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As a ban on the production and sale of foie gras is set to take effect in California, culinary enthusiasts defiantly enjoy a six course evening featuring variations on the delicacy.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (REUTERS) - As a state-wide ban on foie gras looms closer in California, chefs and consumers alike are trying to get as much of the delicacy as they can, including attending foie gras festivals and last dinners.
Foie gras, which means "fatty liver" in French, is produced by force feeding corn to ducks and geese with a tube-like device in order to enlarge their livers. Once their livers are fattened, the birds are slaughtered and the organs are harvested. In 2004, then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning the sale of any product derived from this process. The ban included a seven year grace period, to allow chefs and farmers enough time to come up with alternative way to fatten animals to produce foie gras.
Seven years and no new methods later, the ban is set to take effect July 1.
In opposition to the ban, several chefs in California have banded together as C.H.E.F.S. - the Coalition of Humane and Ethical Farming Standards - to host foie gras dinner parties, and raise awareness about how the ban will affect the world of food.
"It's a treat for chefs to get to cook for people to enjoy foie gras. And it's an art, not everyone knows how to cook foie gras properly and it's unfortunate for the consumer to have it taken away," said Nyesha Arrington, head chef at the Wilshire restaurant in Santa Monica, which held a foie gras festival on June 3rd.
"I've been up to Sacramento (California's capital) to lobby against senate bill 1520 by Senator Burton years ago and really just try to make everyone up in Sacramento more aware of the impact that it's going to have on us chefs and on tourism and on the dining guests," said Ray Garcia, a guest chef at the foie gras festivities.
Guests attending the event were just as opposed to the state ban as the chefs preparing their meals.
"To single out these farms which operate humanely, which take far better care of their ducks than any chicken farm on the state, to single them out and call them cruelty or torturous or whatever is just ludicrous," said Garrett Snyder.
Animal rights activists also joined the dinner party, holding large banners asking "how much cruelty can you swallow," and chanting "that's not dinner, that's diseased liver" outside the restaurant.
"Foie gras is a barbaric product, it never should have existed, it certainly should not exist now in 2012. It's made by cruelly force feeding ducks to enlarge their livers and there's no justification for it. Culture, tradition, none of that justifies torturing an animal so we can have this diseased liver and serve it as an overpriced table treat," said Bryan Pease, co-founder of the Animal Protection and Rescue League.
Despite all the controversy, some think the ban will not change anything for true foie gras lovers.
"Truth is, I think that it's going to be like pot where it's supposed to be illegal but anybody can get it," said chef Mark Peel. "Because if you want to get Cuban rum you can, if you want to get Cuban cigars you can. If you want to get some Scottish whiskeys that are not approved for importation in the United States you can, you just have to do your research and find it."
The state ban will take effect July 1.


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And so they blame disposable vapes – which some specialists say might be more addictive than heroin and cocaine – however for now are available in Australia in every comfort store, subsequent to the chocolate bars at the counter. Vaping poses a risk to smoking prevention progress, and it will be significant for https://www.vapecount.com/pacha-syn-salts-fuji-ice-ejuice those in tobacco management to know and counter the techniques used by vaping corporations to entice their customers, particularly on social media where young people can easily view the content.
7. Farsalinos KE, Polosa R. Safety analysis and threat evaluation of electronic cigarettes as tobacco cigarette substitutes: a systematic evaluation. There are some strategies that the FDA does not have authority to implement, corresponding to including e-cigarettes in smoke-free insurance policies or classified.africaprimenews.com increasing the minimal legal sales age for these products, unless directed to do so by Congress. However, the FDA haven’t settled on Vitamin E as the trigger and will not rule out different vaping liquid chemicals.
But hundreds of thousands are both discarded or thrown into bins every year where they could cause a fireplace at processing amenities. Health specialists stress that smoking cigarettes, which contain tobacco, remains to be the one biggest trigger of preventable illness and illness within the UK. Public health experts and 188.8.131.52 most cancers charities in the UK have said that, based mostly on the current evidence, e-cigarettes are usually not utterly threat free however carry a fraction of the danger of smoking cigarettes.
That creates a significant fire danger identified as one of the almost definitely causes of a blaze which destroyed a recycling facility in Aberdeen final year. Green Alliance, an unbiased assume tank, https://www.vapecall.com/pina-colada-by-mucho-100ml said disposable vapes wasted resources like lithium that are needed for batteries to power electric cars, and https://www.vapingopen.com/asmodus-c4-24mm-bf-rda recycling them was expensive. Because they include useful materials such as lithium batteries and copper, as well as plastic, https://www.vapecall.com/blue-raspberry-by-infzn-salt-tfn-30ml vapes are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and users are presupposed to dispose of them at a household recycling centre or at the store where they purchased the machine.
Ms Robinson stated as soon as the vapes are despatched to the recycling centre in St Sampson, they dismantle the vape by hand to remove the battery as part of a “useful resource intensive process”. He begins itemizing the nicotine strengths, and I’m offered a vape for £50 which has 5% nicotine and https://www.vapecount.com/yogi-salt-java-granola-bar a capacity of about 4,000 puffs. • The recent sweetness of ripe, yellow bananas affords a creamy and tropical flavor. • CE4 E-Cig Vaporizors with charge adaptor $25.
To be able to properly and simply use a CBD vape pen, it’s essential charge it appropriately. Passionate vapers love to customize their vape parts and fairly often, 510-threaded cartridges and batteries are used. Before long, I spot a vape that does not meet UK packaging requirements. Historically, tobacco advertisements use taste descriptors and colorful packaging to entice an inflow of latest customers, especially young customers (20).
We observed the promotion of flavored e-juices and pictures of colorful vape pens in our pattern of tweets; these promotions and images could grab the eye of potential consumers and https://www.vapecall.com/blue-citrus-by-phrut-tobacco-free-nicotine-salt-30ml entice them to provoke use of these merchandise. While they do contain nicotine – the substance that makes people addicted to smoking – vapes and e-cigarettes are considered far safer than regular cigarettes because they do not include harmful tobacco, or produce dangerous tar or carbon monoxide from tobacco smoke.

domain: news


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Most in the tech world have grown tired of the hype surrounding Twitter, but for mainstream users the mini-blog-meets-instant-messaging service is still opening up fascinating new possibilities. For those Twitter devotees looking to jump in with both feet, Japanese software developer Tsubasa has created Twitter Meishi Generator (meishi means "business card" in Japanese).
The website-based system allows you to simply enter your Twitter username, and then it automatically generates a business card that features your name, Twitter handle, location, URL, and a QR Code that allows anyone to instantly access your Twitter feed with just a click of a QR Code-enabled cell phone. You can begin driving your Luddite friends crazy with your own Twitter business card here.
Oh, and don't forget that DVICE has its own Twitter feed. Follow our latest headlines over at twitter.com/dvice.


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The growth of augmented reality (AR) based applications in the mobile space is set to continue through the current year, according to research from mobile analysts Juniper Research.
Word comes from the Inquirer that downloads to mobile devices from services like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Market that boast augmented reality-styled content currently number under a million, but are expected to rise to as much as 400 million by the year 2014. It’s a fairly staggering amount of growth, but there’s already some solid evidence that it’ll come through.
Public interest in augmented reality has been on the rise, with the launch of popular mobile apps like Layar helping to thrust the previously niche technology into the spotlight a little more than it might otherwise have been. Indeed, the ability to overlay data onto images streamed from a camera is something that seems to have captured people’s imaginations, even if some of the AR apps available at the moment don’t quite perform as well as some would hope.
We’ll be curious to see just what state AR technology itself ends up in by 2014. The fact is that holding a phone’s camera up and seeing where the nearest Subway is through all other buildings, while a wonderful thing, isn’t actually all that useful. We’ll be more curious to see just what developers making AR apps at the moment expand into, and from there, what kind of uses people find for the technology.
Still, it seems as though the future is bright for a technology that was unnervingly accurately described by William Gibson’s Virtual Light… hard not to wonder if there’s quite as much science fiction drama in augmented reality’s real future.


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Sony have unveiled a stunning video trailer promoting the firm’s upcoming Android tablets, the S1 and S2.
In what must be the polar opposite of the approach taken by HP with the firm’s dull-but-informative videos introducing the WebOS-powered TouchPad, Sony have firmly taken a vote for style over substance.
The first of a promised five-part series entitles "Two will" has appeared on YouTube. It seems to, and this is entirely subjective, promise a love story between two plastic looking figures on a table-top.
Other than that it looks a bit like something Nvidia might produce to promise a new graphics card chip.
YouTube user comments range from "Possibly the coolest f*cking promo ever made" and "I am looking forward to Sony tablet. But is there a WTF button that I can press for this video?"
See the first part of "Two will" below:


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Bressan named advertising manager at The Courier
Nick Bressan, of Sherman, has been promoted to the advertising manager position at The Courier in Lincoln.
Bressan has been with The SJ-R Media Group for over eight years and has worked with both classified and retail accounts.
Marty Carry, regional advertising director for the SJ-R Media Group, said he feels Bressan will be a strong benefit for the Lincoln Courier.
“Nick brings positive energy wherever he has been assigned. Customers and co-workers have consistently been impressed with his ability to provide powerful programs for area businesses that produce results,” said Carry.
“His focus will be to provide great service, new affordable programs that produce results and increasing our community involvement. We are thrilled to have Nick in this important position and we are already seeing the benefits he will provide.”
Bressan says his goal is to make local cash registers ring.
“The number one goal is to bring more customers to our clients. I want to help them expand their reach in the community,” said Bressan.
He said his top priority is to forge new relationships within the area.
“I would like to have more of a partnership and be more active in the community,” said Bressan.
Bressan, a native of Pleasant Plains, is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Springfield, where he majored in communications. He will oversee retail advertising for both print and online editions in the new job.


