text:
Honda Civic Natural Gas Named 2012 Green Car of the YearBy Los Angeles Auto Show, PRNE
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
LOS ANGELES, November 17, 2011 -
- Winner Announced at Los Angeles Auto Show Press Conference, Nov. 17
Green Car Journal announced the Honda Civic Natural Gas as the highly-anticipated 2012 Green Car of the Year® winner at a press conference Thursday morning during the Los Angeles Auto Show’s press days. The cleanest running internal combustion vehicle certified by the EPA, the all-new 2012 Civic Natural Gas is the fifth generation of this alternative fuel vehicle and the only assembly-line produced natural gas passenger model manufactured for sale in the United States. It runs on a clean fuel that is almost exclusively domestically sourced and typically priced about 30 percent less than gasoline.
“There is no other vehicle like the Civic Natural Gas on American highways, and this recognition has been a long time coming for Honda,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. ”The new-generation Civic Natural Gas features greater fuel efficiency, a handsome and roomier new design, and tailpipe emissions levels untouchable by any other internal combustion production vehicle. After manufacturing this environmentally conscious model for fleets since its introduction in 1998, Honda has now made a major commitment to bring its exceptional, American-built natural gas sedan to everyday buyers, offering an all-new array of popular consumer-oriented features and availability through 200 Honda dealers in 36 states.”
Natural gas is a clean-burning, versatile fuel found in abundance in the United States, making the Civic Natural Gas a practical solution for consumers across America, and a well deserving vehicle for the 2012 Green Car of the Year award. Boasting 38 highway MPGe, the Honda Civic Natural Gas is an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle and also features Eco Assist and a selectable ECON feature to further enhance the vehicle’s environmental efficiency. Along with fast-fills in about five minutes at stations offering natural gas, the Civic Natural Gas can be time-filled at home overnight with an available wall-mount refueling appliance from BRC Fuel Maker. The $26,155 Civic Natural Gas can drive approximately 240 miles on a tankful of compressed natural gas, almost two-and-a-half times the range of a typical all-electric vehicle.
“The Civic Natural Gas is not only a great vehicle, it also demonstrates Honda’s commitment to provide a variety of alternatives to gasoline,” said Michael Accavitti, vice president of marketing at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “The Civic Natural Gas and the all-new Fit EV that we introduced yesterday at the Los Angeles Auto Show are the latest additions to a rapidly expanding family of alternative energy Honda vehicles aimed at cutting petroleum use and reducing our carbon footprint.”
The Green Car of the Year jury, comprised of six environmental and automotive experts along with Green Car Journal editors, selected the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas from a field of five finalists that also included the Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi i, Toyota Prius v and Volkswagen Passat TDI. Green Car of the Year honors are reserved for exemplary vehicles that forward environmental performance in meaningful and quantifiable ways, with all nominees on sale by Jan. 1 of the award year.
This year’s jurors include the following leaders of the nation’s top environmental organizations: Carl Pope, chairman of the Sierra Club; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society, and Matt Petersen, president of Global Green USA. Also, Jay Leno, noted auto enthusiast and host of the “Tonight Show,” as well as automotive icon Carroll Shelby join Green Car Journal editors in rounding out the 2012 jury. Green Car Journal has been unveiling the Green Car of the Year winner at the LA Auto Show every year since it initiated the annual award in 2005.
“This year’s Green Car of the Year finalists underscore that there is no single solution to our transportation challenges,” said Cogan. ”Virtually every automotive manufacturer is exploring green technology in several forms. The Honda Civic Natural Gas, is a prime example of an alternative fuel that is viable, efficient and practical, making it worthy of the 2012 Green Car of the Year award.”
About Green Car of the Year
The GCOY award is an important part of Green Car Journal’s mission to showcase environmental progress in the auto industry. Founded in 1992, Green Car Journal is considered the premier source of information on high fuel efficiency, low emission, advanced technology, and alternative fuel vehicles. Subscription information, along with a downloadable sample issue, can be found at GCJUSA.com. Green Car of the Year® is a registered trademark of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc.
About the L.A. Auto Show
As the first major North American Auto Show of the season, the 2011 L.A. Auto Show will host approximately 50 World and North American debuts. Press Days, Nov. 16 and 17, will feature more than 25 press conferences from manufacturers around the globe. Join the L.A. Auto Show conversation by following the Show at Twitter.com/LAAutoShow, Facebook.com/LosAngelesAutoShow and sign up for alerts at LAAutoShow.com.
Jessica Schmidt of Rogers Ruder Finn, +1-213-765-4621, LAAutoshow at rogersruderfinn.com, for Los Angeles Auto Show
Tags: california, Facebook, Los angeles, Los Angeles Auto Show, November 17


text:
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard announced Wednesday they are postponing their $69 billion merger as the companies struggle for final approval from UK antitrust regulators.
The new extension, set for Oct. 18, indicates that while the companies believe they will complete the deal, more time is needed to satisfy regulators’ concerns.
When Microsoft announced plans to acquire video game publisher Activision in early 2022, the two companies set a deadline of July 18 this year to close the deal. Under the amended deal, the split fee that Microsoft must pay to Activision if the deal fails will go from $3 billion by Aug. 29 to $3 billion if the deal isn’t completed by Sept. 15. was introduced to increase to a maximum of $4.5 billion.
“We are confident in our ability to complete this transaction,” said Brad Smith, president of Microsoft. wrote on twitter.
“While we remain concerned about increasing competition in the economy and industry, we remain focused on the long-term opportunities ahead and the completion of our merger with Microsoft,” said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision. says. said in a statement.
The antitrust investigation shows that if Microsoft, which makes the Xbox video game console and operates the fledgling game-streaming platform, also owns publishers of blockbuster games such as Call of Duty, The focus is on whether consumers are harmed.
In the end, three regulators became the most important gatekeepers of the acquisition. The deal was greenlit by the European Union in May after Microsoft agreed to bring Activision’s games to other streaming platforms. However, it faced greater opposition in the US and UK.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit in December against the Federal Trade Commission’s Administrative Court, accusing Microsoft of banning Call of Duty from Sony’s popular PlayStation game console. And in June, the FTC asked a federal judge to stay the deal pending administrative proceedings. The judge ruled against the FTC last week, and an appeals court on Friday denied the FTC’s request for an injunction from completing the transaction.
Britain’s antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, moved in April to block the deal, saying it could harm consumers who stream games online. Microsoft and Activision have appealed the findings of the investigation.
Shortly after a federal judge dismissed the FTC’s attempt to block the deal last week, Microsoft, Activision and the UK antitrust regulator will see if a deal can be negotiated to resolve regulatory concerns. He said he wanted to suspend the appeals process. Regulators told the appeals court on Monday that there was a “real possibility” that the talks would be successful.court accept The appeal is suspended for two months.
Microsoft also announced on Sunday that it had reached an agreement with Sony to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for 10 years, addressing the FTC’s biggest concern in court. Normally, the FTC dismisses administrative lawsuits when it loses in federal court, but it has not yet withdrawn its objection to Microsoft’s proposed acquisition.
Adam Sataliano Contributed to the report.

domain: news


text:
Yesterday, Apple took everyone by surprise and announced the iPhone SE 2020, which offers the latest A13 chip and a great single rear camera, all of this for a starting price of $399.
This has caused a stir in the community, with fans thinking it to be a masterstroke from Apple that will destroy the competition from the Android eco-system.
But not so fast! Apple, as always, didn’t bother to mention the two most important specifications of iPhone SE: RAM and Battery. Now, we believe they did it for the right reasons since both are not great, to begin with.
A China Telecom reports that iPhone SE 2020 comes with 3 GB of RAM and “whopping” 1821 mAh battery. It turns out, Apple has not only retained the iPhone 8’s design but a few specifications as well.
Since we don’t have the phone at the moment, we can’t confirm the “13 hours video playback and up to 8 hours streaming video” that Apple boasts about iPhone SE on its websites. But it’s not like these numbers have played out in real life with previous Apple devices.
It would be interesting to see how the battery capacity of the iPhone 8 will handle the performance of the iPhone 11. For those who don’t know, iPhone 11 also has an A13 Bionic chip, but it is coupled with 4GB RAM and 3110 mAh battery.
The iPhone SE’s 1821 mAh battery will also have to hold its ground with “the best single-camera system ever in an iPhone.” A 12MP (f/1.8) single-lens wide-angle rear camera lens, which is the same as on iPhone 11.
iPhone SE 2020 is priced at $399 for the 64GB, $449 for 128 GB and $499 for the 256GB model. Pre-order starts on Friday.


