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Amazon’s Fire tablet was already an attractive device because of its $49.99 price tag, but today it’s getting even better with new models.
The Amazon Fire tablet is now available in magenta, blue, and tangerine color options in addition to the black version that launched last year. It’s also gained a new storage option, with a 16GB model available for $69.99. The 16GB version is available in the same colors as the 8GB model.
Additionally, the Fire Kids Edition is now available in a green kid-proof case and it’s also now available with 16GB of built-in storage. The 8GB version is priced at $99.99, while the more capacious 16GB flavor will set buyers back $119.99.
These are some nice updates to Amazon’s low-cost Fire tablets. New color options can make the Fire tablet more attractive to more folks, and with 16GB of storage, buyers have the option of getting a more capacious model to store more TV shows, movies, and games. And even though it’s a little pricier than the 8GB model, getting a 16GB tablet for $69.99 is still a pretty awesome deal.
All of Amazon’s new Fire tablets are now available.


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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Another way to rent Scooters is coming to the Triangle and Charlotte in April with ride hailing service Lyft and scooter provider Spin teaming up to add the service to the Lyft app in 60 U.S. markets.
Lyft and Spin rolled out the service first in Nashville on Thursday.
Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte are among 13 markets targeted for launch next month.
Spin notes that it was “instrumental in crafting the world’s first mobility permitting system that is now used around the world.”
The scooters will be available for rent through the Lyft app.
“With our bikes and scooters now in 14 U.S. cities, Lyft has made strides to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation,” said Caroline Samponaro, Lyft vice president of Transit and Micromobility Policy, in the announcement. “Working together with Spin allows us to expand access to micromobility and serve more people in more areas, all in the Lyft app.”
Lyft noted that riders “will see Spin scooters as an option when they search their destination in the Lyft app. To see all available scooters, riders can tap the scooter icon at the bottom of the screen, and nearby scooters will be populated on the map. A Spin scooter can be unlocked via the Lyft app by scanning its QR code or entering the scooter ID number.”
Other markets on the launch list include:
- Phoenix, Ariz.
- Detroit, Mich.
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Providence, R.I.
- Fort Collins, Colo.
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Kansas City, Mo.
- Memphis, Tenn.
Note: This story has been corrected to point out Lyft is adding Spin to its app. Spin says scooters were already available.

domain: news


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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Next Act: Finding The New Instagram
She’ll be a mentor on ‘Battle of The Apps’
After announcing that she was consciously uncoupling from her lifestyle behemoth GOOP, we wondered what Gwyneth Paltrow would do next? Would she resume her acting career in hopes of scoring a second Oscar? Would she join Chris Martin on tour with their children Moses and Apple and form a modern day version of the Partridge Family? Or, would she start another lifestyle brand called POOG, in which she recommends different ways to deep fry mac n' cheese?
As it turns out, it’s none of the above.
For her next act, Paltrow will join the realm of reality television as a mentor on Apple’s upcoming reality series, Planet of the Apps. Along with VaynerMedia's Gary Vaynerchuk and the extra terrestrial rapper will.i.am, Paltrow will say yay or nay to aspiring app developers. Think of it as Shark Tank meets American Idol, except instead of Simon Cowell calling someone's performance pitchy, it'll be Paltrow criticizing an app’s lack of built-in virality.
The show marks a bold new step for Apple, which is also busy getting into television, with a scripted series from Dr. Dre currently in the works. As for Planet of the Apps, Paltrow seems stoked about her new role as dream maker. "Developing and launching a business based on your own original idea can be exhilarating, but intimidating," she told Variety. "This is a great opportunity to be part of a series that lets us use our experiences to help app developers break through and create viable businesses that will impact peoples’ lives.
And to make things extra mind-bending, Planet of the Apps will launch where else but the App Store, in 2017.


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Supports K@W’s Tech Content
Ken Rees could be the creator and CEO of on line fintech loan provider Elevate. The business acts credit-challenged borrowers at rates far less than alleged payday loan providers. His company additionally is designed to assist customers boost their credit scoring and in the end increasingly gain access to reduced interest levels. In this meeting, he talks about exactly exactly how technology is recasting their state for the marketplace for individuals with damaged — or no — credit. He participated on a panel of fintech CEOs at a current conference – “Fintech while the brand New Financial Landscape” – at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Continue reading Can Fintech Lower Charges For High-risk Borrowers?


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Muscat: The new electricity consumption bill has not been rescinded, but it will be applied in a phased manner. Generally, the January bill includes the approved tariff as per the regulations published in December which involves the gradual application of the new tariff over the year.
This was stated by Qais bin Saud al Zakwani, Executive Director, Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR).
He said that the approved tariff for the first group is 15 baisas, which will be applied gradually over the year starting with 11 baisas in the first month for electricity consumption up to 2,000 kilowatts. He added the mechanism for the gradual application of the new tariff is the purview of the National Subsidy System Committee.
It has been rumoured that the new electricity tariff has been revoked as its was supposed to be enforced in January as per the subsidy reorientation regulation issued by the APSR. January bill was calculated based on 11 baisas instead of 15 baisas for consumption up to 2,000 kilowatts, and 14 baisas instead of 20 baisas for electricity consumption up to 4,000 kilowatts. The bill for electricity consumption above 4,000 kilowatts will be 22 baisas instead of 30 baisas, the official said, adding that the new tariff will be applied gradually.
NEW TARIFF STRUCTURE
The new tariff structure includes the following categories: Big consumers category that includes all subscribers of all the categories except the residential category who consume 100 megawatts per hour in a year or more, and the cost-reflective tariff (CRT) is applied to all subscribers in this category.
Second is the non-residential consumption category. It includes all the subscribers’ categories (industrial, commercial, government, and tourism) to be merged from a single tariff.
Also, the tariff for agricultural and fishery activities has been modified and will continue to be applied as a special tariff for these two sectors.
The third is the residential consumption category. In this category, the tariff was divided into the citizen’s account tariff, the resident’s account tariff, and additional accounts. The citizen’s account tariff will be applied to accounts registered with the names of citizens, not exceeding two accounts per citizen, and the resident’s account tariff and additional accounts will be applied to registered accounts with the names of residents.
By Zakaria Fikri


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10 pieces sold yesterday at $750!
85 pieces have now sold in the Auction, raising $21,325 for SAQA's exhibitions, publications and educational outreach programs.
More artwork is available through the SAQA Store.
Price will drop to $550 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern today
Some of the artwork available for bid:


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The state Motor Vehicle Commission tweeted this month that New Driver’s Licenses and ID cards being issued have a new feel and look.
The most obvious change incorporates the MVC’s new logo and color scheme also seen at agencies and inspections stations.
But some drivers said the new documents have a different feel than the old ones — people said they feel fake.
Gone is the plastic-feel of the old license that was slightly thinner than a credit card or corporate ID. Some drivers said the new license has been rejected when they used it for proof of being of legal drinking age at bars.
The new licenses and IDs have a different feel to them and include several improved security features, said William Connolly, an MVC spokesman.
“Both changes help MVC to combat fraud and identity theft, enhance security of individuals’ personal information, and make it more difficult for fraudsters to produce counterfeit NJ licenses and IDs,” he said, declining to describe exactly what the features were for security reasons.
The change happened when the MVC switched from issuing driver’s licenses at agencies to issuing them from a central facility and mailing them to drivers, Connolly said.
New Jersey is one of more than two dozen states that switched from issuing licenses at agencies to producing them at a central license facility.
So, why the different feel?
“The improved security features could not be implemented using the old technology that was used to print licenses and IDs (in agencies),” Connolly said. “The new material and centralized production make the new licenses and IDs more secure and less susceptible to fraudulent reproduction.”


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The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said the country’s tra fish and shrimp exports haven’t seen any promising signs so far this year.
By mid-January, the country earned only US$63.38 million from tra fish exports, a year-on-year drop of 20.7 percent.
Due to a sharp reduction in exports to major markets such as the European Union (EU), the US, ASEAN, Mexico and Brazil, fluctuations in domestic prices and difficult access to capital by tra fish farmers, the nation is likely to earn only US$230-250 million from tra fish exports in the first quarter of the year.
In the meantime, around 30 percent of the total 300 shrimp exporting enterprises that contributed 36-38 percent of the country’s seafood export value had to halt their operation for lack of capital to buy raw materials at an exorbitant price. The remaining businesses have been operating at half capacity.
VASEP has forecast three scenarios for shrimp exports this year. The revenue will reach US$2.4 billion if the country properly solves the early mortality syndrome (EMS) in shrimps, the competition in buying raw materials, export market and the Ethoxyquin barrier. It will be US$2.2 billion if EMS and the Ethoxyquin barrier are solved, and US$1.9 billion if the two problems remain.
Because of a likely reduction of 20-30 percent in shrimp output in the first quarter of the year, the application of the barrier on the acceptable level of Ethoxyquin content, an antioxydant, in Japan and the Republic of Korea and the US’s launch of anti-subsidy lawsuit against Vietnam. The country’s shrimp exports are estimated at US$360 million in the first three months of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 18-20 percent.
Businesses forecast shrimp exports at just US$1.9 billion in revenue this year due to the outbreak of diseases since 2011.
Meanwhile, Chairman of VASEP Shrimp Committee Ho Quoc Luc said he was not optimistic about the US$2.4 billion forecast, adding that it was difficult to predict as the cultivation depends largely on the weather.
The export value will hover around US$1.9-2.1 billion if the unfavourable weather and diseases occur this year, he added.
At present, he said, shrimp farmers need the Government’s support as the processing businesses do not have mortgages to borrow loans.
On Feb. 15, the Hung Vuong and Go Dang Joint Stock Companies prepared their first batches of tra and clams worth US$2.5 million for export to Europe and the Middle East.
Earlier, the Hung Vuong Company shipped 30 containers of tra fillets worth US$2 million to Europe and the Go Dang JC Company, 200 tonnes of tra fish and clams worth US$500,000 to China.
General Director Nguyen Van Dao of the Go Dang JC company said tra fish consumption is growing not only in Europe and the Mid-East but also in Asia and America.