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Pegasus Solutions has added a new tool for its commission-processing service, an online application called TravelCom, that enables hotels to better and more easily manage their commission payments to travel agents.The TravelCom tool has been used extensively by hotel customers of the Utell by Pegasus service, and is now being made available to all Pegasus commission-processing customers. The Web-based application gives hoteliers the ability to send booking data from their central reservation system to Pegasus for processing and enables them to validate, store, research, edit and create reports from the data. Implementations for the TravelCom tool are expected to begin for commission-processing customers in April.
Golden Tulip Top Hospitality is the first hotel group to implement the new TravelCom application. “With the shift in air-to-hotel booking ratios, we believe travel agents will be focusing more and more on hotel reservations. By offering our hoteliers an advanced, cost-effective commission consolidation and settlement tool, they can now provide their agency customers swift commission payments, thereby further improving their relationship and exposure,” commented Riko van Santen, director of distribution and information technology, Golden Tulip Hospitality Group.
“We’ve made it simple to manage commission payments online,” said Dennis Law, senior vice president of product management and strategy for Pegasus. “From weekly processing to direct deposit to VAT self billing, we continue to develop new ways to serve our commission-processing customers—both hoteliers and travel agents. The TravelCom tool gives the Pegasus commission-processing service a Web-based entry point that is user-friendly and easy to use.”


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A slow reopening of stores and companies has just started like, for instance, in Austria and Germany. In Italy manufacturing companies will reopen on May 4 and stores on May 18. Despite this, most of the multibrand stores are not sure they will be able to register a rapid turnover.
Many of them keep untouched boxes of s/s 2020 products in their stores since March and don’t know if they will be able to sell them.
So who needs new product for s/s 2021 anyway?
We asked market insiders how they will face the upcoming weeks’ and months’ challenge, how they will handle consumers’ generally lowered interest for fashion (and their smaller budgets) while dealing with stocks of unsold products and the postponing of trade shows.
The result: while some of them definitely see a demand for new products and collections for the s/s '21 season, others want to keep things at a low profile. Because as a consequence of the lockdown many stores are still keeping huge quantities of s/s products and along with it some companies have started considering postponing the presentation of most of their s/s 2021 products.
Among them is La Sportiva, an Italian outdoor, activewear and sportswear brand: “Our new spring/summer 2021 collection will consist largely of the current 2020 collection, supplemented by a few capsule products,” explained CEO and president Lorenzo Delladio. “There are a lot of stocks due to the current situation. We do not want the distribution network to suffer as a result.”
“As the majority of Italian and European retailers had to close their stores at the beginning of the s/s season 2020, high stock levels can be expected everywhere. These are products that have not yet been placed on the market, only because of the store closures, and which therefore cannot be considered ‘obsolete’ in a few months. For this reason we have decided to postpone the launch of about 90% of our 2021 clothing collection and most of our new shoe collection.”
Edoardo Giaroli, founder, Letasca
Of a similar opinion is Edoardo Giaroli, the founder of Letasca, a newborn sportswear brand: “Full stocks are an obvious problem now, but they are part of a bigger process which has affected the industry in the last years–too much offering and too short selling time. This system was no longer sustainable; the current situation has accelerated a transition that was going to happen anyway. I think s/s ’21 is a chance to show a first output of a new method–slower and more sustainable. We, as a brand, are preparing a small offering rather than a collection, pushing on the long-lasting value of our products,” he said.
Also Nobis thinks its spring/summer collections can be easily sold as seasonless pieces. “At Nobis, we have always considered our ‘spring/summer’ collection to be a ‘transitional’ collection. Not only do our products have sophisticated seasonless styling but we are fortunate that their technical capabilities allow them to easily transition into multiple seasons,” they commented.
Other brands and players have different visions of the matter.
"Fashion moves on despite Corona. You should be able to show your customers the latest trends, colors and shapes next year too,” commented Superga.
Very down-to-earth is Matteo Tugliani, CEO and founder, Moaconcept on this topic. “We all have already lost much revenue for 2020 and we are going to face the highest amount the next months because of unpaid invoices, non-retrieved orders, long-term payments and similar problems. The luckiest companies will face a 50% loss in revenues,” he said.
Enzo Fusco, founder/owner, FGF Industries
Also Enzo Fusco, president and founder FGF Industries, believes that new products are indispensable for summer 2021: “We expect some suffering for the next sales campaign, though, apart from basics and never-out-of-stock products which could be kept, the offer for the new season needs to be updated. For this, when stores will reopen they will sell what they have and will do sales selling stocks.”
Graziano Mazza, owner, Premiata
“I don’t think stocks will be full,” commented Graziano Mazza, the owner of Premiata: “By the end of the season there will surely be important remains from the old season, but stores cannot face the new season without showing new products as they will have already put old products on sale. So how could they offer them as new ones?”
Photo: Fritzi aus Preußen
Björn Nadler, head of sales, Fritzi aus Preußen
Similarly, Björn Nadler, head of sales, Fritzi aus Preußen, believes it is dangerous presenting the same fashion collection for two years in a row: “Unfortunately, fashion is a perishable product. The end consumer also knows this. Even though the stores were now closed and are now slowly opening again, the end consumer always had a good overview of the current spring/summer fashion through online media. I consider it very dangerous to present the same fashion to them again in the new year. You have to find ways to clean up the current stock situation in a sensible and clean way and make room for fresh styles in spring/summer 2021.”
Enrico Pasi, director general EMEA, Suicoke
Enrico Pasi, Suicoke’s director general EMEA, thinks that it is important keeping a balance between old and new products: “What moves clients to buy new clothes each season is the desire of possessing something new and fresh. So for sure buyers will have to be wise when planning their mix by balancing seasonal offering and core products they can keep from s/s ’20 stock.”
Lorenzo Osti, president, C.P. Company
For Lorenzo Osti, president of C.P. Company, sell-out data, while strongly influenced by the worldwide lockdown period, are positive: “Some of our clients have already gone beyond 50% of sell-out for spring/summer 2020 and by end of the season will have finished their stocks,” he explained. “We have considered keeping some products of the current season for next summer as we have some ‘carryover’ products though we are asking to not offer them as sales because being ‘classic’ pieces they can be sold as full price items also for next season.”
Tommaso Andorlini, founder/CEO, FFW, Playground and SOTF
Retailers think refreshing their offer for s/s 2021 is a must. Tommaso M. Andorlini, founder and CEO of the FFW, Playground and SOTF stores from Florence and Prato, explained: “We have to go forward. People have already seen s/s 2020 collections if not inside the brick-and-mortar stores, of course online and often at discounted prices in season. The idea of offering s/s 2020 goods again is not applicable at all. We’ll deal with an audience that needs to be teased more than ever. We need new stuff, new brands and a new approach to propose to them.”
David Pujolar Segura, general manager, AW Lab
David Pujolar Segura, general manager of the footwear and sportswear store chain AW Lab, also thinks that it is important to keep the customer engaged. “Basics will be basics, but drivers are missing today and for sure next year. How to excite the consumer will be key,” he said.
Agostino Poletto, general manager, Pitti Uomo
Trade shows’ vision is clear about this matter. Agostino Poletto, general manager of Pitti Uomo, believes that offering new products is key: “Fashion logic is not tied to long-lasting and no-season goods. Producing and selling fashion has to do with style, creativity and evolution. Collections may be reduced, therefore more sustainable and more long-lasting, but companies will never stop producing new items. Though there is also a very concrete aspect as some worldwide markets, such as China, have already opened for the post-crisis and others are getting ready to do that. Next seasons’ new collections have to be ready and presented to the market.”
Retail in Germany: anything but normal Read more →
International aid plan for the world textile industry Read more →
‘Now is the right time to bring issues like order or seasonal rhythm back into focus’ Read more →
“Vacanze forzate” – How Italian retailers react to the coronavirus epidemic Read more →


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Oukitel C2 gets listed with 4.5-inch display and Android 5.1
We haven’t heard anything about a new smartphone from Oukitel since the end of last year, but a new device has just surfaced with the Oukitel C2. It’s a device geared towards the budget crowd, and it should be one of the cheapest Android smartphones around once it hits the streets.
The budget market brings in a lot of bucks, and there is no shortage of consumers looking to pick up their first real smartphone. Not everyone needs a flagship, and if you reside in the Far East (or import), there are far more options available than you’d normally find in your given region. The Oukitel C2 will soon join the budget crowd, and while we don’t know its price, it should come in well under $100.
The Oukitel C2 has made an appearance on the company’s official website where they’ve let a few details slip ahead of an official announcement. It’s going to be a small device, with a 4.5-inch panel, and the chip powering the show is listed as a 1.3GHz MT6580A. Unfortunately, we don’t know the RAM or internal storage, but it will have a 5MP rear snapper and run Android 5.1 out of the box.
There are far more questions than answers for the Oukitel C2 release, but it is shaping up to be a solid, if somewhat underwhelming entry into the budget range. It will also be available in four colors when it arrives including White, Black, Blue or Gold.
via — Gizchina


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Irish Times: Overcast plans to add 70 jobs after raising €500,000
by Overcast HQ
Video collaboration platform Overcast said it will add 70 jobs in the next three years after it raised €500,000.
The Irish start-up, which launched its services last year, also plans to expand into new markets with its product.
Overcast, which is backed by Enterprise Ireland, integrates the storing, sharing and distribution of video content for video producers, media agencies, marketers and broadcasters, with the goal of making it as easy to manage large video files as it would be to manage a document.
We can’t wait for the IBC Show (13–17 Sept) this year, particularly because we’ve been chosen by AWS to exhibit in their booth. You can meet with our CEO to discover how to make video collaboration effortless. You can also see a demo of our video collaboration software — and enjoy a free breakfast — during an exclusive Avid event at IBC on Saturday 14th September. We have 25 tickets to give away for this event.
Size matters. And when it comes to video file sizes — things are just getting bigger. Over the last decade, we’ve graduated from standard definition to high definition, 2K, 4K and now 8K. Combine that with image enhancement technologies and we are talking about file sizes ballooning. But it’s not just the media and entertainment industries that are chasing higher quality; businesses and brands are jumping on the bandwagon too. So just what are the implications for businesses?
We want to make content creation easier for you, your clients and your bosses. And by that we mean that we want you to spend more time being creative and less time fiddling around with technical tasks.
So, we are delighted to announce two improvements to the Overcast HQ platform: annotations and a dark UI.
It’s tech heaven in Nevada this week with two of the key global media, entertainment and technology conferences taking place back-to-back. Las Vegas doesn’t do things by half so it’s the ideal place to host these phenomenal events.
We could feel the excitement among the crowds as soon as our plane landed and we couldn’t wait to get to our stand at Avid Connect to start chatting with other tech enthusiasts.


