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Holidays in Hickory
Hickory’s downtown district pulls out all the stops during the holiday season, from the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting in mid-November to the Holiday Farmers Market held the Saturday before and after Thanksgiving. The lit tree remains the centerpiece of the beautifully decorated downtown throughout the holiday season.
On Dec. 11, the historic Propst House holds a Victorian Christmas Open House. Visitors can learn about holiday traditions that took place during the late 19th century, with antique postcards and children’s books of the time on display as well as Victorian era food and authentic holiday prints drawn between 1863 and 1885. For more details, visit hickorylandmarks.org.
In mid-December, locals and visitors gather downtown for A Hickory Holiday – this year held on Dec. 15. The annual festival features family-friendly activities, including caroling, photos with Santa and free wagon rides around Union Square. To learn more, call (828) 322-1121 or visit downtownhickory.com. You can also visit that site to find more updated holiday festivities happening downtown.
– Teree Caruthers


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The 1980s commercial tagline: “Milk. It does a body good” helped to educate the American population about the health benefits of milk. However, the wellness-boosting nutrients found in milk, such as calcium and vitamin D, are not limited to what you find in the dairy aisle at the local grocery store.
According to the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), companies continue to make capital investments in packaging machinery. Shipments for packaging machinery in the United States increased 12 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, bringing shipment totals to $5.5 billion versus $4.9 billion the prior year, according to a PMMI report released in November.
Growing concerns about increasing rates of obesity and related diseases such as diabetes have bolstered the need for new sweetener solutions. From 2009 to 2010, 35.7 percent of U.S. adults were obese, according to data released in January by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta.
In the grocery aisle, the competition can be fiercer than a finale of “Project Runway,” the fashion design reality TV competition. Products are lined up next to their competitors with little to no opportunity to express why they should be the consumer’s choice. In food, drug, convenience and mass merchandise channels, one of the best ways to grab the consumer’s attention is with packaging design.
A comical line in the digital animation film “The Lorax” quips that if you put something in a plastic bottle, people will buy it. Although the joke is meant as a mockery of selling bottled air, many beverage categories have emerged in bottles in the last couple of years.
The mission at Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle, has always been to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time, and that extends beyond its retail stores and into consumer packaged goods (CPG) channels, enabling customers to enjoy Starbucks anywhere and in any format.
As beverage-makers continue to develop products that do more than satisfy consumers’ thirst, the number of beverages that carry a functional claim continues to increase. According to “Functional and Natural Ready-to-Drink Beverages in the U.S.,” a report by Rockville, Md.-based market research publisher Packaged Facts, sales of energy drinks, ready-to-drink (RTD) teas and sports drinks have helped the functional and natural RTD beverage market grow to $23 billion.
Efforts to lower the calorie counts in beverages have helped spark a number of innovations from many facets of the industry, including equipment manufacturers. As more beverage-makers look to take down the calories in their products through sweetener blend formulations, suppliers of processing automation equipment also are working to develop equipment to handle these new formats.

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Google Maps “Send To Car” Running Out Of Gas?
There have been a number of comments in forums and tweets that people aren’t seeing the Google Maps’ “send to car” option any longer. The following comment is representative: The send to car option is gone from the Google Maps Beta: there is only a send to email and send to phone option. Is it […]
The send to car option is gone from the Google Maps Beta: there is only a send to email and send to phone option. Is it gone forever. This seems to happen with every Google maps Beta. I find this feature very helpful and use it all the time.
Yet for me and others I’ve spoken with the “send to car” option remains very much an option on Google Maps. Just last year Google was promoting the fact that it now users could send maps/destinations to more than 20 car brands globally.
Send to car currently works with the in-car navigation and personal navigation device/GPS systems on the above list in the screenshot and below:
- Ford SYNC
- Rolls Royce Ghost
- Nissan CARWINGS
Send to car has been around since 2007. Microsoft (Bing Maps) and Mapquest, to varying degrees, also support in-dash and PND navigation.
It may be that the majority of people are simply emailing maps to themselves and then accessing them on smartphones in the car (that’s what I do). Yet in-dash navigation and internet access is a growing phenomenon rather than a shrinking one; although these systems (e.g., Ford Sync) increasingly integrate with smartphones.
I’m not able to explain why some folks aren’t seeing the option any longer. If anyone has additional or more definitive information please let us know.
- Bing Scores First In-Car Search Deal With Toyota
- Send To (German) Car: The New Local Search Front
- MapQuest Partners With GM’s OnStar For ‘Send to Car‘ Directions
- Google Maps Now With “Send To Garmin”
- Send To TomTom: Google Maps Partners With Personal Nav Device Maker
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


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Ken Moynihan of Compac believes that the produce brands that can master data will be the winners. He says that harnessing data from multiple sources is key to managing a decentralised supply chain that has to deliver high-quality, safe food 365 days a year. Understanding the technology that can deliver that is one thing though, but the complexity of the supply chain and the demands of the modern consumer are piling huge pressures on fresh brands to deliver on their value propositions
Compac is an established world leader in post-harvest integrated solutions and services to the fresh produce industry, and recently released its groundbreaking, modular and upgradeable SpectrimTM optical sorting platform into the sector. With the ability to take up to 500 high definition images of a single piece of fruit as it passes through the machine at a rate of 12 pieces of fruit a second, SpectrimTM can boast unrivalled grading accuracy and consistency. It also collects an almost unfathomable volume of data, which used properly and in conjunction with data from other technologies employed along the supply chain, could just revolutionise an industry’s view on branding.
Compac’s CEO Mike Riley believes SpectrimTM will support producers as they face ever-growing demands for consistency, traceability and packaging variations from global retailers. The platform’s design principles have also benefited from crucial input from lead customers around the world, and external research authorities in New Zealand’s Plant & Food Crown Research programme.
Riley’s chief technical officer Ken Moynihan will deliver a presentation at The London Produce Show and Conference next week on the role of data in shouldering the burden of the brand promise. He adds: “This industry is beginning to embark upon the process of de-commoditisation of commodities and branding will be a significant part of that. Some 52 million mandarins are going through just one of our machines every single day – that generates 26 billion hi-res images of the fruit and that data has incredible value to support the development of a brand.”
Looking at the global picture rather than zeroing in on the UK retail scene, he argues that consumer brands are increasing in importance, and that consumers are looking to choose food brands that have identifiable values on their packaging, something that connects them with the food and offers a tangibly different eating experience. “Fresh brands are a promise to consumers; they are expected to be safe, deliver consistent quality and have a 12-month presence on the shelves,” says Moynihan. “Most fresh produce has a seasonal geographic availability and brands must be available to win shelf space and customer share. Therefore, by necessity, supply has become increasingly decentralised. “All methods of extending the season – maybe varying cultivars, employing different storage technology or sourcing from a wider geographical base – have the potential to compromise quality and therefore brand promise. There are fewer focal points for produce and what we are seeing are virtual control centres for brands. But to meet that requirement for consistency and availability, there will need to be greater supply chain integration.
“The ability to deliver on your brand promise, while optimising quality and efficiency is no easy job. The very nature of fresh produce means that the promise of quality and consistency is hard to keep. Brands are trying to establish their ethos and values but there is a more pragmatic side of the business that says they have to deliver on price too.”
Moynihan uses figures to illustrate the dilemma. In the US, food recalls doubled from 2002 to 2015, according to this report, he says, adding that 52% of recalls cost more than US$10 million and that fruits and vegetables are the second most recalled category (15%). Multiple fatalities from issues with E.coli (German fenugreek sprouts), listeria (US cantaloupes) and Chinese milk have all hit the press hard in recent years
“With perishable products, there are many points where fruit quality can be jeopardised throughout the supply chain. Storage and distribution systems are critical and data can help to reduce some of the variations. The only way you can effectively manage is to connect all of the data at your disposal and use it to its maximum effect.”
He acknowledges that most produce companies use several types of technology and that it isn’t straightforward to combine them to best effect. “There are no clear leaders in this field,” says Moynihan. “Comments such as this are reasonably common – ‘There are 12 software groups working in my orchard, three of them are any good, and none of them talk to each other’.
“To address the increasing pressures on the global agri-food supply chain, someone needs to start the charge and provide the leadership that sees all of the bits of data talking to each other. Compac wants to be that someone. Compac technology is embedded in many areas of the supply chain, which puts us in a fantastic position to integrate the data from every part of that chain.
“A technological sea change is coming to all industries, as one of the ways of the fourth industrial revolution, as heralded by the World Economic Forum – but it is particularly relevant to food and fresh produce. The wave is coming – we can lead the charge and drive innovation through the intelligent use of software solutions. Only the vertically integrated systems truly have that ability,” Moynihan says.
“Brand managers need to understand the key data points for products that are coming from all over the world and then utilise that data to make real-time decisions – to change the flow of the fruit, for example. Continuous feedback and analysis is critical in allowing the brand to develop.
“It is our belief that big data consumer insights will drive new product innovations, that Just In Time e-commerce enables dynamic pricing, that the correct local actions will drive up global standards and raise the profile of provenance, and that the online environment can integrate all aspects of production, logistics and retail.”
Through greater integration and the virtualisation of control, which will see people being able to use data progressively to manage processes remotely, the industry can successfully handle the decentralisation of supply chains, he says.
Moynihan is leading the 3-5 technical year vision of Compac, and gets involved at a strategic level with key produce brands around the world. “This is the start of the journey,” he tells PBUK. “There are some immediate quick wins available and we are exploring those with some of our customers, but this is a long game. Integration is not actually hard, the challenge is to do it effectively on a global scale. I spend a lot of time in customer facilities – analysing how technology and the data behind it can push their processes forward and improve their business outcomes.
“Compac is beginning to transition into systems integration. Some of our more sophisticated customers have understood the challenges and opportunities of a globally integrated supply chain,” Moynihan says. “They’ve seen it coming and tried to develop solutions themselves. But the produce industry is traditionally slow to adopt new technology change as a general rule, and has often preferred to stick with equipment that has a concrete ROI than take risks.
“I don’t know that all of the technology vendors have seen it coming either. Therefore, there is a huge amount of data available, but no standard to drive intelligent integration and application of that data. The data networking industry has open standards, which makes it fairly easy to move data around, but our industry still operates with very closed standards and that is holding things back.
World of possibilities
But just what is possible with integrated data? Moynihan says it comes back to fulfillment of the brand promise. Switched on companies will be able to:
• Rely on more consistent quality through instrumentation
• Supply food that is safe, scientifically sound and traceable
• Operate a decentralised supply chain with 365-day availability
• Support their decisions with farm GIS systems with detailed production history and real-time logistics optimisation from product condition
• Connect directly with consumers through e-commerce, enabling online reviews of perishable products and associating the eating experience with measurable parameters
• Allow buyers to customise their orders with dynamic pricing
• Introduce consumer-friendly traceability (provenance)
The real-time sales and marketing elements of the job will also be enhanced, he claims, as information is fed forward from production sites to the sales desk to speed up the reaction to market conditions and marketers will have the information they need to create new products with available produce.
“I’m sure there is much more we haven’t yet thought of,” says Moynihan. “Brands need to fulfil their promise and that demands deep integration. Some still don’t have the tools available to do that successfully. Data is at the heart of this integration and while single vendor proprietary solutions will not scale, we can integrate the best-in-class elements. Interoperability requires data sharing.
“There are so many different systems out there, and no one vendor yet sells an end-to-end technological solution to satisfy every need of any produce packhouse. But there is significant overlap and it is the interconnection of the data from every process that takes place in the packhouse that holds real value. As we build our relationships with the vertically integrated brands though, we are already seeing the possibilities for systems integration that will push us in the right direction.”