text:
Brasília – Despite being more optimistic regarding inflation, unemployment and personal income, and sensing an improvement of the financial situation, Brazilians are still cautious at the time of buying, according to a survey released this Wednesday (31) by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI).
According to CNI, the National Index of Consumer Expectation (INEC) went up 4.4% in October, in comparison to the previous month, to 110.6 points, the highest value since October 2014, and above the series’ average of 107.7 points.
CNI believes that among the main reasons for the increase in confidence is the improvement in the financial situation in the last few months. Consumers also are more optimistic regarding personal income, unemployment and inflation. However, the confederation states that Brazilians continue to be cautious when buying, since the Expectations of Higher Value Purchases Index, of items such as furniture and home appliances, went down.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani


text:
While Google has market capitalisation of almost $753 billion and Facebook commands one of $515 billion, it is the wealth of user data they have that one fears
In the fight between information technology, fintech and e-commerce firms in India and Google and Facebook, the global giants seem to be winning hands down.
It is becoming a matter of survival for these sectoral ones, as one-stop solutions such as business listings, travel bookings, money transfers and financial services are available on both platforms and these firms rely on Google and Facebook to promote their services.
Google has in the past two years systematically got into a host of sectors and businesses.
Starting from listings where it competes with firms such as Just Dial and Zomato. Google Tez competes with mobile wallets such as Paytm.
And, most recently, Google Flights has taken on MakeMyTrip, Yatra and others in the travel sites segment.
Facebook is launching its own wallet via WhatsApp Pay. It also has its own e-commerce arm and plans to bring more services.
According to experts, Google has been placing its sponsored flights unit prominently on a search result page, pushing down travel sites such as MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip and Yatra in favour of Google’s own specialised search service, Flights.
Players in other sectors have raised similar issues.
While Google has market capitalisation of almost $753 billion and Facebook commands one of $515 billion, it is the wealth of user data they have that one fears.
Many believe it is this data that gives them the power to create a monopoly on almost everything under the sun.
“The kind of data they generate on individuals, they can tailor that to offer a wide range of products and services.
"Their algorithm is such that they push options to people. That information can be marketed, which they are currently doing.
"In Europe, we are seeing authorities taking notice of this and taking measures to curb their powers. We also need to take significant regulatory action.
"The Competition Commission of India and the government need pro-actively work on it, so that sector players are not pushed out and a monopoly not created,” said Arvind Singhal, chairman and managing director, Technopak.
Recently, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder of Paytm, the country’s biggest mobile wallet and financial services firm, in an interview with Business Standard actually said: “I believe Facebook is the most evil company in the world.
"Earlier, they tried to dupe the country with what called free internet. Now, they are flouting all guidelines and rules and bringing out an app that does not need three-step authentication to make online and mobile payments.”
This was in response to chat messenger WhatsApp launching its WhatsApp Pay wallet, for a beta test without the complete authentication process mandated by National Payments Council of India.
According to experts, WhatsApp has already started WhatsApp for Business.
From getting e-ticketing, delivery updates from online marketplaces, paying utility bills, buying financial services to even booking a plumber, the app is rapidly adding a host of products to its platform.
Critics contend this is not a protectionist attitude. “India is an open country. Most of the major firms are owned by Chinese, Japanese or American companies.
"It is not about India versus global players. Global players such as Google should not misuse their monopoly status. They should not put their reference on top or take undue advantage,” said Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and chief executive, Matrimony.com.
His company took on Google and this later led to CCI imposing a Rs 136 crore fine on the latter for 'search bias' and abuse of a dominant position.
Photograph: Mark Blinch/Reuters


text:
In September 2018, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz revamped the toy company’s Hollywood aspirations, launching a film division with plans to bring game franchises to the big screen in licensing and partnerships with studios after options lapse on big titles, including Sony Pictures’ adaptation. Barbie with Anne Hathaway attached to the star.
A year later, its competitor, Hasbro, set its sights far beyond licensing its big franchises (Dungeons and Dragons, Transformers, G.I. Joe): It wanted to become Marvel Studios and make its own movies, too. So Hasbro snapped up Entertainment One for $3.8 billion in August 2019 to further those ambitions.
Fast forward to this year and the paths diverge – should you create and buy or license content? Do you go all out or let the partners play a bigger role? –played for toy companies, with Hasbro changing course toward Mattel’s licensing playbook and partnerships with major studios.
Mattel Barbie, made by Warner Bros. Pictures. , surpassed $1 billion at the summer box office. Meanwhile, Hasbro sold its eOne for $500 million, a few billion less than its purchase of the product, after its own bets on becoming Marvel didn’t go as planned.
When Hasbro acquired eOne, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner’s longtime strategy was to work with Paramount Pictures to produce and distribute film and television content based on Hasbro’s toy brands like Transformers, GI Joe, and My Little Pony. eOne Produced by Paramount Film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesgrossed a staggering $208 million worldwide after its release last March, while Paramount Transformers: Rise of the Monstersthe next installment in the series based on the Hasbro toy, has grossed $433 million worldwide.
Before significantly reducing its film and television production footprint with the sale of eOne, Hasbro priced the one-off independent studio for 6,500 title libraries it could mine for multiplexed animation IP, such as Peppa Pig And PJ Masks Dramas such as Yellow jackets. Gamemaker behind My little pony and Play-Doh also expected the eOne acquisition would allow Hasbro to find licensing revenue from newly acquired family brands and develop a non-core IP not part of a separate long-term deal with Paramount to co-finance projects distributed by the Hollywood studio worldwide. (Other TV shows supported by eOne include Cruel summer for Hulu and the recruit for Netflix.)
But after Goldner’s death in 2021, Chris Cox, his successor as CEO of Hasbro, has set out to transform the toy maker into a digital gaming giant, rather than an entertainment powerhouse as Goldner had envisioned. This pivot placed eOne in a non-core position for the company’s new strategy. Ultimately, Hasbro saw value in focusing on its toy business, which put eOne up for auction late last year, before Lionsgate revealed on Aug. 3 the $500 million acquisition ($375 million in cash, subject to certain price adjustments). purchase, and the assumption of production financing loans).
Hasbro is now focusing on converting the legacy board games of popular franchises like Magic: The Gathering And Dungeons and Dragons in digital video games. For Hasbro, the sale of eOne and its expansion into digital toys put rearview mirror films on the basis of toy franchises that have become box office disappointments.
Hasbro’s strategy in Hollywood brings Mattel closer, which is taking popular toys whose brands are known to the masses and looking to run them as franchises in partnerships with major studios. Here Mattel is developing a feature with Universal based on Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, which Vin Diesel is linked to star in, as well as an MGM adaptation of the Polly Pocket doll line, starring Lily Collins, and a Hot Wheels movie with a bad robot production by JJ. Abrams. “For a long time, we were just licensees — so people would come to us and pick our brands from us — and we had no control over the storytelling,” Mattel Films executive vice president Elizabeth Basin said in March on a SXSW panel, months ago. affiliate Barbie launch. “And now we’ve seen the power of games in the marketplace as storytellers and we’ve realized that if we’re not in the driver’s seat, those stories might not be told the way we want them to be told.”
Wall Street has revised its forecasts for gaming companies accordingly. Roth MKM analyst Eric Handler lowered his current-year financial forecast for Hasbro based on the company’s second-quarter earnings report. “A full downward revision of our estimates for 2023 is driven by weakness in the entertainment sector, much of which is being sold and will be gone before the end of the year,” he explained. “The announced sale of eOne’s live assets will accelerate the deleveraging process and increase margin assistance in 2024.”
Analyst Stifel Drew Crum also praised the eOne sale. he wrote in a report, describing the idea behind “addition with subtraction” manipulation.
Wall Street watchers say Hollywood Reporter That Hasbro’s desire to own and operate its own film and television production and distribution businesses, based on former CEO Goldner’s vision, was an entertainment strategy that could have worked, but it came with major risks. For example, the company has gone beyond its core competencies that it has traditionally focused on. Many experts said owning eOne also complicated Hasbro’s asset mix, using its cash flow, while achieving what they described as subpar financial returns. After all, film is a capital-intensive business and was led by a hit.
Not surprisingly, then, this has led to suspicions, including a failed proxy battle in which an activist investor pushed Hasbro to break up its fast-growing company. Coast Wizards and the digital games division to unlock shareholder value. Some also state that the COVID-19 pandemic has further hurt Hasbro’s ambitions in Hollywood due to production and cinema closures. The result: Wall Street preferred the Mattel model to impressing Hollywood.
Talking about your great success Barbie movie, Mattel is betting on its two-decade partnership with Warner Bros. To create products for the masses. The toy giant, which continues to develop and produce films based on the company’s toy brands, has renewed its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Pictures. Discovery Global Consumer Products, making it the official licensee for toys, dolls, vehicles and games for more than 50 WBD brands and franchises.
Among Mattel’s WBD brands are toys based on the DC Comics universe and Harry Potter franchise, as well as programs such as Ted LassoAnd friends And Seinfeld. Mattel is a licensing partner of Warner Bros. About 20 years ago.
On Mattel’s earnings call in late July, Kreese doubled down on the company’s approach to Hollywood after the release of Mattel Barbie. “This is a defining moment for Mattel in a showcase of the cultural resonance of our intellectual property, our ability to attract and collaborate with top creative talent and the capabilities of our franchise management organization,” said the CEO. “This also speaks to the potential for Mattel Films and the significant progress in our strategy to capture the full value of our IP.”
“Lifelong beer expert. General travel enthusiast. Social media buff. Zombie maven. Communicator.”


text:
The fashion world is buzzing with questions on whether Jimmy Choo will be bought out by LVMH or Jimmy Choo himself. The Malaysian designer has been accumulating his assets in order to buy out the $242 million brand, which he has been keeping his eye on for some time, reports Daily Front Row.
It seems that Jimmy Choo’s luck has changed when the news that the Malaysian government has stepped in as a potential backer for the purchase, reports NBC New York. It has also been reported by a spokesperson for Daniel Stewart, that Mr. Choo has hired his investment bank and corporate advisory firm to assess his options. In 2001 Jimmy Choo sold his 50% stake in the company to Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. At this time Jimmy Choo is currently owned by Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd, and and Tamara Mellon.


text:
ISM corrects U.S. May factory index to 56 after adjustment error
The Institute for Supply Management corrected its May manufacturing index to 56 after saying it applied incorrect seasonal adjustments for the figure. The Tempe, Arizona-based group initially reported the gauge fell 53.2 from 54.9 in April.
"There was a software error that applied last month's seasonal adjustment factor to the new data," ISM factory survey chairman Bradley Holcomb said in an interview. "So everything is considerably higher" than the initial report suggested.
Fifty is the dividing line between growth and contraction.


