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FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Mercury Marine this morning answered charges made by Genmar Holdings, Inc. chairman and CEO Irwin Jacobs who, in an open letter to the marine industry Tuesday, was very critical of both Mercury and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The DOC recently ruled in favor of Mercury’s engine-dumping complaint filed against Japanese outboard manufacturers.
In its two-page statement, Mercury reiterated Jacobs’ right to express his opinion, then took issue with several of the allegations he made, defending not only itself, but also the DOC and the motives of both organizations.
“The recent U.S. Department of Commerce’s decision was not determined on opinion, but based on facts considered during a lengthy, thorough and independent investigation,” Mercury wrote. “To assert that the DOC has ‘no interest in facts, but only in how they can protect a U.S. company’ does the agency, its experts and its expertise in such matters a grave disservice.
“According to the DOC’s decision, Japanese manufacturers have indeed been violating U.S. dumping law. This determination was not due to some esoteric mathematical error – as demonstrated by the magnitude of the dumping margins – nor was it a result of an inability by the U.S. Department of Commerce to winnow out any distribution differences. The Department of Commerce is extremely skilled and practiced at such investigations, and Mercury is confident the U.S. government has completed a thorough, legitimate and fair evaluation of the situation.”
Mercury said its objective in seeking the ruling was to ensure that the Japanese manufacturers follow U.S. laws and to promote competition and choice in the outboard engine market. Mercury Marine submitted a petition to the U.S. government in January asking for an investigation into the pricing strategies of Japanese engine manufacturers and alleging that the foreign engine builders were “dumping” product into the U.S. market.
Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the U.S. market at less than the price it charges in its own home market or below fully distributed costs and the dumping causes material injury to the domestic producers of the same product.
“Mr. Jacobs contends that this is all about pricing,” Mercury wrote. “It is, rather, about redressing price manipulation already done by the Japanese industry with one goal in mind: to harm U.S. outboard makers. One can only ponder what an outboard market without strong American competition would ultimately be.”
Mercury closed its letter saying it awaits the final determinations of the DOC, which is expected to rule in December, and the International Trade Commission, which may issue its findings early next year.
Jacobs releases follow-up letter
Jacobs, meanwhile, issued another letter this morning in which he wrote he had “found out some very interesting and astonishing information regarding Mercury’s anti-dumping case against the Japanese outboard engine manufacturers.”
“First of all, neither Mercury nor Bombardier have told the marine industry (manufacturers and dealers) that they also will have to put up the same amount, approximately 22-1/2 percent, for a bond that all importers of Japan engines and power heads also must post,” Jacobs wrote. “Bombardier imports four-stroke engines to the U.S. from Japanese Suzuki under the Johnson brand. Mercury will also have to post a bond for any Tohatso engines and Yamaha four-stroke heads and engines that Mercury imports from Japan, the same as Yamaha."
However in its Aug. 6 press release, Mercury did acknowledge its actions would impact the engines it imports, saying “Even though engines Mercury imports from Japan will be subject to the duty, we believed it was our responsibility to our shareholders and employees and the U.S. marine engine industry to follow this course.”
Jacobs said Yamaha had assured Genmar that it believed the necessary pricing adjustments both in Japan and the U.S. had already been made. Yamaha says that it has lowered engine prices in Japan and raised prices in the U.S. 3 to 4 percent at the beginning of the model year in July 2004 — including raising Mercury’s price on four-stroke engine heads over 90 percent.
“If Yamaha is able to split Mercury’s anti-dumping complaint into two categories: one for complete engines shipped to the U.S. and one for four-stroke heads shipped to Mercury, I am told that Yamaha’s cash bond would go down to approximately 15 percent on complete engines, and Mercury would then have to post a cash bond with the U.S. Government in excess of 100 percent of the value of the four-stroke heads,” Jacobs wrote. “In other words, Mercury could conceivably be at risk for even a higher percentage cash bond than Yamaha.”
Jacobs said the DOC will monitor the shipments and pricing of outboard engines from Japan to the U.S. annually, and that at the end of the first year, if the DOC believes there is no longer any monetary damages from anti-dumping, it frequently returns the cash bond deposits with interest at the end of one to two years.
Jacobs also reaffirmed his contention that Mercury will have a hard time proving it had been harmed by the dumping given its recent pronouncements of sound financial health.
“Finally, I believe that Mercury has caused a bigger problem potentially for themselves than for anyone else,” Jacobs wrote. “Things are going to get very interesting in the U.S. outboard engine business. Stay tuned.”
- For more of the latest news, click here.


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November 30, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Private equity investment activity in India is set to witness a significant decline over the next 12 months as fund raising expectations have turned more cautious over the past year, a survey says. According to global consultancy firm Grant Thornton's Global Private Equity Report 2012, private equity firms around the world are bracing for tough conditions for both fund-raising and deal-making and the most dramatic decline in optimism from 2011 is evident in the BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
November 23, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Bharti Infratel, the tower arm of cellular phone company Bharti Airtel, is planning to launch its initial public offer (IPO) in the second week of December with the aim of raising a little over Rs 4,000 crore, three people involved in the process told ET. "The company has received Sebi's final observation and is gearing up to open the book for anchor investors on December 10 and for the public the next day," an investment banker...
November 19, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Private equity firms have invested $ 2.5 billion in the country in the July-September quarter this year, a tad higher than the year ago period, says a PwC survey. According to the PwC MoneyTree India report, a quarterly study of private equity investment activity based on data by Venture Intelligence, private equity PE firms invested $ 2.5 billion across 97 deals in Q3 of 2012, against $ 2.4 billion from 121 deals a year ago. "With the year having entered in to its last lap, it is quite unlikely that PE investments in 2012 will be at par with those in 2011.
November 1, 2012 |
MUMBAI: GE Capital, the private equity arm of GE, on Wednesday picked up 7.69% in Syngene, the research services subsidiary of biotech firm Biocon, for Rs 125 crore. With this investment, the total valuation of Syngene stands at Rs 1,600 crore. The Bangalore-based Biocon, which was keen to list its arm Syngene through an initial public offering , has finally found an investor after two years. "This is not just a financial deal. GE will bring its vast expertise in biologics and life sciences with this deal, which will allow Syngene to look at new research opportunities," said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw , managing director of Biocon.
October 11, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Private equity firms invested about USD 2.5 billion across 97 deals during the quarter ended September 2012 driven mainly by the Bain Capital-Genpact deal, says a study. According to the study by Venture Intelligence, the USD 1 billion investment by Bain Capital in Gurgaon-based BPO firm Genpact, the investment amount in the September quarter (excluding real estate deals) showed a growth of 4.4 per cent over that invested in the same period last year. In the September quarter last year private equity firms invested USD 2,415 million across 120 transactions, Venture Intelligence, a research service focused on Private Equity and M&A transaction activity in India said.
October 8, 2012 |
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Beauty and slimming services firm VLCC is buying Malaysian counterpart Wyann International in a Rs 100-crore-plus deal that will give it access to Southeast Asian market and Asia rights for American cosmetics brand Skin Nutrition, two officials with direct knowledge of the development said. The deal, estimated anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 150 crore, will be the biggest so far in the Indian wellness space and the first for Delhi-based VLCC, founded by Vandana Luthra in 1989.
August 31, 2012 |
Helion Venture Partners , India's largest domestic venture capital firm with assets of $605 million under management, is in talks to sell its stake in investment research outsourcing firm Amba Research. Word on the street is that the venture capital firm has been holding talks with multiple parties as it looks to exit the company. Helion's exact stake in the New York and Bangalore-based firm could not be ascertained. Helion and Amba Research declined to comment. Amba Research carries out equity research, credit research and quantitative analysis for investment banks, funds and asset managers.
August 29, 2012 |
NEW DELHI: Billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal-led Bharti Group is in advanced discussions to sell Comviva Technologies , a mobile financial and value-added services (VAS) solution provider, to Tech Mahindra, the Mahindra group's IT arm, for around Rs 750 crore. This will be the second sale of a privately-held company by the group in a short span. Last week, the group announced the divestment of training solution firm Centum Learning to Everonn in a cash and share transaction.
August 22, 2012 |
MUMBAI: Private equity firm Actis, which last invested in back office firm Integreon and auto components manufacturer Endurance Technologies, is investing over Rs 200 crore in AGS Transact Technologies , a firm that runs and manages ATMs for banks. The outsourcing model is relatively new in ATMs, but growing fast. Traditionally, banks used to run and manage ATMs themselves, but now prefer to outsource to third-party service providers such as AGS Transact. Actis is the second private equity firm to invest in the company after TPG, which made two rounds of investments in the company founded by entrepreneur Ravi Goyal.
June 15, 2012 |
MUMBAI: Private equity firms, which had invested in Indian stock brokers between 2005 and 2008, are in a fix. Most of them are struggling to exit these investments as current valuations of broking firms are less than half of what they were during the stake purchases due to a drop in profits on account of declining trading volumes and shift in the business model to a capital-driven one. Broking firm officials said talks between private equity...

