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DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) today confirmed that a new national labor agreement has been ratified by UAW-represented employees in the U.S. The agreement covering approximately 41,000 employees improves the company’s competitiveness in the U.S.
Ford is adding 12,000 hourly jobs in its U.S. manufacturing facilities through the four-year term of the contract, including in-sourcing work from Mexico, China and Japan. The company also is investing $16 billion in its U.S. product development and manufacturing operations – including $6.2 billion in plant-specific investments – by 2015.
“This agreement is proof that, by working together with our UAW partners and local communities, we can significantly create new jobs, invest in our plants and people, and make a very positive impact on the U.S. economy,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company’s president of The Americas. “Our agreement is fair to our employees and it improves our competitiveness in the U.S.”
Matching Capacity with Demand
The new investments and added jobs are designed to help Ford better meet current and anticipated future demand for its vehicles. Ford plans to add production capacity and new vehicles in several of its U.S. facilities, including at four U.S. assembly facilities.
Auto Alliance International in Flat Rock, Mich., Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich., Chicago Assembly Plant and Louisville Assembly Plant each will add a new production shift, resulting in significant volume increases for the fuel-efficient vehicles built there.
The added production comes on the heels of strong U.S. sales in September. Ford Explorer sales were up 204 percent versus a year ago. The Ford Escape set a new sales record, up 41 percent versus September 2010 and up 32 percent year to date. Ford Fusion sales are up 17 percent year to date, after setting monthly sales records for 11 of the last 12 months. The new Ford Focus is highly popular with consumers but has been constrained by availability. The added shift will allow Ford to continue to meet strong demand for Focus and other new products at Michigan Assembly Plant.
“Customers are taking notice and responding very positively to Ford’s lineup of fuel-efficient, high-quality and innovative products,” said Fields. “Working with the UAW, we now will be better able to meet the growing demand.”
The planned production growth at the four facilities will increase U.S. jobs by nearly 5,000 – 1,200 at Michigan Assembly Plant, 1,200 at Chicago Assembly Plant, 1,300 at Louisville Assembly Plant and 1,200 at AAI. All are part of Ford’s plan to add 12,000 U.S. hourly jobs in the next four years.
Bringing New Products to Market
Ford’s new national labor agreement also brings new products to U.S. plants. For example, Ford is moving production of the Ford F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks from Escobedo, Mexico, to its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, after the plant stops current production of the Ford E-Series vans. The company also is bringing F53 motor home chassis and F59 commercial stripped chassis production in-house, investing $128 million in the Ohio facility.
The medium truck manufacturing shift will make Ford the only U.S. full-line manufacturer of Class 6 and 7 medium-duty vehicles. It also marks the end of a decade-old Blue Diamond Truck LLC joint venture between Ford and Navistar International, which currently manufactures Ford F-650 and F-750 trucks in Mexico for customers across North America.
“By moving our commercial vehicle production in-house, we will be able to streamline and strengthen the engineering and manufacturing of our next-generation medium-duty trucks,” said Fields.
Production of Ford’s E-Series, currently built at Ohio Assembly Plant, will continue to be available in certain variations through most of the decade. A new full-size van called the Transit – slated for production beginning in 2013 at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Mo. – also will be introduced for Ford’s commercial van customers in North America.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company


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Bajaj grows by nine per cent in the month of June
Snapshot: Domestic growth has been doing fine for Bajaj but same couldn’t be said for exports as the company recorded a significant dip in the number of exports last month.
The Pune based auto maker, Bajaj Auto has recorded a healthy nine per cent growth in the month of June. Bajaj Auto sold more than 1.68 lakh motorcycle last month as compared to 1.54 lakh motorcycle that were sold in the corresponding month of 2015. Domestic growth has been doing fine for Bajaj but same couldn’t be said for exports as the company recorded a significant dip in the number of exports last month.
When compared to 1.32 lakh motorcycle exported in the month of June 2015, the company exported just 1.06 lakh motorcycle abroad this June. If the exports might have remained constant, Bajaj’s growth might have rocketed up way above the current figures. The commercial vehicle department experienced the similar dip in sales figures as company recorded 22 per cent rise in domestic market on the contrary 20 per cent dip in the commercial vehicle export figures.
The all new V15 has helped the Bajaj to grow strong in the commuter segment and same could be said regarding the Avenger 150 Street as well. Apart from these, Bajaj also gained good profit after the launch of CT100 last year. All of the three motorcycle together crossed over 90,000 units and helped the company to retain a strong position in the Indian two wheeler industry.
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IBM, one of the largest worldwide providers of IaaS with eight data centers all over the globe, has now expanded into providing SmartCloud Enterprise services to its customers.
What differentiates IBM from Amazon and Rackspace IaaS is that IBM customers will be able to use system P servers and system Z mainframes in the company’s cloud. This added feature in the service will better cater to IBM customers having higher workloads. Majority of the offered services are firmly based on AMD x86 or Standard Intel servers and shifting of workloads to x86 servers from P series or Z series is quite a hassle.
IBM has its data centers in Montpellier, France; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Tokyo, Japan; Ehninghen, Germany; Boulder, Colo.; Toronto and Raleigh. The company has chosen Barcelona, Spain, to build its ninth data center, which is expected to be completed in the mid of this year. Initially, IBM offered IaaS services only in the U.S and Europe, but now, having data centers all over the globe, IBM is now better equipped to provide services to larger audience. Diversifying the location of data centers also helps companies to bypass certain restricting laws of some countries.
On Tuesday, IBM announced that it will now be providing its Enterprise+ services in almost all the major regions of the globe.
Some Good news for the customers of IBM is that they will now be able to choose if they want to manage their own data on the cloud or let the professionals at IBM do it. This will help customers manage their cloud hosting costs. IBM claims that its SmartCloud enterprise+ can guarantee a very high availability of OS-instance.
The General Manager of SmartCloud services, Jim Comfort labeled the latest expansion by IBM as “a logical evolution of IBM’s sourcing business.”. The higher value of reliability, choice of servers and security will mean that IBM is “defining a new enterprise-grade cloud today,” that will enable companies to outsource the hassles of maintaining IT systems.
VP of Cloud marketing at IBM, Craig Sowell, said that “We don’t believe in one size fits all, our service level agreements can be aligned to what the client is trying to achieve. We can provide different levels of management”. Sowell claims that giving the customers an option to either handle the SAP apps themselves or let IBM do it is the heart of his company’s strategy.
IBM focuses on rise and fall in the demand of the applications instead of pushing the customers to “learn about the infrastructure of cloud and then make decisions”.
Sowell claims that IBM will be better equipped to provide quicker delivery of application services once it has automated the “provisioning of a Standard SAP application”. Customers availing the SAP BusinessObjects or SAP business Suite will be able to avail the new services.
IBM claims that it saw an 80% increase in its cloud service revenues in the last year. Sowell predicts that at this rate the company will comfortably hit its mark of $7 billion in revenues by the year 2015. However, the company has no way of finding which service brings in what amounts of revenues.
According to Sowell, the company will be offering new services that will help customers in determining what workload is more suited to move to the SmartCloud.


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Further evidence that this year’s Call of Duty game will be Modern Warfare 3 has seemingly leaked.
The images below, via Twitter user @algebra_sloth, appear to show an upcoming Modern Warfare 3 and Monster Energy drinks promotion.
The apparent promotional material includes artwork featuring the game’s logo, protagonist Captain Price, and what some fans are suggesting looks like series villain Vladimir Makarov.
The official Call of Duty Twitter account has acknowledged the apparent leak, tweeting: “Whew. Mondays. Anyone have an energy drink they can spare?”
More Call of Duty:
Activision seemingly confirmed this last week when it said that Modern Warfare 2 operators, weapons and bundles will carry forward into this year’s series entry, which has yet to be officially revealed.
Maps and modes from Modern Warfare 2 will also be carried over to the new title, it has been claimed.
It also said the first details about the reveal event for the game will arrive in the company’s announcement of Season 5 of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, which is expected to launch in early August.


