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By Georg Mueller-Hof
Vice President Marketing at Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials
There’s been a lot of talk over the years about sustainability in the business world, and especially in our business, the pressure-sensitive label industry.
It’s one thing to talk about sustainability, to want sustainability, and to encourage it. It’s another to make the tough choices about using fewer resources, or to develop the breakthroughs that will allow us to do things in a way we use resources better.
Since announcing our 2025 Sustainability Goals, there has been added urgency at Avery Dennison about making sustainable solutions happen. Some solutions, like our 100% recycled label facestock, have been commercial, delivering high-quality products with positive environmental impact. Others have focused more on minimizing waste.
But for this year’s four-day Labelexpo in Europe, we wanted to do something that had never been done, and that for a longer time was considered a mission impossible: to make our exhibit booth substantially out of our own label waste.
Our main drive is to to “show” rather than “tell.” Labelexpo is the main gathering opportunity outside the United States for our industry, and we wanted to have an element of our Labelexpo presence be something that demonstrates our position as sustainability leaders in our industry – and a first-ever ‘recycled’ booth hit that spot nicely.
But as knowledge equals power, we were also eager to learn more about the process and specific challenges related to creating a booth from our liner waste ,
And finally to put into practice our strong belief that partnerships with customers and vendors for collecting and using waste from our own products is something essential, if we are to deliver our 2025 goal of helping customers reduce the waste from our products.
Approximately 60% of the materials in the booth were made using label liner waste collected from Avery Dennison customers. The waste material was recycled, reprocessed and combined with other recycled cellulosic materials into a product called ECOR® by Noble Environmental Technologies, a global company, providing circular economic solutions to corporations in Europe and North America.
Noble converted the collected waste into panels, which were then used in a number of elements of the booth, including meeting rooms, storage areas, technical areas, floors, walls and an exhibit zone dedicated to sustainability-themed innovations called “Change The Future.”
The ECOR material used in the booth is, of course, itself fully recyclable into new products after serving its useful life as a tradeshow exhibition booth.
Liner waste, the waste produced when the backing is removed from the commercially useful label, is an industry issue. Using it to build our Labelexpo booth is that act of a true pioneer and illustrates our commitment to exploring the best ways to drive its re-use. We will not give in and continue to strive for solutions that work and change the future.
Concurrently, we pursue solutions which reduce waste and which reuse waste for commercial purposes. But playing a role in recycling and reusing our own waste as part of the way we do business, in the form of our busy Labelexpo booth, is something that goes beyond the norm. Aside from illustrating our sustainability commitment to the marketplace, it also involves our own people in the process.
I am fortunate to work with customers and colleagues who see innovation in the world of sustainability is something that sparks inspiration and innovation. This is an ongoing process, and we aren’t afraid to make bold, even unusual choices to get people thinking. When the odds are against, this triggers us “to go the extra mile”


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The Commonwealth of Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday will take place on August 4-6, 2017. Get the dates, find out what items qualify, and more:
The Old Town Trading Post, a unique gift shop/souvenir shop in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia has closed its doors. The retail space is for lease.
The BBQ Bus food truck is vending TODAY (Tuesday, October 25r), in the Carlyle are of Alexandria, Virginia at the U.S. Patent & Trademark office (USPTO)..
Construction on a new Dominion Power substation in Alexandria, Virginia on Monroe Avenue is causing nearby Del Ray homes to shake.
The Borinquen Lunch Box food truck is vending TODAY (Thursday, October 20), in the West End of Alexandria, Virginia at Hilton Mark Center.
The Beauregard Design Advisory Committee will hold a meeting on Monday, October 24 at 6:30p.m. in the Goodwin House Auditorium, located at 4800 Fillmore Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia.
© 2008-2018 RBT Media, LLC

domain: news


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U.S. retail income for the getaway year will rise only marginally amid “unparalleled uncertainty” owing to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Deloitte.
The consulting firm predicted retail income will increase involving one% and one.5% for the November-January timeframe, resulting in income of involving $one.147 trillion and $one.152 trillion.
Retail income rose four.one% in the past getaway year. E-commerce is anticipated to offset slower brick-and-mortar store website traffic this 12 months with a income increase of involving 25% and 35%, compared with past year’s fourteen.seven% spike.
“The lessen projected getaway growth this year is not surprising presented the point out of the economy,” Daniel Bachman, Deloitte’s U.S. economic forecaster, reported in a information release, noting that superior unemployment and economic panic will weigh on retail income this getaway year.
But he included that “reduced spending on pandemic-delicate providers these kinds of as eating places and vacation may possibly assist bolster retail getaway income fairly.”
Deloitte reported the getaway year “will be marked by unparalleled uncertainty” and it sees getaway income participating in out in just one of two doable eventualities.
Below just one scenario, income will improve % to one% as buyers — primarily lessen-wage earners — “continue to experience mounting anxieties, similar to each their funds and health and fitness,” reinforcing the existing pattern of really superior personal savings.
Alternatively, there could be income growth of 2.5% to 3.5% if wealthier buyers turn into a lot more confident owing to shrinking unemployment, further authorities stimulus, and an powerful COVID-19 vaccine.
The formal forecast of one% to one.5% growth signifies a melding of the two eventualities.
No matter of the scenario, “the consumer’s target on health and fitness, money concerns and protection will consequence in a shift in the way they expend their getaway price range,” reported Rod Sides, vice chairman and U.S. retail and distribution sector chief of Deloitte. “For retailers, this getaway year will keep on to drive the boundaries on the value of on the internet, comfort, the part of the store, and the criticalness of protected and speedy fulfillment.”
The anticipated jump in getaway on the internet income demonstrates the shift in routines as buyers underneath keep-at-dwelling limitations have filled digital procuring carts relatively than undertaking into physical outlets.


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Yesterday, SpaceX CEO and the world’s richest man Elon Musk reached a deal with Twitter to buy the social media platform in a $44 billion deal (£34.8 billion). Following a dramatic two-week long takeover attempt, Mr Musk’s offer to buy the social networking app finally prevailed, with the billionaire promising to unlock the “tremendous potential” that Twitter has during his ownership.
This change in ownership has caused several parties to raise alarm bells, ranging from politicians to hate speech activists.
However, one of the prominent critics of the takeover was Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, who commented on the influence China could have on Mr Musk and Twitter.
The former richest man tweeted: “Did the Chinese government just gain a bit of leverage over the town square?”
While Twitter is blocked in China, Mr Musk’s Tesla is heavily dependent on the country for its battery manufacturing capabilities, evening having a Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai.
China is also the largest market for Tesla vehicles after the US.
These factors suggest Xi Jinping could attempt to use Mr Musk’s interests in China to influence how Twitter operates, potentially hamstringing his bid to make the site a hub for free speech.
About an hour after his tweet, Mr Bezos downplayed his earlier tweet, saying: “My own answer to this question is probably not.
“The more likely outcome in this regard is complexity in China for Tesla, rather than censorship of Twitter.
READ MORE: Musk and Bezos have UK space sector ‘on their radar’


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Owning a car, in just a few short decades, could be a lot like owning a horse — mostly for hobbyists and really unnecessary for transportation purposes.
Technologies such as self-driving cars paired with transportation networks such as Uber will pretty much kill the need to own a car in 25 to 30 years, Jamais Cascio, a futurist and senior fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, told Business Insider.
And that will completely change how we think about cars.
“It is going to be a more cultural shift even more than a technological shift because we have this romantic culture around cars and we are going to look back at that in the same kind of wistful way that we looked back at the relationship people had with horses,” Cascio said.
“You will probably have school girls with all kinds of model cars around the room instead of model horses. You will have people who really enjoy personally owned cars, but for the same reason people own horses today. It’s not a utility; it’s something that is a romantic hobby.”
While it may be hard to think of parting with your car right now, the truth is, trading ownership for a service model may actually make more sense in the long-term.
Cascio argues that the traditional car model will become more or less obsolete because self-driving cars are simply more efficient. People will not own cars because it makes more sense for them to use a network of self-driving cars that will show up on demand when needed.
“It may not be the vehicle that brought to you where you are and you may not be in that vehicle later in the day, but transportation is a service that is almost without notice,” he said. “It’s individualized without being individually owned. It’s individual without being personal. It’s no more individual than a sidewalk. Or no more personal than a sidewalk. It’s just a tool.”
In just 15 years, by 2030, the self-driving car market is expected to reach a whopping $87 billion, according to a recent report by Lux Research. That helps explain why, in addition to the tech giants Google and Uber, just about every car manufacturer is working on the technology.
While only a handful of states have passed laws addressing autonomous vehicles on the road, more than 10 states are considering legislation related to self-driving cars.
Cascio, however, said this sort of on-demand service model would most likely be confined to regions such as towns and cities. To travel from region to region, other advanced transportation systems such as high-speed railways will be adopted.


