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It happened in September 2014 that Apple has unveiled its largest iPhone so far- the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus. It was biggest and also one of the most advanced smartphone till date. But even when it failed to integrate unique softwares to utilize the large display the iPhone 6 Plus showed the world that even the Apple phones can rule the phablet world. Now the second generation of the super-sized Apple phone along with the iPhone 6 with some cosmetic variation has been unwrapped with several surprising improvements.
The iPhone 6S is certainly an updated version of its flagship device with several noted features. Even though there is nothing drastically changed about the design, the display software has definitely been improved. The pressure-sensitive 4.7-inch display of the iPhone 6S and the 5.5 inch display of the 6S Plus is equipped with the 3D Touch which permits the user to press down on the screen to navigate to the new menus, activate shortcuts and to surf through the device in novel ways that is still unknown to the tech world. Incidentally after being layered with Ion-X that is used on the Apple Watch Sport, the device is less prone to bending.
When speaking about the build of the iPhone 6S and the 6S Plus, it uses a new Aluminum which Apple claims to be custom alloy. A new color variant is also added-Rose Gold which in the right light looks like pink to our eyes. The earlier said 3D Touch activates interaction in two ways, which Apple calls “peek” and “pop” . The “peek” allows you to press on icons and other buttons to lead us directly to the desired feature. For instance, when the camera app is pressed it gives you the option of taking a selfie and when Facebook is hard pressed it gives you the option of updating your status, taking a photo or even checking in.on the other hand “pop” lets you to pull up overlays of images and videos without having them being viewed on the entire screen.
The brand new offerings from Apple will be available in four color options including Silver, Space Grey, Gold and a new Rose Gold one with Aluminum finish. The regions where the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be available at launch are: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK and the US.
The iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus features 12 MP rear camera with support to 4K video recording. With the upgrade Apple claims that the devices will be having improved color accuracy, quicker autofocus and enhanced low light performance. The front snapper is a 5 MP one. An intriguing technology of lighting up the screen to act as a flash while using the front camera is also seen in these flagships. The device will also customize the color that it flashes to match the ambient lighting of the environment an image is being taken.
We are sure that you are going to be taking a lot more of images and videos as Apple has introduced the “live photos” feature which will capture a short clip of video alongside every photo that you take. This feature will be on by default and you can turn it off if you do not want it. The video apparently captures just a second and a half of every image. If you have enabled this feature on then it would be certainly eating up a lot of memory, wonder what Apple has to say to that.
Speaking about the internals the iPhone 6S runs on a new 64-bit processor with A9 and Apple claims that it will be 70% faster at CPU and 90% faster at GPU operations which is much quicker in contrast to the iphone 6's A8 processor. On the other hand the iPhone 6S Plus will also be powered by the same processor. The M9 co-processor in the iPhone 6S Plus and the 6S is, for the first time, embedded directly into the main A9 chip thus enabling always on 'Hey Siri' and you can now invoke Apple's virtual assistant without pressing any buttons. They will come with support for 23 LTE bands and faster LTE as well as Wi-Fi. The devices are also equipped with a new Touch ID fingerprint scanner that's twice as fast.
In terms of accessories, the new iPhone models will ship with new docks, leather and silicone covers. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be based on iOS 9, which will become available to existing iOS devices by September 16.
The price for the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus remain unchanged compared to their predecessors: $649 for the 16GB iPhone 6s, $749 for the 64GB iPhone 6s and 16GB iPhone 6s Plus, $849 for 128GB iPhone 6s and 64GB iPhone 6s Plus, and $949 for the 128GB iPhone 6s Plus (all US prices). There's no word yet on India price and also the launch date either.
Identical designs but with a bundle of new features
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Old Dominion Freight Line (NASDAQ: ODFL) is the most recent less-than-truckload carrier to implement a general rate increase (GRI). The carrier announced Thursday a 4.9% hike to rates under various class codes effective Jan. 3. The GRI will start two months ahead of a similar increase it installed earlier in 2021.
Less-than-truckload carriers typically issue GRIs annually to account for cost inflation throughout the network. The increases are applied to general tariff codes not under contract and vary by lane and shipment type. The stated percentage increase is an average of the overall impact the rate changes will have.
“This GRI will affect our class tariffs and is intended to partially offset the rising costs of real estate, new equipment, technology investments and competitive employee wage and benefit packages,” Todd Polen, VP of pricing services, stated in a press release.
Some of Old Dominion’s customers will also see “a nominal increase in minimum charges with respect to intrastate, interstate and cross-border lanes.”
Robust freight volumes and capacity tightness throughout trucking markets have allowed LTL carriers to drive yields higher. Many are using the favorable backdrop to find freight that better fits the network and carries higher margins. The yield initiatives have been evidenced in recent GRI announcements, which are rolling in earlier than the normal and at higher amounts than the first-quarter 2021 increases of 5% to 6%.
FedEx Freight (NYSE: FDX) customers will see a 5.9% GRI beginning Jan. 3 across most zones. The company will also implement a “no shipment tendered” surcharge “when a pickup is performed and no shipment is tendered to the carrier” on Jan. 17.
Forward Air (NASDAQ: FWRD) announced a 7.9% GRI but it won’t take effect until Feb. 1.
Old Dominion recently reported a continuation of strong growth trends through the first two months of the fourth quarter. Daily revenue increased 30% year-over-year in November, following a 36% jump in October. Tonnage was up 16% in October and 12% in November with yields nearly 17% higher in both months.
“At Old Dominion, we are committed to delivering our premium value proposition of on-time, claims-free service at a fair price,” Polen continued. “To satisfy our customers’ expectations and deliver on the promises we have made, we must continue to enhance our high-quality service network and systems.”
- Cass: High rates drive record freight costs
- Yellow Corp sees tonnage drop, yields surge in Q4
- Forward Air’s freight swap pushing shipment yields up

domain: news


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Ferrari has announced its new organisational structure that points towards its electrified future.
The Italian automaker already has the SF90 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) supercar and its yet-to-be revealed SUV known as the Purosangue with potential hybridisation, as well as two electric SUVs to reportedly follow.
Also in April 2021, then interim Ferrari CEO John Elkann confirmed Ferrari is definitely going to make an all-electric car, and it will be unveiled in 2025.
This organisational reshuffle is said to “nurture the exclusivity of the brad, enrich product excellence, stay true to its racing DNA and focus on the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2030.”
Ferrari has broadened its leadership team with the promotion of internal talent and has bolstered this with a number of external hires from technology backgrounds.
In particular, there are two new hires, Ernesto Lasalandra and Angelo Pesci, from French semiconductor manufacturing company STMicroelectronics.
This company produces a range of products for infotainment, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), 48V mild-hybrid systems and battery management systems (BMS), among others.
It’s uncertain if the Ferrari, with these new external hires’ prior knowledge, will begin exploring hybrid technology based on supercapacitors like Lamborghini did for its limited-production Sian.
“We want to push the boundaries further in all areas by harnessing technology in a unique Ferrari way,” said current Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna.
As part of this organisation restructure, Gianmaria Fulgenzi has been appointed chief product development officer.
Mr Fulgenzi has been working for Ferrari since 2002 and has held various senior roles in product development, manufacturing and more recently at its racing division, Scuderia Ferrari, as head of supply chain.
As mentioned before, Mr Lasalandra has previously worked for STMicroelectronics as group vice president and research and development (R&D) general manager where he gained over 20 years of experience within a high-tech environment.
Mr Lasalandra has been brought to Ferrari as chief R&D officer.
Rounding out the product development and R&D reshuffle, Philippe Krief will become Mr Lasalandra’s deputy.
Mr Krief is already working for Ferrari and has over 35 years of experience in the automotive sector.
With the promotion of Silvia Gabriella as chief digital and data officer, Ferrari says it is hoping to accelerate a digital transformation process throughout the company.
Ms Gabriella has been working with Ferrari since 2019 and has previously worked for Microsoft and other global players in the digital domain.
Ex-Ferrari head of technologies, Davide Abate, has now been appointed as chief technologies and infrastructures officer for the Prancing Horse.
With Mr Abate’s position shuffle, Ferrari is aiming to strengthen the collaboration and alignment between development and manufacturing of its cars.
Also as mentioned above, Mr Pesci previously worked for STMicroelectronics in areas of financial planning, supply chain and product planning, as well as services and operations.
Mr Pesci has been hired as Ferrari’s chief purchasing and quality officer.
Andrea Antichi has been appointed as chief manufacturing officer and was previously head of vehicle. Mr Antichi has worked for Ferrari since 2006.
All of these people now directly report to the Ferrari CEO, Mr Vigna.
Although the company has conducted all of these position reshuffles, the following functions still report into the CEO:
- Brand diversification: Mr Vigna ad interim
- Content & communication: Charlie Tuner
- Design: Flavio Manzoni
- Finance & Financial Service: Antonio Picca Piccon
- Gestione Sportive (Scuderia Ferrari): Mattia Binotto
- Human Resources: Michele Antoniazzi
- Legal: Carlo Daneo
- Marketing & Commercial: Enrico Galliera
For now, we’ll have to wait and see what Ferrari has in store for the next few years as it heads towards a carbon neutral and high-tech future.


