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I’m pleased to learn that electric car maker Tesla Motors is doing well, at least in its own estimation. Since Tesla started selling its now discontinued Tesla Roadster—a heavily modified and electrified Lotus Elise—about half a decade ago, the California based company claims to have delivered nearly 10,000 electric vehicles to customers in 31 countries. Last weekend, they announced that sales of its much more mature and compelling four-door sports sedan—the Fremont, California built Tesla Model S—exceeded the target it had cited in its mid-February shareholder letter, with sales exceeding 4,750 units vs. the 4,500 unit prior outlook. As a result, Tesla is amending its Q1 guidance to full profitability, both GAAP and non-GAAP.
Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO Elon Musk, whose profile was raised in the Apple community last fall when he was called “the Steve Jobs of automobiles,” and who reportedly refers to the Model S his “Macintosh,” commented in a statement:
I am incredibly proud of the Tesla team for their outstanding work. There have been many car startups over the past several decades, but profitability is what makes a company real. Tesla is here to stay and keep fighting for the electric car revolution. I would also like to thank our customers for their passionate support of the company and the car. Without them, we would not be here.
It doesn’t appear a nasty public spat with a New York Times reporter over the Model S’s cruising range on a battery charge has hurt sales much, if at all. Being a pure electric vehicle (EV) and not a hybrid, the Tesla Model S is limited in range to relatively short distances that can be covered between charging sessions. Like a smartphone or a tablet, when the Model S’s battery is out of juice, the machine is out of commission until it’s recharged.
Whatever damage, if any, was inflicted on sales as fallout from the NYT dispute appears to have been negated and/or outweighed by the unexpectedly warm and enthusiastic reception that the Model S has received from the major U.S. auto enthusiast journals. Automobile Magazine named the Tesla Model S its 2013 Automobile of the Year, and it was also chosen as 2013 Motor Trend magazine Car of the Year. Car and Driver magazine’s Csaba Csere summed up their evaluation succinctly observing that the Model S is “not just a good electric vehicle, it’s a good car.”
However, making a good alternative energy vehicle is no guarantee of profitability or even survival in a business that is notoriously difficult to get into. Another California manufacturer of an enthusiastically-reviewed car—Anaheim-based Fisker Automotive Inc. which makes the $100,000 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid—issued a terse statement on Friday reporting that it has been considering strategic alternatives that would allow the company work through its “current financial challenges,” and will be terminating some 75 percent of its workforce. Fisker says it regrets having to let any of its hardworking and talented people go, but that doing so was a necessary strategic step in their efforts to maximize the value of Fisker’s core assets. Reportedly, Fisker has produced no cars yet in 2013 after its battery supplier went belly-up, and the company notes that unfortunately they have reached a point where a significant reduction in their workforce has become necessary.
Reportedly, Tesla is currently shipping about 400 Model S sedans per week from the Fremont factory, and is projected to be on track to deliver 20,000 cars in 2013. However, keeping it real, a production volume of 20K is mere spit in the ocean of a projected 14.2 to 15 million U.S. motor vehicle sales in 2013. Tesla is hardly revolutionizing the automobile industry, and until major advances in battery technology are achieved (and there’s nothing on the horizon for the near to mid-term), pure electrics are destined to remain largely a subsidized niche/boutique product for well-heeled greens looking to make a statement, and who never have need take road trips more than a couple of hundred miles from home base.
Speaking of the range issue, Tesla Motors also announced this week that the smallest battery option (of three levels formerly planned) for the Model S will not enter production, due to lack of demand. Only four percent of customers chose the 40 kWh battery pack, which Tesla says is not enough to justify production of that version. Customers are voting with their wallet that they want a car that gives them the freedom to travel long(er) distances when needed.
The customers who have already ordered the 40 kWh option will instead now receive vehicles actually equipped with the larger capacity 60 kWh battery pack, but range will be software limited to 40 kWh. The lower priced version will still have the improved acceleration and top speed enabled by the the bigger pack, so will be a functional upgrade from the performance level originally ordered, and can also be upgraded to the range of the uncrippled 60 kWh capacity at extra cost upon request by the original or a future owner.
Finally, Tesla also revealed a small Easter egg: all 60 kWh cars have been and will be built with Supercharger hardware included. Tesla is taking a slight cost risk that ultimately all customers will want to buy the Supercharger upgrade and receive unlimited, free long distance travel for life. Even for those who never drive long(er) distances, this will improve the resale value of their car to people who do, relatively speaking.
For more information on Tesla Motors and its products, visit www.teslamotors.com.


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Men’s Wearhouse Inc said it would acquire rival Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc for about $1.8 billion, ending a five-month saga that started with Jos. A. Bank offering to buy its larger menswear rival.
The companies, operating in a mature market, have bid and counterbid for each other since October when Jos. A. Bank offered to buy Men’s Wearhouse for about $2.3 billion.
The increased offer price of $65 per share announced on Tuesday is a premium of 5.1 percent to Jos. A. Bank’s Monday closing price. But it is 56 percent more than the stock’s price in October before the merger battle began.
Men’s Wearhouse, which had previously offered $63.50 per share, said the deal would create the fourth-largest men’s apparel retailer in the United States with annual sales of about $3.5 billion.
The company expects to save $100-$150 million annually for three years as a result of the deal.
Men’s Wearhouse shares closed up 4.7 percent at $57.14 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Jos. A. Bank shares closed up 3.9 percent at $64.22 on the Nasdaq.
“It’s a second Christmas for Jos. A. Bank shareholders,” Jerry Reisman, an M&A expert at law firm Reisman Peirez Reisman and Capobianco LLP, told Reuters.
Men’s Wearhouse will be able to close stores duplicated in the same mall, reducing costs in the long term, he said.
Men’s Wearhouse did not mention any plans to close stores in its statement. It, however, said Jos. A. Bank’s store banner will remain in place with no remodeling or rebranding.
“A merger with Men’s Wearhouse was always the likeliest of outcomes, it’s just that Jos A. Bank wanted to extract every penny from its suitor,” said Brian Sozzi, chief executive of Belus Capital Advisors.
Jos. A Bank’s initial offer for Men’s Wearhouse in October came soon after Men’s Wearhouse founder George Zimmer was pushed out of the company by the board of directors.
Men’s Wearhouse rebuffed the offer, which spurred Jos. A. Bank to say it could raise its bid if it was allowed access to its larger rival’s books for due diligence.
Hedge fund Eminence Capital LLC, the largest shareholder of Men’s Wearhouse, then put pressure on the company to engage in merger talks with Jos. A. Bank.
In November, Jos. A. Bank terminated its offer with Men’s Wearhouse. In turn, Men’s Wearhouse struck back at Jos. A. Bank with a $1.5 billion bid that Jos. A Bank turned down.
Men’s Wearhouse then mounted a hostile $1.61 billion bid for Jos. A. Bank with a raised offer of $57.50 per share in January.
In a bid to remain independent, Jos. A Bank later said it would acquire clothing brand Eddie Bauer from private equity firm Golden Gate Capital and would start a share buyback worth $300 million after the deal closed.
Eminence Capital, which has a 4.9 percent stake in Jos. A. Bank, said the acquisition of Eddie Bauer defied logic given that the companies cater to different customers.
It continued to push Jos. A. Bank to start talks with Men’s Wearhouse regarding a merger, which eventually happened earlier in March after Men’s Wearhouse said it would consider a $65 per share offer if its smaller rival opened its books.
As part Tuesday’s deal with Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank said it would terminate its deal to buy Eddie Bauer and would also terminate its tender offer to buy back shares.
“Eminence Capital is happy to see these two great companies coming together, and we congratulate both The Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank on the merger agreement,” said Eminence CEO Ricky Sandler.
Men’s Wearhouse said it expects the deal, which is not conditioned on financing, to be financed with cash and committed debt from BofA Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase Bank.
BofA Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC advised Men’s Wearhouse on the deal, while Willkie Farr & Gallagher are its legal advisers.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Financo LLC advised Jos. A. Bank, while Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Guilfoil Petzall & Shoemake LLC. are its legal advisers.
The combined company will have an interesting first year together, and I expect a few operating stumbles along the way as they integrate antiquated systems,” said Sozzi.
The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014.
Separately, Men’s Wearhouse reported a much wider-than-expected quarterly loss, hurt by increased competition and the severe winter weather.
Chief Executive Doug Ewert said weak consumer spending and a severe winter hurt sales at all its three retail chains – Men’s Wearhouse, Moores and K&G – in December and January. Weather-related store closures and an aggressive promotional retail environment resulted in a traffic decline, he said.
(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale, Olivia Oran and Aditi Shrivastava. Additional reporting by Aditi Shrivastava in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Cynthia Osterman and Joyjeet Das)