text:
“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”
Joseph Heller, Catch-22
With most of the cybersecurity world gathered in San Francisco for this week’s RSA Conference 2018, the timing was impeccable: on Monday Cisco made significant endpoint and email protection announcements; that was also the day the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued a warning that ‘Russian hackers are attacking networking devices, network management protocols and the Cisco Smart Install Client that belong to governments, infrastructure providers and businesses.’ According to the networking giant, more than 168,000 systems are potentially exposed via that client.
“Russian state-sponsored cyber actors have conducted both broad-scale and targeted scanning of Internet address spaces. Such scanning allows these actors to identify enabled Internet-facing ports and services, conduct device fingerprinting, and discover vulnerable network infrastructure devices,” said the April 16 alert, which was based on results of analytic efforts between the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre.
Cisco noted several incidents in a release on April 5. “We are taking an active stance, and are urging customers, again, of the elevated risk and available remediation paths.”
While Cisco might rue the timing of the hacker alert, it is generally a good time to be in the cybersecurity business:
-the data protection market is expected to grow from $57.22 billion in 2017 to $119.95 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 16%, and,
-the total cybersecurity market will grow at a CAGR of 11%, from last year’s $137.85 billion to $231.94 billion by 2022.
The reason this market is so hot, is because the threats are escalating even faster:
– malware attacks increased 18.4% year-over-year to 9.32 billion in 2017;
-while ransomware attacks dropped from 638 million to 184 million between 2016 and 2017, ransomware variants increased 101.2%;
-the average organization will see almost 900 file-based attacks per year hidden by SSL/TLS encryption;
-32% of breaches affected more than half of respondents’ systems, compared with 15% in 2016;
-more than half of all attacks resulted in financial damages of more than $500,000, including, but not limited to, lost revenue, customers, opportunities, and out-of-pocket costs;
-complexity is growing: in 2017, 25% of security professionals said they used products from 11 to 20 vendors, compared with 18% in 2016; and,
-time to detection has improved from the 39-hour median TTD reported in November 2015, and the 14-hour median reported in 2017.
To add injury to insult:
-only 66% of organizations are investigating security alerts, and businesses are mitigating less than 50% of attacks they know are legitimate; and,
-in almost all breaches (93%), it took attackers minutes or less to compromise systems, and data exfiltration occurred within minutes in 28% of the cases.
Recent studies from IBM and Raytheon – both conducted by Ponemon – reinforce just how bleak the future looks. IBM found that 77% of firms surveyed (2,800 respondents) lack proper incident response plans; while 69% report funding for cyber resiliency is insufficient. The Raytheon results were worse: -82% of 1,100 respondents predict their workplace will suffer a catastrophic data breach in the next three years as a result of unsecured IoT devices “Every day the cyber threat is growing more sophisticated and aggressive, posing a real threat to global businesses across all sectors,” said Raytheon Chairman and CEO Thomas A. Kennedy.
Mobility is another cybersecurity sore point, according to Verizon Wireless Business Group. A survey of 600 mobility professionals found that while ‘93% admitted the growing use of smartphones and tablets is creating greater security risks, almost one third admitted sacrificing mobile security to improve business performance.’
The results indicated that was a really bad choice:
-companies that had sacrificed security were 2.4x as likely to have experienced data loss or downtime as a result of a mobile-related security incident;
-68% hadn’t sacrificed security and 19% of those had suffered data loss or downtime;
-32% had sacrificed security and 45% of those had suffered data loss or downtime.
Cisco led the group of four vendors – in descending order IBM, Blue Coat/Symantec and McAfee – that were the preferred choices for enterprise security, said cybersecurity guru Jon Oltsik, principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group. ‘While these vendors have the highest enterprise-class cybersecurity vendor mindshare, it’s important to remember that the cybersecurity market remains wide open with something like 1,200 vendors competing for around $90 billion in revenue’, he blogged. ‘Others not mentioned here (Check Point, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Trend Micro, etc.) could easily join this list.’
In addition to being the preferred choice, Cisco also benefits from a growing vendor consolidation trend, noted Oltsik: 24% of enterprises are consolidating the number of cybersecurity vendors they do business with while 38% are doing so on a limited basis. ‘Think of the 24% as leading-edge customers with the rest of the market emulating this behavior over the next few years.’
Back in July Oltsik reported that cybersecurity was the fastest growing business unit at Cisco, although he cautioned that it’s success could be an issue. Should its cybersecurity business be tightly coupled to networking or run as a completely independent business?
Another concern is the sheer size of its product portfolio which he said ‘is difficult if not impossible to navigate. Although I’ve never been a Cisco employee, I feel like I have a Ph.D. in Cisco and even I can’t follow all the product names, brands, acronyms, initiatives, etc.’
Well now Jon can add some new items to his list. Monday’s update to Cisco’s cloud-managed endpoint security solution, Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) for Endpoints, are intended to address the 1% of ‘threats that evade detection using sophisticated techniques.’ The additional capabilities include:
-detection and protection mechanisms to stop threats such as ransomware, and cryptomining;
-threat investigation with Cisco Visibility, a new cloud application built into the endpoint console which simplifies and accelerates security investigations; and,
-new Email Security offerings, based on an OEM deal with Agari, including Cisco Domain Protection and Cisco Advanced Phishing Protection.
The company also announced an expanded relationship with ConnectWise for managed service providers (MSPs).”Through our expanded partnership, investments, and technology innovations, we are committed to delivering to our customers the best email and endpoint protection,” said Jeff Reed, Senior VP of Product for Cisco’s Security Business Group, in a prepared statement.
Two weeks ago NSS Labs released the results of its 2018 Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP 2.0) Group Test, which evaluated 20 products for security effectiveness and total cost of ownership (TCO). The average TCO per Protected Agent (Value) was $690; twelve products demonstrated value above the average, and nine demonstrated value below the average. In addition to Cisco AMP (v6.0.5), other products tested included: Bitdefender GravityZone Elite v184.108.40.2065; Carbon Black Cb Defense v220.127.116.11; Comodo Advanced Endpoint Protection v3.18.0; Cylance CylancePROTECT + OPTICS v2.0.1450; Endgame Endpoint Security v2.5; enSilo Endpoint Security Platform v2.7; ESET Endpoint Protection Standard v6.5.522.0; FireEye Endpoint Security v4; Fortinet FortiClient v5.6.2; G DATA Endpoint Protection Business v18.104.22.168; Kaspersky Lab Kaspersky Endpoint Security v10; Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection v22.214.171.124; McAfee Endpoint Security v10.5; Palo Alto Networks Traps v4.1; Panda Security Panda Adaptive Defense 360 v2.4.1; SentinelOne Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) v126.96.36.19948; Sophos Endpoint Protection 10.7.6 VE3.70.2; Symantec Endpoint Protection and Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) Platform v14.0.3876.1100; and, Trend Micro Smart Protection for Endpoints v12.0.1864.
“In this year’s test, only 75% of the products tested achieved 90% or higher security effectiveness,” said Jason Brvenik, Chief Technology Officer at NSS Labs. The Security Effectiveness of verified products ranged between 59.4% and 99.4%, with 10 of the 20 verified products achieving a rating greater than 95%.
The company was also listed as a Visionary in Gartner’s January 2018 Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP). While this was its first year participating in the report, it won’t be the last, blogged Jason Lamar, Senior Director, Security Product Management Group, Cisco.
‘This is but the latest in a multi-year, continuous investment in endpoint security and changing the security equation through integrating technologies with innovation. We believe our inclusion as a visionary reinforces the growing importance of an integrated security architecture from the cloud, to the network, to the endpoint in order to continuously optimize time to detection and prevent incidents.’
DISCLAIMER: A number of companies referenced in this article are represented in my investment portfolio.


text:
LG Shine Shimmers for AT&T Customers This Holiday Season
Beautiful Mobile Phone Dresses Black Friday in Silver
San Diego, California.-AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A. Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) today announced the availability of the new Shine™ by LG, a stylish new multimedia device for mobile phone users who want to stand out in a crowd. The Shine by LG arrived in stores Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving — “Black Friday.” The Shine by LG is a sliding form-factor device, offered exclusively through AT&T, that features a silver exterior and comes with video, music and camera features and a 2.2-inch mirror LCD screen.
The device is pre-loaded with the best of AT&T’s features, including AT&T Video Share, Mobile Banking, AT&T Mobile Music and more. The Shine by LG is designed to satisfy the needs of mobile phone users who want style and glamour in their state-of-the-art mobile device and wireless service.
“This is the kind of device that people will stop and ask if they can hold it,” said Carlton Hill, vice president of Product Development for AT&T’s wireless unit. “The Shine by LG will be appealing to anyone who believes that a mobile phone should work well and look great.”
“Metal is back and taking on a whole new look with this season’s must-have mobile phone, the Shine by LG,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of Product Strategy and Marketing at LG Mobile Phones. “Consumers will be captivated by the Shine’s brushed-metal body and mirror LCD, and they will be excited to find that the phone is more than just a pretty face.”
Additional features on the Shine by LG include a 2.0-megapixel camera with video record and Bluetooth® 2.0 capability for music and voice. The body of the Shine by LG is an elegant metal body surrounding the mirror LCD screen.
Pricing and Availability
The Shine by LG is available through select AT&T retail locations or at http://www.att.com/wireless for $149.99 after a two-year contract-activation agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate.
For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com
This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.
News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.