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Earnings Expectations for the Week of October 3
Though the calendar page has turned, things will be fairly quiet again this week on the earnings front. The new earnings season does not kick off until Alcoa (NYSE: AA) posts its third-quarter results on October 10, followed shortly thereafter by PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) and JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM). This week's highlights include results from Costco (NASDAQ: COST), Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ), Marriott (NYSE: MAR), Monsanto (NYSE: MON) and Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM). Here is a quick look at what analysts expect from these reports.
Membership warehouse operator Costco Wholesale is expected to report Wednesday that its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings rose 11.8% from a year ago to $1.10 per share. And revenues are anticipated to have risen 15.2% to $27.8 billion. The full-year forecast calls for $3.32 per share (up 11.7%) on $88.2 billion (up 13.1%). Note though that Costco earnings have topped consensus estimates in only two of the past six quarters. Per-share earnings are predicted to grow 12.9% over the next five years. The share price fell to the neighborhood of its 52-week low during the August sell-off but has bounced back since to recent 52-week highs. The stock has outperformed BJ's Wholesale (NYSE: BJ) and Walmart (NYSE: WMT), the operator of the Sam's Club chain, since the beginning of the year.
Analysts are looking for alcoholic beverages producer Constellation Brands to report Thursday that its per-share earnings rose 21.2% year over year to $0.66. But for the fiscal second quarter during which the Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) CEO joined Constellation Brands' board, revenues are expected to total $667.8 million. That would be a decrease of 22.6% from a year ago. Revenues are expected to decline by about as much in the current quarter as well. Note though that this maker of Robert Mondavi wines and Svedka vodka regularly tops consensus EPS estimates. Shares ended last week more than 12% lower than six months ago but nearly 10% higher than the 52-week low. Year to date, the stock has underperformed competitors Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF-B) and Diageo (NYSE: DEO), as well as the broader markets.
Marriott International says it plans to open 27 hotels in Asia in 2013 to meet rising demand in the region; the company also recently announced the retirement of its managing director of International Lodging. When Marriott posts its fiscal third-quarter results on Wednesday, the company is expected to offer up $0.27 per share earnings and $2.8 billion in revenues. A year ago, earnings were $0.22 per share and revenues totaled $2.6 billion. Marriott likewise has beaten consensus EPS estimates in only two of the past six quarters. This S&P 500 component has a long-term EPS growth forecast of 15.7% and a return on equity of 41.8%. But Marriott's share price has fallen most of this year and has bounced between $26 and $29 since early August. Yet, over the past six months, the stock has outperformed competitors Hyatt Hotels (NYSE: H) and Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT).
During the three months that ended in August, pesticide and seed producer Monsanto said it was focusing on growth opportunities in Brazil and China, it opened a new corn-breeding facility in the state of Washington, and it also boosted its dividend. But the company is expected to post a net loss of $0.27 per share for that period, on revenue of $1.9 billion. That compares to a net loss of $0.09 per share and $2.0 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter of last year. But the full-year forecast calls for $2.87 earnings per share (up 16.0%) on $11.5 billion (up 9.9%). The long-term EPS growth forecast is 13.2% and the dividend yield is 2.0%. The share price ended last week at $60.04, which is near a nine-month low. But the stock has outperformed DuPont (NYSE: DD) and Syngenta (NYSE: SYT) over the past six months.
The consensus forecast for Yum! Brands, which operates quick-service restaurants KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, calls for $0.83 per share earnings in Wednesday's fiscal third-quarter report. That would be a 12% increase from a year ago. Revenues are expected to have grown 8.2% to $3.1 billion for the quarter in which the company boosted its dividend and also reached a deal to sell its Long John Silvers and A&W brands. Analysts have underestimated Yum! Brands per-share earnings in most recent quarters. This S&P 500 component has a dividend yield of 2.3% and a return on equity of 81.9%. The share price is more than 8% higher than a year ago, despite falling about 9% in the past month. Over the past six months, the stock has outperformed competitor Wendy's (NYSE: WEN) but underperformed McDonald's (NYSE: MCD).
Other companies expected to post year-over-year EPS growth this week include Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI), Global Payments (NYSE: GPN), Helen of Troy (NASDAQ: HELE), Robbins & Myers (NYSE: RBN), RPM International (NYSE: RPM) and Wolverine World Wide (NYSE: WWW).
© 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Morrison & Foerster-commissioned survey reveals drivers affecting consumer products businesses, an evolving risk environment, and litigation trends in 2018
SAN DIEGO (April 24, 2018) – Today, Morrison & Foerster, a leading global law firm, announced the results of “Legal Risks to Consumer Products Companies in 2018,” a survey of senior in-house legal counsel at consumer products companies. Morrison & Foerster commissioned the survey to gain and share insights into consumer products companies and their key legal concerns, perceptions of emerging risks, and expectations for 2018.
To view the full survey report, visit: https://www.mofo.com/special-content/legal-risks-consumer-products-companies-2018/.
The report includes the following notable findings:
“Consumer products companies have always faced unique legal challenges, but in-house counsel are now under more pressure than ever to protect their brand and keep their consumers’ trust,” said Erin Bosman, chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Product Liability and Counseling Practice. “Our survey revealed that, while reputation and litigation threats continue to grow, advancing technology like the Internet of Things has created an even more complex legal landscape that will force companies to anticipate and plan for previously unknown risks.”
“Our survey results show that the ever-changing regulatory environment is also top-of-mind for consumer products companies,” stated Julie Park, a partner in the Product Liability and Counseling Practice. “While the current federal government is unlikely to add regulations, state and local governments are taking a different approach and could implement changes on everything from climate change and nutrition to privacy and labor laws.”
About the Survey
Morrison & Foerster’s “Legal Risks to Consumer Products Companies in 2018” survey of consumer products companies was conducted in late 2017 by telephone, primarily by market research company YouGov. The survey incorporates responses from senior in-house counsel at more than 60 consumer products companies in the United States with revenues ranging from $250 million to $1 billion. Companies participating in the survey represent a range of consumer products, including electronics, foods and beverages, household products, apparel, cosmetics, and office products.
About MoFo’s Consumer Products and Retail Group
Morrison & Foerster knows consumer products. Our clients span the consumer products spectrum, from prestige to mass market, electronics to baby products, chemicals to textiles. We provide a full-spectrum of legal services to some of the most popular and prolific household brands, that trust us to guide them through their toughest strategic business decisions. With lawyers across the United States, Asia, and Europe, we’re always available to help clients develop their businesses through corporate and transactional matters and defend against high-stakes litigation. When the stakes are the highest, we are ready at a moment’s notice to manage safety crises and product recalls. And no matter what issues our clients face, we work with them to protect their reputation and brand integrity.


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Some days, you feel like a Frappuccino, but let's be honest — even a tall is still technically a dessert so it's not very healthy to slurp one down all. the. time. But they're just so refreshingly yummy, especially now that it's getting warmer, which is why Starbucks' latest addition to their menu is basically the best news ever!
Starting today, Starbucks is offering Mini Frappuccinos, 10-ounce servings of all their Frappuccino flavors, so you can have your fave sweet treat on the reg without "spoiling your dinner" or "rotting your teeth" (m'kay, mom and dad?). The tiny fraps will be available at participating Starbucks through July 11 (or until supplies last, so hurry!).
According to their press release, "customers have asked for more choices when it comes to the size of Frappuccino." (A tall drink is 12 ounces.)
Even more awesome? Mini Frappuccinos will cost about 20 to 30 cents less than a tall! Win win!


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Target turns down two potential CityTarget sites in Boston
Target Corp. has turned down at least two potential sites in Boston for its urban-format CityTarget stores, including the now-vacant Filene's building.
The Boston Business Journal reports that Minneapolis-based Target (NYSE: TGT) had letters of intent to lease the spaces, but no deals came of it.
Another CityTarget, set for a development near Fenway Park, is still on. It is expected to open in 2015.
A Target spokeswoman wrote in an email that "Target currently does not have any information to share regarding a potential new store in Boston."
The newspaper quoted one unnamed real estate source saying Target is “delaying decisions and reconsidering locations.” Another said that Target had been disappointed with sales from its Los Angeles CityTargets and is rethinking the concept.
But whatever the retailer's experience with its first two Los Angeles CityTargets, it didn't keep the company from opening a third one there this spring. It's also planning a second CityTarget for San Francisco and a new one in Portland, Ore. Besides Los Angeles and San Francisco, Target already has CityTargets in Chicago and Seattle.
In February, Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a conference call with analysts that the CityTarget concept "is an operational and financial success."
"We were very pleased with the initial performance of our first five CityTarget stores, where we’re seeing robust sales and traffic as well as favorable payroll expense and gross margin mix," Steinhafel said.
Last month, in a different conference call, Target chief financial officer John Mulligan said the company was "very excited" about the CityTarget concept.
Target plans to open three more this year, Mulligan said. "And then, we've said all along, we'll pause," Mulligan said. "We're pretty thoughtful about things like this. So we're going to pause in 2014 and evaluate where we are at."
Ed Stych assembles a daily stream of best-in-class information for entrepreneurs and top managers that appear in The Business Journals' national How-To blog.
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“Apple is the world’s most valuable company, ever,” Peter Svensson reports for The Associated Press.
“On Monday, its surging stock propelled the company’s value to $621 billion, beating the record for market capitalization set by Microsoft Corp. in the heady days of the Internet boom,” Svensson reports. “Apple Inc. has been the world’s most valuable company since the end of last year. It’s now worth 53 percent more than No. 2 Exxon Mobil Corp.”
Svensson reports, “Microsoft is now worth [less than half of Apple’s value at] $257 billion.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Boom! Look what Steve Jobs built!
What I can’t figure out is why he [Steve Jobs] is even trying [to be the CEO of Apple]? He knows he can’t win. – Bill Gates, June 1998
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “dslarsen” for the heads up.]


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Latest Marijuana News
Cannabis, in all of its forms, has existed for thousands of years, and humans have always found new ways to use it. Cannabis tea has been helpful as a healing remedy in China and India. Today, cannabis tea is becoming popular as an alternative to traditional tea beverages and an easy way to consume marijuana
With the legalization of hemp in California, the demand for different strains is becoming tough. Whether you like topical, sublingual, edibles, or inhalation, you’ll need to know where to go to fulfill that desire. Hemp and CBD dispåensaries aren’t just somewhere to go for a puff and pass out, but they’re also exceptionally well-designed destinations.