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EghtesadOnline: The government is making another foray to enforce pricing, as the so-called Competition Council has announced a new pricing mechanism for steel.
Based on average global prices and foreign exchange rates in Iran, the pricing method for less than 5-mm-thick hot-rolled coil, for instance, is meant to regulate a seemingly monopolized market.
Consequently, the base price of all HRC offered on Iran Mercantile Exchange is set to be determined by multiplying the average of Metal Bulletin’s CIS FOB Black Sea price for the last 15 days by the SANA rate, which is the daily average trade rate in the forex market.
HRC suppliers are mandated to sell at least 25% of their materials at IME and also communicate their supply schedule for each material to consumers a week before each quarter starts. The council must be made aware of any deviation in the plan within a maximum of one week. The producers addressed include Mobarakeh Steel Company, Ferro Gilan Complex and Ahwaz Rolling and Pipe Mills Company, Financial Tribune reported.
According to Mehr News Agency, a letter regarding the decision was penned by the head of the council, Reza Shiva, to Chairman of the Syndicate of Steel Pipe and Profile Manufacturers Amir Hossein Kaveh on Sunday before appearing in local news outlets.
The Competition Council is a government-backed body that monitors and, in some cases, sets prices of local products. The name has so far usually resonated in cases related to the auto sector.
The syndicate has championed the cause of downstream users, especially pipe producers dealing with inadequate supply of flat steel and slab for about two years now, claiming that the market is dominated by a few large quasi-privatized steelmakers that are able to manipulate supply and prices. Their extensive lobbying attempts got them through various governmental bodies, with the Competition Council being the latest.
Heeding the syndicate’s concerns, the letter indicates that Mobarakeh Steel Company’s HRC production accounts for 50% of total market capacity and 90% of actual production and supply. It emphasizes that the necessity of enforcing a new pricing mechanism is due to the fact that MSC has been levying a 20% import duty on thin flats to the base price offered at IME for the past two years, causing significant disparity between local and export prices.
“Flat steel price must be discovered at IME based on supply and demand mechanisms. However, with a few quasi-privatized suppliers with a meager supply and thousands of buyers, there is no balance between supply and demand. This deprives users of any certainty about prices,” Kaveh told IRIB’s Radio Eqtesad in an interview.
He emphasized that local prices have grown beyond global quotes while there has been no significant development in the domestic market.
“Unreasonable prices, alongside lack of supply, impede the steel production chain and creation of value-added materials,” he said.
On Monday, MSC offered 34,100 and 12,100 tons of type B and C HRC futures at IME at the base prices of 21,978 and 21,357 rials, while demand stood at 68,530 and 49,830 tons respectively.
MSC, alongside its subsidiary Saba Steel Complex, produced a total of 1.87 million tons of HRC during the first four months of the current fiscal year (started March 21), registering a 3% drop in output year-on-year.
> Automakers to Benefit
The impact of the council’s decision will also be felt in other downstream sectors, including the automotive sector.
Iranian car manufacturers are a regular user of flat steel. Lower prices will benefit them, especially now that they have bolstered production and recently been given the go-ahead to boost prices.
According to Iran Vehicle Manufacturers Association, 306,545 cars, pickup trucks and heavy duty vehicles were produced during the first quarter of the current fiscal year. The industry registered a 15.2% YOY growth during the three-month period.
Local companies manufactured 290,432 vehicles, an 18.9% YOY growth while production of pickups decreased 32% compared with the same period of last year, reaching 12,925.
Back in July 30, the Competition Council gave permission to Iran’s two main automakers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA, to increase the prices of several models, including Pride and Tiba in addition to Samand and several models of Peugeot.
The ruling allows SAIPA to increase the prices of Pride and Tiba by up to 1.5% and permits IKCO to charge 2.5% to 3% more for its Samand and Peugeot models.
Following the council's authorization, 1.5 million rials ($40) will be added to the price of Tiba and Pride, which are currently sold for 250 million rials ($6650); Peugeot and Samand models will increase by 4 million rials ($107).
As raw material prices are slated to drop, Iranian automakers may be the primary yet unlikely beneficiary of this development.


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Corsicana Mattress Co. and certain of its affiliated entities filed for voluntary reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth in late June. Corsicana also filed a proposed asset purchase agreement with an affiliate of Blue Torch Finance LLC to acquire the company’s assets through a court-supervised auction and sale process under section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code. The transaction is subject to court approval.
In connection with the proposed sale, Corsicana has received a commitment for debtor-in-possession financing from Blue Torch. On court approval, the new financing, together with cash generated from the company’s ongoing operations, is expected to enable the mattress company to continue operating as usual, according to a news release.
“The Chapter 11 process enables Corsicana to accelerate its re-focus on core customers, renegotiate agreements, flatten our organization and drive greater efficiency in all aspects of our operations,” said Eric Rhea, chief executive officer. “Our core commitment is to serve our valued customers seamlessly, maintain partnerships with key suppliers and operate with integrity. As a result, we will deliver high-quality sleep products coast-to-coast to everyday Americans, handcrafted in the USA for the best possible price — ensuring the Corsicana business will be strong for another 50 years.”
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas granted all of Corsicana’s first-day motions and certain of its affiliates that provide up to $58 million through two debtor-in-possession financing facilities to support ongoing operations.
The motions granted also included authorization to: cover payroll, benefits and expenses for the company’s full- and part-time employees; continue use existing bank accounts; maintain the company’s insurance programs; pay outstanding taxes; ensure no disruption from utility providers and continue customer programs. The court’s approval of these motions enables the company to continue to serve customers, provide for its employees, and pay vendors and suppliers for services provided and goods received during the Chapter 11 process.
The DIP Facilities provide Corsicana with up to $18 million in term loans from Blue Torch Finance LLC, which is seeking to acquire Corsicana through the Chapter 11 process, and up to $40 million in revolving loans from Wingspire Capital LLC.
The Chapter 11 announcement comes on the heels of Corsicana closing two plants: In May, the company announced it will shutter its mattress-in-a-box facility in Pinola, Indiana. After operating in a temporary facility since 2020, Corsicana opened the new 165,000-square-foot factory in March, projecting it would hire 350 employees and make 1,500 beds per day.
In June, Corsicana announced it would close its Symbol mattress production facility in Richmond, Virginia, impacting 54 employees. Production will be absorbed into the company’s Newington, Connecticut, and Greensboro, North Carolina, facilities.


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My position remains intact. Having enter short from 1.1709 for EUR/USD. To God be the glory!
Fed Chair Powell calls inflation ‘frustrating’ and sees it running into next year
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell still expects inflation to ease eventually, but said Wednesday that he sees the current pressures running into 2022. Assessing the current economic situation, the Fed chief said during a panel discussion hosted by the European Central Bank that he was “frustrated” that getting people vaccinated and arresting the spread of the Covid delta variant “remains the most important economic policy that we have.” “It’s also frustrating to see the bottlenecks and supply chain problems not getting better — in fact at the margins apparently getting a little bit worse,” he ... (full story)


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South by Southwest has struck a deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC that includes publishing brands such as The Hollywood Reporter, that will make P-MRC a long-term partner and stakeholder in the festival, the companies announced in a joint release Sunday night.
P-MRC — whose holdings also include Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety and Vibe — will bring “media expertise and new avenues for discovery” to the Austin, Texas-based event. The deal will also involve looking at an expansion of SXSW with new events and business models.
P-MRC will reportedly take a 50% stake in the business. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news.
“It has been an incredibly tough period for small businesses, SXSW included,” said CEO and co-founder Roland Swenson. “When Jay Penske approached us with an interest in becoming a partner, it was a true lifeline for us. Both of our companies share a passion for producing high quality content that helps shape modern culture, so this feels like a natural alliance. Now we are focused on the March 2022 event, and we’re honored to embark on a new chapter of SXSW with both his experience and the capabilities of P-MRC at our side.”
Added Jay Penske, chairman and CEO of Penske Media: “We are grateful and proud to become enduring partners with SXSW, and collaborate with its exceptional team. Since 1987, SXSW has been the world’s premier festival centered at the convergence of tech, media, film, and music. Today SXSW continues to be one of the most recognized brands for empowering creative talent and bringing together the brightest creators of our time. As part of this significant investment, we plan to build upon SXSW’s incredible foundation while extending the platform further digitally and assisting Roland and his incredible team to bring their vision to even greater heights.”
The event was created in 1987. Its founders will continue to run the festival. The next edition is scheduled for March 11-20.
The news comes about a year after festival organizers took a hit after being forced to cancel the 2020 edition due to the pandemic. The festival had been scheduled to take place in March, the same month that the country went into lockdown. This year, a shorter version of festival was held online.
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PRIMARY CARE IS COMING TO A RETAIL CLINIC NEAR YOU! It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. Walgreens Boots Alliance just announced its goal of building 1,000 primary care clinics at its retail pharmacies by 2027. CVS and Walmart have similar plans.
These plans were announced last week, when Walgreens disclosed that it would spend $5.2 billion to acquire a 63% interest to become the majority owner of VillageMD. Founded in 2013 in Chicago, VillageMD has already opened 52 primary-care clinic locations at Walgreens stores and may have 33 more such clinics up and running by year’s end.
CVS Pharmacy, Inc., (which owns Aetna, the health insurance company), has opened 1,100 HealthHUBs in its retail pharmacies and plans to expand this service into nearly all of its 9,967 locations.
Similarly, Walmart is building primary care clinics as part of its superstores. It has 20 such clinics in operation and 22 more clinics are under construction.
The trend of putting full-service primary care clinics in retail pharmacies is a significant development for the clinical laboratory industry. These clinics will need clinical laboratory testing and can be expected to shift patients away from traditional medical clinic sites for two reasons—lower price and convenience—since they will be located around the corner from where people live and work.
For these reasons health system lab outreach programs will want to develop strategies to serve this new type of primary care service provider. It would be timely to study this trend, since Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart are already expanding their respective networks of clinics.
In its press release about its $5.2B investment in VillageMD, Walgreens included this photo showing how the VillageMD primary care clinic can be incorporated into existing Walgreens retail pharmacy stores. Lab testing will be one service offered at these sites.