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Edaran Tan Chong Motor has announced price increases between 2.8 and 6.7 percent of selected Nissan models effective 1 April 2016. In a statement issued by the company, this latest round of price adjustments is a result of the weakened Malaysian Ringgit impacting the company’s operational costs.
Commenting on the price hike, Dato’ Dr Ang Bon Beng, Executive Director of ETCM said, “Over the past months despite severe pressure from a weakened Malaysian Ringgit, ETCM have implemented necessary measures to reduce the impact. However, due to the prolonged unfavourable foreign exchange and the persistent pressure of higher operating costs, selected models will have a price increase.”
He further added that, “We have done our best in adjusting the price as minimal as possible and to only selected models. We assure that we will continue to serve our customers quality value-added products and the highest level of customer service that they have come to expect.”
The increased prices only apply to four of Nissan’s locally-assembled models, namely the Almera, Grand Livina, X-Gear, and Teana as listed below. Other models continue at their existing prices:


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In the AI world, data is the new currency and analytics competency a crucial competitive differentiator across business lines
Cubicle workers. Shipping clerks. Loan processors.
“All gone,” Forrester vice president and principal consultant Huard Smith said in describing the impact of artificial intelligence on various professions by 2030.
Smith’s list included a lot of repetitive, manual work that can be automated with machine-learning software. For instance, Forrester projects that 73% of all cubicle-related jobs—think clerical tasks like data entry—will be automated by 2030, equating to over 20 million jobs eliminated.
Location-based workers, which includes people who work as grocery store clerks, will also be severely impacted by A.I., Smith explained. About 38% of location-based jobs will be automated by 2030, eliminating about 29.9 million positions.
A.I.-powered job loss is already occurring in some job roles, he said, mentioning a grocery store that has eliminated five human jobs with the help of a robot that can scan products on shelves to track inventory. Only one human worker remains to restock the store.
If the next version of the inventory tracking robot can stock shelves, then the grocery store “won’t actually need anyone,” Smith said.
And if you think that learning to code will give you an edge in the future, think again. Smith said that even software developers are at risk, because “coding is going to be automated.”
“So if you got kids in coding schools, you might keep them there [temporarily], but don’t tell them to stay,” Smith told the audience at an A.I. conference in Santa Clara, Calif. last week. “Get them into A.I., because coding isn’t going to be a job in the future.”
Company executives typically downplay the impact of A.I. on jobs and insist that A.I. will create new ones. But A.I. will wipe out 29% of all U.S. jobs while creating the equivalent of only 13%, Forrester projects.
Smith’s frank talk wasn’t meant to be a total downer, but was instead intended to create a sense of urgency about A.I.’s effect on jobs. Speaking to Fortune after his talk, Smith explained that company management should be candid with employees about the impact of machine learning on their jobs and invest heavily in corporate training programs.
U.S. workers are increasingly worried about A.I.’s potential negative effects on their jobs, and company managers need to take their concerns seriously by helping them adapt to the fast-changing world.
“They will bolt if they feel that you are just cost cutting,“ Smith said, referring to companies that are adopting machine learning.
“It will be a difficult 10 years and beyond, and the world doesn’t just stop by 2030, so buckle up,” he warned.


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Protesting workers staging a sit-in at a Thomas Cook branch in Dublin vowed to continue their action for a third day today despite a High Court ruling ordering them to leave.
More than 40 workers, including two pregnant women, occupied the outlet in Grafton Street after management announced the immediate closure of the company’s two offices in the city on Friday afternoon.
The workforce is seeking an improved redundancy package.
Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA), said he was taking legal advice after being summoned to the Irish High Court tomorrow.
“Morale’s fantastic. We’re into day three now and I thought people would be starting to get tired, but no, morale hasn’t dipped one iota,” Mr Doherty said.
“It’s (the High Court order) not putting them off at all, they’re absolutely solidly united.”
The protest yesterday also spread to a Direct Holidays outlet – a Thomas Cook subsidiary – in Dublin’s Talbot Street.
Caroline Cullen, 30, a worker with Thomas Cook for eight years, said the protesters were not being put off by the court order.
“Thomas Cook can come and talk anytime and we don’t need to go ahead with this,” she said.
Ms Cullen, who has spent the past two nights in the Grafton Street store, said passers-by had provided them with food in support of their cause.
Management moved to shut the firm’s two Dublin stores a month ahead of schedule, claiming they wanted to minimise any disruption to customers.
The travel company had announced in May it was abandoning its high street operation in Ireland.
Some 77 jobs are being axed with the closure of the two Thomas Cook branches as well as a Direct Holidays outlet, although the latter is not due to shut until the end of the summer.
Mr Doherty said a demonstration supported by TDs (MPs) and other trade unionists will take place outside the store tomorrow morning.
“The High Court will only rule on the legality of our actions,” he said.
“We know we have already won the moral argument against a rich German-owned company which is treating its Irish staff like second-class citizens.”
Thomas Cook has insisted it would maintain its Irish business at its back office and call centre operation in Parkwest, Dublin, with 70 positions being retained.
The cuts will not affect operations in the North.
The company said it brought forward the closure to minimise disruption to customers.
Thomas Cook said it was offering five weeks per year of service as a redundancy package, which will drop to two weeks if the workers do not accept it.
Trade union Unite, which organised a seven-week occupation of Waterford Crystal by workers set to lose their jobs earlier this year, offered the Thomas Cook staff support.
Jimmy Kelly, regional secretary, said: “The Thomas Cook workers have been treated abysmally.
“They were given one day’s notice of the closure of their office and severance packages that are derisory.
“Nobody likes to put life on hold and protest in this way but it is an action of last resort that workers are having to rely upon to achieve fair treatment.”
Mr Kelly said the union would be supporting the demonstration outside the Grafton Street branch tomorrow.


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According to a company blog post, the latest version (1.5.0) of the XRP ledger was introduced last week, adding several improvements and new features.
The upgrade introduces the following:
The Xpring team will also update its own XRP Ledger Mainnet servers, including clusters and validators, to version 1.5.0. Additionally, a beta version of 1.6.0 has also been released for early access to developers.
The Xpring developer platform was launched over a year ago to support what Ripple calls “the internet of value” – a vision in which global banks and financial institutes use its platform for cross-border transactions.
Unfortunately for investors and the “XRP Army” of loyal supporters, the upgrades have had little effect on XRP prices, which have remained bearish.
Since then, it has recovered a little but is still bearish, hovering at $0.185 – a price level not seen since before the big crypto surge in 2017.
Images courtesy of 99Bitcoins/YouTube Screenshot
Last week, Ethereum’s founder Vitalik Buterin made a 50 trillion Shiba Inu token donation to…
The lives of two brothers from Westchester are now forever changed thanks to a bizarre…


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Editor’s note: This story was previously published on EstroHaze, a multimedia company highlighting the business and lifestyles of multicultural women in the cannabis industry.
Tiara Darnell is a multimedia journalist and recent graduate from the University of Oregon in Portland, where she completed dual graduate degrees in strategic communications and multimedia journalism. While studying for her master’s, Darnell worked as a budtender at Farma, one of the top dispensaries in Portland.
Last year, Leafly named Darnell Oregon’s Best Budtender of 2017. Darnell recently transitioned from budtending to focus her attention and efforts on her true passions and career goals within the cannabis industry, which are advocacy and increasing the representation of people of color in cannabis media.
“Being a black budtender in a predominantly white industry, living in a predominantly white town in a predominantly white state, has meant that I’ve become more aware of the social issues that come along with working in the cannabis industry,” Darnell says.
At this year’s Cultivation Classic, a craft cannabis competition and event in Portland, Darnell moderated the “High, Good People: Representation in Cannabis Media” panel featuring women of color who are media-makers. The panel featured event curator and plus-size model Coco Madrid, Women.Weed.WiFi co-founder Amanya Maloba and EstroHaze contributor Nicolle Callier discussing their individual and shared experiences as women of color creating and contributing to cannabis media.
Aside from curating necessary panels to showcase and highlight women of color in the cannabis industry, Darnell is currently in production for the first season of her new cannabis podcast, High, Good People, where she discusses these issues and topics at large, and introduces listeners to the experiences and perspectives of people of color in cannabis.
The concept for High, Good People came about as a final project for Darnell to complete her master’s degree (listen to the pilot episode here). In researching the landscape of cannabis media, specifically podcasts, Darnell says, she discovered that it’s mainly white men who are discussing cannabis. And as a result, in many ways, white men and women are becoming or being perceived as the authorities on cannabis education and science in the media.
“What I’m aiming to do with High, Good People is showcase narrative-style storytelling that focuses on the experiences of POC in cannabis. There’s no one really talking about culture, lifestyle, history and social issues as they relate to cannabis and POC, especially from the perspective of POC cannabis consumers and those who work in the cannabis industry,” Darnell says. “I thought it would be especially interesting to do something like this here in Oregon, where they have an issue with diversity and a history of exclusion. I wanted to do something that really highlighted the POC experience in the cannabis industry, but also highlights what it’s like being here in Portland.”
Getting her start as a budtender has educated Darnell about cannabis and the industry at large, and it has helped create opportunities for her to pursue interests beyond cannabis retail sales and bring about real change for women and POC in the cannabis industry. While forever grateful for her experience at Farma as a budtender, Darnell believes that cannabis retail sales positions such as budtending may be a great start for individuals who want to gain some initial experience in the cannabis industry or educate themselves about the plant, but for someone like herself, who has bigger aspirations and career goals in the cannabis industry, she believes that budtending should be seen as a “stepping-stone and not an end goal.”
“Budtending is not a highly paid or even competitive position in some areas, depending on where you are. Some people go on to budtend for a year or two, but if you’re someone who’s motivated and ambitious, it probably isn’t going to be something that you want to do long term,” Darnell explains. “So if you’re going to be a budtender and it’s something you’re only going to be doing for a temporary time, then think about what it is you’re really learning, who you’re learning from, and how you can then take that knowledge and build something for yourself.”
To read the rest of this article, go to EstroHaze.