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Payday loan: Can Washington make sure they are predatory that https://personalbadcreditloans.net/payday-loans-ga/ is le
Payday loan: Can Washington cause them to become predatory that is le?
Pay loans charge huge interest but could be ideal for some borrowers in a pinch day. The us government that is federal stepping in with brand name} completely new directions aimed at protecting the most vulnerable.
While you of Chicagos elevated trains clatters overhead, Gilbert Walker strides to your pay loan shop in order to make their last $165 payment on a $600 loan hed applied for at xmas day.
The attention cost was in fact high. Mr. Walker, who was just simply release after greater than three years utilizing the Chicago university region, couldnt retain in brain simply just how hed that is significantly to date. Neverthele, it overcome spending the institution that is financial overdraft cost along with been simple and fast to obtain for an emergency, like a giant heating bill, that their $2,000-a-month retirement cant quite addre.
Its less costly as in comparison to bank, he claims. It will be tough in the event that stores went away.
But thatвЂ™s precisely the poibility that lies ahead under brand new guidelines which are federal Thursday. The pay time loan industry is working with a consolidation that is dramatic.
The aim is to suppre financing that is predatory. Cash loan stores charge annualized rates of 400 percent or maybe more for short-term loans, and many states have actually stepped in to cap the costs the stores may charge.
What type of pandemic this is certainly exposed can really help fix inequalities in training
But instead of capping interest levels, the newest pair of proposed directions because of the consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was created to strike a balance, allowing loan that is payday to continue making loans but quite simply to people who have actually the wherewithal to fund them right right back.


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Whole Foods has had quite the ride.
CEO and co-founder John Mackey took it from a small natural foods store in the hippie haven of Austin, Texas to an international behemoth. It was only 10,500 square feet with 19 employees.
But the idea of natural food stores was only beginning, and as one of the first in the country, the seed that Mackey planted blossomed.
Through acquisitions of natural food stores around the country, though, the chain became larger and larger and had ambitious growth plans, but was also humbled a few times in its history.
Before being purchased by Amazon for $13.7 billion, Whole Foods weathered financial downturns and FTC probes as it grew into the US’ largest natural grocery chain.
Now that it’s owned by Amazon, a new chapter is about to begin. Plenty has been said about what might change for the chain now, but it’s also important to see what has changed for the chain in the past.
We’ve put together a timeline with some of the most important moments in Whole Foods’ history.
In 1978, John Mackey opened Safer Way Natural Foods in Austin, Texas.
By 1980, he merged with another local natural food store, Clarksville Natural Grocery, to open the first Whole Foods Market on September 20th. This original store was destroyed in a flood in 1981, but the community rallied around it and it was only out of business for 28 days.
Much of Whole Foods’ growth was through mergers and acquisitions. It frequently moved into new markets through buying a local chain and converting it to a Whole Foods. By 1984, Whole Foods expanded to nearby Houston and 600 employees, and in 1988 bought the Whole Food Company in New Orleans for its first expansion outside of Texas.
On January 23 1992, Whole Foods went public at a price of $2.125 per share. At the time, the chain had 12 stores across Texas, California, North Carolina and Louisiana. That same year, Whole Foods bought Bread and Circus, bringing the chain to the Northeast.
In 1997, Whole Foods revenue passed the $1 billion in yearly revenue mark, with 70 stores in 16 states.
Source: New York Times
In 1997, Whole Foods also launched its 365 Everyday Value private label brand to fight its “Whole Paycheck” pricey image.
In 2002, workers at a Madison, Wisconsin store voted to unionize, but it never was certified. Mackey told the New York Times he ignored workers concerns, which led to the vote, and is anti-union.
Source: New York Times
Also in 2002, Whole Foods expanded internationally for the first time with a store in Toronto.
In 2004, Whole Foods built the largest supermarket in Manhattan with its Time Warner Center location. The store measures 58,000 square feet.
In 2005, the company moved into its current global headquarters in Austin. It covers a full block in the city, and sits on top of the largest Whole Foods store in the world.
In 2007, a merger with natural food chain Wild Oats was challenged by the Federal Trade Commission, citing concerns it would be a natural foods monopoly. Whole Foods relinquished control of 13 stores after the FTC found out Mackey was writing blog posts critical of Wild Oats anonymously.
In 2007, Whole Foods crossed the pond to open its flagship store in London. It first came to the city after buying local chain Fresh & Wild. Investors were concerned at the time that the, and the country’s grocery market was already a crowded space. Whole Foods currently has nine stores in the UK, after a dramatic 40 store plan was later scaled back.
In 2008, Whole Foods stumbled a bit. The stock fell 76 percent in one year, and Whole Foods sold a 17 percent stake to private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners LP. The firm later exited in 2011 to a profit of about $1 billion.
In 2013, Whole Foods became the first chain to label all foods made with GMOs.
By 2015, Whole Foods hit another hurtle — organic and natural food became more prevalent and cheaper than ever, as more and more competitors got in on the game. Walmart became the largest seller of organic food in the country, and investors became worried Whole Foods might get left behind in a segment of the market they created.
In 2016, Whole Foods opened a new concept store, 365 by Whole Foods. Stocked with primarily Whole Foods’ 356 Everyday Value Brand, the stores are meant to millennial-focused with a focus on value. The first store opened in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles.
In 2017, an activist hedge fund, Jana Partners, purchased a stake in the chain, shuffled the board, pushed it to lower prices to better compete with more mainstream chains.
Mackey, in an interview with Texas Monthly, let loose saying “Yes, we need to evolve,” adding: “We need to get better, and we’re doing that. But these guys just want to sell us, because they think they can make forty or fifty percent in a short period of time. They’re greedy bastards, and they’re putting a bunch of propaganda out there, trying to destroy my reputation and the reputation of Whole Foods, because it’s in their self-interest to do so.”
Source: Texas Monthly
Two days after that article was published, it was announced Amazon would buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion. After the Whole Foods deal closed in August, Amazon immediately cut prices and started selling Amazon Echos in the produce aisle, and started selling Everyday Value items online.
More Info: www.businessinsider.com


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Trick Or Treat Street Returns To Sangertown For Halloween 2016
Looking for a safe place indoors to Trick or Treat on Halloween with the kids? Sangertown Square Mall will host its annual Trick or Treat Street on October 31st throughout the mall.
Trick or Treat Street will take place on Halloween from 5pm- 6pm. Sangertown Square welcomes the community to take part in the annual Halloween event. Kids can visit participating stores in a fun, safe environment. The best part, it's all free, no admission fees.
You can join your favorite radio station as well in the fun. Fidelis Care will be handing out treats to the little ones as well along with Gates Cole Insurance. This year Sangertown Square will hold a contest for trick or treaters to enter for a chance to win a $100 shopping spree!
BONUS VIDEO- LOCAL PUMPKINS


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The unstoppable momentum of smartphones is almost single-handedly driving the phenomenal growth in the number of new internet users globally. The report, based on the global analysis of 1. India and China delivered a staggering Nearly all the growth in traffic to the internet can be attributed to smartphones, according to senior ADI analyst Trevor Jones.
India Amongst Fastest Growing Smartphone Markets in Asia Pacific: IDC
India Amongst Fastest Growing Smartphone Markets in Asia Pacific: IDC | Technology News
Strategy Analytics has published its latest set of reports into the smartphone industry. It covers the first part of , but the trends it reveals are still relevant and interesting. At the highest level, global smartphone shipments are still strong, but shipments are showing signs of a plateau. This appears to be mostly due to a lack of any further growth in the Asian Pacific markets. This marks the first even year-on-year decline for the industry.
But it warned smartphone sales are expected to grow by just 1 per cent this year. More than million smartphone devices were sold last year. Despite a slight decline in demand, overall consumer spend increased by 5 per cent.
Except Samsung, four of the five smartphone brands are based in China Xiaomi surpassed Samsung to become the market leader in with Xiaomi surpassed Samsung to become the market leader in with Samsung came second with In , Vivo Thank you for your love and support," Jain tweeted, adding that in the fourth quarter of , the company emerged as 54 per cent bigger than the second brand.


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Acura Pharmaceuticals last week announced that it has been awarded a $300,000 grant by the National Institute On Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health to fund Phase I development of Acura's new, early stage Limitx abuse deterrent technology.
The National Advertising Division last week determined that Westport Pharmaceuticals, maker of Zephrex-D nasal decongestant tablets, can support the claims challenged before NAD by Acura Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Nexafed, a competing product.
Acura Pharmaceuticals announced a study, published in the September issue of the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, that validates the ability of Nexafed to uniquely disrupt the extraction and conversion of pseudoephedrine into methamphetamine.
Acura Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced a second-generation prototype formulation of its methamphetamine-resistant IMPEDE technology with pseudoephedrine hydrochloride yielded no measurable amount of methamphetamine hydrochloride when processed in the direct conversion or one-pot method.
In support of its December launch of the pseudoehedrine product Nexafed, Acura Pharmaceuticals recently kicked off a national e-mail campaign to help drive pharmacists to the Nexafed website with content specifically designed for the pharmacist audience, including infographics, graphic representations of study data and a behind-the-scenes look at Nexafed's abuse-deterrent technology.


