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The new-gen Royal Enfield Classic 350 is expected to be launched in the next few weeks
Royal Enfield has its hands full with its recent commitment to launch at least four new products every year. Late last year, the brand launched its all-new cruiser Meteor 350 which was followed by an updated version of Himalayan early this year. For the next quarter, it is expected that the Chennai-based bikemaker will introduce a new generation model of Classic 350.
Test mules of the upcoming Classic 350 have been spotted on numerous occasions recently. Seeing all spy shots, there hardly seems to be any cosmetic difference between the new model and the current model, at first glance at least. It is evident that Royal Enfield wouldn’t want to tinker with the design of a bike that has been the company’s best-seller for many years.
Revised Instrument Cluster
However, there are some crucial additions to this motorcycle that would make the upcoming iteration of the retro-styled classic bike a little more than just bare bones. For the first time, the revamped instrument cluster of the upcoming Classic 350 has been spied.
We get to notice two important additions- a small digital display along with a Tipper Navigation pod beside it. The digital display will probably read out basic information from the odometer and fuel gauge. It retains the manual speedometer.
The Tripper Navigation made its first appearance in Meteor 350 and later on the update Himalayan and would soon be made available on all models across Royal Enfield’s range. It provides turn-by-turn navigation on the display pod when connected to the rider’s smartphone via the Royal Enfield App where one can enter destination information. The app world in association with Google Maps which feeds the data on the display screen of the pod.
As mentioned earlier, Royal Enfield has not made many changes to its overall design with most of its elements being carried over from the current model. This includes circular headlamps with chrome bezels, chrome-plated exhaust, broad rear fenders, circular rearview mirrors and a teardrop-shaped fuel tank.
The only notable updates spotted are narrower round LED lights and turn indicators. It gets new split seats with better cushioning for a more comfortable long-distance ride. It now gets a new single-piece grab rail which is positioned slightly higher for better reach to the pillion.
As far as hardware is concerned it will be based on a new J platform the same which underpins Meteor 350. It is built on a double-cradle chassis instead of a single downtube frame as in the current model though suspension setup hasn’t been tinkered much.
The new-gen Classic 350 will be powered by an all-new 348cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine which churns out 20.2 bhp and 27 Nm of peak torque. This is 1 bhp more and 1 Nm less than the current model’s output. It will be linked to a new 5-speed gearbox. Upon its launch, it will rival the likes of Benelli Imperiale, Jawa Forty-Two and Honda H’Ness CB350.


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Today, the blockchain and digital currency industry is at an inflection point, similar to that of the internet boom of the 1990’s. Not unlike the internet’s historic impact, these technologies have the capacity to engender greater financial inclusion and economic opportunity. Will global policy makers provide thoughtful regulation that both fosters innovation and protects consumers? If not, what are the implications?
At Ripple Swell Global 2020, Sheila Warren—Head of the Blockchain and Digital Assets team at the World Economic Forum (WEF)—takes the stage in a fireside with Ripple’s SVP of Marketing, Monica Long, to address these questions. Warren will examine what it takes to design inclusively and with user protection in mind and how policymakers are thinking about digital currencies and blockchain technology today and tomorrow.
Warren understands first-hand the importance of discussion and clear policy frameworks to realize the transformative potential of these technologies—in a way that embeds ethics, inclusion and integrity into our increasingly connected, but often financially divided world.
At WEF, Warren focuses on community creation among regulators and central banks to encourage continued exploration and implementation of these technologies. As a first step, WEF’s Global Blockchain Council recently announced the creation of the “Presidio Principles” with the goal of aligning key stakeholders in a fundamental vision of how users can—and should—be protected as blockchain technology continues to develop. Discussions and projects like these are paramount as the industry advances.
Ripple’s invite-only conference goes virtual for the first time this year on October 14 and 15. Warren brings her expertise to the event alongside a bold roster of soon to be announced payments experts and industry luminaries to discuss trends, successful blockchain implementations and how today’s leading financial institutions are meeting growing consumer demand for better, more inclusive financial systems.
As the industry continues to mature and more real-world problems are solved through these advancements, Ripple Swell Global offers a virtual gathering to explore the potential impact and connect with industry thought leaders in an immersive, interactive environment.
Check Ripple Insights for regular updates as we will be announcing the agenda and even more speakers in the coming weeks. Request your invite today.

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Smokeless tobacco facts
No tobacco means no harm, right? At least, that’s the lie Big Tobacco would have you believe as they slip a nicotine pouch into your hand. Just because it isn’t smoking doesn’t make it safe. From patches and toothpicks to vape pens and more, tobacco companies offer a seemingly endless array of new nicotine products to get you hooked.
So … how did Big Tobacco get here in the first place?
New Products, Same Old Tricks
The good news? The public’s opinion of tobacco is at an all-time low. The bad news is that the tobacco industry is always one step ahead. Over the past few years, they have introduced product after product that’s advertised as “nicotine only” in the hopes that the anti-smoking crowd will pick one up.
The Latest Scheme
By marketing nicotine-only products as “pure,” “clean” and “harmless,” the tobacco industry is deceptively initiating several new customers and welcoming back many former ones. While vapes and e-cigarettes remain the most popular nicotine-only product, others are gaining momentum, including:
- Disposable e-cigarettes
These products may seem harmless — in fact, they’re often falsely marketed as cessation tools — but that’s an illusion. Certain tobacco companies have completely rebranded their nicotine-only products as “going smokeless” to up their sales. The truth is that the amount of nicotine present in these products is higher than the amount found in commercial cigarettes — far too high to use for cessation. Plus, they aren’t designed to help the user step down their nicotine intake over time, which is an important characteristic of all true cessation products.
Along with high levels of nicotine comes a multitude of negative health effects that are separate from tobacco. Nicotine, the main addictive agent in cigarettes, still contains cancer-causing chemicals and decays teeth, decreases energy levels and increases heart rates. Nicotine also heightens stress, anxiety and mood swings. Many people, especially teens, grow dependent on nicotine, hoping it will improve their mental health. In reality, it fuels the growing mental health crisis in the U.S.
The lack of nicotine-only laws is another contributing factor to the mental health epidemic. Fortunately, tobacco laws now clarify that synthetic nicotine must be regulated like tobacco-derived nicotine products. While this was a big win, tobacco companies are still finding legal loopholes so they can deliver their addictive products to new users.
How We Built the Character
When Big Tobacco’s character targets middle-aged men with alternative-nicotine products, they most frequently highlight its “convenience.” We showcase this idea in our “Shapeshifter” spot when the cool friend — the personification of Big Tobacco’s ads — encourages his pool buddy to use an alternative-nicotine product to curb his cravings for the night. After all, tobacco companies don’t care what you use, as long as you continually use — and stepping out to smoke isn’t as convenient as it used to be.
The Cold Hard Data
|THE COLD HARD DATA
|% WHO USE NICOTINE-ONLY PRODUCTS
|% WHO USE TOBACCO PRODUCTS
|OKLAHOMANS, AGE 18-24
|U.S. CITIZENS, AGE 18-24
Whether or not it contains tobacco, nicotine is still nicotine, and Big Tobacco is still the one pulling the strings — even if their name is no longer on the side of the package. They don’t need the credit; they just want the money from your addiction.


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Imperial Logistics Africa’s annual financial results reflect the mounting pressure on the industry and volatility in the African region, the supply chain and logistics leader has announced.
Chief business development and strategy officer Cobus Rossouw stresses, however, that the tough trading conditions that contributed to an operating profit decline have galvanised the group’s resolve to continue investing in people, relationships and capabilities that will help deliver the required returns for shareholders.
“With a more asset-light strategy, the business will add further impetus to its drive to develop customised solutions to better service clients and improve their efficiencies,” he states. “In line with our strategic objectives, the consolidation of the Logistics Africa and Logistics International divisions into one logistics division will enable the creation of an increasingly global, asset-light, cash generative logistics group able to identify and prioritise strategic opportunities, allocate capital appropriately, exploit synergies and disseminate management expertise.”
In South Africa, challenging trading conditions continued to put pressure on the business’ revenue and profitability due to soft volumes in most sectors, particularly in manufacturing and commodities, which were partially offset by new contract gains and pleasing performances from some group companies. “Expansion into new markets and partnerships with new principals during FY2016 continued to deliver favourable results for Imperial Logistics Africa,” Rossouw explains.
The group’s operations in the Rest of Africa continued to perform strongly, with revenue and operating profit growing by 19% and 23% respectively, despite challenging trading conditions that worsened in the second half of the year. “This performance was supported by volume growth and the contribution of our businesses in the pharmaceutical sector.”
Looking ahead, Rossouw believes that differentiators like performance-based partnerships with clients, absolute transparency and leading transformation programmes are the cornerstones of a strategy that that will enable the group to not only weather the economic storm, but to thrive.
“A strategic area that we are focusing on with more vigour than ever is our drive to engage differently with our clients; not just on price, but on performance. We are actively pursuing different commercial models that can drive win-win partnerships that benefit both our clients and Imperial Logistics Africa as a supplier. The South African market is very ready for this new perspective on commercial engagement because everyone is under cost pressure.”
“Mature transparency” is the term that Rossouw has coined to describe the open, performance-based partnerships that the group is increasingly seeking to forge with clients. He cites technology as one of the drivers of the transition from old school transaction and price based contracts to new, transparent and mutually rewarding commercial models. Logistics “control towers”, state-of-the art IT solutions that offer unrivalled visibility of supply chains, and transport telematics are examples of the sophisticated technology that Imperial Logistics Africa is leveraging to build transparent and mutually rewarding partnerships with clients.
“Imperial Logistics Africa will also continue to invest in human capital, and has been working tirelessly since the introduction of the first BEE codes to be recognised as a leader in this area. Transformation remains a top priority, and we have developed new enterprise and supplier development programmes that will ensure that we continue to lead the industry,” he states.
He sums up Imperial Logistics Africa as a whole as a much more asset light business than it was five years ago, and says that it will continue to get rid of underperforming assets – from vehicles to properties – in order to free up capital for new projects. “Operating in an asset light, customer-focused environment enables us to get full use of our own assets in an erratic market – for the ultimate benefit of our clients.”
“These tough times demand a renewed focus on customers’ needs, relationship development and continuous improvement,” he concludes.