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- EXCLUSIVE STORY
5 CELEBS WHO ARE GREEN!
These celebs have all gone green!
It’s so important to take care of our environment- and even celebrities know that, too! Check out these top five stars that are doing their best to live green and take care of our environment.
Leonardo Dicaprio: Aside from winning Oscars, Leo keeps himself busy by campaigning for a variety of environmental charities and campaigns. Most recently, he worked to save Sumatran orangutans and protect the Leuser ecosystem.
Olivia Wilde: A few years ago, the actress launched her socially conscious e-commerce site Conscious Co., which works to create sustainable products with local businesses and organizations. How cool is that?
Jessica Alba: After stepping away from acting, Jessica founded The Honest Company, which produces eco-friendly products for children and the home. She said her two daughters, Haven and Honor, are the reason for her environmentally stable lifestyle.
Ian Somerhalder: When he’s not playing a sexy vampire on TV, Ian is working hard at this charitable foundation, which raises awareness about global deforestation, among other environmental issues. Elena would be proud!
Gwyneth Paltrow: The actress is known for showcasing sustainable fashion and beauty brands on her website Goop. She also promotes eco efforts online and in person, such as when she posted a makeup-free selfie for World Water Day.
#Regram #RG @leonardodicapriofdn: Scientists have identified a new species of #GreatApe on the Indonesian island of #Sumatra: the #TapanuliOrangutan. With only 800 individuals left, this is the most #endangered Great Ape species in the world. Follow the link in bio to learn more. Photo credit: James Askew


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Ola Plays Nationalist Card, Says ‘Foreign’ Uber Flouts Indian Law
Uber had earlier filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court after transport department impounded its cars.
On Tuesday, taxi aggregator Ola Cabs submitted an affidavit in the Karnataka High Court, saying it has complied with all the requirements of government rules for its operations.
The company submitted this as a counter to a petition by rival Uber Cabs, in which the latter challenged the authority of the state government to frame the rules under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
Ola alleged that Uber’s petition was motivated and filed in an attempt to bypass the laws of the land by foreign companies who run their operations in India for profit, without due regard for applicable laws.
The counsel for Ola alleged that Uber was continuing illegal activities, giving scant respect to the laws of the country.
On the contrary, Ola being a law-abiding company, has complied with all requirements of the rules and a license there under has been issued to it, to run its operations on 20 June by the competent authorities.Counsel for Ola
Uber had earlier moved the court after the transport department impounded the vehicles for not securing licences under the new norms. It also suspended taxis, which led to protests by drivers.
In a Twitter post, popular music blogger Karthik Srinivasan called out Ola on its double-standards.
Never Miss Out
Stay tuned with our weekly recap of what’s hot & cool by The Quint.


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Updated 1:50 p.m. MST, Friday, Aug. 26, 2022
Twitter user @EyesOnMJ posted a photo of a flow chart they allege Trulieve uses for training employees outlining how they rotate the highest THC batches to the back of the store and sell low-THC flower on the sales floor.
Because the higher THC product is displayed on Trulieve’s website, all orders shipped to online customers would have to receive strains with those higher advertised THC levels.
This means walk-in customers are getting the short end of the stick, according to the people who took to social media to protest the practice. Many customers are drawn to physical stores through the website, which misrepresents what is available at Trulieve’s many locations throughout Florida, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Customers are not informed that lower potency strains are featured in the front windows of dispensaries, raising questions about the ethics of the company.
Further, according to Reddit user Due_Paramedic_426, employees will often inform customers that a strain or brand they asked for is out of stock, when it is being reserved for online orders.
This less than transparent model could lead to patients and consumers losing faith in the corporate cannabis industry as a whole and urge potential buyers to go to the black market.
Former Employees Speak Out
A former Trulieve corporate employee, whom we confirmed but agreed not to identify by name, echoed some of the sentiments of social media users, telling Cannabis & Tech Today the company “does not walk the walk or talk the talk,” and that they are aware of “several unethical business practices at the firm.”
Multiple attempts to contact Trulieve continue to go unanswered.
Cannabis & Tech Today also spoke with original poster of the flow chart, Seth Gosnell, who was fired when the company learned of the disclosure. He alleges the Trulieve dispensary at which he worked leaves flower on shelves for up to a year.
“I told people to pay attention to the expiration dates on the labels because our expiration dates are set from one year and one month to the day of the harvest,” he said. “So if you see something that expires August 17th, 2023, you know it was harvested sometime in July the previous year. There are a couple strains that we have at my location that are within 60 days of being one year old.”
Other unethical and/or negligent practices include leaving patient information in plain view on the POS systems at the register, according to Gosnell.
“The people who monitor the cameras at Trulieve will definitely call the manager and tell them that the employees are sitting on their phones, but they won’t report any HIPAA violations when they’re blatantly happening,” he said.
He also alleges cannabis at his former dispensary location could be mislabeled, stating strains he consumed on a regular basis suddenly had a different look and flavor profile.
“I would notice that there are certain strains that like would consistently have the same flavors or consistencies and then all of a sudden be almost a completely different color, taste, feel,” he said.


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Opting for toxic-free cosmetics is the best thing that you can do to your skin, along with your health in addition to the surroundings.
For more information please visit>>>
Enhancing your beauty through products such as vegetable based cosmetic mineral makeup and organic makeup is the newest way to promote long-term health. There’s not any reason why one should continue using toxic cosmetics.Most of the makeup which are on the market comprise of substances that are prohibited in other countries. This is because of the incomprehensible rack of the government, which provides the cosmetic manufacturers a completely free hand to make uncontrolled usage of these harmful chemicals. That matter, although explained in this article, will be managed in detail individually in another report. The very first thing we need to do is discover how to protect our skin and general wellbeing from the damaging impact of these toxic cosmetics.New research has indicated that exposure to toxic chemicals that increase havoc with our hormones may boost the risk of breast cancer. Europe has made amazing progress in regulating cosmetics. The European Union (EU) passed an amendment to the”Cosmetics Directive”the legislation that governs makeup in all 15 EU countries. Hundreds of substances (over 1100) were banned.Some US cosmetic firms reacted by saying”American women aren’t as concerned about cosmetics since the Europeans.” How dare they decide exactly what concerns one has! 1 large cosmetic firm needed an actual disconnect and responded to a written petition regarding the use of Pthalates (pronounced tha-lates and just a fancy phrase for fragrance and discovered in over 79 percent of cosmetic products), saying”that the US has the safest merchandise which our legislation will allow both for the consumer and to the environment”. One hundred percent of products tested had Pthalates. Ninety-six percent had more than two Pthalates. Fifty percent had over three and eight per cent had four distinct types. Now that same firm that responded to the US inquiry saying what they employed was secure, now responded in South Korea such a manner. “Our company doesn’t use DEHP and DBP (Pthalates), about which concerns have been increased, as elements of our products”. They subsequently removed all Pthalates out of their merchandise.Another very large company took one place in the US, but when contested in the united kingdom, stated that:”We agree with the Women’s Environmental Network position about the inherent toxicological potential of Pthalates. We have a precautionary approach and will only use a component if it is safe and approved for use in cosmetic products. As a result of this approach, there’s already a program to remove Pthalates from our products.”Back in April of 2004 there was a march on the US Capitol that organizers claimed was the biggest of its type. The campaign’s message promotes toxic-free cosmetic products. It pledged to replace hazardous chemicals found in decorative products with safer alternatives within three years. 1. Eliminate European Union banned chemicals form all products sold around the world.2. Inventory all goods for chemicals of concern. 3. Produce a plan to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives within three years. 4. Report their progress openly. Within a few months a small number of companies began registering for the Compact for Safe Cosmetics. By 2007, some 3 decades later, over 500 companies had signed the Compact. Ninety of those companies were from outside the Usa. But, all of the signers were natural product companies and notably, not even one major US cosmetic firm was among the. The reason? How does the FDA determine if a cosmetic product is secure, an individual might ask? The solution is that it does not. It leaves safety up to the individual businesses themselves. To put it differently, if the cosmetic company feels its product is safe, it can go on the market.In 2007 the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics conducted a full page ad in USA today. The ad read”Putting on Makeup Shouldn’t be similar to Playing with Matches” and revealed a little girl smearing lipstick on her face. Three large cosmetic companies were named in the advertisement. Within three months all 3 decorative firms removed the EU banned chemicals from their lipstick and generated what essentially became a toxic-free item.Let us be clear . That example represents just 1 product in a lineup of cosmetic products that run into the hundreds per cosmetic business. So, though this is a great step forward, it’s only one little step in the big scheme of things together with the best mission being to receive all cosmetic companies to reformulate their lines to new norms of toxic-free ingredients in all products resulting in safe, wholesome, toxic-free cosmetics for everyone. To do this one has to try to find the certificate logos on any decorative products they purchase. These logos will be prominently displayed together with the logos for no animal testing, bio-degradable, etc..