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Colorado officials closed the books on the three owners of the Sweet Leaf cannabis dispensary chain late last week, ending a year-long investigation into the practice of “looping,” or selling more marijuana to a single customer than is allowed by state law.
According to the Denver Post, Christian Johnson, Matthew Aiken, and Anthony Sauro were each sentenced to one year of jail time and fined $125,000 after pleading guilty to illegally distributing cannabis and violating the Colorado Organized Crime Act.
Johnson, Aiken, and Sauro, the owners of the 11-location Sweet Leaf chain, admitted to frequently selling customers more than one ounce of weed per day — the maximum allowed under state law. But more than just looking the other way on a few extra ounces, prosecutors say that Sweet Leaf owners, budtenders, and looping customers pushed some 5,000 pounds of pot onto the black market.
“This was a case where it was widespread,” lead prosecutor Kenneth Boyd told the judge, according to the Post. “And the owners knew what was going on and encouraged the practice.”
Denver police were first alerted to Sweet Leaf’s repeat purchases by a concerned citizen, who said they saw the same customers looping every time they went to the dispensary. Local police then began an investigation, making undercover purchases of multiple ounces in single days, and following customers who frequented the Denver pot shop a little too often.
After collecting evidence, cops raided all 11 Sweet Leaf locations in the Denver area in December 2017, arresting 13 budtenders, and shutting down the stores. Six months later, Sweet Leaf was stripped of all of its licenses, shutting down the chain for good.
If the prosecutors 2.5 ton estimate is correct, an ounce by ounce breakdown suggests that Sweet Leaf made some 80,000 illicit one-ounce transactions.
And while federal and state law enforcements have spent significant amounts of money to root out remaining black market producers and sellers in states with cannabis legalization laws, the Sweet Leaf case is the first time that local U.S. prosecutors have gone after bad actors working within state regulations.
“I think this was obviously a first case in Colorado,” lead prosecutor Boyd told the Post. “I think it was the first in the nation where a state prosecution office went after a licensed marijuana company. We did not see this scope with anybody else.”
As for the 13 budtenders and 10 customers who were arrested as part of the looping sting, the retail sales staff was dismissed after serving community service and saddling hefty fines, while the overzealous clients bringing legal weed into the illicit market are still in the early stages of a 160-count grand jury indictment.
To prevent further looping, Colorado’s Medical Enforcement Division rewrote its rules to clarify the one ounce per person per day rule. And outside of official rules and regulations, Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said that the Sweet Leaf case will serve as a warning, and that she is fully prepared to step in if other dispensaries act out of line.
“The vast majority of Denver’s marijuana industry businesses are reputable and responsible and strive to obey our marijuana laws,” DA McCann said in a statement. “However, Sweet Leaf is an exception. My office will prosecute those who do not comply with our marijuana laws.”
Follow Zach Harris on Twitter


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buchachon - Fotolia
Adobe led the way moving its Creative Suite into the cloud and others in the industry have watched with interest as the impact on the bottom line was fairly short lived and now the software vendor is in a strong position.
As a result the move by Adobe is inspiring others to follow suit with CAD specialist Autodesk indicating that from July next year the delivery of its professional software will be available through a cloud-based subscription model.
The firm offers a fair few packages at the moment, largely based on industry vertical, and it has promised to make the choices for customers buying through the cloud simpler when it pushes more of its business through that model next summer.
Why it all matters to the channel is because if two is company then we are not that far off from getting more to follow to make a crowd. It underlines just how much change is happening in the industry and why those dragging their heels in the move towards the cloud are running out of time.
Autodesk is going through the same decision process as many other software vendors as it faces a world ehere customers want to pay for and consume technology differently and it cannot be unique in that respect.
“The way we design and make things is changing: every industry is being disrupted by changes in production, demand and products,” said Andrew Anagnost, Autodesk senior vice president of Industry Strategy & Marketing. “Autodesk is embracing this new norm and evolving our business so that customers can thrive in theirs. Giving customers the flexibility to subscribe to software solutions that precisely match their needs best positions them to compete in this new era.”
The journey that Autodesk has taken started earlier this year when it stated that it would stop selling perpetual licenses of most of its individual products after 31 January next year as it introduced fresh licensing options. It has now followed that up by revealing that it wants to take its Design and Creation Suites to an entirely subscription based offering.
Changes like that cannot happen overnight and the vendor has reached out to existing customers to ensure that over next nine of so months they have a chance to get to grips with a simplified licensing structure and it will support perpetual licenses that are sold in the run up to 31 July 2016.
The impact on the business model that comes from going to the cloud is also something that has to be handled senstively and anyone from a vendor through to a reseller making that move needs to be prepared for at least a few quarters of transition.
As it also announced second quarter results the firm was able to show that subscriptions are on the rise with 61,000 being added from Q1 and the total user base hitting 2.39m by the end of Q2.
Revenues of $610m were down year-on-year by 4%, but it is those sort of things that the staff and investors should have been prepared for at the outset as the business model started to change.
That point was stressed again in the statement accompanying the Q2 results: "During the transition, billings, revenue, gross margin, operating margin, EPS, deferred revenue, and cash flow from operations will be impacted as more revenue is recognized ratably rather than up front and as new offerings bring a wider variety of price points."
But enough has already happened with billings increasing by 7% to $1.2bn and defrred revenue climbing by 25% to $1.2bn in the second quarter to give the CEO something to chirp about to investors.
"We are pleased with the progress of our business model transition," said Carl Bass, Autodesk president and CEO. "Strong billings and deferred revenue growth led the quarter and we continue to see customers adopt our new model subscription offerings, which are showing strong year-over-year and sequential growth. For the past two years we've been preparing for this transition and we're now ready to accelerate the process."
Now the transition has started the expectation is that it will continue through the second half at a slightly quicker pace as more customers get the message about the subscription changes and move away from perpetual licenses.


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0822 GMT October 22, 2019
Iran's Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari was in Uganda and Kenya last week to explore business opportunities and boost bilateral trade ties tagging along government and business executives including those from petrochemicals.
On Tuesday, Sattari met Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, where he said Tehran is trying to diversify its exports to the region.
The Iranian official's visit comes a year after Iran's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif toured the region as the country tried to shake off the sanctions and seek new opportunities outside oil.
"Globally we are known for our oil and gas but we are now trying to move away from an oil-based and dependent economy into a technology driven one and we believe the region offers us great opportunities to do this," Sattari said, adding that Tehran was ready to offer the region expertise in technology.
The visit to the region comes a month before the United States sanctions on Tehran's oil and gas products come into effects, cutting off its exports to the world as Washington pushes for its isolation.
"We are happy to have a relationship with Iran, an influential partner that has over the years showed its resilience despite sanctions," President Museveni said.
The East African country understands that Tehran has been keen to fund Kampala's Kiira Electronic Vehicle Project, which its Cabinet approved in mid-April.
Iran is also said to be interested in securing rights to the mining of the niobium mineral — a key component in the manufacture of car batteries — as well as to provide gas technical assistance with the country.
According to S&P Global, a New York-headquartered financial information and analytics firm, Tehran LPG exports in August were at close to 600,000 metric tons with the bulk going to China.
Kenya and Tanzania lead the region as big importers of bitumen from Iran, with 60 percent of the product being used in Kenya coming from Tehran.
Other products the region imports include industrial oils, urea, paraffin and fermented black tea. Kenya also boasts of more than 37 Iranian firms that have set up shop in the country.
Sattari also met Kenya's top leadership and senior government officials after he arrived in Nairobi on Thursday evening.
In Nairobi, the delegation, through the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also held the Kenya-Iran Business Forum. '"


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Allied Brands has reportedly fallen behind on some employee’s superannuation payments, with some staff not seeing contributions since early 2009.
According to SmartCompany, the firm has declined to divulge how far behind on its payments, but said it was addressing the problems “as much as they can”.
A former Allied Brands-owned Baskin Robbins store manager Suzi Major, who quit the company in May, said on checking her super fund she found the employer payments had not been met for the previous 11 months.
Despite contacting Allied Brands to chase up her missing super payments, she is downbeat about receiving them.
"I know in my heart of hearts that I am not going to get it," she told SmartCompany.


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Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president of the European Commission, announced the EU (European Union) will begin enforcing the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by spring of 2023, according to a TechCrunch report. Vestager had earlier said that the law aimed at curbing big tech companies could come into effect as early as October this year.
“The DMA will enter into force next spring and we are getting ready for enforcement as soon as the first notifications come in,” said Vestager during a speech on May 5, according to a commission press statement. “This next chapter is exciting. It means a lot of concrete preparations. It’s about setting up new structures within the Commission. It’s about drafting further legal texts on procedures or notification forms. Our teams are currently busy with all these preparations and we’re aiming to come forward with the new structures very soon,” she added.
The DMA, which negotiators agreed to in Brussels in March, targets ‘gatekeeper companies’, which are platforms like Facebook and Google with the power to control distribution in their markets. Some of the key rules set up for these gatekeepers include:
- Make message apps interoperable to make sure that users are not tied to one network
- Let users choose a default search engine, web browser and virtual assistant when they buy a new smartphone
- Ensure fair access conditions for app stores
- Gain explicit consent to combine personal data to target ads
- Ban companies from ranking their own products higher than others
- Fine companies as much as 10 per cent of their global annual sales for an initial breach of the law, rising to 20 per cent for repeat infringements.
- Companies that routinely violate the rules will be temporarily banned from conducting mergers and acquisitions.
The negotiators had agreed that gatekeepers include companies with a market value of 75 billion euros or 7.5 billion euros in annual revenue within the EU, and at least 45 million monthly end-users and 10,000 yearly business users in at least one core platform, including web browsers and virtual assistants.


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Netherlands EV Share Steadily Growing
Norway is an electric vehicle darling. Consequently, Elon Musk has praised the Scandinavian nation for its progressive policies. In March 2019, electric vehicles outsold gas-powered models nationwide. Similarly, the Netherlands EV share of total auto sales is also encouraging. In that same month, 10% of all Dutch cars sold were electric.
Moreover, the Tesla Model 3 was the top-selling vehicle. Period. Evidently, the eco-conscious country is a clean transportation trailblazer.
Furthermore, the Netherlands EV share has been promising throughout 2019. So far, over 7% of all vehicle sales are electric. This number is expected to rise as the year progresses.
Helping to Set a Global Standard
The Dutch have always been eco-conscious. Consequently, the nation’s infrastructure is perfectly set up for cycling. Most Dutch get around via pedal bike.
Similarly, more of the nation’s drivers rely on batteries instead of gas.
Ultimately, the world can learn from Holland’s approach to EV adoption. Most importantly, Fastned has helped accelerate the switch for consumers.
The company offers one of the world’s largest fast-charging networks. When the company installed Tesla adapters in March 2016, its popularity skyrocketed.
Northern Europe Leans on Lithium-Ion
Despite Tesla’s fast-growing supercharger network, gas stations still wildly outnumber American charging stations. However, this will change with time.
For now, countries like Holland and Norway enjoy the first taste of the savings offered by electric transportation. Furthermore, their buy-in allows automakers and governments to pump billions into EV battery research.
As a result, the lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles will offer better ranges than gas-powered models.
Ultra Lithium Inc. A team of lithium experts with a finger on the pulse of clean energy news, Ultra Lithium is a lithium exploration company with holdings in Argentina, Canada and the US (TSX-V: ULI, OTCQB: ULTXF and Frankfurt: QFB).