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NEW DELHI -- Seven years ago, more than 50% of the power distributed by North Delhi Power Ltd. wasn't paid for by customers. Today, the company has cut that to 15%, signaling that one of India's biggest infrastructure problems can be solved, if tackled aggressively.
Power theft by rich and poor customers as well as businesses has plagued India for decades, hindering foreign and domestic investment that could spark the increase in generating capacity the nation desperately needs.
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“The BSNL Superstar 300 broadband plan is priced at Rs 749 for 300GB of high-speed data at 50Mbps/ month”
State-owned telco BSNL, which is sailing on troubled waters and is yet to clear dues of its employees, has refreshed its Rs 749 Superstar 300 broadband plan. The company is now bundling Hotstar Premium subscription along with 300GB of high-speed internet at 50Mbps speed per month with the plan. The scheme is valid to subscribers in all telecom circles in India.
Users will have access to Hotstar’s portfolio of originals, live sports – including the ICC Cricket World 2019, movies, and TV shows, which separately costs Rs 299. Those interested in availing Rs 749 Superstar 300 broadband plan’s new offer can submit a request online or call on BSNL’s toll-free number 18003451500.
This is the second broadband plan with which BSNL has added subscriptions to streaming services since the start of the year. The telco previously offered Amazon Prime membership worth Rs. 999 to select Bharat Fiber customers to capitalise on the growth of streaming services in the country. However, BSNL is not all alone who is trying to widen the customer base by bundling a streaming service along with the plan. Airtel is also there in the hunt. Earlier this month, the telco announced that the ‘platinum’ customers will get access to Zee5 premium content, while for select prepaid and postpaid customers Netflix access was offered too.
In related news, BSNL has sought immediate fund infusion from the government as the telecom firm is struggling to run its operations, including paying Rs 850 crores worth of salaries before June. The company has nearly Rs 13,000 crores as outstanding liabilities and this is not the first time it has been in the situation. In February as well, the telecom operator had also failed to pay salaries to around 1.76 lakh employees due to its financial crisis.
“The gap between monthly revenues and bare expenses to continue operations as a going concern has reached to a level where continuing with the BSNL operations would be nearly impossible without immediate infusion of adequate equity,” Puran Chandra, senior general manager at BSNL’s corporate budget and banking division, stated in a letter to the joint secretary in the telecom minister, the Times of India reported.


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A secret, “yellow” version of the Facebook app has been revealed by Mark Zuckerberg.
During a Facebook Live video that was meant to show off its new streaming features, the company’s CEO also showed off a secret version of the app that the company uses to test out upcoming features.
The biggest of those features is an overhauled interface for posting on the site. Where normally a person clicks at the top of the app to add an update and then has the options pop out, Mr Zuckerberg’s version is much larger and allows people to post new forms of media.
Those include options to easily post gifs and music — both features that the site has supported in some form but never allowed people to easily share. Those could be representative of other larger changes to the service, like Facebook’s long-rumoured but never-actually-seen music streaming service.
The secret version is referred to as the “yellow” app because the icon is differently coloured, to mark it out from the full, normal version of Facebook.
In general, the new interface appears to be built to encourage people to share more about themselves on the site. That is important to Facebook because it is seeing a phenomenon called “context collapse” — a huge reduction in the number of people sharing personal information — which the company is said to be terrified about.
Some of the features appear to have rolled out to some particular users already, according to reports. And others might never actually make it to people’s phones at all.
"Not everything there's gonna launch," Mr Zuckerberg said during the live video. "Some of it will over time."
It wasn’t clear how much of the interface Mr Zuckerberg wanted to reveal during the event, or how many other secret features are lurking in that “yellow” version of the app.
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JJB Sports boss on brink of stepping down after series of profit warnings
The boss of beleaguered JJB Sports is on the brink of stepping down after a series of profit warnings.
Keith Jones, who has been in post since March 2010, is expected to leave shortly.
Shares in the company, which last night closed at 5.38p, have fallen 97 per cent in the past five years.
But Jones’s expected departure comes after a dramatic worsening in the company’s already grim fortunes.
Its shares crashed by 25 per cent last week after the company revealed it has approached its suppliers and strategic partners for more cash, just months after a previous deal aimed at shoring up the business.
It said that net debt has increased £2.3m to £17.7m following a profit warning. Sales on a same store-basis in the 24 weeks to 15 July were down 8.7 per cent and the planned refurbishment of up to 25 stores before the end of the year has been put on hold.
JJB had hoped a £20m cash injection from US firm Dick’s Sporting Goods in April would last until the new year.
The company blamed bad weather and poor sales of football shirts during the Euro 2012 championships for its additional woes. Jones’s departure is likely to coincide with the Olympic Games, which the company had also hoped would provide a lift to sales.
The company raised another £10m from its existing shareholders, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Dick’s has the right to buy another £20m of convertible loans next year in a deal that could give it a stake of as much as 60 per cent. At the same time, key supplier Adidas agreed to provide security for a two-stage loan of up to £15m to fund store refurbishments and the Bank of Scotland extended loan facilities through to May 2015.
Arch rival Sports Direct has defied the high street gloom, recently posting a 24.5 per cent rise in profits, and last week said it is paying its 2,000 staff a bonus averaging £15,000 each for hitting growth targets.
JJB has already announced that chairman Mike McTighe will be replaced by Bob Corliss, a veteran of the US retailer The Athlete’s Foot.
One possibility is that Corliss will act as executive chairman instead of the company immediately appointing a new chief executive to take over from Jones.
Details of Jones’s pay-off have not yet been revealed.
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Eastman Kodak Co announced a new business structure on Tuesday that eliminates its film group as the once-iconic photography company tries to refocus as a digital company to help fend off financial difficulties.
Its shares jumped after the news and were up 58 percent to 63 cents in early afternoon.
The company will create two business segments out of the current three. Phillip Faraci will head the commercial segment, while Laura Quatela will head the consumer segment. Both executives will have the title of co-president and chief operating officer and will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Antonio Perez.
Kodak said it will make changes to its financial reporting starting in the first quarter to reflect the new structure. It also said that it expects the design to reduce costs and increase productivity.
One analyst was skeptical about the move. ...


