red using the colors of the former record store (the entities that own Tower Records wouldn’t let Supreme use the their name or logo on the building, so they used the colors as a nod to the store that means so much to local residents).
The new West Hollywood location brought back the classic Box Logo Tee commemorating the opening. The t-shirt is being sold in the classic red/white Box Logo design with “8801 Sunset Blvd/West Hollywood, CA 90069,” printed on the back in a stylized font.
Also, Supreme is not Supreme without the long lines of people waiting to get inside. The crowd was kept within the parking lot. Those who want to stand in line have to register first and a security guard did not allow people to linger on the sidewalk leading to the residential neighborhood located above the store.
Supreme bade a farewell to its Fairfax Avenue store after 19 years of serving the streetwear community in preparation of a new chapter for its flagship store in the City of West Hollywood. Over the weekend, the streetwear label teased the store’s launch with a video featuring a helicopter adorned in its signature colors, and then released photos of the new store.
A promo poster of the Supreme helicopter with the 8801 Sunset Blvd address is currently selling for an astounding $2,000 on Ebay.
The space, formerly Tower Records’ West Coast flagship, boasts a white backdrop and is adorned with a trio of oversized box logos. Clothing racks are located on the left side of the store to showcase outerwear, sweatshirts and bottoms, while the back wall features tees and headwear. Adjacent to the latter are three rows of various Supreme skateboard designs. The store also features a black checkout counter that houses accessories in a see-through case, a bench and art installations by collaborators Mark Gonzales, Nate Lowman, Josh Smith, Fuck This Life and Neckface, as well as its first fully free-floating skate bowl designed by Steven Badgett’s Simparch.
You have to register to schedule an appointment which can only be made during businesses hours. Hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday – Tuesday and from Thursday to Saturday (12:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m. on Sundays and closed on Wednesday). To be allowed to step a foot inside the parking lot you can register by scanning to QR code below:


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An online auction featuring mine and quarry equipment hosted by IronPlanet on 6 December generated auction sales of over US$ 13.6 million. The online auction, which featured nearly 600 items, attracted buyers from around the world. There was significant level of interest from Australia and New Zealand.
“It was one of IronPlanet’s most successful auctions to date,” says Graeme McPherson, managing director for IronPlanet Australia, “...and a key indicator of the global demand for equipment, particularly of equipment for the mining environment.”
The top seller of the day was a 2002 Caterpillar D10R Track Dozer, which sold for US$354,000. Other equipment that sold well the online auction included 2002 Caterpillar D10R Track Dozer which sold for US$218,000 and a 1997 Caterpillar 657E Motor Scraper for which sold for US$206,000.
Australian and New Zealand buyers made the most of the online auction, trading on the current strength of the Australian currency. Successful bidders from the region purchased a number of large items, including a 2005 Caterpillar 953C Track Loader for US$66,000 and a 2005 Vermeer V120 Trencher at US$48,000. Other items including equipment attachments and spare parts were also bought by the Australasian bidders.
IronPlanet will be holding another two US-based auctions this year. The auctions are scheduled for 13 and 20 December.
IronPlanet Australia is planning their first locally-based auction on 14 February 2008, and is currently in the process of sourcing stock for the auction.
“We are expecting to have some ex-rental equipment in the February auction, as equipment rental companies begin to realign their fleets for the New Year. Ex-rental stock is sought after by buyers as it is generally been well-maintained and can have relatively low hours,” says McPherson.
“Contracting companies with equipment that is no longer providing a suitable return on investment will also find that selling online can be an effective way of regaining some value on depreciated equipment. Reconstruction and insolvency practitioners will also find it a valuable tool for managing the disposal of assets.”
Selling online provides an excellent opportunity for companies looking for alternate ways to sell used equipment. With traditional auctions, sellers are required to transport the equipment to the auction yard, and given the geography of a country like Australia the cost can be very high, particularly for large items. And if the item is then left unsold, more costs are incurred as the item has to be transported back to the seller’s premises. With online auctions, the equipment is sold from the seller’s yard, which means no additional costs are incurred by seller.
“Online auctions can provide a hassle-free, profitable sales channel,” explains McPherson. “They are not tied to a specific location or region and can reach a global audience of interested buyers. As a broader spectrum of buyers competes to “win” items, owners are able to realise better prices for their used equipment.”


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On the 2018 partner conference held by Lookout, mobco won the partner award for its achievements in securing mobile devices!
Lookout continues to invest in mobile intelligence to detect and counter attacks on mobile devices. This intelligence is used by mobco to further secure and protect data on mobile devices.
As stated by Mike Murray, VP at Lookout, the mobile device is ‘the’ place where malicious attacks take place these days. The device contains both all your personal and business data, logins and passwords. “You use your mobile device for two factor authentication”, clearly an interesting target for someone who wants to break into the services or network you use!
Many, if not all, of attacks on mobile are actually user initiated, without them knowing: phishing!