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NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Navigenics has reeled in $18 million in Series C financing from an investment round that included The Procter and Gamble Company, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, and Mohr Davidow Ventures.
The company plans to use the financing to continue researching ways genomics can be used in preventive health care and to "expand our clinical offerings into exciting new areas and lead the way in making personal genomics an integral part of employer-sponsored preventive health and wellness programs," Navigenics CEO and President Vance Vanier said today.
"When combined with their commitment to developing innovative consumer health and wellness products and an expanding focus on health services, P&G's insight and brand will strengthen Navigenics' position to embed personal genomics into the prevention dialogue of everyday health care," Vanier added.
"Personalized genetic testing can have significant meaning in helping consumers focused on prevention and wellness live better, healthier lives – something that P&G has always been committed to," Nathan Estruth, VP of P&G's FutureWorks and Board member of MDVIP, a primary care physicians network that has initiated a collaborative effort to make Navigenics' genetic test available to its affiliated physicians.
FutureWorks is P&G's "entrepreneurial new business generator," according to its website.


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Afdlin Shauki with Dato' AC Mizal after announcing their very own "Syiok TV" channel.
Malaysia’s reputable comedians Afdlin Shauki and Dato’ AC Mizal announced their collaboration in producing a new TV channel called Syiok TV under the duo’s newly-established company, Syiok Media Network, on July 17, 2017 at Comedy Planet, Great Eastern Mall, Kuala Lumpur.
Afdlin and Dato’ AC Mizal, known for their comedic antics on the big screen, stated that this venture has long been a dream to them as they had always hoped to create a platform where they could publish their own shows while simultaneously catapulting Malaysia’s entertainment industry to the global arena without foregoing the support of the publishers and content creators.
Syiok TV, using the broadcast license of Dato’ AC Mizal, will be presenting three key concepts which consist of Saluran Komedi (Comedy Channel), Saluran Pelbagai (Variety Channel) and Salurana Inspirasi (Inspirational Channel). The three key concepts is poised to bring positive change the local entertainment industry.
Afdlin Shauki, founder of Syiok TV, reiterated, “It has always been our ambition to operate our very own TV channel. We aim to produce our own programs to elevate the local entertainment industry to a global standard with the support of local producers and content creators.”.
This channel, slated to be launched soon, will be available to the public through mainstream media as well as online channels while new media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and many more are already in the pipeline.


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iGaming content aggregator Groove Gaming Limited has announced the signing of a ‘white-label’ deal that is set to see it supply a portfolio of over 1,500 HTML5-friendly video slots and live casino games to Maltese platform provider ProgressPlay.
Long list of developers:
The Israeli firm used an official Friday press release published by European Gaming Media and Events to reveal that the agreement will allow ProgressPlay to offer its over 100 clients a selection of online casino games from an extensive list of prominent developers that includes the likes of Wazdan, Play’n Go Malta Limited, 1X2 Network, Betsoft Gaming Limited, Habanero Systems BV and Fugaso.
Driving ‘player engagement’:
Established in 2016, Groove Gaming Limited declared that it is committed to adding new content every month so that partners can ‘differentiate their offering’ in order to ‘drive player engagement’.
Aggregator hails ‘world-leading’ partnership:
Rebecca Sotomora, Head of Sales for Groove Gaming Limited, described ProgressPlay as a ‘world-leading business-to-business mobile and gaming operator’ before declaring that she is now ‘looking forward to a long, successful and profitable relationship’.
For his part, Itai Loewenstein, Chief Executive Officer for ProgressPlay, stated that he is ‘proud’ to be able to offer clients ‘one of the most competitive personal computer and mobile casino games packages in the industry’ and that the arrangement with Groove Gaming Limited is set to ‘further reinforce the strength’ of this portfolio.
Loewenstein’s statement read…
“We’re very excited about ramping up our marketing around this Groove Gaming Limited content.”


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By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ford Motor said on Friday it will recall 169,000 U.S. vehicles to replace rearview cameras and update software and is taking a $270 million charge to address the callback.
It was the latest in a series of recalls for rear camera-related recalls by the No. 2 U.S. automaker in recent years.
The Detroit automaker in May issued a recall of 422,000 vehicles in the United States because the rearview camera display might fail following an earlier camera recall in January of 462,000 vehicles worldwide. Many vehicles have been in multiple recalls for the same issue.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said loss of the rearview camera image could reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford said on Friday it would replace the rearview camera and update software in some 2020-2023 Explorer and Aviator vehicles, 2020-2022 Corsair vehicles, 2022-2023 Transit vans, 2018-2021 Navigator vehicles and 2021 Bronco vehicles.
Ford said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the aggregate cost of replacing the cameras and updating the software was estimated to be about $270 million.
Ford said in the latest recall it has 3,486 warranty reports alleging rear camera failures and reports of two minor crashes but no injuries.
Since 2021, NHTSA has been investigating if Ford delayed a 2020 recall of 620,000 vehicles for a rear camera issue and if it recalled enough vehicles.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Howard Goller)


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Pandemic Phone, PC Use Higher Among All Age Groups, Survey Finds
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. consumers shopped more online during the pandemic than before, a healthinsurance.com survey found. The healthcare shopping website canvassed 1,600 online Aug. 6-7 between the ages of 24 and 74, finding 76% of millennials and 73% of Gen Xers used e-commerce more during lockdown mandates. The prevalence of increased online shopping was lowest among baby boomers at 67%.
The vast majority of consumers are spending more time on their phones and computers since the pandemic started. Increased tech use is higher among Gen Xers (75%) and millennials (74%) than boomers (65%). Americans by a 61-39% majority said they need a “digital detox." The sentiment was strongest among boomers (78%), less so with millennials (51%). Gen Xers alone shunned the idea (45%).
A third of boomers use wearables to monitor their health, compared with 56% of millennials. Gen Xers are split 50-50 on usage. Apple Watch is the wearable device of choice among 25% of all consumers polled, followed by Fitbit at 23%. Apple Watch is most popular with millennials at 30% versus 20% for Fitbit, while boomers favor Fitbit over Apple Watch 24% to 18%.
Pessimism about the U.S. economy and healthcare system is pervasive among all age groups, the survey found. A third or more of millennials, Gen Xers and boomers think it will take the economy two years to recover from the pandemic. About a quarter of all age groups see the economic rebound taking five years.
More than eight in 10 Americans think the U.S. healthcare system is “broken,” the survey found. Millennials and Gen Xers share the highest degree of skepticism (86% each), compared with 74% of boomers. Consumers are evenly split between those who used telemedicine services during COVID-19 and those who didn’t. Americans by a 60% majority feel “more comfortable” about using telemedicine now than they were six months ago, and 54% plan to use to continue using it after the pandemic is over.
More than a quarter (28%) of consumers canvassed who binge-watch content prefer doing so on a nondescript smart TV over a Roku (18%) or Amazon Fire TV device. Smart TV preferences were highest among Gen Xers (32%), lowest among boomers (23%). Researchers didn't ask about telework habits during the pandemic, but 62% opposed sending students back to physical schools in the fall. Opposition to in-person learning was consistent across all age groups.


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Don’t miss these top stories:
- 10 things Apple won’t tell you
- Foreclosures’ small effect on nearby prices
- Redesigning hospital rooms for health
- Good news: Earnings growth is slowing
Apple’s many loyal fans are so hooked by its technology that they have a blind spot when it comes to criticism of the company. Perhaps those are the people who shouldn’t miss out on the 10 things Apple won’t tell you, a list that explores thoughts including why iPhones are overpriced, how savvy salespeople in Apple stores market to children and why devices are affecting relationships.
Also in the latest Personal Finance pages, read about new research that suggests that homes near foreclosures don’t lose that much in value after all, as well as a piece on how designer and architect Michael Graves wants to redesign hospital rooms to make them more patient-friendly.
—Amy Hoak, Personal Finance writer
10 things Apple won’t tell you
From customer service to app safety and even how its devices affect our relationships, here are 10 things Apple Inc.
won’t likely tell you about its products and its business.
10 things Apple won’t tell you.
Redesigning hospital rooms for health
To make hospital rooms more patient-friendly, Michael Graves recasts them from his perspective as both a design professional and a patient.
Redesigning hospital rooms for health.
Foreclosures’ small effect on nearby prices
Recent research suggests that properties near foreclosures normally suffer falling home prices, but a new paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta challenges the claim.
Foreclosures’ small effect on nearby prices.
ECONOMY AND POLITICS
Fed policy: Is it time for a change?
Since low interest rates don’t seem to have saved the U.S. economy, Irwin Kellner asks: How about higher rates?
Fed policy: Is it time for a change?
Fed’s Rosengren makes case for sizable QE3
Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren says the economy is treading water and needed another round of asset purchases — an open-ended one. But in a separate interview, another Fed official says more easing would be a mistake.
Fed’s Rosengren makes case for sizable QE3.
Romney can’t win on economic platitudes alone
Mitt Romney can’t win with his vice presidential pick, or by hammering President Barack Obama on the economy, writes Darrell Delamaide. His only hope is to demonstrate his own leadership and character.
Romney can’t win on economic platitudes alone.
Australia holds interest rate steady at 3.5%
The Reserve Bank of Australia decides to keep its key cash rate on hold at 3.5% for another month to fully gauge the impact of earlier rate cuts on the economy..
Australia holds interest rate steady at 3.5%.
Standard Chartered will test a new line
Regulators, by painting such a sinister picture of Standard Charter’s actions, now have to live up to their accusations by following through with fines, charges and arrests.
Standard Chartered will test a new line.
Good news: Earnings growth is slowing
Worried that lower earnings growth will lead to a bear market? Mark Hulbert reports that the stock market has historically performed better when earnings growth is slower than when it is faster.
Good news: Earnings growth is slowing.
This Wall Street tech deal doomed investors
As Wall Street cleans up the wreckage from the Knight Capital trading debacle, it’s fair to ask if electronic markets are truly better than the corruptible humans they replaced.
This Wall Street tech deal doomed investors.
EA-Zynga battle could mean game over for copycats
The case filed by Electronic Arts Inc.
against Zynga Inc.
could settle a core issue of just how closely competitors can copy each other’s games, and will be closely watched by the industry for its potential to set a precedent
EA-Zynga battle could mean game over for copycats.