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Utah entreprenuer Josh James to attend White House for JOBS Act signing
OREM — Today, Josh James, the Utah entrepreneur who co-founded Omniture, will attend the White House signing of a series of bills designed to help small businesses and startups find funding, according to peHub.com.
The Jumpstart Our Business Startups, or JOBS, Act "makes a tremendous difference for entrepreneurs trying to get funding who are yet unproven," James said in a statement. "Crowdfunding is a fantastic trend. It certainly has some risks, like all investing does, but in today's modern age, more people should be able to back entrepreneurs and businesses in which they believe."
Other invitations were sent to Barry Silbert, founder and CEO of SecondMarket, Scott Dorsey, CEO and co-founder of ExactTarget and a number of other venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
The act will let companies find funding and become publicly traded faster and easier by relaxing Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.
Adobe bought James' Omniture for $1.8 billion in 2009. Eventually, the entrepreneur left and started Domo Technologies, which has developed an enterprise dashboard that aggregates business information for executives.
Domo received $43 million in seed investments including $33 million from Menlo Park, Calif.-based Benchmark. The other $10 million came from angel investors including Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff and John Thompson, chairman of Symantec Corp.
The company also received $20 million from Institutional Venture Partners, another Menlo Park-based venture capital firm, in later investment rounds.
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In this regular update, we round up FinTech-related financial services regulatory developments for the week ending 20 January 2023.
Recent updates from Herbert Smith Freehills include:
|PSR summary of digital payments roundtable discussion
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has published a summary of the discussion at its roundtable on 29 November 2022 on the Digital Payments Initiative. The roundtable was particularly focused on barriers to the use of digital payments, exploring why people depend on cash, the role prepaid cards can play in meeting the needs of cash-dependents, and ways to provide access to cash-dependent customers.
Alongside the summary, PSR’s policy manager Kate Fitzgerald has written a short think piece on barriers to the use of digital payments. Ms Fitzgerald writes that protecting access to cash is a priority for PSR, and then outlines the Digital Payments Initiative, PSR’s work on this topic and the roundtable discussion.[19 Jan 2023]
|FSCP: Response to FCA DP22/5 on the competitive effects of Big Tech entry and expansion in financial services
The Financial Services Consumer Panel (one of the independent statutory panels consulted by the FCA when developing policy) has published its response to Discussion Paper 22/5: Potential competitive impacts of Big Tech entry and expansion in retail financial services (DP22/5) . FSCP’s comments cover:
|LawTech UK releases DP on AI in Legal Services
LawtechUK has released a Discussion Paper (DP) on the adoption and development of AI in legal services. The questions in the article focus on understanding the risks, risk management techniques, and areas of legal services regulation that may require clarity to support the responsible use of machine learning. Feedback is requested by 5 February 2023. [18 Jan 2023]
|EIOPA Consumer Trends Report 2022
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has released its Consumer Trends Report 2022 which focuses on the financial health of consumers and small businesses through their use of insurance and pension savings products. Among EIOPA’s findings is that digitization and technology are gradually transforming the pension value chain, reducing costs and improving members’ and beneficiaries’ engagement in their pensions.
The report is accompanied by a video, a heat map of key findings and several Eurobarometer reports, some covering the whole of the EU-27 and others with extracts for specific EU Member States. [18 Jan 2023]
|EC: Indicative agenda for upcoming college meetings – Guidelines for financial services
The European Commission (EC) has published its indicative list of agenda items for university meetings in the period 25 January to 28 June 2023. With regard to the regulation of financial services, the following dates are relevant:
|HKMA launches consultation on proposed changes to the AML/CFT guideline for authorized institutions
The HKMA has launched a consultation on proposed changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism Guidelines (for Authorized Institutions) (the AML/CFT Guidelines). Feedback on the proposals is required by 8 March 2023.
The proposed changes are intended to provide guidance in light of the recent enhancements to the AML/CFT requirements under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Regulation (see our previous update). The areas that have changed include (among others):
|SECT issues rules on the handling of digital wallets for the storage of digital assets and keys
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SECT) has issued regulations requiring digital asset custodian operators to establish a digital wallet management system to accommodate the efficient and secure escrow of clients’ digital assets and keys. The regulation covers the following requirements:
The regulation is effective from 16 January 2023. [17 Jan 2023]
|BSP replaces unsuitable currency with digital cash in Tagbilaran
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has announced that the Visayas Regional Office (VRO) offered currency exchange services in Tagbilaran City to encourage the public to replace their unfit notes and coins with digital cash. The ‘BSP Piso Caravan’ currency exchange program was conducted for the first time in the Visayas to replace unfit money by depositing equivalent amounts to customers’ e-wallets. The BSP VRO staff also helped those without e-wallets to set them up. The BSP Piso Caravan is in line with the central bank’s commitment to preserve the integrity of the Philippine currency and promote digital payments to strengthen financial inclusion. [16 Jan 2023]
|SEC: Nexo agrees to pay $45 million in fines and stop unregistered crypto-asset lending offering
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accused Nexo Capital Inc. of failing to register the offering and sale of its private crypto asset lending product, Earn Interest Product (EIP).
Pursuant to the SEC’s order, in or about June 2020, Nexo began offering and selling EIPs in the United States. The EIP allowed US investors to offer their crypto assets to Nexo in exchange for Nexo’s promise to pay interest. The order states that Nexo marketed the EIP as a means for investors to earn interest on their crypto assets, and Nexo exercised its discretion to use the investors’ crypto assets in various ways to generate income for its own business and to fund interest payments to EIP investors. The order states that EIP is a security and that the offer and sale of EIP did not qualify for exemption from SEC registration. Therefore, Nexo was required to register its offer and sale of EIP, which it failed to do.
To settle the SEC’s charges, Nexo agreed to pay a $22.5 million fine and cease the unregistered offering and sale of EIP to US investors. In parallel actions, Nexo agreed to pay an additional $22.5 million in fines to settle similar allegations by state regulators. [19 Jan 2023]
|CFTC: Commissioner keynote on lessons learned from FTX’s collapse
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has published a keynote address by Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero, of The Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. In his speech, Goldsmith Romero outlines his assessment of the lessons to be learned from FTX’s collapse, including:
|DoJ: Founder of Cryptocurrency Exchange Charged with Handling Over $700M of Illegal Funds
The Department of Justice (DoJ) has announced that the founder and majority owner of a cryptocurrency exchange, Bitzlato Ltd, has been arrested for his alleged operation of a money transfer business that transported and transferred illicit funds and failed to meet US regulatory safeguards, including anti-money laundering requirements ( AML).
The defendants allegedly helped run a cryptocurrency exchange that failed to implement required AML safeguards and enabled criminals to profit from their wrongdoing, including ransom and drug trafficking. The individual must have knowingly allowed Bitzlato to become a perceived safe haven for funds used for and resulting from a series of criminal activities,
French authorities and the US Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) are simultaneously taking enforcement action. [18 Jan 2023]


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University College London (UCL), along with its catering partner, CH&CO, and climate tech company, Reewild, have teamed up to introduce a new food carbon tracking app across UCL food outlets on a trial basis, helping students to manage their carbon impact.
In line with the university’s Sustainable Food Policy, over half of the food on offer at UCL through caterers CH&CO is vegetarian or vegan. Furthermore, all food made in-house has been carbon accounted and carbon labelled, providing staff and students with the information needed to make informed decisions.
The Reewild app now adds an extra gear to this positive work, nudging students towards more sustainable options via a loyalty scheme that rewards them with free meals and coffees if they opt for plant-based options.
Through the app, students can also discover the climate impact of millions of products, enabling them to log the items they consume in their personal carbon footprint tracker, similar to successful calorie counting apps such as MyFitness Pal.
The aim is to remain below a pre-set Carbon Calorie Goal – a daily carbon budget calculated in line with international climate targets. To do so, users receive recommendations for switches to greener products and are rewarded for improving their footprint, unlocking exclusive discounts and promotions from sustainable brand partners, and freebies in UCL cafés and refectories.
UCL prioritises sustainability throughout its research, teaching, and operations. In 2023, it was awarded the Times ‘University of the Year,’ attributed to its innovative and sustainable UCL East Campus and retained First-Class Honours in the University People and Planet League.
Helping the environment and benefiting society is also fundamental to CH&CO’s purpose, including commitments to be a net zero company by 2040.
According to a recent YouGov survey, 59 per cent of people are making conscious decisions to live a low carbon lifestyle, with diet changes considered the single most effective lever to reduce individual footprints. However, a majority of shoppers (61 per cent) feel they need more information to better inform their sustainable choices (EY).
The partnership between UCL, CH&CO and Reewild helps to address this problem, by bringing full transparency on the climate impact of everyday food and drink products and encouraging planet-positive decisions.
Kit Nicholl, Co-Founder & COO at Reewild, said: “We’re delighted to be working hand in glove with UCL and CH&CO to help drive greener behaviours and support their net zero carbon targets. This new partnership will give students unprecedented control over the climate footprint of the food they eat, whilst rewarding them for greener behaviours. Through collective action, we’re confident that the Reewild app can instigate the change we need to reduce our impact on the planet, one meal at a time.”
Jason Clarke, Assistant Sustainability Director at UCL said: “Whilst we are making significant operational progress in sustainability at UCL, we recognise the importance of empowering our community to make more sustainable choices, and our partnership with Reewild and CH&CO reflects this commitment. Through initiatives like this, we’re fostering a culture of sustainability within our university.”
Clare Clark, Head of Sustainability at CH&CO said: “We are excited to trial Reewild at our outlets on UCL’s campus. We work hard to offer sustainable, healthy and balanced choices that are also delicious. Our ultimate goal is to have the customers’ first choice also be the most sustainable one on the menu and increasing engagement between our customers and the environmental impact of the food they eat is integral to that.”
Service Works Global (SWG) is conducting research in partnership with FMJ, to find out how you are using technology in your role through a short survey.
Whatever your FM role, your responses will help to provide analysis and insight into the use of technology, as the FM industry rises to meet the challenges of sustainability, new ways of working and data-driven decision making. This will enable FMs to gain insight into future trends to stay ahead of the curve, and be able to benchmark against the industry as a whole.
The anonymised results will be published so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, participants will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive an iPad 10th Generation worth £499.
To take part click here.


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Microsoft launched its Xbox Music system last year at the same time as Windows 8, and it’s now dramatically extended the service’s reach with apps for rival mobile operating systems, following a recent move to add web portal access.
The Xbox Music iOS apps and Android apps are available today. At launch, the apps support streaming music and the ability to sync with user-generated playlists, but offline music streaming isn’t possible. Microsoft says it will update the apps roughly every four to six weeks, and that one of these updates will add offline support. Simultaneously, Microsoft has adjusted its web portal for Music so that instead of being a subscriber-only system, it’s accessible to all-comers as a free ad-supported service.
Microsoft is evidently sensitive to the boom in streaming music services being led by apps like Spotify and Rhapsody. Spotify itself is trying to expand from being a mobile-only app with its Connect system. Apple is also planning a launch of a free streaming music offering via iTunes Radio, which is expected to launch at Apple’s big press event tomorrow–this makes Microsoft’s timing look like a desperate grab at attention. Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox One is due to arrive soon, but is in a pitched battle with Sony’s PlayStation 4.
[Image via Flickr user: Keith McDuffee]