text:
In a move certain to rock the distribution of digital music, Sony BMG is in the midst of finalizing plans to begin offering at least part of its downloadable music catalog DRM-free, according to BusinessWeek.com.
This makes Sony BMG the last of the Big Four record labels to cave on digital rights management schemes designed to restrict the distribution of music via peer-to-peer networks. The decision follows the Warner Music Group announcement in late December saying the label would sell songs sans DRM through Amazon.com. The EMI- and Vivendi-owned Universal Music Group announced a plan to offer DRM-free downloadable content in 2007.
As the major labels abandon DRM, it becomes increasingly likely that new distribution channels will rise up capable of challenging Apple's market-dominating iTunes Store. Amazon's DRM-free store, for instance, offers variable pricing. Social network sites like Facebook and MySpace could also potentially provide outlets for the sale of DRM-free songs as well. The record labels want that type of flexibility, which Apple has been reluctant to provide.
Adjusting the digital music distribution model is becoming more crucial than ever: The Associated Press reported Thursday that album sales fell 9.5 percent in 2007.
Sony BMG will participate in a Super Bowl promotion with Pepsi and Amazon that will give away 1 billion songs from major labels, BusinessWeek reported, citing an anonymous source. The promotion will kick off Feb 3.
Photo via Sony BMG.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Sign Up for the South Florida Business Journal Afternoon Edition Newsletter
Send this story to a friend
Ultra Music Festival contributes $79M to Miami-Dade economy
- Staff South Florida Business Journal
Electronic music event Ultra Music Festival contributes about $79 million to Miami-Dade County’s economy, The Miami Herald reports.
The three-day festival also supports 915 jobs and organizers spend about $11.5 million on operational costs, according to a Washington Economics Group report commissioned by the festival’s organizers.
The 15th Ultra Music Festival will be held March 22-24 in Bayfront Park.
- Most popular
- Weston shopping center with Walgreens has sold
- Brink's Regional Services brings Latin American HQ to Miami
- Spotify board member seeks startup investments in Miami
- Related Group hosts Art Basel event involving pianos
- Half of banks want to buy, but few plan to sell
- Darden analyst: Olive Garden wise to add burger
- Lumber Liquidators founder seeks to bid on One Bal Harbour hotel
- SIME MIA event brings 'high caliber' tech scene to Miami
- Colombian billionaire sells JGB Bank
- Exclusive: Miami group launches new MusicGraph.com
Email Newsletter Signup
Essential business news for South Florida leaders.


text:
Mylan NV (NASDAQ:MYL) Director Melina E. Higgins acquired 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $17.68 per share, with a total value of $353,600.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 33,120 shares in the company, valued at approximately $585,561.60. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Shares of Mylan stock traded up $0.66 on Monday, hitting $19.19. 5,649,536 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,969,182. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $19.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.55. Mylan NV has a 1-year low of $16.63 and a 1-year high of $39.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15.
Mylan (NASDAQ:MYL) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.82 billion. Mylan had a return on equity of 18.93% and a net margin of 0.30%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.07 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Mylan NV will post 4.3 EPS for the current year.
Several research firms have commented on MYL. BidaskClub upgraded Mylan from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 20th. BMO Capital Markets set a $36.00 price objective on Mylan and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $34.50 price objective on shares of Mylan in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Co lowered Mylan from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $33.00 to $22.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on Mylan from $31.00 to $18.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Mylan presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $30.43.
Mylan Company Profile
Mylan N.V., together with its subsidiaries, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic, branded-generic, brand-name, and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, and internationally. It offers active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosage forms; and antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV/AIDS.
Receive News & Ratings for Mylan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mylan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.


text:
Telcos can carry forward unavailed Cenvat credit to GST: finance ministry
The revenue department amends the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004, to enable telcos to carry forward unavailed Cenvat credit under the GST
- Change M&A norms to calculate spectrum dues: Trai
- Cracking India’s bankruptcy code
- RBI’s registry will help solve problem of credit shortage: iSpirt’s Sharad Sharma
- Fintech regulation at an inflection point: Shardul Amarchand’s Shilpa Mankar Ahluwalia
- Voice and AI biggest transformative tech, says EY’s Mahesh Makhija
New Delhi: The finance ministry on Wednesday said telecom companies will be permitted to carry forward unavailed Cenvat credit to the goods and services tax (GST) regime, giving a major relief to the operators already battling high debt.
The revenue department through a notification has amended the Cenvat Credit Rules, 2004, to enable service recipients to carry forward such unavailed credit of Service Tax under the GST regime.
“As a result, telecom service providers who have been allotted spectrum in auction conducted in 2016 and have already availed one-third credit in respect of Service Tax paid by them, during 2016-17, would be eligible to take the remaining two-thirds credit pertaining to 2016-17 in the GST regime,” a finance ministry statement said.
The government proposes to roll out the GST from 1 July. GST will subsume excise, service tax, VAT and other local levies.
Editor's Picks »
- GST rates slashed on several products
- Won’t join NDA for 2019 elections, says Chandrababu Naidu
- Reliance Power Q1 profit rises 3% to Rs237.33 crore
- TMC will sweep in all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, says Mamata Banerjee
- Rahul Gandhi has seriously hurt image of Indian politician before world: Arun Jaitley
- What ABB India’s performance in June quarter says about capex growth
- Bajaj Finance does well in Q1 even as competition hots up
- Kotak Mahindra Bank: The perils of being priced to perfection
- Higher cane price crushes hopes of sugar mills
- Market optimism before 2019 general election: History may not repeat itself


text:
Three days before a raft of new parking zones are due to go live, the council’s new online parking permit system is still riven by bugs stopping people buying permits.
The problems first started becoming apparent more than a month ago, when thousands of letters were sent out to households in Hanover and Elm Grove, Craven Vale, Preston Village and Balfour.
Residents then had issues registering on the new system for first permits. But the problems really started on September 21, when second permits became available – in theory.
In practice, nobody has been able to purchase a second permit yet – and there are also issues with being able to access the new virtual visitor permits, which are being sold instead of the hard copy scratchcards used in older parking zones.
Meanwhile, some residents have been sent two or three duplicate permits because of a printing error – and another batch has got lost in the post entirely.
The council is urging people to be patient, and when the zones – F (extension), I, K, S and V – go live on Monday, only warning notices will be issued to cars in the first week.
And anyone who has bought a permit but hasn’t yet received it is being reassured that wardens will be able to use handheld computers to check whether the car has a permit before issuing a ticket.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City council said: “We apologise for teething problems with online permits which we’re working hard to resolve.
“It’s our intention that nobody misses out on a permit due to these problems and nobody gets prosecuted for not having a permit due to these problems.”
LIKE WHAT WE DO? HELP US TO DO MORE OF IT BY DONATING HERE.


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) - Technology companies are expected to show the benefits of increased business spending on information technology when Siebel Systems and Unisys kick off first-quarter earnings season for the sector next week.
Siebel SEBL could benefit from its exposure to improving technology and communications sectors. The company is scheduled to report results on April 15. Analysts at Smith Barney cite it as one of their top technology picks headed into earnings season.
While many smaller competitors warned in recent weeks, including Epiphany and Kana Software, as well as a few other software makers including SeeBeyond and Callidus Software, Siebel said it expects first-quarter sales at the high range of previous expectations.
The maker of software used to track customers and sales contacts for businesses and government customers said on Friday it expects sales of $329 million, up from its previous forecast of $315 million to $335 million. Siebel also said its earnings will be either 5 or 6 cents a share, up from previous company estimates of 4 or 5 cents. Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had been expecting earnings of 5 cents a share, on revenue of $331 million, on average.
Siebel's SEBL quarter benefited from sales strength in the U.S. Tad Piper, analyst with Piper Jaffray, told clients he now expects license revenue of $127 million, up from the company's previous guidance of $110 million to $125 million. He said the professional services revenue was the "main weak spot" in the quarter, where the company is likely to report a quarter-over-quarter revenue decline.
The company said in a regulatory filing last month that it expects the Securities and Exchange Commission may soon make a determination about a possible selective disclosure violation in April 2003.
So far, no enforcement action has been taken, and no findings have been issued. The company also said in late January that the SEC may make its intention clear to the company.
Early this week, Unisys said Larry Weinbach, the chief executive that has helped the company change to a services firm from a computer hardware outfit over the past seven years, will step down in January 2005, and will immediately cut back on day-to-day duties. He will remain chairman through January 2006.
Joseph McGrath, 51, who has headed Unisys' services business, was named the company's chief operating officer, a position Unisys has not had for more than five years. He will be responsible for profit and loss at all the company's businesses. Some on Wall Street say McGrath may be being groomed to take Weinbach's place when he retires.
Unisys is expected to report earnings of 9 cents a share, down 26 percent from the same period a year ago, according to analysts polled by Thomson First Call. Revenue is expected to rise 5 percent to about $1.47 billion.
Although the company could be held back by its below-investment-grade debt rating, worries that its pension plan is underfunded and could require a future cash contribution, and an extremely competitive market for services, the company would also benefit from improved first-quarter customer spending.
One encouraging sign for Unisys could be that Electronic Data Systems, the No. 2 provider of technology services behind IBM, on Wednesday said its customers signed $1.3 billion in contracts during the last week of the first quarter. Some analysts had been worried that poor debt ratings for EDS might keep it from gaining new customer contracts in the period.
To that end, Unisys on Wednesday said it was awarded a five-year contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for managing the delivery and installation of technology. The deal is initially valued at $11 million, but could be worth as much as $345 million over five years.


text:
LOS ANGELES (LALATE EXCLUSIVE) – Kenya Moore’s workout video is now a hit in Japan. Previously, LALATE exclusively reported about Kenya Moore becoming the first Bravo personality to reach the U.S. Top 10 Best Seller’s list on Amazon. But now Kenya is “gone with the wind fabulous” overseas “thank you”. Even the Japanese want Kenya’s Stallion Booty workout.
Kenya Moore, and a certain other personality, recently released workout videos this RHOA season. Tonight, the RHOA season will conclude. Since filming ended, LALATE exclusive reported that Kenya’s release became an Amazon.com Top 10 workout video and dramatically outsold all her Bravo competition.
But in the hours leading up to the RHOA finale tonight, LALATE can report exclusively another major twirl for Ms. Kenya. While another cast member is now pushing stun guns, Kenya is now pushing continents.
LALATE can report that Kenya Moore’s workout video has become such a success that Moore’ distribution team has moved sales into foreign markets. Moore’s video is now being sold in Canada, England, Spain and Japan through Amazon’s international careers. But ironically, one of the few if only markets not to carry to Kenya’s booty workout video is Brazil.
Meantime, last week, Kenya told viewers that she didn’t like the chat she was having with Cynthia.
“Every time I come around, the ladies, someone is inviting him to be a apart. It is uncomfortable.” Kenya added “I can’t believe Cynthia is coming so hard for me right now.” Moore also said about someone else’s workout video “how about you drop 20 sounds and really workout.”
Since filming has ended, Moore has released a song, a music video, and a workout tape. And as previously reported here first, Moore is also in development on a hair care line.