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Sabre signs accord with Saad Transport
Manama, September 25, 2012
Bahrain-headquartered Sabre Travel Network Middle East has signed an exclusive agreement with Saad Transport, a top agency in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, to provide hitech travel technology products for its corporate accounts.
As per the deal, Sabre will install its Red Workspace software that enables travel agents to shop, book and manage travel, and also its premier online travel, meetings and expense corporate booking solution, 'Get There.'
"Saad Transport will be the first agent in Lebanon to implement and use our corporate booking tool for their clients in the region," said Sabre chief executive Daniel Naoumovitch.
"In the months to come, Sabre's products will vastly improve customer service and increase Saad's operational efficiency, helping them keep up with their growing customer base," he added.
Saad Transport general manager Amine Nasser said, "Sabre's products will help us service our top customers more effectively and run our business more efficiently."
"Maximising the potential of our staff, Sabre has helped train them in these new products and we are already seeing remarkable results. With faster turnaround time for a customer's request, the increase in efficiency will make a positive difference on our balance sheet at the end of the year," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
More Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Stories
- Malaysia Airlines jet presumed crashed, 239 onboard
- BA rolls out special Mother's Day fares
- Etihad says majority of stranded passengers sent home
- Malaysian jet search team spots 'column of smoke'
- Turkish Airlines revenue surges 27pc in 2013
- Malaysian flight 'presumed crashed' over China
- Qatar Airways likely to buy more A380s
- Malaysia Airlines jet goes missing over China
- Etihad in move to clear flights backlog
- Tourism industry emerges from downturn
- Airbus orders more frequent A380 checks
- Dubai Mall stand offers air safety tips
- Elaf Group plans new hotel in Makkah
- UPDATE: Abu Dhabi airport starts operation
- Qatar Airways mulls options on 3 extra A380s
- RAK features 9 travel firms at ITB Berlin
- Etihad names Patrick Vieira guest ambassador
- Lufthansa to offer Premium Economy Class
- Ras Al Khaimah TDA appoints new CEO
- Abu Dhabi flights hit by 'technical failure'
- Egypt urges Germany to ease travel advisory
- Qatar Airways to get 3 A380s in June
- Paramount eyes expansion in region
- All EU citizens exempt from pre-entry UAE visas
- Sofitel to open in Downtown Dubai
- Women’s role in aviation focus for summit
- Turkish, Singapore Airlines expand codeshare
- Global air passenger traffic up 7.8pc in Jan
- Hilton to open 41-storey hotel in Pearl-Qatar
- Graffiti area at the Great Wall


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Secure communications specialist Silent Circle recently set out to build the most secure Android phone in the world, and some have gone as far as to call the company’s Blackphone an “NSA-proof” smartphone. That statement can’t be confirmed, of course, since the NSA surely still has a few tricks up its sleeve that we don’t know about. What we can say, however, is that people concerned with keeping their mobile communications private will soon have a new option that is more secure than any publicly available Android phone currently on the market.
Silent Circle in partnership with Geeksphone announced the Blackphone in January this year. The makers of the Blackphone claims that the handset is the world's first smartphone that gives its user total control of privacy.
The upcoming smartphone is powered by a modified version of Android, PrivatOS, which is believed to be more security-oriented. The Blackphone will be carrier and vendor independent, which will ensure that individuals and businesses are able to make and receive secure phone calls, send texts, store files, browse the internet and more without compromising the privacy of the user.
In Android Anti-forensics: Modifying CyanogenMod Karl-Johan Karlsson and William Bradley Glisson present a version of the Cyanogenmod alternate operating system for Android devices, modified so that it generates plausible false data to foil forensic analysis by law enforcement. The idea is to create a mobile phone that "lies" for you so that adversaries who coerce you into letting them take a copy of its data can't find out where you've been, who you've been talking to, or what you've been talking about.
Rooting your device and installing custom ROMs unleashes the true open nature of Android. Customising phone or tablet and having tight control over their functions is what hardcore Android users dream of. Once your device is rooted, it paves way for installing apps that can take advantage of the added permission and access to core software. Here are few of the best apps that will give you Super Powers that non-root users cannot wield.
However, there is a need for more clarity on whether Google Fit will be integrated into the next version of Android, or offered as a standalone app that could be downloaded independently.
It added: “One source with knowledge of Google’s plans said Google Fit would allow a wearable device that measures data like steps or heart rate to interface with Google’s cloud-based services, and become part of the Google Fit ecosystem.”
In short, CyanogenMod (pronounced sigh-AN-oh-jen-mod) is an open-source operating system for smartphones and tablets. CM is based on the android platform but contains a wealth of add-ons, third party extensions and customisations. Until now CM was pretty much an alternative operating system only used by those who were brave enough to self-install (aka ‘flashing’). However more recently CM is starting to hit the mainstream market in all new ways. At present CM can claim over 12 million installs which when considering was never released (until recently) as a direct-from-launch pre-installed product is quite impressive. In addition alternative phone manufacturers are starting to see the benefits of CM and jumping on board. The first device to officially utilize CM was the OPPO N1 which launched back in December 2013 with the ColorOS operating system. This was the first device ever to offer a pre-loaded CM firmware.
The document leaked to Android Geeks by an anonymous tipster indicates two versions of the S5 are due to receive the 4.4.3 update within the next couple of weeks. The leaked document was an email sent to Android Geeks titled “KTU84 Update Status Report”, containing a visible Samsung header and dated “June 10th”. The document suggests the Galaxy S5 (SM-G900F and SM-G900H) are both due to receive the update in June with both models having ‘completed testing’.
Android has been with us in one form or another for more than six years. During that time, we've seen an absolutely breathtaking rate of change unlike any other development cycle that has ever existed. When it came time for Google to dive in to the smartphone wars, the company took its rapid-iteration, Web-style update cycle and applied it to an operating system, and the result has been an onslaught of continual improvement. Lately, Android has even been running on a previously unheard of six-month development cycle, and that's slower than it used to be. For the first year of Android’s commercial existence, Google was putting out a new version every two-and-a-half months.
Now Samsung’s announcing its newest tablet line, the Galaxy Tab S, available in 8.4-inch and 10.5-inch sizes. The Galaxy Tab S models are thinner, lighter, and faster than earlier efforts, and they have new Super AMOLED displays that Samsung says easily outperform their LCD-equipped counterparts. But one major thing remains the same: Samsung is very much still trying to beat the iPad.
Mozilla has today extended its Open Web App repackaging to Android.
Users of Firefox for Android are now able to install apps from the Firefox Marketplace, and have them install and behave like a regular Android app.
"As a developer, you can now build your Open Web App for Firefox OS devices and have that app reach millions of existing Firefox for Android users without having to change a single line of code," said the announcement blog post.
A “Console OS” Kickstarter project is building an Android 4.4 fork for Intel CPUs on everything from PCs to tablets, complete with a dual-boot option.
Intel is hoping to spur a new wave of dual-boot Android/Windows 2-and-1s and tablets with its Atom Z3000 and upcoming, newly announced Core M processors. So far, however, Android has yet to make much of dent in the PC market, either as a standalone or dual-boot OS.
When a buyer goes to purchase a new smartphone, he or she is often confronted with a tough choice. With so many flagship smartphones in the market today, which ones to choose from? There's the Galaxy S5, which is a widely popular phone from Samsung and then there's the iPhone 5s, which comes from the world’s most valuable tech company. And, as if that wasn't confusing enough, Google offers its own flagship device known as Nexus 5.
While the three smartphones mentioned above are wildly popular, users have a tough time investing their hard-earned cash into. That's why, we've written this article to help you buy the best phone amongst the big 3. So, without further ado, here's a quick comparison between the Galaxy S5, Nexus 5 and iPhone 5s.
Q: Where and why is SlimPort being implemented?
A: SlimPort was first implemented in the Google Nexus 4 back in 2012 and has continued to be used in a number of high-end tablets and smartphones from Fujitsu, Asustek, LG, and ZTE, as well as finding its way into Chromebooks from brands like Hewlett-Packard (HP), among others. The key is that the technology enables more features and can reduce costs. For example, users want to have the ability to take mobile audio and video and get it up on a big screen. Previously, the ability to get the video off of a tablet/smartphone was typically done by running it through a micro-HDMI port. Using SlimPort allowed the OEMs to drop the micro-HDMI port and simply run everything through the five-pin micro-USB port that is needed for charging. SlimPort simply takes control of the connector when a SlimPort dongle is plugged in, and while the devices are connected, SlimPort enables the display to also charge the mobile device. In 2013, support for Full HD was added but we really expect the technology to take off this year with SlimPort Pro.
OnePlus has managed to create a bit of a buzz around their latest smartphone. Called ‘One’ (but I’ll go with the OnePlus One for most of this review to avoid the confusion with HTC) this is a handset that goes out of its way to be attractive. The styling is simple but functional, the specs are close to the top of the range in the world of Android, and the price is stunning. It’s not a typo, it actually starts at £229 in the UK ($299 in the US) for the 16 GB model.
Samsung and Barnes & Noble announced on Thursday a co-branded device called the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook, a 7-inch reading-focused tablet designed to compete with the Kindle Fire HDX and the Nexus 7. It's the first sign of life in some time for the Nook brand, the lineup of ebook readers and tablets that have been consistently great but never popular enough to unseat Amazon as king of the reading device. Now, however, with the combined retail and marketing weight of Samsung and Barnes & Noble, the Galaxy Tab 4 Nook may have the might to find a place once again. (And there's only the slightest irony in the fact that Microsoft owns part of the Nook brand, meaning it now owns yet another Android device.)
Android TV "certainly shows Google's character as an organization," said Brett Sappington, director of research for Parks Associates. "I don't know of any other organization that would take three tries to get it right. Google embraces risk more than other organizations do." The challenge is getting the mix of user interaction and ease of use right, he added.
Google has quietly begun rolling out a new version of Android to its flagship Nexus devices, but so far it has remained shtum on just what has changed.
Support pages from US wireless player T-Mobile reveal that the Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 handsets and the 2013 version of the Nexus 7 tablet all began receiving over-the-air updates to Android 4.4.3 on Monday.
While Samsung is trying to create an early-bird monopoly in the smartwatch market, Apple and Google are busy working on a smartwatch of their own. Though both the smartphone giants haven't announced anything yet, it's only natural to assume that they're not going to overlook such a huge market. Samsung, with their Galaxy Gear smart watches was the first big company to make a foray into wearables. Serving as a mere companion to Samsung's Galaxy smartphones, these smart watches haven't been met with glowing reviews. Many find the Gear smartwatch clunky, lacking features, and overall, an unbaked product. Though Samsung made the first Gear watch based on Android, it has quickly realized its mistake and switched to Tizen instead. Thus, we don't have any major Android-based smartwatch available yet. Given that the smartwatch competition has just commenced, we, as tech fans, have some seriously high expectations from Google. If Android were to make its face shown on a watch, it better be good. That's why we've listed some of the things we want from an ideal Android smartwatch.
It looks like major computer makers are finally warming up to operating systems other than Microsoft Windows, and they are also experimenting with open source operating systems. Not onlly is Dell out with new tablet hybrid devices that run Ubuntu, but Hewlett-Packard has announced a new Android-only laptop. The 14-inch, Tegra-driven Android system is called the HP SlateBook 14, and will be available on August 6 for $399.
Samsung's first generation of smartwatches is officially ditching Android. SamMobile reports that the original Galaxy Gear is being upgraded to Tizen, the operating system used on the newer Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo (but not the Gear Fit, yet another model released this spring.) Samsung has made a point of differentiating its software from stock Android — its various Android smartphones are loaded with design tweaks — but in this case, the main difference will be in added features; we and other reviewers found that the Tizen interface looked and operated very much like the Android one.