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Bank Austria Purchasing Managers' Index for October:
Sharp fall in orders hits Austrian industry
- For the second month in a row, the Bank Austria Purchasing Managers' Index has recorded a figure below the growth threshold of 50 points, ending October on 48 points
- Austrian products see sharp fall in demand both at home and abroad, with manufacturing output continuing its decline
- Slower growth in industrial demand has had a marked impact on the latest price trends, with purchasing and selling prices falling for the first time since mid-2009
- Industry slides back into shallow recession, but backlog of orders from the first half of the year set to underpin the 7 per cent whole-year forecast for industrial growth
- Outlook for 2012: downturn only temporary, with a 3 per cent increase in production a realistic prospect despite moderate growth
Industry, very much the engine driving the economic recovery over the past two years, is increasingly beginning to stutter. As regards the single figure covering the results of the monthly survey of the economic situation facing Austria's industry, Bank Austria's chief economist Stefan Bruckbauer said: "The Bank Austria Purchasing Managers' Index fell a further 0.7 point in October. At 48, the indicator is below the growth threshold of 50 points for the second month in succession." Going on to describe the current state of industry, he commented: "The main reason why business performance has trended downwards on the previous month lies in the sharp decline in new business, which translates into fewer orders on hand, falling purchasing prices and a lower purchasing volume. Manufacturing output continued to drop, although employment was up slightly."
In October, Austrian industry was faced with marked falls in demand caused by increasing concerns over the state of the economy and growing uncertainty amongst key economic players as a result of the European sovereign debt crisis. These factors contributed significantly to the drop in the Bank Austria Purchasing Managers' Index. "With customers increasingly deferring their investment decisions due to the uncertain environment, Austrian industry has had to contend with a sharp fall in demand. Demand from both at home and abroad declined at a rate last seen two-and-a-half years ago," said Bruckbauer.
In October, industrial companies cut manufacturing output once again as a result of a fall in new business. Bank Austria economist Walter Pudschedl said: "The rate of production cutbacks slowed slightly in October, with companies focusing on working off their order backlogs. Orders on hand have thus fallen sharply to a level not seen since spring 2009." Slower demand growth in industry has had a marked impact on the latest price trends. "October saw both purchasing and selling prices fall for the first time in around two years," added Pudschedl. "Sluggish global demand has cut the purchasing prices of primary and raw materials, in particular those of many metals but also of energy. At the same time, selling prices have come under pressure due to the supply surplus, which has in turn cut producers' pricing power." Bank Austria economists estimate that, on average, the impact of changes in purchasing and selling prices was neutral in terms of the earnings situation of Austrian companies in October.
"Although the Bank Austria Purchasing Managers' Index is indicating a continuation of the downward trend in October, Austrian industry remains in good shape. The favourable economic backdrop over the past two years has kept order books at a healthy level despite some falls, and Austrian industry is working at high capacity," said Bruckbauer. In October, this was also suggested by the fact that the sector, boosted by efforts to work off their backlogs more quickly, actually created new jobs. Nevertheless, the latest survey highlights that Austrian industry is now well past its economic peak and must expect business to worsen persistently over the coming months. The current ratio of order to inventory trends – the most reliable indicator of development in the coming months – worsened significantly in October and is now at the same level as in October 2008, shortly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers. "Based on the latest survey results for the Bank Austria Purchasing Managers' Index, we have to assume that Austrian industry will slide into a shallow recession. Nevertheless, as a result of the backlog of orders from the first half of the year, we are still expecting robust industrial growth of 7 per cent for 2011 as a whole", said Bruckbauer.
Austrian production companies will find the early part of the new year a tough challenge, however, meaning that the forecasts for 2012 are very modest despite an expected upturn in demand later in the year. In addition to the producers of primary materials, most areas of the capital goods industry will also lose significant momentum compared to 2011. According to the latest growth forecasts for the key target countries, weighted to take into account the specific sales structure in individual sectors, all major industrial sectors will see their production growth halved at the very least. Bruckbauer summed up the prospects for Austrian industry in 2012 thus: "Overall, however, Austria's industry will not experience a sustained downturn in 2012, and production growth of 3 per cent is possible. In particular, the ability of many sectors to compete successfully on the international stage should ensure that the industry-led upturn of the past two years will soon be back on track."
charts (PDF; 91 KB)
Enquiries: Bank Austria Economics & Market Analysis Austria
Walter Pudschedl, Tel.: +43 (0) 50505 - 41957;
Note: PMI figures above the 50.0 mark indicate growth compared to the previous month; readings below the 50.0 mark indicate contraction. The greater the divergence from 50.0, the greater the change signalled. This report contains the original data from the monthly survey of purchasing managers from industrial companies in Austria. The survey is sponsored by Bank Austria and has been carried out by Markit Economics under the auspices of ÖPWZ, the Austrian Productivity and Efficiency Centre, since October 1998.
back to the summary


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Pakistan exported textile products worth $5.941 billion in 4 months
ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (APP): The textile exports from the country reached to $5,941.099 million during the first four months of the current fiscal year (2022-23), Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported.
The textile exports showed a decline of 1.34 percent during the period under review when compared to the exports of $6,021.813 during the same period of last year (July-October 2021-22).
The textile products that witnessed positive growth during July-October (2022-23) as compared to the corresponding period of last year included cotton cloth, the exports of which grew by 1.27 percent to $750.115 million from $740.711 million while the exports of knit wear increased by 6.92 percent, from $ 1,601.778 million to $ 1,712.606 million.
The exports of tents, canvas and tarpaulin increased by 21.24, from $30.810 million to $37.355 million, ready-made garments by 2.46 percent, from $ 1,158.603 million to $ 1,187.059 million and art, silk and synthetic textile by 2.06 percent from $ 143.320 million to $ 146.276 million.
The exports of raw cotton witnessed cent percent growth by growing to $9.846 million during the period, according to PBS data.
The textile goods that witnessed negative growth in trade included cotton yarn, the exports of which declined by 18.14 percent, from $ 394.765 million to $285.315 million.
Likewise, the exports of cotton (carded or combed) declined by 86.14 percent, from $1.542 million to $0.214 million, yarn (other than cotton yarn) by 14.56 percent, from $17.240 million to $14.730 million, bed-wear by 8.64 percent from $1,091.124 million to $996.840 million, towels by 2.02 percent, from $323.385 million to $316.860 million, made-up articles (excluding towels, bedwear) by 11.37 percent, from $168.583 million to $238.043 million while the exports of all other textile materials went down by 1.65 percent, from $249.952 million to $245.840 million.
Meanwhile, on year-on-year (YoY) basis, the textile goods’ exports declined by 15.23 percent in October 2022 to $ 1,357.038 million against exports of $ 1,600.930 million in October 2021.
On month-on-month (MoM) basis the textile goods’ exports however decreased by 11.13 percent in October 2022 when compared to the exports of $ 1,527.071 million in September 2022, according to the PBS data.
It is pertinent to mention here that the overall merchandize exports during the first four months of the current fiscal year increased by 0.94 percent to $9,549 million as compared to the exports of $9,460 million during the corresponding period of last year.
On the other hand, the imports of the country decreased by 16.21 percent during the period under review by going down from $25,084 million last year to $21,018 million during the current year.
Based on the figures, the trade deficit was recorded at $11,469 million this year against the deficit of $15,624 million last year, showing a decline of 26.59 percent, according to the data.


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One newspaper in Mexico has recently published an article mentioning a fabricated third version of Pokémon Sword & Shield, Pokémon Gun.
The Pokémon series used to have a game in each generation that was unofficially known as the "third version," which combined elements from the two previous games and added new features for returning players. The idea of releasing a third game in a generation was abandoned with Pokémon Black & White, with the following generations either having direct sequels or no additional games at all.
When Pokémon Sword & Shield were announced during the Pokémon Day Direct, the fans created images of what a theoretical third game would look like, with one of the most popular being Pokémon Gun, which had its own logo that was shared online.
It seems that a journalist in Mexico didn't fully research the upcoming Pokémon games before writing a report on them, as there is an article in the La Voz de Michoacan newspaper that lists Pokémon Gun alongside Pokémon Sword & Shield, while also displaying the fanmade logo next to Grookey.
My local newspaper, always doing research before publishing anything. pic.twitter.com/TP8GnKWkqK— Cin Ceja (@cin_ceja) March 3, 2019
The article was revealed online by Twitter user Cin Ceja, who uploaded the whole article to prove that it was genuine.
It's hard to defend the slipup, as there is only one trailer for Pokémon Sword & Shield in existence and it doesn't mention a third version of the game, nor show any footage of its logo. It's also hard to believe that the journalist would assume that Nintendo would allow a game called Pokémon Gun to be released.
It's possible that we may see a third game set in the Galar region released during this generation, but it won't be called Pokémon Gun unless the higher-ups at Nintendo suddenly start taking crazy pills.
A more likely name would be Pokémon Armor, which would fit in with the castles and knights theme of the Galar region. Another possible name is Pokémon Crown, which has been rumored in the past. We have already seen a fortress with a crown on its central tower on the map of Galar and the region is almost definitely based on the United Kingdom, so there is a strong chance that a royal family of some kind will appear in the game.
Pokémon Sword & Shield will be released for the Nintendo Switch in late 2019.