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Internet Keeper Global (IKG) Philippines plans to team up with big Philippine telecom companies to establish a large presence in the local market. Mary Gold Sy, senior business development manager at IKG Philippines, said the local subsidiary of Hong Kong-based IKGlobal is eyeing PLDT Inc., Globe Telecom, Converge and Eastern Telecom. Meanwhile, Steven Yan, IKG Philippines CEO, said the company will enter the enterprise market to cater to BPO firms, systems integrators and Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Yan also said that IKG Philippines will offer services as an internet service provider covering global data center resources, global network lines and internet protocol addresses, among others, and will also provide services and technologies to small and medium enterprises. He added that IKG Philippines will even offer financial leasing grants to entrepreneurs wishing to digitize and automate their operations. Yan noted that IKG decided to expand in the Philippines as the country is one of the world’s top internet users. IKGlobal Inc. has a presence in the Americas, Asia and Europe.


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If you have patience, Virgin Galactic (SPCE) could be an interesting opportunity.
At the moment, it’s oversold at its 50-day moving average, with over-extensions on RSI, MACD, and Williams’ %R. All after it delayed its test flight – again – until May 2021.
While it’s disappointing, it’s safety first.
After all, if they launch with issues, and there’s a horrific problem, it becomes a PR nightmare.
So, they need to get this right. “President Mike Moses said electromagnetic interference problems caused a computer problem in December, when the rocket’s engine failed to ignite during a test flight. Virgin Galactic replaced flight-system computers but then uncovered additional EMI issues as it prepared for a Feb. 13 flight. Those problems will take until May to correct,” as noted by Bloomberg.
Sure, the news is a letdown. But it’s a temporary letdown. Testing is still on the books. The company is still looking to launch at some point, and create a potentially lucrative market. But again, they have to get it right. Investors may want to take advantage of the temporary dip.
Another great way to invest in space is with Rocket Lab.
Rocket Lab, expected to go public through a SPAC merger could see big interest.
“Rocket Lab is the leader in the small launch marketplace, with its Electron rocket carrying nearly 100 small satellites to orbit over the past couple of years. The company has also built a spacecraft manufacturing business, to give customers a versatile platform that pairs with its rockets,” says CNBC.
The company is also expected to build a rocket called Neutron, which could be capable of launching astronauts to the International Space Station. The company expects to launch Neutron by 2024 and make sure it’s “certifiable for human spaceflight.”


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Don’t trust cbd oil every thing you continue reading the world wide web.
Jackie Flynn Mogensen
The health globe is certainly inundated with health trends—“raw” water, probiotics, juicing, you identify it—but cannabidiol, or CBD, a chemical that is marijuana-derived has had items to new levels. Merchants market it as being a “miracle molecule,” claiming it may treat illnesses including nausea, anxiety, cancer tumors, joint disease, as well as Alzheimer’s infection. It’s commonly offered as an oil or included with items like sweets, teas, and creams you’ll find in drug stores, in animal depots, and even on Amazon.
Some superstars have actually become CBD believers: UFC fighter Nate Diaz when said it’s going to “make your lifetime an improved place,” while Gwyneth Paltrow’s health weblog, Goop, recommends a mint that is cbd-spiked “for kicking relaxation mode into overdrive.”
Specialists estimate the CBD marketplace is well well worth vast sums of bucks, and it’s projected to surpass $1 billion by 2020. But just what do science in addition to legislation actually state about this“miracle molecule” that is new? We’ve fact-checked some claims that are common you don’t need certainly to.
It’s totally appropriate. False. CBD is unlawful underneath the federal 1970 managed Substances Act. A variety of cannabis that, unlike marijuana, contains only trace amounts of THC, the compound that gets you high as a Schedule I drug, it’s in the same category as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy—even when it’s derived from hemp.
Things become murky during the continuing state degree. Although a few states have previously legalized both hemp and marijuana, users theoretically could be prosecuted under federal legislation. (Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is pushing for legislation that will federally legalize hemp, which will be a big crop in his house state, Kentucky.) Nevertheless, specialists state getting arrested for using CBD is not likely: As Shanna Babalonis, a professor that is assistant of science during the University of Kentucky university of Medicine whom aided write a 2018 World Health Organization report about CBD, pointed down, “It’s being sold online without any consequence.”
It could treat a washing selection of real and mental conditions. Perhaps. A great amount of animal studies suggest CBD might help alleviate anxiety and encourage leisure, but thus far there’s evidence that is limited it has that effect—or virtually any, for that matter—in people. Up to now, the actual only real CBD medicine approved by the meals and Drug Administration for medical usage is really a drug called Epidiolex, that was manufactured by a uk business to treat two uncommon types of epilepsy.
Other medications can be on the road. A medication called Arvisol, produced by an organization into the Netherlands, is supposed to deal with neurological and psychiatric problems, including schizophrenia, and it is undergoing very early medical studies. In america, Zynerba Pharmaceuticals is having a CBD gel to treat the signs of a genetic condition called delicate X problem, that may consist of anxiety, mood swings, and impairment that is cognitive. And evidence that is limited CBD might help with opioid, cocaine, and tobacco addiction, in line with the that report, though “considerably more scientific studies are required.”
Don’t hold your breathing on that. Researchers require approval through the Food And Drug Administration therefore the Drug Enforcement Administration to review any Schedule I medication, so when a 2017 report through the nationwide Academies of Sciences place it, this barrier has “discouraged an amount of cannabis scientists from trying to get grant money or pursuing additional research efforts.” What’s more, the government that is federal only fast-tracks trials for Schedule 1 substances that treat grave illnesses—so it is difficult for experts to truly show CBD is an anti-anxiety wonder medication, despite its reputation. Most of the tape that is red prompted some businesses to go their research operations to Israel, where laws around cannabis are more stimulating.
There was “great prospective” for CBD, claims Margaret Haney, manager regarding the Marijuana Research Laboratory at the Columbia University Irving infirmary. Nevertheless, Haney, that is currently testing CBD’s capability to treat neurological harm pain, warns that individuals are too wanting to tout the medication. “I’m excited about any of it, but we caution visitors to maybe not jump 20 actions prior to the technology.”
It won’t enable you to get high. True. While both CBD and its own sibling cannabinoid THC have the same chemical formula—21 carbon particles, 30 hydrogen molecules, and two oxygen molecules—their structures vary dramatically. Therefore, while THC can connect with receptors into the mind, evoking the high connected with marijuana, CBD cannot. Overseas medical research has revealed that also high doses of dental CBD do not cause “THC-like results” such as for example disability, increased heartrate, or mouth that is dry in line with the that report.
It’s readily available for cheap on the web. Real, but be very careful—while most states that allow CBD product product sales need items offered in brick-and-mortar stores to endure screening, the CBD that is online market very nearly totally unregulated. In 2017, the Food And Drug Administration tested lots of services and products from four major online CBD merchants situated in Florida, Colorado, and Ca. Many items didn’t retain the amounts of CBD that stores promoted, plus some made unfounded claims like, “CBD makes cancer tumors cells commit ‘suicide’ without killing other cells.” The FDA delivered letters that are warning all four organizations needing them to improve the knowledge. These “deceptive advertising” techniques might even avoid some clients from having the health care they want, the agency had written.
Haney and her colleagues agree CBD shows promise—and more research and legislation can help weed away products that are bogus. For the time being, it is nevertheless better to proceed with care: everything you buy on line might not contain CBD even. “There’s no legislation, so buyer beware,” says Haney. “You don’t understand what you’re actually getting.”
In search of news you can rely on? Continue reading “Sorry, Hipsters. CBD Will Likely Not Solve Your Dilemmas.”