text:
After a positive 2022 in the global seafood market, demand is easing in Europe and the U.S. as recessionary behavior has been established in both retail and foodservice, according to Rabobank’s recent Global Aquaculture Update 1H (first half of) 2023.
In the U.S., the demand for shrimp has cooled and will take some time to rebound while salmon demand remains robust, though weaker than it was in 1H 2022, according to Rabobank.
“Salmon is proving to be a resilient species, with demand holding firm even as other species are affected by recessionary consumer behavior,” according to Rabobank. “This, combined with tight supply, creates expectations for high prices in 1H 2023. Costs are also expected to remain high, however, and will only begin declining later in the year. The Norwegian government’s proposed tax on the industry introduces a key uncertainty. If it becomes reality, it will have considerable consequences on the industry.”
When it come shrimp, meanwhile, softer demand and high supply have generated a low-price scenario that will persist in 1H 2023, according to the report. Although costs are below the peak, Rabobank expects a very challenging period for shrimp farmers globally.
“We expect supply growth to decline considerably in 1H 2023, although Ecuador will still expand production. Demand from China is the most unpredictable factor. China is back as the driver of demand, although its foodservice industry, at least in early 2023, will be impacted by fears of Covid infection.”
The report also found that:
- U.S. shrimp import volumes and value in 1H 2023 are likely to fall below 2022, with YTD November 2022 imports up 2% in value and down 4% in volume.
- Although the salmon industry is experiencing weak Chilean supply, a strong U.S. demand has influenced supportive prices.
- The U.S. salmon market increased by 1.36% YTD October 2022, with frozen fillets the best performing category at 14% growth.


text:
Rising cost of living and desire for freedom drives female entrepreneurs
Nearly a fifth (17%) of women in the UK are considering starting a business following the pandemic, with almost half (48%) citing a desire for more money as the biggest driver, followed by 46 per cent wanting the freedom of being their own boss.
The new research - commissioned by Small Business Britain to mark International Women’s Day - signals a major shift in attitudes towards entrepreneurship among women, amidst the cost-of-living crisis and the huge shake-up in employment currently being seen across the country following the pandemic.
The research indicated a slight (2%) rise in the number of women considering starting a business this year, compared to 15% in 2021. But the desire to do so to ‘supplement income’ – either by boosting take-home pay or starting a ‘side hustle’ – was found to have grown substantially. A third (34%) of female business owners who set up in 2021, or earlier, cited the desire for greater income as a factor, compared to almost half of women now thinking about starting a business.
In particular, women from ethnic minority backgrounds were found to be almost twice as likely to be exploring entrepreneurship. The data also signalled a rise in start-up activity among this group during the pandemic – seven percent of women surveyed who started businesses in the last year were from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to just one percent three years ago.
Despite the economic impetus, women are also overwhelmingly attracted to starting a business to pursue a passion. 45% of women named this as a key reason behind the appeal, much higher than the 34% of men who stated the same, and slightly higher than the 42% of women who reported it as a key factor in 2021.
This trend is reflected in Small Business Britain’s ƒ:Entrepreneur #ialso100 campaign, which features an annual line-up of 100 of the UK’s most inspiring female-led founders, to celebrate the growing tide of multi-achieving female entrepreneurs that lead businesses alongside a roster of other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support.
This year the campaign received a record number of applications since it first launched in 2017 and has seen an increase in the number of mission-driven female-led businesses keen to use the platform to grow, especially businesses committed to championing sustainability.
One such example is Paulomi Debnath, who started her textile jewellery and home décor business ‘Handmade by Tinni’ with the aim to grow a sustainable brand and support her community.
“I founded my creative business in 2020 just before the pandemic hit, and although running a new design-led brand in such difficult time, whilst also juggling a busy family life, has been a challenge, I have always had confidence that my ethical brand values and entrepreneurial spirit would get me through. My business is heavily influenced by my rich Indian heritage and champions vibrancy, confidence, and diversity, which I think are all elements that we should endeavour to celebrate in female entrepreneurship as well.”
Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK - the f:Entrepreneur campaign offers a host of events, training, and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability, and confidence among female founders.
“It is wonderful to see female entrepreneurship continuing to flourish in the UK, and especially as women strive to take control, build their own destinies and pursue their passions after the turmoil of the pandemic,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain and ƒ:Entrepreneur.
“The profound economic and workplace changes that we’re now seeing is also sparking an amazing entrepreneurial fire in many women, whether it be out of financial necessity or the urge to ‘seize the day’. We must do everything we can to encourage these women and support them to get started and grow their businesses, as their success will undoubtedly underpin the UK’s recovery.
“But to make sure this growth is maximised and benefits as many people as possible, it’s vital that appropriate help, advice, and encouragement reaches all the aspiring female founders who need it across the UK.”
The full line-up of women featured in Small Business Britain’s f:Entrepreneur #ialso100 campaign this year can be viewed here.


text:
Staples Upgrades Tech Support
Staples last week announced the launch of a new Staples EasyTech Total Support plan, which the chain describes as providing “consumers and small businesses with comprehensive technology services for both their new and old PCs, including upgrades, maintenance and installations.”
The plans are for one and two years, offering such covered services as virus removal, in-store diagnostics, in-store software installation and internet security.
“Staples EasyTech Total Support helps customers maximize productivity through comprehensive service that keeps their technology up to date and running well,” Conor Kearney, vice president, technology, Staples, Inc, said as part of the announcement.
“Small businesses can now cover their old PCs as well as new devices , and our great trade-in options let customers upgrade to new, high-performing computers easily and affordably.”


text:
Kerzner ups Wembley offer
THE simmering takeover battle for casino and dogtrack operator Wembley, boiled over today, as the consortium including Sol Kerzner's gambling empire slapped a £287m bid on the table, trumping the previous offer by £17m.
Kerzner's BLB Investors offered 800p a share after spending the weekend in negotiations with Wembley's board.
That marked a near-7% improvement on the 750p-ashare offer made a month ago by casino giant MGM Mirage. But within minutes, MGM fired out a statement saying it was considering raising its offer.
In an embarassing twist for MGM's advisers at Citigroup, City umpires at the Takeover Panel then upbraided them for 'a clear breach' of takeover rules. The MGM statement illegally hinted at an increased bid without committing to such an offer or stating how much extra cash it would table.
Wembley, which had agreed to MGM's original offer, said it would now meet with both parties to discuss the offers.
Shares in Wembley had already rocketed way beyond 800p in anticipation of a lucrative takeover battle. Today they were up 2 1/2p at 842 1/2p.
The Kerzner camp will now take up a previously agreed option to buy investor Active Value's Wembley stake, taking its total shareholding to 22.26%.
Most watched Money videos
- Jaguar Land Rover opens UK's biggest state-of-the-art design centre
- Are beaten up UK bank shares an opportunity to profit?
- What does Britain's General Election mean for investors?
- Scottish Mortgage: Why we hold Amazon, Tesla and Ferrari
- Michael Schumacher's son drives Dad's title-winning Ferrari F1 car
- Bristol Mayor explains the 'logic' of a proposed diesel car ban
- Land Rover reveals the Defender is being used in next Bond film
- H&H Classics auctions the classic 1983 Ferrari 308 GTB QV
- Man carries disabled daughter down stairs in Tui holiday 'disaster'
- Sarasin Food fund manager on investing from field to fork
- Mazda's CX-30 family SUV scores incredibly high crash test rating
- Top interior designer reveals tips to give your home a designer look


text:
Over 90%. That’s how much native wetland California has lost due to agriculture and other development. That dramatic change in the landscape may sound grim, but in California’s rice country, some strange bedfellows are working together to address the historic loss of wildlife habitat, and to insure rice farming is part of the solution.
Recently, I visited a kind of factory I’d never seen before. I got suited up in safety gear — smock, rubber gloves, a hair net — not to protect me, but to protect the product made here. It’s in almost every convenience store, college dorm, school cafeteria, and in thousands of family freezers around the country: the frozen burrito.


text:
Boston MA: Dept, of a digital agency in Europe, has acquired Rocket Insights, a product agency in the United States. Rocket has an extensive track record of delivering innovative products and services.
Founded in 2015, Rocket Insights was built to bring a fresh approach to product design and development, specializing in the entire design and development lifecycle. Having spent years at product companies, the Rocket team started the type of agency they always wanted to hire: one that fully aligns with clients and accelerates their business.
“We were determined to keep Rocket independent. That is until we met Dept,” said Jesse Streb, Partner at Rocket Insights. “Dept has had rapid growth across Europe, an incredible depth of data, creativity and technology services and a ‘cool’ factor that we admire. Adding our product expertise to Dept’s one-stop shop strategy is a real opportunity to create a new kind of agency for our clients. We’re thrilled to call the Dept team colleagues and friends.”
The acquisition will further fuel Dept’s global expansion with new offices in Boston and Brooklyn, led by the Rocket Insights team. Additionally, the acquisition signals a powerful merger of Dept’s digital transformation services with Rocket’s product development expertise.
“We fell in love with the Rocket team,” said Dimi Albers, Dept’s Chief Executive Officer. “From our shared love for creative problem solving, to our relentless focus on improving our client’s business. We’ve got to know them as a group of incredibly talented designers and techies who can very rapidly take an idea and bring it to life and know how to make software useful, beautiful and seamless. We truly believe that this is the spirit we’re looking for when building the bridge for our clients between Europe and the US.”
Since it launched in 2016, Dept has speedily grown across the globe and works with brands such as Tesla, Adidas, Samsung, Triumph Motorcycles, Philips and Panasonic. Currently, Dept employs a team of over 1200 people operating out of eleven countries in Europe and the USA, with a revenue of over 135 million USD.
In order to service the growing international client portfolio, Dept is ramping up investment and expansion in the US. Last November, its current US operation in Boston has been bolstered by Dept-owned agency factor-a (market leaders in Amazon Marketing), opening an office in New York.