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Jess Green speaking at the HumanIPO Academy launch. Photo by Kiril Dobrev for HumanIPO.
Startup founders need to communicate and share knowledge to be successful both individually and as a community, according to speakers at the HumanIPO Academy launch in Cape Town, on Friday.
Experts from South Africa’s tech startup community were invited to give three-minute Flash Talks at the launch of the event series.
Asked to give advice to young entrepreneurs, several shared the theme that communication is a vital part of building a new tech business.
Jess Green, entrepreneur and e-commerce consultant, said: “The more people you tell about your idea, the more likely you are to be successful.”
He added that sharing ideas is the best way to make connections and find people who want to help a startup grow.
Dylan Kohlstadt, founder of Shift One marketing agency, said: “Talk about what you’re good at and what you know … you can start to build a real hype around your brand.”
Marian Shinn, shadow communications minister, spoke about the goal of making Cape Town a “centre of innovation and investment” through sharing knowledge and collaborating.
Six other speakers gave flash talks on related subjects including common business misconceptions and how to best use the media to promote a business.


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Serebii.net, the biggest online resource for the main series Pokemon games, has just tweeted out the following image:
— Serebii.net (@SerebiiNet) December 13, 2017
Although not directly related to Pokémon GO, Christmas is often the period of the year when Pokémon marketing efforts converge in the same direction, featuring similar, if not the same, Pokémon, merchandise and more.
The recent Pokémon Duel update suggests that Delibird, Sceptile and Pikachu are at the core of the Pokémon Company’s marketing efforts for 2017 Holiday season. With the recent addition of Delibird’s signature move Present, we are quite sure that Delibird will be released in Pokémon GO this season.
We are basing our claim on a few solid arguments:
- Delibird’s signature move Present was added in 0.85.1, similar to how Ditto’s Transform was added prior to its release
- Full support for the Present fast move is in the APK, including the sound effects and required textures
- present_fast game object
- 217-0_present audio clip
- The new Holiday 2017 loading screen features a flying present and a suspicious red ball hiding behind the Christmas tree, as spotted on Twitter
In addition, in a recent interview with TechCrunch, Niantic’s Archit Bhargava has confirmed that a holiday event is planned in Pokémon GO, starting some time around December 21st.
We should be hearing more about the upcoming Holiday events very soon.


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The government is studying the possibility of a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Mongolia.
Ministry of Commerce secretary of state and Cambodia-Mongolia Bilateral Free Trade Agreement negotiation working group chairman Reach Ra led a meeting on Tuesday to exchange views on the Concept Note concerning an FTA feasibility study.
Present at the meeting were officials from the Council for the Development of Cambodia and the ministries of Economy and Finance; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; and Labour and Vocational Training.
Ra said the establishment of an FTA is in line with the government’s Rectangular Strategy Phase IV to diversify markets and trade, and smoothen economic restoration in a post-Covid-19 world.
He noted that the Concept Note was prepared by the Jakarta-based Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (Eria) and said the meeting decided to propose the ERIA expedite the completion of the research report.
“We will urge the working group to continue its efforts to make the feasibility study of this FTA a success. I sincerely hope the meeting with the ERIA will bear fruit in the future,” Ra said.
Commerce ministry acting spokesman Pen Sovicheat told The Post on Wednesday that the FTA feasibility study will assist the implementation of Cambodia’s trade integration policy and strategy to diversify trade partners regionally and globally.
He said the commerce ministry is currently negotiating an FTA with South Korea and studying the possibility of establishing similar deals with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) bloc, which comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.
“The ministry has been striving to expand to more new markets. We are a country with great agricultural potential that has the power to transform agriculture into agro-industry.
“From our point of view, we are capable of exporting agricultural products to the world market, including to Mongolia,” Sovicheat said.
Cambodia and Mongolia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2014 on the establishment of bilateral consultations aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, investment and tourism.
In addition to FTAs with China and South Korea, the government is also looking at the possibility of establishing agreements with India, Australia, the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Japan.
The World Bank has said the Kingdom needs to be well-prepared for the post-Covid-19 economy, which will require a strong focus on regional investment and expanding trade opportunities.
There is an urgent need to facilitate domestic and foreign investment by increasing domestic value and creating more jobs, the Washington DC-based lending institution said.


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The Wall Street Journal’s Daily Report on Global Central Banks for Friday, Feb. 21
Sign up for the newsletter: http://on.wsj.com/1n92O6N.
Maybe inflation isn’t as soft as the Federal Reserve thinks it is.
The Labor Department reported Thursday the consumer price index was up 1.6% from a year earlier in January. That’s the closest the Fed has been to its 2% inflation goal since July. Inflation much below that rate is a sign of a weak economy they want to avoid. Of course, the Fed’s preferred inflation measure is the Commerce Department’s personal consumption expenditure price index, and that is running much lower. In December it was up 1.1% from a year earlier, too low for the Fed’s comfort.
Fed officials believe the PCE does a better job of accounting for shifts in spending behavior by individuals and they prefer its treatment of sectors like housing. Most Fed officials expect inflation to return to 2% in the next couple of years. But at their January meeting officials discussed several reasons why inflation might not pick up as anticipated, according to meeting minutes released Wednesday.


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On October 9, 2021, there was an in-flight disturbance when a passenger mistook a photographer’s camera for an explosive device during the flight:
The photographer is now suing American Airlines for defamation, false imprisonment, and emotional distress among other charges.
The passenger was a female with an infant that was seated next to the photographer.
She raised her concerns to flight attendants yet they made no attempt to speak to the photographer, according to Rolling Stone.
Upon descent into La Guardia Airport, the photographer took the camera out of his bag to take a photo of the New York City skyline, and this is when the woman began yelling.
The disturbance forced the plane to land abruptly and the photographer was detained:
Being photographers, a lot of us travel with cameras. A lot went wrong in terms of communication and how it was handled.
It’s a reminder that if we take out our cameras anywhere during our flight trip and someone is looking at us suspiciously, maybe make it a point to smile and let them know it’s a camera.
Nate Torres is an entrepreneur, growth marketer, and photographer and writes mostly on those topics. Nate used to run his own professional photography business called Nate Joaquin Photography but has since focused on the marketing and business aspect of photography although he still enjoys taking photos. Nate enjoys learning about new digital marketing strategy and new ways to think creatively. He is also a photography speaker and author on Photofocus.com.