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Sometime before the end of this decade, humankind will pass a major milestone. By 2010, the number of electronic pages published will surpass the number of printed pages. The ascent is astoundingly quick when you consider that paper has reigned supreme since a guy named Gutenberg, and that only a few people knew what a PDF was 10 years ago.
“For 550 years, print was the primary enabler of education, entertainment, and business. It survived the telegraph, radio, television, movies and telephone,” writes Frank Romano in the July 28, 2003 issue of The Seybold Report. Romano is a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and chair of the upcoming Seybold-Romano Future of Print Conference in San Francisco, September 8-9, 2003. (Creativepro.com, by the way, will be at Seybold San Francisco as well with its very own conference, September 9-10.)
Today, it’s estimated that 45 billion PDFs move over the Internet annually — 12 billion downloaded from Web sites and 33 billion PDFs via email. They represent at least 153 billion pages that move over the Internet annually. And that’s not counting Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and other files. Conservatively, there are more than 300 billion of these electronic pages that were once printed out in some form. By 2020, the number could rise to a trillion pages, according to Romano (see Table 1).
Despite the trend away from print, the medium will continue to grow, if only at a minimal rate of about 1-2 percent a year. Take a look at the corresponding table and you’ll see, however, that much of that the growth will come from additional packaging (see Table 2).
Live Long and Print?
So the question is not whether print will die, but how will print live, and more importantly, how those aligned with the printing industry will survive the communications transformation.
We don’t need to look to the future to find the answers; the past and present will do. In 1950, 100 percent of the revenue of a printing company came from ink-on-paper. Today about 80 percent is from ink-on-paper with the rest coming from new services, such as new media or fulfillment, according to Romano.
“If print got a report card, one important criterion would have to be ‘works and plays well with other media,'” said Romano.
The same lesson holds true, naturally, for creative professionals who focus primarily on print; print must become but one service along with a host of other provided services — be it Web development, PDF workflow, or asset management.
As for printers themselves, get ready to see an “industry consolidation” — the friendly term for people losing jobs. The first companies to go will be the inefficient ones.
But climbing out of the inefficiency hole is no easy chore, according to Thad McIlroy, electronic publishing analyst, author, and president of Arcadia House. Until recently McIlroy also served also as program director for Seybold Seminars.
“On the one hand, printers are forced by competitive pressures to continue to invest in new and more efficient equipment. On the other hand, where’s the money going to come from? If you’re a bank and a $20 million printer comes to you and says we want to buy a $3 million printing press with a 20-year loan, how can the bank possibly believe with any certainty that the company will be in any position to repay that loan?”
Making a Move
What can printers do? There’s no magic bullet, but rather a series of small steps, well executed. The most important step is to make the move to a true manufacturing model.
Technology investments fall into two categories — incremental improvements and major capital investments. Few printers are doing everything they can, incrementally, to explore asset management, color management, and PDF workflows. For relatively minor capital investments, they could be operating more efficiently, with fewer errors and greater customer satisfaction. Technologies like JDF, PDF, and CIP4 are going to make the concept of a press check obsolete and bring printers into the modern era.
“If a printer is talking about the difficulties of online proofing and the viability of their Web site, they’d better stop talking and get back to taking care of these things, because they will serve as the foundation for all that’s to come,” said McIlroy.
Printers also have to address the human factor. In a recent survey, 77.2 percent of web-press printers rated staffing as their number one problem (second to a 75 percent rate for “Competition/Low pricing”).
There are really only two ways to improve manufacturing productivity. Either you train and/or motivate your existing staff to produce more, or you buy better technology for existing staff to use. “Staffing is the most underrated problem printers face. Human resource management can no longer be assigned to junior management. It has become a top-management responsibility,” said McIlroy.
Embracing the Personal
Printers and creative professionals alike will also have to make the move to custom publishing. The Web represents a broad marketing shift away from a market-centric model to a customer-centric model, with companies engaging in one-to-one marketing rather than investing in mass advertising. Marketers are engaging in a personal conversation with customers rather than shouting messages at them.
In the printing world this translates into variable printing, a different message for each customer.
“The value proposition of digital printing is variability, and that can’t be underestimated. Variability will be required to meet customer needs in the future,” said McIlroy.
Jacks of all Trades
So printers and creative professionals alike will have to make a shift and become network publishing service providers — helping their customers get their content delivered in whatever medium it might be. It will require the mastery of full digitization of current processes, digital asset management, full online accessibility, database know-how, Web design and hosting facilities, and consulting abilities.
Not every printer or creative professional will be able to make the move. But if they want to become something other than curiosities in a niche industry, they’ll have to learn to make the transition.


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In 2013, Vine exploded onto the online video scene, with its six-second clips captivating audiences. More than three years later, almost all of its momentum has been sapped, and as a result, it will be shut down. Twitter, which owns the video capture app after acquiring it for $30 million back in 2012, has announced its plan to discontinue Vine at some point in the coming months.
Vine’s shutdown won’t happen immediately. Instead, as Twitter explains in a Medium post discussing the move, there will be plenty of time for users to download their Vines. For posterity’s sake, the Vine website will remain online, so that viewers may revisit their favorite six-second videos. Twitter did not reveal the exact date when it will discontinue Vine, but it did promise users it would notify them before making any changes.
“To all the creators out there — thank you for taking a chance on this app back in the day,” reads the post. “To the many team members over the years who made this what it was — thank you for your contributions. And of course, thank you to all of those who came to watch and laugh every day.”
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Vine rose rapidly after its January 2013 launch, with the spontaneity and absurdity of its clips drawing in millions of viewers. Soon after its arrival, a colorful creative community arose around it, and brands shared their own content on the app in their attempts to reach young consumers.
Over the years, however, Vine’s drawbacks became evident. Most notably, the lack of any ad revenue hampered the amount of resources that could be invested into it, and as a result, brands and creators began to leave the app en masse in favor of the greener shores of YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. While Vine attempted to abate this exodus with several updates — for example, it opened up monetization for a select group of users — the tide ultimately proved inexorable; by July 2016, most of the app’s top executive had departed their posts.
While Vine may be biting the dust, the exciting creators who it lifted to digital prominence — from King Bach to Logan Paul to Shawn Mendes — continue to show off their skills across multiple platforms. The prowess of Vine’s community will be the app’s legacy, and it is easy to draw a straight line from the bold six-second videos Vine unleashed in 2013 to the short-form Instagram and Snapchat content that currently constitutes a large piece of the online video puzzle. So as we prepare for Vine’s demise, we can only appreciate the gifts it brought.
To send it off, a few final words: “Yeah, but that backflip, tho.”


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The Museum of Modern Art has announced that it has selected 19 photographers to be shown in the 2015 edition of its “New Photography” exhibition, opening in November. The number of photographers in this year’s show is more than double the museum’s previous selections – and that’s appropriate, given that the subtitle of this year’s New Photography exhibition is “Ocean of Images.”
The exhibition will examine the ubiquity of photography today and what the museum describes in its press release as “the Internet as a vortex of images, a site of piracy and a system of networks.” Many of the exhibited photographers experiment with moving images, online remixes of images, installations and images turned into three-dimensional objects.
The title of the photo is provocative in part because it isn’t new. In a 2014 interview with PDN, MoMA’s chief curator of photography, Quentin Bajac, noted that back in the 1920s and 1930s, critics noted “the ocean of new images, that blizzard of images that is due to the arrival of the illustrated press.”
What will be new in “New Photography 2015” may be the methods by which the exhibiting artists embrace the abundance of digital images. As Bajac told PDN, “Maybe each generation has that feeling that that new amount of images is going to be difficult to absorb, and yet they do.”
The artists in New Photography 2015 are:
Ilit Azoulay (Israeli, b. 1972)
Zbyněk Baladrán (Czech, b. 1973)
Lucas Blalock (American, b. 1978)
Edson Chagas (Angolan, b. 1977)
Natalie Czech (German, b. 1976)
DIS (Collective, founded in New York in 2010)
Katharina Gaenssler (German, b. 1974)
David Hartt (Canadian, b. 1967)
Mishka Henner (Belgian, b. 1976)
David Horvitz (American, b. 1982)
John Houck (American, b. 1977)
Yuki Kimura (Japanese, b. 1971)
Anouk Kruithof (Dutch, b. 1981)
Basim Magdy (Egyptian, b. 1977)
Katja Novitskova (Estonian, b. 1984)
Marina Pinsky (Russian, b. 1986)
Lele Saveri (Italian, b. 1980)
Indrė Šerpytytė (Lithuanian, b. 1983)
Lieko Shiga (Japanese, b. 1980).
Now in its 30th year, the “New Photography” exhibition has been a showcase and springboard for photographers from around the world, including Mikhael Subotzky, Rineke Dijkstra, Doug Rickard and Viviane Sassen.
“New Photography 2015: Ocean of Images” is curated by Bajac, Senior Curator Roxana Marcoci, and Assistant Curator Lucy Gallun.
When the exhibition opens, MoMA will launch an online platform to show the archive of the New Photography exhibitions of the past 30 years.


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The Pound has been able to rise considerably against the Indian Rupee today, though underlying concerns remain about the future of national inflation.
Pound Rupee Exchange Rate Rally Tied to INR Uncertainty; UK Inflation Concerns Remain
The Pound Indian Rupee exchange rate has risen by 0.5% today, printing at 58.82. This comes in spite of a negative response to the latest UK inflation and earnings outcomes.
November’s inflation rose above forecasts and October wage growth also increased, but this latter advance was not considered strong enough to outweigh the effects of higher inflation on the economy.
In terms of news from India, inflation has fallen on the year in November, while annual prices for manufacturing have risen in contrast.
While the cost of crude oil has recently dipped, the threat of a price rise remains a limiting factor for the Indian Rupee.
Future Pound Sterling Rupee Demand Tied to Further Evidence of UK Inflationary Pressures
The biggest story of the week so far, concerning the UK’s rising level of inflation, is expected to continue having a significant impact on the Pound in the short and long-term.
If the level of inflation in 2017 continues outstripping the slow pace of wage growth the Pound is likely to stumble against the Indian Rupee.
On the flip side, if the unexpected continues to happen and inflation slows while wages rise, then the negative impact of inflationary fears on the Pound is likely to be diminished.
Indian Rupee Pound Outlook: Rapid Economic Recovery in 2016 to Boost INR Demand
When looking for future influencers of the Indian Rupee Pound exchange rate, the general health of India’s economy is one of the key factors moving into 2017.
The nation has been undeniably unsettled by the abrupt shift from using old denominations of currency to new ones, which has led some parts of the country to grind to a halt.
With the deadline for exchanging old notes fast approaching, analysts have instead been looking to the future for signs of how the economy may fare in the coming year.
Among these has been Crisil Chief Economist Dharmakirti Joshi, who has ‘broadly’ estimated;
‘lower private consumption in fiscal 2017, but [for] demand to revive and growth to rebound in fiscal 2018. India should shortly revert back to an 8% annual growth trajectory’.
To summarise, if it looks like the Indian economy is going to bounce back from 2016’s late hurdle the Rupee can be expected to appreciate, while a longer-than-expected slump could limit INR appeal.
Recent Interbank Exchange Rates
At the time of writing, the Pound Indian Rupee (GBP INR) exchange rate was trending in the region of 85.77 and the Indian Rupee Pound (INR GBP) exchange rate was trending in the region of 0.01.