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GameStop to close 150 stores
Shares of GameStop slid more than 12% in afternoon trading Friday after the video game retailer reported a drop in fourth-quarter sales and announced plans to close at least 150 of its 7,500 stores worldwide.
GameStop faces increased competition from retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart while more players purchase games digitally — whether on traditional gaming consoles or on their smartphones or tablets.
The video game and consumer electronics retailer's woes are the latest example of a brick-and-mortar retailer impacted by consumers' rush to purchase products online. J.C. Penney and Sears Holding have announced plans to shutter several locations.
GameStop chief financial officer Rob Lloyd says the closures are part of a multi-year strategy launched in 2011 to help serve its customers more efficiently. In some cases, it might mean combining two nearby, profitable stores into one store capable of making a stronger profit. "As we continue the transformation of GameStop, part of our diversification strategy is to rationalize our global store footprint to ensure we have the right mix of stores and merchandise that meets our customers’ needs," says Lloyd.
GameStop's struggles were illustrated by a 13.6% drop in global sales, to $3.05 billion, from a year ago. GameStop blamed weak sales of certain blockbuster video games released during the critical holiday season and "aggressive console promotions" by other retailers.
New hardware sales plunged 29%, while new software sales dropped nearly 20%.
"We encountered stiff headwinds as we completed the third year of the console cycle," GameStop CEO Paul Raines said.
Larry Perkins, CEO and founder of SierraConstellation Partners, said the gaming market follows the path of other specialty retailers in moving toward more diversified offerings.
"Not only are they getting hammered by the online retailers and big box that have an inherent cost advantage through no retail real estate footprint or a much larger footprint that they can leverage with other products, but the movement to mobile-based games is creeping up mightily," Perkins said.
While growth in video games shrinks, GameStop said its Technology Brands business, which includes cellphone retailers such as Spring Mobile, posted a 44% increase in sales during the fourth quarter. GameStop's Collectibles business, which features the apparel retailer ThinkGeek, rose 28% because of strong interest in Pokemon toys and gear.
This year, GameStop plans to open 65 Technology Brand stores and 35 Collectibles stores and will close 2% to 3% of its GameStop stores, which amounts to at least 150 stores.
A potential bright spot for GameStop's gaming business is the launch of the Nintendo Switch this month. Mizuho analyst San Q. Phan said GameStop has indicated "its multiple replenishments since launch have sold out in hours."
Microsoft will introduce a console dubbed Project Scorpio, an upgraded Xbox One which will support native 4K gaming and virtual reality.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.


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Credit China FinTech Holdings Ltd is planning more investments as it aggressively expands beyond its original loans and lease-financing businesses into online payments and peer-to-peer lending.
The company, part of a consortium that offered to buy a stake in Ping An Securities Group Holdings Ltd last month, is in talks with “multiple” financial-services companies based in Asia outside China, said its CEO Phang Yew Kiat in Hong Kong on Feb 1. The Hong Kong-based firm is targeting at least one more acquisition by the end of the first quarter, he said.
“In order to support my bigger growth, I need to add new things,” Phang said. “What’s important is we need to have multiple revenue streams. The firm’s acquisition strategy－which is now focused outside China－has been driven by HK$4.3 billion ($554 million) of funds that it raised over the past three years, Phang said.
In January alone, Credit China unveiled a $30 million investment in San Francisco-based blockchain technology firm BitFury Group Ltd and is part of a group that offered HK$664 million for a stake in Ping An Securities.
Since 2013, Credit China’s investments have focused on financial technology-related markets such as third-party payments and peer-to-peer lending, a strategy that boosted transactions on its online platforms to 92.6 million last year from 1.8 million in 2014, data provided by the company show.
In January 2017, CCF was appointed as a founding member of the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC). During 2016 Credit China expanded into China’smobile payment space through 35% strategic acquisition of Shanghai Jifu, a leading mobile POS services provider. Acquired 48% of Weshare, a leading big data-driven consumer lending provider in China; and 51% of Qiyuan Tianxia, a social and gaming platform.
In August 2016, the Company was renamed as Credit China FinTech Holdings Limited. In November 2016, expanded into Southeast Asia through 51% acquisition of Amigo Technologies, a third party payment and financial services technology provider in Vietnam. In December 2016, led the establishment of the RMB 10 billion Asia FinTech Merger and Acquisition Fund of Funds.
Source: China Daily


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A mother of three living in an Ohio hometown may not care much about United States export policy. She is probably too busy providing for her family: getting her children to the school bus on time, working long hours at the small business she started, and trying to make ends meet.
But U.S. export policy affects Ohioans in small towns, rural areas, and major cities. As the THIRD largest manufacturing state in the country, Ohio has a lot to lose and a great deal to gain from U.S. trade policies.
The International Trade Commission (ITC) recently held a hearing on seamless pipes — the kind used in industrial plants throughout the world — where I testified on behalf of steelworkers in Youngstown and Lorain.
U.S. imports of Chinese seamless tubes and pipes rose from 156,000 tons in 2006 to more than 366,000 tons in 2008 — increasing by more than 100 percent and capturing more than 34 percent of the market in 2008.
This level of imports was unsustainable in the best of conditions. During the economic crisis, the results were horrific. Domestic producers faced a dearth of new orders, and much of the domestic industry was shut down.
As a result, workers in Lorain and Youngstown were idled or laid off. For the small businesses owners who rely on these workers to keep the doors of their sandwich shops open, U.S. trade policies matter, too.
That’s why U.S. workers petitioned the ITC to stand up for our industry against Chinese imports. When workers in other industries — like tires or oil steel tubes filed similar petitions — enforcement measures taken by the Obama administration led to the creation or retention of hundreds of new jobs across our state, almost immediately.
Stronger trade enforcement is essential to saving Ohio jobs. It is also imperative that U.S. trade policies support U.S. companies in the first place.
That’s what I told President Obama at the White House this month when he convened members of the President’s Export Council. He’s laid out an important goal of doubling exports over the next five years. If we’re serious about achieving this, we must crack down on illegal practices by our trading partners that undermine American manufacturing.
Ohio workers can compete with anyone in the world, but when China manipulates its currency or gives unfair subsidies to its industries, that’s not competing — it’s cheating. Promoting the value of exporting to new markets is not going to be enough; vigorous trade enforcement is vital if we are going to achieve this goal. We cannot double exports and create jobs unless we address predatory trade practices — and China’s currency manipulation is at the top of the list of obstacles facing our workers and producers.
What does Chinese currency manipulation mean for Ohio manufacturers? Earlier this week, I urged the ITC to make a decision in favor of American manufacturers of coated paper because currency manipulation is hitting the industry hard. Coated paper — like the glossy paper used as magazine covers — is manufactured in our state. Ohio has major coated paper companies in Miamisburg and Hamilton. Coated paper imports from China and Indonesia, however, are adversely impacting our suppliers. We are at risk of letting our coated paper industry slip away if we continue to allow the anticompetitive practices of foreign companies undermine Ohio companies.
For example, the largest coated paper producer in China — a nation that lacks the natural resources needed to make coated paper — sells its products in the U.S. market at prices drastically lower than U.S. companies. How is that possible when this Chinese company buys its raw materials from other countries, transports the pulp to Asia, and then ships the finished product to the United States? It’s clear that China manipulates the system by manipulating its currency.
As a result, Chinese products imported into the U.S. are at least 40 percent cheaper than their true cost. We cannot afford to sit by idly as China breaks every trade rule at the expense of U.S. companies and U.S. jobs.
It is one thing to talk tough on trade and another to take tough action on trade. If the administration is serious about American manufacturing and boosting exports, we need to be certain that our trading partners play by the same set of rules that we do.


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A wine bar where customers help themselves to dozens of varieties from self-service dispensing machines is opening at Bristol’s Finzels Reach next month.
Up to 64 wines will be on tap at Le Vignoble, with the selection changed monthly, after city councillors granted a premises licence on Thursday (September 20) despite neighbours’ concerns about late-night noise and disturbance.
Company founder Yannick Loué, who says he is on a mission to take the snobbery out of wine-tasting, told licensing sub-committee members that the premises would not be operated as a nightclub despite the application seeking consent for live and recorded music alongside alcohol sales.
He said: “We are a wine retailer, wine lounge and are about wine education, so it is more upmarket.
“Our primary business is wine — it is my passion, wine is our baby — and we are not going to trade as a club.”
Mr Loué said that while a DJ would be booked occasionally, it was for background music to help the ambience.
“There is no dancefloor. We want people to have a discussion, so we do not want a level of noise where you cannot hear yourself.
“We will be bringing something different, new and fresh to Bristol.”
Members heard the council’s pollution control, health & safety, trading standards and licensing teams had all made representations, as well as the police, but had subsequently agreed conditions with family-owned Le Vignoble, which is French for “the vineyard”.
Mr Loué said: “We have met with all the authorities, addressed any concerns anybody had and came to an agreement to make sure everybody was happy.”
He said he had agreed to a request from pollution control that if noise from the bar became unacceptable, a noise limiter would be installed.
Asked by the panel how he would ensure customers helping themselves to alcohol would be supervised, he said: “They are given a card, like a credit card, to top up at the bar and the team will be with them to manage what is going on, so we will not just let them loose.”
One neighbour said she feared a downmarket pub chain bringing rowdy drinkers could move in if Le Vignoble was granted a premises licence but later closed down.
In response, sub-committee members imposed an additional condition that the establishment must remain primarily a wine lounge.
The bar, which has a seating capacity for 100 people and is set to open at the end of October, will serve alcohol until midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Wine is sold in tasting 25cl glasses, medium or large glass and customers can either pre-pay for their wines on a free membership card or pay at the end of their evening.
French tapas-style food will be served, including cheese and meat platters imported from Paris, alongside several traditional hot dishes, while craft beers and ciders sourced from the South West are available.
Le Vignoble will be based on the ground floor of the historic Fermentation Buildings.
It launched in Plymouth seven years ago and opened its second outlet in Bath last year.
After the hearing, Mr Loué said: “There is so much snobbery in the wine world, I really wanted to make the wine-tasting process accessible to everyone.
“Our self-serve dispensers enable people to try a small glass without having to buy a whole bottle so it is a great way to explore and discover new wines.”
He said experts would be on hand to help customers discover more varieties based on what they currently enjoyed.
For the latest news in and around Bristol, check back on Bristol Live's homepage.