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Following the viral Kia Problem on TikTok, which challenges largely teenagers to steal cars from these manufacturers and has led to a pointy rise in thefts, a category motion lawsuit has been launched in opposition to Kia and Hyundai, in keeping with a report in Techcrunch. Individuals who declare their vehicles had been stolen on account of this viral Kia Problem have filed a lawsuit.
Automobile house owners and police companies across the nation are on excessive alert after a hazardous problem involving younger children to take particular vehicles off the road utilizing a USB wire started to flow into on TikTok and different social media platforms.
Sure varieties and fashions of Kia and Hyundai vehicles from 2010 to 2021 that require mechanical keys quite than key fobs and push buttons to start out the automotive are being focused by thieves, reviews TechCrunch.
Based on the lawsuit, Kia and Hyundai beforehand appeared into the efficacy of constructing with engine immobilisers and determined in opposition to it, “blatantly valuing earnings over the protection and safety of their clients”.
It claimed that after a TikTok “Kia Problem,” which made public a technique for stealing particular makes and fashions of Kia and Hyundai cars, the automakers did not even attempt to warn clients of the potential for theft.
“With the large rise in publicity of the defect, it’s unlikely that the thefts will cease with out energetic intervention by Kia or Hyundai,” reads the lawsuit. “A complete felony ecosystem has materialized; exacerbated by thefts solely additional fueled by TikTok, movies, and memes selling the felony conduct.”
Based on a CNBC report, the movies of the vehicles stealing and driving on social media utilizing the hashtag “Kia Boys” have greater than 33 million views on TikTok.


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Anthony and Zach discuss the latest Knight-Swift purchase of AAA Cooper and what the recent large LTL purchases mean for the sector. Dr. Zac Rogers joins to discuss if this is just a way for carriers to use their newfound cash reserves to grow without ordering trucks.
Anthony and Zach discuss the rising costs and shortages of commodities and how they are putting the squeeze on production and inventories as the economy crawls out of the pandemic and ask should we put more effort on domestic production?
The maritime shipping space has been filled with more drama than an episode of the Kardashians. Henry Byers joins Anthony and Zach to discuss the container shortage, Suez Canal debacle, and other problems that have contributed to all-time high shipping rates and what some of the data is telling u...
The Suez canal blockage has been a big enough deal to make its way into pop-culture meme references. But what are the real implications of what appears to be yet another roadblock for supply chain and inventory management in 2021?
Is inflation becoming a real threat to economic recovery? - Freightonomics
The winter weather sent transportation rates back into peak mode while supply chains got another roadblock in their path to inventory replenishments. All of these problems come at a cost that will eventually end up hitting the consumer and potentially stifling the recovery process.
How Quickly are Supply Chains Changing? - Freightonomics
Zach and Anthony discuss how supply chain managers are changing their focus after a year of COVID and bring on Dr. Zac Rogers to talk about how quickly things are moving with a look at the latest Logistic’s Managers Index.
Anthony and Zach pour through the latest economic and freight market numbers, explaining the significance of each while discussing the increasing importance of knowing how to interpret and use data in the age of over-information.
After a trade war with China and a pandemic, more protectionist policies have been considered and implemented in the U.S. than seen in decades. What does this mean for the economic recovery and domestic transportation?


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Research released this week finds that many online retailers use so-called dark patterns to influence what shoppers decide to purchase. Cracking down on the practice could be difficult.
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The news clearly had a big impact given that there were official quotes from the company’s top management and soon, there was a lot of confusion about how the shares were going to be transferred to the new name.
Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Volkswagen of America, said in the release, “We might be changing out our K for a T, but what we aren’t changing is this brand’s commitment to making best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people everywhere,”
The announcement also saw Volkswagen’s stock price rise by 5 per cent on Tuesday as well.
However, it’s come to light now, that the company had intended it as an ‘April Fools’ post. VW issued a statement confirming that it won’t be changing its brand name to ‘Voltswagen’. The company sent out a statement saying that “The renaming was designed to be an announcement in the spirit of April Fool’s Day,”
Volkswagen clearly fooled carandbike as well like the many other media houses around the globe and kudos to the team for it. However, it will be interesting to see if the rise in the stock price of the company will prompt an inquiry from the SEC in the US.


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Nabis Holdings Inc (CSE:NAB)(OTC: INNPF)(OTC: NABIF), the Canadian investment company, has been approved to begin trading under the ticker "NABIF" on the OTC Markets as of the start of trade on June 20.
The previous symbol was "INNPF," the company said in a brief regulatory statement.
"Trading under the new OTC ticker "NABIF" completes our corporate transition to Nabis. With our public company presence now fully aligned to our corporate brand, we are excited to continue to build the Nabis footprint across the United States,” said Shay Shnet, CEO and director of Nabis.
The firm will continue to trade on the Canadian Stock Exchange under '"NAB" as well as on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under A2PL.
Contact Giles at [email protected]


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UPDATE: If you were on the fence regarding these 'No Parking' Flyknit Racers, Overkill have some compelling on-foot pics to nudge you in the right direction. Lap 'em up and head over to their online store when they drop on February 24.
UPDATE: After letting this release sit idle for a minute, Nike have finally put it into gear. Revealed as the 'No Parking' Flyknit Racer colourway (a nod to those who refuse to stop running), the red-streaked sneaker will be available on February 24 from the SNKRS page of Nike.com.
Nike have gifted the Flyknit Racer with a veritable selection of subdued colourways recently. While eye-searing ‘Volt’ combos are still being released, à la the ‘Blue Gecko’ reissue, the feather-light Racer silhouette has seen its fair share of subdued make-ups. Following ‘Rough Green’ and ‘Pure Platinum’ iterations, the Swoosh are set to drop a ‘Wolf Grey’ colourway set alight by a contrasting ‘Collegiate Red’ strike across the midsole. The classic combination sees a Flyknit melange of various greys sit clean atop a two-toned sole joined by a reflective heel-strip.
The Nike Flyknit Racer in 'Wolf Grey' is expected to drop in February. Stay tuned.
– Originally published on January 5, 2017


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By Sarah Oyedo
The city of Dubai is prepping to host some of the world’s major fashion brands for this year’s edition of Runway Dubai and our very own Abaya Lagos is not left out.
One of the leading modest female fashion brands in Nigeria, Abaya Lagos will be showcasing their ‘Sepia Glam’ Collection for the first time at this year’s edition which is set to hold on 8th-10th November 2018 at the prestigious Marriott Al Jadda.
Speaking on the collection, the brand reveals the luxury collection “depicts a structured flow of lines and shapes, a bold but seamless mix of cosmopolitan and classic!”
Runway Dubai is one of the foremost fashion shows as it is known for inclusivity and diversity contributing to the show’s international acclaim.
For it’s 6th edition, Runway Dubai is launching an autism awareness campaign themed “Autism Wins” with Natalie Oden, an Autistic model who has inspired people all over the world as host.
We’re very much excited to see Abaya Lagos as they take the Dubai runway in a sepia glitz.
See some of Abaya Lagos collection below:
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The next highly anticipated iPhone is said to be designed to scan the iris of the eye to identify you, the owner, as another measure of biometric security. Apple placed the order for the iris recognition chips from a company in Taiwan called Xintec.
You will not find information about the new phone on the Apple website, so Digitimes is the source responsible for getting the word out about the new iPhone feature. While the same site advised the iris-scanning feature would not be included until 2018, they have since stated the new iPhone would include this feature this year.
Investors, as well as customers, anticipating the new feature are well-advised to be skeptical and wise as we wait to see what the new iPhone will feature. However, it is safe to assume the rumor of an added biometric security feature is accurate. In addition to the chips ordered from Xintec, Apple has also filed a number of bio-recognition patents. The question is will they debut the iPhone features this year or next year?
The idea for biometric security measures such as using the iris to identify a person is not a new one. Researchers and health professionals thought of it back in the 1950’s due to the complexity of the iris itself. The iris is said to be more unique than facial features and fingerprints. No two irises are exactly the same — not even in identical twins.
The technology was mainly used with government entities but may become more widespread due to the need for additional security measures as more people begin to use technological devices. Apple began taking interest in the idea of exploring iris-scanning methods back in 2014. They successfully introduced Touch ID with the iPhone 5s after buying the sensor technology company Authentec in 2012.
Whether the new iPhone will use iris-scanning technology is something we will have to wait for Apple to reveal. What we know is that it will employ features designed to enhance security and help keep users safe.
Will you upgrade to the iPhone with the iris-scanning feature? Let’s discuss here or on Twitter: @lcarterwriter.


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The High Tech Ripple Effect of Rippln Is Already Captivating the Masses Worldwide- One Month Prior to It's Release! Will the "Ripple" Form the Next High Tech Tsunami
Kissimmee, FL -- (SBWire) -- 05/10/2013 --A new mobile app platform named Rippln has already “rippled” through some 250,000 followers since it was leaked thru a Google plus account on 4-14-13. The company of the same name is operating in “stealth mode” as it readies for its official launch to 78 countries at the end of this May. Find out more here !
Why all the buzz about Rippln when it hasn’t even been launched yet? One of Rippln’s founders, Jonathan Budd, puts it this way in a blog post on 4-21-13.
“We… believe people deserve to participate in the value they create in the market place. If we are creating billions of dollars in value for many technology companies, we believe the people deserve to be rewarded a % of what they create.”
How people participate is through incentivized sharing using a network marketing model.
Rippln videos tout Facebook when it was a startup and poses the question what if you got paid for sharing it?
Rippln folks have been tightlipped about details until their product launch in a month. The Rippln platform and app use a “freemium” model meaning you give it away but make money on the back end with market “upsells” like gaming app upgrades. In a recent corporate email, Rippln likens the concept to a Finnish company that makes $1 million a day through a “freemium” game called “Clash of Clans.” Although the game is free, the upgrades cost up to $100.
Rippln Cofounder Jonathan Budd hints at the diversity of the Rippln platform.
“Any technology, product, or service we choose to integrate… can tie into our platform & our users will have the ability to be rewarded for the value created in their ripples.”
Critics have surfaced calling Rippln a pyramid scheme but Budd refutes those claims.
“I believe many people don’t even think about the negativity they spew into the world before they say these things. Many people will simply tear something down before they know anything about it.” Budd goes on to say, “One of my favorite lines I’ve heard recently is… “There’s no statue built for a critic.” and it’s quite true.
Currently there is a free simple signup process (through invitation only) at www.ripplesignup.com . The “ripple effect” of Rippln is being touted as the biggest innovation since email but that remains to be seen. Still, with only word of mouth advertising mostly in social media, Rippln has gone viral already before it is release publicly around 5-27-13.
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TOKYO: Isuzu Motors Limited is expanding into the used car business.
It announced today that it has acquired a 9.9% stake (about 400 million yen) in Japanese used car company, Apple International Co., Ltd.
Both companies will form a strategic capital and business alliance for domestic and overseas joint ventures.
Isuzu said the used vehicle business was a way for it to enhance its aftersales business.
Apple International has an extensive distribution network mainly in the used passenger car segment in Japan and Thailand.