text:
The tag, displayed by Intermec Technologies, Cedar Rapids, IA, has more than size going for it. Intermec's Intellitag 500 products (http://www.amtech.com/markets/intellitag/index.htm) have broken through two technological barriers.
First, Intellitags are read/write capable. In other words, a transponder can read the information the tag holds and also change that information where necessary.
Up to now, the only commercially available read/write RFID tags required local power, usually a battery. Tags without onboard power "reflect" the power of the reading device, a technology referred to as "back-scatter." Until now, back-scatter tags have only been capable of read-only uses. Read/write capability without onboard power makes these tags valuable in more applications and reusable besides.
Intellitags also employ an IBM-developed technology called an "anti-collision arbitration," a fancy way of saying Intellitag transponders can deal with more than one tag at a time. If 20 tagged items were in a shopping cart, for example, a transponder could read them all correctly.
All this means RFID has taken a giant leap forward and may soon rival bar code as the identification technology of choice. The last barrier is cost. Intermec won't say exactly how much the new tags will cost, but it is rumored to be over $1 apiece -- far too much to seriously challenge printable bar code for now.
Still, this breakthrough technology will undoubtedly find applications in package delivery, LTL cross-dock and many private carrier operations.


text:
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) delivered rock-solid financial performance for the third quarter: both sales and earnings came in above Wall Street expectations, and guidance for the crucial fourth quarter was quite encouraging, too.
But it's not only about the numbers; smart investors know they need to dig under the headlines for a deep assessment of a company and its potential. Let´s go through Apple's latest conference call to highlight a few important takeaways for investors in this stock.
The iPhone is as hot as it gets
iPhone sales during the quarter ended in September increased by a strong 16% to 39.27 million devices, while sale-through growth landed at 26%. This is great news from multiple points of view, as the iPhone is the main driver for Apple when it comes to both sales and earnings. Besides, the company is known for its halo effect, meaning customers who buy an iPhone tend to stick with Apple when purchasing other products such as a computer or tablet.
CFO Luca Maestri noted that iPhone sales were remarkably strong across different geographies during the last quarter:
iPhone sales grew across both developed and emerging markets. Unit sales in the U.S. grew 17% year over year, and in Western Europe they were up 20%. We saw even stronger growth in Latin America and the Middle East with sales up more than 50% and in Central and Eastern Europe where sales more than doubled.
The Mac is thriving in a hostile environment
According to research firm IDC, global computer shipments declined 1.7% in the third quarter. If that is the case, then Apple is clearly the exception to the rule, because Macs are flying off the shelves. Apple has gained market share in personal computer market with its Mac segment in 33 of the last 34 quarters, proving that product differentiation allows it to outperform the industry during challenging times. In the words of CEO Tim Cook:
We established an all-time quarterly record for Mac sales with revenue growing 18% year-over-year, thanks in particular to the very strong performance of our portables. We're especially proud of our Mac results considering the overall contraction of the global PC market this year and we achieved our highest quarterly market share since 1995.
No saturation in the iPad market
The iPad was the main weak spot in the report, as unit sales declined 13% year over year to 12.3 million during the quarter. There has been a lot of talk regarding the possibility of saturation in the tablet markets; however, Cook disagrees with that point of view.
According to the Apple CEO, many iPad buyers are first-time tablet buyers, indicating the market is far from reaching any saturation point, and weakness in sales is mostly attributable to longer renewal cycles for the iPad than other product categories.
If you look at our top six revenue countries, in the country that's sold the lowest percentage of iPads to people who had never bought an iPad before that number is 50%. And the range goes from 50 to over 70. And so when I look at number, our first time buyer rates in that area, that's not a saturated market. You never have first time buyer rates at 50% and 70%. What you do see is that people hold on to iPad longer than they do a phone.
And because we've only been in this business four years, we don't really know what the upgrade cycle will be for people. And so that's a difficult thing to call.
iTunes software and services is a massive business
Being smaller than other business segments, Apple´s iTunes software and services division tends to be underestimated by Wall Street analysts. But Cook seems to believe the segment deserves more credit, at least judging by the comparison he made in the conference call regarding the division and companies in the Fortune 500 list.
Our revenue from iTunes software and services reached $18 billion, which was more than the annual sales of two thirds of the companies in the Fortune 500 and we generated $6.45 in earnings per share, which is 14% higher than last year and also set a new record.
Tim Cook´s Foolish comment
When asked about how things are looking for Apple investors, the CEO made a fairly Foolish comment (please notice the capital f). As opposed to focusing on quarterly financial figures and short-term sales forecasts, Cook talked about his company's talent, skills, and opportunities:
I would hope that people would look at what we've done and what we've delivered and the power and strength of the product line that we've announced and, maybe more important than all the stuff that you see, is to look at the skills within this company.
And the fact that I think it's the only company on the planet that has the ability to integrate hardware and software and services at a world-class level, and that in itself allows Apple to play in so many different areas and so the challenge becomes one of deciding which ones to say no to and which ones to say yes to and want to focus, and we always have more ideas than we have resources to deal with.
I feel great, as a personal investor I feel great.


text:
I know the question in the headline of this post might seem like anathema to a whole host of Mac and Windows fans, who treat their operating systems the same way some people treat their religious beliefs (namely, as something to argue incessantly about). But C.K. Sample asked the question over at the O’Reilly blog, and it’s one that has occurred to me more than once over the past year. There will likely always be people who need a specific operating system, because certain software or tools they use at work will only function with that OS, and there will always be people who prefer one over the other. But for my own purposes, the operating system has become almost irrelevant.
I used to use a Mac for work years ago, then switched to Windows (and before either of those, I used an Atari 1040ST). At home, I used Windows up until a year or so ago, when I switched to Ubuntu. I have a box running Ubuntu and one running XP side-by-side, just in case there’s an app I want to try that only runs on Windows. And if I could convince my chief financial officer to approve it, I would probably buy a Macbook and run Parallels, so I could have two operating systems side-by-side. But in the long run, it doesn’t really matter to me what the OS is, since virtually everything I do involves the Web.
It’s hard to argue with the point of view advanced by Randall Stross in a New York Times piece this weekend — namely, that Apple could be doing a better job of capitalizing on the stumbles of Microsoft Vista. For every guy like billionaire Mark Cuban who switches to a Mac, there are about 95 people buying machines with Vista on them, and that statistic hasn’t changed all that much despite the so-called “halo effect” generated by the iPod.
So why hasn’t Apple done a better job of converting people into Mac owners? Because Steve Jobs doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the PC market, that’s why. I admit that I have no evidence whatsoever for making such a statement — other than the obvious, which is the fact that the company doesn’t even have anyone on the board dedicated to the Mac, as Stross details in his story. It seems fairly clear that it isn’t as important as the iPod business, and that Apple may not even care about winning more of the corporate market, which is what it would take.
Still, I can’t help but have the feeling that Steve-O’s sights are set a little higher than chewing another percent or two out of Bill’s overwhelming market share in PCs. I think the iPod got Apple started down the personal electronics and entertainment road, followed by the somewhat lacklustre AppleTV, and now the iPhone and the iPod Touch have moved the company into mobile.
Wayne Gretzky wasn’t the best hockey player because he handled the puck all that much better than everyone else (although he did). It was because he didn’t just skate to where the puck was, he skated to where it was going to be. I think Steve is trying to do the same thing.
An interesting development, tucked away in an article at Fortune magazine about the company behind the Parallels software program, which allows Mac users to run Windows in a virtual machine and switch back and forth (relatively) seamlessly. For all the hiccups and lag that some users have reported, it is still an amazing feat — and I would wager it is making MacIntel boxes more appealing for people who still need to use Windows. No rebooting, no emulation. Two OSes side by side.
Now, it seems that the company that makes Parallels is working on an upgrade to the software that will let Windows users theoretically run Mac OS X side-by-side with Windows on their cheapo Dell boxes, which Dell would be happy to do. Heresy! The only problem with that, as the article and others are more than happy to point out, is that Steve Jobs likes that idea about as much as Bill Gates likes the idea of open-sourcing Windows code.
According to Engadget, “VMware’s own upcoming virtualization software for the Mac has been hamstrung by the trouble VMware has gone through trying to get Apple’s blessing, and SWsoft’s Parallels has been “crippled” in particular ways to make it more difficult to get Mac OS onto a non-Apple machine.” But as the site points out, the pressure on Steve Jobs to set the Mac OS free is only likely to increase. It will likely happen thanks to hackers anyway, but will he eventually allow it? I for one hope that he does.
Obviously, as more than one person has pointed out during the whole “iPhone/closed system” debate of a week or so ago, part of the Mac OS experience comes from the fact that software and hardware are all one harmonious whole, working flawlessly together, etc., etc. But why not let people who can’t afford those gleaming white boxes get a taste of the Mac magic?
I’d just like to say right off the top that I like Apple a lot, and they make some great products – in fact, product design and marketing are really the company’s stand-out skills in many ways, I think. But given the obsessive, almost fetishistic, love that some geeks have for Apple and anything that comes out of the head office in Cupertino or out of Steve Jobs’ mouth, it’s nice to see them fall flat now and then too. And as far as I can tell they have done just that with the Hi-Fi accessory for the iPod.
Yes, it has the iconic Apple white sheen, but even with the iPod attached to the top it’s still just a giant, squarish speaker box. As more than one person has pointed out, it makes no sense as a “boombox,” even if people still wanted such a thing, since it has no radio, no CD player and if you tried to carry it your iPod would fall off. Here’s a selection of comments from the more than 200 that are attached to a post on the new product at Engadget – more than 90 per cent of which I would say are negative. And remember that these are from gadget lovers:
“Umm… I’m not sure it’s large enough. I mean, make it 2, maybe 3 times bigger and it could also replace my sofa.”
“How can this bring music to the masses. It is expensive, large, and ugly. Disappointing…”
“Watch as Apple’s design team hits a boombox with an ugly-stick. only $349 per ticket!!!”
“This is the dumbest idea ever.”
“I am a total mac fanboy and this made me die on the inside.”
“Wow, hideous. Absolutely terrible. Looks like a toaster oven.”
And what about the Mac Mini with the souped-up processor and digital outputs – a glimpse of the much-anticipated Apple digital entertainment hub? Definitely closer than the first version, since it now has enough guts to be a media server, and has DVI and digital audio outs as well as Front Row – but Thomas Hawk makes a good point: it’s missing PVR functionality, which would easily make it a killer product. But let’s put it this way – it’s a heck of a lot better than that gigantic monstrosity called the iPod Hi-Fi.