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Bucks village has its own shop for the first time ever
Calvert Green now has its very own local shop - after years of campaigning.
This morning the village’s councillor Angela Macpherson officially opened the Mace store, much to the delight of residents.
David Russell, Neighbourhood Watch coordinator for Calvert Green, said: “We have been promised a shop for about five or six years and finally we have one!
“It’s going to be lovely for people around here who now won’t have to go elsewhere to get their bits and pieces, it’s going to be open late, and seven days a week as well so will be perfect for when people finish work.”
Residents turned out in force for the grand unveiling of the shop, which plans to also serve hot food and drinks in the near future.


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Somewhat Favorable Media Coverage Somewhat Unlikely to Affect Calavo Growers (CVGW) Share Price
News stories about Calavo Growers (NASDAQ:CVGW) have trended somewhat positive this week, according to Accern. The research group ranks the sentiment of news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million news and blog sources. Accern ranks coverage of public companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Calavo Growers earned a media sentiment score of 0.14 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned news coverage about the company an impact score of 46.4667676028536 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the company’s share price in the near term.
Shares of Calavo Growers (CVGW) traded down 1.52% during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $67.95. The company had a trading volume of 150,109 shares. Calavo Growers has a 12-month low of $48.75 and a 12-month high of $76.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.56 and a beta of 0.62. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $71.62 and its 200-day moving average is $65.78.
Calavo Growers (NASDAQ:CVGW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 6th. The company reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $270.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $259.79 million. Calavo Growers had a net margin of 3.99% and a return on equity of 18.38%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 22.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.56 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Calavo Growers will post $2.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CVGW. Zacks Investment Research upgraded Calavo Growers from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Buckingham Research lowered their price objective on Calavo Growers from $83.00 to $82.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 18th. BidaskClub upgraded Calavo Growers from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $85.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Calavo Growers in a research report on Friday, June 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.40.
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In other news, Director Kathleen M. Holmgren bought 1,000 shares of Calavo Growers stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $68.00 per share, with a total value of $68,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 2,750 shares in the company, valued at $187,000. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Marc Laurence Brown sold 750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.10, for a total value of $56,325.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 10,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $758,510. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 9.90% of the company’s stock.
About Calavo Growers
Calavo Growers, Inc operates in the avocado industry. The Company provides value-added fresh food. The Company distributes its products both domestically and internationally and internationally. It operates in three business segments: Fresh products, Calavo Foods and Renaissance Food Group, LLC (RFG).
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Regional carrier MetroPCS announced its first no-contract Android smartphone, the LG Optimus M.
It seems like this year, the summer season belonged to the Samsung Galaxy S series, but the remaining season surely goes to the LG and its Optimus line.
In addition, this smartphone serves well as yet another example of the arising number of Android smartphone launches among Tier 2 carriers.
The Optimus M will be launched by the flat-rate carrier on Nov. 24 for $229 and it offers a $50 monthly service plan that will bundle unlimited talk, text, and web (data services).
MetroPCS is offering the Optimus M to its users without having to sign any two-year contract. Due of this, the phone does require a higher retail price as it is not subsidized, while versions of the Optimus phone have earlier appeared on other carriers, such as T-Mobile and Sprint.
It is MetroPCS first smartphone running Google’s most current Android 2.2 platform and it is completely a budget-oriented phone.
The Optimus M features are a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3.2-megapixel camera, 600 MHz processor, Wi-Fi, Swype, e-mail messaging, a music player, a personal organizer and access to Android Market for apps.


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Outboard Marine Corp. seems to have solved a major strategic dilemma for its main competitor by following that competitor`s lead. We`re referring, of course, to OMC`s announcement earlier this week that it would buy Four Winns, a boat manufacturer based in Cadillac, Mich.
In November, OMC`s biggest competitor in the marine engine field, Skokie- based Brunswick Corp., announced two acquisitions of its own, the Bayliner and Sea Ray boat manufacturers.
At the time, Brunswick said the only possible negative to the purchase would be if other power-boat manufacturers switched to other outboard motors. ''We serve 50 different boat builders, and that could be a negative backlash,'' said Frederick J. Flourjancic Jr., Brunswick`s vice president-finance and treasurer.
Brunswick was right to be worried. When it comes to stern drive engines, OMB and Brunswick are the only major players in the game. Boat manufacturers made predictable rumblings that, rather than benefit competitors Sea Ray and Bayliner, they`d rather buy engines from OMB.
OMB just eliminated that argument, agreed Flourjancic. ''No question that`s the case,'' he said.
But the folks at OMB certainly didn`t set out to do Brunswick a favor. Wayne E. Jones, OMB`s vice president of strategic planning and investor relations, said the company already was planning the acquisition when Brunswick announced its Bayliner and Sea Ray deals. OMB had to rethink its plans, but decided acquiring Four Winns was best in the long run, he said.
We have no quarrel with the engine manufacturers wanting to buy three of the five biggest boat manufacturers in the United States. But we wondered about this sudden rush to vertically integrate into companies with the same kinds of business cycles.
''One of the risks of these deals is that it does give Brunswick and OMB greater exposure to the cyclical aspects of the boat business,'' said Fred Anschel, vice president and senior analyst for Dean Witter. ''It remains to be seen just how serious that`s going to be.''
Yes, marine-engine manufacturers and boat builders are in the same industry, but they don`t mirror each other exactly, Flourjancic said. ''Engine manufacturing is a very, very capital intensive business.'' It`s also highly unionized, he added.
''The boat companies, on the other hand, are very people intensive and not capital intensive. Bayliner has 16 manufacturing facilities. In difficult times, you could close fairly easily at least half of those facilities and produce the same product lines,'' he continued. ''The way we look at it from a pure manufacturing perspective, you`re taking something that in a cyclical downturn is very hard to downsize because of a heavy fixed-cost burden. But by vertically integrating into both parts, engine and boat, yes you`re in the same cycle, but you have more flexibility. You`re also much closer to the end- user, the customer, so you have much more advance notice of a downturn.''
Brunswick tells us that sales in its marine unit were flat in 1985 over 1984, but are expected to spurt about 14 percent this year. That mirrors projections on power boat and engine sales as computed by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Association figures show that, after some up-and-down years, sales of outboard and inboard boats are on an upswing, as are sales of outboard motors.
''The trends in the marine industry were evident to the players in the industry,'' Flourjancic said. ''They were evident to us, they were evident to Sea Ray and Bayliner and, quite frankly, they were evident to Outboard Marine. Vertical integration is taking place before your very eyes.''
Anschel said vertical integration also will appeal to the growing number of customers who don`t want to shop for pieces, but want to buy the boat, engine, trailer and accessories in a single package. ''That`s why both companies feel they have to protect their market.''
Flourjancic and Jones both cited the ability to put together package deals as more important than cyclical risks.
But buying your own boat manufacturer doesn`t simplify things immediately. Last July, Bayliner signed a three-year contract for engines
--with OMB. ''We intend to honor our side of it,'' Flourjancic said.
''Frankly, the purchase price from Bayliner`s perspective is very attractive.''
TAX OVERHAUL FEVER MOVES INTO ILLINOIS
Douglas L. Whitley, president of the Taxpayers` Federation of Illinois and chairman of a committee of legislators and tax experts reviewing the state`s tax structure, reports that the committee is close to recommending a major overhaul of Illinois` sales and use taxes. That`s good news for the state`s retailers.
The group, which met privately Monday and Tuesday in the south suburban Matteson Holiday Inn, is leaning toward simplifying Illinois` hodgepodge of taxes generally known as sales taxes. Few people who aren`t retailers, their accountants or state tax collectors know how confusing the system is, Whitley notes.
One step might be to preempt home-rule communities, such as Chicago, from imposing a separate sales tax. Whitley said the group believes Chicago 8 percent sales to is ''too high.''
Another step might be to broaden the tax base to include services associated with tangible personal property. Currently, for example, if you get your television fixed, you pay a tax on the parts but not on the service.
''The focus is on simplication and ease of collection,'' he said. ''We want to make the life of retailers in Illinois, who are charged with collecting the tax for the state, a lot easier.''
Whitley says the committee is unlikely to recommend taxing professional services that don`t involve tangible property or tampering with the state income tax.
''I don`t think an income tax discussion is at all in the cards,'' he said.
Not so incidentally, Whitley is one of three names being mentioned as the likely successor to J. Thomas Johnson, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue for the last six years. Thompson is leaving state government next year to join the accounting firm Grant Thornton.
The other two names are Glen L. Bower, the assistant director of the department and former Republican state representative from Effingham, and Kenneth G. McMillan, a former Republican state senator from Bushnell.
SEC`S JARRELL: WHAT A FELLOW
Gregg A. Jarrell, 34, outgoing chief economist at the Securities and Exchange Commission, says he considered becoming a visiting professor at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business when he leaves the agency in January.
Jarrell, an effective advocate for free-market principles in financial regulation, holds an MBA and Ph.D. from the U. of C. business school. He considers George J. Stigler, one of the school`s most prominent professors, his mentor.
But Jarrell has decided to accept a fellowship at the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester in New York.
''They aren`t going to make me do anything,'' Jarrell quipped. ''The Chicago guys want you to teach some classes.''
Jarrell is thinking of writing a book that explores the political factors that affect SEC actions.