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PALO ALTO, Calif. — March 15, 2012 – This month, Sciton celebrates its 15th Anniversary as an innovator of aesthetic laser and light solutions. Over the past 15 years the company has focused on inventing a steady stream of cutting-edge products, many of which are considered best-in-class.
Sciton was founded in 1997 by Jim Hobart, CEO (who was also a founder of Coherent, Inc. in 1966), Dan Negus, President, and others. Reflecting on what Sciton has accomplished over the past 15 years, Jim and Dan cited that Sciton’s formula for success is simple…“create a culture where doing the right thing for our customers and employees is critical. With this formula, we have cultivated long-lasting relationships with both our customers and staff.”
The company has established itself as the preferred aesthetic laser and light solution for many reputable physicians. Recently, the company was ranked #1 in efficacy and service by Medical Spa MD’s Physician Report. Sciton has earned its reputation by listening, asking for feedback and applying that feedback to develop solutions that address the concerns of the aesthetic laser and light market.
As a company, Sciton is focused on growing and cultivating its global brand. Worldwide demand for Sciton solutions has dramatically increased over the past 15 years. To meet the demand, Sciton now sells directly in the US, Japan and Canada, and has 45 distributors in 75 countries around the world. International expansion allows the company to form partnerships with key global physician thought leaders that will help Sciton provide new and innovative solutions to the marketplace for the next 15 years and beyond.
Sciton is committed to providing best-in-class laser and light source solutions for medical professionals who want exceptional durability, performance and value. Sciton offers superior medical devices for fractional and full-coverage skin resurfacing, superficial and deep skin peeling, hair removal, phototherapy, wrinkle reduction, laser-assisted lipolysis, treatment of vascular and pigmented lesions and varicose veins, nail fungus, scar reduction and acne treatment. For more information and a complete listing of Sciton systems, visit www.sciton.com.
To speak with a representative from Sciton, contact Zoe Beh at 650.493.9155 or email email@example.com. # # #


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Cape Town - The country’s only 100% black owned genetic testing company, Gene Diagnostics, has been nominated for the Black Umbrellas People’s Choice awards.
The awards are an initiative of the Black Umbrellas, a division of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, to recognise SMEs within the Black Umbrellas business incubation programme.
The awards honour small businesses, their achievements as SMEs, the jobs they have created, and the contribution they have made to society as a whole.
A delighted Professor Monique Zaahl, founder of Gene Diagnostics, said: “I think it’s exciting. Black Umbrellas has a lot of companies, and to be selected from all those companies is exciting and means that we are being noticed.”
Gene Diagnostics is the only 100% black-owned company in the country that specialises in genetic testing, research and training. Zaahl said its diversity allowed staff to better understand her clients.
“Sometimes people associate blackowned businesses with inferior quality, but we are top quality. The staff I have and their expertise and skills, that’s what people say, they compliment us on our service,” she said.
Zaahl said what made her business different from many other companies was the quality of its service.
“We give people good service and they compliment us because relative to other companies they can call us and there’s someone on the other side of the line. You don’t necessarily get that from other competitors, so there’s a human element and people like that,” she said.
Zaahl said her business started out of a need to make genetics testing more accessible.
“I used to teach at Stellenbosch University and their students did a lot of research and a lot of information was available, and testing was for an elite group. Testing was very expensive or it was done overseas and I saw the opportunity.
“Genetics is my biggest passion and I set out to make it available to people. We service people across all income brackets, it’s not just for a specific group,” she said.
Zaahl said her business had grown immensely with the help of Black Umbrellas, to the extent that the business was now moving to bigger offices.
“They’re not with us everyday, all the time, but they do help and when we need anything, we can call on them. It’s been a great journey, because we could see from where we were two years ago to where we are now – we’ve tripled in turnover and we’ve partnered with other clinics. We’re going to move from Somerset because the space is too small. We’re moving to Woodstock,” she said.
The People’s Choice Award is part of Black Umbrellas National Enterprise Development award ceremony which will be held on November 11, 2021. It will be a virtual event.


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Velocity and VetCT make UK sales gazelles rankings
Cambridge duo Velocity Commerce and VetCT along with Suffolk business Superyacht Tenders & Toys fly the flag for the East of England in this weekend’s Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table which ranks Britain’s private companies with the fastest-growing sales.
The three companies headquartered locally include two new entrants to the league table. Their sales have grown by an average of 60 per cent a year over three years to a total of £29.6 million and together they employ 137 people.
The region’s top-ranked company is online marketplace specialist Velocity Commerce, which is based in Cambridge. As well as helping companies such as Brita and Hoover manage their online presence, it sells its Majority Radios brand, which it says is the second largest in the UK by volume sold.
It has grown its sales over the past three years by an average of 84 per cent a year, reaching £16.7m last year. The company also designs digital radios that it names after Cambridge colleges.
Veterinary radiology and telemedicine company VetCT, based in Cambridge, appears on the league table for the first time. It employs remote radiology specialists across the globe to analyse animal scans and provide support to vets. Its annual sales growth is given as 51 per cent and sales at £6.3m.
Suffolk-based Superyacht Tenders & Toys also makes its first appearance, reporting sales of £6.6m in 2018. Jet skis, submarines and giant inflatables are among the products it provides to yacht-owners around the world. Sales are up 45 per cent.
The companies in the East of England appear with businesses from around Britain, including fitness clothing retailer Gymshark, beauty products retailer Revolution Beauty, and brewer BrewDog.
Past stars include chip designer Arm, which featured in 1997 with sales of £17m, floated and was acquired by Japan’s SoftBank in 2016 for £24 billion; and mixer drinks maker Fever-Tree, which floated in 2014 at £154m and is now worth £2.6bn.
The Fast Track 100 is sponsored by Virgin Atlantic, Barclays, BDO, BGF and N+1 Singer, and is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
• Image courtesy – VetCT


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Brick maker Willdale Limited has seen turnover for the full-year to 31 March 2016 come in 20 percent below prior year at $3.6 million due to an 18 percent decline in volumes and lower prices.
Company chairman Alex Jongwe said although there was no increase in unit production costs, the achieved gross margin declined to 26 percent compared to 29 percent in the prior year.
As a result, an operating profit of $218 383 was earned compared to $468 164 in the same period in 2015 after charging $395 146 in depreciation of property, plant and equipment.
Jongwe said several projects for housing, universities and school development remain at quotation stage. The company has sufficient production capacity to meet demand, he added.
“The continued improvement in availability of mortgage finance has kept the order book from individual home developers active. In view of the need to improve product delivery to customers, a delivery service will be introduced in the third quarter,” he said in a statement accompanying the results.
Overhead costs for the period declined by 10 percent while net financing costs, including costs of preference shares, were at $339 340.
The company on 10 June 2014 raised $3.255 million through the issue of 10 percent redeemable cumulative preference shares at a subscription price of $1 per share. Jongwe said the preference shares have been accounted for as a liability since they are redeemable and convertible.
In terms of operations, there was minimal extrusion and firing in the period under review in line with the strategy of not running the plant during the wet season to minimise brick loses.
Jongwe said stocks carried over from prior year were sufficient to cover sales during the period under review.
He said cost management remain key to operations in the current environment given declining selling prices.
“Various measures are in place to improve process efficiencies across operations in order to reduce both production and overhead costs. Productivity based remuneration has been introduced in most production processes.”
Going forward, Jongwe said the introduction of a brick transportation service will enhance the company’s competitiveness.- The Source


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Opening Friday, March 27th, from 7PM - 10PM
This event has been postponed.
THE COLLECTION will host a public unveiling celebration honoring Agha’s two-part interactive installation, Shimmering Mirage (Red) and Descent into Light, as well as the program’s upcoming rotating exhibition Architectural Matters, curated by DePaul Art Museum Director Julie Rodrigues Widholm and featuring artwork by three Chicago-based female artists: Susy Giles, Mie Kongo and Yvette Mayorga. The event is open to the public from 7 – 10 p.m. and will include live entertainment, free activations, food and drink from Rosemont restaurants and the opportunity to mingle with the evening’s featured artists. Food and drink wristbands are available for $10, and the first 100 wristband purchasers will receive a custom art-branded notebook.


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Earlier this year, Google revealed it was testing pre-installed Meet and Chat web apps on Chrome OS and planned to release them to the public. Delivering on that promise, Google announced Meet is now a progressive web app (PWA).
PWAs are responsive websites that look and feel like native mobile apps.
Google further stated the PWA version of Meet has the same features as its app counterpart, except it is easier to use and far more accessible. The Meet icon will now appear on users’ shelves and launchers, providing easy access to video chat. As with other PWAs, Google Meet will update automatically during Chrome updates.
“We’ve launched a new Google Meet standalone web app. This Progressive Web Application (PWA) has all the same features as Google Meet on the web, but as a standalone app it’s easier to find and use, and it streamlines your workflow by eliminating the need to switch between tabs,” explained Google.
Users can find the PWA installation prompt on the top-right corner of Chrome's address or URL bar. Once downloaded, Meet will load into a standalone window. Users can run Google Meets PWA on Windows, macOS, Chrome OS 73 and up, and Linux.
How to maximise the value of your data and apps with IaaS
Free yourself from infrastructure complexity
The Google Meets service is available to anyone with a Google account, including G Suite Basic and Business customers. Administrators can manage PWA access or automatically install progressive web apps for users.
Among the Meet software updates are cross-domain live streaming, live stream captions, and hand raise updates for desktops and laptops.
Google has confirmed the Google Meets PWA will arrive starting today, but some features could take up to 15 business days to appear.
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Ever wonder why some people can run a 50-mile ultramarathon while for others even the thought of such endurance sports borders on torture?
Exceptional physical fitness, of course, sets the ultramarathoners apart from the rest of us. But scientists say what might be more important is athletes' excellent ability — both psychologically and physically — to cope with pain.
It turns out that most athletes' high tolerance for pain while exercising may also help them deal with it when they're at rest.
If you're already a kale and lentils kind of person (we know there are a lot of frugal foodies out there) — you won't be surprised by this finding: According to a new study from some economists at the USDA, eating a healthy diet isn't necessarily more expensive than a diet loaded with sugar and fat. In fact, fruits and vegetables are often cheaper when you calculate the cost in a smarter way.