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Google disputes possible $6B Java lawsuit price-tag
Oracle's method for calculating damages based on 'fundamental legal errors ... inflates their estimates,' Google said Monday
IDG News Service - Google may owe Oracle nearly as much money in damages as Oracle paid to buy all of Sun Microsystems, says Oracle's paid expert in the companies' Java intellectual property dispute.
According to a court filing from Google late Friday, Oracle's damages expert, Boston University professor Iain Cockburn, has estimated that Google would owe Oracle between $1.4 billion and $6.1 billion if it is found to have infringed on Oracle's Java patents, which Oracle acquired when it bought Sun last year for $7.4 billion.
"Oracle's 'methodology' for calculating damages is based on fundamental legal errors and improperly inflates their estimates," Google said in a statement Monday.
Oracle sued Google last August, claiming it is owed money for Google's use of Java in its Android operating system for smartphones and tablets. Google disputes the claim.
Google doesn't charge for Android, but to figure out how much Oracle should be paid in damages, Cockburn "adds all of Google's revenue from advertising on all Android devices worldwide ... and then proposes awarding Oracle half of that amount," said Scott Weingaertner, a lawyer representing Google, in a letter to the judge overseeing the case, William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Weingaertner's letter was sent June 6, but the damages estimates were blacked out in the version made public at the time. An unredacted version was filed late last week.
Cockburn's report is filed under seal. Oracle declined to comment on the matter, and Cockburn didn't return messages seeking comment. In his letter, Weingaertner had plenty to say about the sum, which he called "a breathtaking figure that is out of proportion to any meaningful measure of the intellectual property at issue."
"Cockburn's theory is neatly tailored to enable Oracle to finance nearly all of its multi-billion dollar acquisition of Sun," Weingaertner wrote.
Sun released much of its Java platform under an open-source license, but since Oracle filed its lawsuit, at least one intellectual property expert claims to have uncovered code that Google used without authorization.
According to research firm IDC, Android is the world's leading smartphone operating system and is expected to reach 40 percent market share in the second half of this year. But with that success, there have been lawsuits. Apple has sued HTC, Microsoft has sued Motorola, and security vendor Gemalto has sued Google, Motorola, HTC and Samsung.
- In Apple v. Samsung, it's a 'holy war' for $2B
- A day into the trial, Apple and Samsung already annoying each other
- Supreme Court justices raise questions about software patents
- Phil Schiller up again in next round of Apple-Samsung battle
- Nokia and HTC bury hatchet in patent disputes
- How about them apples: Google and Samsung ink patent deal
- Samsung's Apple damages equal to just 16 days' profit
- Supreme Court to get software patent case
- The latest move to kill bad patents divides tech industry
- Judge refuses to stay Apple-Samsung lawsuit pending patent review
- Path Selection Infographic Path Selection Infographic
- Hyperconvergence Infographic A wide range of observers agree that data centers are now entering an era of "hyperconvergence" that will raise network traffic levels faster...
- Preparing Your Infrastructure for the Hyperconvergence Era From cloud computing and virtualization to mobility and unified communications, an array of innovative technologies is transforming today's data centers.
- How WAN Optimization Helps Enterprises Reduce Costs If you wanted to break down innovation into a tidy equation, it might go something like this: Technology + Connectivity = Productivity. Productivity...
- Cloud Knowledge Vault Learn how your organization can benefit from the scalability, flexibility, and performance that the cloud offers through the short videos and other resources...
- LIVE EVENT: 5/7, The End of Data Protection As We Know It. Introducing a Next Generation Data Protection Architecture. Traditional backup is going away, but where does this leave end-users? All Legal White Papers | Webcasts


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Messengers and social
Japan’s biggest social network launches digital currency
Japan’s Line social network, the largest in the country, has announced the launch of its digital currency ‘Link’ in the Japanese market from April. The token has previously been available in all countries except Japan and the US.
YouTube has restored deleted videos from crypto channels
YouTube has restored videos of almost all crypto-related channels after removing them earlier this week.
YouTube Calls Crypto Purge a Mistake But Many Videos Still Missing
YouTube erroneously purged cryptocurrency education videos from its video-sharing platform this week but claims to have reinstated them, according to a spokesperson. Content creators, however, are telling a different story.
Bitcoin Subreddit Passes 1,200,000 Subscriber Milestone
r/Bitcoin on Reddit remains one of the most popular forums for Bitcoin fans. Recently, the subreddit reached a milestone of 1,200,000 subscribers.
Bitcoin And Crypto Are Heading For An Epic Social Media Showdown
While the social media monetary situation is not this clear cut, both Dorsey and Zuckerberg have emerged as champions of two similar but opposing ideas; the internet needs its own currency, one sees it as centralised, through Facebook, the other sees it as decentralised, through bitcoin.
SEC Blasts Kik’s ‘Void for Vagueness’ Defense of 2017 ICO
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Kik’s August defense of its $100 million initial coin offering (ICO) was “untenable” and is asking judges to toss it.
Telegram Channel TON Board ‘Takes a Break,’ Deletes Message History
Following a recent red flag from the United States regulators, a private Telegram channel for Telegram Open Network (TON) investors is taking a break.
RSK Parent Company Acquires Taringa to Tokenize Social Media
RSK parent company IOV Labs has acquired social platform Taringa to solicit feedback on its offerings and incentivize content creators.
Facebook’s latest leak includes data on millions of users
A security researcher has discovered databases containing more than 419 million records tied to Facebook accounts. It appears the data -- which includes phone numbers and Facebook IDs and in some cases users' names, genders and countries -- was scraped from the platform. However, it's not clear who pulled that information from Facebook or why.
Expert: Not only crypto businesses are artificially winding up subscribers in social networks
“The cheating on the number of subscribers in social networks was invented long before the introduction of cryptocurrencies,” says the co-founder of the Bitcoin Foundation Ukraine - Maxim Krupyshev.
‘However Long It Takes’: Zuckerberg Vows to Win Over Libra Regulators
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the company will spend “however long it takes” to get regulators and others on board before launching the Libra cryptocurrency project.
Tor browser usage by Russians is becoming massive
Over 600,000 Russians used the Tor browser on July 11, 2019, which is the all-time record for the country. The fact is confirmed by data on the official website of the project.
Social Network Taringa! Launches Stablecoin Rewards for 27 Million Users
Latin American social networking giant Taringa! has partnered with MakerDAO and e-wallet provider Airtm to launch a stablecoin-powered points system for its 27 million strong user base.
‘Moderation Bot’ Blacklists Telegram Users to Tackle Crypto Scams
Blockchain advisory firm AmaZix is opening up access to its “moderation bot” to help stamp out cryptocurrency scams on popular messaging app Telegram.
Ethereum Co-Founder Criticizes Facebook’s Libra Token for Centralization
Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin said that Facebook’s Libra token is like “a centralized wolf in a decentralized sheep’s clothing” in an article published on tech news outlet Quartz on June 21.
How to become a founding member of the Libra Association
Now that the Libra white paper has been published, The Block has outlined how to become a Founding Member and the requirements it entails. Libra will be administered by a non-profit Libra Association based in Geneva, Switzerland, which will ultimately have 100 geographically diverse founding members. No member will be able to represent more than 1% of the vote.
Facebook may abort Libra launch in India
Libra, the cryptocurrency to be unveiled by Facebooknext year, will not be available in India, according to a person directly in the know, as current regulations do not permit use of the banking network for blockchain currency transactions.
Block.one paid $30 million to purchase a domain name for its social media platform
The news was announced Tuesday by enterprise analytics and mobility software provider MicroStrategy, saying that it sold the domain name voice.com in a transaction facilitated by Internet domain registrar GoDaddy and that it has subsequently been used by Block.one.
U.S. lawmaker calls for Facebook to pause cryptocurrency project
A leading U.S. House lawmaker on Tuesday called on Facebook Inc to halt development on its new cryptocurrency and for company executives to testify before Congress, adding to global concerns about what the digital currency could mean for data privacy and security.
Facebook’s cryptocurrency partners revealed—we obtained the entire list of inaugural backers
Facebook has been quietly building out its cryptocurrency for over a year, and it looks like that time has been well spent, enlisting the support of some of the most prominent companies across payments, retail, and technology.
CoinMetro Becomes the First Crypto Exchange to Offer Market Sentiment Data Used by Hedge Funds
Coinsbit Exchange has announced a partnership with Expo Pay
Switzerland Denies $103 Million of COVID-19 Relief for Crypto Valley
Bitcoin fork BTCU is scheduled for July 7
Monero Hacker Group ‘Outlaw’ Is Back and Targeting American Business
IOTA Foundation Suspends Network, Probes Fund Theft in Trinity Wallet
‘Full Transparency Not Ideal for Cryptocurrency’ Says Chainalysis Exec
Bitcoin mining hardware maker Canaan's stock price surges more than 80%
Mykola Udianskyi compares bitcoin with oil and gold
True reasons why crypto companies lost their licenses in Estonia
10 top distributed apps (dApps) for blockchain
The five big crypto lessons of China


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What we now know about the Apple Vision Pro
Instruction Set, 2024/2/5
Welcome back to Multicore. This is Instruction Set for the week of Monday, February 5th.
The last week in tech news was entirely dominated by the Apple Vision Pro. The rollout was actually quite typical for an Apple product; reviews dropped Tuesday, and units shipped on Friday. That’s what happens with every iPhone. But since the Vision Pro is a truly new thing for Apple, the headset got a full week of attention where it felt like the hottest thing in the world.
As a reminder, the Vision Pro starts at $3,499, it’s only available in the US, and analysts generally expect Apple to be able to make half a million headsets this year at most regardless of demand. The chances of you seeing someone wear one in your local café is probably not high.
But the Vision Pro is indeed now out there in the wild, and we’ve learnt a whole lot about it in the past week. As such, I’m devoting this Instruction Set to the kind of revelations that only happen when people actually buy and review a product.