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Nintendo has revealed details of a pair of paid subscriptions coming to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. We wrote about news of the subscriptions earlier this week, but no pricing information was available at the time.
The new “Pocket Camp Club” subscriptions follow shortly after Nintendo introduced a similar subscription for Mario Kart Tour, with a “Gold Pass” priced at $4.99 per month.
If $5 — the price of an Apple Arcade subscription — seems a bit steep for a Mario Kart Gold Pass, the new Animal Crossing subscription isn’t going to win you over.
The pricier of the two subs charges $7.99 per month for a “Cookie & Depot” plan. This gives players five fortune cookies from a members-only Cookie Shop offering an assortment of items. You also get shorter crafting times, exclusive journal, the ability to store up to 5,000 objects in a warehouse, and more.
For those wanting something cheaper (or, perhaps, another subscription on top of this) you could get the “Happy Helper Plan” subscription for $2.99 per month. This gives you your own personal assistant at the campsite by letting you designate an animal as camp caretaker. When you’re away from the campsite, the caretaker will fulfill animal requests. It will also collect event items for scavenger hunts, fishing parties, garden events, and more. It will also feature the shorter crafting times and journal.
Paid subscriptions: Not just Animal Crossing
Nintendo initially employed a premium strategy for its mobile games. Super Mario Run offered users a free demo, but then opted for a $9.99 single download that unlocked the whole game. However, Nintendo changed its strategy after declaring the strategy had not reached “an acceptable profit point.”
Since then, Nintendo has started using in-app purchases more. As someone who isn’t a fan of in-app purchases and would rather pay a one-off price for games, it’s something of a disappointment that Nintendo has come to rely on them.
Still, that’s increasingly how big mobile games work in 2019. Hopefully Apple Arcade can succeed to show that this model can work instead. I’d much rather pay Nintendo a subscription if it meant being able to access a library of classic Nintendo titles, optimized for mobile.


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Feb 15 (Reuters) - Some U.S. stocks to watch on Friday:
WALL STREET TO OPEN LITTLE CHANGED AHEAD OF DATA
Wall Street was set to open little changed on Friday,
continuing a trend this week of thin trading and tight moves,
with the S&P 500 struggling to extend its weekly streak of gains
S&P 500 futures were unchanged but below fair value,
a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest
rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow
Jones industrial average futures fell 12 points, and
Nasdaq 100 futures edged up 2 points.
** HERBALIFE LTD, Thursday close $38.27, up 18 pct
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said in a regulatory filing
that he owns 14 million shares, or 13 percent, of the
weight-loss and vitamin company and signaled that he is ready to
help put the company in play.
** TRANSOCEAN LTD, Thursday close $59.30, down 3.2
A federal judge on Thursday accepted a guilty plea by the
rig contractor for violating the U.S. Clean Water Act along with
a $400 million criminal fine for its role in the 2010 disaster
at BP Plc's Macondo well.
Deutsche Bank downgraded the company's stock to "sell" from
"hold," according to Streetinsider.com.
** WAL-MART STORES INC, Thursday close $70.82, down
2 pct premarket
The company's British supermarket arm, Asda, said on
Thursday it had discovered horse DNA in its beef bolognese sauce
and was withdrawing that product and three others from its
** KRAFT FOODS GROUP INC, Thursday close $47.16
The company said fourth-quarter revenue likely declined
about 11 percent from a year earlier mainly due to reductions in
trade inventories, but raised its earnings forecast for 2013.
** QLIK TECHNOLOGIES INC, Thursday close $22.76, up
17 pct premarket
The business software maker's quarterly results beat
analysts' estimates on higher license sales mainly in the
At least five brokerages raised the target price on the
** GLEACHER & CO INC, Thursday close $0.94
The investment bank said it agreed to sell its mortgage
lending unit ClearPoint to Ocwen Financial Corp and
ended its search for a potential capital infusion or a
** LOGMEIN INC, Thursday close $23.66, down 25 pct
The remote-access software maker forecast first-quarter
earnings below analysts' expectations on higher tax rate.
** BURGER KING WORLDWIDE INC, Thursday close $16.58,
up 3.8 pct premarket
The fast-food chain on Friday reported a 94 percent rise in
fourth-quarter profit as menu additions drove comparable sales
gains in the United States and Canada.
** J.M. SMUCKER CO Thursday close $92.16
The maker of Jif peanut butter and Folgers coffee reported
better-than-expected quarterly profit, helped by rising sales of
its higher-margin coffee K-Cups and peanut
** CAMPBELL SOUP CO, Thursday close $38.72
The company reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit
on Friday, helped by its recent acquisition of Bolthouse
** TRW AUTOMOTIVE HOLDINGS CORP, Thursday close
$59.83, up 2 pct premarket
The auto parts supplier posted a stronger-than-expected
quarterly profit on Friday.
** QUICKSILVER RESOURCES INC, Thursday close $2.37,
Barclays cut the target price on the natural gas producer's
stock to $2.50 from $3
** VF Corp, Thursday close $152.81
The owner of clothing brands like The North Face, Wrangler
and Lee, posted a bigger quarterly profit on Friday, as its
flagship brands grew in Asia and other markets, and the company
forecast a strong year ahead.
** MYLAN INC, Thursday close $29.16
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling
that found the formulation patent for AstraZeneca's
anti-psychotic drug Seroquel XR was valid and had been infringed
by Mylan Inc MYL.O and other companies seeking to sell generic
versions of the medicine.
** AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY INC, Thursday
The company forecast earnings for 2013, in line with what
analysts had expected.
** PARKER DRILLING CO, Thursday close $6.11
The company said it reached a settlement with U.S.
regulators investigating charges of bribery in Kazakhstan and
Nigeria, and estimated a surprise loss for the fourth quarter.
** DOW CHEMICAL CO, Thursday close $32.49, up 0.64
The largest U.S. chemical maker by revenue will buy back up
to $1.5 billion of its shares and the company said it was
confident about its earnings, cash flow and growth potential.
** IPG PHOTONICS CORP Thursday's close $69.48, down
9 pct premarket
The specialized laser maker reported a quarterly profit that
missed analysts'expectations as margins fell.
** CBS CORP, Thursday close $42.94, down 1.2 pct
The company reported a 6 percent gain in fourth-quarter
profit on Thursday, boosted by political advertising on its TV
networks and higher revenue from cable channel fees.
** B&G FOODS INC, Thursday close $32.24, down 7 pct
The company reported a fourth-quarter profit that missed
** GENERAC HOLDINGS INC, Thursday close $35.63,
down 1.5 pct premarket


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AmesburyTruth Buys Ashland HardwareMarch 8th, 2018 by Trey Barrineau
Tyman PLC, the U.K.-based parent company of U.S. hardware maker AmesburyTruth, has purchased Texas-based Ashland Hardware for $101 million. Tyman says Ashland will be fully integrated into AmesburyTruth.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to expand our product portfolio and manufacturing footprint,” said Mike McCann, senior vice president of sales and marketing at AmesburyTruth. “Ashland Hardware solutions compliment the AmesburyTruth product portfolio and will position us well to serve our customers with continued success across North America.”
The company says the acquisition will broaden AmesburyTruth’s patio door, hinged window, and hung/sliding window product portfolios. The latter represents about 70 percent of all window openings in the U.S. residential market.
“The acquisition of Ashland represents a strategic opportunity to expand our residential hardware offering in North America,” said Louis Eperjesi, Tyman’s CEO. “Ashland offers an excellent fit with our AmesburyTruth business with its established customer relationships and strong product offering. On behalf of the board, I am pleased to welcome Ashland’s management and employees to the group.”
Tyman says the purchase of Ashland should bring revenue benefits of at least $4 million a year starting in 2020. The company says those benefits will be realized through the consolidation of surplus offices and facilities; the elimination of duplicate administrative overheads; the alignment of sales and marketing resources; co-ordination of third-party sourcing, freight and logistics; and sharing of best practice between AmesburyTruth and Ashland.
Ashland was founded in 1932. The company had been owned by private-equity firm Nova Capital since 2013.
“First of all, we’re appreciative at Ashland of the four and a half years of positive support we had under Nova Capital ownership,” said Bob Burns, president of Ashland Hardware. “The Ashland team is now ready and eager to join forces with AmesburyTruth. We fully intend to do our part to support Tyman PLC and the North American window and door industry as we all move forward together. We believe this transaction speaks very well to the quality of our people and their continuing commitment to our customers.”