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Kaspersky has launched Pure 2.0 version for home users which comes with password security features, secure vaults, encryption capabilities and parental control features. It uses cloud technologies and proactive protection methods to address complicated threats and provides updated features from its previous versions.
This version provides an isolated virtual environment to launch suspicious programmes and visit unknown websites to test them before actually opening them on your computer. It consists of a feature called System Watcher and closely monitors the behavior of programmes running on the system. Company sources said “If a programme performs a malicious action, System Watcher shuts it down and changes it has made to the system are rolled back. It flags links to infect or fraudulent (phishing) resources using a colour indicator within search engine results.”
Kaspersky is one of the fastest growing IT security providers in the world and it is amongst the top four leading anti-virus vendors. According to company sources, the company’s global revenue grew by 14 per cent compared to the previous year. The revenue is expected to be nearly 612 million dollars. The company is based in Moscow and operates in nearly 200 countries worldwide. This year the company completes 15 years in the industry. According to company officials, more than 300 million people worldwide are protected by Kaspersky products. Its corporate client base is said to be more than 200000 companies ranging from small and medium sized businesses to large commercial organizations.
On-line security is of utmost importance in these days. This is because people have started using the Internet for making payments for their regular bills and other expenses. If the systems are not protected with anti virus, then there is a big threat of the credit cards being misused by hackers and other elements. Apart from this, there is also a threat of malware infecting the system.


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This is a primer on the so-called “Incident 251” involving Huawei’s alleged treatment of a whistle-blowing employee in December 2019. Despite dominating Chinese headlines, it received relatively limited attention in the international press.
For context, Huawei is the world’s largest telecommunications-equipment manufacturer and second-largest smartphone manufacturer. It has recently stepped into the media limelight because of the Trump administration’s series of actions against Huawei: arresting Meng Wanzhou – Huawei’s CFO and daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei – on charges of violating sanctions against Iran, adding the company to the Entity List, pressuring allies to outlaw the purchase of Huawei’s 5G network equipment, and using Huawei as a bargaining chip in the long-drawn US-China trade war.
Despite this, Incident 251 received limited attention in the international press.
South China Morning Post has the key facts:
Li Hongyuan, 35, claimed that he was detained for 251 days from December last year and formally charged in January after he negotiated a severance package with the company.
Li, who worked for Huawei for 12 years, said his director decided not to renew his contract at the end of 2017, after he reported to company management about alleged fraud in his department in 2016, Shanghai-based Jiemian News reported on Monday.
Li said he negotiated a severance package of more than 331,000 yuan (US$47,000), and 300,000 yuan was transferred to his account through a secretary’s personal account in March 2018, according to the report.
He was taken into custody the following December and told by prosecutors in April that the charges related to “300,000 yuan extorted from Huawei”.
However, he was released in August because the prosecution concluded that “the criminal facts are unclear and the evidence is insufficient”, according to court documents Li posted online.
Most English-language reports did not delve into the bevy of dramatic details underlying Li Hongyuan’s claims:
- After Ren Zhengfei sent a company-wide email commending a whistle-blower for uncovering fraud in his department, Li tried to whistle-blow fraud in his department by cornering Ren at a conference room. Ren was unsympathetic and asked him to go through the chain of command.
- Li realized his unsuccessful whistle-blowing attempt meant his days at Huawei were numbered and he would likely suffer retribution. He surreptitiously recorded his conversations with HR, which ostensibly appeared cordial.
- When he found out that his severance payment was suspiciously paid out of a personal account, he highlighted this to the Shenzhen tax authorities to make sure that Huawei had paid the proper taxes.
- Nonetheless, Li’s savviness did not stop the Shenzhen police from arresting Li on December 12, 2018 and seizing his recording pen and personal computer that contained the exculpatory audio recordings.
- The detention facility where he was held is adjacent to Huawei’s headquarters. It was revealed that new employees at Huawei are routinely brought to the facility to look at detained ex-employees as part of their orientation program.
- The timeline of Li’s alleged crime never made sense. The fraud Li allegedly threatened to leak was publicized by Huawei itself on February 2, 2018, whereas the severance payment was made on March 8, 2018.
- After 4 months of detention, Li finally met his lawyer and informed him of a backup copy of the recording on the office computer at his new workplace, another sign of Li’s savviness. This evidence was subsequently submitted to the Shenzhen procuratorate.
- Li was ultimately released after 251 days of detention and awarded 107,522 yuan (approximately US$15,000) as compensation for wrongful detention. In the Chinese tradition of using numbers as a shorthand, Li’s story became known as the “Incident 251” and triggered an uproar across the Chinese Internet.
To be fair, many of these claims are difficult to verify and Li himself did not seek continued media attention after the initial round of publicity. Li’s careful collection and backup of evidence in his favor implied that he foresaw the subsequent retribution and was far from the only employee to be treated this way.
Notably, Incident 251 occurred in Shenzhen, a Special Economic Zone explicitly modelled after rule-of-law exemplars like Hong Kong and Singapore, and implicated Huawei, a national darling riding high on patriotic sentiments induced by the aforementioned US actions. Huawei’s retribution against a long-time employee acting in his employer’s best interests extinguished much of this goodwill, especially among a middle-class that saw Li as a stand-in for themselves.
Huawei further shot itself in the foot with its ill-considered reactions. Incident 251’s revelation coincided with the one-year anniversary of Meng Wanzhou’s arrest and Huawei’s fluff piece drew scorn from Chinese netizens, who contrasted Meng’s confinement to a $16 million house and enjoyment of Canadian due process with Li’s travails. Instead of apologizing, Huawei released an official statement that basically challenged Li to take the company to court. Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, shared an article on Weibo that blamed a bizarre combination of the US government, other Chinese smartphone manufacturers, and private Chinese media platforms for orchestrating a conspiracy of negative publicity against Huawei.
This last point is most ironic. China is well-known for its sophisticated system of censorship, even on its private content platforms. But less well-known is the extent to which this private infrastructure has been co-opted to covertly promote or suppress content on a “pay-to-play” basis. As such, it is difficult to tell whether the blitz of content deletion following Incident 251 was motivated by the state’s public stability considerations or by payments from Huawei’s public relations departments.
Nonetheless, this author leans towards the latter view. First, more than two months after this issue first erupted into public consciousness, many of the most widely shared Chinese-language articles on Incident 251 are still available1. Second, while there are implications of collusion between Huawei and the Shenzhen police force, criticisms of local government and large Chinese companies are seen as less threatening compared to criticisms of the Party or the central government.2
It is too early to tell whether Incident 251 will have a long-term impact on Huawei’s domestic position. For those in the West, this seemingly internecine episode is both a glimpse into the complexities of China’s political economy and a cautionary tale of the dangers of fusing public and private powers.
- Update on May 2020: these articles are still available.
- A similar dynamic can also be found in the current discourse of the Wuhan/Hubei government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.