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- Ford EcoSport SE variant will be launched in India in the second week of March
- The model is based on the EcoSport S variant; sans a tail-gate mounted spare wheel
Ford Motor Company is set to launch the EcoSport SE variant in India soon. Ahead of the model’s launch later this week, the American brand has teased the new variant of the compact SUV.
As seen in the teaser image, the new variant will be called the Ford EcoSport SE, and will be based on the S variant of the model. The teaser image reveals that Ford has dropped the tail-gate mounted spare tyre, and the rear profile gets a revised design in the form of a tail-gate mounted number plate recess, a chrome garnish, and a faux skid plate.
Ford India is yet to confirm any other changes to the 2021 EcoSport SE, however, the model is likely to come equipped with a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and a puncture repair kit, in lieu of the model missing out on the spare wheel. Engine options might be carried over from the standard variant, which currently includes the range of 1.5-litre petrol and diesel motors.


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Squids are no longer what lies beneath in Minecraft.
If you’ve been battling mobs on land in the Minecraft universe and thinking you’d be safe in the water, then think again. Lead developer Jens Bergensten has revealed that he is currently developing a new mob for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of the game – one that will live underwater.
Bergensten has stated that it isn’t a shark, that it was “going to be nasty, but currently doesn’t do much” and really, that’s pretty much it. A Reddit user crafted an image of what the monster could look like (seen above) but we’ll only know for sure when Mojang comes out and confirms it.
Currently, Minecraft on the Xbox One and PS4 are expected in the coming months and will allow players to transfer their worlds from previous generation versions to current gen. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments below what you think and also what the underwater mob could be like.


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The company, based here, posted second-quarter revenue of $83.6 million, down 24.7% year-over-year and around $6.4 million above the average analyst estimate. Revenue from products fell 28.9% compared to the prior year period to $72.4 million. Revenue from services increased 23.3% to $11.2 million.
On a per-share basis, the smart connected camera-maker reported a loss of 45 cents. Losses, adjusted for stock option expense and non-recurring costs, came to 36 cents per share.
The results topped Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 43 cents per share.
The company posted revenue of $83.6 million in the period. For the fiscal third quarter ending in October, Arlo is forecasting results that range from a loss of 43 cents per share to a loss of 37 cents per share.
The company said it expects revenue in the range of $95 million to $105 million for the fiscal third quarter.
Arlo said it shipped approximately 933,000 devices and added around 271,000 register users to the Arlo platform during the second quarter. At the end of the quarter the company had approximately 3.4 million registered users, an increase of 54.1% from a year ago.
“Growing our registered user base is critical to growing our recurring subscription business, which we believe will help improve both our margins and revenue predictability,” Arlo CFO Christine Gorjanc said Tuesday during an earnings call.
The company expects improved channel inventory levels, along with new product launches, will help increase revenue in the second half of the year. Channel inventory is said to now be in line with historical norms. The company said this allowed it to continue its progress on the top line, achieving 44% sequential growth.
During the call, the company pre-announced a new core camera product capable of 2K resolution that is expected to launch in the second half of this year. Arlo CEO Matthew McRae said it will be set at a price point that will achieve a new benchmark for price performance and appeal to a broad market.
Also in the back half of 2019 the company expects to launch a video doorbell, which was previously announced at ISC West 2019. The device is said to include several differentiating features and integrates into the full Arlo ecosystem.
Along with the new products, McRae said the company “is innovating in the areas of software-as-a-service (SaaS) and user experience. Upcoming updates and new features include geo-fencing improvements, variable notification mute, performance enhancements, smoke and CO2 alarm detection and additional security features.
The company also announced HomeKit, Apple’s smart home platform, is now supported on Arlo Pro and Arlo Pro 2 Security Camera Systems, allowing functionality through the Apple Home app and Siri voice commands.
The post Arlo Beats Q2 Estimates Amid Steep YoY Decline in Revenue, Earnings appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.


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Care@Home™ shortlisted for the Meffys Awards in the mHealth category
In Essence we keep sharing the good news. If just a few days ago WeR@Home™ was awarded European Consumer Choice 2014, now the turn is for another of our products to be in the spotlight. Care@Home™ has been shortlisted as one of the 5 finalists to the 11th Meffys Awards, in the mHealth category.
Meffys is a prestigious award given to innovative companies that utilize the mobile network to improve quality of life. These awards are granted by the MEF Global Forum, the global community for mobile content and commerce, and are meant for measuring success and rewarding innovation across the mobile ecosystem. Upon including us among the finalists, they have acknowledged the innovative character of our Smart Care solution that enables people to enjoy to comfort of aging at home with full confidence and peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones.
The Meffys, which this year have attracted over 250 entries from 30 countries across the 13 award categories, are judged by an independent panel of 40 journalists, academics, analysts and VCs from around the globe. New categories for 2014 include mHealth, Education and Big Data, demonstrating the diversity of the mobile content and commerce landscape as it continues to expand across new market sectors in both growing and established markets.
2014 Meffys winners will be unveiled in San Francisco on 19th November at a glittering gala dinner co-located with MEFs annual conference, MEF Global Forum 2014 which takes place at The Westin San Francisco Market Street on 17th to the 19th November.
Rimma Perelmuter, MEFs CEO said: “Building on their heritage as the established barometer for showcasing innovation and mobile excellence, the Meffys provide a unique window into the mobile trends and success stories transforming consumers lives around the world. We are particularly delighted to see strong representation in the new award categories of mHealth, Education and Big Data. This year’s record number of entries truly demonstrate the power of the mobile to deliver a broad range of pioneering products and services which entertain, educate and empower consumers”.


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Baltimore Sun: Sales of Luxury Goods Are Up After Recession
In a recent Baltimore Sun article analyzing the increase in sales surrounding luxury items, TD&A Principal Rene F. Daniel was featured when discussing why many luxury retailers are now choosing to expand their brand to include stores at major shopping centers instead of at smaller, more local locations:
Locally, Towson Town Center has had success attracting high-end stores in part because the owner, General Growth Properties, manages many shopping centers and can work out leasing deals across several outlets, said Rene F. Daniel, a principal with commercial real estate brokerage Trout Daniel & Associates in Baltimore.
General Growth has 135 malls nationwide, including Mondawmin Mall in Northwest Baltimore and Harborplace and The Gallery at the Inner Harbor. Along with Towson Town Center, its luxury malls include Tysons Galleria in Northern Virginia, Glendale Galleria in Los Angeles and Water Tower Place in Chicago.
Leveraging multiple markets gives malls such as Towson Town Center an advantage over smaller shopping center companies and downtown rentals that are run by local companies, Daniel said. Harbor East, for instance, might have more difficulty drawing luxury brands because the buildings’ owners do not offer a national presence, he said.
To read the complete Baltimore Sun article published on June 22, 2012, click here.


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By Craig Day, The News On 6
TULSA, OK -- A drive is underway to send shoes to kids in Iraq. A Tulsa-based organization hopes when you're shopping for back-to-school, you'll pick up something extra to send to children half a world away.
In a dozen trips to war-torn Iraq, with all the experiences and memories, one thing stuck with Terry Law: the children.
"We were going through Iraq constantly and I noticed children never had shoes in the major cities. They would have maybe flip flops on their feet or maybe bare feet," said Terry Law with World Compassion Ministries.
So, for the past three years, Law's Tulsa-based World Compassion Ministry has been sending children's shoes to Iraq. The latest shipment will be delivered to the country's northern Kurdish region.
"We've got 10,000 shoes right now in Iraq, and 10,000 Bibles," said Terry Law with World Compassion Ministries.
At the end of the month, the group will distribute the shoes along with copies of the Bible printed in Arabic and Kurdish.
"We've spent a lot of money on bombs and guns and everything else we've sent to Iraq. And, I kind of have a feeling that a pair of shoes for a child that's been traumatized could be a whole lot better gift to give Iraq," said Terry Law with World Compassion Ministries.
In three years since the program began, the group has sent 34,000 pairs of shoes to Iraqi children.
A drive is underway at area Payless Shoe Stores to get even more shoes.
"We'll go to villages that have never seen Americans or know anything about us, and there is a certain amount of danger involved, but it's a tremendous thing to see the faces of those kids when they put on the shoes," said Terry Law with World Compassion Ministries.
Law says the program is a unique way to open doors, spread goodwill and the gospel.
World Compassion will have shoe drop-off centers set up Thursday night at River Walk Crossing in Jenks.


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With InternetRetailing (IRX ) and eDelivery (EDX) 2018 both starting tomorrow I’ll be looking out for some of the technological innovations that are predicted to revolutionise the retail market.
Some savvy retailers are already embracing emerging technology as a way to maximise engagement and drive traffic. Whereas, others are seeing a waning footfall in brick-and-mortar stores due to their refusal to invest in technology as part of their overall business strategy.
With the footfall slipping, new Fujitsu researchs reveals that digital really does hold the key – and customers really want it. In fact, almost half (46%) of British consumers reveal that augmented reality (AR) will positively impact retain sector and virtual reality (VR) close behind (22%), according to the same body of research.
This year, a whole day will be dedicated to conference track under the theme Innovation & the Future which will zoom into four of the key innovations that are making the most impact on retail including artificial intelligence, augmented/virtual reality, IoT and voice activation. Below are the keynote address’ I’m looking forward to discovering the latest developments in the field of technology.
Voice-activated shopping and search: getting beyond the hype
A conference track about the future place of voice-assisted devices in the retail field will begin on Wednesday, March 21 on 9:30 in Theatre 2. Paul Wilkinson, head of technology research and open innovation at Tesco Labs will take the lead to evaluate the real impact of voice search in the shopping landscape. Wilkinson then will assess how Google Home and Amazon Echo are changing the shopping game through voice activation and consider how retailers should develop their websites to capitalise on voice technology and what partners they need for this endeavour.
How will search innovation be optimised and personalised in the future to reflect changing customer needs?
I’ll be heading down to absorb insights from a keynote presentation by Markus Stripf, co-founder & chief executive officer at Spoon Guru where he’ll be discussing the lastest trends in the industry: AI and personalisation. Stripf will be evaluating the impact of AI on hyper-personalisation and tailored customer choice to understand what omnichannel could look like for the modern, multi-preference customer. He will also consider how smart retail technology can simplify shopping processes, improve customer engagement, drive sales and strengthen brand loyalty. The keynote address will take place on March 21, at 13:15 at Theatre 2.
Assessing what artificial intelligence really means for ecommerce and how it can improve sales, customer engagement and delivery
Retailers’ that are curious to know how they can build an AI strategy that delivers sales, customer engagement and improved delivery must attend this closing keynote track, taking place March 21, 15:05 at Theatre 2. In fact, Alex Murray, director ecommerce at Lidl UK will help retailers in this endeavour by drawing together the current limitations of AI in a retail context so retailers’ will have an idea of how to experiment with this technology in a smart and cost-effective way.
InternetrRetailing Expo (IRX) eDelivery Expo (EDX) 2018 is Europe’s only dedicated fulfilment event covering (S.O.L.D) – Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics and Delivery for multichannel retail takes place on 21-22 March in in Birmingham.
To find out more and to register free for InternetRetailing Expo and eDelivery Expo, visit internetretailingexpo.com. Get involved on Twitter by following @etailexpo and with the hashtags #IRX18 #EDX18.


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Coil, a venture launched by the creator of Interledger Protocol [ILP], Stefan Thomas, is being tested for monetization by Mozilla’s senior developer David Walsh. Coil makes use of ILP and XRP to monetize creators and put an end to ad-based monetization by mainly helping content creators while allowing the consumers to access content online easy.
— Coil (@Coil) May 22, 2019
Since XRP can better handle micropayments, Coil is using it to get work around the ad-based revenue model. A blog by Coil previously stated:“One of the reasons the ad-supported model is still so dominant is because payments technology wasn’t ready yet. Each payment currently requires multiple steps just to authorize it, let alone signing up with different merchants. We’ve worked with Microsoft, Google, Mozilla, and others to create the W3C Web Payments Request API that has been rolling out to billions of iOS and Android devices but we can go so much further.”
Moreover, with XRP and ILP, Coil can process a “trillion” transactions per second without any central authority. Stefan Thomas, the inventor of ILP and creator of Coil said:“Instead of building yet another proprietary platform, Coil will be the first company to pay out to any website using Web Monetization, a new standard for how browsers can pay websites using Interledger.”


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Colorworks recently provided post production services for Fresh Guacamole, an animated short from writer/director PES that was recently short-listed for Academy Award consideration.
JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., recently announced a firmware upgrade for the GY-HM600, its next-generation handheld ProHD camera.
Kodak is making its Kodak VISION3 50D Color Negative Film 7203 available in the Super 8 mm format. This fine-grained, daylight-balanced stock, available in January, gives filmmakers more options and flexibility for shooting on location.
Loyalkaspar Adds Creative Director Darryl Mascarenhas; Scares Up Co-Branded Assignment For AMC’s The Walking Dead And Windows 8
Darryl Mascarenhas has joined Loyalkaspar, the entertainment branding agency led by David Herbruck and Beat Baudenbacher, as the company's new creative director.
Sound Devices has released a major upgrade to the PIX 240 and PIX 240i Production Video Recorders. This new update, available for all PIX customers free of charge, offers Apple ProRes 4444 recording from video sources over 3G-SDI (4:4:4 RGB or YCbCr).


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New York Sports Club is not hip.
Sinewy models don't decorate the stair climbers in its health clubs. Downtown types don't sport NYSC logos across their hot pants and tank tops.
"We're just fitness," says Robert Giardina, president of Town Sports International, NYSC's parent. "We stick with the fundamentals."
Although its clubs may be plain compared with those of the city's other leading players, TSI's neighborhood saturation strategy makes it anything but ordinary. Over the past several years, the company has become the Duane Reade of fitness, with nearly 30 locations in Manhattan alone.
Backed with $130 million in bond financing and a strong corporate management structure, TSI's goal is to be a national fitness club chain-and become a public company along the way.
TSI recently began to muscle its way along the Northeast corridor, spawning the Boston Sports Club, Washington Sports Club and Philadelphia Sports Club, bringing its total empire to more than 90 locations. It also launched a bold new TV ad campaign-a first for the 25-year-old company.
But TSI isn't the only fitness club chain building its physique. Crunch Fitness and Equinox Fitness are colorful local players with national reputations, and they each have ambitious expansion plans of their own.
Crunch, though only a 20-club chain, is well-known among the MTV set. The company has a line of clothing sold nationwide and a Crunch fitness show targeted at Generation X-ers, which airs regularly on ESPN2. Crunch is leveraging its brand recognition by edging into major markets, such as Chicago and Atlanta, with membership rates that are comparable to NYSC's at about $75 a month.
Equinox, priced about 35% higher than NYSC, enjoys a reputation as the club of choice for models, actors and other beautiful people. Its well-appointed sites feature extensive spa services, cafes and branded vitamin supplements. Meanwhile, the club and its roster of trainers-to-the-stars are the frequent subjects of articles in Us, Elle and other magazines. It is extending its upscale reach into tony areas in and around New York, including Manhasset and Scarsdale.
"New Yorkers are a very upscale and discriminating breed and want a high level of service," says Harvey Spevak, Equinox's chief operating officer. "We offer them the full complement of services and programming."
Discriminating tastes aside, Mr. Giardina is convinced that plain vanilla has its place in the fitness world. "There are people who want to be a part of an 'in' scene when they work out," he says, noting that celebrities like John F. Kennedy Jr. and George Stephanopoulos quietly work out at NYSC. "Then there are those people who want to get a good, sound, convenient workout and get on with their lives. That's our market."
All three New York companies are out to grab a bigger share of the rapidly growing $9.6 billion fitness club market. Exercise today is less a preoccupation for dating singles and more a lifestyle for men and women of all ages.
One of the biggest new markets in fitness comprises aging baby boomers. Many are relative newcomers to exercise who are joining gyms in droves in an effort to stave off hypertension, arthritis and other ailments.
Demand for the basics
If they remain committed to the cause, there may indeed be increasing demand for convenient, basic health clubs.
"There's room for all the strong players, because the market is booming," says Alexa Willson, president of Mille Capital, an investment banking firm with a specialty in the fitness club industry. "The consumer is more open to a variety of concepts."
By saturating each area it enters, TSI aims to offer its members a club within five blocks of work and home.
While the clubs are clean and outfitted with top equipment, TSI is never among the first to adopt new trends, such as bike spinning and boxing. Instead, the company waits to see which new programs its members request.
To further broaden its appeal, TSI offers a no-commitment plan -the only leading club in the area to do so. Instead of signing a yearlong agreement, members can cancel at any time.
TSI believes it has the infrastructure in place to spread out nationally. The company recently bolstered its management ranks with executives from PepsiCo and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
In its quest to become the Gap of fitness clubs, TSI has realized it needs to heighten its image. That's why, in one of its riskiest moves to date, the company turned to Lowe & Partners to create a lighthearted image-advertising campaign to capture New York's attention.
The TV spots, which began running in January, have garnered attention-but not all of it positive. In one ad, after popping a performance-enhancing pill, an elderly man and his wife peek under the sheet and stare in astonishment at the results. A voiceover then intones, "Too bad there's no pill to make the rest of your body hard. New York Sports Club. There's a million reasons to join."
Some people thought the spot went too far. In fact, a local news station devoted an entire segment to it. But Mr. Giardina makes no apologies, noting that the racy ad ran only on late-night television.
"We needed to get our personality across," says Mr. Giardina, who at fortysomething exercises daily and has the physique of someone 10 years his junior. "We're a place for everybody, because we don't take ourselves too seriously."


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A fashion show featuring fashion icons is happening in Portland this weekend, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to buy some fashion from local stores, a free fashion show at a local mall, and a chance to catch up on the latest trends in fashion.
“We have some great brands that have been around for a while,” said Krista Fadler, executive director of Portland Fashion Designers and Outfits.
“It’s kind of like free fashion.
You can do anything you want, but the best part is you can still get your clothes.”
For many of the designers and designers of Portland, free fashion is something they’ve been doing for years.
The show is hosted by Krista and her team at FreeStyle, an organization founded by the fashion designer and fashion entrepreneur Rachel Westmoreland, who founded the FreeStyle Fashion Network.
It’s a new platform for fashion designers, but Westmorel said she believes it’s the first one she’s seen to actually have an actual store that’s open to the public.
Portland Fashion Designer Rachel West is one of many designers and brands participating in the FreeStyles fashion show.
(Photo: FreeStyle)The idea for the show came from Westmoreli, who was inspired by a similar program that had started in Los Angeles, where designers and stylists had the opportunity to come to their favorite retail stores and work for free.
Westmorel, a Portland native, was inspired to create a similar model in her hometown of Portland in 2013.
Since then, Portland Fashion Designer Rachel West has seen an increase in interest in the concept of a free style show, which she said can help promote Portland’s creative community and encourage creative and artistic expression.
There are a lot of free fashion shows in Portland, but this one is definitely the most important, Westmoreeld said.
It’s the perfect way to get people in the creative industry involved in Portland.
Westmorelda said the free style event in Portland is different than other events because the designers can actually shop in the stores and have a real-world experience shopping for their clothes.
The FreeStyle show is scheduled to take place from June 19 to June 22.
FreeStyle will host an online event for attendees that will include the opportunity for designers to show off their creations.
Westmorelia said the event will feature a variety of fashion from some of Portland’s most renowned designers, including Lauren Conrad, who has designs for brands including Gap, Banana Republic, and Zara.
West said FreeStyle will also showcase some of the latest in fashion trends.
For example, the Free Style show will feature the designer Marc Jacobs, who recently made headlines for wearing a pair of Nike sneakers in an image that has been widely shared on social media.
West says she’s thrilled that the designer will be coming to the Portland area.
“Marc Jacobs is a brand I know and love and I’m excited to see him show up in Portland,” Westmorelia added.
“It’s always exciting to see a fashion designer show up here and to be able to show him something he likes.”
The FreeStyLES fashion show will be at the New Seasons at Portland Mall on the corner of South and Saginaw streets, and will begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 1:00 p.m., according to FreeStyle.
The event is free and open to everyone who is 18 or older.
For more information, visit www.freestyle.com.
Read or Share this story: https://www.oregonian.com/news/business/fashion/2017/06/05/fashion-show-couples-free-style-show/89173675/


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Google goes after Slack with revamped Hangouts
NEW YORK—Google wants business users to hang out rather than be a slackers.
On Thursday, Google split its Hangouts app into two: a video chat service called Hangouts Meet, and a team-oriented messaging service known as Hangouts Chat.
The latter is similar to the service Google obviously has in its crosshairs, Slack. And Google is also determined to beat another rival Microsoft, which next week launches its own enterprise-oriented chat space called Teams, which is integrated into Microsoft Office 365.
Google has been trying to woo enterprise customers to an Office 365 competitor, G Suite, the company’s own collection of cloud-based workplace-oriented apps. G Suite packages start at $5 per month.
Employees or customers wanting to join a videoconference in Hangouts Meet can click on a shared link inside Google Calendar or in email. They can also dial into a designated number. No plug-in is required. Google says such video conferences can accommodate as many as 30 people.
In a Google blog post announcing Hangouts Meet, Braintree executive Jerome Knapp called it “frictionless” video conferencing. “It’s an antidote to the (video conferencing) fatigue that’s stopped my users and executives from taking full advantage of other systems.” Braintree, which is part of PayPal, has been testing Meet for three months.
The other half of the Hangouts spin-off is Chat, which shares much in common with Slack, notably how participants can create and enter virtual rooms dedicated to specific teams or projects. Inside, users can share content from the likes of Google Docs and Google Drive, as well as view pictures and videos. Conversations are threaded to make them easier to follow.
Hangouts Chat also includes an intelligent “@meet” bot which uses machine learning to automatically schedule a team meeting based on everyone’s availability through the Google Calendar.
And Google is reaching out to third party partners such as Asana, Box, Prosperworks and Zendesk to help build out the Hangouts Chat platform.
Hangouts Meet is generally available now, Google says, though it will gradually roll out to all G Suite customers over the next few weeks. Hangouts Chat is available to G Suite customers to try if they apply through an “early adopter program" in which they're willing to give feedback.
Speaking of feedback, it will be interesting to see if splitting Hangouts into two is embraced by or confuses customers.


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Sale Date Ended
On behalf of Helios, Indian Institute of Technology as the host of this championship, it gives us great pleasure to introduce NADC 2015, A National Android Developer Challenge to be held in March 2015. NADC 2015 is sponsored & funded by India's leaders in Android education company, ARK Technosolutions – Mumbai. NADC 2015 will bring students from all over the country together to participate in the celebration of knowledge and creative extravagance along with experts from the fields of academic as well as industry. It hosts various challenging events based on Android Development, Model Exhibition, Astronomy, Android, general awareness and many more. With technological innovation scaling new heights, NADC 2015 promises to keep a tab on the advancements and stay in sync with the mood of the times. With the introduction of several new events, and old ones remodeled, NADC 2015, is all set to create a new benchmark.
This year we are organizing NADC 2015 a National Level Android Championship in association with our partner official Android Partner ARK Technosolutions – Mumbai. We are organizing Zonal Rounds of NADC 2015 in total 100 Colleges all across India.


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Just desserts for Marks & Spencer food
A sphere of Belgian chocolate with a splodge of orange goo in the centre became the fastest-selling dessert in Marks & Spencer’s history last Christmas. The company sold 170,000 “jaffa spheres” in six weeks, when it put them on sale over the festive season.
It was one of 1,700 new products in Marks & Spencer food halls that helped the company to ride out a fiercely competitive year for supermarkets.
“Once again, M&S’s strength in food has shone a light in the dark,” Anusha Couttigane, a retail analyst at Conlumino, said. “In food, M&S continues to outperform, both at home and abroad.”
The company has delivered 22 consecutive quarters of like-for-like growth in food and appears to be winning customers from Waitrose at the upmarket


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We've just passed the latest earnings season, and like every earnings season, this one left numerous dividend raises in its wake.
Dividends are excellent, excellent sources of passive income. By buying 1,000 shares apiece of recent raisers -- and Dividend Kings -- PepsiCo (PEP 1.18%) and Stanley Black & Decker (SWK -0.94%), you could reap $7,800 over the next 12 months without lifting a finger. Now, that requires some outlay, as the former company is currently trading at nearly $181 per share and the latter almost $103. But, like with any investing, it's not hard to begin small and amass larger holdings over time.
Meanwhile, since we're still some distance from the ex-dividend dates of both these companies, there's plenty of time to take advantage of the two hikes.
Although its near-namesake soda is the product most readily identified with PepsiCo, the company is also a powerhouse in the snacks category. The longtime slinger of munchies like Ruffles potato chips, Doritos, and Quaker Oats offers a powerful one-two punch in both the beverages and snacks category -- powerful enough to declare a dividend raise every year. The 2022 edition is a 7% bump to $1.15.
Remember the New Coke debacle? The disastrous experience Coca-Cola had with changing the formula of its flagship drink in 1985 shows that consumers don't like much adjustment to their beloved comfort foods and liquids. So there's very little innovation necessary for goods like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Quaker, etc.; PepsiCo will occasionally roll out a new flavor, but that's as far as it usually goes.
This makes the company a monster cash cow, as it only requires relatively modest ad/marketing spend to keep itself competitive in each of its two segments. Net margins are high for the food and beverage industry (at or around 10% in recent years), as is free cash flow (FCF). On an annual basis, the latter is approaching $7 billion these days, leaving plenty of room for those constant dividend hikes.
Cash-rich, consistently profitable, and consistent with its yearly dividend raise, in many ways, PepsiCo is a model dividend stock for income investors. The company's latest dividend raise kicks in with the quarterly payout that'll be distributed on Sept. 30 to investors of record as of Sept. 2. At the most recent closing share price, this would yield 2.6%.
2. Stanley Black & Decker
A higher yield compensates for a bit more risk associated with veteran toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker. After a long bull run, the U.S. housing market, always a driver for the company, is looking a bit wobbly these days.
Yet even though Stanley Black & Decker has struggled lately, a swoon in its stock price is making it look extremely attractive. Compounding this, last month the company declared yet another dividend raise, upping its quarterly payout by 1%.
That's not a beefy number, but this is a company that needs to be cautious in the current environment. The winds are already blowing -- both revenue and profitability were down substantially on a year-over-year basis in the company's second quarter and didn't meet the average analyst estimates. Also, the latest guidance cut was deep.
Still, the company is still doggedly clawing for success and, in some respects, actually doing rather well. In that quarter, thanks to some smart acquisitions, it managed to grow its revenue by 16% year over year.
Meanwhile, Stanley Black & Decker has an enviable history of reliably delivering bottom-line profits -- even if these can sink in down cycles. It also pays a dividend that is typically small compared to the FCF it tends to reap, although, like other metrics, FCF has sagged of late.
I firmly believe that Stanley Black & Decker will recover as it has in the past, and its stock has a fine chance of swinging well higher on the next upcycle. As mentioned, I also very much like the company's yield with its new dividend raise; at the current stock price, it's 3.2%.
The raised dividend will be handed out on Sept. 20 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 6.


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Romania is set to reach the bilateral trade target of 10 bln US dollars with Turkey, compared to nearly 7 bln US dollars at the end of 2018, Minister for the Business Milieu, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Stefan Oprea told a Romania – Turkey business forum on Friday.
Oprea pointed out that Turkey is a strategic partner to Romania, its most important non-EU trade partner.
“The dynamics of the world economy invites us to capitalize at a faster pace on the opportunities created by the economies of our states, in conjunction with our geographical position. We aim to attain the $10-bln mark in bilateral trade, based on the political signal given at the October 2018 meeting of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila with President Recep Erdogan. We want to reach this goal while keeping an even trade balance. The volume of commercial exchanges was near 7 billion US dollars at the end of 2018,” Oprea said.
He mentioned that the main fields of interest for Romanian business people in Turkey are energy and energy equipment, petrochemistry, household appliances, automotive components, rolling stock, the food industry, building materials and tourism.
There are 15,433 companies with Turkish capital in Romania, with a paid-in capital of 516 million euro, while direct Turkish investments amount to 520 million euro.
PM Dancila hails trend of bilateral economic relations in meeting with Turkish Trade Minister Pekcan
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila had a meeting with Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan on Friday, who is on a visit to our country, an occasion to highlight the importance of capitalizing on the growth potential of the bilateral trade, reads a Government’s press release.
Dancila welcomed the evolution of the bilateral economic relationship and the common interest in dynamizing the trade exchanges, which are on an ascending trend.
At the same time, the Prime Minister expressed her satisfaction with the joint decision to organize in the near future the meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation, as well as with the signing, together with the Romanian Minister of Business Milieu, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Stefan-Radu Oprea, of the regulation on the organization of a bilateral dialogue mechanism with the participation of the business milieu.
“At the same time, she stressed the importance of the technical dialogue to ensure the efficiency of the commercial activity between the business operators and drawing investments”, informs the Government.


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Despite Pandora’s significant market position in the internet music streaming business, it didn't take long for analysts to start digging its grave. The anticipation of the company's morbid fate was the result of rumors that surfaced last month that Apple was planning to encroach on Pandora's territory. As expected, investors panicked – sending shares down by as much as 17%. This was before Apple had even confirmed the rumor.
What the market understands is that Apple does not play to lose. So with shares of Pandora bouncing 7% higher on Thursday, investors rightfully asked, what has changed? Not a whole lot.
Instead, the stock is trading higher on a report from comScore’s audience measurement system, which suggest that Pandora is moving up in its rankings. The report tracks traffic from mobile devices, online video; assess website demographics as well as taking into account the size of the audience. In September Pandora’s offerings ranked 23rd across all platforms.
However, I question the justification for the stock’s sudden bullish performance and wonder why a 7% jump makes sense. What do investors know today about Pandora that was not already known last week? Investors were also encouraged by a bullish note from Michael Graham of Cannaccord. Not only did Graham reiterate his buy rating on the company, but he also set a $16 price target. I have an incredible amount of respect for Graham. However, I think he's wrong on this call.
Essentially, Graham believes that Pandora shares can double from current levels – suggesting that Apple’s threat is already reflected into the stock. I disagree. Although the stock has recovered nicely since the Apple rumors surfaced, it’s highly premature to suggest that the “threat is priced in.”
What's more, there are now reports suggesting that Apple might announce the arrival of its music service as early as January when it reports on its fiscal first-quarter. It stands to reason that if Pandora’s stock could drop by 17% only on the rumor, shares might also be punished when the news is confirmed.
Also, investors should not discount what other news Apple might announce in terms of features, advertising revenue and subscriber access. In other words, with the model not fully known it’s too risky to suggest that Pandora is out of the woods just yet, especially since rival Sirius XM continues to execute as well as it has.
With Apple’s dominance in mobile devices coupled with its advantage with iTunes, it’s hard to imagine another company better positioned to make this work. Nonetheless, I'm willing to concede that Apple’s true impact on Pandora’s business might not be known until both companies have had a chance to execute their models for one or two full quarters. For now, the best way to play Pandora's stock is on "low volume" and to not overreact.


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St. Louis ranks 9th among US cities selling the most to China
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St. Louis ranks ninth among U.S. cities that exported the most to China last year, at $2 billion, 24/7WallSt reports.
In fact, 16 percent of the metro area’s total exports go to China, and the St. Louis metro area’s biggest export to China is chemical manufacturing, according to U.S. Department of Commerce figures.
Since 2005, China has become the largest foreign recipient of St. Louis’ products, with nearly $2 billion of the metro area’s total $12.3 billion in exports sent to China.
Last year, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed a $200 million trade agreement with the government of Zhejiang Province, which included $100 million in export opportunities and another $100 million in direct investment by the Chinese into Missouri businesses, according to 24/7WallSt.
Los Angeles-LongBeach-Santa Ana, Calif ranked first on the list with $8 billion in exports to China, followed by New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Wash.
Former U.S. Sen. Kit Bond and the World Trade Center St. Louis are planning a trade delegation trip to China in December, the most recent in a string of efforts to deepen the region’s ties with China, the world’s fastest-growing large economy and Missouri’s third largest export market.
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The Ford Motor Company said Friday that it would distribute $635 million to its United States employees in what it said was the largest profit-sharing payout ever made by an American company.
About 160,000 workers who are eligible will receive an average of $3,700 each, up from last year's record $2,100, the company said.
Skilled workers with substantial overtime could receive as much as $5,000, said Tom Foote, a Ford spokesman.
''Over all, it's larger than most people expected,'' he said.
Last Thursday, the company reported a net income of $4.6 billion for 1987, the largest ever for an American automobile manufacturer.
The General Motors Corporation, which earned $3.6 billion in 1987, offered no profit-sharing payments for the second consecutive year. The Chrysler Corporation's labor contract discontinued profit-sharing some years ago.Continue reading the main story


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By now, news has probably reached you that dental labs are included in the new FDA medical device registration requirements. Itâs difficult to comprehend its complexity but the one thing lab owners understand is that the new fees are $2575 annually, beginning this month.
Donât miss an important presentation about this and the other legislative issues that are challenging our evolving business landscape. The NADLâs Eric Thorn, Esq. will share his inside knowledge of these issues at our CAD/CAM Expo in November. Register online now for a discounted price: www.dloac.org/cadcamexpo


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Seppeltsfield are ‘painting the iconic Barossa village pink’, in an effort to support Australian Breast Cancer Research (ABCR) throughout October, in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Based on the inaugural success of #MoscatoMission last year – with Seppeltsfield Wines donating $10,317 to ABCR, this year they are taking it to the next level, broadening the charitable initiative across its ‘village’ partners.
In addition to the winery again donating 50% of all sales made for the month of October of its (aptly pink) 2019 Barossa Moscato, the estate will be beaming with pink lights and from the Cellar Door, you can purchase a pink ribbon to tie around one of the many iconic palm trees on site – in memory of a loved one.
FINO will be serving a special #MoscatoMission Cocktail and the estate’s most recent addition, Vasse Virgin will release a special ‘bath boobs’ gift pack, comprising of olive oil soaps handcrafted on site. JamFactory will have a collection of pink craft and design on offer, and Segway Sensation SA, who pop-up at Seppeltsfield on weekends, will dress the Segway’s appropriately with pink ribbons, with all part proceeds going to ABCR. The Seppeltsfield fountain in the courtyard will be filled with pink floating flowers for those wishing to place a ‘gold coin’ donation.
Managing Director, Steven Trigg, Seppeltsfield Wines said “We are proud to continue to support ABCR, a fellow South Australian based not-for-profit, striving for a future free from breast cancer. Given the momentum of #MoscatoMission at Seppeltsfield last year, it was an obvious choice”.
“Sadly, several of our employees, their families and Seppeltsfield village partner staff have been directly affected by breast cancer, including survivor Samantha Foreman, General Manager at Vasse Virgin, so we are working together to do what it takes to support this wonderful cause”.
Group Chief Executive Officer Paul Flynn, Australian Breast Cancer Research (ABCR), part of The Hospital Research Foundation Group said, ‘We are thrilled to be chosen as the beneficiary of Seppeltsfield’s #MoscatoMission once again this year so that, together, we can contribute to fight for breast cancer research”.
“Seppeltsfield’s incredible contribution in 2018 was directed towards the prevention, detection, management and treatment of breast cancer. Their efforts this year will continue supporting researchers who are fighting every day to find treatments and cures for South Australians affected by this heartbreaking disease”.
#MoscatoMission was launched in 2018 to help drive awareness of breast cancer, as part of Seppeltsfield’s ongoing commitment to community and social causes. Earlier this year, Seppeltsfield wines, via the collective Randall Wine Group, also donated over $9,500 to Rural Aid to assist drought-stricken farmers.
During the month of October, follow the Seppeltsfield Facebook Page for regular updates of #MoscatoMission @Seppeltsfield.
For more information on Australian Breast Cancer Research, visit www.abcr.com.au @australianbreastcancerresearch
Part proceeds from purchases below throughout October 2019 will be donated towards ABCR
Seppeltsfield pink ribbon – $20
2019 Seppeltsfield Barossa Moscato – $20
FINO #MoscatoMission Cocktail – $15
Vasse Virgin olive oil soaps ‘bath boobs’ – small $9.90, large $18.00
JamFactory gallery pink craft and design products starting – from $26
Segway Sensation tour (60 mins) – $99


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I think it was roughly a month ago that on Amzon the the first release date of GTA V appeared, after which it was quickly removed. However, it happened again. According to Amazon, GTA V will be released on March 26th 2013 which is on target with a spring launch. Keep in mind though that this has not been officially confirmed, it's merely a date that was listed on Amazon's website, but it's pretty much the only solid date gamers have received thus far. It's interesting to note that this information has been taken off Amazon's GTA V page.
Now this could be due to two possibilities: either that the release date was right on the spot or that it was completely wrong.
There however are captured a screenshots of an e-mail sent out to everyone who pre-ordered Grand Theft Auto V at Amazon, showing the proposed release date. The PC version is still scheduled a few month later.


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This comprehensive guide begins at Alfava Metraxis and ends at Doctor Who Magazine wins the ACE Press Award 0 Following its record breaking ABC figure earlier this year, Doctor Who Magazine had cause for further celebration at the 2014 ACE Press Awards held https://www.levitradosageus24.com/ viagra bedeutung online apotheke at the Museum of London. This may take a second or two.
Pets Start Packing for Summer TravelMay 4, 2010 By: Meagan Drillinger
Fido and Fifi have become some of vacationer's favorite travel companions, according to a survey conducted by PetRelocation.com.
The Summer Pet Travel Survey, administered to more than 6,000 pet owners worldwide, revealed that most pet owners travel at least once a year with their pets.
Of those surveyed, 61 percent of pet owners said that they travel more than 50 miles with their pets at least once a year, and 38 percent of those said they travel as frequently as once a month with their pets.
This summer is proving to be no different, as 57 percent said they planned on traveling with their pet within the next three months.
The most difficult challenge that travelers face are airline travel fees. About 38 percent of pet owners say that airline pet fees are too expensive and that there is not enough selection of pet-friendly airlines.


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Alibaba-Backed Logistics Provider’s IPO Runs on Fumes
Logistics provider Best Inc. raised less than half of its original target for a New York IPO and said that backer Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. had volunteered to buy a sizable portion of the offering, in signs the listing suffered from weak demand.
Best had originally aimed to raise up to $1 billion through its New York listing, according to a filing to the U.S. securities regulator last month. But it cut the maximum amount this week to $570 million, saying it planned to issue of up to 51.75 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs).
In the process of slashing the target, Best also lowered the ADS price range for the IPO to between $10 and $11, down from a previously announced $13 to $15. It also said that Alibaba, which already owns 23% of the company, had said it would be interested in buying up to $150 million worth of shares from the IPO.
It did not provide any explanation for the lowered fundraising target, nor the sharply reduced price range. But such moves often indicate weak demand for an offering.
The company said it ultimately priced the shares at the $10 bottom of their range, raising a total of $450 million, according to an announcement on Wednesday. It said the shares would begin trading under the ticker symbol BSTI on the New York Stock Exchange during the Wednesday trading day in New York.
The listing may be following in the footsteps of China Rapid Finance Ltd., another money-losing Chinese company that listed in New York in April, said Ryan Roberts, an analyst at MCM Partners. Those shares initially climbed, but have moved steadily downward and now trade just above their IPO price of $6.
“It seems to suggest that appetite is less than companies would have hoped for,” Roberts said. “China Rapid Finance did set a bit of a sour tone, and it looks like Best is being viewed in a somewhat similar light.”
Best’s performance also follows a similarly weak start for ZTO Express, China’s only other major logistics company listed in New York. Since its IPO last October, ZTO’s shares have moved steadily downward and now trade more than 20% below their offering price.
Contact reporter Yang Ge (email@example.com)
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GoPro action cams have followed a regular update cycle in recent years, but a new teaser suggests the Hero 11 Black will come in two sizes.
GoPro’s intriguing teaser hints at its forthcoming launch on September 14 at 6am PT / 2pm BST / 11 AEST. First time since the original GoPro Session in 2015, the Hero 11 Black will have a little sister.
WinFuture has leaked a Hero 11 Black Mini model. So GoPro posted a teaser film announcing the small action cam with a more regular model that looks like a Hero 10 Black.
The Hero 11 Black Mini, assuming that’s what the little action cam is named, could be the spiritual successor of the 2015-discontinued GoPro Hero Session.
The Mini won’t be as compact as the cube-shaped Session, which weighed 74g. Our GoPro Hero 5 Session review noted the action cam’s low battery life and finicky controls.
The Mini will likely be a Hero 11 Black without the front and rear displays, thus it should have the same sensor and processing capability, according to WinFuture. Hence we’ll have to examine how the two action cams’ varied batteries effect their run times.
GoPro’s past comments about expanding into various “types” of action cameras would fit with a new Hero form factor.
During an earnings call transcribed by The Motley Fool, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said “we expect to grow our hardware portfolio from Hero and Max to four camera devices by 2022.”
These four items appear to be the Hero 11 Black, Hero 11 Black Mini, Max, and Hero 10 Black Bones, a US-only drone-friendly model. Woodman says “we expect to extend that by 2023”
GoPro has been refining its portfolio with the GoPro Hero 8 Black to focus on action cameras. With the iPhone 14’s new stabilised ‘Action Mode,’ GoPro looks to be offering more specialised alternatives.
- Microsoft Teams GIFs are terrible
- Total War, Alien Isolation developer teases third-person action game
Who needs GoPro action cams ? With the Hero 10 Black Bones covering drone cameras, it may appeal to cyclists, mountain bikers, and surfers who wish to install a GoPro on their helmet. So we hope the price matches its smaller size.


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The CEO of $9 billion Tanium says the cybersecurity startup is on track to book $600 million in revenue this year (IBM, GOOG, CRM)
Summary List Placement
The CEO of $9 billion cybersecurity startup Tanium said during a break in his online conference Monday that the behemoth startup is on track to hit a major revenue milestone. Orion Hindawi, co-founder and CEO, Tanium, told Business Insider in an interview that "we'll make $600 million this year," referring to the company's fiscal year, which ends in January. Tanium, one of the most valuable private companies in the space, makes "endpoint" cybersecurity tools that give companies detailed data across their networks, providing key information from employees' computers and other connected devices. Hindawi's comments give rare insight into the financial situation at closely-watched Tanium, but the CEO repeated his previous skepticism of going public any time soon. Tanium has already raised venture capital funding twice this year, including a reported $100 million investment from Salesforce Ventures and an additional $150 million round in October. This gives the company the cushion it needs to serve its customers, as well as make tender offers to its employees, Hindawi said, without the pressures associated with holding an IPO in the current state of pandemic-driven uncertainty. Read more: Cybersecurity startup Tanium, valued at over $9 billion, exercised a clause that allowed it to buy its own shares from former employees whether they wanted to sell or not "If I look at the obligation we have through our customers, one of the things we really need to make sure of is even in a really bad black swan scenario, market turn or nasty environment, Tanium can be there for customers," Hindawi said. A partnership between IBM and Tanium Tanium's partnerships with titans like IBM, Salesforce, and Google are a major topic of conversation this week at the company's virtual Converge conference, which Hindawi said drew 5,000 online attendees Monday. At the conference, to be more specific, IBM and Tanium announced a partnership that will see Big Blue integrate the startup's security tools with its own products, including its cloud services for larger customers. "Those partnerships have a lot of legs," Hindaw said, adding that 100 employees at his 1,700-employee company now work exclusively on those partnerships – and that the number will likely climb to 300 within the next several months. Enterprises today often maintain multiple cloud computing systems, but that can make life difficult for companies in regulated industries that must be able to demonstrate compliance with privacy and security regulations. Tanium and IBM agree that this is a major hurdle to the widespread adoption of cloud computing among large enterprises.
"For financial services, telecommunications, healthcare and government organizations in particular, regulatory requirements and security concerns continue to be an obstacle for cloud adoption," said Howard Boville, senior vice president of IBM Hybrid Cloud. "Highly regulated organizations often face the need to choose between spending significant time, effort and money to obtain audit evidence for the workloads they migrate, or not modernizing at all." The impact of the coronavirus pandemic While Tanium competes against companies like CrowdStrike and Microsoft, Hindawi sees a major opportunity in combining the abilities of disparate security products on the marketplace into one platform. "We're a platform that does a lot of those things in one place," Hindawi said. "We're competing against the idea that we should have fifty different tools. You don't actually want to have fifty tools today. That's unsustainable... Our industry loves to sell our customers, you need five more of these every year, another five next year. What our customers are realizing is they just can't." Tanium has similarly benefitted from the sudden shift to remote work, Hindawi says. Many of its customers found Tanium after their existing security products "completely broke" when employees started working from home, he says. In fact, the company has also benefited from positive word-of-mouth, with new customers coming through via referral, Hindawi says. "I get a lot of customers coming to us because their friend who does the same thing in some other company heard from the person that this is actually working for them," Hindawi said. "It's shifted to a lot more to reference selling rather than field marketing and field sales. It's really interesting to think about if this continues for a while, how we can reinforce that." All of this means that Tanium is well-positioned to thrive in a time of turbulence, Hindawi says. "I don't know if it's helped or hurt our business," Hindawi said. "It's hard to know where we would have been otherwise but I think we'll finish the business on or above our plan. It's allowed us to sell products we didn't think we would sell to customers anytime soon." Hindawi says Tanium doesn't face pressure to go public A lot of startups go public because "the executives get tired. They really want to go buy boats." Hindawi said. "With our customer base and the partnerships we've got, an IPO isn't required." Hindawi says he has plenty of friends who are CEOs of both public and private companies, and some have even flip-flopped between them. He says he's heard from his peers that "the amount of brain damage" that comes with gathering together data required for earnings reports is "really stifling in being able to focus on your mission." While other companies may have had to go public or get acquired because investors were demanding it, Tanium isn't facing that same pressure, Hindawi says. "I don't think going public will make our company any better," Hindawi said. "I don't feel any pressure to do that. We deliver for customers and focus on that."SEE ALSO: Twilio and Stripe are seeing explosive growth in 2020, highlighting a major software industry trend that's getting gobs of VC investment Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: What candy corn is actually made of
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Cybersecurity startup Tanium, valued at over $9 billion, exercised a clause that allowed it to buy its own shares from former employees whether they wanted to sell or not
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Redwood Systems launches into Europe
Redwood Systems, a US provider of building-performance lighting solutions, has announced its European launch.
The company has received European certification for its products and will open its local headquarters in London.
VP of global markets Brent Boekestein will be responsible for the London office and developing the company’s presence in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. There are also plans to develop the company in other regions.
“Europe, and the UK in particular, has proven its commitment to improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions in large public and private sector organisations,” said Dave Leonard, CEO of Redwood Systems.
“Given Redwood’s proven ability to make a marked impact in these areas, we see our expansion into Europe as a way to help more businesses save money and meet government energy mandates.”
Using patented technology, Redwood Systems delivers efficient low-voltage DC power and control to LED light fixtures over a simplified cabling infrastructure. The company serves a wide range of clients, including offices, data centres and educational institutions.
Redwood Systems has recently signed an agreement with EDF, France’s largest utility company. EDF trialled Redwood Systems’ technology in its innovation lab and has decided to use the technology across facilities in its service area. Other clients include Facebook, Volkswagen, and Google.
To facilitate its launch into the European market, Redwood Systems has extended pre-existing agreements with low-voltage communication component providers Anixter and CommScope.
For more information click here.