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Today, Cryptocurrency trends have been a slideshow impact to the financial markets or stock market writes, Chirag Thumar, Senior Web Developer, NexSoftSys
Cryptocurrency and Blockchain technologies are disrupting the technology landscape for sure. Right from small businesses to giant multinationals, right from grocery stores to financial institutions, everyone is talking about leveraging blockchain and changing the course of their industry altogether.
Cryptocurrencies that were once perceived to be evil, and were only associated with the dark web, have attracted the attention of almost everyone with the rise in the prices of Bitcoin that happened last year. Now, everyone is betting big on the success of the currencies as well as their underlying technology Blockchain.
Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies are all set to disrupt the stock markets now. While this goal is an ambitious one, it is not very far from reality. Only recently, Wall Street went down from being promising and optimistic to really depressing. What was shocking for analysts and researchers was the fact that the cryptocurrencies closely resembled the behaviour of the traditional financial market.
It is then that the question of the traditional finance market affecting cryptocurrencies and vice-versa sprung up. Another question this leads us to be how much correlation exists between these two markets.
Challenging the Dollar Standard
While up until now, the US Dollar was termed and perceived as the reserve currency of the global economy, with the rise in the use of cryptocurrencies, the trend might take a toll. The US Dollar lies at the core of the financial web that is spread all over the world. As an example, the 2008 global financial crisis that started in the US spread like wildfire to other parts of the world as far as Iceland.
This centralization and the authority of the US Dollar is being challenged, and at the same time, disrupted by the rise in cryptocurrencies. Financial transactions are being decentralized at a rapid pace with the advent of the most popular Bitcoin and about 1,000 other cryptocurrencies.
The dynamics of International trade can be changed once and for all with the help of cryptocurrencies. There always have been attempts to get the US Dollar off its throne, and the rise in cryptocurrencies might be the last nail.
Investing in stocks and Crypto-trading
Trading in the cryptocurrencies market fulfils for some people the same purpose as trading in the traditional stock market does. Profit, ownership, and motivation are the three plain reasons why people have been investing in the stock market since forever, and all these reasons are fulfilled by the cryptocurrencies market too.
The investors who love to go global can do so easily with cryptocurrencies. While investing in stocks that are out of your home country is a painstakingly long process, the alternative to it, crypto-trading, might prove to be beneficial for the truly global investors.
Initial Public Offerings have smoothly been replaced by Initial Coin Offerings. Investing in companies that open ICOs is so effortless that it might be preferred over the traditional methods by almost all of the investors in the near future.
ICObench is a company that lists ICOs from about 70 different companies and confirms the fact that stock markets are begin disrupted by the invaders called cryptocurrencies.
Investors today are of the opinion that if the prices of Bitcoins can surge in a week like they did, why can’t the same happen with other currencies and Java web Development company that are leveraging these currencies too.
It has been easy up until now to ignore cryptocurrencies in all their merit, but soon things are about to change. The world will witness the staying of cryptocurrencies as alternate ways of investing, or maybe, the primary ways of making investments.
Cryptocurrencies are set to affect the real financial market and not just a bit!


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Self-described as both “an innovative off-price marketplace” and a “style-and deal-hunting paradise”, H&M’s new fashion venture sounds like a godsend for budget-conscious fashion lovers.
Afound, launching mid-June, is an outlet of sorts, for all seasons, ages, sizes and budgets. And the cherry on top? Discounts of up to 70 per cent off of retail prices.
“Some people might call us an outlet, but our vision is for the customer to experience a style and deal-hunting paradise,” Creative Director of Afound, Mattias Ekberg, said in a press release.
Afound will offer discounted goodies for everyone to enjoy, from H&M’s own brands - including COS, Cheap Monday, Monki and Arket - to external and international brands for women and men.
If that’s not enough, from time to time, unique, limited product releases from a range of brands, all at attractive prices will also be on offer.
Fredrik Svartling, Managing Director of Afound, is excited at the new venture and the unique experience it will provide for shoppers: “our team is happy and excited about finally having the chance to introduce our concept which will, we believe, give our customers, a completely new shopping experience in an exciting segment”.
“We want to make it easy for our customers by being where they are, whether it’s digitally or in selected physical stores, and by offering a range tailored to local demand. We will be offering a large number of attractive brands at really good prices.”
If you’re lucky enough to be in Sweden anytime soon, the first two Afound stores will be launching on June 14 and 16 in Stockholm and Malmö.
But if the closest you’re getting to Sweden is IKEA furniture and ABBA songs, never fear - for the rest of the world, the digital marketplace will launch on June 14. Keep your eyes peeled, and get ready to swipe up some fresh deals: https://www.afound.com


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Balancing unparalleled devotion to the “Perfect Pint” with an innovation pipeline creating products craved by consumers of all cultures, here’s why this St. Patrick’s Day, now more than ever, GUINNESS IS GOOD FOR YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS.
For many people, a pint of Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day is the nectar of the gods. But Diageo Beer Company – importers of the legendary stout – offers other great-tasting beverages diverse customers want the rest of the year. How do we know? Sales are up.
For the last two years, COVID-19 has effectively quarantined the freewheeling-fun that gives anyone with a pulse, who is LDA, an excuse to have a damn good time. And while for many, just drinking a pint of Guinness is a celebration, there are others who prefer different drinks.
Diageo Beer Company (DBC) has been dialed in to that fact for quite some time now. With a portfolio of innovative products rooted in consumer preference, DBC President Nuno Teles wants retailers to put their trust in his company because its beers – beginning with Ireland’s iconic Guinness – hard seltzers, RTDs and, very soon, non-alcoholic beverages, deliver more sales per SKU, not just more me-too SKUs.
And that’s not an empty sales pitch.
The company has posted six consecutive quarters of share growth as of late 2021. Heady Times compared DBC sales by category to the rest of the industry. Over the last two years the company grew 21% vs. total beer’s 7% due in part to the success of Guinness Nitro Cold Brew – the second largest import innovation of the year. In the FMB category Smirnoff Ice has grown 45% over the last 2 years while the rest of the industry is at 23%. And the fastest growing single-serve higher ABV is… Smirnoff Smash.
More on DBC’s success stories later, including Lone River Ranch Water, the hard seltzer that might be beer’s answer to the agave craze. (That’s what tequila is made from). Now it’s time to celebrate because…
St. Patrick’s Day is Back!
“St. Patrick’s Day 2022 marks two years since the world was first impacted by COVID-19, but we are ready ‘to march again,’” announced a joyful Nuno Teles. “This year, Guinness hopes to bring back that feeling of Irish joy and revelry that unites us in having an epic good time. Beginning in February, we are launching a new campaign called ‘Good Things are in Our Grasp’ and it’s supported with a hefty media spend, 20% greater than last year’s allocation.” (Please turn to page 29 for program details.) This well-financed campaign will blanket all media outlets and is sure to capitalize on everyone’s pent-up desire to celebrate with family and friends.
Of course, March is historically a big month for Guinness, so what better time to tease the launch of a new product? The much-anticipated, non-alc Guinness 0 Non Alcoholic Draught should be hitting the market in the second half of the year. With the great taste of Guinness, this delicious liquid is expected to bring even more customers and occasions to the beer category. Research shows that nearly 50% of consumers are open to trying a non-alc beer with the heritage that Guinness can deliver. And at only 71 calories per can, Guinness 0 is the kind of better-for-you beverage consumers want. Guinness 0 provides a perfect segue into a discussion of DBC’s winning strategy: one that listens and then delivers what diverse groups of consumers want to drink, time and time again.
Classic Brands, Bold Innovation and DBC’s Consumer-inspired Portfolio
Industry veteran Teles never strays from his dedication to brewing world-class beers, particularly those made at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Maryland like El Dorado, Guinness Chocolate Mint Stout and Guinness Salt & Lime. Teles honors the Guinness tradition while looking ahead to the future and what various groups of American consumers will want to drink.
He explains: “We believe our industry is at a critical moment, one where we must listen to consumers more than ever. They are telling us that they want an assortment of convenient, different-flavored products… some might not even contain alcohol… some will be reminiscent of a spirits-based cocktail. I have made it our mission to be the most progressive, consumer-inspired beer & convenience company in America. In the years to come, we look to drive innovation with bold, disruptive flavors that target a multicultural consumer.”
Building on the success of Smirnoff Ice Pink Lemonade, DBC will launch several new “Neon Lemonade” packs in 2022, including a Smirnoff Ice Neon Lemonade Variety Pack and a Smirnoff Seltzer Neon Lemonade Variety Pack. Nationally, Smirnoff will also launch Smirnoff Ice Spicy Tamarind, a surprisingly spicy FMB that goes together with another new product: Smirnoff Seltzer Poco Pico Variety Pack. Inspired by Latin flavors and repped by Colombian singer Karol G, the Poco Pico seltzers are the perfect balance of spicy and sweet, bringing a welcome kick to the hard seltzer category.
To reinforce what makes these brands resonate with consumers, Smirnoff Seltzers and Smirnoff Ice packaging will be redesigned and then relaunched with the brand’s biggest marketing spend ever. Expect the design to deliver on color… and fun… and STAND OUT in the cooler.
“We look to drive innovation with bold, disruptive flavors that target a multicultural consumer.”– DBC President Nuno Teles
Another stand out for DBC is Lone River Ranch Water. In 2022, retailers are expected to devote more shelf space to RTD cocktails as more and more consumers gravitate to products with flavors reminiscent of those served over the bar. This agave hard seltzer is ranked number five nationally based on rate of sale, which is a strong indicator of future growth potential. As of November 2021, the brand growing organically had surpassed 1% share of the crowded total seltzer category.
Authenticity has been key to Lone River’s success. While remaining true to its West Texas roots, there are still opportunities for flavor innovation. Keep your eyes peeled for the brand’s take on another famous, agave-based, Texas favorite, the margarita. Lone River Ranch Rita will be a higher ABV, fuller-flavor agave beverage that’s deliciously light and premium brewed with real lime juice and organic agave nectar.
Heady Times asked Teles if he thought a product like Lone River would sell in the colder months, he responded, “Not to worry!”
“In markets like Montana, we’re seeing healthy consumer pull for Lone River [this winter]. We certainly believe Lone River has a role to play in the colder months when outdoor activities range from hockey to hunting. Why not enjoy a Lone River? But right now, I’m counting down the days to March 17th. I may prefer a perfect pint of Guinness for my St. Patrick’s Day Celebration, but new traditions are created all the time. And Diageo Beer Company wants everyone to celebrate – responsibly – with the beverages we have made with for them.”