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Internet hoaxster and ‘three-boobed’ wonder Jasmine Tridevil not only gave the internet something major to talk about last week – she and her third breast gifted us something else too: the most ingenious Halloween costume of the year.
Tridevil found notoriety last week after posting a video of herself online in which she danced seductively, showing off the third breast she said she’d paid £15,000 to have surgically attached.
It turned out to be not strictly true, of course. Jasmine Tridevil is almost certainly actually called Alisha Hessler and probably only has the usual two breasts.
But, her legacy is destined to live on, because an enterprising costume store has created the ultimate three-boobed woman Halloween costume, using two pairs of fake breasts, shiny fabric and some hot glue (what no sticky back plastic?).
‘As you can see, it doesn’t take much!’, Halloweencostumes.com rave with understandable enthusiasm. ‘We just overlapped and hot glued two pairs of our “super drooper boobs” together, covered them in shiny pink fabric, grabbed a black wig, and took a selfie!
‘You can add bronzer to the fake boobs as needed to match your skin tone as closely as possible.’
Probably not far off how Tridevil made hers.


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Calling all businesses in the Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge area: you’ve heard of the Olympic Games, but it’s all about the Corporate Games in Lincolnshire this September.
Lincolnshire Sports Partnership is challenging businesses in the county to enter a company sports team into the Corporate Games 2013 and compete against other businesses in a fun-filled, competitive day of sport.
The Games, which take place from 10am–3pm on Saturday, September 21 at the brand new Lincoln Rugby Club in Nettleham, will be hosting a variety of different sports in which businesses can enter a team. The tournaments include: Touch Rugby (teams of 7), Archery (teams of 5), Laser Tag (teams of 10), Human Football Table (teams of 5), and Obstacle Course (teams of 5).
Cost to enter a team is £25. Food and beverages will be available to purchase on the day.
For more information or to enter your business in the Corporate Games contact Nina Craggs on 01522 585 580 or email firstname.lastname@example.org


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Bollywood divas, Raveena Tandon, Dia Mirza and Diana Penty attended the launch of designer Anita Dongre’s new line Grassroot. Dongre’s new collection is a craft based sustainable line which is eco-conscious leather free and vegan. It also offers handcrafted traditions from across the country.
The designer interacted with the media at the event and said, “I’m primarily working with NGOs for this brand. I was working on reviving the label for the last one year and it is finally taking off with a huge Grassroot store in Mumbai”.
The new line Grassroot presents a wide range of wardrobe essentials that will help to pay tribute to the priceless traditions of India.
Photo Credits: Viral Bhayani


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Milford, CT – Fryborg
After several delays, it looks like a popular restaurant’s Trumbull location could open in just a few weeks. Jonathan Gibbons, owner of Fryborg – a restaurant best known for its hand-cut fries that already has a Milford location and a food truck named after him – said that, until he did some city inspection. Passes, the restaurant’s Trumbull outpost is set to open in the first week of October.
Lewis Center, OH – Yabo’s Tacos
Lewis Center is getting a new option for tacos and margaritas. Yabo’s Tacos will open its restaurant in the Evans Farm development Nov. 1. “At our Westerville and Powell restaurants, which are the closest to this one, we get customers every day asking when we’re opening,” owner Scott Boles said. It’s a much-anticipated opening, not just as the first dining and drinking tenant at Evans Farm, but for Boles himself.
Dallas, TX – Salata
Salata is expecting to open its new location sometime in October at 6464 E. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, with expectations to open mid-October. The restaurant offers different styles of salads and wraps that can be customized with more than 50 different toppings, according to the Salata website. Salata has locations across the nation, including existing stores in other areas of Dallas.
Scottsdale, AZ – The Backdoor Restaurant and Lounge
The Backdoor Restaurant and Lounge is coming soon to Scottsdale at 7330 E. Main St. Owner Paul Mitchell tells What Now Phoenix that his latest concept should be ready to soft open by December.
Doral, FL – Bachour Restaurant and Bar
Amid 2020’s wave of pandemic-induced closures across Miami-Dade’s culinary landscape, pastry chef Antonio Bachour has announced that he will drop anchor in Downtown Doral next month with a second location of his Bachour Restaurant and Bar. Downtown Doral Park at 8405 NW 53rd St., Doral; Slated to open early October.
Turner, OR – Happy Valley Tasting Room & Restaurant
Happy Valley Tasting Room & Restaurant is expected to open in October, designed to maintain the character found at the Willamette Valley Vineyards in the South Salem Hills. Scott Edwards is serving as architect for the vineyard’s expansion into Happy Valley, drawing design inspiration from South Salem’s materials, processes and people.
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Editor in Chief
- Jan 5, 2011
There's a crazy rumor floating around the Wall Street Journal offices that Google is working on their own Android gaming console & Android smartwatch to eventually take on Apple, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and OUYA. The Android smartwatch idea isn't really much of a stretch to believe considering Google has been heavily plugging their wearable Google Glasses for some time now. Also, it wouldn't be surprising to see Google try to counter the rumored iWatch from Apple. However, the idea that Google would jump into the gaming console market at a time when we may be at the apex of the game console era seems a bit iffy.
Still, if you wander down this rabbit hole a bit further it starts to become plausible. If Google made a "game console" based upon Android, it would likely be a great deal more than just a game console. More than likely it would offer similar audio/video capabilities and unique gesture and voice control functions like the up-coming Xbox One. Of course, it would even include full Google TV support. Once you start to envision that product, you start to realize that Google's primary targets in this market wouldn't be Sony, Nintendo and OUYA (although those companies could be secondary casualties). Google would be trying to beat Apple to the living room and compete directly with Microsoft on another front. Here's a quote with some of the rumor's details,
Google Inc. is developing a videogame console and wristwatch powered by its Android operating system, according to people familiar with the matter, as the Internet company seeks to spread the software beyond smartphones and tablets.
With the game machine and digital watch, Google is hoping to combat similar devices that Apple Inc. may release in the future, according to the people.
This device would be similar to their failed Nexus Q home entertainment hub, yet would also integrate Google TV and Android gaming functions to become a truly all-in-one entertainment hub. This could also be a push to simply create more internet connected Android devices, with the purpose of filling out the Android ecosystem further. Here's another quote with further speculation from the source of this rumor,
Meanwhile, Google has been developing low-cost Android smartphones of its own with an eye toward offering them in developing markets, other people familiar with the matter have said, including in markets where Google plans to fund or help create next-generation wireless networks.
With the next release of Android this fall, Google is also moving more aggressively to use the software in additional kinds of devices, including laptops and appliances such as refrigerators.
If true, is this simply a case of Google over-reaching, or could we be seeing the beginning of a new "living room based" technology market arena battle?


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YouTube has asked several of its contributors to submit applications to create paid-for channels.
The first channels will reportedly be available to users by the spring for between $1 and $5 per month.
YouTube plans to keep around 45 per cent of the subscription revenue themselves, with the rest going to the producers of the content.
The world's No. 1 video website has been moving to add professional-grade videos to the vast archive of amateur videos that made the site popular.
The current crop of such channels is available to consumers for free and supported by advertising that appears alongside the videos.
A spokesman for YouTube said: “We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models. There are a lot of our content creators that think they would benefit from subscriptions, so we’re looking at that.”
YouTube has hinted in the past that it was considering offering subscription-based content. Last year YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar said there was strong demand among certain video producers, such as video game networks, to offer paid-for channels programs.
"They have such a big audiences that they can start to segment their audiences into those that are willing to pay a higher amount”, Mr Kamangar said.
He also said that cable channels with small audiences could potentially be offered to consumers through YouTube on an "à la carte" basis.
YouTube will face competition in the paid-for video sector by existing sites such as Hulu and Netflix.
Google began investing heavily in original video content in late 2011, providing funds to film makers in the form of an advance against future advertising revenues.
According to eMarketer, a research firm, advertising spending on digital video in the US grew by 47 per cent to $2.9bn (£1.84bn) last year but is dwarfed by the $65bn spent on television advertisements.
Television made up about 40 per cent of total media spending in the US in 2012, according to eMarketer, compared with less than 2 per cent from online video.