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Speaking to , Grofers co-founder and CEO Albinder Dhindsa said Grofers has been witnessing over 30 per cent month-on-month growth.
"While we do not sell gourmet products that usually offer higher margins, we have been able to create a set of dedicated customers that usually promote our brand as well... We will continue to ramp up our business and we aim to clock USD 2.5 billion revenue by 2020," he said.
Outlining the expansion strategy, Dhindsa said about 40 per cent of the selection on its platform now comprises of private label products.
"There are a number of local manufacturers, who have great products but can't compete with the FMCG giants and therefore, their products often don't find shelf space in retail stores...we continue to grow the number of manufacturers that we work with," he said.
He further explained that putting these private labels on its own platform has helped the company provide aspirational products like muesli, peanut butter at more affordable prices.
These private labelled products are also making their way on retail shelves at Grofers' over 1,500 partner stores, which the company aims to ramp up to one million in the next two years.
Asked about competition, especially with Walmart-backed Flipkart and Amazon expanding their presence aggressively in the online grocery segment, Dhindsa said the company is not worried.
"Grocery is not the same as books and electronics. We may carry a smaller selection but the focus for us is on affordability. Consumers are very conscious when it comes to the grocery buying and that is what we want to ensure for our customers," he said adding that Grofers is focussing on further enhancing its coverage of the cities it operates in.
In March this year, Grofers had announced raising Rs 400 crore in funding led by SoftBank, Tiger Global and Apoletto Asia. It has raised funding of USD 226.5 million till now. Its average daily order volumes were over 35,000 per day in June this year.
Grocery segment accounts for a significant portion of the unorganised retail segment in the country. With people becoming comfortable buying even milk and bread online, the online grocery segment is projected to witness a strong growth over the next few years in India.
As per the estimates, e-tail is just 0.5 per cent of the total grocery market in India, which is pegged at USD 400 billion or 70 per cent of all retail.
In a recent interview, Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy had said grocery is one of the key focus areas for the company currently and, the segment will play an important role in getting access to the next 200 million customers.
Amazon India, too, has been aggressively ramping up selection and focussing on speedier delivery to consolidate its position in the segment. In February this year, Grofers' competitor Bigbasket had raised USD 300 million led by Chinese e-tailer giant Alibaba and others.
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- RBI Asks Paytm to Reapply for Payment Aggregator Licence
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked Paytm to reapply for a payment aggregator licence within 120 days in response to its initial application.Festive Season not Over for EV Cos as Sales Hit Top Gear
The festive season may have ended but festivities are continuing for electric vehicle (EV) makers with November sales likely to match the record set last month amid Navratri and Diwali seasons.Oyo Ebitda Sees 8-fold Jump in Q2, Loss Narrows to ₹333 cr Sequentially
Hospitality chain Oyo reported an adjusted ebitda of ₹56 crore for the September quarter, up from ₹7 crore in the preceding three-month period.
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TweetThe end-of-year trend for many years now has been to post top ten lists looking back on the year in review. And as 2011 draws to a close, Brad’s Deals is happy to continue this fine annual tradition! It’s been a great year for the Brad’s Deals Coupons and Deals Blog, with tons of interesting [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Black Friday’
TweetWe’ve started to hear some rumbling this week about Target’s Black Friday deals…or lack thereof. According to some shoppers, Target.com has started sending emails to Black Friday customers informing them that its PlayStation 3 Bundle (priced at $200 for Black Friday) was “oversold”, and that their order is now canceled. For these Target customers, they [...]
Tweet I put on my Batsuit: the red polo, khakis, and name tag while the turkey was still turning in my stomach. It was my first time working Target’s opening shift on Black Friday. There were already 200+ shoppers spilling out from the entrance of the Glenview, Illinois strip mall upon my arrival. The tents [...]
TweetHappy Thanksgiving everyone! The holiday season is officially in full swing, but our favorite holiday is less than 24 hours away! Black Friday 2011 is around the corner…we can smell it. It smells like deals, and we know from deals! Or is that the turkey? Anyway, we smell something, and it smells darn good. Today, [...]
TweetIf you are just discovering the wide world of online deals for Black Friday 2011 and the holiday shopping season, and are finding yourself a little frustrated, don’t chuck your computer out of the window just yet. We’ve created a Deal-Finding 101 crash course to help you get the best deals and save big! The [...]
We recently launched BlackFriday2011.com, your one stop shop for all the latest and greatest news about this year’s Black Friday. See all the pre-released Black Friday Sale ads in our Black Friday Ad Viewer, check out our hand-picked Black Friday deals and more.
TweetThere’s nothing special about a Mac purchased from the Apple Store. Steve Jobs hasn’t sprinkled magic iDust on it, and the Geniuses haven’t loaded it up with bonus software. It’s exactly the same computer as one purchased at any other authorized source*. The difference is the price. On any given Mac laptop or desktop computer, [...]
Green Monday, the second Monday before Christmas and this year on December 13th, once laid claim to being the busiest online shopping day of the year. That is, until 2009 when it fell all the way to the 5th most important day, with the following Tuesday and Cyber Monday moving into the lead.
BradsDeals is launching CyberMonday2010.com, a one-stop resource for anyone who wants to avoid the Black Friday crowds by shopping the weekend after Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday 2010 will have all the best online shopping deals of Thanksgiving weekend and the following Monday.
I find it interesting that a few “big days” are growing drastically out of proportion related to overall holiday sales. 5 years ago, Black Friday was about closer to 10% of total holiday sales. Today it is above 20%. Can smaller retailers compete in this environment?
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Sahm's—one restaurant group's story about the effect of the coronavirus
Ed Sahm and his son, Eddie Sahm, started planning for the shutdown of the restaurant industry weeks before the coronavirus outbreak led city and state officials to order the closures.
And so they were a little more ready than most owners to refocus Sahm's 16 restaurants. The result is an operation to benefit the not-for-profit Second Helpings, offer takeout at some locations, and open a series of marketplaces, where customers can get grocery items, including produce, cleaning products and, yes, toilet paper.
Still, the effort is not profitable. It's just enough to put some of Sahm's employees back to work, help the community and keep the company afloat for a few more weeks.
Host Mason King talks with Eddie Sahm about how he and his dad made key decisions and how they're making it work.
The IBJ Podcast is brought to you by the law firm Krieg DeVault.
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EU photonics companies call for €4.25B support
Eight CEOs present EU Commission with industry growth plan
CEOs from eight of Europe’s largest integrated photonics companies have presented the European Commission with a €4.25 billion funding plan to build a resilient European supply chain for photonic integrated circuits.
The funding would be over eight years with the aim to make the European integrated photonics industry a global leader and have the ability to supply EU customers autonomously.
Currently, less than 6 percent of the manufacturing of InP and silicon nitride PICs is done in the EU and less than 4 percent of global assembly, testing and packaging capacity resides in Europe.
Furthermore, research by Dutch photonics ecosystem PhotonDelta highlights that competitor nations are making concerted efforts to acquire EU PIC technologies and assets along with seeking stakes in EU SMEs companies in the EU PIC supply chain.
The CEOs of XFAB (Germany/France), SMART Photonics (The Netherlands), Aixtron (Germany),PHIX Photonics Assembly (The Netherlands), VLC Photonics (Spain), Almae (France), Ligentec (Switzerland/France) and PhotonDelta (The Netherlands), unveiled the plan at PIC Summit Europe in front of more than 500 members of the global photonics and semiconductor communities.
The proposal makes a number of recommendations including:
Provide over €2 billion in incentives for industrial scale InP and SiN PIC manufacturing capacity in Europe.
Provide EU PIC SMEs access to industrial PIC Test and Experimentation facilities
Establish an industrial PIC ‘manufacturing supply chain’ resilience fund of €200 million to support the investments needed to strengthen linkages and minimise vulnerabilities.
Provide a €360 million fund to stimulate application development through offering design tape-outs, leading to industrial photonic design IP creation and validation based on hardware testing.
Promote and incentivise collaboration amongst vertical clusters and the European PIC ecosystem.
Johan Feenstra, CEO of SMART Photonics, said: “Over the past few years we have been repeatedly reminded that the world is becoming a more volatile and unpredictable place. Global supply chains have been shown to be fragile, and overreliance on one country for critical components is an economic and security risk. This is particularly true of the semiconductor industry.”
“Photonic integrated circuits have the capacity to transform a huge range of industries. It is also fundamental to the advancement of some of the most exciting new technologies. Currently, the EU has a vibrant and growing integrated photonics industry, however, without volume manufacturing, testing and packaging capacity we are incredibly vulnerable to global events and the policies of competitor countries.”
“Our proposal outlines a number of practical steps that the EU can take over the next decade to ensure the continued growth and security of the integrated photonics industry. For just over €4 billion we can build our supply chain and ensure the future of an industry which has the capacity to generate hundreds of billions of Euros each year for decades to come.”


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Photos from orbit show the plucky probe landed right where it was supposed to.
After travelling 4 billion miles, the European Space Agency's lander has touched down on a comet and is taking pictures.
Early reports suggested an engine explosion led to the crash of the experimental space plane, killing one pilot.
A pattern of payment card fraud suggests that data was stolen from cash registers in the Northeast US, security reporter Brian Krebs reports.
European Union officials contend that a Luxembourg ruling from 2003 could represent an improper tax shelter and thus require Amazon to pay back taxes.
European investigators are set to accuse Apple of receiving "illegal state aid" in Ireland for more than 20 years.
Home-improvement retailer confirms it is investigating "unusual activity" related to customer data but does not confirm a breach occurred.
The Microsoft CEO's itinerary has not been disclosed, but the reason for his trip may be to delve a bit deeper into the antitrust investigation in China.
Following surprise spot check of Microsoft offices in the country last month, China raises new questions about the company's sales and distribution policy.
Still finishing up its antitrust probe of Google's search practices, the EU is now looking into allegations regarding the company's control over Android apps, reports The Wall Street Journal.


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The new series includes an Intel Core i3 chip, which is aimed at people who want a device that is a bit more powerful than the standard N-series, but still affordable – such as students.
According to Intel, the new N-series offers up to 28% better performance and 64% better graphics performance than the previous generation – while the i3 CPU brings an additional 42% performance uplift and an extra 56% graphics performance improvement.
Analysis: Could be good news for budget laptops
(Image credit: Future)
Intel Processor N-series-powered laptops will apparently have up to 10 hours of battery life, which is impressive on paper, but Chromebooks using rival ARM architecture have been easily passing 10 hours on battery for a while now.
Computers with the new Intel chips will benefit from the latest connectivity features, including Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, as well as new efficient ‘Gracemont’ cores and support for LPDDR5, DDR5, and DDR4 memory.
These are the following N-series processors Intel unveiled:
In this current climate, it’s good to see companies working on new products for the budget market (take note, Nvidia).
Many people simply can’t afford expensive devices at the moment, but that doesn’t mean they have to put up with sub-par performance, so we’ll be keen to try out laptops with Intel’s new processors to see if they can live up to the promises. Intel’s previous Pentium and Celeron CPUs were more often than not associated with poor performance as well as low prices – probably why Intel decided to drop those brands. The company, however, will want to make sure the new N-series CPUs don’t suffer the same fate.
According to Intel, we should have plenty of devices to try, with over 50 products running either Windows or Chrome OS expected in 2023 from the likes of Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Asus.