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Oerlikon Faces Chinese Delay on $268 Million Solar Unit Sale
OC Oerlikon AG, the Swiss engineering group that is selling a solar unit to Tokyo Electron Ltd. (8035), said it faces a delay from Chinese authorities to approve the $268 million deal.
“The case is still with the Chinese authorities,” Burkhard Boendel, an Oerlikon spokesman, said in an e-mail confirmed today.“We expect a decision within a foreseeable timeframe.” Oerlikon had expected the deal to close in the third quarter, Chief Executive Officer Michael Buscher said on an August 3 conference call.
Exiting Oerlikon Solar is key to Buscher’s plans to move the company forward from its 2010 financial restructuring, when it agreed to rescue-financing with hedge funds, into a position where it can look at acquisitions.
Boendel said Pfaeffikon-based Oerlikon is expecting an approval and he couldn’t comment on the reasons for the delay. Tatsuya Aso, a spokesman for Tokyo Electron, said he wasn’t sure why Chinese approval was taking more time than expected and there is “no specific issue.”
Oerlikon shares dropped as much as 2 percent and traded 1.75 percent lower at 9 francs as of 12:12 p.m. in Zurich. The stock has gained 83 percent this year.
“Obviously the division is loss-making and I expect a positive impact of the sale on net profit,” said Christoph Ladner, an analyst at Kepler Capital Markets in Zurich. If the deal doesn’t close this year, it will lead to a correction of analyst estimates, he said.
Buscher has pressed ahead with divestments this year by selling car-gear manufacturing capacity in Italy for an undisclosed price in June, and Oerlikon’s smallest textile unit, Melco, in July, also for an undisclosed sum.
Oerlikon announced the sale of Solar, which employs 675 people in eight locations, for 250 million Swiss francs ($268 million) in March. Oerlikon Solar makes equipment and production lines that companies such as Sharp Corp. use to make thin-film modules with silicon.
To contact the reporter on this story: Patrick Winters in Zurich at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at email@example.com


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UPS has reportedly relaxed its rules on facial hair and now allowing natural Black hairstyles.
According to CNN and the Wall Street Journal, the rules on facial hair were that beards were not allowed for most employees, and the company limited mustaches to above the lip's crease.
The shipping company also stated men couldn't have hair below the collar and no afros or braids.
UPS geared the old guidelines more towards drivers and other staff who interacted with the public, the WSJ reported.
On Wednesday, the shipping company eliminated those strict rules on people's appearance, along with gender-specific regulations, including regulations like the length of the uniform's shorts.


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Union Budget 2023 expectations: The Income Tax exemption limit is currently Rs 2.5 lakh for the assessees. This means individuals earning up to Rs 2.5 lakh/year do not have to pay any taxes. Though taxable income up to Rs 5 lakh is also practically tax-free due to the rebate provided by Section 87A, income above Rs 5 lakh increases the tax liability of the individual taxpayer. Therefore, there is a demand for raising the income tax exemption limit from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has proposed that the Government should increase the income tax exemption limit to Rs 5 lakh in Budget 2023 so that individuals will have more disposable income in their hands.
The government should increase the exemption limit for income tax to at least Rs 5 lakh so that more disposable income is left in the hands of consumers and the economy gets a consumption boost and further leg-up in the recovery. Without accounting for rebates, the present exemption limit is Rs 2.5 lakh for the assessees, ASSOCHAM said in its pre-Budget recommendations.
Also Read: PPF investment limit change suggested by ICAI – Here’s why
Is it possible to raise the Income Tax Exemption limit?
During an interaction with the media on December 15, ASSOCHAM President Sumant Sinha said that buoyancy in both the direct and indirect taxes should give enough elbow room to the government for raising the income tax exemption limit.
”Boosting consumption by leaving more money in the hands of the consumers, is a low-hanging fruit for a further recovery in economic growth, ” said Deepak Sood, Secretary General ASSOCHAM.
While suggesting another relief measure, ASSOCHAM said the interest for late payment of the GST should be reduced to 12 per cent from 18 per cent. ”The penal interest rate of 18 per cent is too high, particularly for the MSMEs,’ it said.
Also Read: Revised Income Tax Slab Rates and changes in Budget 2023 – Here’s what Deloitte expects
According to ASSOCHAM, India’s macro situation looks far more positive than most of the major economies. But we need to remain focused on growth. “The next year’s budget would be a catalyst for enabling India to be the fastest growing economy of the world. Our focus should be both boosting consumption and investment,” it said.


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People who sue makers of cars and their components after sustaining injuries related to those products could be awarded less money if they weren’t properly using a seat belt, under a bill being considered in the Missouri House.
Right now a person filing such a suit could see damages reduced up to 1-percent, but only if expert evidence is presented showing that failing to properly use a seat belt could have contributed to his or her injuries. Representative Nick Schroer (R-O’Fallon), the sponsor of House Bill 1264, said such evidence is almost never presented if only because experts typically cost more to hire than the 1-percent mitigation would amount to.
HB 1264 would remove that 1-percent limit and the requirement for expert evidence, and leave to a jury the decision of whether the seat belt could have made a difference. The jury would also have the option of whether to adjust damages by any amount. The bill is going to be amended so that it will deal only with products liability cases.
“Now the manufacturer – whether it’s tires, auto manufacturer, seat belt, the tempered glass that’s put in there – they’re all making their product assuming, and making it safe in conjunction with, somebody wearing a properly fastened seat belt,” said Schroer. “So this evidence would help – in certain situations – show, should somebody be made whole? Is somebody actually negligent here?”
Schroer presented his bill to the House Special Committee on Litigation Reform. Liberty Democrat Mark Ellebracht, who sits on that committee, said the legislation “speaks to fairness.”
“There’s nobody that doesn’t know that every car comes with a seat belt and doesn’t know how to use that seat belt, and I don’t think that it’s unreasonable for the jury to be able to consider the use or misuse of that seat belt, or non-use of that seat belt, when it comes to a person’s injuries in the context of a products liability claim,” said Ellebracht. “I think that fairness should include the ability for the jury to take into account some of those facts and say, ‘Well maybe you should have been wearing your seat belt at the time of that accident and maybe it’s not entirely the fault of that product.’”
Ellebracht favors an earlier version of the bill that would increase the cap on the mitigation of damages from 1-percent to 25-percent rather than remove it entirely. Schroer plans to amend that version of the bill to match language the Senate is considering, which removes the cap entirely.
Both representatives hope the legislation will have the added effect of compelling more Missourians to wear their seat belts.
The Committee on Litigation Reform is expected to vote on HB 1264 next week.
Schroer: “Now we have so many different safety mechanisms that are built in conjunction with one another, and if one of those cogs is not properly in the wheel or in the situation something may fail, and that’s why we think that during these times we need to update our statutes.”


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Bottle of South African Wine Earns $82,000 at Charity Auctionby
A bottle of South African wine fetched 1.3 million rand ($82,000) at the AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine auction as a 42 percent jump in prices saw total proceeds from the sale double from two years earlier.
Sello Rasethaba, a South African businessman, bought the bottle of 2014 Touch Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon, produced at the Warwick estate near Stellenbosch, the organizers said in a statement Tuesday. The latest edition of the annual charity auction was held Feb. 13 at the Klein Constantia wine estate, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from central Cape Town. It raised 15 million rand, which will be used to promote education and skills training in the Cape winelands.


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Lack of sunlight, cold and snow, and curtailed outdoor activities can be depressing for anyone, including our pets, and those winter blues can have serious health consequences for dogs and cats, too, a leading veterinarian warns.
Many pets deal with the psychological effects of wintertime by sleeping too much, overeating and avoiding exercise, a routine that can lead to obesity and other illnesses, according to Dr. Elaine Pendlebury of PDSA, a leading veterinary charity in Britain.
Hypothermia and frostbite from the cold and snow, broken bones from falling on ice and poisoning from ingesting antifreeze are just a few of the hazards that make winter the most deadly season of the year for pets, animal experts warn.
And pet parents are being urged to take precautions to keep their dogs and cats safe by limiting their outdoor activities in extreme cold and snow, and using sweaters to keep them warm and treatments to protect their feet during outdoor activities.
Your pet might like fancy toys, enjoy tasty treats and get excited when gobbling down a special mouth-watering meal, but those who give their dogs and cats gifts and food to celebrate the New Year should consider a different approach.
Leading animal welfare organizations say that as much as your pet might appreciate toys and treats, those gifts pale in comparison to the most cherished thing in the life of a dog or cat, and that thing is your time and attention.
|FREE LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK!|
Want a better life with your dog? MySetterSam.com's Living Well With Your Dog, a series of short stories for pet owners, is loaded with common-sense ideas to help make life more fun, enjoyable and healthy for you and your dog. Find great tips about subjects such as: creating a comfortable lifestyle for you and your dog; making your home and environment safe; improving your pet's health and nutrition; choosing a pet sitter and veterinarian; and saving money on dog food, pet products, prescription drugs and pet insurance.