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You are here
ALTOONA, Pa. -- Sheetz Inc. has been honored by Gov. Ed Rendell and The Commonwealth as one of the top 10 places to work in Pennsylvania. In addition, the company announced record sales for this year, and committed to maintaining an aggressive 10 percent growth rate in 2004, according to Steve Sheetz, chairman of Sheetz Inc.
"All of us at Sheetz are proud to be named one of the top 10 places to work in the state again this year," said Sheetz. "We work hard to make sure we create a winning environment for our employees who work so hard to win customers."
Created in 2000 by the Ridge-Schweiker Administration, the Top 10 award program -- the first of its kind offered by a state -- was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Pennsylvania, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and business environment.
For this year's award, more than 250 Pennsylvania Sheetz employees were randomly selected across the company's nearly 200 Pennsylvania stores to rate the company and its workplace practices, according to Sheetz.
In addition to being named one of the state's top 10 employers, Sheetz Inc., for the first time in its history, is a contender to be recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the Top 100 employers in the country. The Top 100 list is slated to appear in a January edition of Fortune magazine.


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tech2 News StaffDec 28, 2018 08:53:25 IST
We have seen a lot of rumours about the Nokia 9 Pureview, which is expected to feature a penta-lens camera. Here's a yet another case render.
The publication AndroidPure has released images of the cases for Nokia 9, again confirming the penta-lens setup at the back just like we've seen in the past. There is no information about the actual device though. This is the fourth case render that we are seeing in a row.
HMD Global was expected to unveil the device alongside Nokia 8.1 at an event in Dubai, but that didn't happen. (Read our full review of the Nokia 8.1 here) There were reports that the device was delayed due to issues with the camera.
Just like the previous case renders, we see seven cutouts here, which are placed in a hexagonal shape, six in a circle and one in the centre.
Last week we saw an image of a transparent case which was for the Nokia 9 Pureview. Last month we saw a case listed on Amazon's UK website and before that, we saw a Silicon case with seven cutouts at the back for lenses and a flash which is quite likely for the same device.
Of the seven cutouts that we see in total, five will be for cameras which are expected to come with Zeiss-branded optics. There is no fingerprint sensor at the back, it could either be in the front or be an in-display scanner. Hope that it is not completely reliant on facial unlock.
There is no word on the total pixel count of this camera system, but they could pretty high. However, one report did mention that three out of the five rear cameras are rumoured to be 41 MP units, one a 20 MP unit and the fifth one a 9.7 MP unit.
The alleged Nokia 9 PureView is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage and it might feature a 6-inch display. We do not know when the device will be launched, but here's hoping that it soon see the light of day.
2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories.
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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AMD has bid goodbye to the brand name ATI, the graphics processors chip maker which AMD acquired four years ago. At $5.4 billion, ATI was one of the most expensive acquisition in the semiconductor industry.
Advanced Micro Devices had acquired ATI back in 2006 and since then, experts had been expecting AMD to axe the ATI brand. The speculations seemed to have subsided after AMD continued to offer graphic cards with the ATI logo.
However, now, the company has decided to forgo the brand name and has said that future graphics offering will bear the AMD Radeon logo instead of the ATI Radeon logo.
John Volkmann, vice president of global corporate marketing at AMD, has named several reasons why the brand will be removed. From their research, the company found that “the Radeon brand and the ATI brand are equally strong with respect to conveying our graphics processor offering.”
“Red” team ATI is still one of the largest graphic chips makers in the world, maintaining a near decade-old rivalry with the “green” team, Nvidia.
A battle between fans of both have long been rampant on online, including a variety of Usenet newsgroups. Dedicated newsgroups to each of these brands have a number of subscribers that share, discuss and debate the product and company attributes of each.
At the end of it though as some newsgroups report, ATI hasn’t been the most successful venture for AMD and the company has even been criticized with its management of ATI. However, AMD has come out with some very good products since the acquisition.
However AMD said that the decision to axe the brand came after a series of consultations with some of the company’s key partners; customers for example, said that they were more aware of the AMD brand than ATI.
A major motivator here for the change isn’t simply trying to eliminate consumer confusion (although consumer preference for AMD apparently triples once they realize AMD owns ATI, according to AMD’s research), but the fact that AMD intends to integrate both AMD microprocessor technology and Radeon graphics technology on the same chip… a la NVIDIA’s ION chipset.
AMD plans to begin culling the ATI brand on its graphics line at the start of the fourth quarter of this year and end by September 2011. Existing products won’t see a name change, but new products will branded AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro.
How this will affect ATI related newsgroups is not clear, but a surge in subscribers to the AMD related newsgroups has already begun.


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BMW Producing Hydrogen-Electric Technology
March 31, 2020— BMW released specifications on its new hydrogen-electric technology which it claims has advantages over a pure electric vehicle, reported Digital Trends.
The system contains two tanks that store about 13 pounds of hydrogen combined, a fuel cell that generates electricity, an electric motor, and a peak power battery.
BMW's hydrogen-electric powertrain is considered a zero-emissions drivetrain because it emits water vapor.
According to the report, BMW would create a mass-produced hydrogen-electric in the 2020s, if there is demand there, if infrastructure develops and if it finds a way to produce hydrogen in a clean and cost-effective way.


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DUNNES Stores has slashed the weekly hours worked by staff at some of its stores amid the ongoing retail slowdown, which has also seen it cease Sunday trading at its flagship store on Dublin's Grafton Street.
Some employees have seen their hours cut by over half, resulting in earnings of under €150 a week, which is less than they would receive from the state, if unemployed, say unions.
The move, which has provoked an angry response from the worker's union Mandate, is the latest in a series of cutbacks at Dunnes, which last month shelved plans to open three new stores.
The company is said to have taken advantage of the flexible nature of contracts in the retail sector to push through the latest cuts.
According to Mandate, many of Dunnes Stores' contracts only entitle staff to a minimum of 15 hours of work a week with extra hours being at the company's discretion. These extra hours have now been cut back.
Mandate's assistant general secretary Gerry Light said that the chain, which is headed by Margaret Heffernan, has refused his requests for a meeting on the issue.
"They can't continue to treat their staff in the manner in which they have been doing. This issue is becoming one of national importance given the size of their business," he said.
"There are certain signs that everyone in the industry is struggling, not just Dunnes, but they shouldn't be taking it out on their lowest paid workers." The company declined to comment.
One of the issues raised by the affected workers is that Dunnes is refusing to accommodate staff by allocating their reduced hours into three days or less, meaning they are unable to claim unemployment benefit.
Light said, however, that Mandate would not be taking this up with the company.
"That just leads you into an argument about whether the state should subsidise Dunnes Stores by supplementing its workers' incomes. If we sort out the first problem, that second issue will vanish."