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There have been many rumors floating around about the new dark blue / navy iPhone 12 lately, and the latest comes from a report from DigiTimes.
The unreliable publication cited some industry sources to claim that a new “dark blue” iPhone 12 will be launched soon.
Although DigiTimes did not claim it, it is quite likely that the new iPhone 1
In addition to bringing a dark blue model into Apple’s iPhone line for the first time, the smartphone maker is also set to introduce some specification upgrades in its new iPhones. These can include monitors, communication modules and camera modules to name a few.
Rumors of a new Navy Blue iPhone variant first began to appear in January, and ever since there has been a lot of talk about this topic. So many concepts have been revealed based on this new color, and if the newly introduced model comes anywhere near these amazing photos and videos, we are definitely looking for a treat.
The news about the upcoming “dark blue” iPhones was just a small part of a larger announcement that claimed that there will be fewer iPhone 12 models shipped this year compared to the iPhone 11 supply last year. Now there are some reasons that make it an opportunity, and the most important of them is that we are still in a global pandemic.
In addition, the United States continues to quarrel with China, which could lead to consequences such as iOS losing WeChat. So things will definitely be a lot harder for the iPhone towards the end of the year, and we’ll soon be witnessing that.


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With the objective of exploring the untapped opportunities at the intersection of technology and tourism, the Tech & Tourism Conference will be held in Johannesburg on February 22-23, 2024.
According to a press statement, this conference serves as a platform to explore and discuss the intersection of technology and tourism, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation. The statement adds that by embracing AI and leveraging social media effectively, businesses can position themselves at the forefront of the industry, adapt to changing consumer behaviors and drive sustainable growth in the business of the future.
The organisers say that the Tech and Tourism Conference invites leaders from the travel and technology fraternity to converge and create the future of travel.
They add that the conference theme, The Intersection of Technology and Tourism – The Untapped Opportunities, promises two days of immersive learning, networking, and exploration. Attendees will discover how technology can enhance the travel experience, making it more accessible, immersive, and informative, they say.
The statement adds that the conference would be a platform to showcase initiatives, policies, and innovations in technology and tourism. Participants can engage with experts, network with industry leaders, and gain insights into the latest trends. It goes on to say that the exhibitors can showcase products, services, and technologies to a targetted audience and also interact with potential customers, forge partnerships and generate leads.
The organisers also say that recognising the transformative power of technology, especially with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), the conference emphasises the crucial role of AI and social media in the travel industry. They add that social media platforms have revolutionised business interactions, providing unprecedented access to global audiences, while AI has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of the travel industry, from personalised recommendations to intelligent chatbots.
They also add that the conference will host panel discussions addressing the role of Learning and Development (L&D) in equipping professionals with the necessary skills to thrive in the dynamic travel industry. Topics include the impact of AI on employability, the transformation of the job-seeking landscape, employability skills in the evolving industry, and the role of the L&D community in driving innovation.


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VOLVO 9000 COACH RANGE IN STRONG EURO SALES START
NEARLY 150 new Volvo 9700 and 9900 coaches – collectively known as ‘the 9000 range’ for tourist and line-haul operations, introduced in May 2018, have been sold to customers around Europe, the company announced at the end of last year.
Of the strong demand for the new long-distance buses, Niklas Orre, vice president Retail Segment Volvo Buses, said: “We’re very proud of our new, flexible and competitive range of premium products, which have safety, comfort and environmental properties of absolute world class.”
“Their strong sales performance is confirmation that customers truly appreciate the result of our efforts,” he explained.
The largest single order so far is 40 buses for Lithuania, says Volvo. Sales also include orders in countries such as Norway
(+23 units), Austria (+11 units) and France (+20 units). All the ordered vehicles will be delivered in 2019, it confirms.
As reported in Australasian Bus & Coach magazine recently, the new range includes two models: the “high-spec” Volvo 9900 and the “flexible” Volvo 9700 – along with a range of equipment and service packages. This, “makes it possible to offer customer-tailored solutions to suit individual needs and wishes,” the company states.
The 9000 range was unveiled to the public at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hannover, Germany, and has also since appeared at: IBE in Rimini, Italy; Autocar Expo in Lyon, France; Persontrafik in Stockholm, Sweden; and at Eurobus in Birmingham, UK.
The 9700 (pictured) and its 9900 coach stablemate make up the new Volvo 9000 range, which has achieved strong early sales in Europe, says Volvo.


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Friday 19 March, 2010
By Becca Talbot - firstname.lastname@example.org
A record number of Brits logged onto the BBC iPlayer during February, to find out who murdered Archie in a live episode of EastEnders.
The online TV catch-up service from the BBC is continuing to grow, as more and more viewers are using it to watch episodes of their favourite programmes.
The BBC iPlayer was used by an average of 1.4 million people every day last month, according to figures from the BBC released yesterday.
A live episode of EastEnders was the most-watched programme on the iPlayer, with over 1 million viewers logging on to find out who killed Archie and watch Bradley fall to his death.
The BBC iPlayer is a free service and is available to watch online, on Virgin Media’s on-demand menu and on Freesat if you have a Humax set-top box. It can also be viewed on mobile phones, such as the iPhone, and via games consoles such as the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PS3.
The BBC is planning to make the iPlayer more accessible on a wider range of platforms. Some new TV sets, such as the new Samsung LED range, have the iPlayer built-in.
Erik Huggers, head of future media and technology at the BBC, said in an interview with the Telegraph, that the catch-up TV service will soon expand to partner sites like Facebook and Twitter, to make the iPlayer viewing experience “more social”.
“We are close to launching the third version of the iPlayer in beta which will have many more social functions embedded within it,” said Huggers.
“People will be able to bring their Facebook friends onto the iPlayer so they can share what they are listening to or watching with each other more easily.”


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VEKA Hires Wadel as Eastern Canada Sales ManagerOctober 29th, 2013 by DWM Magazine
VEKA, Inc. has announced the hire of Jason Wadel as regional sales manager. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Wadel will manage all sales efforts in eastern Canada for VEKA. He will be tasked with growing the sales revenue and profitability of the region by managing existing customers, securing new business with prospective customers and identifying new business opportunities. Wadel adds extensive experience to the VEKA sales team as well as broad relationships with many VEKA clientele and prospective customers.
“We are very excited to bring Jason on board here at VEKA. We feel his talents, experience, and expertise will be a valuable addition to our sales team, as well as to our customers,” says Jeff Faulk, divisional sales manager for VEKA.
Wadel has spent the last 16 years with Urban Machine Corp. as a sales and technical lead as well as a field service technician early in his career with Urban.
“The technical background that Jason offers is a huge advantage as a profile salesman because of the importance of communicating with production management. Understanding the intricacies between material and machinery when processing our products is key to a quality, finished product,” says Faulk.