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While many investors turn to tech stocks for growth, leading tech companies can be great dividend stocks, too. For one, the leaders are very good at generating free cash flow, a necessary ingredient in paying out dividends. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) generated $33.64 billion in free cash flow over the last year, and has increased its dividend by 252% over the last decade.
Microsoft is dominant in several software niches with its Windows operating system and its Office productivity suite, and it's finding big success in the cloud market, but there are better choices for investors looking for a combination of growth and rising income from dividends. Here's why Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and top video game maker Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ:ATVI) are better dividend stocks.
More to offer
Currently, Apple's dividend yield of 1.48% is slightly higher than Microsoft's 1.41%. However, Apple beats Microsoft in three other crucial metrics: the payout ratio, dividend growth, and valuation.
Over the last year, Microsoft paid out 40% of its free cash flow as dividends, but Apple paid out only 24%. The payout ratio is just as important as comparing yields because it indicates how much room a company has to increase its dividend by merely raising the percentage of free cash flow that it pays out. Apple stock offers nearly the same dividend yield, but the iPhone maker has more room to increase its payout, which could lead to Apple raising its dividend faster than Microsoft.
Apple has increased its dividend payout faster than Microsoft over the last 10-year and 3-year periods. Since it paid its first dividend in 2012, Apple's dividend payout has risen by 671%, and the dividend has climbed by 37% in the previous three years. Meanwhile, Microsoft has increased its dividend by 132% over the last 10 years and 27% over the last three years, while both companies have increased the dividend by the same rate over the previous five years.
Finally, Apple has a lower valuation than Microsoft. Apple trades at a forward P/E ratio of 17.5 compared to Microsoft's 27.2 times this year's earnings estimates. Sales of iPhone have curtailed Apple's top-line growth lately, but double-digit growth in services, such as Apple Pay, Apple Music, and subscriptions via Apple TV, helped soften the shortfall.
Apple is doubling down on services with its upcoming Apple TV+ service launching this fall, as well as other subscription services for Apple News and Apple Arcade. Analysts expect Apple to grow earnings 13% annually over the next five years, compared to Microsoft's 14%, which makes Apple's lower forward P/E look even more attractive.
A gaming giant
Activision Blizzard is a better dividend stock, too, but for different reasons than Apple.
Activision's dividend yield of 0.79% is smaller than Microsoft's 1.41%. However, like Apple, Activision has a much lower payout ratio and has increased its dividend faster than Microsoft.
Activision paid its first dividend in 2010 and has increased its payout every year. Over the last year, Activision dished out only 16% of its free cash flow in dividend payments, and over the last five years, the game maker's dividend climbed by 85%, better than Microsoft's dividend increase of 65% over that same period.
Activision stock currently trades for a forward P/E of 21.9 times expected earnings. Analysts currently have low expectations for future growth because of recent weakness in player engagement in some franchises. Plus, the company terminated its involvement with Bungie -- the maker of Destiny -- which was one of eight franchises that generated $1 billion in revenue for Activision Blizzard.
The absence of Destiny and soft engagement trends will negatively impact Activision's growth this year, but the company should be back on track next year, because management has some big initiatives in the works, including reimagining its biggest franchises for the fast-growing mobile market.
In the short term, management is focused on increasing the rate of content drops for its popular franchises, which should revitalize player engagement and get the company back to growth mode in 2020. Additionally, Activision Blizzard continues to see huge momentum with its top esports event Overwatch League, with Coca-Cola and Anheuser-Busch InBev recently signing up as sponsors.
Investors looking for the best of both worlds -- growth and income -- should give Apple and Activision Blizzard a close look before investing in Microsoft.


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Veggie Booty recalled in OR
If you have (or have had) a toddler, you've likely purchased your fair share of Roberts Veggie Booty, the kidlet green snack of choice. Be careful: Today's Oregonian says Oregon among 17 states for Veggie Booty contamination cases
6/28/2007, 4:13 p.m. PDT The Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Veggie Booty Snack Food, a popular snack product, is being recalled nationwide due to reports of salmonella poisoning cases in Oregon and 16 other states possibly linked to the product.
All Veggie Booty Snack Food products are being recalled, according to the manufacturer, Robert's American Gourmet in Sea Cliff, N.Y.
At least 51 cases of salmonella poisoning have been identified nationally that are believed to be linked to the product, almost all are among toddlers or infants, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services.


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Both Eastside and global Payday have вЂњFвЂќ ranks as a result of the bbb, and Jelly Roll is unrated. All three appropriate actions look for to enjoin the firms from breaking state legislation, and also search for restitution for clients and charges which can be civil.
The net advance loan industry reported Internet loan volume of $7.1 billion in 2008, when compared with $35 billion in payday improvements made at stores. (supply: the primary town instances, вЂњOnline loans which can be payday fresh challenges for clients, regulators,вЂќ Feb. 22, 2010). The payday that is online industry claims in purchase to produce short-term online loans to over 12 million consumers annually.
The Attorney General and BBB supplied the advice that is customers that are following
вЂ“Some online payday lenders skirt state consumer safety legal guidelines. Leer más


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Defra: recycling rate rise will not run out of steam
Provisional figures published by Defra this week show English recycling rates have soared in recent years and the rise shows no sign of slowing.
While the British still lag a long way behind several of their European neighbours, with rates for household waste recycling well above 50% in many countries, the department believes becoming one of the leading lights of the EU is not an impossible dream.
“It is realistic and we are catching up,” Defra spokesperson Susanne Baker told edie.
“We’ve tripled the amount we recycle in eight years, and doubled it over the last four.
“We started from an extremely low base and the Europeans have been recycling for a very long time.”
She said the UK’s industrial legacy and propensity for landfill had historically put us on the back foot but real progress was being made.
“Local authorities are now working extremely hard to encourage more recycling in their regions in the vast majority of cases.
“And we are working with those who have been less successful to help them try to bolster up their figures.”
The results released this week indicate that England is now recycling almost 23% of its domestic waste, and should easily meet its target of 30% by 2010.
A significant chunk of the rise comes from the success of doorstep collection schemes, which are now available to some 80% of the population.
While the further roll out of such schemes might now be limited, Ms Baker denied this was likely to cause increases in recycling rates start to tail off.
“There are still opportunities to expand kerbside recycling and to bring in additional materials to be collected,” she told edie.
Recycling rates could also see a huge boost with the co-operation of retailers, she added.
“If we make it easier for people to recycle at supermarkets and shops that will provide people with another way to recycle their waste,” she said.
Progress was already being made in that area, she said, with most major supermarkets and high street retailers also showing their long-term to reduce packaging by signing up to the waste-slashing Courtauld Commitment earlier in the year (see related story).
Many are also experimenting with making recycling easier and more attractive for their customers (see related story) or even offering loyalty points on store cards for recyclers.
Ms Baker told edie Defra would be announcing a range of schemes in October which would encourage people to watch their waste and that further financial incentives for recycling and composting could be expected over the coming year.
“We want to encourage our dedicated recyclers to do a bit more and persuade those who aren’t so good at recycling to change their ways,” she said.
The official, audited municipal recycling figures for England are expected to be published in January 2006.
Local Environmental Quality Minister, Ben Bradshaw, said: “These figures prove how much more people understand the importance of recycling compared to even just four years ago.
“There’s no doubt we can be proud of our progress to date, but now it’s time to build on that and start catching up with some of Europe’s top recyclers.”
By Sam Bond


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On this Business Beat, Jeff cheers the news that the United States is by far the biggest generator of unicorns.
Tune in below for details:
Tune in to News/Talk 760 AM WJR weekday mornings at 7:11 a.m. for the WJR Business Beat. Listeners outside of the Detroit area can listen live HERE.
Are you an entrepreneur with a great story to share? If so, contact us at [email protected] and we’ll feature you on an upcoming segment of the WJR Business Beat!
Good morning, Paul!
One measure of how a startup ecosystem is doing is to look to how many unicorns it’s generating. That is startups that have reached a level of valuation at a billion dollars or more now in our region. By way of example, we have companies like OneStream in Rochester Hills and Stock X in Detroit that have valuations of over that billion-dollar mark. At the very least, sensational success stories like these make news headlines, and that inspires others to pursue their startup dreams and encourages investors to place bets on startups in hopes that they will be part of the next unicorn story, all further fueling a startup ecosystem.
Well, now a new study from Tipalti, a company that automates financial services to drive better performance highlights which countries have the most of these unicorns. As one would hope, and perhaps even expect, it’s the land of opportunity. That’s right. The United States that far and away leads the pack in generating such success stories.
Here’s what the data shows, Paul. The United States has 615 such unicorns. That’s over 50%, 53.6% to be exact, more than half of all the world’s startups with billion-dollar-plus valuations. Coming in in a distance second, it’s China with 170. That’s roughly 15% of the world’s unicorns. Coming in at third, India, 65 unicorns representing just 5.67% of the total and, like India, all other countries on this list count for less than 10% of the world’s total.
Now what jumps out the most from this study, Paul, is that while countries like China and India have substantially higher populations, when it comes to creating high-flying startups with billion-dollar-plus valuations, it’s still the U.S. that clearly by far and away has the best ecosystem to found a startup.
I’m Jeff Sloan, founder and CEO of startupnation.com, and that’s today’s Business Beat on the Great Voice of the Great Lakes, WJR.


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Buy a shoe, plant a tree? They aren’t two activities that typically go hand in hand, but Paola Bay, the designer behind Italian footwear label Zoraide , has managed to blend them rather seamlessly.
“I am delighted to be able to plant a new tree for every shoe sold,” she tells Style.com. And the environmental-friendliness of her line, launched in 2008, does not stop there: “It is currently impossible to make eco shoes, due to a lack of eco materials—I call them ethic shoes. I started by doing some evening vegan styles by using eco-reptiles, [like] stamped and embossed calfskin, as crocodiles, lizards, anacondas, etc. are all going down in numbers.” All of those materials went into her latest Carnivorous Plants Fall ‘12 collection (around $680), which caught our eyes during Milan fashion week, and the results are truly luxe (the likes of Madonna and Nicole Kidman, two of her celebrity clients, seem to think so, too). The collection is made up of vibrantly colored heels (pictured), each inspired by their namesake plant.
Zoraide, stocked at retailers like Thecorner.com and Gente in Rome, has also teamed up with Global Goods Partners, a nonprofit organization that facilitates the sale of fair-trade products made by local artisans worldwide, on a Red Carpet Goes Green capsule collection, targeted at celebrities interested in furthering the eco-conscious dialogue with their footwear choices. The shoes, like the Greta or the Marilyn, are named after “the most celebrated movie stars of the past who, if still with us, would be the most passionate about preserving our planet.” We are fairly certainly these iconic screen sirens might be as passionate about Zoraide shoes, too.