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As 2015 draws to a close, the Pakistani tech industry is finally experiencing the startup boom or the “rise of the entrepreneurs”. Seeing the incredible success of billion dollar tech companies like WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Uber that were once small startups made up of a handful of people, a lot of people have chosen entrepreneurship as their path and Pakistanis are finally turning to it. Though there is a lack of investors in this country, a lot of new programs and incubators have sprung into existence and are now trying to breath some life into the new startups.
This year was filled with a lot of new ideas and a lot of promise. Several new startups got incubated and many of them managed to convince the investors to part with their money to help the startup go forward, and here are the 19 startups that have managed to raise a considerable amount of investment in the year 2015.
One of the several travelling services, Careem is an app-based car service with an aim to provide affordable and reliable urban transport. Operational in 20 cities around the world, Careem is on the verge of expansion by garnering new investors interest.
In a Series C investment round, the transport-focused startup managed to raise an investment of $60 Million with The Abraaj Group (Abraaj) as lead investor. Through this they will be able to make new hires in order to accelerate their pace of entry into new markets, and ensure the development of new innovative products and services.
Daraz.pk recently managed to secure an investment of $55 Million for its operations in the three countries it functions in today: Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Most of the investment (60%) came from Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG), Daraz’s existing investor, while the rest 40% came from CDC Group, Development Finance Institution owned by the UK Government.
The largest property listing online portal in Pakistan, Zameen.com presents a lot of promise in the online way of buying/selling your real estate. It was founded in 2006 by two entrepreneur brothers and has grown exponentially, also receiving an angel investment from French property portal authority, Gilles Blanchard in 2012, and then a successful Series A round in 2014.
In September of this year, Zameen raised $9 Million in international funds from three renowned international funds, the names of which haven’t been disclosed. This money would go to Zameen’s parent company, the Zamzama Property Group.
Rozee.pk has been around for quite a while and currently stands as the number one job portal in Pakistan. Initially started as a way for Monis Rehman, the founder, to advertise a few of jobs, it went viral and fast forward a few years, it has now become the best place in Pakistan to look for jobs. Before this year, Rozee.pk had pulled in a total of $2 Million in two funding rounds.
In May of this year, Naseeb parent company of Rozee.pk raised $6.5 Million in a Series C funding round with Vostok Nafta and Piton Capital Lead Investment as the main investors. The startup, Rozee.pk, has been massively profitable, with the investors seeing a return of 680% and overall, the company has also increased their revenues by 115X since 2008.
5. Inov8 Limited
Inov8 Limited is currently one of the fastest growing and the most dominant mobile payment solution in Pakistan. With an aim to become the number one mobile payments company in the world by 2020, Inov8 has been actively working to bring digital and mobile payment solutions to Pakistan. They are also responsible for introducing internet payments in Pakistan recently.
In a Series A investing round, Inov8 Limited attracted a mammoth sum of $5.4 Million in funding from Sheikh Al Nahayan at a total valuation of $100 Million. Sheikh, who also serves as the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Social Development of UAE, was the sole investor in this funding round.
A unique startup that uses data science to do predictive analytics, PredictifyMe has made headlines around the world for creating a tool to predict school bombings as well as creating a highly accurate bomb injury model called Usmani-Kirk model. This startup is the brain-child of Zeeshan-Ul-Hassan Usmani, a Pakistani data scientist, writer, entrepreneur, and scholar.
Headquartered in North Carolina, PredictifyMe closed $1.25M in funding in an oversubscribed round in June of this year. The funding would be utilized in expanding their technology team and developing a client acquisition team.
7. Vivid Technologies
Vivid Technologies, a former incubatee at Plan9, PlanX and LUMS, is a startup focused on voice technologies. The startup provides two products, Vivodo and Fibrax, that aim to drastically improve the customer service experience by providing an interactive, easier and much faster service.
This startup raised a hefty $350,000 in seed investment from Conrad Labs, Telefonica, Rosemont Group Capital Partner LLC, and SunBridge Global Ventures. This funding will go a long way in helping them in their mission to turn Interactive Voice Response(IVR) system into an interactive, visual and touch experience.
Interacta, a graduate of LUMS Center of Entrepreneurship (LCE) program, is another innovative little startup that has managed to attract a lot of people’s attention with an an application that can potentially change the way we view our television. Their app allows users to not only give feedback on advertisements, but also provides them with a medium to let them participate in live channel shows.
Interacta managed to pull in a total of $220,000 in seed funding from Fatima Ventures, a South Asian Resources Group.
Aptly named “Sportskot”, this startup acts as a middle-man between the excellent sports goods-sellers of Sialkot and international as well as local buyers of these goods. Pakistan produces some of the world’s best sports goods and Sportskot wants to address the gap between the sports industry and the online community.
Sportskot recently raised £ 90,000 of seed funding from a UK-based investor and supermarts owner, Waqas.
A Pakistani fashion startup with an aim to make high-quality artisanal shoes, Markhor has gained international stardom for their hand-made leather shoes and their initiative to bring this age-old skill to an international level.
After exceeding their $92,000 funding goal on Kickstarter with $107,286 in funds last year, Markhor managed to get enrolled in YCombinator this year, one of the world’s most coveted seed accelerators. YCombinator invests in startups in exchange for equity and as of yet, Markhor has received $120,000 in funding from the program.
Pakistan’s first on-demand car maintenance service, AutoGenie started as a very small four-person startup in 2014 and has come a long way. It has also been incubated by LCE and is currently a part of PlanX’s startup acceleration program.
In the September of this year, AutoGenie received $100,000 in funding from PakWheels, Pakistan’s biggest online car portal. PakWheels itself raised an impressive $3.5 Million last year, making this the company’s first investment since then.
A Plan9 incubatee and a ticket-booking startup, BookMe.Pk provides a really efficient way of booking tickets for movies or buses. Just last year, they managed to score a handsome seed investment from a Istanbul-based startup company, Etohum, and have since partnered with big Pakistani names like GEO, ARY and Hum TV to air advertisements for their app alongside upcoming movie ads.
In June of this year, Bookme also received considerable investment from Element Ventures at a valuation of $4 Million. Although they didn’t reveal the exact amount, it is said to have been in six-figures.
MySmacEd, another incubatee of Punjab Government’s Plan9, is an education-focused startup that aims to bridge the gap between teachers and parents by giving the parents access to real-time updates on their child’s performance via an app. It works on a subscription-based model and as of June, 11 schools had signed up to be a part of MySmacEd.
MySmaced raised an undisclosed amount of funding with a valuation of $2 Million in June, 2015. This funding will enable them to streamline their operations, and formulate a future growth strategy.
Wifigen, a next-generation Wi-Fi analytics tool, is a new innovative startup that provides wifi solutions for both the customers, and businesses. Their chief purpose is to provide free public wifi in exchange for some customer information, which can also be in the form of social media check-ins.
Also incubated at Plan9, Wifigen scored an investment from John Russell Patrick, a former VP at IBM and a Silicon Valley investor, at a valuation of $1 Million. The funding amount is being used for an aggressive marketing strategy in Pakistan.
Mezaaj is a virtual fashion startup that provides fashion designers, including student designers and indie brands, to showcase their works and talents using the facilities offered by them. Mezaaj offers a way to reach a massive audience through their social media presence and also offer a 3-month incubation program to receive mentoring from business and fashion executives.
With a total valuation of $500,000, Mezaaj raised an undisclosed amount of investment in June of this year. They plan to use this money to market their brand and expand their incubation program all over Pakistan.
One of the first startups to graduate from the Nest I/O, P@SHA’s Tech incubator, Sheops is an online peer-to-peer marketplace for women for buying and selling various products. The marketplace also doubles up as an online community for women and allows them to pursue a business initiative a wide market of clients while sitting in their homes. It is a women-only marketplace that has been running as a group on Facebook.
The startup recently signed a deal to become a part of Arpatech Technology ventures, securing a decent investment from them to propel the startup further and launch it as a secure online website for women.
The creator of an emergency responders app, Messiah is a startup that lets the users of the app send distress signal to friends, family or fellow users of the app in the case of an accident or an emergency.
At the Digital Youth Summit (DYS) 2015, Messiah was offered an undisclosed amount of funding from two Pakistani-American investors, Shubber Ali & Kash Rehman and from a Jordan-based investment company, Oasis 500. However, no official investment agreements were signed at that point.
Forrun is a unique small errands and delivery service that can do tasks like deliver food or flowers, buy movie tickets, pay bills, even deliver documents or parcels. Mainly though, it uses location data to match a potential delivery order to the closest available courier and then notifies the nearest rider via SMS.
In April of this year, Forrun got acquired by Arpatech but will remain as an independent unit under the software company for the foreseeable future.
19. H&O Services
Another graduate of LCE, H&O Services is a placement and management company that provides a portal for hiring maids, cooks, helpers, drivers, etc. The startup maintains a strict background check policy solving the issue of finding reliable people for household chores.
H&O Services closed its seed funding round with a six figures(US dollars) investment in a straight equity deal in April. The exact amount wasn’t disclosed at the time. The investment would be instrumental in expanding the operations of H&O Services.
Sporting a tagline of “The Mechanic that comes to you”, AutoExpert provides door-to-door car care service for all kinds of automotive works, including a workshop on wheel service.
AutoExpert has managed to raise an investment of nearly $1 Million from different business tycoons under the banner of DotZero Ventures.
Cleanry, a Karachi-based startup, is the first of its kind in offering Pakistan’s first home laundry services through an online portal. They provide high-quality laundry services to the upper class and their major focus is on reliability and customer-satisfaction.
Cleanry raised an undisclosed amount of funding in their seeding round through DotZero Ventures(DZV) back in November.
Artsy is a platform for artists to share their work online and reach fans through the digital medium. It hasn’t been officially launched yet and is scheduled to go online on the 1st of January.
Artsy raised an undisclosed amount of funding through DotZero Ventures in 2015.
Honourable Mentions — Travly, a commuting app that lets people book rikshaws, buses, taxies and cargo services, is currently in their seed funding round and cannot disclose investment data until the round is closed. We will update this article once the investment figures are revealed. EatOye, the Pakistani online food startup, got acquired by FoodPanda, the German-backed company, for a substantial sum(exact figures not revealed).
Overall, it has been a really illustrious year for startups in Pakistan, for which a lot of credit goes to the numerous incubators that have sprung up in the country. Some notable ones include Plan9, the Punjab Government-backed startup incubation program; LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship(LCE), the university’s very own startup program; and P@SHA’s Nest I/O. The privately-funded DotZero is another incubator program that deserves a mention: they recently launched an Angel Investment fund for Pakistani startups and has already invested in 6 startups as of September.
Have we missed any name? Please mention in the comments or reach us out here – firstname.lastname@example.org
Image – B Blog