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A 33-year-old entrepreneur and marketing professional from General Santos City, who lost 11 outlets of his barbershop chain amid the pandemic, refused to give up. Relentless and persistent, he used the crisis as an opportunity to reimagine his business, leading to a direct-to-consumer retail model that is now disrupting the male personal care industry in the Philippines.
Ralph Oliver Layco is the founder of Noah Solutions which provides a wide range of products for men. Noah is regarded by Lazada Philippines as the top 4 personal care brand for men and by Shopee Philippines as one of the potential “movers of the personal care for men”. Noah Solutions emerged as a strong brand this year based on Layco’s deep understanding of the segment.
A successful entrepreneur prior to the pandemic, he established at a young age General Santos City-based Sonny & Marsha Holdings Inc. which is behind several brands including Macho Mucho Salon, the largest barbershop chain in Davao City and the whole of Mindanao. He received various awards such as Asia’s Most Outstanding Young Marketer in 2019 from the Asian Marketing Federation and one of the top young entrepreneurs in 2017 from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He is a tourism provocateur, having helped rebrand SOCCSKSARGEN to SOX. Layco is also the founder of New Bold U—a weeklong pop-up school for entrepreneurs and passionate individuals. He graduated from the University of the Philippines-Visayas with Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in Marketing and Communications in 2010. He received the 2009 Most Outstanding Marketing Student in the Philippines award from the Philippine Marketing Association.
Layco’s businesses were doing well until the pandemic struck the country in 2020 and forced the government to restrict mobility and close business establishments such as barbershops.
“I was initially scratching my own itch when I was thinking of a way for us to get back on the horse as our current businesses were affected by the pandemic. Having lost 11 branches last year, we were challenged, but nevertheless became relentless to start anew in a new space,” Layco says in an email interview.
“Growing up, I suffered from bullying because I had severe acne and acne marks. I also suffered from hair loss triggered by the pandemic. Rather than taking these challenges emotionally, I used my product development hat and learned formulations and ingredients, worked with teams of chemists to counter these challenges that also men of today are going through,” he says.
“I used my former and current struggles into a creative challenge. I believe the men of today, represented by Millenials and Gen Z which are 75 percent of the Philippine market, respect continuous innovation and are also after genuine, fresh brands that are into the narratives of self-care, inclusion and debunking outdated models of living,” says Layco.
“As a millennial myself, I want to live in a world where men are not being marketed to with narratives of objectifying women, and getting the women to bed’ but narratives of self-improvement, growth and reinvention. This we try to build day by day through Noah Solutions,” he says.
Layco tries to move away from the label of ‘entrepreneur’ and believes that it is his curiosity to find solutions to everyday problems that brought him to where he is now. “I simply consider myself as more of a curious individual. I am naturally drawn into seeing problems as opportunities ever since I was a 10 year old. I’m amazed with the actual exchange of value, from a unique offering that eventually enriches the customer. I sold play cards of Power Rangers when I was 10,” he says.
He established his business at 21. “I borrowed money from my dad to start a barbershop chain. I eventually launched different businesses since then, from a flight congregator app to magazine publishing. I’ve been through multiple failures which I believe prepared me and made me resilient and understand which ideas and business models work and don’t,” he says.
When the pandemic derailed most businesses, Layco looked at the DTC or direct-to-consumer model which sell products directly to the consumer, skipping the wholesaler, retailer or middlemen in the process, making it less third party dependent. He says this allows for a more enriched customer experience, increased opportunity for SKUs or product offerings.
“This leads the way for more innovations, not restricted to retailer shelves. This also allows companies, like ours, to truly offer to the customers through niches with more customer service as the current marketplace is crowded by first movers and companies with bigger capitalizations,” he says.
Since launching Noah Solutions in January 2021, the business quickly took off and reached national exposure, thanks to online shopping platforms. “We’ve grown 1,300 percent since we started nine months ago, with 20,000+ customers and counting. We reach 400+ orders a day with 60 percent plus retention rate,” says Layco.
Noah Solutions is now the fourth top personal care brand for men on Lazada, after multinationals such as Nivea, Unilever and P&G. Layco links the success of Noah to their understanding of men’s evolving preferences. “First of all, we highly differentiate Noah because we’re on a mission to reimagine the ‘men care’ space, not just an afterthought or a brand extension. Men today are different from 10 years ago. They are more values-oriented, they read the label first before they purchase. They check the brands’ integrity first online before they give their loyalty. They listen to experts and also make active conversations openly about problems such as skincare and even mental health. It is something unheard of a decade ago,” he says.
“Men’s needs have always been the same but their lifestyle, goals and values are evolving and different. We reverse engineer from that insight and truly have them centered in the products we create and the messaging we communicate. Also, we’ve leveled up our customer service experience, making it more personal and responsive. Rather than just pure transactions, we believe in lifelong relationships with our customers,” says Layco.
“With Noah as a men care space innovator, we get to have a great opportunity to serve the market vs other brands that add ‘men’ in the brand and often sees men as an afterthought,” he says.
Layco expects this segment to sustain its growth in the coming years as the personal care space (skincare to haircare) market in the Philippines is expected to reach $2.4 billion by 2025. “The personal care for men space worldwide has been growing since 2017 with a 35-billion-euro value. In 2015, the personal care for men space has grown by three folds and will grow by folds especially with the emergence of the Gen Z market,” he says.
This will also be supported by the growth of the e-commerce sector. The Philippines’ e-commerce market was valued at $3 billion in 2019 and is estimated to reach $12 billion by 2025.
Layco says that over the next couple of years, they plan to increase Noah’s product segments, become a strong player in the personal care space and be known as an innovations company. “Our goals are to expand our product portfolio to respond to strong customer needs and to be a top of mind brand to Gen Z and Millennial men,” he says.
“Next year, we will be offering innovative products for haircare, hair loss, nutrition and even sexual health, using internationally-available formulations with strong efficacies. We see there are not many strong brand leaders in the said categories devoted to the younger men and we believe that we could lead this space with our intention of innovation and genuine care with a brand savvy messaging,” he says.
“We also plan to be available in partner physical big box retailers should the time come so we can be increasingly accessible and convenient to our market and for other customers in inaccessible areas by current couriers,” says Layco.
“Noah is not only a skincare brand that people know now. It’s an innovations company that will encompass more areas of men’s needs. Our customer’s wellness is our business. Without a strong reliable brand leader in many male care segments, Noah has great potential with its speed of innovation and current DTC/e-commerce facility to handle growing needs of our customers wherever they are in the country,” he says.
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Topic: Mac OS X
08/05/2015, 09:08 am
IBM on Wednesday announced a new program that's designed to help large enterprises incorporate Macs within their existing IT infrastructures, making it easier than ever for corporations to transition to Apple's OS X platform.
08/04/2015, 01:08 pm
Cobalt, a long-gestating multiplayer action platformer jointly developed by indie studio Oxeye and Minecraft creators Mojang, is set to drop on the Mac this October alongside the Xbox and PC.
08/04/2015, 01:08 pm
Apple on Tuesday provided public OS X beta testers with the fourth pre-release build of El Capitan, its forthcoming free Mac operating system update set to launch this fall.
08/03/2015, 09:08 pm
A week after researchers discovered a new privilege escalation zero-day vulnerability in Apple's latest version of OS X 10.10.4, an exploit has appeared allowing nefarious hackers to install adware and malware onto a target Mac without requiring system passwords.
08/03/2015, 04:08 pm
Apple on Monday released a sixth developer beta of OS X El Capitan, further refining the operating system as it rapidly approaches a fall release date.
08/03/2015, 02:08 pm
Macs can still be successfully attacked using some of the same firmware vulnerabilities affecting many Windows PCs, a new proof-of-concept worm is said to demonstrate.
07/30/2015, 06:07 pm
Apple on Thursday released a second beta build of its upcoming OS X 10.10.5 Yosemite update to developers for testing, including what appears to be only minor tweaks and bug fixes.
07/29/2015, 03:07 pm
Members of Apple's OS X public beta program can now download the third pre-release build of OS X 10.11 El Capitan, the company's forthcoming Mac operating system update.
07/27/2015, 07:07 pm
Apple on Monday issued the fifth OS X 10.11 El Capitan beta to developers for testing ahead of an expected release later this fall.
07/27/2015, 03:07 pm
The next version of Parallels' Desktop for Mac virtualization software will improve its Windows 10 support, enabling Cortana voice commands at any time -- as long as Windows is still running in the background, according to a leaked product page.
07/23/2015, 06:07 pm
Observing 25 years of the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, Apple is profiling a collection of accessibility apps expressly designed to accommodate users with vision, hearing, speech, physical and motor skills or learning and literacy issues.
07/16/2015, 11:07 am
Apple on Thursday released the first public beta of OS X 10.10.5, following quickly on the heels of a matching developer beta, which was issued on Tuesday.
07/14/2015, 01:07 pm
Firefox users awoke Tuesday to an update that blocks every version of Adobe's Flash Player from running in the popular open-source browser, a victory for information security efforts following the unprecedented disclosure of numerous critical Flash vulnerabilities.
07/13/2015, 09:07 am
The recent tidal wave of critical vulnerabilities in Adobe's Flash Player has prompted many security professionals to call for the much-maligned software's demise, and we agree. AppleInsider shows you how to uninstall Flash from your Mac, and what to do if you can't live without it.
07/10/2015, 03:07 pm
Just one day after launching a public beta of the operating system, Apple has released a "Supplemental Update" for OS X El Capitan, fixing a bug that could cause some 32-bit apps to crash.
07/09/2015, 01:07 pm
Apple on Thursday launched the first public betas of OS X El Capitan and iOS 9, giving the public an early glance at the operating systems before they officially debut this fall.
07/09/2015, 12:07 pm
Microsoft on Thursday announced that Office 2016 for Mac -- a totally revamped version of its venerable productivity suite -- is now available to any Mac user with an Office 365 subscription.
07/08/2015, 05:07 pm
Adobe on Wednesday updated Flash Player to fix a number of security vulnerabilities, including one in the hands of Hacking Team, a company that infamously sold snooping tools and services to government agencies around the world -- potentially including harsh authoritarian regimes.
07/01/2015, 01:07 am
Some four years after adding TRIM support for first-party solid state drives to OS X, Apple incorporated the command for aftermarket drives as part of Tuesday's OS X 10.10.4 update.
06/30/2015, 05:06 pm
Apple on Tuesday released GarageBand 10.1 for the Mac, adding a number of features including Force Touch support and the ability to publish directly to Apple Music Connect. Accompanying it was a minor iOS app update. [Updated]


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GDC 2023: Epic’s State of Unreal confirmed off lengthy awaited UEFN and Creator Financial system 2.0, in addition to new unified market Fab, which is open to all engines
At GDC 2023 right now, Epic Video games unveiled particulars about its Unreal Editor for Fortnite, Unreal Engine 5.2 procedural instruments, and extra.
Through the State of Unreal occasion on the Blue Protect of California Theater, govt vice chairman Saxs Persson introduced that Epic’s Unreal Editor for Fortnite can be launching in public beta right now, with the intention to mix the ability of Unreal Engine to “the dimensions of the Fortnite viewers.”
Persson described it as being “one step nearer to a related metaverse” with the intention to “transfer the trade ahead.”
UEFN will permit for cross-play collaboration, with the demo video displaying gamers on PS5 and PC constructing and enjoying collectively. A brand new creator portal can be launching right now.
Persson stated that the ultimate purpose is full “interoperabatily between Unreal Engine and UEFN.” UEFN can be supported by new programming language Verse.
UEFN’s economic system known as Creator Financial system 2.0 and can see Epic share 40% of Fortnite’s web income to builders creating within the title.
The quantity can be professional
…. to be continued
>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content material belongs to the linked Supply : Game Industry – https://www.gamesindustry.biz/unreal-editor-for-fortnite-launching-in-beta-today