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| Danial Norjidi |
THE Digital Payment Roadmap for Brunei Darussalam 2019-2025 developed by Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD) sets out key strategies towards a ‘Digital Payment Nation’.
The Digital Payment Roadmap was launched in an event that took place on January 22 at the Design & Technology Building in Anggerek Desa.
During the launch, it was revealed that online and mobile payments usage grew by more than 100 per cent in 2017 compared to the previous year. Over the same period, the usage of both debit and credit cards also increased, rising over 30 per cent with BND2 billion being spent.
Speaking as the chief guest at the launch event, Managing Director of AMBD Yusof bin Haji Abdul Rahman said that AMBD recognises the great potential for further development in this area, and has taken the opportunity to develop the roadmap to facilitate, enable and drive Brunei’s payments economy as part of a drive to turn the country into a Digital Payment Nation by 2025.
AMBD announced the development of the Digital Payment Roadmap in December 2018, where it was shared that the Digital Payment Roadmap is in line with the strategies presented in the Financial Sector Blueprint 2016-2025 (FSBP) and the aspiration of Vision 2035 towards a dynamic and diversified economy.
A press release highlighted that the digital transformation strategies contained in the roadmap focus on three key strategic areas: balancing regulation and innovation; adoption of open digital payment; and public awareness and education.
The first key area requires the evolvement of existing payment regulations to maintain stability in the financial sector, promote collaboration among market players as well as allow existing financial institutions and prospective payment service providers to develop innovative financial solutions in the country.
It was shared that the second key area involves greater adoption of digital payment solutions to promote market interoperability and encourage fair market competition. New and innovative technology can lower barriers to adoption and will offer secure and cost-effective payment mechanisms for acceptance of digital payments by merchants.
The third key area involves a collective effort between AMBD and the industry in enhancing public awareness and education geared towards building digital trust and market confidence towards the acceptance of digital payments.
The press release also noted that AMBD expects a paradigm shift where there will be more integrated collaboration between AMBD and relevant stakeholders in developing platforms for digital payments that are safe, efficient and resilient. It was added that this will enable the growth of financial technology and the emergence of new financial products and services.


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Slow growth usually results in cost-cutting measures to keep profits rising. But the latest trend in cost cutting seems deeper and more pervasive than at any time in decades, and it’s occurring during a nominal economic recovery. At the same time, trade industry headlines call out the acquisitions of natural and organic suppliers by traditional CPG companies (General Mills’ purchase of Annie’s and Campbell’s purchase of Bolthouse Farms) and the creation of venture capital funds by CPG to gain ground-floor access to promising start-up food producers.
Not too long ago, CPG manufacturers denied the product lifecycle, invested heavily in R&D, and believed that introducing meaningful innovation to their product set was one of their core functions — one that was an essential ingredient for growing their business.
But things have changed. R&D funding has lessened as more and more companies opt for line extensions versus developing truly innovative products. And now, with SKU proliferation at an all-time high, breaking into the crowded shelf requires even more disruptive innovation, which leads to more risk and is therefore more likely to be cut from the budget.
Additionally, there are other disruptive and disturbing trends that may indicate “Big Food” is throwing in the towel in terms of meeting the needs of today’s consumers. For example:
• Zero-based budgeting continues to gain acceptance as a viable means for driving EBITDA. While this may offer short-term financial gain, it may come at the expense of long-term growth.
• And while EBITDA may grow short-term, if the long-term consumer base is trending downward, can the mainstream food industry regain its ability to be relevant to emerging consumers?
• Perhaps the American public has become so distrusting of Big Food that they won’t even accept natural and organic products being owned by traditional food producers. Social media monitoring of recent acquisitions suggests that’s the case among at least a segment of the population.
Does Big Food believe it can cut its way to success? Can the growth of emerging brands and high returns gained from start-up investments deliver enough EBITDA growth to satisfy Wall Street?
If so, are we to believe that mergers like Kraft and Heinz are just the beginning? And will retailers follow suit? Or perhaps there’s a hybrid approach coming down the aisle in which a retailer acquires a natural and organic manufacturing company to manufacture its high-end private label.
Many Big Food companies have certainly become bloated. Recent volume trends suggest many of them have lost their consumer relevance if not consumers’ trust. Big Food can certainly benefit from the innovation and agility of start-up companies. But there are real questions to confront whether the current fascination with near-term EBITDA — growth driven by massive cost cutting — will look like a really bad idea in 3-4 years. Once the entire CPG industry has cut costs, what prevents individual companies from cutting prices when they want to gain share? If others follow suit — and they will have to — nothing will have changed except the transfer of wealth to retailers, consumers and more than a few food entrepreneurs. The CPG industry has succeeded by continually delivering significantly more value to consumers which has in turn created returns for them. Let’s not forget the need to satisfy shoppers before running with the bulls down Wall Street.
What do you think are the pros and cons of being focused on short-term gains in EBITDA?


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The principal operator of the USD Coin (USDC), Circle, has now added support for the Flow network, enabling USDC to be minted and redeemable across the blockchain, Circle said in a press release on 31 January.
According to the announcement, USDC support on Flow will enable easier access and larger liquidity pools on the network by allowing users to send and receive payments directly in the stablecoin. Flow was developed by the NFT-focused company Dapper Labs, which back in 2020 partnered with Circle to add USDC as a payment and settlement option for digital collectible marketplaces built on Flow. The CEO and co-founder of Circle, Jeremy Allaire, said in a statement:
“Flow has emerged as the go-to destination for thriving communities of developers, artists, creators and brands building their own blockchain-based digital media and entertainment experiences. Circle is delighted to simplify the payments process and empower creators and consumers to participate in this blossoming ecosystem.”
Circle also revealed that the USDC support across the entire Flow network — which is the home of NFT projects such as NBA Top Shot, NFL All Day, Matrix World, and more — was an expansion of its partnership with Dapper Labs. The extended partnership also means that developers on Flow will be able to use Circle’s suit of developer application programming interfaces, or APIs.
With the addition of Flow, USDC is now supported natively across eight different blockchains, the others being Ethereum, Algorand, Solana, Stellar, Tron, Hedera, and Avalanche. The digital currency is also the second largest stablecoin in the world, with a market capitalization of almost $50 billion.


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The Year of the Rabbit is nearly upon us, and Nike is certainly more than prepared. To go along with their Dunk High and Air Max 90 Futura — both of which surfaced earlier last week — the brand has also crafted an nike roshe price in nepal india and africa china nike air max flyposite online store hours.
Despite being the rabbit’s year, Nike avoids paying any overt homage to the Zodiac animal. Instead, the nike roshe price in nepal india and africa china — much like its above-mentioned counterparts — indulges in a relatively understated colorway comprised of red and light blue accents. The rest of the shoe is then clothed in white, with East Asian motifs subtly printed all throughout the mesh base.
For a closer look at the nike roshe price in nepal india and africa china “Lunar New Year,” see below. These are likely to release later in 2023 via Nike.com nike roshe run women burgundy shoes.
In unrelated news, Nike recently unveiled their 18jcpenney nike shoes clearance outlet locations.
nike janoski digital floral camo dress code free
nike air max red velvet @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.
Nike nike roshe price in nepal india and africa china
Release Date: 2022
Mens: N/A ken griffey jr nike shox white and blue gold black


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Ivanka Trump is shutting down her namesake clothing and shoe company, she announced Tuesday.
“After 17 months in Washington, I do not know when or if I will ever return to the business, but I do know that my focus for the foreseeable future will be the work I am doing here in Washington, so making this decision now is the only fair outcome for my team and partners,” Trump said in a statement.
It’s been more than a year since Trump separated herself from the company to joined her father at the White House as a senior adviser, but she continued to receive profits from her brand and view certain financial information.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump had become tired of the difficulties of avoiding conflicts of interest arising from her status as a White House senior adviser. Don’t you hate it when your ethically dubious choices become a whole “problem”?
A spokesperson for the company emphasized that the decision “has nothing to do with the performance of the brand and is based solely on Ivanka’s decision to remain in Washington indefinitely,” BBC News reported.
But it’s true that the company had been performing poorly over the months.
“It’s just never recovered since she stepped away from the company,” a source told Page Six.
Online sales of the Ivanka Trump brand sold online on Amazon, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Zappos fell almost 45 percent in the 12 months to June compared to the previous period, the Journal reported.
A spokesperson tried to save face by attributing the enormous decline to having had high online sales in early 2017, when there was “newfound awareness” of the brand after Trump became president, the paper said.
Company sales did in fact grow during the 2016 presidential election. Unfortunately, the success was short-lived. Anti-Trump groups critical of her father’s policies boycotted her fashion line. Nordstrom Inc. and Hudson’s Bay ditched Ivanka Trump products altogether.
Sales continued to fall despite attempts from President Trump, who criticized Nordstrom for treating his daughter “so unfairly” and from senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, who urged everyone to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff” in a televised interview.


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Lexus USA Announces Programming for September 2017 Season of NYFW: The Shows
NEW YORK, September 8, 2017 — Lexus is continuing its commitment to the fashion industry by returning as the Official Automotive Partner of NYFW: The Shows for the September 2017 season, which they have been a lead partner of since September 2015.
Lexus will again hold its successful #HowFashionTravels campaign this season, providing a fleet of nearly 100 courtesy transportation vehicles for show-goers and industry insiders traversing from Skylight Clarkson Sq., the official venue of NYFW: The Shows.
This season, Lexus is teaming up with Interview Magazine on an experience that gives the public a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be photographer by top fashion talent on an actual editorial set featuring a Lexus vehicle installation. The space, engineered by renowned fashion photographer and Interview Editorial Director Fabien Baron, will feature a slick set inspired by the new Lexus LC 500 and created by industry mainstay Stefan Beckman.
Before opening to the public on September 8, top models and influential talents were photographed by Interview Editorial Director Fabien Baron in front of the Lexus installation on September 7. The model feature will later run in Interview’s December 2017/January 2018 Art issue as a six-page fashion feature.
That same evening, Lexus and Interview celebrated the partnership, activation and the publication’s much-anticipated September issue at Interview’s NYFW September Issue Party. The Lexus installation and photo studio served as the backdrop of the party, creating a unique event atmosphere that immersed guests in the energy of NYFW.
The activation titled “Lexus: Set in Motion” will take place at Milk Garage, located at 459 West 14th Street, and will be open to public Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
Lexus' passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 237 dealers offering a full line-up of luxury vehicles. With five models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers seven F SPORT models and two F performance models. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.