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It has been reported this week that Universal is currently in the process of reinventing the science fiction franchise for the popular Battlestar Galactica movies and series.
The new Battlestar Galactica movie which is currently under production is aiming to completely reimagine the Battlestar Galactica story and writer Jack Paglen responsible for movies such as Transcendence has been signed up to write the screenplay.
Universal’s executive VP of production Scott Bernstein and director of development Jay Polidoro are currently taking the reins on the latest version of the Battlestar Galactica franchise, and original series creator Glen Larson will also produce the new Battlestar Galactica movie.
Unfortunately no release date or further details have been announced as yet for the new Battlestar Galactica movie, but as soon as anything is announced or comes to light we will keep you updated as always. Hopefully a teaser trailer will be released in the coming months to whet our appetites a little more.
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BancSource Insurance Services, an investment products marketing frimin Minneapolis, has snared a top executive from across town at First Bank System.
Roger Lovretich was named senior vice president and sales director of BancSource.
Mr. Lovretich, 48, joined BancSource last week after six years at the $26.4 billion-asset banking company, where he oversaw mutual fund and annuity sales in four midwestern states.
BancSource officials said Mr. Lovretich ws hired to help the company grow from a regional marketer with limited services into a full-fledged operation with bank clients all over the country.
Mr. Lovretich's solid banking experience made him the best candidate to lead the new business charge, said David McDonald, BancSource's president.
The Minneapolis company currently serves five financial institutions in the Midwest, the largest of which is Metropolitan Financial Corp., Fargo, N.D.
Its parent company, Great-West Life and Annuity, Englewood, Colo., is behind the push to expand. Great-West bought BancSource last year, providing the company with a solid base for growth.
Mr. Lovretich is the latest in a string of bank executives to cast his lot with an investment products marketing company.
James Daniel, the head of Barnett Banks' brokerage, and Brian Doherty, who held a similar position at Keycorp, both joined marketer Wall Street Investor Services this year.
Mr. Lovretich said marketing companies offer potentially broader opportunities.
"This is a chance to develope in a growing industry," he said in a telephone interview. "Many banks out there need assistance from companies like ours."
Mr. Lovretich became acquainted with BancSource two years ago, when First Bank System bought Marquette Bank Minneapolis, then a BancSource client.
Stayed in Touch
First Bank System cut the unit's ties with BancSource, but Mr. Lovretich stayed in touch with BancSource founder Jeffrey Nevin.
"I got more and more interested in what Jeff was doing," Mr. Lovretich said.
The "clincher" ws Great-West's purchase of BancSource last year and subsequent resources the company committed, Mr. Lovretich said.
Great-West is in the process of adding sales representatives at BancSource and is scouting locations for regional sales offices, Mr. McDonald said.


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Change is in the air for wireless ops
With consumer mobile penetration near saturation, soaring retention costs, consumer price sensitivity and surging data traffic demands, carriers must look beyond market share to advance their growth and profitability, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' new report, “Change is in the Air: 2009 North American Wireless Industry Survey.”
According to PwC, growth will be driven by making existing customers more profitable, and less by finding new customers.
"The U.S. mobile market is entering an era during which margins and profitability will trump penetration and volume. Where customer experience had been the focus, the emphasis is now shifting to price, across a range of customers – including premium users, value-oriented family plans and the pre-pay market," said Pierre-Alain Sur of PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Now, mobile carriers must dive deeply into the profitability profiles of all their existing customer categories. And with today's enhanced visibility, carriers have a far more robust set of tools to increase their bottom lines across every kind of customer interaction."
Focusing on subscriber retention remains a critical issue due to escalating retention costs. Large carriers invested more than $160 per subscriber in their networks in the 2009 survey – a more than 30 percent leap compared with the 2008 survey. U.S. wireless companies reported an increase in customer retention expenses of more than 50 percent in 2008 compared with 2007.
The survey finds that the downturn in the economy triggered an increase in consumers moving toward prepaid plans. On average, use of prepaid minutes increased more than 147 percent in the past four years, from 270 minutes in 2006 to 667 minutes in 2009, PwC said.
And the ever-so-talked-about smartphone sales are increasing and represent significantly higher average revenues per user. As of June 30, 21 percent of all mobile device sales were smartphones, and an average of 12 percent of overall subscribers use smartphones. The average revenue per user for smartphones is $74, compared with total postpaid average revenue of $54.
Despite the downturn in the economy, carriers continue to invest in their networks and infrastructure to address increasing data demands, and carriers are beginning to migrate toward 4G technology. On average, capital expenditures as a percentage of service revenues increased to 21.5 percent in the 2009 survey, from 18 percent in the 2008 survey.


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Microsoft is giving its Surface Pro yet another makeover that will be thinner, lighter and have a much longer battery life. Plus it will have better viewing angles.
The company, on a roll from a previous announcement of the new Surface Laptop and Windows 10 S, launched the updated hybrid computer, which can turn from a tablet into a laptop with the addition of a keyboard, at an event in Shanghai. The new Surface Pro replaces the Surface Pro 4 and drops the number scheme Microsoft has used for the last five years.
The new, fifth-generation device — simply called Surface Pro — won’t look or feel drastically different from its predecessor. But Microsoft is hoping its under-the-hood improvements will help it compete with newer laptop-tablet hybrids from Samsung and others. Not to mention Apple’s iPad Pro.
The Redmond, Washington, company made the announcement Tuesday in Shanghai, China, in its first Surface launch outside New York. It’s a reflection of the company’s expectations of growth among a population that prizes premium gadgets from American brands.
Microsoft pioneered laptop-tablet hybrids, also known as 2-in-1s, with the original Surface in 2012. A keyboard cover turns the tablet into a laptop. But innovation has slowed down since 2014, when the Surface Pro 3 got a fully adjustable kickstand to give the screen a broader range of viewing angles, similar to real laptops. Before, the kickstand was limited to just two angles.
“People’s expectations for what their devices should help them accomplish are high – and the Surface team works to exceed those expectations,” said Panos Panay, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Devices. “People want beautiful and powerful devices, with all-day battery life and amazing digital inking experiences. They want to better express their ideas creatively while being able to work whenever, wherever and however they choose. The new Surface Pro delivers all that and more.”
Meanwhile, other companies have made their own 2-in-1 devices running Microsoft’s Windows 10. That success contributed to a 26 percent revenue decline in the Surface business in the most recent quarter. And competition is growing; Samsung released new Galaxy Book models this week, while Huawei announced one Tuesday in Berlin.
Jan Dawson, chief analyst at Jackdaw Research, expects the new Surface will help revive sales.
“The external design isn’t dramatically different, but there are lots of changes inside,” Dawson said.
Microsoft promises about 13.5 hours of battery life, or about 50 percent more than the nine hours on the previous device, the Surface Pro 4. The processors inside will be faster, and lower-end models will ditch the fan.
The Surface’s stylus will now mimic pencil shading when tilted, much like the Apple Pencil for iPad Pro tablets. Along with this, Microsoft plans upgrades to its popular Office software with new pencil-like features.
Microsoft will sell the stylus separately for $100. The new Pro will start at about $800 and will be available June 15 in about two dozen countries, including the U.S., China, Japan, South Korea and much of Europe. A keyboard cover starts at about $130, or about $170 for a version that feels like fabric rather than plastic. That brings the cost to more than $1,000.
Microsoft will have a version with cellular capabilities this summer but didn’t immediately disclose the price. Samsung already has one out through Verizon in the U.S. for $1,300, a price that includes the keyboard and the pen. A comparable Wi-Fi-only model, out this week, costs $1,130.
Microsoft also recently announced a laptop — without a detachable screen — aimed at students. That also comes out on June 15, starting at about $1,000.
Huawei’s new 2-in-1 device, the MateBook E, will include a keyboard cover but not a pen, which sells for about $100. The European price is 999 euros ($1,120); the U.S. price will be released closer to the device’s availability in July.


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The iPad accounted for ~65 per cent of tablet shipments last quarter. Android tablets were 22 per cent of global shipments, their highest share since the first quarter of 2011. They should be further boosted in the third quarter by the successful release of the Google Nexus 7.
The other big story last quarter was the collapse of forked Android tablets, the Kindle and the Nook. Together they combined for only 13 per cent of the market last quarter, down from 40 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year.
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SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s antitrust regulator said Tuesday it has decided to impose a combined fine of 24.4 billion won (US$18.6 million) on GS Retail Co., the operator of GS 25 convenience stores, for its unfair business practice.
GS Retail received a total of 19.5 billion won from eight contractors in the name of promotion costs and other fees between November 2016 and September 2019, when it entrusted them with the manufacturing of its own brand food products, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC).
The company also took a similar fee of 2.74 billion won from suppliers between February 2020 and April 2021 without proper reasons.
The FTC said GS Retail violated the Subcontracting Act that bans retailers from demanding contractors provide economic returns without legitimate grounds when they entrust business to suppliers.
GS Retail expressed regret over the FTC’s decision and said it plans to decide whether to appeal against it after reviewing details of the regulator’s measure.