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Despite the uncertain global financial environment, Spain's industry is still moving forward thanks to government initiatives. Gerardo Gonzalez of Spain's Reig Jofre Group explained: "The industry is very dynamic and adopts new technologies quickly. This is encouraged by the government by plans to support investment in new technology; a government department has been created to assist and manage this."
The industry has also continued to invest heavily in R&D. According to a recent report, the Spanish pharma industry invested more than €1 billion in R&D in 2008; an increase of 9.6% compared with the previous year. Of this, €453 million was injected into clinical trials.4 The Spanish government has also introduced initiatives to promote public investment into R&D, such as the Ingenio 2010 programme and the 2008–2011 Nacional de Investigacion Cientifica, Desarrollo e Innovacion Technologica (National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation).Government initiative threatens the industry
In general, the market for pharmaceuticals in Spain is very similar to that of other developed European countries; there is a relatively effective public healthcare system and strong demand for new medicines as the population ages. The country's pharma industry also faces similar problems to those witnessed by its European siblings, such as competition from emerging economies (primarily China and India) that offer lower R&D and manufacturing costs and, more critically, looming patent expiries. Half of Spain's protected market faces patent expiry between 2010 and 2015, representing $4 billion of 2008 sales.1 According to IMS Health, some companies have 20–30% of their portfolios exposed and will need to alter their strategy in order to mitigate the risk and survive.
Furthermore, Spain has not escaped the global economic crisis unscathed; although the country's public healthcare system, Servicio Nacional de Salud, is largely funded by taxes, making it less exposed to changes in the economic environment, the consumer health market declined by 5.3% in Q1 2009 after growing at almost double digits at the end of 2007. The sharpest decline was in sales of overthecounter medicines, which dropped 5.6%, with consumer purchasing behaviour showing a tendency towards cheaper products.1
Perhaps at the forefront of pharmaceutical companies' woes, however, is the Spanish government's initiative to introduce more stringent drug pricing measures, which have resulted in an average decrease in drug prices by 40%.5 Although the system provides Spain's consumers with lower cost medicines than in other European countries by preventing pharmaceutical companies from freely controlling prices, it is, unsurprisingly, not favoured by pharma manufacturers.
While each of these factors poses a threat for branded pharma, generics manufacturers have reason to be optimistic as the need for cost containment is expected to lead to greater uptake of generic medicines. In 2008, generics sales reached €1.14 billion, comprising 9% of the country's health services' prescription expenditure. By 2013, this figure is expected to reach €2.3 billion and represent 12% of the total drug market.2
The generics market will also be affected by the government's cost containment system, however, and it is the belief of Spain's National Pharmacists' Association that this initiative is compromising the role of generics, and provides little incentive for manufacturers to register new generic medicines in Spain.5 The reference price scheme that came into effect in March 2009 affects approximately 160 groups of medications, including 2847 generic medicines.5,6 Savings are expected to be almost three times the savings estimated for 20087 and although this is good news for consumers, the industry will inevitably suffer a drop in profits.


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Blogworld and New Media Expo starts today LIVE from Las Vegas! It is being produced by InBusinessTV.Com.
Blogworld Expo is rhe first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to promoting the dynamic industry of blogging and new media. In addition to the only industry-wide exhibition, BlogWorld will feature the largest blogging conference in the world including more than 50 seminars, panel discussions and keynotes from iconic personalities on the leading-edge of online technology and internet-savvy business.
If you are currently blogging, vlogging, podcasting, producing other forms of new media content, entering the new media industry, or just want to know what the blogosphere is all about, then you need to watch the most comprehensive blogging convention.
For more information and to watch the coverage:


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Dani Barber, pictured holding one of the Lab puppies to be auctioned Feb. 16, along with a treasure tove of other items, has helped organize the “Bids for Buckman” event, along with her husband, Austin. HERALD PHOTO/Matt Roberts
EVANSTON — The “Bids for Buckman” dinner and auction — to benefit Donovan and Kelly Klements Buckman — is set for Saturday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. at the historic Roundhouse, will boast a substantial number of auction items available to those in attendance.
“We probably have 75 silent auction items,” Marian McLean, who is helping organize the event, told the Herald. The items range from Utah Jazz tickets to a photo shoot to a pair of adorable puppies.
“There are tons and tons of stuff,” McLean said. “People have been so generous.”
A partial listing of items up for auction includes:
• Utah Jazz tickets for March 27 vs. the Phoenix Suns
• Fishing trip for two to Piedmont Reservoir
• Two bedroom condo stay and dinner at the Gun Barrel Steak House, Jackson Hole
• Two yellow Lab puppies – Duke and Clover
• Camping cooler full of supplies
• Six-foot Subway sub
• Fall pheasant hunt at Groll Bird Ranch, Randolph, Utah
• Boudoir photo shoot at a luxury Park City home with Dani Barber Photography
• Snowmobile trip in the Uintas (two machines)
• Ski jacket and two lift passes at Deer Valley
• Wendover getaway with room and buffet for two
• Colorado Rockies tickets for May 4 vs. Tampa Bay
• Three-foot metal Wyoming Cowboy bucking bronc
• Summer package with rodeo series, county fair tickets and more
• Remodeler’s dream – bathroom toilet, sink and faucet, valued at over $500
• Wooden rocking horse, kid’s cowboy hat, four rodeo tickets and autographed Tuff Hedeman ball cap
• Much more
The dinner is set to start at 7 p.m., with a cash bar and activities for the kids, and an auction to follow at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person, or $35 for a family of up to six. Tickets are available at Ludd’s Mudd, Kallas Automotive, The Painted Lady and at the Catholic church by calling (307) 789-7729.
Monetary donations can be made at 1st Bank, under the name “Klements-Buckman Benefit.”


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On November 7th, foreign media reported that lithium batteries now need raw materials such as cobalt, which is notorious for using child labor in mining. Now, Volvo has released its first all-electric XC40 Recharge, but it wants to make sure its raw materials in its lithium batteries are reliable. To achieve this, Volvo will use blockchain technology.
Volvo Cars will work with two global battery suppliers, China’s Ningde Times (CATL) and South Korea’s LG Chem, as well as blockchain technology companies to track the production of cobalt used in its lithium-ion batteries. The data in the blockchain will include properties such as the origin, weight and size of cobalt, as well as information such as the chain of custody for production and marketing.
Martina Buchhauser, Volvo’s head of procurement, said: “It’s not a big deal. “We are committed to building an ethical supply chain of raw materials,” Buchhauser said in a statement. With blockchain technology, we can take the next step by working closely with our suppliers to ensure that our supply chain is fully traceable and minimizes any associated risks. “
Volvo Cars said it would start using blockchain traceability this year. Its battery suppliers have agreed to use the system to track batteries for next-generation Volvo and Polaris models, including the XC40 Recharge, over the next decade. The company expects half of its global car sales to be all-electric vehicles by 2025. The company also pledged to cut carbon emissions from each vehicle it produces by 40 per cent by then. To achieve these goals, more lithium batteries and more reliable sources of cobalt raw materials will be needed.


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There’s a quiet revolution happening. Can you hear it? That gentle whirring and clicking of millions of wheels and pedals – and not a single pant, wheeze or spluttering cough. We’re not talking about the post-Olympic champions out for a leisurely cycle. Imagine people the same weight, fitness level and lung capacity as you, enjoying a sweat-free, pain-free, wheeze-free bike ride, breezing up hills and speeding through traffic at speeds of up to 15mph.
Electric bikes are on the up and up. A recent report from Pike Research predicts that global e-bike sales will surpass 47 million in 6 years’ time. China, the original heartland of the electric bicycle, will take the lion’s share of those sales, but popularity is increasing massively in the UK and across Europe, where more and more consumers are attracted by higher quality bikes specifically engineered for different needs and environments
Pike’s research showed that America was lagging behind in the e-bike race, with only 89,000 e-bikes sold this year (compared with 252,000 in Germany, for example). However, sales are set to more than triple between now and 2018, as infrastructure improves, manufacturing gets a better reputation and public awareness grows.
The European (and US) market suffered a flood of low-quality imported products that gave e-bikes a bad reputation. But in recent years, domestic companies have stepped up a gear to offer calibre frames for all types and terrains. High performance mountain bikes, luxury road cruisers, light collapsible commuter frames and bikes with child seats and trailers for the school run. A customised model has even been made for delivery companies.
What is particularly interesting in the UK is the sudden explosion of hire schemes in beauty spots all over the country, and the growth of e-bike tourism. Visitors to top destinations, including the Lake and Peak Districts, Dartmoor, the South Downs and Brecon Beacons can reach the highest peaks, the furthest cliffs and the most magnificent views with none of the hard work.
Urbanites don’t have to miss out either, with hire schemes in place across London – a great way to see the city in style. Many hire schemes, such as the one run by Just E Bikes along the Suffolk Heritage Coast, include charge points in numerous pubs and cafes along the way, and a hotel drop-off and collection service.
While electric cars have got a lot of attention (not always for the right reasons), the rise of their 2-wheeled counterpart has snuck by as inconspicuously as the bikes themselves. Copious column inches are devoted to electric car debates and complaints – the expense, the performance, the design, the issues with charge points. But there’s nothing bad to write about e-bikes; no debate. They just make good common sense:


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While diamonds, a decadent dinner or a designer dress might be desirable – a simple bouquet of flowers still goes a long way to say ‘sorry’, ‘congratulations’ or ... ‘I love you’.
And with Valentine’s Day creeping up, Botanica Flora’s Libby Reimers said generally girls just like getting flowers.
“It’s something you wouldn’t buy for yourself – that’s what makes receiving them so special,” she said.
While indoor plants have reached a new peak in popularity on Pinterest and Google searches, Mrs Reimers said they make a risky gift for the person you profess to love – especially if they’re green thumb is a little off colour.
“It can be stressful,” she said. “Give them something they can’t kill.”
Mrs Reimers said deep ruby, pink and majenta are trend colours in flower fashion right now and buyers can’t go wrong with roses.
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Respawn Entertainment plans to release multiple new games by the end of next year.
That news was revealed briefly during EA’s earnings conference call with investors and shareholders yesterday.
“Across multiple studios, we have new projects underway, including games from Respawn that are slated to launch by next holiday season,” said EA CEO Andrew Wilson.
Chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen confirmed that Wilson did indeed use the plural games, implying that Respawn is at work on more than one new title.
“You heard Andrew say ‘games’ plural in regards to Respawn,” said Jorgensen. “Consider that a little Easter egg left in the conference call.”
Pressed on when more information would be revealed, Jorgensen added: “We’ll have more to come on that. We’ll brief people on that as we get into the fourth quarter.”
Respawn hinted at work on a Star Wars title, Jedi: Fallen Order, this E3, but with no details besides a name, I’d hesitate to expect a launch next winter. There’s always hope for a Titanfall 3, of course, but Respawn was also supposedly working on a number of VR titles for EA.
EA purchased Respawn Entertainment for $455 million last November, after publishing its first two Titanfall games.


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Black Friday is perhaps the best-known global shopping event of the year – and certainly one of the biggest. According to statistics from the National Retail Federation, 165 million customers in the USA spent an average of $313.29 each during last year’s Black Friday period, generating a total revenue of $717.5 billion, with similar results expected off of the back of this year’s event.
What’s it all about?
In recent years, the internet has changed the game. Black Friday is no longer a one-day high street bonanza. With online sales swiftly overtaking bricks-and-mortar, Black Friday has now evolved to become an international online shopping festival, running for the five days up to Friday before continuing over the weekend and wrapping up on Cyber Monday. So, maximising this sales period is key for merchants.
Black Friday represents a massive opportunity for any online retailer, large or small, to reach out to an international marketplace. But this presents challenges, too. Although this year’s Black Friday activities are now firmly underway and the gaze of Retail is now moving to the 25th of December, a number of lessons can be learnt, and the groundwork can commence to ensure Black Friday success in 2021 and beyond.
Choosing a marketplace
As the player responsible for transforming Black Friday into an international event, Amazon remains one of the more apparent marketplaces for merchants to focus on. Despite now having its own shopping festival – Amazon Prime Day – Amazon continues to take Black Friday very seriously.
This year, the Amazon Black Friday deals started appearing a full week before the main day of Friday 26th. Of course, Amazon is heavily promoting its own brand devices (from Kindle to Echo) and is offering a considerable discount on these products. Despite a precedent for Amazon tech, the wider Amazon storefront once again offered a huge opportunity for third party merchants looking to capitalise on the demand offered by Black Friday. It is key for all merchants to follow this trend when preparing their deals.
Amazon may be a favourite for many merchants – but it’s certainly not the only option for e-commerce sellers. Most western marketplaces are offering Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. In the US, other key players include Walmart, eBay and NewEgg, creating ample choice for merchants looking to benefit from the substantial demand Black Friday enjoys around the world.
Regardless of whether you planned for Black Friday for months, weeks, or just a few days, it’s key to note that this shopping event in no longer for one day! This year’s BFCM period was longer than ever – further evidence in the growing power of e-commerce.
Cyber Monday, which took take place on December 2nd this year, was initially conceived as an online-only shopping event to promote internet shopping, back when e-commerce wasn’t the driving force it is today. Last year’s Cyber Monday was the biggest shopping event in Amazon’s history. There’s no arguing that Cyber Monday has been firmly cemented as a part of the broader Black Friday opportunity, generally bookending the Black Friday sales period.
Too late for Black Friday 2019?
Although it’s now a little too late to get on board with Black Friday 2021, many of the tactics and strategies that apply to Black Friday can be extended to your e-commerce strategy on a whole, especially for major shopping events like Christmas and Valentine’s Day. And, with a whole year of planning until Black Friday 2022, you’ve got plenty of time to get your ducks in a row for next time.
Planning is key
Decide well in advance what offers you are going to make and ensure you have the necessary stock and manpower in place. Use sales figures and analytics from throughout the year to better hypothesise which of your products will sell best and focus your efforts on best sellers or products you want to showcase. It’s also important to understand regional variances – product categories popular in one country may be overlooked elsewhere.
Understand your rules of engagement, such as budgetary increases for ads throughout the period. Be prepared to staff up temporarily to handle increased volumes.
Ensure your website/shop is ready for a potential traffic surge
Be ready for a spike in traffic and sales and have a plan in place to cope with any technical issues. Make sure you’re entering the holiday shopping period with an intuitive user interface, a seamless checkout experience offering multiple payment methods, and a high level of mobile functionality. This is solid advice for the entire year – a great user experience will bring shoppers back, so make it as easy as possible for them to interact with your site!
Nail down your FX strategy
When selling into a fast-paced global market with multiple currencies, you must work with an FX provider who can guarantee the service, platform stability and full pricing transparency so that you don’t get any nasty surprises or glitches during the sales. WorldFirst partners with major marketplaces and e-commerce service providers on a global scale, enabling them to help you solve problems with cross-border payments for your e-commerce business and support your trading needs.
Get your marketing prepared in advance.
Customers start researching their Black Friday deals as early as October, so you need to get your brand out there and on their ‘wanted’ list as soon as possible. It’s a highly competitive arena, and if you want to stand out, here’s what you can do:
- Consider applying for promoted placements in any BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) deals with Amazon and other marketplaces.
- Make Google ads Black Friday-themed and offer-specific and increase buyer urgency by linking these deals to limited inventory, or by offering them for a set time only.
- Don’t bid on ‘Black Friday’ as a keyword. Instead, bid on ‘Black Friday + product name’ as this will get you better visibility and a better return on your advertising spend thanks to improved relevancy scores and lower competition.
- Pause any spending on keywords for products that aren’t included in your Black Friday promotions until after the shopping festival, both on Amazon and Google.
- Get the adverts written up and approved at least a week in advance – longer if possible, to allow time for the build-up and cement your place at the top of the SERPs.
Track your success
Use Google analytics and heatmaps from sites like Hotjar to monitor site performance throughout the period to understand areas of success but also any insights where you can improve on. That way, you’ll be even better prepared for next year.
Embrace the Black Friday afterparty
Black Friday marks the start of the primary holiday shopping season when e-commerce sales are at their highest. There’s no better time to implement everything you’ve learnt above but you can apply it to Christmas rather than Black Friday. One promotion you can use to capitalise on this festive period is creating last-minute offers the week before Christmas – you could even offer free priority shipping to seal the deal.
Growing the experience
Whatever your plans were for this year’s Black Friday, remember that global shopping events like this pose an excellent opportunity for merchants with international mindsets. As experts in e-commerce, WorldFirst helps online sellers achieve better exchange rates and make same-currency supplier payments. Explore how you can get the best from your FX provider here.


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Only 1 week left to file for damages in the 2017 Equifax breach
January 15, 2020
Equifax’s 2017 data breach compromised the credit and personal data of millions of Americans. Now the settlement has been agree upon, and your window for making a claim is rapidly shrinking. If you were impacted, file your claim now. Here’s how.
Check out the free Komando.com App!
Get the latest tech updates and breaking news on the go, straight to your phone, with the Komando.com App, available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.


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What’s in Olivia Wilde’s “Special” Salad Dressing? knowing internet is dying
A “special” salad dressing mentioned in a report claiming to reveal details about Olivia Wilde and former fiancé Jason Sudeikis’ 2020 split has sparked rampant internet speculation.
An unnamed former nanny of the ex-couple claims to have seen the Sudeikis get “angry” when Wilde left her home to bring Harry Styles, her then-partner-to-be, a salad with the coveted dressing, according to a report that was published on Monday The Daily Mail. According to the publication, a drunk Sudeikis allegedly lay down in front of Wilde’s car to prevent her from leaving during the tense argument that ensued.
Wilde and Sudeikis denounced their former nanny’s “false and bizarre allegations” in a joint statement post, and accused her of waging a “campaign now 18 months long” of harassment. The former couple, who share two children, have not addressed the “special” clothing or other specific details of the nanny’s claims.
Some responded to the report on social media with speculation about the ingredients in the dressing. The article made no reference to the dressing, with the nanny reportedly saying she didn’t know “what was in it,” while Wilde also hadn’t shared any dressing recipes to her social media accounts as of Monday night.
“Okay, but I won’t be able to rest until I know what’s in Olivia Wilde’s salad dressing,” said writer and comedian Lane Moore tweeted.
“olivia wild’s silence on the recipe for her special salad dressing is deafening” tweeted Marlow Stern, senior entertainment editor at The Daily Beast.
“I just want to know what’s in Olivia Wilde’s special salad dressing,” wrote author Margaret Abrams tweeted.
“I have heard from a reliable source that this is Olivia Wilde’s special salad dressing recipe,” said actor Lenny Jacobson tweeted next to a photo showing containers of ketchup and mayonnaise.
“What if Olivia Wilde’s salad dressing was olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper?” tweeted Author Tricia Gilbride.
“I don’t give a damn about the Olivia Wilde/Harry Styles/Jason Sudeikis drama, but if someone doesn’t give me an ingredient list for their adulterous ‘special salad dressing,’ I’ll just die,” said writer/comedian Rachael Millanta tweeted.
“I’m trying to figure out if ‘Olivia Wilde’s Special Salad Dressing’ is a viable Halloween costume.” tweeted Emily McCullar, Senior Editor at Texas Monthly.
“Will dress up as Olivia Wilde with a bowl of salad and dressing for Halloween,” author Kosoko Jackson tweeted.
While Wilde has yet to confirm that the salad dressing specifically mentioned in the article exists, let alone reveal the potential ingredients that don’t worry darling The director shared at least one dressing recipe that might fit the bill.
A recipe for Roasted Salmon Salad with Zucchini and Potatoes provided by Wilde Food Network has the ingredients and directions for making an easy red wine vinaigrette salad dressing.
The ingredients, according to the Food Network, are as follows:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- olive oil, for emulsifying
For the dressing, combine red wine vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and garlic in a small bowl. Between two and four tablespoons of olive oil is then slowly mixed in to emulsify and complete the dressing.
news week contacted Wilde’s publicist for comment.
https://www.newsweek.com/whats-olivia-wildes-special-salad-dressing-internet-dying-know-1752577 What’s in Olivia Wilde’s “Special” Salad Dressing? knowing internet is dying


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Salesforce to sell corporate social networking
- Steven E.F. Brown
Salesforce.com Inc. will start selling a social network for businesses next year.
The service, called “Salesforce chatter,” is being tested in-house, said CEO Marc Benioff on Wednesday.
Using the network, employees of a business will be able to connect with their coworkers and update them on projects they are working on, share news of their progress and also connect with outside services Twitter and Facebook.
“Why do I know more about strangers on Facebook than my own employees?” said Benioff in a statement about why his company is reinventing the social network wheel.
Salesforce Chatter will be bundled in with some Salesforce services, but will also be sold by itself for about $50 per user per month.
Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) is based in San Francisco.
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After months of hide-and-seek, it seems like WhatsApp has finally pulled the trigger and enabled video calls on WhatsApp. I know WhatsApp has already made you wait enough, so I’d just straightaway show how to enable video calling on WhatsApp without further ado.
The reviews have started to pour in, and a vast majority of people agree that Google Pixel is the best phone Android can offer right now. Still, Some people are sceptical about what’s so special about this high-priced Android device – except for the fact that it’s made my Google. I try to uncover another perspective here about why Google Pixel is more than just another Android phone.
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio forayed into the Indian telecom segment, receiving an overwhelming response from the customers, backed by its disruptive pricing strategy. The flames of the curious ones have been fanned, for they seek to know that how Reliance manages to provide 4G at an affordable rate and how it still it isn’t a loss to the company.
A little over a year ago, Xiaomi launched a dirt cheap fitness tracker, the Mi Band and it has managed to boom past over 6 million worldwide shipments. It’s that time of the year again, when Xiaomi is expected to deliver a worthy successor to its no-nonsense fitness tracker. Meanwhile, we’ve jotted a few things to expect from the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 and how it can succeed like it’s predecessor.
I’ve been using an iPhone for the last four years. Thoughts of switching to Android have kept coming off and on, but I decided against it. This is mainly because I had made the switch twice in the past and went back to the iPhone soon enough. But Android has vastly improved especially with the Lollipop update.


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A recent lawsuit has filed a class action against Kia Motors America, Inc. for exaggerating the fuel efficiency of its cars. The suit alleges that the automaker failed to disclose certain facts when marketing their vehicles, and failed to inform customers that their cars’ fuel efficiency was far less than claimed. The alleged violations were identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which determined that inflated mileage claims were a fraud. The ruling came after a joint investigation between the EPA and the automaker. The companies admitted to adjusting their gas mileage estimates but said they would appeal the decision.
The EPA is investigating the matter, but the automaker has made the odometers in unsold cars more accurate.
The settlement involves the company sending prepaid debit cards to car owners, who must visit a dealership each year to get the odometer read properly. This amount will depend on how many owners participate in the lump sum program, but the company has more than $400 million in cash set aside for this purpose.
Hyundai and Kia are settling the class action suit because of the false mileage claims. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found flaws in the Hyundai testing process, which led to inaccurate estimates. In addition, the Korean automaker admitted to overstating its MPG ratings. The company is also being sued for unjust enrichment and violations of the California Unfair Competition Law. As a result of these issues, many people can pursue their legal recourse and seek compensation.
If you are a car owner who has experienced incorrect mileage rates, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit in the United States.
If you own a Hyundai or Kia vehicle, you may have a claim against the carmaker. However, the process can be lengthy and costly, and it can be difficult to win a lawsuit in the U.S. courts. For that reason, you may want to consult a legal professional before taking any action.
If you have been affected by the overstated mileage ratings of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, you may be entitled to compensation from the company. If you are one of the owners of a Hyundai, you may qualify for reimbursement through the Kia Mileage Reimbursement Program. For a Kia vehicle, the cost of fuel is reflected in the MPG rating. If you have purchased a Hyundai vehicle, you should not be surprised at the difference.
The EPA’s decision to settle the class action case between the carmaker and a consumer will not affect the company’s comprehensive reimbursement program. The EPA and the Court’s decision will not affect the settlement notice process, but the agreement will result in a lowered fuel economy rating. As a result, the plaintiffs, in this case, will receive partial compensation. The settlement will not change the amount of the settlement but will require Kia to pay a portion of its costs.
The settlement was reached through a class action against Kia and Hyundai Motor America.
The two companies violated the California Unfair Competition Law by overstating their MPG ratings. Since the odometers had to be adjusted, Kia and Hyundai have agreed to compensate owners for the additional fuel costs they have incurred. It’s a win-win situation for the consumers. The EPA will pay damages if the vehicle owner does not receive the right compensation.
Despite the ruling, Kia and Hyundai still face the pressure of a pending class action. The court said the automakers were not guilty of collusion with drivers’ lawyers, and that the settlement reflects the results of independent testing. The lawsuits, which were filed in 2011, are based on the false claims made by consumers and have the potential to cause millions of dollars in damages. In both cases, the courts have ruled against the carmakers.
The attorneys for the plaintiffs have settled a multistate MPG lawsuit involving Kia and Hyundai.
The settlement includes a total of $41.2 million in damages. It will cover fuel costs incurred because of the inflated mileage. As a result of this settlement, Kia has also offered to reimburse affected owners. It also has agreed to compensate those who have already paid a significant amount of money. The company says it will not make further adjustments to the mileage of its vehicles.


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Johannesburg, 16 Nov 2023
Integrated software solutions and business management systems provider Fusion Software has come a long way from its launch off a tea trolley in a back room.
The company now has over 250 clients ranging in size from SMEs to large enterprises. Over 15 000 users in multiple countries now depend on Fusion Software solutions to run their businesses, and these numbers are growing exponentially.
Fusion Software founder and CEO David Tayler launched the business straight out of university, borrowing money to buy a PC. “I started out working on a tea trolley because I couldn’t afford a desk. With the support of Colin Thornton, who founded Dial a Nerd, I worked out of a corner of a back room at the Dial a Nerd offices,” he recalls.
Tayler quickly secured his first customers. “I set out to make basic, custom computer systems for local businesses. In those days, software was so new that there wasn’t a lot out there. Fusion Software’s first customer was a referral – a lady who sold tea and cake and needed a specialised invoicing system.”
Another early system managed videos for a video editing company. “We built anything and everything, and there were a lot of learning curves,” he says.
Within three months, Tayler appointed his first employee, a fellow developer. “Business picked up fast, but I didn’t earn a salary for the first six months. I used any money that came in for rent, a cellphone contract and my employee’s salary,” he recalls.
Demand grew quickly, and Fusion Software expanded into multiple sectors. Fusion Software now builds systems ranging from CRM, timesheets, projects, expenses, leave, job cards, help desk, HR, accounting and stock control systems.
Lessons and milestones
Tayler says he learned some valuable business lessons over the years. “Driving constant growth against competition – especially from massive international firms – is a big challenge. In addition, software implementations can be unbelievably challenging because so many elements are involved. I also realised early the risks involved in underquoting to get the business, despite how much work had to be done. When you’re running a business, you spend your life worrying about the financial aspect.”
Some of the company’s biggest milestones have been passing the 20 staff member mark, buying its own offices in Parkwood, Johannesburg, and breaking the 1 000-user barrier. Tayler says: “The launch of our MiFusion product line five years ago was a game-changer for the business, which resulted in a huge growth spurt.
“We went from a tea trolley to around 40 staff members and customers that include major enterprises like BBD, Inspired Testing, the PPLE Group, ICT-Works, Murray & Roberts, Itec and Burgess Plumbing. Our solutions are used by thousands of people in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and even as far afield as The Netherlands and India,” he says. “We have built systems ranging from a single-user system to our largest – a temporary teacher timesheet and payroll system that caters for over 5 000 users.”
Fusion Software’s growth has accelerated in recent years, driving a relaunch of its business partner programme and the creation of four dedicated business units to handle, namely DevOps, Project Management, Sales Unit and dedicated Support Desk, with a line manager to head each division.
Tayler credits his team with the company’s success. “Every great business is built by the team behind it. Our staff have been instrumental in our growth,” he says. Over 40% of the employees have worked for Fusion Software for over five years, and the longest-standing staff member has worked for the company for 17 years. Tayler notes that the team members are committed to staying abreast of technology developments, to bring the best possible solutions to their customers.
Built in SA, for SA
Despite changes in the IT market over the past 20 years, Fusion Software has not deviated from its initial goal of developing software built in South Africa, for South Africans.
Tayler says: “One of our goals is to be one of South Africa’s biggest locally developed, sold and implemented product houses. Where most companies sell international software, we build our own.
"This is important because every company has unique needs. They all need solutions that are cost-effective and supported locally to ensure their solutions live up to expectations. We are here, doing face-to-face implementations, support, maintenance and training to help our customers get the maximum benefit from their systems.”