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The University of San Andrés held a contest for entrepreneurship based on innovation and blockchain.
The blockchain winner was Wooy, a DeFi business project that generates free donations.
More than one hundred business ideas participated in the Startup Competition 2021, an event organized by the University of San Andrés to promote entrepreneurship in Argentina. This year for the first time the contest featured the blockchain category, which was sponsored by the Stellar Development Foundation.
The blockchain category had the goal of convening startups innovative to propose a value proposition to solve problems in the cryptocurrency industry. Also, the contest It also had an innovation category in which you could rate any type of business.
Business ideas from all over the country participated in the competition and five finalists were selected from each of the two categories. Those chosen had a margin of fifteen minutes to present their startup plans in front of a jury made up of specialists in the field in the auditorium of the University of San Andrés, where CriptoNoticias was present.
Wooy was the winning blockchain and cryptocurrency startup
The jury of the Startup Competition It was made up of representatives from Banco Comafi, Bitgalea, Bitflow, ARCAP, SparcLab, and Bitfinex. After analyzing the proposals of each contestant, the team chose Wooy as the best startup based on blockchain.
Winning the contest allowed the founders of the startup obtain a prize of 500,000 pesos, which is equivalent to 2,500 dollars, to promote its development globally from Argentina. The money will be paid in stablecoin USD coin (USDC) to honor the cryptocurrency ecosystem.
Wooy is an organization created by four Argentines that collects donations with tokens for a charitable cause. The funny thing about his project is that those who donate can withdraw their money after a certain period of time. This is because all the funds raised are placed in a fund that earns interest through decentralized finance (DeFi).
After a set time, the interest generated is donated to a non-governmental organization and participants can move their funds to another charitable cause or withdraw them. At the same time, a prize is raffled among all participants to motivate the donation. This can be a trip, a celebrity experience, or non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The creators of Wooy are Joaquín Álvarez Vitale, Agustín Villalba Orüe, Matías Batolla and Damián Dabryc. After the event, The team revealed to CriptoNoticias that their plan is to launch the business in the first or second quarter of 2022.
Argentina is one of the countries with the highest concentration of businesses and young people immersed in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. This is something that entities such as the University of San Andrés, among other institutions, are promoting with contests that reward industry projects. As reported by CriptoNoticias, there was recently another contest in the country on blockchain.


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Computer Associates International Inc. has offered the government $10 million to settle a probe into its accounting, the company revealed in its earnings report Tuesday.
The Islandia-based software giant said it doesn't know if the settlement offer will be accepted, or if it will eventually be forced to pay more. The company's accounting has been the focus of a probe by the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission, and led to the ouster of Chief Executive Sanjay Kumar.
CA reported net income of $89 million, or 15 cents a share, for its fourth quarter ended March 31, compared with a loss of $106 million, or 18 cents a share, in the same quarter last year.
Excluding items, CA earned 18 a share in the fiscal fourth quarter, compared with 8 cents a year earlier.
Sales climbed to $850 million from $775 million. Subscription revenue rose to $535 million from $395 million, as the company continued to move to a more subscription-driven business model.
Analysts polled by Thomson First Call on average expected the company to earn 17 cents a share on sales of $862.8 million.
Originally scheduled to report results May 12, CA announced earlier this month it would have to delay reporting results for the fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year because its staff was overburdened by an accounting restatement.
The accounting scandal led to the company's ousting its CEO. It appointed board member Kenneth Cron as interim chief, but is still searching for a permanent CEO as well as a chief financial officer.
CA posted full-year earnings of $25 million, or 4 cents per share, compared with a loss of $267 million, or 46 cents per share, in the previous year. Revenue rose 8 percent to $3.28 billion.
For its first quarter ending June 30, CA expects earnings of five cents to seven cents a share on revenue of $865 million to $885 million. For the full fiscal year, the company expects earnings of 28 cents to 33 cents a share, on revenue of $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion.
Its New York Stock Exchange-listed shares closed Tuesday at $25.70, unchanged. In extended trading, after the release of the results, the shares were down 80 cents, or 3.1 percent.


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9to5Mac: Apple iPhone, Mac and iPad News Breaking All Day: "This won’t be the first time someone suggested Apple could start its own record label. But with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, two music industry heavyweights that have built some of the world’s biggest record labels rumored to be getting creative roles at Apple, it’s interesting to imagine what influence Iovine and friends could have on Apple’s approach to content."
Yes, and it could be the first major record label in recent history to accurately account for expenses and pay artists fairly. In short, a revolution.
Labels: apple, beats


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Sometimes, what you might consider “old” is still very much “new” — a fact that applies to today’s used vehicle market. Case in point: the technology features found on the latest used trucks to enter the market.
Each year, as “new” model years of vehicles start to cycle through used vehicle market, they bring with them features that were hot when initially built. This year, as a greater number of trucks manufactured around 2010 hit the secondary market, fleet managers are standing up and taking notice. The reason: many of these trucks come equipped with hot truck tech features that will still be touted in 2015.
With more buyers looking to snap up advanced features at used vehicle prices, here’s a look at current and upcoming features that are altering the trucking landscape.
In 2010, the automotive trade press was on fire about improvements to truck engines taking place at the time. Back then, controversies raged about leftover issues from previous years, such as Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and variable-geometry turbochargers. For that reason, enhancements to a wide range of 2010 engines were being hailed for better fuel efficiency and performance.
Just how important were these enhancements? In OverDriveOnline.com’s article entitled “Some of the Best Engines Ever,” they write, “Just about all the engines for 2010 will be slightly different from the 2007 models — and better. In a world of truck diesels that have seen challenges with increasing maintenance and a drop in fuel economy with EGR, there will be some improvements in areas such as fuel economy and durability. This will happen in spite of the stringent new NOx standard.”
OverDriveOnline praised innovations like the common-rail fuel-injection system (and its variations) that injects a shot of fuel early in compression before full combustion happens. This action warms highly compressed engine air and reduces oxides of nitrogen (NOx), burning fuel more efficiently. These engines also run quieter.
Many of the 2010-era engines also boast greatly improved fuel pressure, even at low RPMs, said the publication. Simply put, “…heavy-duty diesels have a much larger fuel economy ‘sweet spot.’ This means less-skilled drivers who don’t shift at exactly the right time can still get good fuel economy.” These (and other) advancements to many 2010 engines are also known to contribute to longer engine life.
It’s interesting to see how far things have come in just five years. For example, a look at recaps of the 2010 Detroit Telematics Conference reveal current tech trends that were already exploding. Hot topics on the 2010 agenda included:
- Wireless Systems – Onboard digital networks
- Fleet Tracking – Systems designed for remote monitoring and diagnostics
- Cloud Applications – Smartphone app integration
Considering that “connectivity” is the theme for the upcoming 2015 conference, one might conclude that the conversation hasn’t advanced very much.
But it has.
Telematics is a rising force in the commercial trucking industry right now. Whether these remote diagnostics and driver monitoring systems are built into new trucks, or retrofitted into used models, fleets everywhere are taking advantage of them.
How big is the impact? Consider the 2014 FleetBeat Report from Fleetmatics Group PLC, which analyzed data points from thousands of commercial fleets over five years to quantify telematics’ benefits.
The findings are striking. According to the reports, fleets using telematics over a five-year period achieved the following combined milestones:
- Decrease in fuel consumption (gallons per year): 573 million
- Total fuel savings: $2.2 billion
- Decrease in CO2 emissions (tons per year): 5 million
- Decrease in payroll hours per year: 1.3 billion
- Total cost savings due to decrease in payroll hours: $34.9 billion
Fleetmatics CEO and chairman Jim Travers said, “Saving $2.2 billion annually on fuel costs means putting a huge amount of money back into the tens-of-thousands of businesses using commercial telematics.”
Other hot tech on the horizon comes in the form of things like the long-awaited “autonomous” (that’s driverless) truck; predictive cruise control; and other applications of so-called “smart” truck maneuvering systems.
Software breakthroughs are enabling wonders like the dual-clutch automated manual transmission — the technology behind predictive cruise control. Automotive news website CJJDigital.com says this new software ties into GPS systems “…to accurately track and predict upcoming terrain features, then adjust gear selection and shift patterns as well as throttle input to manage them effectively.”
Along with innovations like next-generation GPS systems, and even new expanded TV antennas built for commercial truckers, the tech future is looking brighter every day — even for trucks built in the recent past.