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The Rise of Email
Digital advertisers are becoming more and more critical in their audience targets as well as their ad location. Concerns around brand safety have clearly altered digital spend patterns, as has a shift in targeting strategy. Rather than trying to reach as many eyeballs as possible, brands are now looking for impact eyeballs. For instance, if a brand sells sports equipment, ESPN or Sports Illustrated newsletter subscribers would have a much higher buying probably than those of the Smithsonian, not that the two are mutually exclusive.Read
5 Hacks to Keep Your Contact Data Clean (Number 5 is our Favorite) – UPDATED
The hard truth: if your sales leads haven’t been updated in the last 12 months, most of them are worthless. Read on to see how you can keep your contact data fresh.Read
3 Reasons Why Niche Print is on the Rise
In an era of digital and online advertising, it is no secret that print has certainly struggled with declining page counts. But the idea that all areas of print have declined is mistaken. In fact, large companies like L’Oreal, Pfizer, and P&G continue to allocate big money towards print.Read
5 Field Tested Ways to Become a Better Sales Leader
Once upon a time when I was an individual contributor, I earned Sales Rep of the Year.
It was an incredible honor and one that I had been working towards and focusing on with every passing quarter.
As I stood on stage to accept my award, I didn’t think I could feel more proud professionally - that is until I was leading a sales team of my own and one of my reps achieved the same honor.
2017 Programmatic TV Summit – Highlights & Video
The way consumers view television is changing. This should come as no surprise, especially considering the recent troubles ESPN faced in regards to cord cutters. With more and more viewers moving to OTT, advertisers are facing a challenge, how to optimize marketing efforts to reach migrating audiences. One potential solution is programmatic buying and selling across platforms. This year’s Programmatic Summit at the Stewart Hotel in NYC endeavored to identify the necessary steps in adapting and adopting programmatic in the TV and OTT realm. MediaRadar’s CEO led a panel of National TV and Video Sellers regarding just how this process will work. The panel included:Read
Saddle Up for Scottsdale! 2017 AHP Equine Media Conference Recap
Last week MediaRadar saddled up and headed to sunny Scottsdale, Arizona for the 2017 AHP Equine Media Conference! Year after year, this event continues to be advantageous for bringing together equine media members from across the country.Read
8 Easy Conference Tips to Hone Your Productivity and Increase Value
As an ad sales executive, conferences are a “no-brainer” way to meet prospects.
Whether you are attending a training event, participating as a vendor, sponsor or even if your company is hosting the event, there are always great opportunities to meet new advertisers or enhance an existing relationship.
Four Horseman and Five Years Running
At the recent Programmatic TV Summit, Lance Neuhauser CEO of 4C, referred to Amazon, Apple, Netflix and other such companies as the horseman of the TV apocalypse. The growth of OTT streaming services is made readily apparent when looking at the success of original shows. The mere fact that House of Cards and Orange is the New Black are entering their 5th seasons, shows the incredible growth of original content. Releasing House of Cards around the same time as Kevin Spacey hosting the Tony awards, was an extremely shrewd marketing strategy. Amazon and Hulu ran a combined 181 unique video ads, another example of how strong their marketing is, both in terms of content and funding. Take a look below to see how the rest of OTT field marketed their product over the last few weeks.Read


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Chevy and Pearl Media attempt to set Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Claw Game on Hollywood Boulevard
One lucky winner will walk away with a brand new Chevy Sonic car!
Chevy is taking over Hollywood Boulevard in support of Chevy’s “Let’s Do This” campaign for the 2012 Chevy Sonic. Chevy has teamed up with Pearl Media, a non-traditional, out-of-home media company, to create the World’s Largest Claw Game—remember the arcade staple you loved as a kid—and attempt to set a Guinness World Record, as part of a live commercial shoot.
Re-creating the old school, prize-grabbing claw game, an interactive, human-sized joystick will be set up in front of Hollywood Boulevard’s famous Roosevelt Hotel, allowing passers-by to take control of the joystick and direct the giant claw towards one of many prizes designed for adventurous, thrill-seeking consumers, including a new car. One lucky winner will walk away with the grand prize 2012 Chevy Sonic.
WHAT: As part of a live commercial shoot, Chevy and Pearl Media will deploy an interactive claw game the size of the Roosevelt Hotel, attempting to set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Claw Game and offering consumers the chance to grab for their favorite prizes, including a brand new car!
WHO: Chevy Sonic, the most fun-to-drive small car, and Pearl Media, a non-traditional media and production company specialized in creating unique, targeted, groundbreaking out-of-home experiences for leading brands.
WHEN: Friday, December 16, from 8:00 pm PST to 11:00 pm PST and Saturday, December 17 from 8:00 pm PST to 11:00 pm PST.
WHERE: On Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd. There will be a partial street closure where the giant claw game is taking place at Orange Drive.


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Popular New Stories
X was originally created in the mid-80s by a research group from MIT. Its goal was to create a windowing system quite unlike any that had been conceived before. Thus X's design differs greatly from that of other windowing systems, having designed-in support for many elements which are unique.
Statistical information on injuries related to notebook computer use is scarce, but doctors report a steady stream of new patients who've overdone it on the machines.
Even if ATI Crossfire defeats SLI, Nvidia has some secret horses for a new race. It is working on something that we know as SLI 2.
The Andromeda galaxy just got bigger -- three times bigger, astronomers said on Monday.
The world's second-largest annual computer show, Computex, opened Tuesday in Taiwan, with organizers expecting the highest number of buyers and visitors in the exhibition's 25-year history.
A state in Japan has decided to ban a U.S. video game from being sold or rented to minors, after officials deemed it harmful and capable of inciting violence.
It's official. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The KDE Project today announced the immediate availability of KDE 3.4.1, a maintenance release for the latest generation of the most advanced and powerful free desktop for GNU/Linux and other UNIXes.
First look: Two processors in one Athlon chip give performance extra oomph. You now have a choice of dual-core processors; and based on PC World tests, the winner is clearly AMD's new Athlon 64 X2.
What began as a keynote panel on the evolving world of open source quickly escalated into a debate on the future of open source licensing when a professor of law and legal history at Columbia University took center stage.
ATI's MultiVPU solution dubbed the Crossfire will see its official debut tomorrow, but has it been worth the wait and how does it compare to NVIDIA's?
Developers of the Debian GNU/Linux distribution are frantically squashing software bugs in an effort to get version 3.1 out by the scheduled 6 June release date.
Several IT executives at the LinuxWorld Summit last week reinforced the idea that Linux now has the technical brawn and industry support to accommodate the most demanding business applications in environments such as finance, airline reservations and stock trading.
Three Greek youths were arrested on Saturday for conspiring to cheat in a university entrance exam using a wireless camera hidden in a pen, police said.
Tomorrow, AMD will launch its first processors operating with “two brains” for desktop PCs, five days after its bigger rival Intel unveiled its own dual-core line-up.
here is a little something for your memorial day. i think most other beers probably don’t have enough body to make this trick worthwhile.
Ending a longstanding tradition, Microsoft Corp. plans to stop using the word "my" as the default prefix for such folders as "My Documents," "My Music," "My Pictures" and others along those lines. Starting in the next Windows version, due out next year, folders will be known simply as "Documents," "Music," and so on.
Many American online computer users are unaware that choice of browser affects Internet security, and few switch browsers even when they know the risk, a Norwegian study said Monday.
It is the classic struggle between David and Goliath. Between a monopoly vs. an idealistic rag-tag group of geniuses, business owners and stay-at-home Moms. I care in the stead of those who do not. I care because there are people who don’t know they are being taken advantage of. I care because a young girl needs me to. Struggling to educate, I care, to make others aware of another option and the threat to their future ability to choose.
Swedish parliament passed a law banning the free exchange of material protected by copyright over the Internet. The law also gives holders of copyrights a legal basis to file for damages. The retail price of a 5GB blank DVD will now probably rise from the current 10 krones to 30.