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Following its US counterpart Staples, Australian office supply chain Officeworks will start offering a 3D printing service to its clients beginning mid-June.
Starting with its store on Russell Street in Melbourne, Officeworks will enable customers to directly order 3D prints, choosing from a range of colours, materials and sizes. For the 3D printing service, the office supply chain has teamed up with the Australian provider Keech 3D, working with Stratasys PolyJet and FDM printers as well as Mcor’s paper 3D printing devices.
Additionally, their in store “3D Experience Center” will feature a full-body 3D scanner, so customers can get their own 3D printed mini-me.
Should their pilot turn out to be successful, the company will expand the 3D printing service to additional stores across the country.


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From Kashmir Mod – Smith Projects participated in Ludhiana’s MachAuto-Expo 2022
Srinagar: As technologies are upgrading fast across the globe and in order to compete in the international markets, 11th edition of MachAuto-Expo 2022 was organized at Ludhiana, Punjab from March 11- 14, 2022 with main focus of the event was on Engineering Machinery, Machine Tools, Auto Parts, Hand Tools, CNC Machines and SPMs, Automation Technology and many more.
Meekhail Ahmad, Managing Director of Mod-Smith Projects Private Limited, a strategic business unit of Magnate Group said, “MachAuto-Expo is the perfect forum in India to visualize quality through competitiveness and best platform for MSMEs units across country to judge about the technologies & innovation which is occurring throughout the world under one roof.”
He further said that valley based Mod – Smith Projects took part for the first time in the event and highlighted the role of new technologies and new automatic machines.
“MachAuto-Expo aims to promote the Indian Industry on international standard by bringing the manufacturers and consumer on this selected forum as it is India’s largest SME gathering on Engineering & Manufacturing Products,” he said and added that It is a launch pad for new ideas, products and services and conducive environment for joint ventures & collaborations and it is open marketplace to source idea solution in the Machine Tools industry.
Meekhail said that around 400 participants across India took part in the event and after the conclusion of the event on March 14, 2022 they will continue their focus in the valley to provide a quality and service expert team of professional engineers to the clients and customers of the valley of CNC with latest technologies.
Wood working and CNC machines will be provided with special discount at the inaugural ceremony after Holi as it will be given at unbelievable rates as compared to market prices across India.
The main aim of Mod – Smith Projects of Magnate Group is to educate the new entrepreneurs of Jammu and Kashmir how to make them trained in this business industry of CNC machines like it was done during a three day workshop held in Srinagar in December, 2021.


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"Women mean Business" may be the theme of the CCBC Women's Expo, but education is also a significant component, for the organizer as well as those attending.
"Positive and negative changes, the same as anybody being in business will experience," said Patsy Anderson, on what she has learned during the 12 years she has promoted the event.
The 12th annual Expo will be held March 16 and 17 in the gym on the Catonsville campus of the Community College of Baltimore County.
This year, it will feature more than 150 exhibitors from women-based businesses, crafts and jewelry, holistic health and fitness displays, as well as motivational speakers and business finance and business start-up workshops.
Anderson, the founder of the Women's Expo Forum, said her most difficult lesson came in 2010, when the expo hit its 10-year mark.
"We were going strong, doing great, incredible attendance," she said. "Then we hit a wall."
Sponsors, including five that had been with the expo for 10 years, all left, she said.
The economy was a factor, she said, but not the sole reason for the unexpected decline that year.
"There was also the influence of technology. I lost a lot of money because of it. Another show came into Baltimore at the very same time, going after the very same demographics," she said.
Unlike in the past, when she would see a competitor putting up fliers or visiting businesses around town, she said the Internet allowed the show to make its contacts without her being aware of what was happening.
"That did hurt us," she said. "That was a wake-up call for us, to embrace technology."
This weekend's event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, will help those interested in starting their own business how to use technology to their advantage. There will be session on, among others, growing an audience using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and on setting up an eBay store, in addition to public speaking, practical strategic planning, modern ethics, secret weapons for small businesses and how to start a small business.
"It will be a gentle introduction to technology," Anderson said. "If you are 20-30 (years old), you get that. But a lot of small entrepreneurs are not experienced to that."
There will be a fashion café sponsored by Baltimore Fashion Week, Smarty Pants and Suited to Succeed, fashion talks, the latest styles in hair and make-up and a previously-owned clothing sale.
"But this doesn't have that girly-girl feeling some women's expos have," Anderson said. "It was never about pink, about pocketbooks.
"This was really built for the community, which is why it was at the community college," she said.
She said the expo provides a setting for women to see the variety of ideas other women have turned into successful businesses.
"There is a huge interest in entrepreneurship," Anderson said. "So my message is, 'You are the CEO of your future.' "
Admission to the event, which is sponsored by the Community College of Baltimore County's Enterprise Institute and Women's Expo Maryland, is $5 per day. Students and military personnel with IDs are free.
Admission for a Sunday "Super Talks" series is $35 for one session or $55 for a pass for all sessions. The sessions include:
• 11 a.m.— "Movin' on Up! Why Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" by Carolyn Owens, a life coach with Infinity Coaching in Odenton, Maryland.
• 12:30 p.m. — Launchbox Workshop with Sonata Venture Solutions
• 2 p.m. — "The Wealthy Bag Lady" keynote speech by Linda Hollander, nationally known industry leader in teaching entrepreneurs about business success.
• 4 p.m. — "From Concept to Sponsorship" by Esther Michaels of Team Radio Baltimore 1010 AM WOLB and Patsy Anderson, Business Expo.
For the complete schedule of events and sponsors, go to http://www.WomensExpoMd.com or call 410-977-2898.
The expo will offer mammograms in conjunction with the George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates on Saturday, March 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. by appointment only. Call Mardina Boykins at 443-904-0855 to make an appointment.
The mammogram is free for those who meet financial eligibility requirements. Have doctor's information and insurance card information available when calling.


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Yesterday we posted pictures of the AT&T Surface Pro leaked by Evan Blass, and today you can see one of those pictures directly from AT&T’s website (while it lasts).
For now, the picture can be found here:
The link shows that AT&T is already preparing a page for the handset.
Evan Blass’s fuller set of pictures can be seen below:
SURFACE DUO SPECS
The device will reportedly offer a Snapdragon 855 SoC which will be paired with 6 GB of RAM and 64/256 GB of storage. The device will also have two AMOLED 5.6-inch screens with a resolution of 1800 x 1350, with biometrics supplied via a fingerprint reader. Microsoft reportedly also included a 3,460 mAh battery to power the hardware. The device is set to run Android 10 with Microsoft Launcher as the UI, with Microsoft reportedly working on an Android 11 update soon after launch.
Microsoft will reportedly launch the device next week and ship it by the end of the month. Any of our readers excited? Let us know below.
via Evan Blass.


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Market research company TrendForce posted their predictions about the smartphone market for the third quarter of 2018. The third quarter includes months July, August and September and we already passed half of Q3. TrendForce expects the volume of smartphone shipments to grow in Q3 compared to Q2 2018 by 6%.
About HMD’s smartphone performance, TrendForce states this:
Nokia has a constant growth of smartphone production volume over the past quarters after building the partnership with FIH Mobile. Nokia not only benefited from the bargaining power of FIH Mobile, but also made use of the long-established reputation and distribution channels of its own. For the second quarter, Nokia’s total production volume is about 5.2 million, and the number in 3Q is estimated to remain flat as in 2Q18.
stated that HMD’s smartphone “shipments” in Q2 2018 were around 4.5 million, while TrendForce ranks “production volume” at 5.2 million. We don’t know how Counterpoint or TrendForce get their estimates, so the safest way is to place HMD’s Q2 smartphone performance at 4.5 to 5.2 million units. The report is interesting and I recommend it for reading. The link is at the end of the article.
TrendForce also made predictions for the whole 2018 half a year ago, when the Company stated that it expects HMD to surly grow in 2018 with shipments exceeding 20 million units in 2018. That report can be checked here
Thanks MichealsoftSirFaceFone for the tip. 🙂


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Posted by Dale Buss on November 30, 2012 12:25 PM
Earlier this year, Procter & Gamble moved the global headquarters of its beauty and baby-care business and the Pampers brand to Singapore from corporate headquarters in Cincinnati. Now, the CPG giant wants to make Singapore its worldwide capital for manufacturing of water-purification products.
In fact, P&G has just announced a lofty goal for the Purifier of Water plant that it is scaling up in Singapore: to cleanse enough drinking water to "save one life every hour by 2020" somewhere on the planet. The powder is a mini water purification plant in a packet. The small packets, when stirred into water, causes heavy metals, dirt and parasites to bind together then fall to the bottom of the container. Strained through a filter cloth and after 20 minutes, the water is drinkable.
P&G has been distributing these packets in more than 65 countries since 2004, attacking the global scarcity of potable water and raising awareness about the problem. Now it's increasing its investment in this commitment with its Singapore plant opening. "We've taken [P&G] innovation power and focused on one of our world's biggest challenges, clean drinking water, a lack of which takes the lives of thousands of children every day," stated P&G CEO Bob McDonald.
Located in Tuas, the new P&G Purifier of Water plant is designed to maximize limited geographic space with its vertical design and features what P&G calls "innovative precision-dosage technology." The company plans to produce more than 200 million packets of the stuff each year in Singapore by 2020, making more than two billion liters of clean drinking water accessible to children and families around the world throuigh the P&G Children's Safe Drinking Water program.
The Singapore division of World Vision, a major global charity based in the United States, said in the P&G statement that the packets "are a life-saver because they are small, portable and simple to administer through our field staff."
As it revitalizes its corporate emphasis on innovation, Purifier of Water can be one of P&G's proudest accomplishments.
Below, P&G's videos on how P&G's water purification packets help people in developing countries and foster clean water and better health in communities: