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June overseas spending up $10m since 2017
Twelve years after government sought to arrest the decline in retail sales, the ‘Buy Bermuda’ campaign may be in jeopardy.
Alarmingly in 2010, government reported how resident purchases overseas increased by a whopping 14 per cent per cent in June 2010 compared to the previous year. Overseas purchases totalled $5.7 million for that month, the report said.
By November of that year, authorities, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce, had launched the Buy Bermuda campaign with funding put through the Bermuda Small Business Development Corporation.
It is not exactly clear how that $5.7 million compares to today, as counting measures were changed in 2019, and the broad metric of ‘selected overseas purchases’ is used with an added breakdown.
But the latest figures for ‘selected overseas purchases’ representing June 2022 show that number is rising (see chart). And compared to the only overseas sales number released in June 2010, it is more than $22 million higher for that month alone.
The report released Friday night shows this June’s selected overseas declaration value had mushroomed to $27.8 million – up more than $10 million since just 2017.
After adjusting for inflation, the overall volume of retail sales in June decreased by 4.3 per cent, when compared to June 2021. Liquor store sales was the only sector that recorded growth during the 2022 month of June.
Retail sales rose to a value of $106 million, a 0.4 per cent increase although it is discounted by inflation which primarily affected sales of food, clothing and fuel, the report said.
With regard to shoppers’ overseas purchases, the statement reads: “Imports via courier increased $2.0 million to $15.6 million due to larger imports of jewellery and clothing. Imports by households via sea dropped $0.7 million to $8.3 million as a result of lower imports of electrical machinery and equipment.
“Declarations at the airport by returning residents grew $0.7 million to $3.4 million as more residents have been travelling. Imports via the post office remained the same at $0.5 million.
Government said that sales volume for local apparel stores fell more than 20 per cent below the pre-pandemic numbers of June 2019, as travel restrictions were relaxed and more people travelled and shopped overseas.
Overseas declarations increased 7.8 per cent compared to June 2021 and were 64.5 per cent over the pre-pandemic period.


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A petition on the site Change.org accuses Old Navy of discriminating against plus size women by charging them more for clothing items while not charging larger men any extra money.
Renee Posey, who started the petition, writes that when she was recently shopping on its website, “I noticed that they were charging $12-$15 more for plus-sized womens jeans — but not upcharging jeans for ‘big’ men.” As an example, she points out that the Rockstar Super Skinny Jeans cost $27 for a size 6 but $40 for a size 26. Men’s Slim-Fit Jeans, meanwhile, cost $25 for all sizes.
Posey also notes that the company “takes it one-step further” by making plus size women shop in a different section of the site while keeping men’s clothes all in the same area. The petition letter states, “This overtly discriminatory pricing policy indicates sexism and sizeism on the part of Old Navy that is unfair to women of size and unacceptable to me as a consumer of Old Navy’s products.”
A company spokesperson told ThinkProgress that the higher price point for women’s plus size clothes “reflects the selection of unique fabrics and design elements,” such as four-way stretch materials and contoured waistbands meant to flatter curves. She said most men’s clothes don’t have these elements.
Plus size shoppers are an important part of the consumer base. Sizes 14 and over are considered to be plus, but the average American woman is a size 14. People who fall into the plus size category make up 67 percent of the population. And plus size sales grew 1 percent in 2012, reaching $15.4 billion, out of an overall $108 billion industry. Some clothing companies are taking advantage of these trends, such as ModCloth, where plus size clothes made up 8 percent of revenue in 2013.
Others have taken an adversarial approach to larger customers. Lululemon founder Chip Wilson famously blamed a controversy over sheer yoga pants on the fact that “some women’s bodies just don’t actually work” for his brand’s clothes because their thighs rub together.
While Old Navy is under fire for charging larger women more, women generally shell out more for many of the exact same products that men buy. Gender-specific markups mean that in California, women were paying about $1,350 more than men a year for the same products before the state banned gender pricing. Women’s deodorant, for example, costs 30 cents more per ounce on average than men’s even when the only difference is the scent. Women also get charged more for haircuts, dry cleaning, and other beauty products like razors. Even for high-priced items like cars, women are given quotes that are $200 higher than those for men.
All of this discrimination is legal given that there is no federal ban on discrimination in sales of goods and services. Some states and cities have passed bans on gender pricing but they often have lots of loopholes.
Women, of course, have to pay these higher prices with less given that the gender wage gap means the average woman working full time will make just 78 percent of what a man will make. That gap is even bigger for overweight women, who are less likely to get higher-paying, white collar jobs than average-sized women and men, while overweight men don’t experience a penalty.
Source : https://thinkprogress.org/why-old-navy-charges-plus-size-women-more-than-plus-size-men-db8f65c36c70/

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Marketing agency Performics and Medill have measured U.S. consumer attitudes and perceptions of online marketing quarterly through the Intent Lab Digital Satisfaction Index (DSI) since Q3 2016. Over this period, the DSI has ...
Facebook said Wednesday it was responding to Sri Lanka's concerns over incendiary material shared on its platform and hoped internet restrictions imposed during anti-Muslim riots last week would be lifted soon.
First lady Melania Trump is bringing together tech giants to talk about ways to fight cyberbullying and promote internet safety, representatives of three companies said Tuesday.
It opens with a warning: This video contains footage from real police body cameras. Viewer discretion is advised.
Divisions emerged Tuesday after experts commissioned by the EU Commission called on tech groups and social media firms to sign up to a voluntary code of conduct for tackling "fake news".
Online bullying, hate and incitement are on the rise, and new approaches are needed to tackle them. As the Australian Senate conducts hearings for its Inquiry into cyberbullying, it should consider a two-pronged approach ...
The National Hockey League is making its first foray into the world of esports.
A judge recommended Thursday that President Donald Trump mute rather than block some of his critics from following him on Twitter to resolve a First Amendment lawsuit.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey took to the social platform last week to announce a call-out for ideas about how to measure the health of online conversations. The initiative follows recent demands for government to regulate the ...
Indonesia has blocked online blogging service Tumblr over pornographic content, the government said Tuesday, in Jakarta's latest crackdown on obscenity.


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Global consumer brands behemoth Procter & Gamble is set to release its 2015 second quarter results on January 27th (the company follows July-June fiscal year). Following the lackluster performance in the first quarter, P&G is guiding second quarter organic sales to grow by low to mid-single digits. Core (non-GAAP) EPS is guided to grow by the same range, despite currency headwinds of 5 to 6 percentage points. It is pertinent to note that the company provided this guidance assuming mid-October spot rates. Given the deterioration in major currencies since then, including the Euro, Ruble, Bolivar and Real, second quarter currency headwinds may be at the higher end of P&G's guidance.
This also marks the first quarterly results since P&G announced its ambitious plan to trim its nearly 200-strong portfolio of brands down to 70-80 core brands. Additional details of the closely watched strategy and follow-up on the divestments so far are likely to be announced with the earnings.
P&G's revenue in the first quarter was $20.79 billion, marginally lower than the same period the previous year. GAAP operating income was pulled down by impairment charges of nearly $1 billion and fell to $2.9 billion, declining 29% year on year. On a non-GAAP basis, operating profit margin stood at 19.9%, slightly lower than 20.1% in Q1 2014. It was overall a disappointing performance as volume and pricing growth, as well as cost savings, were wiped out by currency headwinds.
Brand Shedding Continues in Earnest
Procter & Gamble followed up the announcement of its brand portfolio consolidation plan by selling a few of its well-known but (in some but not all cases) poorly performing brands. In November, the company sold off Duracell, a leading battery brand, to Berkshire Hathaway in a $3 billion dollar deal. Having sold off its China-based batteries joint venture, the sale of Duracell marked P&G's exit from the batteries business. (Read: Personal Care Companies Shed Weight In 2014)
More recently, in December the company announced the sale of its Camay and Zest soap brands to Unilever for an undisclosed amount. (Read: P&G Unloads Camay and Zest Brands to Unilever) Moreover, P&G is also rumored to be exploring options for divesting the Wella hair care unit, a business that is estimated to be valued around $7 billion. Its Braun unit, which makes electric razors and toothbrushes, is also rumored to be up for sale.
Thus, P&G seems to be willing to divest not just non-core brands like Duracell, but also brands that form part of its core business, like Wella, regardless of their revenue share. This indicates that the company's focus is not on the top line but on its margins; and the primary criteria for brands that it will continue are profitability and growth potential. This bodes well for investors, since improved bottom lines will add firepower to P&G's strong track record of increasing returns to shareholders. However, GAAP margins may suffer in the short term due to impairment charges and disposal-related costs incurred over the duration of the brand consolidation strategy.
Given that P&G intends to wrap up the ambitious plan in a relatively small period of 18-24 months, it is likely that the company will provide further details on the same in its second quarter earnings report.
Market Share Gains Through Product Innovation May Partially Offset Currency Headwinds
Gaining market share by regularly introducing new innovative products is a hallmark of Procter & Gamble. The company introduces a large number of new products every quarter and has gained market share in each of its core businesses. Notably, P&G entered the premium diapers, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence categories in the second quarter as demand in the premium category is seeing an uptick in the developed markets. With this, it issued a direct threat to Kimberly-Clark, which leads is the market leader in each of these segments.
P&G has stated that it will combine brand consolidation with targeted innovation investments in its core categories. Thus, while brand consolidation will drive bottom line improvement over the long term, increase in investments in innovation will bolster top line growth. The company intends to further support top line growth by targeted reinvestments in core businesses. It has already put this strategy into action by increasing marketing support in the U.S. to its Tide and Campus brands by 60 basis points and 230 basis points, respectively.
The above measures might provide a modicum of relief to revenue growth, which has been battered by strong currency headwinds since the second half of calendar 2014. Adverse currency movements in key emerging markets like Russia, Brazil, Venezuela and Hong Kong, among others, pulled down first quarter revenue growth by one percentage point. This impact is expected to worsen in the second quarter, especially considering that P&G provided its revenue guidance based on mid-October foreign exchange spot rates rather than forward rates.
Cost Savings to Prop-up Core EPS
Procter & Gamble has been keeping a steadfast check on its costs over the last few quarters and has succeeded in preserving profit margins despite currency headwinds and commodity cost inflation. Its gross margin improved by 20 basis points in the first quarter, thanks to a substantial cost savings of 140 basis points. This more than offset currency headwinds, commodity cost inflation and negative margin mix impact. Cost savings were driven by 70 basis points of savings in overheads and 50 basis points in marketing.
These measures trickled down to the core EPS, which expanded by 2% year on year in the first quarter. The improvement in core EPS is all the more noteworthy considering that the company's revenue declined slightly in the first quarter, compared to the same period previous year. In other words, P&G was able to ensure protection of shareholder value despite a fall in top line.
Going forward, P&G is on an accelerated track for achieving its goal of $10 billion in cost savings, which it set 2012. It also expects to exceed its target of annual $1.2 billion savings in cost of goods by a substantial margin this year. Manufacturing productivity is expected to increase by 6% in fiscal 2015; and global supply chain restructuring efforts are targeted to achieve $1 billion to $2 billion in value creation.
In light of the above factors, we believe that P&G may be able to ward off much of the negative impact from adverse currency movements through its robust cost saving efforts.
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Over the last decade, by its sheer resilience, the Nigerian economy has survived two recessions and a once in a lifetime global pandemic. In addition, headwinds have manifested in the fallouts of global financial crises as well as new shifts in international arrangements which have sparked tensions and wars, such as the War in Ukraine. For an economy such as ours that is heavily vested in agriculture, extreme weather resulting from climate change has exacerbated domestic tensions due to scarcity of shared resources, even as these changes further undercut global harvests, lowering food production, increasing shortages, and causing prices and instability to rise.
As a whole, the global economy has been slow to resolve and adapt to these new conditions. Supply chains remain unreliable. Production is suppressed. Trade costs have increase. Political tensions spread. During this period, the nation’s average economic growth has been positive, but not robust enough to translate into significant improvement in the socio-economic condition of the people.
Nigeria is home to over 36.9 million MSMEs, comprising 96.7% of all businesses in Nigeria. 67% of these businesses are youth-owned. MSMEs contribute over 45% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), with 98.8% of them in the micro cadre. They account for nearly 90% of the jobs in the country. Therefore, as MSMEs grow, they create more jobs, which leads to prosperity for more, and less insecurity across the country. With business climate reforms, our job is to unlock the constraints faced by these businesses and support them by making it progressively easier for MSMEs to start and grow their businesses so they can thrive and scale.
It is an undeniable fact that over the past two terms of the current Administration of President Muhammad Buhari, under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress (APC), unprecedented strides in improvement of the nation’s infrastructure stock has been made with the delivery of over 1,000 kilometers of roads and bridges, rail networks, airport terminals and more.
Importantly, for the first time in Nigeria, soft infrastructure was also prioritized with an ease of doing business intervention coordinated through the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President. The Council partners with stakeholders from all arms and levels of government and the private sector to reduce the costs and time of doing business by removing bureaucratic and legislative bottlenecks, facilitating access to justice and enhancing transparency, particularly through the use of technology. The over 180 reforms implemented to date, with particular emphasis on six sectors/sub-sectors disproportionately populated by our youth, (agribusiness, creative sector, light manufacturing, tech, transport and logistics and decentralized power), have earned us some level of trust from the private sector stakeholders as well as renewed credibility with informed international audiences. However, our work has not been without its challenges.
Building on this foundation, the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima are set to quickly and decisively address the most pressing constraints directly affecting MSMEs in the next Administration. These challenges include insecurity, infrastructure deficit, inflation, and foreign exchange problems (now compounded by Naira scarcity) by improving productivity and trade facilitation, among other regulatory policy and implementation reforms.
We are aware that these challenges are manifold, but we are confident that they are not insurmountable. The antidote to insecurity, and to the type of inflation we are currently experiencing, is increased productivity and competitiveness, with stable, predictable policies -for example, a single, transparent foreign exchange rate for both domestic and foreign transactions.
The next Administration will urgently address fiscal, monetary, and trade reforms to effectively increase domestic production, thus serving to curb inflation, and to ensure better macro-economic stability by accelerating inclusive growth and job creation across Nigeria – key enablers for MSMEs to deliver prosperity for all.
In 2022, the largest contributors to Nigeria’s GDP in the first three quarters were the Services sector, which grew by 7.1% mainly thanks to ICT and professional services, the Agricultural sector, which experienced weak productivity levels with a growth of 1.8%, and the Industrial sector, which remained in the contraction territory, posting negative growth of – 5.7% over the same period. Yet, these sectors are where the jobs are. They are, therefore, the top priority of the next Administration.
No modern economy has developed without a strong industrial base, and Nigeria is not likely to be different. Therefore, productivity and competitiveness are essential if Nigeria is to increase exports, and take maximum advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area through a strong industrial base. The next Tinubu-led Administration is already committed to aggressively supporting non-oil exports to earn desperately needed foreign exchange and revenue for the economy.
The antidote to insecurity, and to the type of inflation we are currently experiencing, is increased productivity and competitiveness, with stable, predictable policies
Till then, we shall continue to strive towards a reformed regulatory environment by deepening the implementation of Executive Order 001 on transparency and efficiency of public service delivery to businesses, which has recently been codified, along with other important reforms such as the legislation of a Single Window for trade facilitation, under the Business Facilitation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2023. This Act will ensure sustainability of existing reforms and act as a springboard for catalytic interventions in this area by the next progressive Administration. Then, we shall quickly extend bridges of collaboration based on mutual respect to our business owners so they can trust the process to grow with renewed confidence.
Clearly, the economic performance of any nation is directly linked to the pace of reforms. We shall prioritize proper coordination of our economic policy, and implement key reforms with intentionality in the short term to medium term and beyond.
Practically speaking, this will mean a single-minded pursuit of growth-promoting, employment-creating, and poverty-eradicating policies, with renewed vigour, as outlined in our manifesto “Renewed Hope 2023: Action Plan for a Better Nigeria”.
Dr Oduwole is Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business and Executive Secretary to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). She is Economic Adviser to the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressive Congress.


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Beaterator set for PSP and PSN
Rockstar and Timbaland drop into our boxes this morning to confirm that music title Beaterator will be released on September 29th in North America, and October 2nd in Europe - on both the PSP and the PSN.
Sam Houser, announcing the publisher's release plans, described the game as a "natural progression" for the game maker.
"Music is incredibly important to us here at Rockstar, and we believe that there are many people out there who share that passion and will be excited about creating music of their own," offered Houser.
"I've worked closely with Rockstar Games to make something completely unique. Beaterator is like taking my music studio and turning it into a suite of tools anyone can use. We can't wait to hear the beats people make and share with the world."
Timbaland have helped with some of the thousands of loops used in the game, which has been offered online for several years. More soon.
- Ultra Street Fighter IV coming to PS4 at the end of May
- Ubisoft to publish Homeworld Remastered Collection at retail next month
- Journey, Flower and FlOw heading to the PS4 in a retail package
- Phil Harrison's departure from Microsoft has been confirmed
- Here's the first look at Star Wars: Battlefront
- Project CARS will feature 110 courses across over 30 iconic locations
- Gratuitous Space Battles 2 arrives today
- First Star Wars: Battlefront details arrive including a release date
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's release date is now set in stone


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We are excited to announce that The Engine Room will be taking part in one of the biggest exhibitions to come to Yorkshire this year. Manufactured Yorkshire is launching in June 2015 and we will be taking centre stage as this year’s brand partner and official sponsor.
On Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th June, manufactures from across Yorkshire will come together to meet, connect, learn and grow at Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium. With a wide and diverse programme of events over two days, The Engine Room will be holding a keynote brand presentation showcasing some exciting manufacturing stories alongside other huge names from industry.
Day one will focus on engineering, and day two on food and drink. The Engine Room has an exhibition space in the main hall over both days and hope to develop some new key connections with businesses in the manufacturing sector as well as offer help and advise on brand development and service design to visitors.
A large percentage of our portfolio already specialises in projects in the manufacturing sector and as we develop this connection further we intend to become vocal advocates for the growth of brand strategy in this sector and beyond.
Visit the Manufactured Yorkshire website here.
To book a place or register your interest as an exhibitor, click here.


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Michael Tanenhaus, principal at Mavenspire, an Annapolis, Md.-based solution provider and Dell partner, offered insight from the partner perspective.
"Overall, one of the interesting things in working with public companies is, if everyone watched their stock price, then nothing would get done," Tanenhaus said. "So everybody is saying they keep rowing forward and focus on the business."
Even so, Tanenhaus said, the word from Dell's top executives is that the focus of the company will continue to be on turning Dell into an enterprise-focused IT provider regardless of the outcome of the shareholder vote.
"What's been trickling down from up high is, it doesn't change the plan," he said. "No one will wake up one day and see the plan is changed. But, it will accelerate the plan. If Dell goes private, people there will not be looking at what Wall Street is saying. But, the plan will be more aggressive."
One thing not addressed in all the discussions about Dell's privatization bid is the growing number of Dell deals that are being held up, he said.
"For us, the larger the customer, the more the hesitation," he said. "But other large customers think that if they close deals now, they can get the maintenance for the deals locked in."
Should Icahn and his allies end up preventing Dell from going private, it could mean even more problems for partners looking to close deals, Tanenhaus said.
"Icahn is noted for creating value by buying a company and selling off pieces," he said. "If that happens, Dell all of a sudden could be 18 new companies."
Roger Michelson, vice president and COO at BNMC, an Andover, Mass.-based solution provider and Dell partner, said it is frustrating to him and to the Dell employees with whom he works to watch the back-and-forth discussions about Dell's privatization bid.
"Dell made all these acquisitions over the years, and is moving into services," Michelson said. "So Dell partners can go to customers with a complete solution with services bundled around it. We could never do that before. But, Wall Street doesn't really see it. The frustration is that the company gets punished by those who only look at the number of products pushed this quarter, when that's not the business Dell is in today."
PUBLISHED JULY 18, 2013


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Capcom's released the above trailer for Street Fighter V's upcoming downloadable content pack, and, well, the only thing that we've really taken away from it is that it includes a lot of skimpy Christmas costumes. Oh, and it's got an amazingly cheesy rendition of Jingle Bells playing over it.
Apparently, we're getting a release date for all of this stuff at the PlayStation Experience this weekend, but we sincerely hope that Capcom's got more in store for Sony's event than just a single date for a cosmetic DLC package. We're of the mind that the publisher really has to step its game up when it comes to the title's second year on the market.
What do you make of this DLC? Do you usually buy stuff like this, or do you find it hard to care? Keep warm in the comments section below.


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Earlier this week, both Vancouver and Calgary real estate boards released positive sales and price increased year over year. Now the GTA has reported what looks to be one of the strongest July months ever. Transactions in Vancouver reached 3,061 on the Multiple Listing Service, marking the fourth straight consecutive month that 3,000 sales have taken place. Calgary had reported 2,336 transactions on the MLS, representing a 3.18% increase over the same period last year.
The Toronto Real Estate market continues to release strong numbers, reporting a particularly strong July month – in fact, the second best July on record. The average price of a property was up 7.5% year over year, resulting in an average price of $550,700 for the month of July. Detached homes showed an even stronger surge, resulting in an average price of $880,433. The average price of $880,433 represents an increase of 11 percent over last years number.
“The second half of 2014 started where the first half left off, with very strong demand for the diversity of affordable home ownership options in the Greater Toronto Area. Sales were up strongly for most major home types and market conditions actually tightened, with sales growth outpacing listings growth. The result was average price growth well-above the rate of inflation,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President, Paul Etherington.
Transaction numbers also increased in the Greater Toronto Area during the month of July. 9,198 sales transactions took place in the GTA, this represented a 10 percent increase when compared to July last year. The 9,198 transactions represent the second highest amount of sales transactions in the Greater Toronto Area during the month of July.
Source: Toronto Real Estate Board. For further information, please view the entire report here.BACK TO BLOG FEED


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Apple is never one to tip their hat before the right time. When they announced the new iOS mobile device operating system last week and said it would be ready in the fall, we knew that meant they were still tinkering with it, despite delivering a beta version to developers.
Hamza Sood is showing on Twitter that there are hidden settings inside iOS 7 that reveal that Apple is testing other possible changes that weren’t mentioned at the WWDC. Want more gestures or do you have enough? Apparently Apple is trying to figure that out. They’re also tinkering with multitasking and folder options.
Those of you with the beta version of iOS 7 don’t fret that you haven’t found it yet. It took Hamza Sood some unrevealed tweaking of the beta to find it. A posted video shows Apple is considering edge-swipe and corner-swipe gestures across the board to go along with the edge-swipe gesture they added to Messages and Safari. It would add up to a faster switching of apps. They’re also testing an option to allow you to hide default apps, create a folder within a folder, and optional tweaks for photo and video editing.
This all means iOS 7 may not be complete yet. They might not be just fixing bugs and could be considering adding even more options. Or these could be future features of iOS 8. If you want to know more about iOS 7, download this week’s issue of the AppleMagazine digital magazine that will hit the digital newsstands this Friday.
Image Credit: 9to5mac


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"As restrictions ease, confidence grows and life starts to return to some form of normality, domestic holiday bookings are looking bullish. Online holiday deal site Travelzoo claimed this month that 35% of the 2,214 respondents they surveyed said they were likely to book three to four domestic holidays this year while just over a fifth had already made a UK holiday reservation for 2022.
Last month self-catering firms Hoseasons and cottages.com reported an increase in trade bookings by more than three-quarters for summer staycations.
Nevertheless, there is still a long road ahead before coastal tourism recovers to 2019 levels even with the Chancellor’s £1bn fund announced in December to help hospitality and leisure businesses.
While anecdotally strong forward bookings are reported for Easter, we need to establish an accurate national picture so have launched the fifth wave of our Business Survey. If you are a visitor-facing coastal business, please do complete it to enable us to continue to lobby for on-going government support.
We’re also looking ahead to next year – 2023 Year of the Coast. As part of this year of celebration and the opening of the England Coast Path, we’re compiling a calendar of events around the entire English coastline. Do send us news of events, festivals, sports fixtures, sustainable experiences, opportunities for volunteer holidays and new openings in your area. We look forward to hearing from you!
Samantha Richardson MBE"


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Main Street Pharmacy Inspection Report Released by FDA
WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News Staff
NEWBERN, Tenn.-The FDA has released the findings from its May 30 inspection of Main Street Pharmacy in Newbern and the report does did not paint a pretty picture.
The FDA said rooms that were supposed to be sterile were not,
products were splattered in various places, cleaning practices were not the right type to kill fungal spores and basic hygiene practices were not followed.
The FDA had found fungus and bacteria in at least two vials of steroids distributed by Main Street Pharmacy.
So far, 25 patients in four states have developed abscesses after getting the injections, however, none of them were reported in Tennessee.


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Australian airline Qantas has announced its support for Apple’s Passbook service, allowing users to checkin using digital boarding passes on their iPhones.
Boarding passes will be color-coded to match the frequent flyer status of the passenger, TechRadar reports. To activate Passbook functionality and get their digital boarding pass, Qantas passengers must simply checkin using their iPhone as they normally would, then tap the ‘Add to Passbook’ button.
Initially, Passbook boarding passes won’t be live updating, which means if Qantas changes your flight time or your terminal, the ticket on your iPhone won’t reflect that. However, the airline says that it hopes to add this functionality by January 2013.
Qantas isn’t the first airline to announce Passbook support for boarding passes in Australia; Virgin Australia announced it would support the service shortly after it made its debut in iOS 6. However, it is one of a small number of Australian companies that has embraced Apple’s feature.


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The 12,000-square-foot boutique in Butchertown was already a shopper’s dream.
Now it’s adding a wine bar.
In a world where suburban shopping malls have been pleading for customers, the guys behind Work the Metal have lured consumers to a store in an old warehouse across the street from the JBS Swift Plant, and it’s still growing.
Jack Mathis and Andy Blieden, who own the massive boutique inside Butchertown Market at 1201 Story Ave., have spent the past few months converting an old interior restaurant space into a chic, funky wine bar.
They’ll have four wine options and a beer on tap at the not-yet-formally-named wine bar, along with a basic snack-focused menu that features locally made items from Bourbon Barrel Foods and Scarlet’s Bakery, 741 E. Oak St. They’ve already ordered glasses and cocktail napkins that emulate the occasionally crude humor already seen on some of the boutique’s gifts. If all goes according to plan, they could be pouring by the end of June.
Read the full story on Courier-Journal.com HERE.


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Philippine Airlines yesterday said in a press release it would invite leaders of the PAL Employees Association for a dialog to discuss the smooth and orderly implementation of the spin off program.
PAL made the announcement following the release by Malacañang of a resolution upholding the flag carrier’s prerogative to spin off its catering, groundhandling and call center reservations units.
In a statement, PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the firm’s management also plans to hold town hall meetings in the affected departments to discuss the mechanics of the spin off.
Gov’t units urged to subsidize
farmers’ crop insurance fees
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in Negros Occidental is encouraging local government units to subsidize the P340 farmer’s share of the Negros First Universal Crop Insurance Program, Dina Genzola, OPA senior agriculturist. said yesterday.
Genzola said farmers have to pay an P840 premium every cropping season and a sack of rice during harvest period as payment for the P500 Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. loaned to them for the insurance program.
If LGUs will subsidize the farmer’s share, they will be able to help small farmers in their production and encourage them to apply for crop insurance, she said.
New beauty salon
opens in Bacolod
A beauty salon for men and women that specializes in hair treatment opened recently at B.S. Aquino Drive in Bacolod City.
Stylistics Beautique managed by Ric Banzali and Thelma Dimalanta also offers the latest make-up technology, airbrush, digital perming, rebonding, nail art, foot spa, among others.
Its senior hair stylist Ernie “Little” Magay is an L’Oreal hair color expert and has over 12 years of experience. He is also the vice president of the Philippine Cosmetologist Association headed by Fanny Serrano.


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Amazon is expected to release its first smartphone later today – tipped to feature a holographic 3D interface.
Earlier this month Amazon released a teaser video showing people looking at the device – which was just out of shot – and moving their heads from side to side while looking impressed.
Leaked photos and details suggest there are four infrared cameras, situated in each of the four corners of the phone's front.
These reportedly track the position of the user's face and eyes, which help it to render an apparent 3D interface on the screen.
That could allow for users to move things around on screen without actually touching it.
Leaks suggest the phone's display will measure 11cm diagonally, with a low pixel density compared to other devices.
Inside, it will pack a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 2GB of RAM.
It is expected to go on sale in September, putting it head-to-head with the hotly anticipated iPhone 6.
A launch event is scheduled later today in
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- Mercedes Rolls Out S550 Plug-in Hybrid
- Is Alibaba's IPO Price a Fairytale?
- Kardashian: Kanye Never Told Fan in Wheelchair to Stand Up
- SBA Kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month
- CalPERS Pulls Out of Hedge Funds
- Poverty Rate Drops for First Time Since 2006
- U.S. Tobacco Growers Lose Last of Price Supports
- Two-thirds of Hispanics Doubt Media Accuracy


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Philip Morris has claimed they hope to one day create a ‘smoke free’ future with their heat-not-burn electronic device called IQOS. IQOS is currently not on the market in America but it has been enjoying popularity in Japan, Switzerland, and Russia. Rival British American Tobacco and Reynolds American are promoting their electronic devices Glo, Vype, and iFuse in their international test markets. In 2015, Reynold’s e-cigarettes Vuse and Blue enjoyed a comfortable spot as the owners of over half the e-cigarette market.
Though these products are not available in the US yet, they would not fall under the FDA’s nicotine-lowering policy if it is implemented. While the policy may harm these companies’ traditional cigarette market, the market for their electronic devices may soar because smokers could choose to stick with the nicotine levels they’re used to and choose electronic devices that are unrestricted. If people choose to buy electronic devices with nicotine levels that they’re used to instead of quitting or sticking with cigarettes, these e-cigarette manufacturers could enjoy a cushy future of padding their wallets.


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Thousands booking Airbnbs in Ukraine as means of getting money directly to the people
Thousands of people have booked Airbnbs in Ukraine without plans to travel there as a way to get money directly to Ukrainians.
The initiative, which gained popularity via social media, boasted $1.9 million in its first 48 hours, according to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
“In 48 hours, 61,406 nights have been booked in Ukraine,” he wrote on Twitter.
A number of donors took to Twitter to share their interactions with Ukrainian Airbnb hosts.
“It’s very important to know now that there is support,” said one host. “We have some kind of horror.”
Another called it a “hard and terrible time in Ukraine.”
“This is what our family needs right now,” another Ukrainian wrote.
In support of the initiative, Airbnb is waiving booking fees in Ukraine.
“We can confirm we are waiving all guest and Host fees on all bookings in Ukraine at this time,” Airbnb stated.
Several Ukrainians said they were brought to tears by the donations, and many said they would use the money to house refugees.
The wave of bookings follows an announcement from Chesky Monday that Airbnb aims to house over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees for free.
“With more Hosts, we can house more refugees,” Chesky wrote. “If you live in Germany, Poland, Romania, Hungary, France, UK, Italy, Netherlands … anywhere a refugee may be, you can help by opening your home.”
Airbnb previously housed tens of thousands of Afghan refugees in a similar initiative.
The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.


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How to better reach customers on their mobile devices
from Internet Retailer
With the ever-growing incorporation of mobile phones in our daily lives, it's become more important for retailers to reach customers on the devices, says Brandon McGee, director of Dell's Global Mobile team.
7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063


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It appears that even Apple’s tight release schedules aren’t impervious to disruption.
The company has delayed the release of watchOS 2, its big update for the Apple Watch scheduled for release today, due to an undisclosed bug that is taking “longer to fix than we expected.”
The company released a short statement on the matter: “We have discovered a bug in development of watchOS 2 that is taking a bit longer to fix than we expected. We will not release watchOS 2 today but will shortly.”
watchOS 2 brings a number of improvements to the Apple Watch, including support for native applications and third-party complications, updated photo-based watch faces, support for Beats 1 and FaceTime Audio, and improved capabilities for Siri.
We’ll update you when we know more. iOS 9 is expected to be released at 1PM today for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.


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When everyone was literally abandoning Wii U because they assumed Nintendo is a sinking ship, the company has sprung back into action in the E3 2014 conference.
Their web event has been a massive success and the developers have announced some of the best first party titles that have the potential to reinstate their position in the market. With Zelda, Mario Maker and Star Fox, Wii U will survive and when it can sustain the competition, it is no wonder third party developers have to support it as well.
Wii U Support Continues
Everyone assumed that Ubisoft has decided to not release Watch Dogs on the platform because of the meager demand and the player base it has. It was even rumored that their annual series Just Dance may not get released on it as well. Putting an end to this ever growing speculation, Ubisoft during an E3 press conference, confirmed that they will be on the platform without a doubt and the most successful new IP of recent times will be available on Wii U this fall. This comes as good news for all those Nintendo fans who were wondering whether it will be the end of third party titles on their favorite platform. The Electronics Entertainment Expo is a great success which served as the way for developers to connect with their audience besides showing some of the best titles that they are working on at the moment.
Fixing Uplay Issues
For Ubisoft, it was an enormous success with their recent hit Watch Dogs and upcoming titles including Far Cry 4, Assassin’s Creed Unity among many others. They are going on a great run and if all their recent titles hit platforms this fall, they are definitely going to be one of the most wanted developers. Meanwhile, the accusation on Uplay hindering game play experience and not allowing gamers to logon to play continues. Besides, Watch Dogs had serious frame rate issues even on the most powerful machine which, the developers said, is because of the VRAM, which is different from that of consoles.
A patch is under development, which once released, is expected to fix this problem and allow the game to make use of the open architecture found in computers. Some companies have been constantly pushing their titles on Xbox One and Playstation 4 platforms because they are eager to establish the new consoles in the market. In their effort, they forgot to focus on PC which has been a ubiquitous gaming platform for a long time which gamers hope, will change with time. It has also been confirmed by the vice president of the marketing wing that Watch Dogs is now officially a franchise which has secured its place with huge sales and will get more installments in the near future. It will most probably be the next Assassin’s Creed because they have already milked the most out of the AC franchise and it is time for a change. The hacking based open world game seems like a good fit for the season.
Related ItemsWatch Dogs


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Financial industry staff believe digital ID’s are key in fighting financial crime.
Ethiopia is rolling out digital identity for school pupils.
The Nigerian government has approved the linking of SIM card registration with National Identity Numbers.
How the Netherlands and Panama are taking very different approaches to their new identity systems.
The world’s first digital birth certificate is being developed in Australian state, New South Wales.
Estonia’s economy has hugely benefited from the e-residency scheme.
The US is examining what the minimum technical and security requirements are for mobile driver’s licenses.
People in India without a national digital ID are in danger of missing out on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Identity company Jumio is partnering with Microsoft to roll out an identity verification solution.
Assessing the role of digital solutions in the pandemic.


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While Ming-Chi Kuo still has a positive view on Apple and the iPhone supply chain, he views the Corona virus as a significant threat to the company, and has detailed specifically what he feels will be of the most impact.
Apple's wildly popular iPhone 11 helped drive record revenue growth in the first fiscal quarter of 2020, with the handset sitting at the top of company sales charts every week during the important December quarter.
As Apple gets ready to report its 2020 Q1 earnings, the Wall Street Journal has switched its gears from incessantly claiming that the company was 'headed for a prolonged slump' to backhandedly acknowledging that its coverage of Apple has for years been totally wrong. But, it has yet to take responsibility for its role in stringing together false media narratives of doom that portrayed Apple as being on the verge of collapse.
Despite hardware and software improvements over 2018's model, Apple's iPhone dropped six spots on imaging specialist DxOMark's front-facing camera quality charts as competition from the likes of Huawei and Samsung heats up.
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday authorized commercialization of OnGo services in the 3.5GHz CBRS band, a move that promises to deliver faster, more reliable cellular data connectivity for compatible devices like Apple's iPhone.
The next major version of iOS will be supported on all devices capable of running iOS 13. In contrast, two models of iPad will not support the shift to iPadOS 14, according to a source with a dubious track record.
After leading the pack with an Apple stock price climb in early December, Cowen has done so again just over a month later, hiking the price target to $350 on the strength of Services and the upcoming iPhone lineup.
Apple has hit back at new proposals by European lawmakers to force smartphone and other device producers to use a universal standard charger, claiming attempts to make it switch from Lightning to another type of connection could cause consumer aggravation and stifle innovation.


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Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), a popular battle royale game, is set to make a comeback after it was banned in India in July 2022 under Section 69A of the IT Act 2000.
The game has been granted a three-month trial approval, subject to compliance with server location and data security concerns. The authorities have emphasised the need for continued monitoring of potential issues related to user harm and addiction during this trial period prior to making a final decision.
“We would like to extend our gratitude to our Indian gaming community for their support and patience over the past few months.” CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn, KRAFTON, Inc. India, said in a statement.
“We are committed to delivering exceptional products and services to our users in India and beyond, and we look forward to continuing our journey with you,” he added.
The game was initially banned due to its connections to the Chinese company Tencent. At the time of the ban, PUBG Studio (owned by the South Korean company ) announced that it would relaunch in the region with new features customised for Indian gamers.
The game surpassed 100 million cumulative users within a year and is one of the few games to be live-streamed on Indian mainstream television.
Edited by Affirunisa Kankudti


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This story was originally written for the Anchorage Press.
Several years ago, Alexa Daniels was managing a coffee shop in Anchorage. She decided to start selling paleo doughnuts as a way of boosting revenue. Now, she just finished managing a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to launch national production of Fossil Fuel, a local doughnut business in Anchorage that’s keto, paleo, vegan and gluten-free.
There are currently five co-owners of Fossil Fuel and one employee. Daniels and her boyfriend, Jordon Bolton, both quit their jobs to work full-time at Fossil Fuel. The team is currently baking around 1,000 doughnuts per week.
Bolton, a co-owner of Fossil Fuel, could tell that Daniels wasn’t passionate about her job managing the coffee shop. At one point, the two of them took a backpacking trip to South America. Bolton said that throughout the trip, Daniels was talking about how she wanted a change of pace when they returned to Alaska.
“She wanted to do something on her own, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m on board, too,’” Bolton said. “I figured I would just go all in on this… it’s been really fun.”
Daniels said the community reaction and support has been “mind-blowing.”
One Facebook review says, “This company fills a need for a variety of personal niches, and does so deliciously! For me, the challenge is living a ketogenic lifestyle and constantly being on the go. These [doughnuts] are an easy answer to get the nourishment and fuel my body needs while enjoying the tasty treat that they are.”
Money from the Kickstarter campaign will go towards gaining nutritional claim certifications, finalizing eco-friendly packaging and beginning test runs with a co-packer on the west coast. Fossil Fuel hopes to launch production on the west coast by August of this year and expand to the east coast soon after.
“The reason we planned to go national in the first place is because I thought the demand for this kind of product would be more so on the West Coast, but truly, Alaskans are so supportive of anybody who is trying to go for it. It’s the perfect place to have started and gained that loyal customer base,” Daniels said.
The nation is prepped for Fossil Fuel after the business was featured on NowThis, a website and media organization’s website. Their Facebook video was viewed by over 70,000 people.
Daniels says that her long-term goal is to make their doughnuts into a medical food for diabetic patients.
Fossil Fuel has several flavors including “Choco-Nut” and “Le’matcha,” but will be releasing two new flavors after their Kickstarter; a blueberry lavender doughnut and a coffee cake made from Kaladi Brothers Coffee, sprinkled with shredded coconut. Daniels said it took around two years to come up with the final recipes.
You can try one for yourself at several locations in Anchorage, including BB’s Coffee Shop, Perkup Espresso, Honey Pot Coffeehouse, the Alaska Rock Gym and DG’s Espresso. They are also available at the Perfect Start and J&J Food Mart in Wasilla, Brew Haha in Palmer, Sleepy Dog Coffee Co. in Eagle River and Shorty’s Coffee in Kenai. Orders can also be placed through their website. Fossil Fuel says that they are actively seeking new partnerships with businesses interested in carrying their doughnuts.
“We’re trying to do something that makes us and other people feel good,” Daniels said.
Fossil Fuel’s Kickstarter campaign ended on July 23.


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Monday, April 16, 2012
Broadcom Adds New 10GBASE-T PHY
Irvine-based semiconductor maker Broadcom announced this morning that it has shipped a new line of 10GBASE-T PHYs this morning. The chips--used for 10GB Ethernet switches, server adapters, and LAN on Motherboard (LOM) applications--are pin compatible with Broadcom's earlier devices, but consume 50 percent less power than its earlier line. Broadcom said the new chips will help data centers reduce their power costs and carbon footprint. Broadcom's chips are designed into 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches, adapters, and other products by equipment manufacturers.


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"Microsoft needs to consolidate its platforms, at least from an application perspective, so that developers don't have to maintain separate applications. I would expect this will be a priority for Microsoft going forward," IDC analyst Al Gillen said via email.
The importance of the future and strategy for Windows has been heightened by Microsoft's US$7.2 billion deal to acquire Nokia's smartphone business, which is expected to close in late April.
Bringing the development of future Nokia devices into the Microsoft fold is expected to yield better products because Microsoft will be in complete control of the hardware, software and services. Clearly, the operating system powering these devices, as well as the applications running on them, are key elements for achieving that success.
Nokia will hold a press conference at Build where it presumably will offer details about upcoming Windows-powered devices.
So far, indications from Microsoft executives point to a uniform code-base strategy for Windows from smartphones through servers, making the platform more attractive for developers building applications and IT professionals managing enterprise systems.
"That seems to be the path they've had for Windows for a while," Silver said.
Gillen doesn't think there will ever be a uniform set of APIs (application programming interfaces) running the gamut from phone to server. "But there could be a subset/superset scenario," with a few core APIs along with specific ones for different platforms, he said.
Microsoft's strategy is different from the one taken by its biggest rivals, both of which have separate OSes for mobile devices and PCs.
Apple has done well with iOS for iPhones and iPads, and Mac OS for desktop and laptop PCs. Likewise, Google has Android for smartphones and tablets, and ChromeOS for Chromebook laptops and desktops -- although there have been persistent rumors that Google will at some point merge those two operating systems.
However, Gillen said that Microsoft's case is different from its competitors', so its strategy for Windows doesn't necessarily need to follow someone else's model.
"Apple has a different audience and ecosystem than Microsoft has, and I think it is oversimplifying to compare and contrast the two companies in this manner. Microsoft needs to do what is best for its ecosystem," Gillen said.
Back in September, Terry Myerson, the executive vice president of the Operating Systems Group at Microsoft, talked about this vision of a uniform Windows experience from the handset to the data center.
"We really should have one silicon interface for all of our devices. We should have one set of developer APIs on all of our devices," Myerson said during the company's meeting with financial analysts. "And all of the apps we bring to end users should be available on all of our devices."
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LONDON — A cyclist pedals furiously in space with only one mission: delivering a sushi order to a hungry astronaut. A man gets a pizza in a field after seemingly tunneling underground to escape from prison, and a woman receives a delivery during a car chase.
Through the unusual series of deliveries, a voice-over says: “Order what you want, where you want, when you want it,” with text at the bottom of the screen warning that “some restrictions apply, obviously…”
But regulators in Britain found the fundamental message of the advertisements for Deliveroo, the London-based food delivery service, misleading, because the service is not available throughout the country.
“The ad must not appear again,” the regulator, the Advertising Standards Authority, said in a statement on Wednesday. It said the commercial had drawn 22 complaints from viewers who said that Deliveroo did not operate in their area.
A spokeswoman for Deliveroo suggested that the ad, which first aired on television in February, was not to be taken literally.
“We know some people will be disappointed to hear that Deliveroo can’t yet deliver to outer space and is still to reach some parts of the U.K.,” the spokeswoman, Emily Kraftman, the company’s director of marketing for Britain and Ireland, said in a statement.
She said that the company had intended for “a playful and humorous” commercial to show that deliveries were possible in “a wide range of places for a range of occasions,” including a home, an office, the park or a friend’s house. Deliveroo is available in about 200 towns and cities in Britain, and is expanding rapidly across the country.
The company tried to make sure the ad was not misleading, Ms. Kraftman said. It worked with Clearcast, a nongovernmental organization that operates the clearance system for television commercials in Britain, before the ad aired. Clearcast suggested the on-screen restriction text.
The Advertising Standards Authority said that the ad was still likely to mislead viewers.
“We considered the very clearly fantastical nature of the settings — for example, in space and a car chase — was likely to lead viewers to interpret the qualification to mean that the restrictions applied to places where it would be ridiculous to expect to be able to access the service, rather than that there were certain areas of the country that were excluded,” the regulator said.
Some social media users echoed this view after the ad first appeared online in January.
“‘Order what you want, where you want’ and last night I tried and was told that you don’t deliver where I live,” Jacques Joubert, a resident of Andover in southwestern England, according to his Facebook profile, commented on Facebook in March.
“Reckon time for an ad change? False advertisement at its finest,” he said.
“I don’t get it,” Kate van Gelder commented on a shorter cut of the ad on YouTube.
“I don’t live on the moon or in the middle of the desert,” she said. “I live down the road from Eastbourne, but you don’t deliver here yet?”
Others were critical of the regulator’s decision to ban an ad that they saw as harmless.
“Misleading claims, like delivering a pizza to space? I thought you could get a pizza in space, no?” Kerr Millar wrote, commenting on a Facebook post by the Advertising Standards Authority announcing its decision.
“You seem proud of these statements, but you are bowing to the minority and setting a terrible example,” he added.
The ad, which has been pulled from television, will also be removed from YouTube.


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To boost economic recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic, House Deputy Speaker Michael Romero on Friday proposed to partially reopen the country to foreign travelers and returning Filipinos from overseas who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
In a statement, Romero said the government should partially open up the country with the tourism and retail sectors to welcome inoculated visitors “for starters”.
“Let us open our country to all the fully vaccinated people into our country, so that our hotels, airlines, restaurants, shopping malls, and related retail establishments can operate at full capacity,” Romero said.
He noted that there are over 1 billion Covid-19 shots that had been administered globally.
He said these vaccinated individuals should be allowed to visit the country as long as they present their valid vaccination cards upon boarding at the point of origin.
“Filipinos need jobs, food, and other basic needs. This is the only way!” he said. “We cannot sit and just wait for the world to revolve. We already did the world’s longest lockdown. Government has to be proactive, we need to progress, move forward.”
He said the inoculated visitors could undergo Covid-19 swab tests once they arrive in the country to ensure that they are not infected with the virus.
National Task Force (NTF) chief implementer Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said some 1,809,801 doses have been administered to priority groups under categories A1 (healthcare workers), A2 (senior citizens), and A3 (persons with comorbidities) in the country based on recent data.
About 1,065,728 healthcare workers, 240,221 senior citizens, and 256,866 persons with comorbidities have been vaccinated since the government’s vaccine rollout started on March 1.
Galvez said beginning August, the country is slated to receive a stable supply of around 15 to 20 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine from various pharmaceutical firms -- Sinovac-Biotech, Gamaleya Research Institute, Moderna, Novavax, Johnson&Johnson, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNtech and from the COVAX Facility. (PNA)


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Tata Sons on Thursday launched the Tata Neu super app. Following the launch, N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, proclaimed on social media that "It is Neu day today!" He added, "Tata Digital, the youngest member of the Tata family, brings you Tata Neu today," he said.
The app offers a whole host of services on a single platform and will be competing with the likes of Jio, Paytm, and Amazon. The company said in a statement that Tata Neu is a one-stop destination for all consumer needs. "The super-app also offers a suite of financial offerings including UPI, bill payments, loans and insurances," the statement added.
Tata Housing to invest around Rs 1,200 crore to acquire land for premium housing, plotted development
"Tata Neu is an exciting platform that gathers all our brands into one powerful app. Combining our traditional consumer-first approach with the modern ethos of technology, it is an all-new way to discover the wonderful world of Tata," the Tata Sons Chairman said.
Chandrasekaran said the organisation's aim is to make the lives of Indian consumers simpler and easier. "The power of choice, a seamless experience, and loyalty will be at the centre of Tata Neu, delivering a powerful One Tata experience," he said.
At present, Tata brands including BigBasket, Air Asia, IHCL, Croma, Starbucks, Qmin, Tata 1Mg, Tata Play, Tata CliQ, and Westside are on the Tata Neu platform. N Chandrasekaran said Vistara, Air India, Titan, Tanishq and Tata Motors will soon join the platform.
"We look forward to learning continuously, to keep evolving, and meet the needs of our consumers. Welcome to the Neu World," he said.
Pratik Pal, the CEO of Tata Digital, said, "The journey of Tata Neu has begun with a cumulative consumer base of 120 million users, 2,500 offline stores, along with an 80 million app footprint across our digital assets. We have over a dozen category leading consumer brands ranging from electronics, fashion, travel, hospitality, groceries, pharmacy and financial services. We believe that with Tata Neu, we will create a highly differentiated consumer platform."
Mukesh Bansal, President of Tata Digital said the Indian digital ecosystem is poised for massive growth over the next decade, with radically new consumption patterns and behaviour in every category.
"We will witness unprecedented levels of digital transformation that will be heavily influenced by the customer. We are deeply committed to participate in and shape that transition, by pioneering new business models, and delivering unique solutions to the market," he said.
(Edited by : Shloka Badkar)
First Published: IST


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Update: December 8, 8 pm (Singapore time)
Finally, the Ambush x Nike Dunk High has a confirmed drop date. Yoon Ahn’s motorcycle culture-inspired Dunk will arrive in Singapore on December 11. You can cop a pair at Nike SNKRS, Dover Street Market Singapore and End Launches.
The Ambush x Nike Dunk High was one of the standout sneakers that was unveiled by Nike back in February at New York Fashion Week. The sneaker will be a follow-up to the brand’s first collab on the Air Max 180. Recently, co-founder of Ambush, Yoon, has been teasing its release on Instagram.
In a series of posts, she showcases her test run with the Ambush x Nike Dunk High. At first glance, the monotone sneakers seem to draw inspiration from motorcycle culture. Like a motorcycle boot, the midsole has been heavily beefed up while the upper has been given a more rigid structure. Swooshes on both sides of the sneaker are now made of rubber, which extend beyond the heel. As shown in an early mockup Yoon posted, there is an added heel plate that bears the Ambush branding.
View this post on Instagram
In her caption, Yoon reveals that the Ambush Dunk is set to drop in December 2020, coming in men and women sizes. These monotone Dunks will drop alongside the “Lethal Pink” colorway, also unveiled at the New York Fashion Week.
As always, stay tuned for more updates on the release of these sneakers.
All images: Instagram/@yoon_ambush


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For agtech startups, 2023 was a tough year for fundraising. They secured $4.6 billion in funding during the first three quarters of 2023, but that number is down significantly from the $10.7 billion raised last year and $12.2 billion in 2021, according to Global Agtech Initiative. CropLife reports that even though the number of agtech startups raising venture capital has increased for three straight quarters, the average round size has fallen during the same time.
In other words, more agtechs are getting funding, but they’re receiving smaller amounts of money. As a result, they’ll need to find ways to do more with less or turn to more creative funding options.
Equipment — lab space, offices, and tools, to name a few — can astronomically increase costs for startups. By contrast, flexible financing solutions for such equipment can drive scalability and enable an organization to reach milestones sooner because it allows startups to focus their cash on growing the business.
Equipment financing solutions also address head on a few of the key major challenges startups face right now when it comes to securing financing.
It takes significant cash to launch a new startup
It can cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to launch a new agtech startup; type of facility, equipment and technology required to launch significantly impacts this cost.
Setting up a lab, manufacturing facility, or office space can devour equity and leave little left over for vital investments that drive growth, such as R&D, hiring skilled employees, and marketing and sales.
The solution to this is equipment leasing, a source of non-dilutive funding that allows startups to spread payments on equipment and technology over a longer term. This can enable a startup to build out a facility while preserving equity.
Instead of purchasing expensive equipment or technology upfront, the equipment lessor purchases the equipment and then leases it to the startup with an affordable monthly payment. The startup can in turn allocate more of its equity to higher ROI initiatives.
Middle market agtechs are running low on cash
We’re seeing some evidence that investors are shifting to focus more on early-stage businesses, where they can invest lower amounts of money, or later-stage businesses that are already established in the market and pose less risk. Middle markets could find it even more challenging to raise the funds required to scale.
A sale leaseback on equipment can inject some cash into the business, increase cash flow, and provide the funding needed to invest in growth. With a sale leaseback, a lessor buys the equipment the business has already purchased and leases it back to them at an affordable, predictable monthly payment.
Depending on the type of equipment, businesses may even receive 100% reimbursement on the equipment they already own, so this option can be a savvy way to stretch the cash runway.
Agtechs deal with a long sales cycle
Increasing adoptions of cutting-edge technology can be instrumental in helping farmers and growers overcome the mounting challenges they’re facing — and they’re open to adopting this new tech.
The challenge for agtechs who are selling solutions is that their customer base can’t always afford them. Even when they can, they want to prove both the value and ROI first. Especially in cases where the solution is a big investment, customers want to test the product first, and if they only have one grow season, it could be a full year before they’re ready to go all in.
Additionally, customers may not be willing to take the risk to test brand-new solutions. Either way, agtech companies should be prepared for it to take a long time to close a sale.
Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS), a model where businesses bundle hardware, software, maintenance, and other services in one package, can get solutions into the hands of growers and farmers more quickly.
With HaaS, agtech businesses deploy their solutions to customers’ properties and charge their customers a monthly fee. Customers don’t have to come up with upfront costs or large down payments to purchase the equipment, and a monthly fee poses less risk for them. Businesses benefit by converting a one-time sale into recurring revenue.
For agtechs that want to offer a HaaS option, an equipment lease can provide businesses with the funds required to manufacture their solutions so they can then lease them to customers.
Find out if equipment leasing is right for you
Growing consensus amongst tech VCs is that the funding winter — and the accompanying layoffs and cost-cutting measures — is not yet over. For startups, this is a time to think creatively about the best road to finance that will enable the organization to get its products into customers hands quickly and cost effectively.


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Three months ago, Vice President Joe Biden visited Cree, the locally based maker of LED lighting products. Three years ago, during his campaign, President Barack Obama stopped at the company's Research Triangle headquarters. And on Monday, the president will return to Cree, visiting the manufacturing facility and meeting with the Jobs and Competitiveness Council there. Why Cree?
Why has Obama chosen Cree?
Reviewed by blognews


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Shake Shack shares are getting destroyed.
On Thursday, shares of the burger chain were down more than 12%, and sliding into the close, though there appeared to be little news on the company.
Shake Shack shares had been on a tear, rising about 45% in less than a month.
Most recently, the company reported earnings on March 11 that were better than expected, but the stock briefly plunged following these numbers before rebounding.
In the first quarter, the company reported revenue rose 51% to $US34.8 million and reported a net loss of $US0.05 per share, or $US1.43 million.
Following that report, Wall Street analysts more or less maintained their neutral stance on the burger chain.
Here’s the brutal chart from Thursday.
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Thousands of mehndi, or henna, cones are being recalled across Canada after reports of chemical burns.
About 20,022 Shakeel Bhai Mehndi Waley Bridal Special Henna Cone products were distributed by retailers across the country between June 2015 and May 2017.
Health Canada says the products are commonly found at ethnic stores.
READ MORE: 40,000 smoke alarms that may not detect smoke recalled in Canada
The health agency highlights three Canadian importers of the product:
- TAHA International Inc. in Montreal
- Nutrifresh West Ltd. in Calgary
- Pak National Foods Ltd. in B.C.
Health Canada adds that there may be other importers of the product around the country, which is manufactured in Pakistan by the company S.Y. & Sons.
WATCH: Edmonton businesses pull pork products as CFIA recall grows
The product was first recalled in April 2017, after it was discovered that the henna inside contains phenol, a skin sensitizer that can produce chemical burns. Phenol prohibited in Canada.
Health Canada said in a release this week that there have been two reports of burns related to the cones.
READ MORE: Ford expands Canadian recall of 9,000 vans; says they may catch fire when parked, engine off
Consumers who have this product should stop using it immediately and throw it out.
Retailers have also been reminded by the health agency that it is illegal to sell cosmetics or other products that contain prohibited substances in Canada.
- Chinese warship nearly hits U.S. destroyer in Taiwan Strait during joint Canada-U.S. mission
- ‘I will not bend’: B.C. MP Jenny Kwan says she won’t allow China to erase history
- Bodies of four children found after 11 people swept away by river in Quebec
- ’85 per cent contained’: Rain offering helping hand for crews fighting wildfires in N.S.


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|Google: Regaining Control of Android (Vision Mobile) ... |
It had become painfully clear to Android’s executives: they had officially lost control. Something had to be done. There was only one option: to strip Android naked. Senior Analyst Stijn Schuermans explains how Google made it tough for ambitious rascals to fork Android and dump Google.
>> The Naked Android
November 19 2013
It had become painfully clear to Android’s executives: they had officially lost control. The operating system had been forked by Amazon and too many Asian handset makers. Worse, it had become too easy to replace Google Play with a proprietary app store yet leverage existing Android apps; too easy to replace Google’s services (Maps) with 3rd party alternatives (Nokia’s HERE). Even the Android brand wasn’t the king of the hill anymore, being eclipsed by Samsung’s Galaxy.
Something had to be done. There was only one option: to strip Android naked.
And so that’s what Google did. It let go of control over Android-the-OS. Instead it consolidated control on the APIs needed to make apps, consolidating them within the Google Play Services app. If any rascals want to fork the Android operating system, let them: they can no longer take the entire app ecosystem with them.
Google’s control of Android is eroding
Several years ago we wrote a post criticising Google’s openness statements around Android. Our 2011 study on the Open Governance Index found that Android is the most closed of all mobile open source projects. We were also the first to document the Android control points in 2010, three years before the EU finalised its antitrust investigation. Android has been open to developers, but not to handset makers who have had to comply with Google’s draconian certification and bundling of their apps and data mining software.
Despite the open source and zero-priced nature of the Android OS license, Google could not easily be bypassed. OEMs needed Google for the trademark, Google’s killer apps that leverage its online services and identity (GMail, Maps, and many others) and the Play Store, to get access to the hundreds of thousands of apps that end-users demanded. By cleverly closing down those parts of Android that matter, Google had gained a large amount of control over those who wanted to make an Android handset. A reaction was inevitable.
Over time, Google’s control points were systematically attacked and eroded. Amazon and Yandex, to name just a few, successfully replaced the Google Play store with their own app and content stores. The One Platform Foundation (led by Yandex and Opera) attempted to liberate in-app payments and the app store packaging format from Google’s control, so that you can publish an app on multiple stores with a single click. Nokia HERE (formerly known as Navteq) provided a decent licensable alternative to Google Maps. Samsung spent a lot of effort in recreating all of Google’s services. Samsung also spared no expense in creating its own Galaxy brand, which is becoming as well-known as Android.
With Google partially losing control over Android’s app ecosystem, the advertising giant had to do something. It decided to strip Android naked (a term coined by Nicolas Sauvage). It did so by shifting the control points one level up.
Closing down the APIs
Instead of gaining control through operating system certification, Google moved more and more critical APIs out of the open source operating system and into its proprietary Google Play Services software. [Update: VM just learned Google will ship Android 4.4 without the Chrome browser or any other browser, just the WebView. The emulator has it but not real devices. It’s up to each vendor to create a browser app using the WebView (such as Samsung) or to get license to preinstall Chrome.]
This had an immediate advantage: it reduced the fragmentation problem that had been plaguing Android for years.
Google Play Services is a piece of software that Google can update silently (without the user’s action or even knowledge) and over the air. Google no longer depends on handset makers and operators to update the software that app developers depend upon. Many users might (and do) have old Android versions on their devices: 26% of devices still use v2.3 Gingerbread, released almost three years ago, while only 2,3% uses v4.3 Jelly Bean, released in July 2013 (source: Google, Nov 1, 2013). Over 99% of devices, however, can run the latest version of Google Play Services. It is this which matters most to app developers.
But this was just the start.
Controlling app development
Many developers will now be using a mix of OS and Google Play Services APIs; the former being available on any Android fork, the latter not. Before, the API gap between Google’s version of Android and forks of the OS was mostly in-app billing (the problem that OnePF was trying to fix). Now this gap includes many important services that a lot of developers depend upon: authentication, location APIs, messaging, to name just a few. Developers will now be forced to rewrite parts of their app for each Android fork they want the app to be distributed on.
ARS Technica has done a good job of documenting the end-user implications of this move. Yes, you have your photo, email and other apps in Android public codebase (AOSP), but they are poor cousins of their Google-supported versions. Google seems to prioritize APIs that add innovation and end-user value to their services, so that AOSP apps look outdated. But beyond the effect on end users, the implications for device makers are far more widespread and lasting.
Google’s move puts up the pressure on Amazon and other Android spinoffs to provide alternatives APIs on top of Android to replace those incorporated in Google Play Services. Some are trying: Amazon for example recently added analytics and split testing capabilities to a list of APIs including login, backend services, billing, push messaging, ads and of course the Amazon Appstore for distribution. Amazon and other are taking great pains to making migration to new APIs as easy as possible, e.g. by showing how to match the Maps APIs with theirs.
Even so, companies who fork Android will have to convince developers – who have limited resources and attention spans – that their version offers a large enough user base to be worth supporting. Only a few, if any, will succeed.
The endgame for Google: flatten, expand, mine
The “Android ecosystem” has become a misnomer. It really should be called the “Google Play Services ecosystem”. (Sadly, it doesn’t’ have the same ring to it.) Google has re-established firm control over the apps that drive Android’s success as a platform.
Android as an operating system is still important to Google in the light of its defensive strategy to flatten everything standing between the user’s eyeballs and Google’s ad inventory. Android has succeeded, and will continue to succeed, in preventing any mobile platform from becoming a monopoly in the way that Microsoft Windows was on the PC.
But Google’s strategy has two more pillars: to expand its footprint across the user journey with more services, and to increase the value of its ads by data-mining the user’s behavior. Not Android, but Google Play Services is now driving Google’s expand and mine imperatives.
Google has certainly shown mastery in making open source work to its advantage. Of course, we can’t assume that this is the end of this story. If you were Amazon, Yandex or Samsung, how would you react? ###
- Eric L. -