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Teradyne Q1 earns 20c, sales $430.6 mln (6:38 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Teradyne
SigmaTel shares gain on Q1 results, Q2 forecast (5:51 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- SigmaTel SGTL shares rose more than 5 percent in late trade Tuesday after the company said it swung to a first-quarter profit and issued a second-quarter forecast above analysts' expectations. The semiconductor designer said it made $6.9 million, or 18 cents a share, on sales of $31.5 million vs. a loss of $8.8 million, or $1.50 a share, on sales of $12.9 million. SigmaTel said it expects to make 22 cents to 24 cents a share in the second quarter on sales between $34 million and $36 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are forecasting a per-share profit of 17 cents a share on sales of $34 million. SigmaTel shares rose to $26.25 after the bell, a gain of $1.30.
Convergys beats Q1 expectation (5:49 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Convergys
ISS shares tumble 10% after Q1 profits miss targets (5:29 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Internet Security Systems ISSX shares lost more than 10 percent in late trade Tuesday after the company's first-quarter earnings fell short of analysts' expectations. The computer security company said it made $5.2 million, or 10 cents a share, on sales of $67.1 million vs. $5.4 million, or 11 cents a share, on sales of $26.3 million. Pro forma earnings came in at 13 cents a share, flat from the same period a year earlier and a penny les than the 14-cent per-share average forecast of analysts polled by Thomson First Call. Revenue, however, was higher than analysts' expectations of $66 million. ISS said it expects to report second-quarter earnings of 12 cents to 16 cents a share on sales of $66 million to $70 million. Analysts are forecasting 15 cents a share on sales of $68 million. For the year, ISS expects to make 58 cents to 66 cents a share on sales of $280 million vs. analysts' forecast of 63 cents a share on sales of $280 million. ISS shares fell to $15.94 after hours, down $1.85.
Owens-Illinois posts Q1 profit increase (5:25 PM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW)-- Owens-Illinois said Tuesday first-quarter profit increased on larger unit shipments and increased prices. The container and packaging firm, of Toledo, Ohio, said net income was $49 million, or 29 cents a share, versus $34.4 million, or 20 cents a share, during the same period a year ago. The company said manufacturing performance also fed the earnings increase. Net sales for the quarter were $1.54 billion compared with first quarter 2003 net sales of $1.38 billion. Shares closed at $13.89, down 7 cents.
Schwab Q1 net rises, firm boosts dividend (4:43 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Discount brokerage giant Charles Schwab
Centex Q4 earnings jump 29% (4:42 PM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW)-- Home builder Centex Corp.
Career Education stock up on Q1 nos.; Q2, FY forecast (4:35 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Career Education Corporation CECO reported late Tuesday first-quarter results and issued a second-quarter and full-year forecast above Wall Street's expectations. The post-secondary education provider said it made $41.8 million, or 40 cents a share, on sales of $402.8 million in the first quarter vs. $19.2 million, or 20 cents a share, on sales of $245.5 million. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had been looking for a per-share profit of 32 cents on sales of $381 million. Career Education said it expects to make a profit of 33 cents a share on sales of $405 million to $410 million in the second quarter vs. analysts' average forecast of 29 cents a share on sales of $377 million. For the year, the company is forecasting a per-share profit of $1.75 on sales of $1.675 billion to $1.7 billion compared with analysts' forecast of $1.61 a share on sales of $1.63 billion. Career Education shares rose to $66.15 in after-hours trade, up 5.8 percent.
Silicon Graphics falls shy of Q3 goals, shares down (4:32 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO -- Silicon Graphics
Cheesecake Factory profits rise 32 percent (4:27 PM ET) CHICAGO (CBS.MW)-- The Cheesecake Factory earned $16.7 million, or 32 cents per share, in its first quarter, up sharply from $12.6 million or 25 cents per share. The earnings, announced after the bell Tuesday, were right on the 32-cent average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call. Revenues for the Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based restaurant operator came in at $220.5 million, up from $173 million and ahead of a Street view of $216 million. Shares of Cheesecake Factory
Ask Jeeves tops Q1 revenue and EPS goals (4:25 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Ask Jeeves ASKJ said late Tuesday that it earned $13.4 million, or 23 cents per share, in the first quarter, compared with a profit of $8.5 million, or 17 cents, in the year-ago period. Excluding certain items, Ask Jeeves earned $13.5 million, or 23 cents per share, compared with a profit of $3.5 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago. The search company also grew quarterly sales by 73 percent to $39.2 million. Analysts expected Ask Jeeves to earn 18 cents on revenue of $37 million. Shares of Ask Jeeves fell 45 cents to $26.45 in after-hours action.
Zion's Q1 net rises (4:25 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) Zion's Bancorp
Allstate Q1 net rises, catastrophe payouts fall (4:22 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Property/casualty insurance giant Allstate
Millipore Q1 profit jumps 21 percent, tops forecasts (4:21 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Millipore Corp.
StorageTek meets Q1 expectation (4:17 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- StorageTek
CheckFree Q3 swings to profit (4:16 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Electronic financial services firm CheckFree Corp CKFR said Tuesday it swung to profit in its fiscal third quarter. The company earned, on a GAAP basis, $7.7 million, or 9 cents per share in the latest quarter, compared to a loss of $7.8 million, or 9 cents per share a year ago. The company said underlying earnings - those excluding certain costs, were $26.5 million, or 29 cents per share, compared to $20.5 million, or 23 cents per share a year ago. According to Thomson First Call, analysts expected the company to earn 28 cents per share, on an underlying basis. The company also said it expects fourth quarter earnings of 6 cents to 10 cents per share on a GAAP basis, and 28 cents to 30 cents on an underlying basis. For the full year, the firm expects to earn 5 cents to 9 cents per share on a GAAP basis and $1.04 to $1.06 on an underlying basis. Both the fourth quarter and full year estimates are with Wall Street's expected range.
C.R. Bard Q1 profit soars 53 percent, tops estimates (4:15 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- C.R. Bard Inc. BCR said after the market closed Tuesday that its first-quarter profit rose 53 percent over the same quarter last year on improved sales of its health care products, plus one-time items. Murray Hill, N.J.-based C.R. Bard said net income rose to $71.9 million, or $1.35 a share, from $46.9 million, or 89 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding items, C.R. Bard's profit from operations was $63.3 million, or $1.19 a share, in the latest quarter, surpassing the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call by 16 cents. Sales rose to $393.8 million from $335.9 million, topping the average analyst estimate of $380.8 million. The shares rose $1.45 to close at $100.25 ahead of the announcement.
Motorola profit surges on wireless phone sales (4:13 PM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Bolstered by sizzling sale of wireless phones, Motorola MOT on Tuesday said first-quarter profit jumped to $609 million, or 25 cents a share, compared with $169 million, or 7 cents, a year earlier. Sales surged 42 percent to $8.6 billion - almost $2 billion more than Wall Street expected. Excluding onetime items, Motorola earned about 19 cents a share. That easily beat the 7-cent consensus of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. Looking ahead, Motorola forecast second-quarter sales of between $8.2 billion and $8.6 billion and profit of 14 cents to 18 cents a share, well above the 9-cent Wall Street target.
Applied Micro Circuits Q4 loss 1c, sales $47.4 mln (4:11 PM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Applied Micro Circuits AMCC reported a fiscal fourth-quarter loss of $2.1 million, or a penny a share, on sales of $47.4 million. During the same quarter last year, the chipmaker lost $229.1 million, or 76 cents a share, on revenue of $20.1 million. Excluding charges, Applied Micro Circuits broke even compared with an average expectation by analysts that it would lose a penny a share on sales of $44.9 million, on average, according to Thomson First Call.
Motorola rises ahead of Q1 report (2:16 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Motorola MOT shares edged 3 cents higher to $16.73 in afternoon trading. The telecommunications equipment maker is scheduled to report its first-quarter results after the closing bell. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call are looking for a profit of 7 cents per share on revenue of $6.75 billion in March period.
Powerwave shares jump more than 11 percent (1:03 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Powerwave Technologies PWAV shares have reversed their initial trend following the company's release of weaker than expected first-quarter results. The stock had dropped about 5 percent following the company's report after Monday's closing bell, but it's now up more than 11 percent to $8.21, pushing into the top ten on the Nasdaq's percentage gainers list. Powerwave lost $3.3 million, or 5 cents per share, on revenue of $63.2 million in the three months ended April 4. The revenue performance just landed within the company's forecasted range of $63 million to $75 million, but it was below Wall Street's consensus estimate of about $69 million. The company added that it expects its acquisition of LGP Allgon Holding to close within the next month, and that it remains "extremely positive" about its longer term outlook for increasing demand in the wireless communications infrastructure industry.
Exponent gains after estimate-beating Q1 (12:58 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Engineering and scientific consulting firm Exponent
Gentex misses Wall St. view by penny in Q1 (12:15 PM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Gentex
Digital Recorders slumps after Q1 outlook (11:51 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Digital Recorders TBUS shares fell sharply Tuesday, trading lower with other security-related stocks, after the company said it "preliminarily" expects to post a profit for the first quarter on revenue of $12.1 million. The maker of mass-transit-related surveillance equipment had revenue of $10.9 million and a loss of $211,466 a year ago. The company said it expects a profit for 2004, excluding any non-cash charges related to financing activities. Shares were last trading down 23.9 percent at $10.86. Digital Recorders has seen its stock soar this year along with the rest of the sector on speculation it will benefit from terror fears. Ipix shares were down 25 percent at $9.47.
Diebold gains on Q1, outlook (11:36 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Diebold
Itron gets lift from outlook for the full year (11:35 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Itron
NDCHealth shaves 2004 sales outlook (10:51 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Shares of NDCHealth
Federal Signal slumps after missing Q1 estimates (10:47 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Federal Signal
Check Point beats Q1 earnings target (10:42 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Check Point Software Technologies
GM expects interest rates to rise in '04, '05 (10:05 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- General Motors
Trend Micro boosts Q1 earnings (10:03 AM ET) SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Trend Micro TMIC on Tuesday posted first-quarter earnings that rose 81 percent, with help from strong sales growth in Europe, the U.S. and Japan. The Tokyo-based antivirus-software maker's net income was 3.1 billion yen, or about $29 million, up 81 percent from 1.74 billion yen in the same period last year. Revenue rose 25 percent to 13.6 million yen. The company says it expects second quarter net income of 2.7 billion yen, on sales of $13.5 billion yen. U.S.-traded shares of Trend Micro fell 47 cents to $41.60 after the announcement.