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In a move that took industry watchers by surprise, Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group on Monday announced a definitive merger agreement with Keurig Green Mountain. The deal will create a company with $11 billion in revenue and move control of a storied Texas brand out of the state.
Under an agreement approved by the Dr Pepper board, Dr Pepper Snapple shareholders will receive $103.75 per share in a special cash dividend and retain 13 percent of the combined company.
Research firm Dealogic estimated the equity value of the deal at $18.9 billion, making it the largest M&A soft drink transaction on record, globally.
Stock in the nation's third-largest soft drink player has been trading in the mid-$96 range and closed at $117.07.
The company already had a partnership with Keurig, selling Snapple tea in K-Cups. Monday it spoke of the "long-term growth opportunities inherent in this powerful beverage platform."
The combined beverage company will have strong players in the grocery aisles and at the breakfast table. Brands include Waco-born Dr Pepper, 7UP, Snapple, A&W, Mott's, popular coffee brand Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and the Keurig single-serve coffee system, as well as more than 75 owned, licensed and partner brands in the Keurig system.
In partnering with the K-Cup maker, Dr Pepper gains a foothold in hot beverages and adds muscle in e-commerce. Keurig Green Mountain, which has been in turnaround mode, gains Dr Pepper's massive distribution network, including more access to highly profitable convenience and dollar stores.
The move comes less than two years after Keurig became a private company following its acquisition by the investor group JAB in March 2016.
JAB Holding Co., a Luxembourg-based investment firm that also owns controlling stakes
in Panera Bread, Peet's Coffee & Tea and other well-known U.S. brands, will make an equity investment of $9 billion as part of the financing of the deal.
It will retain 87 percent of the combined company. The 13 percent stake left with the Dr Pepper shareholders still will be publicly traded.
Keurig and Dr Pepper Snapple will continue to operate "business as usual" out of their current locations, the companies said.
In addition to the Legacy Drive headquarters, Dr Pepper Snapple Group has a major manufacturing and distribution center in Irving and distribution centers near Sherman and Corsicana.
A Dr Pepper spokesman estimated the company has about 2,300 employees here.
Bob Gamgort, current chief executive of Keurig, will serve as chief executive of the combined company and be based in Burlington, Mass. If the combined company headquarters follows the CEO, North Texas loses a Fortune 500 listing.
Ozan Dokmecioglu, current chief financial officer of Keurig, will serve as its chief financial officer.
Larry Young, president and chief executive of Dr Pepper, who has been with the Dr Pepper brand for decades, will transition to a role on the new company's board of directors to "help the new management team realize the full potential of the company," Dr Pepper said.
A Dr Pepper spokesman said it was "too early to speculate on specific details" of what will happen with the other corporate executives in North Texas.
"This transaction will deliver significant and immediate value to our shareholders, along with the opportunity to participate in the long-term upside potential of our combined company and attract new brands and beverage categories to our platform in a fast-changing industry landscape," Young said in a statement.
He was not available for additional comment, but on CNBC he called the deal "fabulous" for consumers and Dr Pepper shareholders.
Duane Stanford is executive editor of the trade publication Beverage-Digest. He said the deal gives the coffee company access to Dr Pepper's scale and packaging ability, which could lead to more cold coffee in cans and bottles. It helps expand the Dr Pepper portfolio, which is heavily invested in carbonated soft drinks, a category that has been losing fizz for years.
"Coffee is hot," he said. "That's a high-growth area. Consumers really want it and they will pay a premium. JAB is looking to capitalize on those trends. You need to partner with someone in distribution.
"This is [more] about JAB leveraging Dr Pepper rather than Dr Pepper diversifying."
Previously called Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, Dr Pepper Snapple Group was spun off from Cadbury Schweppes in 2008. Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages was formed in 2003 by bringing together Cadbury Schweppes' four North American beverages businesses, Dr Pepper/Seven Up Inc., Snapple Beverage Group, Mott's and Bebidas Mexico.
That move brought together more than 50 brands.
Even with acquisitions of its own, Dr Pepper Snapple has long been in the bronze position among soft drink makers trailing PepsiCo, parent of its Plano neighbor Frito-Lay, and market leader Coke.
Dr Pepper estimates it will have $6.7 billion in 2017 sales, up from $6.4 billion in sales in 2016, but still a fraction of PepsiCo's nearly $63 billion in 2016 sales.
There's long been industry speculation about what Dr Pepper would do to bulk up, but few expected a coffee deal.
Unlike PepsiCo, which gets a substantial amount of revenue from Frito-Lay, Dr Pepper sells mostly carbonated soft drinks. Some consumers have moved away from those drinks, both diet and fully sweetened, out of health and weight concerns.
Dr Pepper Snapple last year invested more in the enhanced water category with the purchase of Justin Timberlake-backed Bai for $1.7 billion.
Keurig is also hoping to tap into growing interest in the internet of things, with the launch of Wi-Fi-connected brewers which will give the company "first-ever point-of-consumption data."
Keurig has sparked concern among some environmentalists who fret about the massive number of those tiny pods working their way into the landfill. In a call with analysts Monday, the company said it hopes to have recyclable pods throughout the U.S. by 2020.
Who is JAB Holding?
In the deal, Dr Pepper Snapple would become part of a German conglomerate known as JAB Holding. JAB is a privately held company started from the fortune of German chemist Ludwig Reimann. His heirs own 91 percent of the company, which is based in Luxembourg. The conglomerate, which started in industrial chemicals, now owns or controls some of the most well-known consumer goods brands in the world.
Associated companies and brands
- Acorn Holdings: Coffee brands including Gevalia, Green Mountain Coffee, Timothy's, Tullys and Donut Shop.
- Coty: Prestige perfume labels, including Calvin Klein and Gucci. Cosmetics brands including CoverGirl, Adidas, Philosophy, Rimmel and Sally Hansen.
- Reckitt Benckiser Group: Household goods including air freshener Air Wick, cleaners Lysol and Vanish, laundry soap Woolite, dishwashing detergent Finish and anti-acne treatment Clearasil.
- JAB Beech: Breakfast and coffee places including Peet's Coffee & Tea, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Bruegger's Bagels, Krispy Kreme donuts, and Panera Bread.
- JAB Luxury: Switzerland-based Bally
Timeline of JAB deals
- 1992: Buys Coty from Pfizer for $440 million.
- 2007: Founds luxury clothing group Labelux.
- 2011: Purchases shoemaker Jimmy Choo for about $875 million.
- 2012: Buys Peet's Coffee & Tea
- 2015: Purchases control of Mondelez International's coffee business
- 2016: Buys Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for $1.35 billion and acquires Keurig Green Mountain for $14 billion
- 2017: Sells Jimmy Choo
- 2018: Seeks to acquire Dr Pepper Snapple
Sources: Bloomberg, Dallas Morning News research


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World Travel Awards 2023
In a resounding affirmation of its industry prowess, Twiga Tours, East Africa's premier safari company, clinches the coveted title of the "World’s Leading Safari Company" for the second consecutive year. This prestigious accolade was bestowed upon Twiga Tours at the World Travel Awards 2023 Grand Finale, hosted at the Burj al Arab, Jumeirah, Dubai.
Twiga Tours' Heritage
Established in 1980 by the visionary Manji Family, Twiga Tours, a family-owned company and one of Kenya's oldest tour firms, has consistently stood out as a paragon of personalized African Safari experiences. This recent triumph follows closely on the heels of its earlier victories, being named Kenya’s Leading Safari Company 2023 and Tanzania’s Leading Safari Company 2023 at the 30th World Travel Awards-Africa and Indian Ocean Gala in Dubai.
Beyond Safari: A Holistic Approach to Tourism
Twiga Tours transcends conventional safari offerings, providing high-quality safari experiences not only in Kenya but also in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. The company's commitment to preserving traditional African hospitality and creating unique, personalized guest experiences has been a cornerstone of its success.
A Glimpse into Twiga Tours' Legacy
The journey of Twiga Tours has been marked by pioneering initiatives that have become industry benchmarks. In 1987, the company orchestrated one of the first-ever weddings on a hot air balloon over the vast plains of the Masai Mara for a prominent UK family. Additionally, Twiga Tours, known for introducing bush breakfasts in Kenya, continues to set trends embraced across the industry.
Global Market Entry
Minaz Manji, CEO of Twiga Tours, recalls the company's foray into the international market in 1981 at the World Travel Market in London. While initial success proved elusive, this venture provided crucial insights, laying the foundation for future global market penetration. Twiga Tours officially entered the travel sector in 2003, orchestrating travel arrangements, including airline tickets, international holidays, and business travel bookings.
Beyond its trailblazing tours, Twiga Tours has made a lasting impact on the environment, society, and the economy. The company has embraced eco-friendly practices, contributing to sustainability in the regions it operates. The Manji Foundation, an initiative by Twiga Tours, plays a pivotal role in educating and empowering children from impoverished families in remote Kenyan locations, thereby creating a positive ripple effect on the lives of these children and their communities.
The Future of Safari Excellence
As Twiga Tours continues to set new benchmarks in the safari industry, its second consecutive win at the World Travel Awards solidifies its standing as a global leader. The legacy of the Manji Family lives on, driving Twiga Tours to new heights and redefining the standards of excellence in the world of African safaris.


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Up until today the people of Vietnam where unable to buy domestic made Vespa scooters. Piaggio said that today they are going to build a scooter factory in the Vietnamese city of Vinh Phuc which is near the capital Hanoi. The factory is expected to produce around 50,000 scooters per year with the first scooter to come off the production line in 2009. In comparison with many western nations, Vietnam has already taken to scooters like a duck to water. Motorcycles are actually the most popular form of transport with over 21 million registered bikes on the road today. The Vietnamese market is also growing by 2 million bikes a year!
Piaggio has said they are planning to invest $30 million into the new factory over the next 2 years. Vietnam already has strong competitors in the motorcycle industry with Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki all have a base in the country.
I think this is great news for the people of Vietnam and I will look forward to riding a brand new Vespa when I make my visit in the next 3 years.


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The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup garage will transform into an auto auction arena on Saturday, Nov. 10 as Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts the second Classic Auto Auction, Swap Meet and Car Corral. The speedway's version of the famous Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction seen on ESPN2 and Speed TV will feature nearly one hundred classic, custom, restored and original automobiles, trucks, hot rods, race cars, dragsters and motorcycles. The auction will also include a swap meet vendor area and a car corral.
"We hosted the first auction this past January and it was a huge success," said AMS vice president of Events Brandon Hutchison. "There were a lot of beautiful cars that many of us dream of owning along with some cars that turned out to be real bargains."
Potts Auction Company is coordinating the auction and there is no cost to obtain a bidder card.
"We have been in the auction business for over fifty years," said Rick Potts, president of Potts Auction Company. "We take care of all our customers. The winning bidders and the consignment owners are treated equally which insures the best deal for both parties."
Interested individuals should contact Potts Auction Company at 1-800-601-2888 or visit http://www.pottsauction.com/ for an event preview.
Vendor space, swap meet space and car corral spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis. Each space is 12' x 20' and includes one admission ticket. Spaces are $35 each and can be reserved by contacting Atlanta Motor Speedway at 770-946-3954. Registration forms can be e-mailed, faxed or mailed. Spaces will be available on a limited basis the morning of Saturday, Nov. 10.
Admission tickets are $10 with children 12 and under admitted free. Tickets will be available at the gate to the auction area.
There will be a special preview on Friday, November 9th coinciding with the Legends, Bandolero and Thunder Roadster races on the quarter-mile oval. Pit pass tickets will be available for purchase at the main infield tunnel located on Speedway Boulevard. Consignments and early vendor set-up is available until 7p.m. on Friday night.
On Saturday, Nov. 10, gates will open for consignments, vendors, swap meet and car corral set-up at 7 a.m. The gates for spectators open at 9:30 a.m. at the Media Center. All parking is in the Media Center lot. Follow the signs from the main infield tunnel entrance at Speedway Boulevard to the parking area and gate entrance.


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By Alexander Eule
IT’S BEEN A QUARTER-CENTURY since (ticker: NKE) launched the Air Jordan sneaker, introducing big-time sports endorsements to the marketplace. The strategy has proved durable. Nike has a 50% share of the global athletic-shoe market, and the Swoosh is the world’s top-ranked sporting-goods brand. In the fiscal year that ended in May, the company generated $19 billion in revenue and record profits of $1.91 billion, or $3.86 a share.
At a Glance
Nike (ticker: NKE)
|Market Value||$39.2 billion|
|Est. FY2011 Revenue||$20.5 billion|
|Est. FY2011 Net Income||$2.1 billion|
|Est. 2011 EPS||$4.37|
|Est. 2012 EPS||$4.91|
|Est. 2012 P/E||16.7|
|Fiscal Year Ends||May 31|
|Data as of||10/21/10
Visit Company Research for more on Nike.
At $82.11 Nike’s shares have nearly doubled since we wrote a bullish Alert on the company in February 2009. They could reach $100 in a year, as demand grows and Nike’s profit margins tick up. EPS are expected to grow 13% in fiscal 2011, to $4.37. The stock yields 1.3%.
Nike dominates the athletic-shoe market. Its nearest competitor, Adidas, has about 30% of the market, and Puma’s share is in the high single digits. Nike is the No. 2 in sports apparel with $5 billion in sales, or 26% of last year’s total.
Nike adroitly managed the global economic slowdown, cutting its work force by 5%, emphasizing high-end product launches and continuing to drive higher-margin sales through its retail stores and website. In the most recent quarter, Nike’s North American same-store sales grew 13% and online sales were up 22%. Same-store sales at Foot Locker, the country’s largest athletic-shoe retailer, grew 2.5% over a similar period.
Nike spends heavily on advertising to maintain its lead. This year the company will pump over $2 billion into advertising worldwide. By some estimates, Nike outspends Adidas by a factor of four in North America. The firm could step up the pressure even further over the next couple of years. Last week it was announced that Nike is replacing Reebok, which is owned by Adidas, as the official uniform supplier for the National Football League in 2012. The company will no doubt take the ball and run with it.
Nike is a ferocious competitor, but it’s very friendly when it comes to shareholders. Over the past five years, the company has reduced its shares outstanding by 7.5% with stock buybacks. Its dividend payout has more than doubled. Over the next five years, Nike expects to generate $12 billion in free cash flow and return $10 billion of that to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends. The company has $4.4 billion in net cash, or $9 per share, on its balance sheet.
No surprise, Nike’s most impressive growth is coming from emerging markets, now 20% of sales. By 2015, Credit Suisse forecasts that Nike’s China sales will double, to $3.3 billion. In Brazil, sales jumped 70% in the company’s first quarter. That market is primed for more strong growth in the next few years. The World Cup and the Summer Olympics, the two biggest global sporting events—and Nike’s two biggest promotional opportunities—will be held in Rio in 2014 and 2016.


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They lost their clothes, their car and even their pots and pans. Their beds were destroyed and their car was totaled.
But, somehow, the wedding dress made it through.
Tim Wilson and Kristi Simmons were one month away from their wedding when heavy rains flooded their home. The Shreveport, Louisiana, couple had been planning their wedding for a year, paying for it all on their own, and then they lost everything.
Up to 18 inches of water has fallen in Shreveport since the heavy rains began. On March 8, the day their home flooded, the couples' hometown set a rainfall record with 5.12 inches in a single day.
"About an hour and a half after it started raining, the water was up to our back porch," Wilson told weather.com, "and then within about 20 minutes we had 4 feet of water in our house, so we didn’t really have a whole lot of time to put sand bags down."
They had just enough time to save what they could: Kristi's wedding dress, some of the decorations, what clothes were salvageable.
“It’s just scary and heartbreaking watching your stuff being destroyed,” Wilson said.
It was the second time in just 9 months their home had flooded; only this time, it was much worse than the last. Then, it was just a couple of inches of water, and they fixed it quickly. This time, they were in waist-deep water, and thankful they had decided to buy insurance.
"We had wedding invitations floating around that we hadn’t sent out yet," Wilson said. "Nine months of wedding planning just went away in a matter of hours, and we've got a month left."
In the blink of an eye, the couple had more than a dozen people helping them out in their house, taking things out as fast as they could.
"We had no clue where it was going," Wilson said. "Everything I own right now is either underwater or off in someone else's car."
The response of friends and family was overwhelming. Wilson's sister even set up a Go Fund Me account for them; in just one day, they've raised more than $1,200 (you can donate here).
“It’s amazing how people come together and help out when something like this happens," Wilson said. "Kristi and I have been paying for the wedding and the honeymoon all on our own, we haven’t had any help. To lose stuff on the wedding that we know we’re going to have to replace – and then having to come up with the deductibles that are rather substantial, it takes a lot of money."
Now, they're forced to start over from scratch, and any little bit will help.
"We’re a young couple getting started," Wilson said, "it will just about wipe out everything we had."
They've had to buy fresh clothes and they're currently staying in a temporary home until they get everything sorted out and determine what they can do with their home. “You don’t realize how important all the bare necessities are until you don’t have them," Wilson said.
He said the only thing keeping their spirits up is knowing that it happened for a reason.
"We're going to come out of this stronger people and a stronger couple," he said.
What's next for the young couple? Wilson says the wedding is on, and afterwards, they're going to St. Lucia.
“We saved our passports, so we’re definitely going on the honeymoon."
MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Photos of the Devastating Floods in Louisiana


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Esprit Automation, our CNC plasma engineering client, recently held an open house event to give new and existing customers the exciting opportunity to meet the team and see their brand new release… The XPR-300!
To promote this upcoming event, our team at GMA took full control by creating a dynamic landing page and an email campaign, which was followed up by our inside sales telemarketing team.
The marketing strategy of the open house event was a complete success. Our inside sales team converted a lot of calls into confirmed attendees, as well as a lot of leads for Esprit’s machines. A very positive open house, and a very happy client!
Check out the video that our videographer, Matt filmed and edited for the Open House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm2IqLujLgU


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New UK consumer research from Intersperience has found that 17% want to use a mobile wallet in the future but 44% are worried about a lack of security software on mobile phones. 24% of people said using a mobile for payment “feels less secure but I don’t know why” and a further 24% are concerned their mobile is more likely to be stolen than their wallet.
- Singapore commuters trial wristband payments
- PayPal launches PayPal.Me
- India biometrics market to grow 35% by 2020
- Ingenico joins WorldPay bidding war
- Sony unveils Wena Wrist with NFC payments


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With plenty of new treads making the rounds at Quality Bike Product’s annual Frostbike product show, WTB’s new offerings still managed to gain plenty of traction, grabbing the attention of many. Grabbing the attention of most, however, was their brand new gravel specific tire, the Nano 40C.
“The inspiration for this tire actually came directly from this show one year ago,” acknowledged WTB’s Product Manager, Chris Feucht
“We were blown away by the number of requests we received for a gravel tire last year so we took a long, hard look at our tire line and decided to use the Nano tread pattern as a starting point. We wanted something that would appease racers due to its speed and light weight, yet also appeal to those wanting comfort over the long haul. By simplifying the pattern slightly, we’ve actually created a more durable tire while maintaining speed and the unique Nano handling characteristics, making for a winner.”
Taking its inspiration from one of WTB’s best-selling cross-country tires, the Nano 40c promises to offer a fast-rolling experience, but with its high-volume 40-millimeter-wide casing, it should offer plenty of cushion as well. Designed with the fast-growing gravel-grinder market in mind, the WTB Nano 40c promises to be a hot seller as soon as it hits stores later this year in April.
Even better, a tubeless-compatible TCS version of the 40c is already slated for release later in the year.
WTB Nano 40c tires will be available in Race and Comp versions, with Nano 40c Race tires featuring a folding Aramid bead, WTB’s “Lightweight Casing’, DNA Rubber and weighing in at 470g with an MSRP of $49.95. Nano 40c Comp tires will feature a wire bead, WTB’s ‘Durable Casing’, DNA Rubber, a 550 gram weight and a price tag of $31.95


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Adobe today said it would issue an emergency patch the week of Aug. 16 to fix a critical flaw in its Reader and Acrobat software.
Microsoft today said it will deliver a record 14 security updates next week to patch a record-tying 34 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), Office and Silverlight.
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey last night revealed the Coalition would block Labor's mandatory internet filtering policy in parliament, in a move that will signal the death of the controversial project if the Greens control the balance of power in the ...
Google's Android was expected to become the world's second most-used smartphone OS by 2012, after the Symbian OS, but now accelerating sales will help it get there this year, according to analysts.
Dell on Thursday announced the lightweight Inspiron M101z laptop with new technologies including Bluetooth 3.0 wireless capabilities and low-voltage processors from Advanced Micro Devices.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has called off negotiations on a network neutrality compromise scheduled for the coming days, saying the talks have not been fruitful enough.
The Nexus One, the phone that was supposed to launch Google's online phone sales strategy, may not be available anymore from the search giant's online store, but Google is still selling it -- to developers.
Baidu, China's largest search engine, is looking to expand its business overseas and is preparing to invest internationally, the company's chief executive said on Thursday.
WiMax carrier Clearwire is likely to adopt LTE (Long-Term Evolution), and its decision will probably be known within a year, analysts said following the company's announcement on Wednesday that it will test the network technology.
Those who loathe talking on the phone to automated speech recognition systems may take solace in the fact that scientists are working to make such systems more lifelike and less annoying to use.
We're probably as sick of writing about the iPhone as you are of reading about it. But news about the folks at Tap Tap Tap -- the developer behind the Camera+ iPhone app — submitting a cool update to Apple was too good not to share!
Australia's first video game bar Mana Bar has announced plans to expand to Sydney, Melbourne and internationally, a move which is likely to be welcomed by the increasingly adult gaming demographic.
With the success of Internet Explorer 8 - gaining 1.38 percent market share in the United States to lead the pack with more than 42 percent of the market--it is easy to forget that Microsoft is hard at work developing Internet Explorer 9. Today, Micr...
Acer's latest crack at combining Google's Android mobile software and Microsoft's Windows XP OS in the same netbook was unveiled at a computer show in Taipei on Thursday.
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) released a new iPhone app yesterday that it says will revolutionise the property market in Australia and change how home buyers will search for a property.
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The HP OfficeJet 250 Mobile Printer is a great device that fits perfectly into my fast paced and mobile lifestyle. My first impression of the printer itself was how incredibly compact and sleek the device was.
Wireless printing from my iPhone was also a handy feature, the whole experience was quick and seamless with no setup requirements - accessed through the default iOS printing menu options.
A smarter way to print for busy small business owners, combining speedy printing with scanning and copying, making it easier to produce high quality documents and images at a touch of a button.
I've had a multifunction printer in the office going on 10 years now. It was a neat bit of kit back in the day -- print, copy, scan, fax -- when printing over WiFi felt a bit like magic. It’s seen better days though and an upgrade’s well overdue. This HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 looks like it ticks all the same boxes: print, copy, scan, and fax. (Really? Does anyone fax anything any more? I guess it's good to know the facility’s there, just in case.) Printing over WiFi is more-or- less standard these days.
As a freelance writer who is always on the go, I like my technology to be both efficient and effective so I can do my job well. The HP OfficeJet Pro 8730 Inkjet Printer ticks all the boxes in terms of form factor, performance and user interface.
I’d happily recommend this touchscreen laptop and Windows 10 as a great way to get serious work done at a desk or on the road.
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Owners of Marmite seek injunction against BNP after jar appears in video
The owners of Marmite sought an injunction against the British National Party yesterday after it included images of the brand in a political broadcast.
The video, which featured the party leader Nick Griffin addressing viewers about the election, was available on the far-right party’s website yesterday morning and featured a jar of Marmite.
It was removed after Unilever threatened legal action. In a statement the company said: “We want to make it absolutely clear that Marmite did not give the BNP permission to use a pack shot of our product in their broadcast. Neither Marmite nor any other Unilever brand is aligned to any political party.
“We are currently initiating injunction proceedings against the BNP to remove the Marmite jar from the online broadcast and


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Indie game Knytt Underground coming to PlayStation and PCs this year
Nifflas has partnered with Green Hill and Ripstone Publishing to bring Knytt Underground — a colorful follow up to the freeware platformers Knytt and Knytt Stories — to the PlayStation 3 and Vita, as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux.
The PlayStation versions will receive "unique content," according to Green Hill in a press release.
"Knytt Underground is the biggest game I've ever developed and is the first game where I feel that I have a story to tell," said Nicklas Nygren of Nifflas. "It's about the big questions — trying to understand life and our place in it and failing completely."
Follow @wita on Twitter for tales of superheroes, plumbers in overalls, and literary adventures.


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Gambling has accompanied sports-watching for hundreds of years. In Canada alone, it was reportedly estimated that $500 million are spent annually on provincially-regulated sports gambling. Similar gambling activities are now prevalent in digital arenas. Popular strategy video games, such as Starcraft and Dota 2, have given rise to the massive industry of eSports, or professional competitive video gaming. Much like how sports fans can bet on the outcome of a game or series, eSports fans can place online bets on the performance of individual gamers or teams.
Online gambling platforms, however, present a major regulatory problem. Gambling websites are often hosted in countries with lenient gambling regulations. This allows gamblers to skirt local prohibitions like cash gambling on sports events, which is banned in Canada and parts of the United States (US). In the eSports context, online gambling regulation is further complicated by the fact that not all betting sites use real money. Instead, they use in-game decorative items called skins as virtual currency for wagers. This is known as “skin gambling.”
But if there is no real money involved, is skin gambling technically gambling? The short answer is yes. Although the law on eSports gambling is still being developed, a recent case involving game developer, Valve, and their highly popular game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), illustrates the problems that arise when applying traditional gambling laws to eSports gambling.
What happened with Valve’s CS:GO?
In 2013, Valve released the “Arms Deal” Collection, a set of decorative skins that players could apply to their characters and in-game weapons in CS:GO. Many games release limited edition skins that are confined to the game. What made CS:GO skins unique was that they could be sold and traded amongst players outside of the game platform. This allowed players to use their skins like casino chips on third-party eSports gambling websites. A whopping $5 billion worth of skins were reportedly gambled worldwide in 2016. And what’s more, there were no age checks on any of these sites, which meant that minors could participate freely.
In June 2016, an action was reportedly brought against Valve by a US resident, alleging that Valve “knowingly allowed, supported, and/or sponsored illegal gambling.” Later that year, the Washington State Gambling Commission, which operates in the same state as Valve’s headquarters, demanded that Valve stop transferring CS:GO skins outside of the game environment. In response, Valve sent numerous cease-and-desist letters to stop online gambling sites from using their CS:GO skins. Unfortunately, this caused many gambling sites to go underground to avoid detection by Valve and other regulators.
The risks of skin gambling
Gambling is heavily regulated to protect minors and to promote responsible gambling. In Ontario, for example, section 3.8(1) of the Gaming Control Act requires strict standards for protecting players and their assets. But because skins are not real money, online gambling using these virtual currencies is relatively unregulated compared to traditional forms of online gambling. The use of virtual items as wagers also makes it difficult for children and parents to recognize skin gambling as actual gambling.
The role skin gambling plays in facilitating under-aged gambling was recently addressed in the United Kingdom (UK) when Craig Douglas and Dylan Rigby, owners of the gambling site FUTgalaxy, were reportedly prosecuted under the UK Gambling Act. FUTgalaxy held lotteries using in-game items from the FIFA soccer games developed by EA Sports. However, their site was unlicensed and, therefore, illegal under UK gambling law. In February 2017, Douglas and Rigby were severely fined for promoting FIFA lotteries on their respective YouTube channels and encouraging minors to gamble. The case focused on how the two defendants “turned a blind eye” to the use of their gambling site by children.
Are game developers liable?
While there is little question that gambling sites are responsible for facilitating skin gambling, it remains unclear whether game developers are also to blame. For example, in the FUTgalaxy case, only the owners of the gambling site were named in the lawsuit. But both gambling site owners and Valve were named in the CS:GO case.
An important consideration is the developer’s level of involvement. Game developers create skins to enhance a player’s in-game experience, not to create an external gambling market. So in that sense, only third-party gambling sites should be liable for their “parasitic” activity. But it has been argued that developers should be more pro-active in monitoring and preventing the use of their in-game items on gambling sites.
The future of eSports gambling
Unfortunately, the CS:GO case provides little guidance for future eSports gambling cases. It was dismissed from the US District Court for the Western District of Washington and sent to arbitration, as per Valve’s service agreement. However, Valve recently made efforts to block the use of their game data for illegal gambling in another one of their games, Team Fortress 2.
Many questions have yet to be answered in this emerging area of gaming law. The UK Gambling Commission recently published a position paper following the FUTgalaxy case, where they take a strict stance against skin gambling. The good news is that, as the position paper reports, the video game industry is “committed to working with [the UK Gambling Commission] to prevent customers experiencing gambling-related harm through their platforms.”
Alexandria Chun is an IPilogue Editor and a JD Candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School.
 GG v Valve Corporation, 2017 WL 1210220.