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Ramat Gan, 28 May 2019 – ALROSA, a global leader in diamond mining, summed up the results of international auction for special size rough diamonds (over 10.8 carats), which took place in Israel.
The auction resulted in revenue of $10.2 million. The company sold 120 stones with total weight of 1,940 carats, including two large diamonds weighing more than 50 carats each. Firms from Israel, Belgium, India, the US, UAE, Russia and Hong Kong were among the participants.
“Large rough diamonds are consistently popular with Israeli diamantaires. The latest auction is the third in a row this year. This is our highest revenue in Israel since the beginning of 2019. Until the end of the year, we plan three more auctions here and look forward for a stable demand from customers,” said Evgeny Agureev, Member of the Management Board, Director of the United Selling Organization at ALROSA.
In 2018, ALROSA held six auctions for special size rough diamonds in Israel.


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The first recall involves approximately 660,000 heavy duty Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks from model years 2013 through 2017, over concerns drivers could potentially experience steering loss due to a nut that could come loose.
FCA said it is aware of at least 1 injury and 8 accidents likely related to the issue. This recall affects about 574,000 vehicles sold in the U.S., the automaker said.
The second worldwide recall involves about 222,000 Ram 1500 pickup trucks from model year 2019 to more properly secure brake pedals while the vehicles’ adjustable-pedal feature is in use.
The brake pedal in affected models could get detached if drivers move pedals to the rear-most position, FCA said, which could be dangerous if trucks are traveling at highway speeds.
Last month, FCA recalled about 180,000 2019 Ram 1500 pickups to tighten a fastener linked to reports of power-steering loss. The automaker said the issue could lead to steering problems.


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As a global pandemic began to hit West Michigan, executives around the region stepped up to lead their organizations and their employees through the time of crisis.
A tooling engineer from Grand Rapids-based Tier-1 supplier ADAC Automotive was traveling in the Wuhan area of China when the Coronavirus public health crisis broke in late January.
The sale comes as JSJ hones its strategy to focus on the high-growth companies within its portfolio, which includes auto supplier GHSP, label maker McLoone, engineered metal solutions provider Hudson Technologies and Sparks Belting Co. Chairman, President and CEO Nelson Jacobson spoke with MiBiz about the drivers behind the sale and how JSJ looks to invest as it begins to bring on board the fourth-generation family members of the company’s founders.
GRAND HAVEN — After being part of the JSJ Corp. portfolio of companies for nearly 80 years, metalworking equipment and machine tool maker Dake Corp. has new owners.
ACME — After a decade of bullish outlooks, automotive suppliers need to buckle up for a period of upcoming disruptions.
SHELBY — When Grand Haven-based JSJ Corp. decided last year to get out of the contract furniture business, Silver Street Inc. saw an opportunity to bolster its product offerings.
Grand Haven-based GHSP Inc. is a global manufacturer “rooted into the West Michigan area,” according to Chief Technology Officer Marc Smeyers. In the past, GHSP was known for auto technology that combined electronics and mechanical engineering. Now, the company — a division of JSJ Corp. — is working across multiple industries for smart technology applications. At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, GHSP introduced a future concept vehicle, products that use ultraviolet C (UVC) light to disinfect themselves, and a kitchen backsplash that’s an edge-to-edge touchscreen. Smeyers spoke to MiBiz about crossover technology in an increasingly fast-paced environment.
Against the backdrop of West Michigan’s nascent medical device industry and an expanding array of resources, high-tech health care startups are finding the tools they need to start and grow their businesses in the region.


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Written by Staff Writer
01 Jun, 2016 | 7:15 pm
A forum titled the Sri Lanka – Singapore Business Forum which was held in Colombo revealed that a MOU to develop the Trincomalee region will reached with a singaporian company.
Minister of Development Startergies and International Trade, Malik Samarawickrama stated that they initiating work on a FDA with Singapore in order to harvest mutual benefits.
He added that Surbana Jurong had formulated the Western Megapolis development plan which is the center piece of the development program.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Singapore, S.Iswarawan stated that according to the initial study both Sri Lanka and Singapore can gain much from concluding a modern and comprehensive free trade agreement.
Explaining further he noted after all the studies have been finalized a decision can be made on how to proceed with a Sri Lanka Singapore trade agreement when PM Wickeremesinghe visits Singapore.
16 Aug, 2022 | 05:18 PM
27 Jul, 2022 | 09:38 AM
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NASSAU, BAHAMAS — In celebration of the country’s 50th independence anniversary, the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) has teamed up with the Royal Caribbean International to launch a multi-island pitch competition and training program.
The 50×50 Program and Venture Pitch Competition initiative seeks to give 50 budding entrepreneurs access to training, technical support, and their share of up to $50,000 in grant funding.
Participants in the program will receive a six-week entrepreneurship training that includes pitch coaching to improve business economic viability and brand positioning. The training will also cover business introduction, branding, marketing, technology, finances, quality controls and legal procedures.
“This is a program we believe will build capacity, help us diversify our tourism product and ultimately enrich the experiences of visitors to our shores,” said TDC Executive Director Ian Ferguson.
“We want to enhance our tourism offerings, and this can be done through this initiative as we celebrate the country’s 50th independence.”
Royal Caribbean’s SEA the Future platform renews its commitment to connecting people to the world’s most amazing places and cultures in a way that respects and protects those who sail and work with the company and the ocean communities and ecosystems its ships visit.
“The Tourism Development Center’s 50×50 Program and Pitch Competition captures the essence of our SEA the Future commitment to energize communities by remaining dedicated to the overall growth and economic development of the residents who make the places we visit so memorable to our guests,” said Philip Simon, President of the Royal Beach Club at Paradise Island and General Manager of Royal Caribbean International Bahamas.
“The program will allow local entrepreneurs access to the resources needed to develop their businesses and offer the authentic cultural experiences millions of tourists seek when visiting the Bahamas.”
Each island will have a preliminary round, followed by a final round comprising the top five pitches from each island. Judges will select the top three ventures from the finalists who will receive grant funding for their ideas.
The first prize winner of the pitch competition on New Providence stands to win $10,000 in award funding, second place $6,000, and third place $4,000.
On Grand Bahama, the first prize winner will receive $6,000, second place $4,000, and third place to receive $2,000.
On the islands of Exuma and Abaco, top winners will receive $4,000, while second and third-place winners will receive $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.
The program offers a total of 50 slots: New Providence, 20 slots; Grand Bahama, 10 slots; Exuma,10 slots; and Abaco, 10 slots.
The deadline for registration is October 20, 2023.


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Vail Valley lodges feeling the sting from virus, financial market declines
The good news is that the ski industry is more resilient than other travel sectors
The COVID-19 virus and its effects on the nation’s financial markets is being felt across the U.S. travel industry, including the Vail Valley.
That hit started in earnest on Feb. 24, with steep drops in U.S. and global financial markets.
According to the latest data from DestiMetrics by Inntopia, a Denver-based firm that tracks lodging data across mountain resorts, February occupancy was up .9% from the prior year.
But this month has seen the biggest hits to the markets. That’s had an impact on travel.
Rich ten Braak is the general manager of the Comfort Inn in Avon. That property hadn’t seen any cancellations as of the morning of March 11. Just 24 hours later, ten Braak reported a significant number of cancellations.
“We’re still fairly busy … Our market is primarily from the Front Range, but destination (guests) are the ones canceling,” ten Braak said.
The Park Hyatt Beaver Creek is also experiencing cancellations.
“We’re seeing our fair share” of cancellations, general manager Herb Rackliff said, adding “we still have people calling to book … the skiing’s been sensational.”
At the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail, Jonathan Reap, the director of public relations, said that property has also seen its share of cancellations.
“It’s changing day in and day out,” Reap said. “A lot of people are postponing (stays) until later.”
Reap said the Four Seasons has been “very proactive” in reaching out to employees, guests and residents about the status of the valley’s COVID-19 outbreak.
“At times like this it’s important,” Reap said.
Vail Resort Rentals rents condos across the valley. There, owner Dale Bugby said his business has been hit hard.
“We’ve had far more cancellations than bookings,” Bugby said. Bugby guessed that he might lose half of his reservations for the rest of March, and “April is going to be ugly.”
And, Bugby said, some condo owners are canceling their own reservations.
When will it get better?
“I don’t have a sense for when it’ll get better,” he said. “There’s an overall fear of travel right now, although we’re not quite there with the cruise line industry.”
Bugby said his company is struggling what to do for the next six months. It might be a better financial decision to just shut down at least one property than to keep it open, he said.
Bugby isn’t alone in being uncertain about the coming weeks and months.
Tom Foley, senior vice president of Business Operations and Analytics for Inntopia, said uncertainty abounds in the industry, adding that it’s too soon to tell how the current situation will unfold.
It’s going to take time to understand it,” Foley said.
However the virus and the response to it unfolds, Foley said it’s “not a short-term event as we’re anticipating it.”
But, he added, President Donald Trump’s March 13 declaration of a national emergency had an immediate, positive effect on the financial markets.
“This is really a place where investors are so sensitive,” Foley said. “Words matter. Getting them right matters, and actions matter.”
Impacts from the virus and the financial markets have been felt beyond the lodging business, of course.
At Venture Sports, owner Mike Brumbaugh said a number of customers have canceled rental reservations at those shops.
On the other hand, he said, one family already in the valley decided to extend their stay, thanks to good snow and relatively empty slopes.
Foley said the good news is that the ski industry tends to bounce back more quickly than other leisure businesses.
“Our clients have proven time and time again that (the ski industry) has a dedicated, committed, passionate consumer base,” Foley said. “People out there whose lifestyle (includes mountain recreation) are not going to stop doing that forever.”
Vail Daily Business Editor Scott Miller can be reached at email@example.com or 970-748-2930.