Cingular adds 554,000 net subscribers (9:45 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Cingular Wireless, the venture between BellSouth
Safeco first quarter profit rises (9:11 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Safeco reported Tuesday first quarter net income of $236.2 million, or $1.69 a share compared to $90 million or 65 cents a share for the same time period last year. The results outpaced analyst estimates from Thomson First Call which had expected 84 cents a share. Income from continuing operations was $185.6 million, up from $79.5 million. In March, Safeco
America West posts surprise Q1 profit (9:11 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- America West Airlines AWA reported first-quarter earnings of $1.2 million, or 2 cents per share, reversing a year-ago loss of $62 million, or $1.84 per share. Excluding a gain following a revision of estimated costs from certain sale-leaseback transactions, the company earned $600,000, or a penny per share, trouncing Wall Street's consensus estimate for a loss of 42 cents per share. Revenue rose 10.2 percent in the latest three months to $576.4 million. Looking ahead, the Phoenix-based firm said it expects to be profitable for the full year despite continued high fuel prices. The stock closed Monday at $9.34, up 3.2 percent.
M&T Bancorp Q1 net rises (8:58 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Buffalo, N.Y.-based M&T Bancorp said its first quarter net income rose. The company said it earned $159.5 million or $1.30 per share in the first quarter, compared to $116.5 million, or $1.23 per share a year ago. The latest quarter's results include the operations of AllFirst Financial, acquired last year. The per share results are based on calculations including 26.7 million more average shares outstanding than year ago levels. Those shares were issued at the time of the AllFirst acquisition.
Check Point Software beats Wall Street target (8:56 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Check Point Software
Northern Trust Q1 profit rises (8:53 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Northern Trust Corp. said Tuesday that first quarter net income rose 35 percent to $127.5 million or 57 cents a share, up from $94.7 million or 42 cents a share for the same time period last year. The results beat average analyst estimates of 55 cents from Thomson First Call. Revenues from continuing operations rose 14 percent to $578.2 million. Chicago-based Northern Trust
First Tennessee Q1 net rises (8:51 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- First Tennessee National
Golden West beats estimate, 1Q net rises 16% to $300M (8:51 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Golden West Financial on Tuesday reported a 16 percent rise in first quarter net income to $300 million, or $1.93 a share, up from $260 and $1.67 respectively the same period last year. The Oakland, Calif.-based bank beat the average analyst estimate as measured by Thomson First Call by 1 cent. The company
Brinker comes in 2c ahead in Q3 (8:42 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Brinker International
Mellon fee revenue, assets under manage higher (8:26 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Mellon Corp.
Wells Fargo 1Q net income up 15 percent to $1.8 billion (8:20 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Wells Fargo on Tuesday said net income rose 15 percent to $1.8 billion or $1.03 a share, up from $1.5 billion and 88 cents respectively, the same period last year. The results beat the average analyst estimate of 98 cents for San Francisco-based Wells
Bank One Q1 earns rise, exceed expectations (8:19 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Bank One
Forest Q4 net down as R&D, marketing costs rise (8:19 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Forest Labs
AK Steel narrows Q1 loss on operating basis (8:17 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- AK Steel AKS reported first-quarter earnings of $165.4 million, or $1.52 per share, reversing a year-ago loss of $40.8 million, or 38 cents per share. The latest results include a gain of $174.9 million, or $1.61 per share related to the sale of Douglas Dynamics LLC. On a continuing operations basis, the Middletown, Ohio firm lost $16.4 million, or 15 cents per share, narrower than the average estimate of six analysts polled by Thomson First Call for a loss of 43 cents per share in the period. Sales rose in the latest three months to $1.13 billion from $985.3 million in the same period a year earlier. The company said it saw sharply increased steel demand in the quarter, which led to higher shipment volumes and higher realized prices. Looking ahead, AK Steel sees "modestly improved operating results" in the second quarter from its first-quarter performance. The stock closed Monday at $6.26, up 17 cents.
Boston Scientific's Q1 EPS a penny ahead; sales up 34% (8:11 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Boston Scientific
GM trounces Wall St. view for Q1; lifts FY forecast (8:09 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- General Motors
7-Eleven Q1 net 4c vs. 5c: Reiterates 2004 outlook (7:53 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- 7-Eleven
Black & Decker Q1 EPS top forecasts, 2004 to also beat (7:51 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Black & Decker BDK reported first-quarter net earnings from continuing operations of $74.3 million, or 93 cents a share, up from 55 cents a share in the year-earlier period, and a penny a share above the average analyst forecast compiled by Thomson First Call. Sales rose 16 percent to $1.09 billion, just ahead of analyst forecasts of $1.07 billion, boosted by acquisitions and favorable foreign currency translation. Looking ahead, the toolmaker expects to earn $1.20 to $1.25 in the second quarter and $4.70 to $4.85 for the year, exceeding current analyst projections of $1.13 and $4.69 a share, respectively. The stock closed Monday unchanged at $60.20.
Tenneco Automotive revenue rises (7:47 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Tenneco Automotive
EarthLink Q1 results exceed expectations (7:39 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - EarthLink ELNK reported a first-quarter net loss of $11.8 million, or 7 cents a share, vs. a loss of 43 cents a share in the same period a year ago. Excluding non-recurring items, such as facility exit costs, the Internet access provider earned 11 cents a share, topping the average analyst estimate compiled by Thomson First Call of 7 cents. Total revenue declined 0.6 percent to $351.56 million, but exceeded analyst forecasts of $350.01 million, as a 26 percent increase in broadband access revenue and 53 percent growth in advertising revenue helped offset a 10 percent decline in narrowband access revenue and a 1.7 percent dip in Web hosting revenue. Looking ahead, the company now expects revenue of $350 million to $355 million in the second quarter, which surrounds current analyst projections of $353.8 million, and to add 300,000 to 550,000 total paying subscribers in 2004. The stock closed Monday unchanged at $9.09.
Ameritrade edges Wall St. view for Q2 by penny (7:38 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Ameritrade AMTD reported second-quarter earnings of $81 million, or 19 cents per share, up from its year-ago profit of $9.6 million, or 2 cents per share, and a penny ahead of the average estimate of seven analysts polled by Thomson First Call. Revenue rose 67 percent to $246.9 million in the latest three months from $147.6 million in the same period a year earlier. The Omaha, Neb., online brokerage services firm said its qualified accounts, which have a net liquidation value of at least $2,000 and generate 90 percent of the company's revenue, rose to 1.7 million at the end of March from 1.2 million at the end of September, just after the close of its merger with Datek. Looking ahead, Ameritrade sees earnings of 59 to 79 cents per share for fiscal 2004, surrounding Wall Street's current consensus estimate for a profit of 73 cents per share on the year. The stock closed Monday at $15.08, down 4 cents.
Taser beats in Q1 by 2c; names Behrendt CFO (7:32 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Taser International TASR reported first-quarter earnings of $3.6 million, or 24 cents per share, up from its year-ago profit of $229,018, or 3 cents per share, and 2 cents ahead of Wall Street's consensus view. The per share figures do not reflect the 2-for-1 stock split scheduled to take effect on April 29. Sales jumped 286 percent in the latest three months to $13.1 million from $3.4 million in the same period a year earlier. Also, late Monday, the Scottsdale, Ariz., stun gun maker named Daniel Behrendt chief financial officer. Behrendt most recently served as CFO of Imperial Home Decor. Behrendt replaces Kathleen Hanrahan in the CFO role. Hanrahan will continue to serve as chief operating officer. The stock closed Monday at $118.70, up 4 percent, but it fell to $111 in pre-market action.
Ingersoll-Rand beats EPS target, raises Q2 outlook (7:27 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Ingersoll-Rand
Lucent reports Q2 profits that top expectations (7:22 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Lucent Technologies
Coach tops in Q3 by 3c; boosts FY earnings outlook (7:19 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Coach
RadioShack Q1 tops expectations (7:18 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- RadioShack
Altria's Q1 profit flat w/ year-ago, revs jump 12.7% (7:13 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Altria
Regis Q3 earns rise above Wall Street expectations (7:10 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Regis
Ethan Allen Q1 earns rise, but falls shy of estimates (6:59 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Ethan Allen
Health Management Associates hits Q2 profit consensus (6:56 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Health Management Associates HMA posted earnings of 37 cents a share for the second quarter ended March 31, up from 31 cents earned in the fiscal 2003 quarter. The latest quarter's profit matched the analyst consensus as compiled by Reuters Research. The hospital operator's revenue reached $833.9 million, up 29 percent from $646.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Same-hospital revenue growth came in at 7.0 percent, while total admissions rose 24.4 percent, the company said. Pricing improved, helping boost net revenue per admission. Health Management's shares dropped 35 cents to end Monday's action at $21.36.
Mattel Q1 net drops, U.S. sales down (6:51 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Toy maker Mattel
Pfizer's Q1 EPS of 52c beats Street consensus by penny (6:48 AM ET) WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Pfizer
Station Casinos tops Q1 earns, rev. expectations (6:44 AM ET) NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Station Casinos
Eurotunnel Q1op. rev. down 5%, car traffic drops (2:47 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Eurotunnel(UK:ETL), the Channel tunnel operator, said operating revenue declined 5 percent to 125.6 million pounds in the first quarter, as shuttle revenue dropped 8 percent in constant currencies, due to lower truck yields. Eurostar passengers traffic rose 19 percent on the year to 1.6 million. French rebel shareholders earlier this month ousted the Eurotunnel board. Car traffic dropped 13 percent. The new French directors are seeking to renegotiate the group's debts.
Akzo Nobel Q1 falls on restructuring, drug settlement (2:29 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Dutch pharma and chemical group Akzo Nobel
Tesco Feb., year sales surge 18.7% to $60.7 bln (2:19 AM ET) LONDON (CBS.MW) -- Tesco(UK:TSCO), the leading supermarkets group in the U.K., said sales for the year to the end of February rose 18.7 percent to 33.6 billion pound ($60.7 billion) as pre-tax profit rose 17.6 percent to 1.6 billion pounds. Sales at U.K. stores open at least a year rose L6.7 percent over the year-ago period. The dividend for the year will rise 10.3 percent to 6.84 pence a share, Tesco said. "We have seen a step change in non-food with an increase in market share," the retailer said.