This remains one of the toughest question in the industry: how can we counter this without channeling all traffic back to our traditional network? As one of mobco’s design principles is to see the mobile device always on an outside network, it’s impossible to inspect every bit that’s being consumed by the mobile device.
Lookout is working on the next level of pro-active mobile protection against phishing to solve this. A welcome addition to our portfolio and yet another service that will help us protect your data and better secure your business!Another interesting fact: 3 awards were won by members of the Enterprise Mobility Expert Alliance!
Time for a short recap of Mobileiron Live 2018!
Together with a delegation of our customers and our EMEA partners we spent two days (and nights) in Berlin to learn about the latest evolution in UEM. UEM? Well, Gartner decided it’s time to change the acronym again, moving from Mobile Device Management to Enterprise Mobility Management, we now talk about Unified Endpoint Management! (Gartner report on UEM coming out soon)
Making a summary of every presentation would be impossible, but let me highlight a few of the conference take-aways.
To better protect your cloud services such as Salesforce or Office 365, Access is providing extra security. Access is not replacing your current IDP (in most cases ADFS), it adds an extra layer of device check (just like Sentry does for your mobile mail), and there’s more… Authenticator is a new feature that allows you to have seamless 2-factor authentication on your mobile device to access cloud services – on any device. Logging in on your desktop can trigger a notification on your mobile to ensure it’s really you! And than there’s SSO! Single Sign On – a much appreciated feature by every employee is now extended to cloud services on mobile devices thanks to Access!
With zero-touch deployment of Android devices and better support to secure ‘any’ app for business, Android is rapidly increasing its market share in enterprises. Google got the message and have launched several initiatives to provide enterprise features on a broad scale, not only linked to specific vendors or software. This basically means that the guidance we provided last year on Android app development is confirmed (native AppConfig methods are to be used). It doesn’t come as a surprise that with consumer market saturation, the enterprise business gains more attention.
With UEM we provide the business the perfect platform to rapidly deploy apps, secure content and improve productivity. But we also notice the business is not always aware of those possibilities and time to market is in many cases way too long. Call it our ‘mission’ for the next months to bring more business ideas on the table to inspire you. We have several off-the-shelve apps available, we can custom build apps, show partner apps and more. In the coming weeks we’ll be announcing new possibilities to move from “data+idea” to “mobile business with app” within a day…
macOS is growing fast and increased Q4 shipping with 10%! That’s a lot of new units, and a lot of those are going to the enterprise customers. Today we can manage a mac just like an iPad, it’s not only easy – but the good thing is that we know exactly how it needs to be done and the infrastructure to make it happen is already in place! Yes, that includes secure connections to the back-end systems, from wherever you are.
If you would like the conference presentations on a specific topic, please let us know! We’ll also be publishing more white papers in the coming weeks on integration with M365 and more.
See you soon,
the mobco team
On April 17th, a sunny spring Tuesday in Zürich, the member CEOs of the Enterprise Mobility Expert Alliance (EMEA) are welcomed by Philipp Klomp, CEO of Nomasis (nomasis.ch) at their headquarters. It’s time for a strategy update of the largest community of mobile IT experts in Europe!
The success of the alliance has been proven over the past years and created a clear benefit for the member companies AND their clients. “Expertise sharing was the main focus for the technical teams and resulted in a better customer service with quicker response times,” says Martin Blattmann, responsible for engineering and support at Nomasis.
Building upon the clear technical expertise benefit, the EMEA members agreed to shift gears and expand their collaboration model with a coordinated product and service offering. “Now it’s time to take EMEA to the next level!” stated Markus Adolph, managing partner and founder of EBF (ebf.de), representing the largest member of EMEA.
The benefits for the EMEA customers:
Ronan Murphy, CEO of CWSI (cwsi.ie) “With the updated alliance strategy we have basically set the golden standard for mobile IT projects.” The services provided by the members of the alliance are converging towards a high standard, valid across Europe. EMEA provides a quality label for expert services in mobile IT!
On top of the software that is acquired from top vendors in Enterprise Mobility, the members have all invested in niche solutions complementing the readily available software. “We fix the issues we encounter in enterprise implementations that requires specific development,” says Ulrik Van Schepdael, CEO mobco (mob.co). With the new EMEA strategy, the enterprise grade software solutions are now available to all customers across Europe.
The next step for EMEA is to put even more of a focus on the customer experience. EMEA members provide the best quality service, unequaled expertise and the broadest product portfolio to truly support mobile business transformation.
More information on the alliance can be found at emea.mobi .
Contact us for more information!
mobco is one of the founding members of the Enterprise Mobility Expert Alliance, EMEA.
This alliance is no holding structure or commercial vehicle, it brings together mobco alike companies from across Europe to share mobile expertise! In enterprises across Europe we often encounter similar challenges that mobile IT system integrators try solve in the best possible matter. Sharing expertise with Nomasis (Swiss), EBF (Germany) and CWSI (Ireland) has been proven to be very successful. All mobile IT engineers share a common communication platform, product experiences and most important, product validations are happening better and faster, thanks to the EMEA.