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Spirits of the West Coast wins the Innovative Business Award 2020!
We are thrilled to announce that our gallery has won the ‘Innovative Business Award’ at the Comox Valley’s 2020 Chamber Awards Gala !
Thank you all for your support and feedback. Over the past year, we have brought you new and innovative ways to engage with the gallery, and with our artists. You can now visit the gallery virtually, watch artist videos online, and 'Try before you Buy' a range of our limited edition prints in your home or office.
We will keep on innovating and continue to strive to bring you a wonderful and meaningful visitor experience. Feedback or recommendations are always welcome and appreciated.
Many thanks to the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce for the award and congratulations to all the 2020 Chamber Award winners!


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The Redmi Note 11 series will be launched on October 28 and the series of leaks before the launch does not seem to be ending anytime. As per the new leaks, more information about the specification seems to be confirmed for the premium variants. As per the new details, it will not only be the launch event for the Redmi Note 11 series, but also for Redmi Watch 2 and more products. The company has revealed a poster for the event which shows the Redmi Note 11 smartphone and a Redmi Watch 2 with an AMOLED display.
The post was teased on microblogging site Weibo where multiple variants of the Redmi Note 11 Pro series were also displayed. As per the details features like NFC, Bluetooth V5.2, Wi-Fi 6 support, and more were confirmed in the upcoming series of smartphones. One of the major focuses on the features has gone to the X-axis linear motor and 120W fast charging support which were only offered in the premium smartphone models before.
The starting price of the Redmi Note 11 series is expected to start from CNY 1,199 to CNY 2,199. The smartphones will be powered using different Mediatek Dimensity chipsets and all will be supporting 5G networks. The smartphones will also come with a 5,000 mAh battery which will provide all-day battery life. More details about the Watch 2 and smartphones are expected to be out in the coming days until the launch event takes place. However, the leaked specification and design do ensure that the phone is going to be a big upgrade in the Note series till now.


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Mr. Sculley will explore how to create transformation within healthcare companies at invitation-only event
SUNRISE, Fla. (Nov. 6, 2018) – MDLIVE Inc., which is focused on delivering high-quality, convenient, cost-effective virtual medical, dermatological and behavioral healthcare, is excited to announce that John Sculley, former CEO of Pepsi-Cola and Apple and current Vice Chairman of cloud-based Pharmacy Benefit Management platform RxAdvance Corp., will deliver the keynote address at MDLIVE’s national Client Symposium. Mr. Sculley will offer his insights on how to facilitate transformation within healthcare companies along the event’s theme of digital disruption. MDLIVE’s Client Symposium provides industry experts and MDLIVE clients with the opportunity to network and explore cutting edge, virtual health management and care topics with best practice strategies.
“John’s wealth of marketing experience and longstanding record of successful business ventures in the tech industry and beyond make him an ideal keynote speaker at our symposium event,” said Rich Berner, Chief Executive Officer of MDLIVE. “We are eager to hear his insights around how healthcare companies can work to redefine themselves within the industry, and we are proud to be able to offer this unique learning opportunity to our clients.”
A live-streaming video of Mr. Sculley’s keynote address, beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST on Nov. 7, is accessible through the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXSmu9BRr9M.
A renowned expert in marketing, John Sculley is one of America’s best-known business leaders; few entrepreneurs have been as successful across so many fields. His most recent business venture, RxAdvance, is a cloud-based platform that helps pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurers manage chronically ill patients living at home. Like MDLIVE, John recognizes the potential in virtual healthcare and is dedicated to disrupting the healthcare industry through the integration of new technology. Prior to this venture, John was CEO of Pepsi-Cola and later CEO of Apple for more than 10 years.
John is a frequent guest on business television shows around the world. He has received 10 honorary PhD degrees, studied at Brown University and holds an MBA from Wharton.


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The new 7-Eleven store, located at 918 E. Grand River Ave., had its grand opening Thursday. The staff gave away free food items including "slurpees," coffees, pizza, hot dogs and freshly baked cookies.
The opening was delayed, as it was originally supposed to take place Jan. 31. An additional building safety inspection was scheduled for Feb. 4 to reinspect outstanding items that the owner needed to address to ensure the building was safe for occupancy. The final certificate of occupancy was issued the same day.
“Today’s a very special day,” the owner, Ali Haider said. “We had a great response from the community, especially the students. They are very happy because it’s right in the center of the university and it’s 24/7. They can come anytime. We serve food 24/7.”
Haider said he believes the store located below The Hub on Campus East Lansing is the most advanced location in the United States.
“This is a great representation for 7-Eleven,” Operations Manager Joan Davis said. “It’s got a lot of our new innovative equipment that we don’t have anywhere else in Michigan. It’s awesome for the community, it's awesome for our new ownership, so I think this is a great community event.”
Davis oversees the operations of the 7-Eleven stores in the East Lansing area. According to her, there have been several 7-Eleven stores at the base of student housing units and many students use it as their grocery stores. Davis said they’re trying to build the store inventory based on what students need in their housing unit.
“Come in and see us,” Davis said. “We would love to have you. We’ve got some great food items ... We have a lot of new platforms, an assortment to satisfy everybody’s needs.”
“I think it’s going to be a pretty successful store,” Monster Energy representative Meghan Higbie said. “It’s definitely a good spot, especially with the people that are living upstairs that they're just able to come through these doors down here.”
Higbie was giving away a Monster Energy snowboard in a raffle contest at the event.
Journalism freshman Cole Szymanski said, when he walked in the 7-Eleven store on Thursday, he liked the environment.
“It’s great to see a bunch of people out here,” Szymanski said. “Everyone is having a good time. There’s a lot of free stuff going around … I got a free hot dog so that was nice.”
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A popular Halswell hotel is set to undergo renovations expected to cost more than $5 million.
Renovations will start on Craythorne’s Hotel on Halswell Rd over the next two-to-three months, after it was bought by The Oxford Group last year.
The Oxford Group runs Fat Eddies, Original Sin, The Bog, Kong and The Bealey Quarter, and is co-owned by well known hospitality industry businessman Max Bremner.
“We’re getting there, we’re probably 95 per cent done,” he said. “It will be something for everyone, it will be a great neighbourhood hotel.”
Bremner wasn’t sure when the renovations would be completed.
“It all comes down to supply of products. It all comes down to lots of things really.”
Bremner said designs include a big outdoor area as well as upgrades to the hotel rooms, which would be a “considerable spend”.
While he couldn’t say exactly how much the renovations would cost, he said it would be “well over $5 million”.


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It looks like the end of the line for discount shoe retailer Payless ShoeSource Inc.
The same brand that popularized the buy-one-get-one half off sale planned to file for bankruptcy later this month for the second time in as many years. But according to a Reuters report, this bankruptcy could mean the company will be shuttering more than 2,300 stores.
According to the report, Payless unsuccessfully looked for a buyer, but when they couldn’t find one, the Kansas-based company went ahead with the decision to liquidate assets. This could mean that Payless stores could start going-out-of-business sales at its stores in the next week.
Major retailers have been going under in recent years largely due to the rise of online shopping, and the Payless bankruptcy is the latest in a series of high profile retailers being driven out of business by e-commerce. Toys “R” Us closed all its stores last year after filing for bankruptcy, and children’s clothing retailer Gymboree announced its decision to shutter all its Gymboree and Crazy 8 stores last month.


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From profit to purpose: a week that saw brands step up and take action, and for those that haven’t, if not now, when?
20th March 2020
The world looks and feels a lot different today than it did just a few weeks ago.
In an industry where we frequently talk about purpose, there really hasn’t been a more needed time for brands to step up and take action. Putting money, resources and expertise to use for the greater good.
It’s been heartening to see many brands and businesses doing so; from acts of kindness towards NHS worker (Pret, McDonalds and Starbucks offering free hot drinks, Gary Neville donating hotel rooms), to supporting the elderly with ‘Silver Hour’ (Iceland), businesses completely changing their focus and turning their hand to make products that could aid the health service (LVMH), to others that have made significant commitments to support those made redundant – Co-op has just announced it’s creating 5,000 jobs for hospitality workers.
In my view the brands who have done it best, have acted with humanity and not for their own gain. Reflecting the spirit of so many individuals and community organisations around the country.
On the flip side, there have been other brands that have been decidedly absent or worse, a few that have been directly marketing on the back of the situation (a “Yes Corona” tagline seen on LinkedIn springs to mind from a creative agency).
Whilst there have been significant commitments, could others do more to adapt? Could delivery companies allocate a proportion of their couriers to getting urgent items to the vulnerable, could broadband providers do more with their infrastructure to help those in isolation?
We’ve been also looking at ways that we can support in this situation, so this week have been helping the Crosstown Collective (made up of Crosstown Doughnuts, Estate Dairy, and Millers Bespoke Bakery), to launch a consumer food bundle to address supply issues, and business uncertainty. Many of these businesses normally supply restaurants, cafes, shops in London, but have seen their orders drop off a cliff, so they are quite literally fighting for business continuity. We hope our work supporting them makes a difference.
People are looking to businesses as well as the government for leadership, and positive action. Never more have we needed more than words.
It does beg the question, why aren’t more brands taking more action more of the time?
I believe (and hope) that this is a pivotal moment for brands that will have a lasting impact. The diversification of services, partnership, community outlook, and just plain kindness that we’ve seen this week will not just be a response to a crisis but become business as usual.
Whilst this won’t be possible for all businesses with such uncertainty ahead, and many will need to focus on keeping them and their people in business, those that can weather the storm should do more. Some will find themselves with need for a broader remit of workers, others might have assets that can be used for the wider community. Investment doesn’t have to be monetary.
And what is our role in all this?
First things first, to prioritise our people, their health and wellbeing is number one.
In the short-term, we need to advise our clients to act with authenticity and humanity and to make a difference where they can in this strange time. We do this as standard, rather than a repackaged crisis service with inflated fees.
And in the long-term, when life has returned to some normality, to make purpose with action, as well as profit the new normal.


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JEREMY HOBSON: Samsung is seeking a court order to make Apple show it upcoming models of its products. Samsung says it needs the sneak peek to defend itself against an Apple lawsuit that charges Samsung with copying.
For more on this, let’s bring in Nilay Patel, who’s a tech journalist with ThisIsMyNext.com.
NILAY PATEL: Good morning.
HOBSON: What exactly is Samsung demanding from Apple?
PATEL: So Samsung is demanding to see the next version of the iPhone and they’re demanding to see the next version of the iPad. And the reason they’re asking for it is because Apple was just granted the ability to see a few of Samsung’s new products.
So Samsung is basically saying Apple gets to see our new products we want to see what Apple has in the works as well.
HOBSON: And is there any chance that a judge would actually say ‘Apple you have to show your future products to Samsung?’
PATEL: The likelyhood is low. The key difference is that Samsung had already announced all of these upcoming products, they just hadn’t been released to the market yet. Apple doesn’t talk about new products until Steve Jobs pulls it out of his pocket on a stage. Right? So, that’s a big difference.
I think ultimately the judge will say, Apple hasn’t announced anything yet so you can’t ask for things that they haven’t even shown the public.
HOBSON: What does this tell you about the tech landscape generally, that we’re seeing lawsuits to get the competition to show what they’re doing?
PATEL: I think it shows exactly how cut throat mobile has become. Mobile is the next big pie for all of these companies to get a piece of. And there’s no one winner yet. It hasn’t reached a point where you have a Microsoft on the desktop.
People don’t like lawsuits, but they’re a sign of a healthy marketplace. They’re a sign that the competitors in the marketpalce are trying to figure out exactly what the bounderies of competition are.
HOBSON: Nilay Patel, tech journalist with ThisIsMyNext.com. Thanks so much for joining us.
PATEL: Thanks for having me.
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Best Phones in 2017: Apple, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Windows, Xiaomi – Check the List of Devices Here [VIDEO]By Shunie Pearl C. Dela Cruz
The next-generation smartphones are yet to come in 2017. Check out the list of devices that will roll out next year for Apple, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Windows and Xiaomi, and decide which one is the best buy for a phone upgrade.
Apple iPhone 8
The presumed iPhone 8 is shaping-up for the 10th iPhone anniversary celebration of Apple in 2017. The 2017 flagship smartphone is said to feature a radical design as a result of the combination of hardware and software according to PC Advisor.
HTC has skipped the last year's Mobile World Congress but rumors suggesting that a successor to HTC 10 will be launch in 2017. HTC 10 is one of the best phones of HTC and considered as the most-budget friendly.
The modular phone LG G6 is rumored to have its successor in 2017. The said flagship will feature fast wireless charging, faster processor for VR, iris scanner and special filter.
Moto M is said to be the successor of Moto X Play and is rumored to be released in December 2016 but rumors suggesting that it will be pushed back to 2017. Moto M will run the pre-installed Android 7.0 Nougat coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of RAM for the basic model according to NDTV.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
A 5.7-inch Quad-HD with Super AMOLED Galaxy Note 8 will make a debut in 2017. This flagship is said to support the S Pen and runs a powerful processor.
Sony Xperia Z6
Although Sony has failed to announce the Xperia Z6 during the MWC last 2016, hopes are still up for the Sony fans because the Japanese tech-giant has hinted about the phone's comeback.
Microsoft Corporate VP has revealed that the company is currently making the prototype of the Surface Phones. The 2017 flagship smartphone of the windows-maker will feature never-before functionalities such as support for Surface Dial.
Xiaomi Mi Mix
The extraordinary smartphone made by Apple of the East Xiaomi Mi Mix is coming to store shelves in December 2016. The phone features a bezel-less and edgeless screen display.


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Ontario Securities Commission Warns Investors Against Five Digital Currency Firms
In a recent statement, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) warned investors against several digital currency firms. These firms include BTCReal, BitSerial, Hypercube Ventures LP, CabinCoin OÜ, and BaapPay Inc.
The digital currency industry is still a new and largely disruptive addition to the financial world. In the past, U.S. regulators took action against platforms like Bitconnect and DavorCoin. Now, the OSC is similarly warning investors against projects that operate outside of its regulatory practices.
Ontario Securities Commission warns against firms targeting Ontario investors
According to the OSC press release, the firms mentioned are involved in “schemes” that target Ontario investors and encourage them to trade or invest cryptocurrencies. Many of these sites have their own digital token available for purchase, and the OSC stated that several are not registered for sale in the state.
With this investor alert, the OSC is by no means taking a stance against the entire digital currency industry. Instead, the regulatory board is saying that these specific firms are not registered in the province to solicit investments or provide advice on trading securities.
The first of its examples is BTCReal, one of the five firms that the OSC is warning investors about. According to the OSC, BTCReal manages btcreal.biz, where it claims to provide full investment services for digital currency investments.
“Investors should consider the risks associated with investing in cryptocurrencies, and be aware that the marketing of high returns is often an indication of investment fraud,” said the OSC, in the investor alert.
The OSC is advising anyone who has dealt with the businesses mentioned to contact the OSC Inquiries and Contact Centre at 1-877-785-1555 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
Creating innovative digital currency regulation
The digital currency landscape has many honest actors and innovators looking to change and grow entire industries. However, distinguishing between honest operators and fraudulent projects can be tricky, especially without clear guidelines available for businesses.
Recently, the OSC said it will champion investor protection in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. In order to protect investors and alleviate responsibility for businesses, the commission vowed to make digital currency regulation a “key focus.”
Overall, these initiatives and investor alerts fall under the larger umbrella of the OSC’s mandate. According to the commission, its mandate is designed to protect investors from unfair, improper, and fraudulent practices.
Image credit: Pixabay
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We can now take advantage of the Green Homes Grant in the UK. But there is one glaring omission in the technologies available to UK’s homeowners, according to Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation in the September issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry.
Why has lighting been left in the dark
This month the Government’s Green Homes Grant scheme begins its life. This is the first publicly funded scheme offering grants to any household, no matter how affluent, to encourage installation of a wide range of energy saving products since the original Homes Insulation Grant scheme was abandoned back in 1988.
Over the next six months, £1.5 bn has been allocated to offer two-thirds of the cost of installing energy saving products – interestingly the exact same percentage as was on offer for the 15 years of that original scheme.
There are two fundamental differences. The first is that individual households can now receive up to £5,000 from the Treasury. And the second is that every single measure must be installed by an official tradesperson, each with qualifications acknowledged under the TrustMark scheme.
So, no DIY rolling out insulation in lofts. No fitting your own thermostatic radiator valves. And certainly, no internal wall linings done by old Bob, who used to work in the building trade years ago.
The over-riding objective is to provide registered employment within the construction industry. Tens of thousands of new jobs will be delivered, according to the Business Secretary, Alok Sharma.
And that sadly means that one of the products that has already brought some of the greatest electricity savings of all, but has the potential to deliver so much more, has been unceremoniously disbarred from entry from the entire grants scheme.
When, in early July, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the grants scheme, briefings were sent out to all the media explaining what products would qualify. In the list, as reproduced endlessly, was “energy-efficient lighting.”
But when one month later the Government issued its definitive list of qualifying products, there was no mention of anything to do with lighting.
What might have caused this U-turn? There was a warning from the world’s most powerful man, the Tweetmaster-in-chief. It concerned the merits (or in his view the demerits) of installing LED lamps.
Lightbulbs ‘can cause cancer’
I quote verbatim from a tweet issued by Donald Trum[ at 8.39 a.m. on July 17. It reads: “Remember, new ‘environmental friendly’ lightbulbs can cause cancer. Be careful – the idiots who came up with this stuff just don’t care.’
Or it may have been the knowledge that opinion surveys of LEAVE voters in the 2016 referendum reveal that buying lightbulbs familiar to the late Victorians, is up there as a “patriotic” icon akin to blue passports and selling vegetables by the pound rather than the kilo. Which means that there is a portion of the population that may well regard more environmentally friendly lightbulbs with hostility.
Already much attention has been given to the undeniable fact that both the compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), and latterly the LEDs, which have been replacing incandescent lightbulbs, are so much more expensive to purchase. This places, it is argued, a quite unreasonable burden upon, in particular, “just about managing” households.
What receives rather less attention are two key benefits that more modern illumination technologies bring. The first is their relative greater longevity. The second is that they require much less electricity to provide the same amount of illumination.
And there is the (occasional) complaint that these new-fangled bulbs simply don’t provide as much light as the originals they replace is entirely soluble. The Observer recently splashed complaints from those in County Down, Northern Ireland living close to a lighthouse regarding its changeover to LEDs, with just a paragraph devoted to the positive response of the mariners such a lighthouse exists to assist.
Average UK household spend on lighting from 1990
The proof of how important modern lighting can be comes in the remarkable table (above) prepared by the Lighting Association.
In 2016, at the time of the last survey, the average household spent just £87.38 each year on lighting – only 17 per cent of the electricity bill. If consumption levels had remained as in 1990, the average household would now have been paying out £164 a year for illumination. The Lighting Association reckons that, if LEDs can replace all incandescents by 2025, then household lighting bills will have dropped to just £16 p.a. An annual financial savings of £148 per household.
Lighting is one of the main reasons why overall electricity consumption has fallen by 16 per cent over the past 15 years.
Sadly, there will apparently be no means of assisting this trend coming from the new Grant scheme. Which given the need to combat the absurd prejudices I cited earlier, could prove a serious missed opportunity.


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PARIS — PPR seems to have a growing appetite for acquisitions.
Theluxury-to-retail group, which on Thursday launched a cash tender offerfor sports firm Volcom Inc., also has its sights on the 18 percentstakein Italian fine jewelry company Pomellato owned by the Damianifamily,according to market sources.
A PPR spokeswoman had nocommentThursday.
It is understood several companies haveexpressedinterest in Damiani’s minority stake since Pomellato is oneof the fewglobal independent companies left on the jewelry scene.Pomellato’schief executive officer, Andrea Morante, a high-profileentrepreneur-cum-investment banker, is plotting an initial publicoffering by 2013.
While Guido Damiani, ceo of Damiani SpA,declined to comment on the PPR speculation, he said his dream continuesto be to form an Italian fine jewelry group, but if that falls through,the family would consider selling its stake. The Rabolini family ownsthe balance of Pomellato shares.
In the meantime, Damiani hasassigned Mediobanca a mandate to explore offers.
According to asource, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s recent acquisition ofBulgari, coupled with the rebound in luxury goods, has piqued interestfor fine jewelry firms.
Separately, PPR said Thursday it wouldfile a statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission providingthe terms of the tender offer for Volcom, scheduled to close on June 9.The Californian action sports brand is to file a statement includingtherecommendation of its board that stockholders accept the $607.5millionoffer.
The French retail-to-luxury group is offering$24.50 ashare, a premium of 37 percent over Volcom’s three-monthaverage shareprice. The closing of the offer is conditioned on thevalid tender of amajority of the outstanding shares of Volcom commonstock.
Theacquisition is the first step in PPR’s bid to build amass marketdivision around Puma that could eventually eclipse itsluxury holdingslike Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Yves Saint Laurent.
Havingspunoff its African distribution business CFAO and furniture chainConforama, PPR is looking to shed the rest of its retail operations anduse the proceeds to fund more acquisitions.
“I was touched by the fact that she lost her father, really before his time, and it was a real shock. She had two young children, she was married and she was expecting that she would have her own life for a good 25 years,” said Claire Foy about playing a young Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s The Crown. Styled by @mayteallende 📸@jgreenery #emmys2017 #wwdeyeu
“Truth and lies have become a real interesting theme, more than ever, lately,” Emmy nominee Laura Dern told WWD. "It’s a very interesting time to use our voice." Styled by @cristinaehrlich, 📸 @shayanhathaway #wwdeye #emmys2017
“It transcends the genre that is you think of a sci-fi show — you don’t expect it to be so profound or emotionally riveting,” Evan Rachel Wood told WWD of her Emmy nominated role in Westworld. styled by @samanthamcmillen_stylist 📸 @emmanmontalvan #emmys2017 #wwdeye


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A Slovakian sportswear firm called Nebbia has promised to refund customers offended by its advert featuring a Black Norwegian bodybuilder – on condition that they send their requests to an email address that reads “I am racist” in Slovak.
In a series of blog posts, Nebbia CEO Martin Pecko threw himself into the uproar sparked by photographs posted on Nebbia Žilina’s Facebook page on 3 February that featured a Black male athlete alongside a White female model.
Comments on the photo quickly turned into a heated racial debate on immigration and multiculturalism, with some of the most disturbing comments describing the Black athlete as “a monkey in clothes” and “a murderer.” One commenter promised to boycott the company, while another warned that the ad campaign would only “discourage” potential buyers, as majority-White Slovaks wouldn’t relate to it.
Responding to the barrage of online abuse directed at the Black athlete, Pecko wrote that the man taking all the heat was Norwegian bodybuilder Dennis Johansen, explaining that he had been the brand’s ambassador for over a year and was picked for the promo shoot because of his “fantastic figure and sporting achievements.”
“The person in our picture is our good friend Dennis. He’s European, just like you. [He] has a university degree, a figure that you’ll never have, and a beautiful wife at home (who is white and blond),” Pecko wrote in an entry from 7 February on the company’s blog.
The CEO went on to denounce racial prejudice in strong terms, defending his company’s position as a global brand represented in over 40 countries. He also said the company would be “happy” if one “racist” commenter stopped wearing Nebbia’s clothing as promised, “so we won’t have to feel ashamed because of him.”
As the first blog post only seemed to add fuel to the fire, Pecko then vowed to make good on his promise to refund disgruntled customers in full. However, the offer came with a catch: to receive compensation, outraged buyers would have to send their requests to email@example.com – a newly-set up email address that means “I am a racist” in Slovak.
While Pecko acknowledged that the decision would likely result in economic losses, he expressed no regrets, writing “maybe we were crazy, but we stand by our word!”
As the controversy began making headlines in the local media, Pecko tried to avoid getting caught up in a debate on immigration, saying that his post should not be read as a political statement.
Intercultural tensions are running high in Slovakia, which has been traversed by thousands of migrants from North Africa and the Middle East taking the so-called Balkan route to Western Europe in hopes of being granted asylum. Slovakia has been a strong critic of an EU Commission scheme to redistribute the refugees across Europe.


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ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka is urging citizens to grow vegetables in flower pots after the country’s economists mistargeted interest rates triggering a currency collapse and forex shortages continue amid money printing at higher interest rates.
After a partially failed main (Maha) cropping season and under-cultivation in the current Yala (minor) season due to fertilizer and fuel shortages, Sri Lanka is expecting record falls in food production.
Global commodity prices including foods and energy have risen in the so-called ‘Powell Bubble’ fired by US Federal Reserves, which also initially lied and blamed rising foods on ‘supply chain shortfalls’ but has since raised interest rates to stop money printing.
“If you have twenty flowerpots, and you grow food in at least ten of them, then we can get out of this crisis,” Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told a reporter in Colombo.
“There are so many types of Yams that can be grown. If we do that we can successfully get out of this global crisis.”
Sri Lanka has imported more rice with crop shortfalls. Agriculture experts say about 5 months’ worth of rice (about a million metric tonnes) may need to be imported.
Minister Amaraweera says already about 338,000 Metric tonnes of rice have been imported and the government wants to import more rice before prices go up further.
Sri Lanka would need about 400 million US dollars to import a million tonnes (about two months’ worth of dollars coming through the Undiyal system). However, there are warnings that all food imports may be hit after open account imports were banned by the state.
After printing money to mis-target interest rates, Sri Lanka usually imposes various controls in cascading policy errors which worsens the fallout of central bank action.
After two years of money printing by the country’s Keynesian economists who favour an unstable peg (flexible exchange rate) with discretionary monetary policy (flexible inflation targeting) and output gap targeting (printing money to push up growth) inflation is soaring.
In May, has already hit 39 percent. Food prices have risen 57.4 percent in the 12-months leading up to May.
There have been calls to reform the central bank and hold it accountable so that it can no longer practice ‘flexible’ or discretionary policy.
Under the current law which binds the agency to economic and price stability, generating monetary stability and targeting output through ‘flexible policy’ is a violation of its basic goals.
However a draft law to legalize flexible policy and allow officials to escape accountability, and also give legal assistance is in existence, critics have said. (Colombo/June05/2022)


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Domino’s Pizza announced another share buyback on Tuesday after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly earnings and same-store sales.
CFO Jeff Lawrence said on an earnings call that the pizza delivery giant would repurchase $1 billion shares, bringing total buybacks over the past three years to nearly $3 billion.
“On average over the last 12 months we have not only generated more than $1 million per day in free cash flow but when you add our share repurchases and dividends together we have also returned more than $1 million per day to our shareholders,” Lawrence said.
The announcement of the buyback came after Domino’s disappointed investors with another quarter of weak sales growth. Comparable sales at U.S. stores grew by 2.4% in the third quarter — the smallest gain since the second quarter of fiscal 2012.
Analysts expecting growth of 2.8% in the key retail sales metric.
The company earned $2.05 per share as net sales rose 4.4% to $820.8 million, missing estimates of earnings of $2.07 per share on revenue of $823.9 million.
“It was a good quarter for Domino’s as we continue to lean on our fundamental strength against a unique competitive environment,” CEO Ritch Allison said in a news release, citing strong unit growth and positive same-store sales.
Domino’s shares initially fell in morning trading Tuesday but rallied after the earnings call, rising 4.2% to $252.44
As CNBC reports, Domino’s has been facing growing competition from third-party delivery apps. Competitors such as Pizza Hut and Papa John’s have partnered with outside delivery networks but Domino’s is “betting that [the third-party] business model, which involves luring customers with free delivery and deep discounts, is not sustainable,” CNBC said.
Allison told investors on the conference call that there is a “significant shakeout coming to the industry.”
Domino’s also on Tuesday also announced a new outlook for the next two to three years, replacing its prior outlook for the next three to five years. It now expects sales growth in a range of 7% to 10% from a previous range of 8% to 12%.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images


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Health technology featured at SXSWi — blog
- Sandra Zaragoza
- Staff Writer
A big ABJ takeaway from South by Southwest Interactive, which wraps up today, was this year’s formal health track, which had a series of interesting panels that discussed everything from fitness apps to crowd sourcing cancer.
What worked in SXSWi’s Health Track?
On Sunday, Panel “Health: Is there REALLY an App for that?” was so full that it had a line of about 20 people waiting to get inside for the duration of the panel. Luckily, the good people at Ignite Health put a video of the panel on Vimeo Tuesday afternoon, at http://vimeo.com/21023949. If you’re pressed for time, the second half of the panel is especially informative. It’s a snapshot of where health app technology is right now.
Possible Worldwide’s Jonathan Richman presented an interesting panel titled “Your Computer is the Next Wonder Drug,” which gave a more forward looking view of health care technology. Richman gave a broad strokes picture of how advanced technology is impacting health care and where it’s headed. For more on these panels, read the ABJ story on the SXSWi health track in this week’s Friday edition.
What could be better?
This was the first year of a formalized health track at South by. Unfortunately, organizers decided to stack the bulk of the health-related panels in one day, instead of scattering them throughout the conference. Indeed, 16 of the 23 health-related panels took place on Sunday. Because of that, the panels’ audiences were jammed packed. One downside was that there weren’t as many game developers or technology generalists in the crowds at the health panels, and stirring up a conversation among tech folks across disciplines is the point.
Want to keep up with all things SXSW 2011? Check out the Austin Business Journal's Continuous Coverage Center here.
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Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition Brings Final Act To Nintendo Switch
The haunting episodic adventure comes to the Nintendo Switch in early 2018 along with the debut of the final act.
This haunting journey into a secret highway in the caves beneath Kentucky has been critically well received and is coming to Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox in early 2018.
The first act of this "magical realist adventure" launched all the way back in January of 2013. This edition collects all previous acts and includes the debut of the fifth and final act.
We'll update this story as more information is made available.
From The Chatty
Charles Singletary posted a new article, Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition Brings


text: There are numerous benefits of coffee consumption. Coffee contains many polyphenols as well as caffeine. But some people just don't tolerate caffeine all that well. Fortunately for those folks, results of a study presented earlier this years show caffeine isn't necessary for the benefits of coffee. The research was presented at Digestive Disease Week 2019. … Continue reading Benefits of coffee: Greater motility and antimicrobial?


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Historic Solar Eclipse Wows Guests at Walt Disney World ResortPublished: August 23, 2017 / Last Updated: August 23, 2017 / By: Arvid Bux
August 20 was a special day at Walt Disney World Resort. Guests were able to experience a historic Solar Eclipse. The Disney Parks team put the below video together showcasing the eclipse across the resort.
The next solar eclipse that will put Walt Disney World Resort into totality will be August 12, 2045.


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With all that’s been happening over the past year, it feels like the list of exciting things is a short one. But here’s one that’s certainly blown our minds: Dom Pérignon x Lady Gaga. The iconic musician has partnered with the alcohol brand for quite the special collaboration.
The Queendom celebration is set to include a rosé champagne and a limited-edition sculpture. In addition, proceeds of the sales will be directed towards Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation.
The sculpture was designed by Lady Gaga herself. It is set to be on display at flagship Dom Pérignon locations. Only 110 pieces of the sculpture are expected to be produced and sold. The collab celebrates the beauty of creative freedom, which is highlighted in the short-film, “Creative Freedom Is Power”, and is a part of this multi-media campaign.


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Before the Samsung Galaxy Note had its S-Pen holster, designers and engineers had other ideas about the stylus' shape and size. CNET sat down with a Samsung innovation VP for a peek into the past.
At $199, it's one of the most affordable thermal cameras you can buy. And a pretty sweet one at that.
We asked an industry watcher why the Chinese manufacturer is playing the name game.
In-ear vs. on-ear, circumaural vs. supraaural, open vs. closed back -- shopping for the right pair of headphones can be tough, but CNET's on the job with a buying guide to help you narrow down your choices.
The images show a device featuring the familiar Nexus branding and an HTC logo at the bottom. HTC has not confirmed it's the real deal.
Seek Thermal's $199 device can read temperature differences up to 1,000 feet away and identify a person at 200 feet. Until now, such technology has cost $1,000 or more.
As smartphones replace point-and-shoots, companies from Nikon to Fujifilm are scrambling to build premium product lines. That's great news for photo enthusiasts.
Like a crystal ball, Spheree contains a projected 3D image that you can interact with and move around.
Rumored to make its debut in the coming days, leaked images hint that the phone is high-end, though it's linked to specs that are still up in the air.
New images claim to show the Moto 360 smartwatch wirelessly charging in a small dock that keeps the display visible.


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“In January, four critical security vulnerabilities were discovered in the Apple QuickTime and iTunes applications, raising security concerns over the increasingly popular media player formats,” Thomas Zizzo writes for CRN. “Solution providers said customers need to be aware of the risks these applications might bring, but expressed faith that Mac OS X remains secure, at least for now. The Mac generally is called a platform that is secure from exploits and viruses in part because the user base of Macs is very small compared with that of the Windows PC, making the Mac community a less attractive target. Not everyone sees it that way, however. ‘I really think that is a misnomer,’ said Ian Blanton, director of consulting for Tech Superpowers, an Apple solution provider in Boston. Blanton said viruses can reach any system connected to the Internet, regardless of the operating system. And the fact that there has not been a known, live virus that has successfully propagated through the Mac OS X poses a challenge that could be too good for some hackers to pass up, he added. ‘That makes Macs an even bigger target,’ he said.”
“Apple’s VAR partners aren’t too concerned at this point about exploits, viruses or worms being spread on Macs, but they agree that security shouldn’t be ignored. ‘It’s always a concern,’ said Alberto Palacios, president of Create More, San Francisco. It’s easy to write a virus for the Mac; the difficult thing is making it propagate, Palacios said. Anytime an application is installed on a Mac, several pop-up windows will ask the user if they are sure they want to install and run the program. Unless a hacker physically has access to the computer, it’s almost impossible to unknowingly infect it with a virus, he said,” Zizzo writes. “Apple takes security very seriously, said George Swords, marketing manager for PowerMacPac, an Apple reseller in Portland, Ore. Mac users should always have the latest software updates installed, and antivirus security software should be used to guard against forwarding infected e-mails to friends that have PCs, he said.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Good Jobs, a writer got it right! Congratulations to Mr. Zizzo for presenting the facts about Mac security in a clear and balanced manner and to CRN for publishing it! Please click the full article link.
[UPDATE: 5:05pm EST: Fixed fixed double double.]
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
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• iMac and MacBook Pro owners: Apple USB Modem. Easily connect to the Internet using dial-up service. Only $49.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Writer recants Macs ‘relatively’ immune to viruses, changes it to ‘exempt’ from Windows worries – February 07, 2006
Security consultant: ‘This is almost certainly the year of the OS X exploit’ – February 07, 2006
FBI: Viruses, spyware, other computer-related crimes cost U.S. businesses $67.2 billion per year – February 01, 2006
Tech writer: ‘virus-and-spyware-prone Windows isn’t the way to go – get a Mac’ – January 31, 2006
eWeek: Intel transition a ‘security non-issue’ for Apple Mac – January 30, 2006
Windows virus threatens 170-year-old Toledo newspaper’s perfect record, Apple Macs save the day – January 27, 2006
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
$500 bounty offered for proof of first Apple Mac OS X virus – September 27, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005
Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 04, 2005
16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs – June 15, 2005


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Differential Brands Group Inc. tapped merchandising executive Matthew Fior to be the new president of Hudson Jeans.
Fior, who most recently served as chief merchandising officer for Lucky Brand, is taking over the position left open by the January departure of Barbara Cook who is now chief executive officer of Miansai, an accessories brand based in Miami.
Differential Brands’ ceo Michael Buckley said Fior will now be overseeing the day-to-day operations of Hudson “while providing guidance and leadership for the brand’s planned strategic growth.”
Before Fior’s tenure at Lucky, which began in 2011, he worked in executive merchandising roles with Gap Inc. and Levi Strauss & Co.
“With an 18-year track record of driving growth, Matthew has a wealth of knowledge and experience as an industry leading merchant,” Buckley added. “Under his direction, we look forward to maximizing the growth potential for Hudson’s consumer-direct, international and licensing channels, executing on our premium omnichannel vision for the future, and capitalizing on the brand’s wholesale department store and specialty store relationships.”
Fior alluded to his plans for Hudson, saying he sees the brand as positioned to move beyond denim to become “a true lifestyle brand.”
Hudson founder and chairman Peter Kim said he’s looking forward to working with Fior and the rest of the brand team “to continue expanding our brand.”
Cook joined Hudson in early 2013 after a two-year stint at Wet Seal and several years as an executive of Gap, first in London and then in North America.
Cook oversaw the merger of Joe’s Jeans with Hudson and Robert Graham, which led to the creation of Differential.
Since then the group has struggled, however, posting a nearly $5 million loss at the end of the year, compared to $700,000 in net income at the end of 2015.
The company has increased wholesale and consumer direct sales, though — due in large part to sales from Hudson.


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The Centre’s share of GST collection in May showed a 107 per cent jump month-on-month as collections increased from Rs 16,707 crore in April 2020 to Rs 34,731 crore in May 2020. However, this is still Rs 15,000 crore lower than the GST collection in May last year.
Centre’s collection trends shows that the overall GST collection (Centre and states) in May 2020 could have been close to Rs 70,000 crore compared to Rs 1 lakh crore last year. In April, the overall GST collection was anywhere between Rs 35,000 crore and Rs 40,000 crore.
The gross revenue collection of the Centre in May was Rs 58,553 crore against Rs 93,389 crore, showing a year-on-year contraction of 37 per cent. In April 2020, the year-on-year contraction was 44 per cent. Till May, the gross tax revenue of the Centre was Rs 1.26 lakh crore compared to Rs 2.15 lakh crore in the previous year.
Total receipts of the government up to May 2020 were Rs 45,500 crore against total expenditure of Rs 5.12 lakh crore. Thus, the total fiscal deficit up to May was Rs 4.6 lakh crore, or 59 per cent of the budgeted target. This is 27 per cent more than the fiscal deficit during the period last year.
According to an estimate by rating agency ICRA, Centre’s fiscal deficit for 2020-21 could be as much as Rs 13 lakh crore or 6.7 per cent of GDP against the budgeted level of Rs 8 lakh crore or 3.5 per cent of GDP.
It further says that if the Centre has to provide funds towards GST compensation to the state governments from its own sources, its fiscal deficit would be even higher than our base case of 6.7 per cent of GDP. Usually, states are compensated for any revenue loss due to GST from collections made through Compensation Cess.
However, the compensation requirements of the states far exceed the collections through Compensation Cess.
The deficit in the budget is filled by borrowing. The government has already increased borrowings in the current financial year by Rs 4.2 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore. Earlier, the government has budgeted for Rs 7.8 lakh crore borrowings.


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Stolen Cards, Reportedly From Cardpool.com, Sold on DarknetGemini Advisory Says Russian Cybercriminal Sold Gift Card, Payment Card Data
A Russian-speaking cybercriminal recently sold on a darknet forum thousands of stolen payment and gift cards that researchers at Gemini Advisory believe were taken from the now-defunct online gift card exchange Cardpool.com.
In a report released Tuesday, the threat intelligence firm says the cybercriminal listed 895,000 stolen gift cards and 330,000 stolen payment cards for sale in February on a Russian cybercrime forum. The stolen gift cards, which have an estimated face value of $38 million, were issued by more than 3,000 companies, including Airbnb, Amazon, American Airlines, Chipotle, Dunkin', Home Depot, Marriott and Nike, the research report says.
Once the database with 895,000 gift cards was quickly sold, the cybercriminal then posted for sale data on 330,000 credit and debit cards, which included the victims’ billing addresses, payment card numbers, expiration dates and bank names, but did not include the CVV or cardholder name, Gemini Advisory reports.
Based on its analysis of the payment and gift card data, Gemini Advisory says all the data likely was obtained in a breach of the Cardpool.com website, which the attacker may have targeted between Feb. 4 and Aug. 4, 2019.
San Francisco-based Cardpool was a gift card exchange service that enabled individuals to buy, sell and trade their gift cards. Cardpool shut down its operation in February, citing pandemic-related operational difficulties. "We do not know if Cardpool suspected that it had been breached or if that was the cause for the company closing down," says Christopher J.S. Thomas, an intelligence product analyst with Gemini Advisory.
Prior to its closure, Cardpool had 300,000 monthly visitors, 85% of whom were located in the U.S, according to the Gemini Advisory report.
Because the payment card data offered for sale by the cybercriminal did not contain CVVs, Gemini Advisory says Cardpool may have been breached by accessing the website's back end. That's because if a hacker had accessed the card data by injecting a payment card skimmer onto the site, the data would have contained CVV and cardholder names.
"Attackers can acquire back-end access to online shops through a variety of methods, including exploiting vulnerabilities in sites’ content management systems and brute-forcing admin login credentials," according to the research report.
The seller of the stolen card data, which Gemini Advisory did not identify, is a prolific Russian-speaking hacker who has posted similar offerings in the past, the researchers say.
The seller auctioned the Cardpool gift cards database at a starting price of $10,000 and a buy-now price of $20,000; the database was purchased shortly after posting, the researchers say.
The hacker began the bidding for the payment card database later the same day at $5,000 and issued a buy-now price of $15,000. That database sold within days, according to the Gemini Advisory report.
Earlier, the same seller had offered for sale other stolen payment card data, compromised databases and the personally identifiable information of victims in the U.S., the researchers say.
Why Gift Cards Are Valuable
The stolen payment card data was offered for sale at a lower price than the stolen gift cards "likely because of the lack of CVV data or cardholder name included with each card, and the fact that the breach occurred in 2019," Thomas notes. "Both factors lower the likelihood that a fraudster can successfully conduct transactions with a card."
Typically, payment card data collected through card-not-present attacks, which contains the CVV, is sold at a median price of $12 on the dark web, Gemini Advisory notes. If the card does not include the CVV, its price drops to $6.
Another reason gift cards can command a higher price on criminal forums is that they are difficult to trace back to the fraudsters, Gemini Advisory notes.
"With gift cards, cybercriminals basically have two options for monetization: purchase goods and resell them or … sell the cards to a third-party gift card marketplace like Cardpool," the report notes. "The big advantage for cybercriminals is that there are far fewer identity verification checks with gift cards; they can simply enter the gift card code online and complete the purchase or walk into a store and swipe the gift card."


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- Retired couple Joe and Karen Stermitz have been traveling the world since 2017.
- In order to have this lifestyle, they sold their home and got into overlanding, where they travel with a camper on a truck bed.
- As of writing, the Stermitzes are in South America. They prioritize their spending based on the experiences they want to have most, and buy very little in order to keep expenses low.
- They agree that traveling to affordable countries, moving slowly, and prioritizing their spending is the best way to travel on a tight, fixed budget.
- Read more personal finance coverage.
Joe and Karen Stermitz have been traveling the world since April of 2017. Their travel probably isn't what you might expect from retirees taking their bucket-list trips — they live out of a camper they drive around the world, and they prioritize affordability in order to make their retirement funds last.
"Most people's concept of traveling of course is a little different," Joe, 62, told Business Insider. "They're going to stay in hotels and that kind of thing. We found a way to do it a little differently."
"It's called overlanding," he continued. "It's actually a huge blowing up industry right now." Overlanding is a type of long-term off-roading that allows travelers to get off the beaten path, and explore remote areas while being self-sustaining.
For their overland vehicle, the Stermizes bought and retrofitted a Ram 2500 truck with a camper on the bed and packed up their camping gear. The former Hewlett-Packard employees sold their 4,000 square-foot home in southern Washington and downsized their possessions to fit into a small storage unit. They moved into their 42-square-foot overlanding vehicle and set out for South America.
Since then, they've been finding ways to make their savings stretch while still having the experiences they want. After living their overlanding lifestyle for several years, they've learned to to avoid stretching themselves too thin while traveling, both financially and personally.
Here are three of the most important lessons they've learned to keep their lifestyle manageable:
1. Spend time in affordable countries
"One of our strategies is go to the cheap countries first," Joe said. "We're saving western Europe and northern Europe for four or five years down the road." By spending the bulk of their time in countries with lower costs of living, they hope to make their savings stretch.
Currently in South America, they live fairly affordably, varying their spending based on where they are. "Right now, we're spending way over our normal daily amount because we're in Cartagena, Columbia," says Karen. "We're on average spending $100 a day here, but once we leave Cartagena, we'll cut back, for a couple of weeks or a month, to $50 a day to make up for it," says Karen. That cost includes their biggest expense: fuel.
"It's pretty easy for us to ebb and flow our expenses," Karen said. "We can go from a nice, $200 restaurant to a $2 restaurant."
2. Keep costs low by taking it slow
By not moving around faster than they need to, the Stermizes are able to save money. Moving slowly both helps them cut back on gas expenses, but also keeps them from getting burnt out on camping and spending more than they need to on hotels.
"Our biggest expense is gas. So, going slow is just the way it is," Joe said. "If we don't drive, we're spending half of what we would be if we were driving every day."
"Being in a car camping, it gets tiring," Joe said. "In cheaper countries, you can rent a beautiful apartment. I wouldn't say it costs next to nothing, but it's so much cheaper." By taking their time in countries where the cost of living is lower than the US, they can afford to take a break from the camper when they need to.
3. Prioritize your spending according to what matters
The Stermitzes don't buy much as they travel. And that's partially because they care more about being able to keep traveling than collecting belongings on the road.
"I don't buy things. I don't own a lot of things," Karen said. Her best advice for anyone wanting to live their lifestyle is to do the same. "Get away from the focus on the things and focus on experiences and living life," she continued.
And while they certainly have a budget and stick to it while traveling cheaply, they prioritize their spending to make the most of what they have.
"If your passion is to travel and you can do it on a decent budget, long-term travel has its own rewards that are just impossible to quantify," Joe said. "By living frugally and not spending a lot, we think it's going to work pretty well for us."