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When Hershey Co. hiked prices by more than 10 per cent to offset rising ingredient costs, something unexpected happened: Candy lovers hardly blinked.
Hershey's unit volumes slipped just half a percentage point as most people continued to feed their cravings for Almond Joy bars, Jolly Rancher candies and BreathSavers mints. Driven by the combination of higher prices and resilient demand, Hershey's first-quarter sales and profit smashed expectations, sending the stock up sharply.
"Consumers don't really care what price they pay for a candy bar when they are paying $50 for a tank of gas," said Credit Suisse analyst Robert Moskow.
That's especially true for Hershey. Thanks to its stable of well-known brands, the inexpensive nature of its products and its roughly 30-per-cent share of the U.S. confectionery business, North America's largest chocolate maker enjoys pricing power that is the envy of other packaged food marketers. The low level of private label competition in the candy bar business is another big plus for the 118-year-old company.
Despite a challenging economic backdrop, Hershey's revenue has risen at an average annual clip of 4.2 per cent over the past five years, lifted by higher prices, new product launches and expansion in emerging markets, such as China, Brazil and India. Aided by cost-cutting – the company has closed underperforming plants, trimmed more than 10 per cent of its work force and outsourced some production – net income has grown at an even faster 10.7 per cent annually.
All of this has produced some sweet returns for shareholders. Over the past five years, Hershey's stock has delivered an annualized gain of 6.8 per cent, including reinvested dividends. That handily beats the S&P 500's annualized return, including dividends, of about 0.3 per cent over the same period.
Hershey's dividend yield of about 2.2 per cent may not satisfy everyone's craving for income, but the company has a long track record of raising its dividend annually (with the exception of the 2008-09 financial crisis). Including a 10-per-cent hike in February, the dividend has risen 150 per cent in the past decade and there are almost certainly more increases on the way, given Hershey's strong free cash flow generation.
"We're very much committed to the dividend. We think that's a good way to give back to shareholders," Bert Alfonso, Hershey's chief financial officer, said on the first-quarter conference call.
To be sure, the stock isn't cheap. Trading at a multiple of about 21 times 2012 earnings estimates, the shares are implying that Hershey will continue delivering the goods. But if profit comes in weaker than expected, investors could wind up with a chocolaty mess on their fingers.
The rich valuation explains why 10 of the 17 analysts who follow the company rate it a "hold," with seven "buys" and no "sells." The average price target for the next 12 to 18 months is $69.42 (U.S.) – a 2.5-per-cent premium to Tuesday's close of $67.74.
Edward Jones analyst Jack Russo said Hershey has a lot going for it, including a strong new product pipeline and expected growth of more than 20 per cent in emerging markets this year. Yet he doesn't recommend buying the stock at current levels. "Hershey shares are now trading at a large premium to other packaged foods stocks, leading us to believe the stock is appropriately priced."
Mr. Moskow of Credit Suisse is more upbeat. He rates the stock a "buy" with a price target of $75, and says there are "more treats to come."
In a note following the release of the first-quarter numbers in April, he said Hershey's gross margins are poised to benefit now that cocoa prices have come down sharply. The improvement won't be felt immediately because Hershey locked in many of its ingredient costs, but as those hedges expire and the company maintains its candy prices at higher levels, gross margin could expand at least 2.3 percentage points in 2012, he said. That's more than double management's estimate of up to a one-percentage-point increase, a forecast he called "too conservative."
"If this were any other food category, we would be concerned about a price rollback," he said. But "with the No. 2 competitor, Mars, happy to act as a price follower in the U.S., the risk of a price rollback is minimal."
Consumers have been paying more for Hershey's products. And if Mr. Moskow is right, investors could also soon be paying more for its stock.


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Marfrig Global Foods, the world’s largest beef patty producer, has reached an agreement with Chicago-based Archer Daniels Midland Co. under which ADM will supply the primary raw materials used to develop plant-based burgers in Brazil. Marfrig will produce, distribute and sell the products in the food service and retail channels.
“Together, Marfrig and ADM will produce 100% vegetable protein-based burgers with the same taste and texture of beef,” said Eduardo Miron, chief executive officer of Marfrig Global Foods. “We want to give consumers the power of choice. They are the ones who decide. The plant-based burgers will complement Marfrig’s product portfolio and be distributed through all our market channels.”
Roberto Ciciliano, c.e.o. of ADM Nutrition in Latin America, added, “We offer an advanced R.&D. structure, natural ingredients and technological solutions, including the advantage of local manufacturing, to anticipate industry trends and meet our clients’ needs with customized service. We are the ideal partner to support and foster the sustainable development of the food, specialties and healthy nutrition industry. And our agreement with Marfrig further strengthens that proposition.”
The production of plant-based burgers in Brazil will be launched at Marfrig’s plant in Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso. Part of the plant-based raw materials will be shipped directly from ADM’s plant in Campo Grande to Marfrig’s plant, the companies said.
Marfrig said it expects the first plant-based burgers to be produced under the partnership to reach the Brazilian market by the end of this year, with exports following later. In this first phase of the launch, the products will be supplied to food service clients, Marfrig said, with roll-out to retail channels later.
Marfrig will launch a specific brand for its plant-based products.
By Eric Schroeder
Source: Food Business News
A new wave of brands is emerging that promotes indulgence and rejects the notion of sacrifice. Low-maintenance “hangover” beauty products are designed to address the effects of late nights and partying without judgment or hassle, and even include cosmetics that are formulated in a way that means you can fall asleep in your makeup without feeling guilty.
The pilot will allow the company to scale circular packaging in about 18 markets over the next three years, an approach that jumps on the success of similar efforts in the company’s Indonesia ecoSPIRITS program, which launched in 2022 and is active in 38 bars.
Unilever’s focus on purpose across its brands has been a source of criticism from some of its investors. Its new CEO Hein Schumacher says the company now recognises there are some brands where the concept is simply not relevant.


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US: Rival groups row over plans to tackle textile smuggling
The National Retail Federation (NRF) is urging Congress to resist political pressure from the textile industry, which yesterday (18 June) claimed illegal textile fraud levels have reached record highs.
The calls came after textile executives on Thursday told a House panel that importers have been using increasingly sophisticated methods to get around trade preference rules in the CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) and other trade preference areas.
The textile executives want to see an overhaul the textile enforcement effort in these trade deals.
However, NRF argues that tougher tariff enforcement for apparel imports could lead to "overzealous enforcement" that would penalise legitimate importers and have an adverse impact on small retailers in particular.
"Retailers take their customs compliance responsibilities very seriously," NRF vice president and international trade counsel Erik Autor said.
"However, we are concerned that pressure from the textile industry may lead to overzealous enforcement with little control or oversight that will have several adverse consequences."
Textile firms cited examples including Customs failing to act after Pakistani and Chinese yarn supplies surged into the CAFTA region falsely labelled as yarns made in the United States.
The said US job losses and factory closures were the direct result - with figures from the National Council of Textile Organizations said to show that seven US yarn plants have shut down over the last year because of the CAFTA/NAFTA yarn fraud.
A lack of staff and resources in the textile and apparel area were blamed by textile executives for the lack of Customs enforcement.
But the retailers said one-third of all import specialists and many line agents at CBP are already devoted exclusively to textile and apparel - and apparel retailers have the highest customs compliance rates of any importing industry.
In a written testimony Cass Johnson, president of NCTO, quoted figures that show importers filing trade preference claims only stand a one in one thousand chance of having their preference paperwork looked at.
He added that total revenue charges by Customs for illegal claims of preference were only $2.2m out of nearly $12bn in preference claims last year.
Autor's statement countered: "If CBP (US Customs and Border Protection) is constantly forced to leave no stone unturned, the result will be harassment and disruption of shipments that are compliant and low-risk that will become a barrier to legitimate trade."
He added: "At a time when many retailers are struggling to stay in business and are facing increasingly burdensome compliance requirements on labour, environment, supply chain security and product safety, an overly heavy hand by CBP that only disrupts legitimate textile and apparel trade while adding little to improve enforcement is unwise policy."
The executives were testifying during a hearing held by the House Small Business Committee's trade subcommittee on whether US Customs and Border Protection is adequately enforcing trade laws affecting textile and apparel imports.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
The year 2010 will be remembered as a transition year as we dismissed the notion of permanent economic distress. After the trauma of 2008 and 2009, we began to rebuild our economy.
Let's recap: On October 12, 2007 the Dow Jones Index stood at 14,093. It fell down to its lowest point on March 6, 2009 where it recorded at 6,626. At the beginning of last year we opened at 10,428 and we closed the year at 11,625.
Our portfolio is doing well.
But throughout the past twelve months we didn't trust what we experienced. While indices indicated a positive trend, our confidence was still shaken and the trust into the future was merely a little blossom.
The Holiday Season has been a sakurazensen, like the traditional blossom forecast published every year by the Japanese Weather Bureau. While the philosophical implications are certainly worth consideration and a debate, consumption is clearly a leading indicator of our confidence. We started the season very strong as during the Black Friday weekend 212 million Americans went to the shopping malls across the country, spending an impressive $45 billion. To put this into comparison, the European Union agreed around the same time to bail out the country of Ireland with an $89.4 billion loan. A difference of $44.billion between one country's shopping spree over a long weekend versus another countries future. I am guilty of ignoring the relative size of the two players but the numbers are striking. For the Holiday Season, MasterCard Advisors' SpendingPulse report indicated a 5.5% increase over the same period in 2009. The Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain-Store Sales Index recorded a similar performance for the week ending December 25: a strong 4.8% growth. This is not a sign of transitional behavior; this is a clear growth pattern. An interesting factor in this consumption behavior is that fashion showed a strong increase. Fashion is a discretionary spending, which psychologically requires economic confidence; or at times deep depression but this is a personal, not a macroeconomic issue. Menswear grew 10.5% which is another positive indicator. During economic distress women tend to reduce discretionary spending while men by-and-large stop it altogether. This season menswear grew almost twice as fast a women's apparel.
Expressed through our collective consumption, we certainly demonstrated impressive confidence.
The one misleading indicator, in my opinion, is the unemployment rate. Last week, initial claims for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in more than two years. While the four-week moving average claim rate is considered an early indicator, I doubt that we will see sustainable job creation over the midterm. During the disruption, corporate America has realized that resources have not been optimized. We have traditionally been far away from the Pareto Optimum.


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A strong appetite for branded sports footwear has seen retail giant JD Sports profits soar in the last six months but the group warned that future earnings could be hit by the Living Wage.
Peter Cowgill, executive chairman of the Bury outfit, said he was “delighted” to report record half year results as pre-tax profit rose to £46.6m on revenues of £809m for the six months ending 1 August. That’s up 82 per cent and 21 per cent respectively for the same period last year.
The group’s sports fashion clothing and footwear continued to perform strongly with like for like sales growth in excess of 10 per cent.
Mr Cowgill said: “In an extremely competitive market for sports fashion footwear across Europe, we must acknowledge that the levels of organic growth that we have seen over the last two years are unlikely to continue indefinitely, albeit the JD brand continues to strengthen and further opportunities prevail.
"Our current successful exploitation of these favourable market conditions reflects investments that we have made over a number of years in developing our multi-channel retail proposition and driving improved buying, merchandising and retailing disciplines. We continue to invest heavily in these areas.
“Given the demanding comparatives following two years of strong revenue growth, we are encouraged by the positive nature of the trading to date in the second half across our core fascias.”
The group said its international rollout continues with the launch of 27 stores across Europe (including 13 Sprinter stores) and to date the revenues in those stores are in line with management’s expectations, it said.
Mr Cowgill said he believed JD Sports can repeat the same success it has had in the UK in Europe.
“We have expanded our presence in a number of our existing territories with 84 JD and Size? stores open across Mainland Europe at the period end,” he said.
“Following the period end, we have also opened our first two stores in Belgium. There will be further international progress in the second half and we are looking forward to introducing our flagship concept to our customers in the Netherlands later in the autumn when we open on Nieuwendijk in Amsterdam.”
However he warned the Living Wage could hit its bottom line.
He said: “We are looking at ways to mitigate that. We employ 12,500 staff and we pick the very best across a wide age range to give our customers the very best in service, and while we are expecting the Living Wage to have an impact on our bottom line, we are also expecting it to have a positive impact on staff performance for the group with extra money in their pockets.”
Keith Bowman, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said: “In all, JD Sports continues to impress. Consumer demand for sporting brands shows no signs of waning, store expansion in Europe is being made, whilst a progressive dividend policy continues to be pursued.
"On balance, and with management outlook comments broadly reassuring, current highly favourable analyst consensus opinion for a strong buy looks unlikely to change.”


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In brief: DoorDash and Alphabet subsidiary Wing have launched their first joint drone delivery program in the US. Select customers in Christiansburg, Virginia, can now order eligible menu items from Wendy's through DoorDash and choose to have it delivered via drone. If eligible, they'll see the option for drone delivery during checkout.
Not handicapped, just lazy: Young adults in China commute in power wheelchairs to skirt e-bike regulations
Why it matters: When people discuss maglev technology, it usually concerns train systems where it is known for allowing incredible speeds. Recent tests have explored the potential advantages maglev rails could bring to cars. The trials are early, but the results are promising.
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Few vehicles are more popular than the Ford F-150, which is why the recent introduction of the all-electric F-150 Lightning is such a big deal. Here's what we learned after a session with it.


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It may be time for a thaw in a relationship. The Reserve Bank of India is keen to allow Visa and Mastercard access to the country’s popular online payment protocol, according to news portal The Morning Context. It’s like hanging the keys to the candy store in front of your child. From big malls to roadside shacks, 230 million of his QR codes are now set up to receive money. This is when there are only 7.3 million of his POS terminals that read cards in this country of 1.4 billion people.
Many emerging markets are migrating to smartphones ahead of plastic and expensive card readers. In China, the merchant scans the user’s two-dimensional barcode generated by his Alipay and WeChat Pay phone apps. Indian fintech pioneer Paytm has further eased the capital burden for SMEs. The customer scanned the shopkeeper’s QR sticker on her and showed the phone screen after the payment was completed. After Paytm introduced Soundbox, a piece of hardware that you can rent for $2 a month, sellers started receiving voice confirmations.
It has become the standard for QR code-based payments on Unified Payments Interface, an Indian protocol for fast money transfers from one bank account to another 24/7. Growing from scratch in 2016, the smartphone-based UPI (Utilities), in December he handled nearly 13 trillion rupees ($160 billion). Of this, about 10 trillion rupees were for money exchange between individuals. For the rest of his Rs 3 trillion QR code spending on merchants, the government will reward banks so that they can facilitate online transactions and formal credit is available to disadvantaged groups such as street vendors. will do so.
Opening this large and fast-growing market to major networks means that credit limits can be used without having to swipe a physical card. This could potentially be a big deal as they want to borrow for purchases instead of using their own funds. India’s National Payments Corporation, the operator of the UPI protocol, also sponsors his RuPay, a local card looking to compete with the American network. RBI recently allowed RuPay credit cards to be linked to his UPI. Why would NPCI want to give up this early advantage so soon? Simply put, this is what banks want.
RuPay has issued over 600 million cards, most of which are debit products. Visa and Mastercard control 90% of the US credit card market. It is the duopoly that makes the Indian government nervous. Today, New Delhi and Washington have a common interest in opposing Beijing. The placement may change tomorrow. India should be able to soften the blow if the U.S. tries to break out of sanctions against Russia and use payments as a foreign policy instrument.
China’s UnionPay (UnionPay) is leveraging domestic funding to expand globally, but Lupay does not have the advantage of growing in a protected financial environment. The US network, which dominates nearly all of India’s open credit card market, will not suddenly accept adverse terms. Their Washington lobbyists will pounce. Indian banks will complain too. A more concerted approach may be needed to make the rupee an internationally acceptable medium of exchange. And what could be a better incentive than UPI, a globally recognized success story?
Currently, UPI spending comes out of consumers’ savings accounts. From the user’s perspective, scanning the QR is the same as paying the company in cash. No need to go to the ATM. However, from the bank’s point of view, deposits come at a cost. Interest must be paid to account holders. And the lender has to go and earn the spread. However, as some purchases shift to credit cards, banks offering loans quickly get a lucrative asset and start praying that their customers won’t pay the full bill. , the cardholder’s bank earns four fifths. The rest is shared between the retailer’s bank, the NPCI … and the card network. Everyone makes money. As such, all debit transactions will remain free even after the end of state subsidies to popularize online payments.
This gives banks a strong incentive to stand behind Visa and Mastercard by treating NPCI’s gateway as a public good and demanding a freely available US card network similar to RuPay. If the incumbents protest too much, it may not be a bad idea to revive the currently suspended plan to license more operators. has other good things, such as the proposed partnership with PayNow in Singapore. The NPCI has also decided to allow the Indian diaspora to join his UPI using foreign phone numbers.
There is no point in being narrow-minded when it comes to payments. Everyone benefits when the pie gets bigger. When it comes to using credit cards for geopolitics, the stick can wait if juicy carrots do the same.
Details from Bloomberg Opinion:
• Strange times for JPMorgan and other big US banks: Paul J. Davis
• Beware of the dangers of too much cryptocurrency regulation: Tyler Cowen
• Beware of crypto billionaires who brag about audits: Lionel Laurent
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia. He previously worked for Reuters, The Straits Times and Bloomberg News.
Other stories like this Bloomberg.com/opinion


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T-Mobile is finally launching the iPhone 5 and the carrier is now taking pre-orders for the smartphone. The device costs $99 with T-Mobile’s new “Uncarrier” plans. This will allow you to pay off the price of a smartphone every month over a 24-month period. T-Mobile worked with Apple to add support for its 4G LTE and HSPA+ networks.
T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network is still in its infancy and is only available in 7 markets (New York City is coming soon), although the carrier has plans to rapidly increase the footprint this year. Customers will fall back on to its HSPA+ network where 4G LTE is not available.
The iPhone 5 is expected to ship on April 12 to customers who pre-order it now.


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Kantanka Automobiles have started productions of smaller sized and more affordable cars as opposed to 4×4 and SUVs…
For many years now Ghanaians have been asking Kantanka company to produce smaller cars that the average Ghanaian can afford and perhaps turn into a taxi business or for their personal transportation for most people who fall in the lower and middle class of the society.
And for many years the Kantanka company have been ignoring these calls and dwelling on extravaganza producing machinery not even feasible for daily life and those that are feasible like we said are SUVs and 4x4s that only a handful of people can afford.
Well, it appears they’ve finally decides to pay heed to the cries of Ghanaians after a photo of their workshop has surfaced with smaller cars that can be used for Taxis being produced.
This comes after VW was endorsed by the government to set up a plant and have began the production of cars in Ghana.
Many believe the competition VW and other foreign car brands are bringing on our own soil finally forced the hands of Kantanka in producing affordable cars for the Ghanaian market.