CIO Applications magazine spotted the biggest pool of mobile IT expertise and wrote a nice article about it you can find here.


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Ex-Lookers chief executive Andy Bruce and former chief operating officer Nigel McMinn have joined the board at car handover technology firm AutoBuzz after investing in the customer-focussed start-up.
Now the CEO and COO of SME fleet management specialist, Fleet Alliance, Bruce and McMinn want to help drive the rapid growth of the customer-facing retail tool – developed and operated by AutoComms Solutions – as well as helping to further develop the offering for the fleet and leasing space.
Speaking to AM about the project, Bruce said: “Our main focus remains very much our role at Fleet Alliance but we both spotted this piece of technology and realised that it had huge potential. Investing was an opportunity not to be missed.
“With new car supplies still struggling and long lead times the norm, this is a great solution to keep customers in the loop, driving retention and improving their retail experience.”
The AutoBuzz platform helps to keep customers excited about the arrival of their new vehicle with personalised and localised content throughout the post-order, pre-handover gap and has recently been adopted by Steven Eagell Group, JCB Group and Waylands Automotive.
“The technology has proven to positively impact customer satisfaction levels as well as selling additional products and services. The ROI to retailers and OEMs is hugely compelling,” said Bruce.
Commenting on the system’s potential roll-out into the fleet and leasing space, McMinn added: “We know the retail automotive space well, but we are now immersed in the fleet and leasing sector and AutoBuzz can easily support some key challenges in this world.
“Fleet managers and their drivers need a lot of information about their vehicle as well as its latest delivery updates.”
AutoComms Solutions chief executive and co-founder Ingram Sanders said his business was already benfitting from the addition of the car retail expertise brought to the board by Bruce and McMinn.
He said: “Myself and Nick Golding have been involved in retail automotive for ten years but the level of experience and insight that Nigel McMinn and Andy Bruce have is unbelievable and a massive coup for our business.
“We’re all very excited to see how we can develop the technology together at a time when maximising customer value and giving exceptional customer experience is a top priority being discussed at automotive board room level up and down the country.”
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“No such proposal is being considered in heavy industries ministry“Said Vice Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar. Parliament on Monday, referring to the ministry in charge of formulating policies for the auto industry. However, he added that the government is taking steps to promote the use of electric cars by reducing internal taxes and adding charging stations.
The response to lawmakers can be seen as part of the tug of war between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, which wants to boost local manufacturing, and Tesla, which urges India to allow it to import cars at a cheaper price before committing. to set up a factory in the field.
Tesla wrote last month to the transportation and industry ministries requesting that they lower import tariffs on electric cars to 40% from the current range of 60% -100%, Bloomberg News reported.
A Tesla factory to produce cars in India is “quite likely” if the electric car maker can start selling imported vehicles, CEO Musk said in a subsequent tweet.
@TeslaGong @ madan3 If Tesla can be successful with imported vehicles, it is very likely that there is a factory in India.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 1627068942000
Musk has for years shown his enthusiasm to enter one of the world’s most promising auto markets, but complained that Indian rules prohibit him from testing the waters first with imports, as high tariffs make Tesla cars “unaffordable. “.
Tesla is looking to foray into Asia’s third-largest economy, where electric vehicles account for less than 1% of annual car sales, compared to around 5% in China. Poor charging infrastructure and expensive cost have deterred large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in India, unlike in China, where Tesla established its first factory outside the US and now dominates electric car sales.
Those deterrents have also made Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the leading local automaker selling all other cars on Indian roads, despite the acceptance of electric cars in the nation.
“Unfortunately, currently available technology leads to electric cars being produced at a much higher cost than conventional cars,” Maruti president RC Bhargava said in the company’s annual report on Monday. “This, coupled with the lack of charging infrastructure, makes it very difficult to sell electric cars to people who can only afford small cars.”
Market penetration for electric vehicles will be “very small” given that only 5% of cars sold in India are priced above Rs 15 lakh ($ 20,169), said Bhargava, who heads the local Japan unit. Suzuki Motor Corp. Per capita income in India is just $ 2,000, 5% that of Europe and Japan, putting expensive electric cars out of reach for most consumers, he said.
These statistics have raised concerns that without progress in cleaning the roads of poorer nations, global warming will not stay below dangerous levels even as wealthier nations plan to phase out combustion-engine vehicles to combat climate change. climate change. Most EVs are sold in the US, China, and Europe, where state-backed purchase incentives and investments in charging infrastructure make it easier for customers to move away from combustion cars.
To achieve net zero emissions, Maruti will work on hybrid models, improve technology for cars that run on compressed natural gas and study biofuels, Bhargava said. “The use of hydrogen is also an interesting alternative and should be considered especially to reduce dependence on imported lithium.”