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Answers, the world’s top destination for Q&A content, announced Monday the appointment of John Henderson to its leadership team.
Henderson brings more than 20 years of sales and management experience to Answers. He was most recently vice president of Sales for TripAdvisor where he handled the display business for the travel site.
Prior to that, he worked with major media companies including Sony, NBC, Disney and Turner Broadcasting.
In his new role at Answers, Henderson will be responsible for the strategy, growth, and management of direct sales initiatives across all Answers web properties and platforms.
Advertisers will be able to engage directly with the Answers audience across desktop, mobile, and social applications, through a range of personalized adverting products.
“John has a proven track record of leading successful advertising sales initiatives and he fills a critical need at Answers,” said Peter Horan, COO of Answers. “We are excited to have John on board to lead our advertising sales initiatives and to help connect brands to their target consumers.”
Henderson (pictured above) is the third senior executive to join the Answers team in the last six months. Peter Horan, former CEO of About.com and IAC, joined the company as chief operating officer (COO) in December 2012. Matt Derdeyn, who formerly served as senior VP of Charter Communications, was appointed chief financial officer (CFO) in January 2013.
“With the addition of these seasoned executives in key areas of our business, we have positioned Answers for future growth and success, including continuing to build the business through acquisitions, developing new streams of revenues and other strategic ventures,” said David Karandish, CEO of Answers.


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By James Davey
LONDON - British supermarket group Morrisons reported a 6.4% decline in underlying sales over its latest quarter, in what it called "a very fragile and difficult consumer environment."
Britain's fourth largest grocer after market leader Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda has been owned by U.S. private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) since October, though the takeover only gained final regulatory clearance this month.
Confidence levels among Britain's consumers sank to a record low this month as they struggle with the accelerating cost of living. Wages are failing to keep pace with inflation that hit an over 40-year high of 9.1% in May and is heading for double digits.
Morrisons said its total revenue including fuel rose 2.6% to 4.6 billion pounds ($5.6 billion) over the 13 weeks to May 1, its fiscal second quarter, primarily due to a recovery of fuel sales, which increased 54%.
Core earnings, or adjusted EBITDA, rose 14.5% to 71 million pounds, reflecting a recovery in areas impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as cost savings.
"With ongoing inflationary pressure and an increasingly subdued consumer sentiment, the trading environment has been very challenging," said Morrisons, while noting its underlying sales performance improved towards the end of the quarter, helped by Mother’s Day and Easter.
Monthly industry data has consistently shown Morrisons underperforming its three bigger rivals on a sales value basis.
However, CEO David Potts called its performance "resilient", pointing out the quarter compared to a period of significant COVID restrictions last year when travel and hospitality were both severely limited, boosting grocery sales.
In the same quarter last year, Morrisons also offered discounts to health workers, teachers, farmers and emergency services workers.
Morrisons differs from its main rivals as it also has its own manufacturing operations.
In May, the group acquired the McColl's convenience store business after it fell into administration.
"We are looking forward to working more closely with CD&R as we continue to drive the key pillars of our strategy, focused on being a broader, stronger, popular and accessible business," said Potts.
($1 = 0.8223 pounds)


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After more than 15 years with the company, Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime is retiring this April. Shortly after the news broke, the company shared a heartfelt farewell message from Fils-Aime himself on Twitter.
«I wanted to reach out directly to you, the Nintendo community, because there’s one thing I really want to say: thank you,» Fils-Aime said in the video below. «Thank you for your never-ending support, and for your passionate love of Nintendo. And personally, for giving me a Mushroom Kingdom full of incredible memories that I will never forget, ever.
«From the first time I saw the nickname ‘Regginator,’ I realized that Nintendo fans share a unique sense of community, a bond that goes beyond just a love of video games. For these past 15 years, I’ve been honored to be included as part of your family.»
Fils-Aime also shared a few words about his successor, NOA senior VP of sales and marketing Doug Bowser, who’ll be formally taking over his role on April 15. «Doug is a passionate and powerful leader, and a guy who in his youth probably spent too much time in front of a Donkey Kong arcade machine. Inside Nintendo, people already know him as a driving force, and you’ll come to see that too.»
Fils-Aime joined the company partway through the GameCube era and has been its face in North American territories ever since, delivering press conferences and appearing in Nintendo Direct broadcasts. He’ll perhaps best be remembered, however, for the countless memes he’s inspired, from the time he danced to promote Yo-Kai Watch to his unintentionally iconic catchphrase.
Following the news of Fils-Aime’s retirement, many other industry figures, such as Microsoft’s Phil Spencer, expressed their thanks and shared memories and anecdotes of the NOA president.


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The Honda Civic Type R Makes for a Mean Looking Race Car
The Honda Civic Type R is going racing this year in the British Touring Car Championship.
Honda and race team Halfords Yuasa Racing debuted the new Civic Type R BTCC racecar today, which will contest the full 2018 BTCC calendar. The team built two of the FK8 Type R-based race cars over the winter, and will unveil their 2018 racing livery on March 22nd at their factory. BTCC cars are built to series specifications which allow for 350+ hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engines, making the latest Civic Type R a good fit for BTCC competition.
“This next generation Honda Civic Type R is fantastic and the guys have pulled out all the stops to get us to this point,” said driver Matt Neal. “I can’t wait to jump in and get out on track this week. If the car goes as fast as it looks then we’ll be in great shape this season!”
“It’s really exciting to see the new car in the flesh, in full racing trim and it’s really something special,” said Neal’s teammate, Dan Cammish. “Sitting in the cockpit for the first time will be a really proud moment for me.”
The new Honda Civic Type R will enjoy its first on-track outing during a pre-season test on March 27th. The 2018 BTCC season will kick off at Brands Hatch on April 7th.
Discuss this story on our Honda Civic Forum.
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
More by Sam McEachern


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2021 Skoda Kodiaq facelift teased ahead of April reveal – UPDATE: Australian launch timing detailed
Facelifted seven-seat SUV previewed with new lights and revised bumper designs.
UPDATE, 4pm, 31 March 2021: The updated Skoda Kodiaq slated for an Australian launch by the end of March 2022 (first quarter), though the first examples could reach customers' driveways as early as the end of 2021.
It's understood the RS performance flagship will go on sale alongside the standard range, with the current model's 176kW/500Nm 2.0-litre diesel engine rumoured to be replaced by a 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder out of the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Further details will be announced closer to launch.
31 March 2021, 11am: The 2021 Skoda Kodiaq facelift has been teased, ahead of its full debut on 13 April.
A set of design sketches released overnight reveal exterior changes to Skoda's seven-seat Kodiaq will be mild, headlined by slimmer LED headlights with lower LED fog lights, and a reshaped front bumper with a wider lower air intake.
Slimmer LED tail-lights feature at the rear, with C-shaped signatures.
It's unclear whether any changes will be made to the cabin, though there's a chance the seven-seater could gain an updated dashboard design with a tablet-style infotainment touchscreen similar to those fitted to the latest Scala and Kamiq compact models.
MORE: 2021 Skoda Kodiaq spied
The standard Kodiaq's engine line-up is expected to carry over all but unchanged, represented in Australia by a 132kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder mated to a dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
The flagship Kodiaq RS will undergo greater change, however, with rumours pointing to the sporty flagship's 176kW/500Nm 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine being replaced by a high-output turbo petrol engine, likely a version of the 213kW/380Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder under the bonnet of the outgoing Volkswagen Golf R.
The 2021 Skoda Kodiaq facelift will be unveiled on 13 April 2021, European time.
Australian launch timing has yet to be confirmed, however a local launch within the next 12 months appears probable.


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Media stories about Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) have trended somewhat positive this week, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. The research group identifies negative and positive media coverage by monitoring more than 20 million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Zebra Technologies earned a news sentiment score of 0.21 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave media stories about the industrial products company an impact score of 46.7291041050093 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the next several days.
A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ZBRA shares. Robert W. Baird restated a “buy” rating and set a $125.00 price objective on shares of Zebra Technologies in a research note on Friday, November 10th. Wellington Shields upgraded Zebra Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Zebra Technologies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. Northcoast Research upgraded Zebra Technologies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 31st. Finally, BidaskClub upgraded Zebra Technologies from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $114.88.
Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) opened at $109.54 on Monday. Zebra Technologies has a 12 month low of $81.02 and a 12 month high of $117.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $5,826.32, a PE ratio of 185.66, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.01.
Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 7th. The industrial products company reported $1.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.73 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $935.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $914.98 million. Zebra Technologies had a return on equity of 41.17% and a net margin of 0.82%. Zebra Technologies’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. research analysts anticipate that Zebra Technologies will post 6.37 EPS for the current year.
In other news, SVP Michael Cho sold 1,000 shares of Zebra Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.15, for a total value of $110,150.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 10,426 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,148,423.90. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Frank Blaise Modruson purchased 1,540 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 9th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $103.88 per share, for a total transaction of $159,975.20. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 12,556 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,304,317.28. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
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About Zebra Technologies
Zebra Technologies Corporation designs, manufactures and sells a range of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) products. The Company’s AIDC products include mobile computers, barcode scanners, radio frequency identification (RFID) readers, wireless local area network (WLAN) products, specialty printers for barcode labeling and personal identification, real-time location systems (RTLS), related accessories and supplies, such as self-adhesive labels and other consumables, and utilities and application software.
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