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Konami reported its financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007, and the company is doing better than ever. While the revenue reports and earnings breakdowns may prove interesting for some of our more fiscally minded readers, the juiciest tidbit of info was about Konami's hugely-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
When discussing its current outlook for fiscal '08, a period ending next March, Konami listed Metal Gear Solid 4 as one of the main drivers of potential revenue. Up until now, the company had been mysteriously tight-lipped regarding this game's release date. However, these latest remarks seem to indicate that we will be playing Metal Gear Solid 4 by March 31, 2008, at the latest.
Looking at its performance from this year, Konami reported that total revenue had increased 6.9% over last year to 280.3 billion yen ($2.3 billion). Operating income also increased from 2.5 billion yen to 28.1 billion yen ($231.9 million), while net income fell 29.5% to 16.2 billion yen ($133 million).
Looking forward, Konami anticipated a net revenue increase of 5.3% to 295 billion yen ($2.4 billion), an operating income increase of 17.3% to 33 billion yen ($272 million) and a rise in net income to almost 13% to 18.3 billion yen ($151 million).


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WESTFIELD, NJ — Bill Heinbokel, head of the Mayor's Downtown Task Force, presented the highlights tasks force’s new 30-page report at Tuesday's town council meeting. The report was presented to the town council Monday and published Tuesday night on the town’s website.
Heinbokel, who also serves as chair of the Westfield Board of Adjustment, explained the task force’s extensive list of suggestions given to the council for consideration, including changing parking enforcement hours, which are currently 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Other suggestions include:
- Enhancing outdoor space by introducing “parklets” (small, movable temporary structures that can offer shaded seating or even bandstands) and decorating the trees along Elm and Quimby Streets with lights
- Enhancing and expanding downtown events
- Removing half of the street parking meters to provide a sense of more space
- Converting Lenox Avenue to one-way traffic from Central Avenue to Elmer and adding angled parking there
- Renovating parking lot 7 (across from the post office) and incorporating a portion of Lenox Avenue into it
- Planting trees in vacant tree wells
- Redefining the town’s definition of retail service to allow new types of businesses there, such as paint-and-sip spaces and microbreweries and distilleries with tasting rooms
- Allowing tenants to expand into basement space
- Allowing tenants to use a space temporarily without having to comply with parking requirements and allow tenants to share spaces
- Allowing use of rooftop areas
- Allowing for walk-up windows
- Allow for ground-floor offices on North and South Avenues
- Allowing more types of signs, such as A-frame sandwich boards and window signs, both of which are currently in wide use downtown despite rules against them
- Streamlining the approval process so that businesses coming town can get up and running faster
- Implementing a public valet parking system
- Add 15-minute pick-up parking spaces on Quimby Street
- Educating the public about all of the parking options already available
- Establishing a system of graduated parking fines, where repeat offenders pay more than one-time offenders
Heinbokel said town should also continue to explore the possibility of tiered parking, as well as gated parking lots; working with ride sharing apps such as Uber or Lyft; and encouraging retailers to stay open later in the evenings.
To read the entire report, click here.


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Xioami has ventured into diverse field ranging from producing smartphones, fitness bands, Pens, weighing scales, Bluetooth speakers, Air purifiers and what not. Now we have an official confirmation of Xiaomi launching its own Virtual Reality VR headset on August 1 at an event in China on August 1 which is just few days away. The company has officially released a teaser which confirm the August 1 launch date. The teaser says ” Expect the unexpected” and VR is clearly mentioned on it.
The teaser also specifies the date of 1 August 2016. Before Xiaomi, brands such as Huawei, HTC, Lenovo, Coolpad and Samsung have already released dedicated VR headsets for their smartphones and with this release Xiaomi too will have a dedicated Virtual Reality VR headset customized for their smartphones. None of the existing VR headsets are optimized for MIUI and the company wants to change this by bringing their own VR optimised for MIUI. Additionally, this coming VR headset is expected to be compatible with Google’s Daydream platform which was announced during the Google I/O.
Stay tuned at Androidpure and we will keep you updated.


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H & R Johnson (India), leaders in the ceramic industry, today launched their new and innovative range of premium sanitaryware and faucets – Johnson International – at Park Regis in Goa.
This event was graced by Bollywood’s Leading Actress and Johnson’s Brand Ambassador – Ms. Katrina Kaif. The senior management from the brand that presided the event included Mr. Pankaj Sharma (President - Bath & Kitchen Business) in the presence of Mr. Vijay Aggarwal (Managing Director), Mr. Sarat Chandak (ED & CEO), Mr. Anoop Sreekumar (National Sales Head – Tiles Division) & Mr. Dinesh Vyas (Marketing Head – H & R Johnson India).
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With the coronavirus pandemic taking over the lives of millions around the globe, it has become increasingly evident that there is an urgent need to scale the hygienic conditions of eateries, now more than ever.
However, a recent probe found food joints prevailing with unethical methods of serving customers.
Popular biryani spots of Hyderabad, Bawarchi, and New Astoria of RTC ‘X’ roads have been penalized by the GHMC for unclean and illegal practices.
Hotel Bawarchi has come under the radar for cooking unstamped meat considered extremely unhealthy while New Astoria Restaurant has been fined for keeping the eatery unhygienic and not following any cleanliness guidelines in their kitchen.
The tons of complaints regarding the horrendous conditions of three restaurants- Café Bahar, Hotel Bawarchi, and New Astoria Restaurant– triggered the investigation for which GHMC’s medical officers reached the hotels accompanied by food Inspectors.
After their probe, they fined Bawarchi and New Astoria a sum of Rs. 25,000 each as the former was found using mainly unstamped meat for its orders while the latter for providing an unhealthy meal to customers through their dirty maintenance of the kitchen, an official said.
It is compulsory for all hotels, function halls, restaurants, cafes, and any other public-service establishment to buy meat only from GHMC slaughterhouses as they are stamped. Unstamped meat is the one procured from dead or sick sheep that can lead to degradation of health, food poisoning, and many other illnesses.
“During our inspection, we noticed that the managements were procuring a limited quantity of stamped meat and using more quantity of unstamped meat. There was a lot of variation in the bills produced and the meat available on the premises,” the official added.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation urged residents of the state to insist and buy only stamped meat from all retail stores present in societies, colonies, etc. as consumption of unstamped meat would mean eating a deceased animal. This unstamped meat is brought from unauthorized dealers as it is available at a lesser price point.
Last year in January, Bawarchi was seized by the GHMC for not installing vermicompost units in its premise despite several notices from the department.
As part of the measures adopted to reduce garbage for its effective handling, the Solid Waste Management states the need for all hotels, etc. to install vermicompost units for availing vermicompost at a later stage, thereby changing trash to a useful commodity.
However, when Bawarchi was found ignoring the rules even after sufficient time was provided for it, the municipal corporation seized the spot. It produces nearly 100 kgs of waste every day.
The eatery installed the vermicompost by night but wasn’t allowed to open their hotel till the next day.


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North Korea is due to open the country’s first luxury ski resort this Thursday. The Masik Pass will cater to an estimated 5,500 skiers in the country, or 0.2 per cent of the population, the Associated Press reported. Masik Pass has however come up against one big problem: no one wants to sell them ski lifts. The Swiss recently pulled out of a $7.7m deal, citing sanctions on the import of luxury goods to North Korea, and French and German manufacturers have also said no. North Korea’s state-run media has called the Swiss decision a “serious human rights abuse”.
To put this into perspective, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children in North Korea are imprisoned in forced labour camps, where as well as carrying out backbreaking work, they are starved, denied medical care, and face constant beatings, and even executions, by camp staff. Around 10 per cent of the population suffers from malnourishment, and the average worker earns around $4 a day. Citizens are not allowed to leave the country, and anyone who questions the status quo risks detention without trial, torture and even public execution.
The United Nations sanctions on luxury products were intended to put pressure on North Korea’s regime in response to its nuclear weapons tests. While North Korea’s leadership is unlikely to worry too much about the effect of crippled economic growth on its populace (as long as they are starved into submission, rather fired up for revolt), it was hoped a ban on luxury products will focus the minds of the North Korea’s cognac-swilling elite – North Korea’s late dictator (and the father of its current leader) Kim Jong-Il reportedly spent $720,000 a year on Hennessy cognac.
Unfortunately, no one can agree on what counts as a ‘luxury’ item, and China in particular, while agreeing to sanctions in principle, tends to apply a far narrower definition than most. North Korea doesn’t publish data on its imports, but UN data from 2010 details exports including 50,000 bottles of wine, 3,559 sets of videogames from China, 3,191 cars (including one from Germany costing almost $60,000) and 839 bottles of spirits worth an average of $159 each.
This Radio Free Asia article describes department stores in North Korea’s capital Pyongyang selling Chanel perfume, designer clothing and Rolex watches to the country’s elite, and senior North Korean officials visiting China have no problem stocking up on luxuries to take home.
The big fuss that the North Korean regime is kicking up over ski lifts suggests that Switzerland’s decision to respect sanctions has hurt and riled the country’s leadership. In Iran we may be starting to see sanctions having an impact, and similarly tighter sanctions on North Korea may well be the best, if not the only way, to force North Korea’s leadership to start serious negotiations about its nuclear weapons programmes, and hopefully (but perhaps less realistically) be pressured into domestic reform. Ski lifts are not a human right, but perhaps together with cognac, videogames and luxury cars, they can be a tool for promoting them.


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Is there space for specialty items in post-Covid-19 Rwanda?
The Kigali Farmers and Artisans Market is a monthly event which brings over 250 independent vendors together to create a shopping opportunity for items such as handmade art, clothing and accessories; juices, natural cosmetics, artisanal food items, and fresh produce. By now the event should not only have expanded to Mombasa, but this month would've been their 3 year anniversary. Now with over 2 months out of commission, what have they done to survive? And will there be a market for what they offer when they return? Kigali Farmers and Artisans Market Founder, Florence Mwashimba joins CNBC Africa for more.
Thu, 04 Jun 2020 10:21:37 GMT
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