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Composting standard aims boost jobs
Up to 1,450 jobs could be created due a new composting standard, according Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.
This new standard is designed to promote the development of the composting industry and to create markets for compost as well as providing purchasing guidance for consumers and businesses, according to a statement. I.S. 441 is a joint initiative between the Department of the Environment, Community and Local...
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Weston Dining Group offers incentive program
Patrons can find incentives and deals at three restaurants, a wine bar and dessert shop in Town Center.
If you frequently dine in the Weston Town Center, this restaurant program could work for you.
“We want to offer customers a chance to earn rewards that can be spent at any of our restaurants,” said Jamie McDonnell, owner of the Weston Dining Group.
Customers can purchase a pizza at Del Vecchio’s pizzeria or burgers at Stop Burger, have a glass of wine at Libation wine bar, savor steaks, seafood and other dishes at East City Grill and finish with homemade ice cream and desserts at Udder Sweets, the dining group’s latest addition.
Stop Burger also offers celebrity-themed burgers in addition to its regular menu. The Dan Marino burger, a sandwich created by the Miami Dolphins former quarterback, with 50 percent of the profits from every Marino burger purchased benefiting the Dan Marino Foundation,.
Customers can join the incentive program by filling out a registration card at any one of its restaurants or by visiting the group’s website.
McDonnell said he hopes to attract people to Weston Town Center, the site of each restaurant concept.
“We want to give consumers the ability to do progressive dining,” McDonnell said. “It’s an opportunity for customers to have a range of selections, all in one setting.”
If you go
What: Weston Dining Group.
Where: East City Grill, Del Vecchio’s, Stop Burger, Libation and Udder Sweets at Weston Town Center, 1675 Market St, Weston.
- Miami chefs lead Build Your Own Brunch to benefit United Way of Miami-Dade
- Pubbelly Sushi is being exported to the Dominican Republic
- Miami chefs to promote South Florida, equality in Costa Rica culinary trips
- Sapore di Mare serves a slice of Italy in Coconut Grove
- Miami restaurant review: La Moderna in Miami Beach has a winning recipe for Italian classics
- Spring Chicken to open in former Miami's Best Pizza in Coral Gables
- Seed Food & Wine Festival returns to Miami for a celebration of plant-based cuisine
- The Forge in Miami Beach to host kickoff dinner for James Beard Foundation program
- Chefs Up Front dinners in Miami and Fort Lauderdale to benefit kids
- Cavalli Restaurant in South Beach goes into hibernation


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Geingob wants win-win relationship for Namibia’s diamonds
Namibian president Hage Geingob wants a win-win partnership in a diamond sector that generates revenue and creates jobs for the Namibian people.
Geingob outlined his vision for Namibia’s precious mineral industry during a recent visit to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDA) in Belgium. The visit included a tour to the Diamond Office, where the president and Tom Alweendo, Namibia’s Minister of Mines and Energy, had an opportunity to inspect a shipment of Namibian goods.
Geingob said that Namibia’s diamond industry is something that should make all Namibians proud, and it should benefit the entire Namibian population.
Namibia is an important trade partner of the Antwerp diamond industry. The country ranks as the sixth largest diamond producer in the world and in 2020, produced more than 1.5 million carats, valued at USD720,4-million. Most of its rough diamond production comes from marine sources: diamonds that are found on the ocean floor because of river movements and ancient tidal basin flows.
Diamonds play a significant role in trade between Antwerp and Namibia. Last year, direct bilateral diamond trade between the two amounted to about USD133-million.
Maximising the value of Namibia’s precious resources
CEO at AWDC, Ari Epstein, said that they are in discussions about how to maximise the value of Namibia’s precious resources via the Antwerp market.
“Through innovation, implementing the highest standards of due diligence, and creating a comfortable business environment, we have succeeded in building a robust home for diamond producers, traders, manufacturers, and retail,” Epstein said.
Antwerp is a high-performing market for diamond trade, especially for rough diamonds. In the past two years, companies like the Okavango Diamond Company, owned by the government of Botswana, started selling their rough diamonds in Antwerp. “By doing so, they were not only able to keep operations going, but more importantly, they realised a much welcome premium on sales results,” said Epstein.
AWDC recently published its year results for 2021, with total trade amounting to more than 37 billion dollars, confirming its position as the largest and most important diamond trading hub in the world. This first post-pandemic result exceeded the 2019 figures, pushing the diamond trade back in an upward growth path.
According to Tom Neys, spokesperson for AWDC, the Namibian government is looking to create more value with their diamond production.
“That is why this is visit was so important. It shows that AWDC can consistently offer top prices. Other diamond producing countries like Botswana have already adapted their trade strategy and started to export more diamonds to Antwerp,” says Neys.
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Newly leaked photos of what appear to be the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S III have found their way online, with two shots showing up. Apparently taken by an iPad, the shots aren’t of the best quality, but they do potentially give us a sneak peak at the handset that Samsung is set to announce in the first week of May.
Samsung’s upcoming announcement on May 3rd is widely believed to be the third-generation Galaxy S smartphone, and it cannot come soon enough. With rumors, leaked photos and speculation all coming on a seemingly daily basis, the Galaxy S III is beginning to reach iPhone-like levels of anticipation.
With all that in mind, we have a new set of supposed spy shots of the Galaxy S III, this time from Gizmodo’s Brazilian arm. With the photographer apparently confident that this is indeed the phone we are waiting for, the only real question now is whether they are correct or not.
The handset itself does seem to resemble images we have seen before, and it is expected to be thinner, yet heavier than its predecessor. Throw in a 12-megapixel camera for good measure and you are pretty much spot on to what we expect the Galaxy S III to be. Assuming that May 3rd announcement is indeed for this handset, then we won’t have to wait much longer to find out.
One possible reason to suggest that this may not be the Galaxy S III though is that model number that it possesses. The GT-i9300 was believed to be the Galaxy M according to reports, which would obviously mean that this is not the handset we hope it is. That said, when you have two sets of rumors going head to head, there really is no real way of knowing which ones to believe.
The Samsung Galaxy S III is expected to give Android another super-phone to do battle with whatever Apple has up its sleeve for 2012. With the iPhone 5 not expected to be released for another six months or so, Samsung has a good head start on its big competitors, and with the Android platform going strong it will be hoping to beat out companies like Motorola and HTC, too.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.


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Startups See Opportunity Across California
On behalf of The Law Office of Lynnette Ariathurai, A Professional Corporation posted in Business Formation & Planning on Thursday, July 26, 2012.
Until recently, the startup word was dominated by those who resided in the San Francisco area. With companies such as Google and Facebook originating in the Northern California Bay area, it was no mystery why many entrepreneurs looked to that area as the place to commence their business planning for their own startup company. However, recently many entrepreneurs have begun to spring their business ideas in a totally different venue — the sunny beaches of the greater Los Angeles area.
The appeal of the Southern California area is simple for many startups. The location offers cheaper rent, better weather and miles of sunny beaches that draw in a diverse range of individuals. As a result of this appeal, a majority of the startups in the area are within two blocks of the beach, creating a vast network of individuals looking to become the next startup success story.
The growing popularity has caught the eyes of many Northern California-based companies including search engine giant Google. Recently Google purchased a popular Venice building in an effort to capture the momentum of the growing Southern California technology market. Google has stated that their movement into the area is to turn the nation’s second largest city into “a veritable tech center.”
There are an abundance of dreams that are being constructed in the minds of many tech-oriented entrepreneurs in California. It is becoming more evident than ever before that both the business planning and execution of that plan can occur in the booming Southern California area. With the appeal of Los Angeles and the growing number of like-minded people striving for success within that geographical locale, the dream can finally be a reality for more than just a select few.
Source: Delaware Online, “Life’s a beach for tech hotbed,” Jefferson Graham, July 22, 2012


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In a diplomatic coup for Panama, China president Xi Jinping will make his first official state visit to Panama in the first week of December.
The visit is further evidence of the importance of Panama to China, as well as the meteoric turnaround in the relationship in the last year. Since Panama and China formally launched the renewal of formal diplomatic ties, there has been a whirlwind of deals and agreements, which are already having a profound impact on China’s economy.
The growing Chinese influence can also be found in the property market, as more Chinese companies expand their interests here, requiring rentals for their executives.
Panama and China are also boosting their tourism connections, as we’ve been discussing in recent weeks. China is the largest group of travelers in the world and even a small increase in visitors to Panama will impact the tourism industry.
According to a statement from the president, Xi and Panama President Juan Carlos Varela will sign about 20 agreements in areas including commerce, technology, and infrastructure, during the visit, which was labeled “unprecedented.”
Panama and China have been in a wide variety of trade talks since last July “that could turn the Central American country into a hub for Chinese goods across Latin America,” Reuters notes.
China is the second biggest user of the canal after the U.S., and its construction companies are involved in a wide variety of projects in Panama, including the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal. Panama and China have also been exploring the possibility of developing a train route to David.