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Peanut butter and banana lovers, rejoice. It's time to snack. Kind Snacks announced it is expanding its granola line with new Healthy Grain Peanut Butter and Banana Clusters with Dark Chocolate Chips. The new offering is expected to hit stores in the United States in May and brings some sweat to a protein- and flavor-packed product that is not only a good breakfast option, but also perfect for casual snacking.
According to type, the new granola is made with 100% whole grain oats, dried banana, creamy peanut butter and dark chocolate and also includes five different supergrains: the aforementioned oats along with corn, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa. It also contains 10 grams of protein and is gluten-free.
The new granola is just the latest addition from Kind. The brand also recently expanded its snack line with its Kind Zero bars, a no-sugar-added version of its popular Kind Bars, as well as Kind Zero granola. They have also expanded into the protein bar market. The new offerings give snack fans a wider range of options to suit all dietary needs and interests. Kind Zero and protein products are now available at retailers.
In other snack news
In other recent snack news, OREO recently announced that it is bringing back the Churro flavor, this time in a limited edition. The OREO Churro last appeared five years ago as a Mystery Flavor. The new limited edition Churro OREO cookies were released on March 27th.
Subway also announced that it is bottling some of its sauces for the first time. Last week, the sandwich chain announced its partnership with sauce maker T. Marzetti, which will result in four Subway sauces being replicated and sold in major stores across the country. The first wave will include Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Baja Chipotle and Creamy Italian MVP.
“Subway fans love our signature sauces. Three of the new retail sauces – Sweet Onion Teriyaki, Roasted Garlic Aioli and Baja Chipotle – are inspired by guest restaurant favorites, and we've added a unique flavor to this collection with a Creamy Italian MVP, a new take on Subway's MVP Parmesan Vinaigrette® ,” said Paul Fabre, Subway’s senior vice president of culinary and innovation, in a press release. “This partnership takes our sauces to the next level and allows our fans to take their culinary creations from ordinary to extraordinary, while contributing to an important cause.”
The sauces will be available in 16-ounce bottles and Walmart, Kroger and Albertson's are some of the supermarkets listed as retailers of the new products.


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Tesla’s 4680 battery cells could be produced by LG by 2023. According to sources, the cells, which will power Tesla’s all-electric vehicles, could be built in production sites that LG is considering in either the United States or Europe.
While Tesla and LG have not yet agreed to a deal that would see the battery supplier taking on a more robust role beyond its job in China, the company plans to build a factory in the United States that would make cells of EVs and energy storage systems, a source told Reuters. The idea behind the production facility would be to cater to both U.S. and international customers, including startups. While it didn’t list any companies, in particular, one of Reuters’ sources indicated that it was hoping Tesla would be a client.
In September, the 4680 cells, which were unveiled by Tesla during its Battery Day event, aim to revolutionize the EV company’s already mainstream and popular products. While cutting costs and increasing energy density through new production processes and materials, Tesla plans to develop its new 4680 cells in-house at a production facility just down the street from its Fremont Factory in Northern California. Kato Road, as it is called within the Tesla community, is the building where Tesla’s battery project continues on.
LG Chem has made samples of the 4680 cells, the sources said, but scaling up production has been the real challenge.
“LG plans to produce 4680 cells at its new U.S. factory. They plan to build a new 4680 cell line to supply Tesla’s Giga Berlin in Europe,” the source told Reuters.
While LG is not familiar with building and mass-producing large cylindrical cells, Tesla is a company that the battery supplier is willing to take risks for because the rewards could be exponential. The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Tesla is a major customer, and LG can take risks.”
Additionally, LG hasn’t secured any orders from Tesla for the 4680 cells. 2170 cells are still being used and are in rising demand, as the Model 3 and Model Y are widely popular in China, and LG continues to provide cells for both projects.
LG currently supplies battery cells to GM in a $2.3 billion joint venture. It also supplies batteries to Tesla in China, but so does CATL, another battery supplier. Lucid Motors is also in a partnership with LG Chem, and the two companies have a multi-year deal.


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Following the success of Data-Driven B2B Digital Media, an offer aimed specifically at an audience of decision makers and executives, NetMedia Group, the leading B2B media group in Europe, is innovating Now with the introduction of the new data-driven offer for IT and innovation professionals in the business world.
More powerful, enhanced B2B data offering
Through its leading IT information portals (Silicon.fr and ITespresso.fr) and a specialized IT topics quote the most important challenges for companies in the areas of technology and innovation (artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, cloud, block chain and IoT) have advertising experts now access to all types of IT profiles. They gain access to decision makers for IT equipment in small and medium-sized businesses as well as large corporations .
In a highly competitive environment where IT equipment professionals are increasingly in demand, it is becoming increasingly important for advertisers to reach their target audience with targeted 100% B2B planning on desktops and mobile devices. To this end, the NetMedia Group now provides 200 socio-professional, semantic, and behavioral criteria that have been identified using CRM and browser data .
Using DMP technology and AI development, Weborama, Europe’s leading data science group , is helping the NetMedia Group accelerate its data-driven strategy by increasing customer media reach, target reach, and advertiser returns.


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7 Points: Effect Of GST On Small Businesses
The implementation of the Goods and Services tax affected large corporations as well as small businesses. All commercial organizations and individuals had to get GST registration for new business and make arrangements for fulfilling the new compliance requirements. In this article, we are discussing the effect of GST on small businesses. The initial months of the new tax were marked by a malfunctioning GST network system and other troubles. It took some time before things settled down and people got the hang of the new system and its multiple tax slabs. The small and medium enterprises are a vital part of the Indian economy and make major contributions to its growth. Let’s see how this sector has been impacted by the new indirect tax.
1. Easy To Start A New Business
The process to start a new business has become a little simple as compared to the older tax regime. Earlier a new business had to get a registration for the Value Added Tax (VAT) with the sales tax department of the state where it wanted to locate its facilities. If the new company was running operations in more than one states, it had to get separate VAT registration in each location. Even now, companies have to get GST registration in each state where they are involved in the supply of services. However, things have become simpler because of uniform GST rules across the whole country instead of different state VAT regulations.
2. Advantage Of Simple Tax Structure
With the introduction of the new tax system, a lot of older taxes were eliminated. This removed the cascading effect of multiple taxes that was seen earlier. Businesses had to factor in central levies like excise duty, customs duty, service tax, etc. and state taxes such as VAT and octroi. This meant a higher final price of a product and the business owner had to deal with multiple authorities for paying the taxes. The new system is completely digital and taxpayers have to file returns on the GST portal and do not need to keep track of multiple taxes.
3. Higher Exemption Limit
The new law required businesses with an annual aggregate turnover of more than Rs 20 lakhs to pay the tax and get the GST registration. This new threshold limit was higher than that of different VAT registration limits of various states. Some of them had set the figure at Rs 10 lakhs while others had finalized Rs 5 lakhs annual turnover as the cut-off figure for VAt registration. Additional relief was announced when the GST Council in its 32nd meeting decided to raise the exemption limit to Rs 40 lakhs. This has led to many small enterprises and startups being relieved of the burden of complying with the new law. They do not need to engage GST consultants in India or other professionals to register for the tax.
4. Reduced Logistics Cost
One of the biggest effects of GST on small businesses has been in the area of logistics. The earlier tax structure with multiple levies had led to the creation of checkpoints at state borders. Moreover, an inter-state supply of goods required a lot of paperwork and payment of taxes. This hampered the smooth flow of goods and increased the logistical costs for enterprises. The enactment of the new tax ended the border check-post system and multiple levies. This has quickened the transfer of goods and reduced the costs. It has been a welcome change for small and medium enterprises.
5. Advantage Of Composition Scheme
Small business owners have been provided a benefit in the form of the composition scheme. When the tax was rolled out, entities with a turnover below Rs 1 crore were allowed to pay the tax at a fixed rate of their turnover. Now the limit has been raised to Rs 1.5 crore and suppliers of service as well as mixed suppliers in the unorganized sector have also been made eligible for the scheme. The compliance requirements of composition dealers have also been made easy. They have to pay quarterly taxes but need to file only one annual return. All these changes have been made earlier this month and before that such taxpayers had to file 4 quarterly returns.
6. Facility To Claim Input Tax Credits
Another notable feature of the new tax is the facility to businesses for claiming an input credit on an already paid tax. This is similar to the earlier system of claiming VAT input credit. This allows companies to reduce their tax burden when they are paying levies on an output by deducting the tax already paid on inputs. This is a beneficial feature for small enterprises and startups. However, petroleum products which are a vital input item in most manufacturing sectors are not included in GST which stops many businesses from claiming input credits on the levies paid on this expensive category of goods.
7. Increased Burden Of Compliance
The burden of compliance has increased for all GST-eligible taxpayers. They have to take the assistance of GST consulting services to register their business in states where they are involved in supplying a service. Companies with operations in multiple states have to get separate registrations in each location. Moreover, depending on the nature of their business, they have to file monthly, quarterly or annual returns. This has increased the number of documents they have to maintain for the purpose. However, the entire process is conducted online through the GST Network meaning taxpayers do not have to physically visit offices to pay taxes or file returns.
The impact of GST on small businesses has forced many operators to get the necessary registration. However, with the threshold limit being raised, many startups and small firms have been exempted from paying the new tax.


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US electric car maker Tesla plans to invest up to 4 billion dollars in its recently announced ‘Gigafactory 4’ outside Berlin.
This could provide thousands of jobs in a region weak in industrial manufucaturing.
But no legal papers have been signed yet and Tesla founder Elon Musk does have a reputation as a corporate maverick.
So doubts about the project remain.
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