text:
The Wall Street JournalCANDACE TAYLOR
Oct. 22, 2015
In Tribeca, a townhouse and a one-bedroom connected by a bridge over Staple Street go on the market
A three-story townhouse and a one bedroom apartment connected by Manhattan’s Staple Street sky bridge are listing altogether for $50 million.
Bridge excluded, the unusual Tribeca home offers about 6,300 square feet of living space, according to real-estate agent Kaptan Unugur of Nest Seekers International, who is listing the property with colleague Ryan Serhant. The roughly 4,400-square-foot townhouse has a roof terrace, Mr. Unugur said, while the one-bedroom condo measures about 1,900 square feet.
The building that houses the one-bedroom was built around 1893 as a hospital, according to city records. The townhouse was constructed in the early 1900s as stable and laundry facility for the hospital, at a time when ambulances were pulled by horses, according to Tribeca historian Oliver Allen.
The purchase would technically be two separate transactions: The one-bedroom is part of the 67 Hudson Street condo development, but the townhouse isn't.
The owner, fashion designer Zoran Ladicorbic, bought the properties in 1985, according to public records. He used the townhouse for his business, lived in the one-bedroom and “commuted to work by using the footbridge,” Mr. Unugur said. Mr. Ladicorbic couldn't be reached for comment, but Mr. Unugur said he is selling because he is no longer using the space.
The two agents have been quietly shopping the home for the past few months, but are now ready to put it on the market, said Mr. Unugur, adding that previous reports of a $30 million price tag are incorrect. Pricing the listing was very difficult, he said, since there are virtually no similar properties to compare it to. “It’s hard to price something like this,” Mr. Unugur said. “I don’t think any such property has been offered on the market.”
|The Skybridge: 9 Jay St & 67 Hudson #3AB|
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Licensed Real Estate Salesperson


text:
The spotlight on cyber risk quantification (CRQ) has raised its status to the top of the hypercycle, but with fame comes scrutiny and criticism. Security analysts and practitioners debate the validity of each model framework, along with the data used when modeling cyber risk. Despite this debate, there is a unifying consensus that knowing the possible range of the financial impact of a cyber event is far more optimal than flying blind. There is also proven consensus over certain breach vectors, such as open ports or patching, which serve as obvious security gaps detected externally.
What is omitted from the CRQ debate is the validity and usefulness of understanding the quantified cyber risk of an organization’s third and fourth parties. Although this type of analysis has been done by the Cyber Insurance industry for several years now, each organization needs to understand that cyber events not only surface through direct attacks, but most importantly, occur through a link of weak security dependencies.
There are three critical reasons why organizations should better understand the quantified cyber risk of their third parties and critical vendors.
Understanding Supply Chain impact of cyber attacks
The digital space has become a true ecosystem creating interdependencies between B2B product integrations and expanding the human access domain from B2E to not only B2B but also B2C. Unlike the logistics and supply chain of goods, however, the digital space not only creates a dependency in day-to-day operations but also introduces new cyber vulnerabilities that can be transferred from third parties and key vendors. It is critical to understand whether a key vendor is at risk of causing a business disruption due to a ransomware attack or whether a third party with access to your organization’s data is at risk for the data.
Fulfilling corporate governance requirements
As the impact of cybersecurity on business and organizational sustainability has taken center stage, each company is responsible for truly understanding who they are doing business with. This means that organizations need to have a comprehensive view of their third parties and vendors, and understand the level or risk these third parties carry to provide a check and balance across the ecosystem.
Cybersecurity is the biggest financial sustainability risk for an organization. Each organization doing business with another business, and each consumer relying on the business has the right to know the level of sustainability. In the spring of 2022, the SEC moved toward creating better cyber transparency by requiring cyber security reporting as the first step to ensuring that all businesses are being good stewards for their stakeholders. By understanding the financial sustainability of your critical vendors, not only can you avoid the risk of business disruption, but ensure the risk on your investments is minimized.
The SolarWinds cyber breach taught us how vast third- and fourth-party vulnerabilities can be. The recent global pandemic and conflict have taught us how interwoven our global supply chain is. It’s time to incorporate Third-Party CRQ in your business planning.


text:
When people were stocking up on toilet paper at the start of the pandemic, one could be forgiven for thinking that the virus was attacking pulp and paper products instead of human beings. However, now that people are back to buying toilet paper at normal levels, it would be a crime to ignore companies that make toilet paper.
A defensive buy for your TFSA
Cascades Inc (TSX:CAS) one of Canada’s top toilet paper companies. You can consider allocating a part of your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) to this company. The TFSA limit for 2020 stands at $6,000.
In case you withdrew $15,000 from this account last year, the total TFSA contribution room for 2020 is $21,000. If your TFSA contribution limit for 2020 has increased due to withdrawals in prior years, adding top-quality stocks should be a priority.
Cascades released its results for the first quarter of 2020. Sales came in at $1.31 billion, an increase of $83 million or 7%, compared to $1.23 billion in the prior-year period. The cash flow for the first quarter increased by $68 million to $153 million. The company currently sits on cash and cash equivalents of $650 million.
Cascades is a TSX stock and increased dividends steadily in the last decade. In 2010, the company paid a dividend of $0.16 in 2010 and now the dividend payout is $0.32. That’s a growth of around 7.2% every year. It indicates a forward yield of 2.42%.
The company has been a consistent dividend paymaster, and management said it will continue to pay out dividends regularly. That’s a big commitment to make considering all the dividend cuts and suspensions that other companies are implementing.
Even though the company’s debt levels have gone up to $2.2 billion as of March 31, 2020, compared to $1.96 billion on December 31, 2019, the company will not face any serious problems on this front unless Canada suddenly stops using toilet paper.
The higher debt is due to a foreign exchange impact of $140 million and the acquisition of a $121 million stake in Greenpac Mill.
Outlook for 2020
Demand continues to remain strong for Cascades’ hygiene and packaging solutions in the food and personal care space. Cascades says that around 80% of its overall sales are considered as essential goods. The sales of these goods have increased in the first quarter and remained steady or gone up in the latter half of Q1 and the start of April.
Apart from toilet paper, Cascades is seeing an uptick in bath and kitchen towels. The company had a lot of inventory in stock compared to its peers, which held it in good stead for 2020. Now that toilet paper madness has run its course, it is unlikely that there is going to be a major surge for Cascades’ products in the coming months.
However, as the pandemic continues to affect people and economies, these products from the company will continue to see regular and stable demand.
Cascades has reduced its CapEx outlook from $250 million in 2020 to around $175 million to $200 million. It will go slow on certain expenditures while it has deferred others to 2021.
The TSX stock is trading at $12.87, which is 14.5% below its 52-week high. Analysts tracking the stock have a 12-month target price of $13.83, which is 7.5% above its current trading price.
If you add the dividend yield of 2.42%, these returns might be closer to 10%. Cascades is a good consumer defensive stock to have in your TFSA portfolio right now.
Renowned Canadian investor Iain Butler just named 10 stocks for Canadians to buy TODAY. So if you’re tired of reading about other people getting rich in the stock market, this might be a good day for you.
Because Motley Fool Canada is offering a full 65% off the list price of their top stock-picking service, plus a complete membership fee back guarantee on what you pay for the service. Simply click here to discover how you can take advantage of this.
This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.
Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.


text:
2018 was an amazing year for the local beer scene and 2019 is shaping up to be just as exciting. As we all enjoy and recover from the holidays, it’s nice to remind ourselves of what made the headlines.
So Christmas is almost here, and if you’re like me, you’ve done about the same amount of your shopping as the percentage ABV in a nice barleywine.
As we reach the holiday season once more, the selection of beers on the shelf and on tap start to remind us of the rich, decadent flavours that this time of year provides.
Today is #GivingTuesday. It could have happened any Tuesday of the year, but it happens to be at the end… Read more This #GivingTuesday, Let’s Stop Men Dying Too Young
It’s that time of year, and we’ve got what to expect at this year’s Christmas Craft Beer Show.
As we get deeper into fall and closer to the holiday season, beer events start to wind down with a few important exceptions.
The trophies haven’t even been handed out before you hear the comments: “How did that beer win? So and so’s beer is way better than that one. What are the judges thinking?”
Going through my records, I noticed a glaring omission from my event reviews, and have decided to correct it, and remind people of what 2017 looked like, and why they can look forward to 2018.
As the morning breaks on another month, we arrive in October. Along with Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Pumpkin Spice everything, it’s time to celebrate something we can all rally around: BC Craft Beer.
Fresh hopped beers are starting to flow, and with Fresh to Death only a week away, it seems only appropriate to take a look at what will be pouring.