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Burberry has unveiled its SS15 campaign shot by Mario Testino, starring Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn,how amazing is that?Two beautiful,bold&dynamic ladies. From the September campaign for My Burberry fragrance – which paired Kate Moss with Cara Delevingne – the latest from the British heritage brand sees Campbell and Dunn dressed in Christopher Bailey’s suede take on the classic trenchcoat.
Which are amazingly beautiful.
Dunn and Campbell are the first two black female models to jointly front a Burberry campaign,so impressed, greatest achievement. Jourdan previously starred alongside black male model Sacha M’Baye for its SS11 campaign. The trench coats is transformed for Spring too floral and bold and the pair were smiling and hugging in the behind-the-scenes photos showing love&unity.
You have to admit it Jourdan is up on her game&she slays silently making the mass engage on her work more
Bailey said of his new poster girls: “Naomi and Jourdan – two great British icons, two strong, beautiful women and the two perfect faces for our new campaign. It is, as always, a real privilege to work with them.”. Not forgetting that its Jourdan Dunn’s fourth time as a Burberry campaign star; the London native made her debut with SS11. Words spoken by Campbell “I admire what Christopher and the entire Burberry family are doing so it’s great to be back working with the brand again, We’ve all witnessed the evolution of this great British brand and it is a privilege to be a part of its continuing progress within the world of fashion… And I was thrilled to work with Jourdan Dunn for the first time – it was a lot of fun.”
Its the first time these super models to work together&it feels like they have done it for years.The amount of dedication,effort&togetherness they provided on the campaign is magical.


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After having flirted with the technology a couple of years ago, this year sees Panasonic go all in with panel technology, and who can blame them? OLED panels are capable of producing some absolutely stunning black levels, and they do it all in a terrifically thin form-factor.
But while OLED remains king, it’s also the king of the mountain price-wise, which means the vast majority of us will be using LCD panels for some time yet.
Thankfully Panasonic isn’t about to abandon LCD panels, and it’s continuing to work to improve its technology year after year. This year’s Panasonic TX-50EX750 is the perfect example of that. We saw it side by side with last year’s (note the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it switch from the ‘D’ to an ‘E’ in the model number), and what we saw suggests there’s a lot of potential still left in the aging LCD panel technology.
Read full post here:


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The iQoo Z3 5G and Aiku Z3 5G:
The iQoo Z3 5G smartphone will be going to launch in India on June 8, but before the launch the information about iQoo Z3 specifications is being teased out. This includes that the smartphone will get 55W fast charging support, and also, there will be a 64-MP primary rear camera. The Vivo sub-brand teasing the specifications of the Indian variant of the smartphone Aiku Z3 5G for the past few days. As a continuation, now the company has again teased information about the phone’s primary camera and fast charging support. Earlier it was confirmed that this smartphone will be launched with Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G processor. if this really happens, this will be the first such smartphone in India, in which this processor will be given. talking about the launch of this smartphone in India, let u know that the Aiku Z3 5G smartphone has been launched in China in March.
iQoo Z3 5G India Leaked Specifications:
On Twitter iQoo India has shared that the upcoming iQoo Z3 5G smartphone will comes with 55W fast charging support, and the same information was also been updated on the Amazon microsite. The page on Amazon also been informed customers that the Aiku Z3 5G smartphone is capable of charging 50 percent in just 19 minutes. Apart from the battery section, The iQoo Z3 5G will also be given a triple rear camera setup, with specifications of 64-MP ISOCELL GW3 primary camera with an f / 1.79 camera lens. This primary camera will support up to 4K video recording at 60fps, and also iQoo Z3 5G will have EFB autofocus and Super Night mode.
Introducing India’s first Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 768G 5G Mobile Platform.
With power packed performance to make you experience gaming like never before.
The surprise is on its way to @amazonIN. Stay tuned, this is the beginning of the beginning.#StayTuned #iQOO pic.twitter.com/pcNpDxoQso
— iQOO India (@IqooInd) May 29, 2021
iQoo Z3 5G India Availability and Specifications:
The iQoo Z3 5G smartphone will be going to launch in India on June 8, The specifications of the Indian variant of the iQoo Z3 5G smartphone can be same as the specifications given for China variants launched in March.
Specifications of iQoo Z3 5G China variant:
iQoo Z3 5G Display And Processor:
The phone comes with a dual-SIM (Nano) card slot
Smartphone runs on Android 11 based OriginOS for iQoo 1.0.
iQoo Z3 5G has a 6.58-inch full-HD + (1,080×2,408 pixels) LCD Panel, with a refresh rate of 120Hz, and 90.61 screens to body ratio, 20: 9 aspect ratio, and supports HDR.
iQoo Z3 5G is equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G processor, and an Adreno 620 GPU,
8 GB LPDDR4X RAM, and 256 GB UFS 2.2 storage, you can expand it up to 1 TB via micro SD card slot.
iQoo Z3 5G Camera:
The iQoo Z3 5G comes with a triple rear camera setup,
a primary camera of 64-MP with f/1.79 aperture,
a secondary 8-MP ultra-wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture,
and the third camera of 2-MP with f/2.4 aperture,
For selfies iQoo Z3 5G has a 16-MP camera with an F / 2.0 aperture, which is located within the notch.
— iQOO India (@IqooInd) June 1, 2021
iQoo Z3 5G Connectivity and Sensors:
The iQoo Z3 phone includes 5G, 4G LTE, GPS, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.1, USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack.
Sensors include proximity sensor, gravity sensor, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, gravity sensor, and e-compass.
iQoo Z3 5G has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.
iQoo Z3 5G Battery and Dimensions:
The Aiku Z3 phone is equipped with a 4,400mAh battery with support of 55W fast charging.
The dimensions of the phone are 163.95×75.30×8.50mm and the weight is 185.5 grams.
Image Credits – iQoo, 91Mobiles


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Saudi Crown Prince’s recent photos in Barbour Jacket is trending online at full swing
The crown prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman recently captured some photos wearing navy blue Barbour jacket over the white thobe. The photos in the jacket got huge attention on the internet in a couple of hours.
According to details, Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman attended Formula E Races in Ryadh where he wore the British Heritage brand Barbour jacket. He was photographed and in no time, it got overwhelming attention on the internet.
Really the biggest advertisement you could ever have ??♥
— sAra?♋ (@1993_725) November 22, 2019
The Barbour jacket got viral on social media with an Arabic hashtag translated as, “Crown Prince’s Jacket” and people on social media are actually admiring.
Several people appreciated Crown Prince reflecting a stylish look and giving their feedback. A user commented, “What a magnificent jacket”. As Crown Prince’s pictures were also posted as advertisements for that jacket, one of a user wrote, “Really the biggest advertisement you could ever have.”
That does not end here! The photos got a huge charm that few people even went for purchasing the same Barbour quilted jacket just after the day the photos were posted. Apart from this, they also uploaded their photos wearing a Barbour jacket on their Twitter accounts. A person even wrote, “Got it.”
Barbour is a well-known British brand offering high-quality branded attire and accessories for all age groups and genders.
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Some shops are failing to display prices as clearly as they should, the consumer watchdog has warned.
The Competition and Markets Authority says this could be preventing shoppers from being able to compare prices.
However, it said evidence suggests historically high food price inflation has not been driven by weak retail competition.
The CMA has written to shops who are failing to make pricing clear – and warned them to make necessary changes or risk facing enforcement action.
It has also asked the government to reform pricing legislation to help shoppers spot the best deals.


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Ford Motor Co. will launch an on-campus recruitment tour that will include Georgia Tech and Clark Atlanta University.
The Dearborn, Mich.-based car maker wants to hire 3,000 this year. Around 80 percent of the slots are classified as technical professional jobs.
Ford (NYSE: F) said its salaried hiring initiative is the largest since 2000, is necessary to meet surging demand for its products and will aid global growth.
“Engineers and technical professionals are in as much demand as our cars, trucks and SUVs,” said Felicia Fields, Ford group vice president for human resources, in a statement. “Global demand and increasing capacity in North America and Asia requires that we aggressively seek out technical professionals in order to continue our growth.”
Information regarding open salaried positions and Ford’s hiring process can be found at www.careers.ford.com.