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THQ gets Rare GBA titles
As with other Microsoft GBA titles (Monster Truck Madness, et al), THQ agreed today an agreement with Microsoft that will see them publish four Rare-developed games for Nintendo's GBA.
The four confirmed titles are Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge, Banjo Pilot, It's Mr. Pants and Sabre Wulf; though quite who or what Mr Pants is, we're unsure.
Banjo-Kazooie is due out come the end of this year, whilst we'll have to wait until 2004 for the rest.
More on all these as we get it.
- Valve's Chet Faliszek has been confirmed as the first developer session for EGX Rezzed 2015
- One area from Zelda Wii U is as big as the entirety of Skyward Sword
- Telltale's new collaboration is with Mojang, on a Minecraft story game
- Franklin voice actor indicates GTA V story DLC is on the way
- Red Dead Redemption, LA Noire and Bully sequels will come when the time is right says Rockstar
- Telltale teases another collaboration with another game developer
- New Company Of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault trailer recognizes the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge
- New Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer focuses on character customization
- Splash Damage's free-to-play shooter Dirty Bomb coming to Steam in the new year


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Auth0 announced that it launched its Auth0 Identity Platform on Microsoft Azure to unlock a secure cloud deployment option for organizations seeking strategic fit with their technology stack.
Auth0’s identity platform provides organizations with tools to support security, compliance, and data residency that apply to them.
Organizations requiring data residency options can take advantage of periodic feature updates while maintaining control over the timing and the ability to roll back without the hassle of having to maintain them, which results in faster time to market and a more seamless experience for organizations and their customers, according to Auth0.
“The Auth0 Identity Platform on Azure can help unlock a secure and compliant cloud deployment experience for organizations seeking support across CIAM use cases. This is especially true for organizations in industries like retail or financial services where selecting vendors that are not competitive to their business is top priority, organizations operating in regions where certain cloud providers have higher geographic availability, and those that have existing technology investments in Azure,” said Shiv Ramji, chief product officer at Auth0.
Auth0 will discuss this offering in greater detail with Okta at Showcase21 taking place today, Oct. 13, 2021.


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Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway continued selling off more of its HP Inc. shares at a loss this week and dropped its stake below 10% of the printer and computer maker, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).
HP’s shares have been trading around $26 this week after taking a sharp fall of nearly 14% over the past month. I Photo: Don DeBold Flickr
Berkshire said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the latest sale of over 3 million shares last week raised more than $80 million. Berkshire announced on Monday that it had sold off 5 million other shares.
However, HP’s shares have been trading around $26 this week after taking a sharp fall of nearly 14% over the past month.
The stock of the Palo Alto, California-based company was selling in the mid $30s last spring when Berkshire first bought it. It’s still not clear whether Buffett plans to unload all of Berkshire’s HP shares because he doesn’t comment on stock sales while Berkshire is still making them.
He only discloses what he’s required to as a substantial owner of the stock.


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GE learned of a serious vulnerability affecting two brands of anesthesia machines in October. The company on Tuesday advised customers to take steps to protect them from being remotely tampered with.
Tag: Internet of Things
A programming glitch in GPS satellite software grounded planes in China and other countries. But what does it tell us about the security of the Internet of Things? Bill Malik of Trend Micro joins us to discuss.
Data breaches relating to unsecured Internet of Things devices have jumped by more than 10 percent since 2017, suggesting security efforts aren’t keeping pace with the growth of the Internet of Things, a new study finds.
Lawmakers in the U.S. and U.K. are readying new laws that will crack down on insecure Internet of Things devices in both the public and private sectors.
Global aluminum manufacturer Norsk Hydro was hit with an alleged ransomware attack Tuesday. The attack is having a major impact on the company’s global business and production.


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Swiss luxury watch brand Bovet has had a checkered history since its founding in 1822. Now the tide is turning once again.
Swiss luxury watch brand Bovet adds yet another episode to its ownership.
Once founded in London in 1822, the Swiss luxury watch company had been wholly owned by haute horology collector Pascal Raffy since 2001 – after countless changes of ownerships – via the company Bovet Fleurier SA.
Expansion in Asia
But about ten years ago, the watch enthusiast took on board the Zurich-based DKSH Group to push expansion into Asia.
The Swiss company DKSH is a service and trading group specializing in marketing services. The group was granted exclusive marketing and distribution rights in the region by Bovet in order to promote the luxury watch brand in Asia.
However, DKSH now announced Friday that it had sold its 25 percent stake in Bovet Fleurier SA to French entrepreneur Raffy. The latter holds 75 percent of the company and will thus once again become the sole ruler of the luxury watch company.
Buttoned-up holding company
The business news portal muual.ch wanted to know more about the transaction and asked DKSH Holding for details as well as the reason for the sale. A media spokeswoman explained that ‘no additional details’ would be given about the de-investment of Bovet.
However, the transaction is in line with DKSH’s strategy, according to which approximately ten percent of the around 4 billion Swiss francs in sales of the consumer good segment are to be generated with luxury & lifestyle goods and the focus is to be increasingly placed on M&A again. Perhaps DKSH is up to something bigger?
In any case, it has been publicly known for some time that DKSH would be quite willing to sell its other existing majority stake in the small watch brand Maurice Lacroix if there were a better owner for it.
When asked whether further details on the Bovet sale would have to be provided in DKSH’s annual financial statements anyway, the media spokeswoman did not reveal any details and explained that the company would have to wait until the beginning of February 2023.
In any case, the patron of Bovet has repeatedly attracted attention in the luxury watch industry with clever moves. For example, he bought the Chateau de Môtiers from the canton of Neuchâtel for the manufacturer Bovet, which is actually focused on pocket watches for the Chinese market, because it had once been owned by the Bovet family.
There at the chateau, from 2006, he launched exhibitions on watch assembly and organized workshops focused on the intricate watchmaking process.
Award for sophistication
Raffy, a watch expert, also continues to attract attention for technical sophistication. In 2018, for example, he won the prestigious Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Awards with his Récital 22 Grand Récital.
Daughter Audrey Raffy has now been active in the watch business since 2020. And perhaps this already heralds further changes in Bovet’s ownership structure. After all, company father Pascal is already around 60 years old.
01.01.2023 correction DKSH: 10 percent of 4 billion Swiss francs in sales of the consumer good segment and not in total sales of 11 billion Swiss francs/kut.


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Since posting a high of $19.90 on September 4th, shares of TWE have slipped over 12% lower and hit $17.40 in early trade today.
Our ALGO engine triggered a buy signal for TWE on Tuesday at $17.60.
This “higher low” pattern is referenced to the $16.50 low posted on May 30th.
According to a directors interest notice last week, the company Chairman, Paul Rayner, bought 18,700 shares at around $18.70, which lifted his personal interest to over 260,000 shares.
It’s our base case that TWE can continue to build on the strong FY 2018 results and the share price represents good value at current levels.


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Sky is bringing the ultimate TV upgrade to customers this Christmas
Ho-Ho-How would you like free access to Sky Sports, two free films from Sky Cinema, and unlimited free calls to landlines and mobiles across Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The festive upgrade is being dished-out by Sky to anyone who is already subscribed to the hugely-popular TV service.
Sky viewers will be able to access all eight Sky Sports channels across Christmas Day and Boxing Day – so they will be able to watch all of the Boxing Day fixtures, as well as the Darts World Championships on December 27 and the Tottenham Hotspur vs Norwich match on December 28.
If sport isn’t your bag, not to worry. Sky also has free movies in its sleigh. Subscribers will be able to watch How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World on Sky One, as well as download Love Actually for free anytime between December 4 until December 31. Perfect for a cosy movie night-in during the chilly December evenings.
And if you’re so excited about all this free stuff that you just absolutely have to pick-up the phone and call your lost-lost aunt in Australia about it, then you’re in luck. Sky is also gifting its Sky Talk subscribers with free worldwide calls to landlines and mobile phones on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, so you can spread a little festive cheer, wish loved ones well – without having to worry about racking up an eye-watering bill.
Sky bring back ET for their 2019 Christmas advert
Elsewhere, Sky Mobile customers get unlimited data on Christmas Day and Boxing Day – so if the Wi-Fi is struggling to stream with the entire family connecting new gadgets, watching video on-demand services, and making FaceTime calls to far-flung relatives – you shouldn’t worry about switching over to a 4G connection instead.
Unfortunately, this particular perk only applies to the UK, with Channel Islands and Isle of Man excluded. So, be aware before you start streaming the entire Lord Of The Rings extended trilogy box set in 4K from your smartphone mistakenly believing you’ve got unlimited data for the day.
Sky says the idea behind the colossal Christmas giveaway was inspired by its E.T. inspired holiday advertisement. In a statement, the company said: “the gifts will bring everyone together this Christmas, whether that’s reconnecting with family on the other side of the world or spending quality time together in front of a great movie.
“And our customers don’t have to lift a finger.”