text:
Why Is A Flavored Vaporizer Banning?
The newest member of the tobacco family, Vaping Flavors are slowly becoming a part of our daily lives and are considered as harmless as tobacco. Using the products by minors is strictly prohibited in more than twenty nations around the globe including the United States. THE MEALS and Drug Administration or FDA has setup several laws and rules which have been designed to protect public health from the dangers of e-liquid. Despite each one of these regulations, flavored e-liquids are still gaining popularity amongst young people and smokers across the world.
Most of the flavoring found in these e-cigs is manufactured out of chemicals plus some are even toxic. Many flavored e-juices and hookahs contain dangerous chemical additives which may cause negative health effects such as for example respiratory and reproductive disorders. The FDA has banned menthol and strawberry because they have a strong odor that may be inhaled easily. Even the flavoring oil which used to decorate the inside of the e Cigs may cause irritation of the the respiratory system. In line with the FDA, menthol is probably one of the strongest irritants that you can buy. The FDA has banned the application of any menthol-flavored product in conjunction with any other medication that’s intended to treat or prevent any sort of disease.
They have also banned the use of cigarettes in public places such as for example bars, restaurants, coffee houses and lounges. The FDA along with the American Cancer Society has made extensive research on the cancer-causing agents in tobacco. They will have determined that all the flavors currently available available are dangerous for adults especially when used by teenagers to quit smoking cigarettes.
Up to now, the FDA have not issued any official ban on the sale of these flavored liquids. However they have issued an emergency ban to all the firms producing them. They have also restricted the distributors from selling them directly to the public. In line with the American Association of Retired Persons the reason for this emergency ban is because of the lot of youth that are using e Cigs. Lots of the health officials believe that the reason behind this rise in youth usage of flavored liquids is that they advertise them as cool and tasty.
It really is expected that the brand new York Times would create a flier announcing the ban. In past times the emergency banning of the flavored vaporizers occurred in NY state. It was immediately followed by the sales of all the e-cigs in that state immediately cease. This was the second largest state to experience the ban. The sales of the e-Cig products in California and the other states where they’re legal did not halt immediately. Even though it took a while to implement the new flavored vaporizer ban the numbers of people who use them continue steadily to rise.
Many experts think that the ban will not deter youth use of the e-Cig products. They will have also remarked that the upsurge in youth use is directly proportional to the upsurge in e-Cig flavors available. One of the primary reasons why the new York Times is banning e-Cig flavors is basically because they believe that they are unhealthy. They cited the reports of children developing a cancer and heart problems as evidence that the flavored liquid is indeed harmful to the health. It is true there are some health concerns associated with e-Cig use but there is absolutely no evidence linking them to longterm health issues.
The only instance when flavor ban did cause a problem was once the adult smokers were unable to buy some of the non-tobacco flavored liquid out there. Many of the fruit juices and other natural Electric Tobacconist flavorings were suddenly removed from the shelves of supermarkets and the neighborhood electronic stores. Many adult smokers resorted to purchasing their favorite tobacco brand vapes as a way to satisfy their cravings. This created a shortage of non-tobacco flavored vaporizer products and made the problem even worse for the manufacturers. The manufacturers felt that their product line was being left without viable options and felt that there was a negative public perception about the new flavors.
There is absolutely no clear evidence that flavored e-cigarette are causing injury to adults or to children, but it is obvious that the manufacturers had to accomplish something to appease the public. The New York Times article cited research by the American Cancer Society that demonstrated that secondhand smoking is tied to an increased threat of lung disease. Nicotine is very harmful to the lungs and will exacerbate existing conditions and result in cancer as well. Since the article appeared, more states have already been considering a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. If you live in a state that is considering a ban, now may be the time and energy to grab your favored vaporizer and whip up some tasty treats at home.


text:
Outstanding 2022 Classic catalogue NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
21st Nov 2021
The catalogue for the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale – the auction that has produced the winners of the Melbourne Cup, Golden Slipper, The Everest, Blue Diamond and Inglis Millennium among many other features in recent seasons – is now available online.
A total of 810 yearlings have been finalised for the sale – 660 for Book 1 and 150 for the Highway Session – to be held at Riverside from February 6-8.
The sale will see the progeny of 107 different stallions, including a broad range of Australasia’s best sires and sire prospects, showcased by 75 individual vendors.
To view the Classic catalogue, CLICK HERE.
Of the catalogued lots, 700 (86%) are BOBS Eligible while there are also VOBIS, Westspeed and QTIS-entered yearlings.
In the past five years alone the Classic Sale has produced the winners of the aforementioned big races as well as other G1s such as the Sires’ Produce Stakes, Champagne Stakes, Lightning Stakes, Randwick Guineas, Victoria Derby, Empire Rose, The Galaxy, William Reid Stakes, Moir Stakes, HKJC Centenary Sprint Cup etc and big prizemoney events such as the $2m The Invitation and $1m Golden Gift by gallopers including Classique Legend, Vow And Declare, Castelvecchio, In Her Time, Extra Brut, Icebath, Sejardan, Pippie, Hot King Prawn etc.
There have been 10 individual G1-winning graduates since 2018 out of the Classic Sale – eight of which could have been purchased for $100,000 or less – and 14 graduates to win $1m or more in prizemoney in Australia in the same period.
The $2m Inglis Millennium, the race surpassed only by the G1 Golden Slipper in terms of prizemoney for an Australian 2YO race, has been won by Classic graduates in each of its first three renewals thanks to Castelvecchio, Prime Star and Profiteer.
It is a sale that has also become a significant source of future stallions with the likes of top-class sires I Am Invincible, Extreme Choice, Brazen Beau and Choisir graduating from the sale, as well as high-class sire prospects like Hellbent, Castelvecchio, Cosmic Force and Santos amongst others.
Inglis’ NSW Bloodstock Manager Chris Russell was proud of the quality and diversity the 2022 Classic catalogue would offer the market.
“It’s a really fantastic catalogue featuring a hell of a lot of good-looking yearlings presented by breeders who know what it takes to produce top-class racehorses,’’ Russell said.
“The success of graduates of this sale has been really incredible in recent years, which in turn means that it’s a sale that every buyer wants to be involved in and the knock-on effect of that is that breeders send better and better horses to the sale.
“Classic graduates just keep on winning the big races – even in the past couple of weeks there’s been Icebath win the $2m The Invitation, Sejardan win the $1m Golden Gift, Big Parade the G3 Sydney Stakes, Mazu, Super Wealthy, It’sarayday and Cordyceps Six, they just keep coming.
“The sale has produced 46 Australian Stakes winners since 2018 that could have been bought for $100,000 or less, which is quite staggering, particularly when considered in the context of other yearling sales.
“It’s the best value yearling sale in Australia and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone to Sydney and to our world-class complex at Riverside for what promises to be a really enjoyable sale.”
Hard copies of the Classic catalogue will be available within a fortnight.
To secure yours, email email@example.com


text:
Pike has previously launched hot sauces for sale on Amazon under the brand names Soyracha and Vinegaroon.
He created the new House Of The Dragon Hot Sauce specifically for food banks. Pike has started sending both of his original sauces to food banks while production of House Of The Dragon Hot Sauce is underway.
Food banks that have received the first shipments of Soyracha and Vinegaroon sauces include The Lord's Table and Saint Mary's Oneonta, in New York. Pallets are being prepared for Regional Food Bank of NE New York, Second Harvest Food Bank Louisiana, and Food Bank of the Rockies Colorado.
More shipments are also in the works.
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it’s completely free.


text:
The medical staff at SurgCenter Pinellas wasn’t sure they heard it right – put your navy blue surgical scrubs into the laundry with regular bleach and “wash ‘em like they’re white.” The 25-person surgical team recently made the switch to SAF-T scrubs, a new line of health care apparel by Prime Medical that is made to be laundered and sanitized in good, old-fashioned, chlorine bleach without fading the color. But what was even more surprising is what happens to the scrubs after the wash.
“Each time SAF-T scrubs are washed with EPA-registered bleach, the patented fabric binds and retains a lasting shield of chlorine molecules,” says Jim Sampey, Prime Medical CEO. “It’s an amazing breakthrough in fabric technology that is transforming scrubs into powerful tools to fight germs with every fiber. On the surface, SAF-T scrubs look like other surgical scrubs, but with the simple step of laundering with bleach, they’re powered with germ-killing protection that benefits staff and patients.”
Prime Medical launched in June 2016 with a line of privacy curtains, bed linens, patient gowns, lab coats and towels – and is bringing its products to health care facilities in Florida and across the country.


text:
NVIDIA has released its GeForce 358.91 WHQL-certified driver to the public. The entire purpose of this release is to optimize performance in three big, new games: Fallout 4, Star Wars: Battlefront, and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.
Recommended for You
Got an opinion on this news? Post a comment below!


text:
Our Latest News
Two friends hatched a plan to bring ready-separated egg white to Britain - and cracked it. Article featuring Two Chicks in The Telegraph. Full article can be read hereNigella Lawson's recipe for Cappucino Pavlova, exclusively for Stylist Magazine which is made with Two Chicks' free-range egg whites. Full recipe here
Our founders were invited to speak at the 17th Annual World Food Innovate Summit in Amsterdam.The Variety Catherine Awards showcase and celebrate inspiring women in the UK who have excelled in their respective industries.Article in The Evening Standard by Helena Morrissey mentioning our founders Anna Richey and Alla Ouvarova winning an Entrepreneurial Spirit Award at Variety Catherine Awards.Protein brands want to muscle in on mainstream snacking. Article featuring Two Chicks in The Grocer. Full article can be read here.Scottish news: Two Chicks low calorie snack. Article featuring Chirps in The Scotsman. Full article can be read here.Are you too lazy to crack eggs? Article featuring Two Chicks in The Daily Mail. Full article can be read here.