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A two-day basic drawing workshop focusing on 'light and shade' is set to take place in Stamford.
Find out when two of Rutland's most popular visitor attractions will reopen.
An iconic stately home will reopen to the public on August 5, helping to give the Stamford area's economy a boost.
The founder of the Guild of Jam and Preserve Makers is launching an online jam festival thought to be the first of its kind.
Sacrewell Farm has received a £50,000 cash boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Crowds who should have been at Burghley House in Stamford this weekend are urged to host a picnic party in their garden instead to help charity.
Rutland’s iconic pleasure boat the Rutland Belle will reopen for business on Saturday (July 4).
Nevill Holt Opera will open its gardens on Saturday, July 4, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy socially distanced performances of live music.
Showcase Cinemas has released a video to show guests what the new socially distanced cinema experience will be like ahead of the reopening.
A garden in Ryhall will open for the first time as part of the National Gardens Scheme next weekend.
Sacrewell Farm in Thornhaugh, will be opening its doors again on Saturday, July 4.


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Newell Rubbermaid's quarterly results beat analysts' estimates
July 26 (Reuters) - Consumer products maker Newell Rubbermaid Inc reported a better-than-expected quarter, helped by demand in Latin America and its efforts to boost productivity.
Net income fell 2 percent to $109.8 million, or 37 cents per share, in the quarter ended June from $111.8 million, or 38 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the company earned 50 cents per share.
Second-quarter sales rose 3.5 percent to $1.47 billion.
Analysts on average expected the company report earnings of 49 cents per share on revenue of $1.47 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
- Ukraine says Russian tanks flatten town; EU to threaten more sanctions |
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- Islamic State militants behead captive Lebanese soldier: video
- China and Hong Kong poised for showdown over democracy
- Putin says Russia must strengthen its economic, military position in Arctic


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A cold winter and spring, followed by a hot summer means it's a bumper year for fruit.
It's also set to be a vintage year for wine makers in England and Wales. From Cornwall, Emily Morgan reports.
Cornwall winemaker Bob Lindo says this year's harvest has yielded so many grapes that he will have to throw some grapes away for the first time.
The excess of heat and light initiates next year's fruit, which means the potential for 2014 is already higher than average, he told ITV News.
Despite last summer's poor weather, sales of English sparkling wine trebled in 2012 - thanks in part to the Olympic Games.


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Audi Will Recall 600K Vehicles
Jan. 31, 2017—Audi will reportedly recall more than 600,000 vehicles in the U.S. over defective airbags and coolant pumps that could catch fire, according to a report by Law 360.
Dealerships will carry out the repairs and replace parts free of charge, the carmaker said to the Agence France-Presse.
The automaker stated that a corrosion problem that could prevent airbags from deploying affects more than 234,000 Audi 2011-2017 A5 models.
Faulty coolant pumps that can overheat and cause fires were installed in more than 342,800 Audi A4s, A5s, A6s and Q5s produced in or after 2012.
Another 5,901 Audi A4, A6, Q7 and Q5 2017 and 2018 models risk faulty airbag deployment and seat belt problems.


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New end of year figures released in the quarterly Creditsafe Watchdog Report show a bumper month across financial indicators for the transport and logistics sector, counterbalanced by a worrying upward trend in company failures of 178.70 per cent compared to Q3 and up 432.74 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The Watchdog report tracks quarterly economic developments across the Transport and Logistics and 11 other sectors (Banking & Financial, Farming & Agriculture, Hospitality, IT, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Retail, Sports & Entertainment, Construction, Utilities and Wholesale).
Total sales were up 2.97 per cent over the quarter, supported by 5,764 more new companies in the sector than in Q4 2016. Employment levels and wages stagnated, however, with a 4.69 per cent increase in employees in the last 12 months.
Company failures in the transport and logistics sector reached their highest level in the last three months of the year, with 602 recorded receiverships in Q4. One of the economy’s most significant failures this year was included in these figures when Monarch Airlines collapsed in early October.
Rachel Mainwaring, operations director at Creditsafe, commented: “There are positive signs of growth across the transport and logistics sector, as both established and new companies have demonstrated strong financial performance this year.
“However, the mammoth jump in company failures seen towards the end of 2017, suggests that the sector may have adopted a higher risk ‘fail fast and often’ strategy, sometimes used to describe the disruptive and agile tech sector. As a steady stream of new companies entered the market in 2017, perhaps we’re now seeing a significant proportion burn out.”
“In road freight specifically, we have also seen a similar upwards trend across sales, active companies, employment and wages, as well an increase in company failures of 17.89 per cent. With the figures in road freight showing smaller swings, there appears to be less volatility in this area than across the sector as whole.”


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Mercedes-Benz CEO on China Tension, UAW Strike
"Let’s keep markets open and let market participants fight it out," Mercedes-Benz Group CEO Ola Källenius says. Speaking with Guy Johnson and Matt Miller on "Bloomberg Markets: European Close," Källenius also comments on the UAW strike and electric vehicles. The EU earlier last week opened an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles.
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By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. producer prices unexpectedly fell in December amid declining costs for goods such as diesel fuel and food, suggesting inflation would continue to subside and allow the Federal Reserve to start cutting interest rates this year.
The report from the Labor Department on Friday, which also showed prices for services were unchanged for the third straight month, implied that a pick-up in consumer prices last month was likely a blip. It led economists to anticipate that the key price measures tracked by the U.S. central bank for its 2% inflation target rose moderately in December from the prior month.
“The inflation pipeline is clearing and consumer prices will gradually get to the Fed’s 2% target,” said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The producer price index for final demand dipped 0.1% last month, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Data for November was revised to show the PPI falling 0.1% instead of being unchanged as previously reported. The PPI has now declined for three consecutive months.
Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the PPI rebounding 0.1%. Goods prices dropped 0.4%, with a 12.4% decline in the cost of diesel fuel accounting for half of the decrease.
Goods prices fell 0.3% in November. They have dropped for three straight months. Excluding food and energy, goods prices were unchanged after edging up 0.1% in November.
The weakness also suggested that goods deflation remained in force despite an uptick in consumer goods prices in December following two straight monthly decreases.
Food prices slipped 0.9% last month, with the cost of eggs tumbling 20.5%, but reversing only a fraction of the 71.2% surge in November. An outbreak of avian flu at some commercial farms was behind the spike in prices in November. Wholesale passenger car prices fell 3.0%. But gasoline prices increased 2.1%.
In the 12 months through December, the PPI increased 1.0% after advancing 0.8% in November. Data on Thursday showed consumer prices increased more than expected in December, driven by solid gains in shelter and healthcare costs.
The dollar fell against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices were mostly higher, while stocks were mixed.
SERVICES PRICES UNCHANGED
Financial markets remain hopeful that the Fed will start cutting interest rates in March, though most economists are leaning towards May or June, given the labor market’s resilience. The central bank has hiked its policy rate by 525 basis points to the current 5.25%-5.50% range since March 2022.
Services prices were curbed by declines in margins for machinery and motor vehicle wholesaling. Prices for hotel and motel rooms rose 2.1%. There were also decreases in the costs of transporting freight by road, automobiles and parts retailing, and apparel wholesaling.
But portfolio management fees rebounded 1.5%, reflecting recent stock market gains. Airline fares increased 2.1%. Health and medical insurance costs edged up 0.1%.
With supply chains mostly normalized after severe disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, services are at the core of the inflation battle. Services inflation, partly driven by a tight labor market, is less responsive to rate hikes.
Portfolio management fees, healthcare, hotel and motel accommodation, and airline fares are among components in the calculation of the personal consumption expenditures price indexes, the inflation measures monitored by the Fed for monetary policy.
Based on the CPI and PPI data, economists estimated the PCE price index excluding food and energy rose 0.2% in December after gaining 0.1% in November and October. In the 12 months through December, the so-called core PCE price was forecast increasing 3.0%. That would be the smallest year-on-year gain since March 2021 and follow a 3.2% rise in November.
The overall PCE price index is also seen climbing 0.2% in December, with the annual increase forecast to come in at about 2.6%, unchanged from November’s advance.
Some economists worried that war in the Middle East and attacks on container ships by Iran-aligned Houthi militants in the Red Sea, which have forced companies to reroute vessels, driving up costs sharply along with insurance premiums, could push up prices of oil and other goods.
But others expected increased oil production in the United States to blunt the impact on consumers.
The narrower measure of PPI, which strips out food, energy and trade services components, rose 0.2% in December after gaining 0.1% in the prior month. The so-called core PPI rose 2.5% on a year-on-year basis after increasing 2.4% in November.
“The key upside risk to inflation is from the war in the Middle East and potential disruptions to trade flows and global energy supplies,” said Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank in Dallas. “But petroleum and renewables output are growing faster than GDP in the U.S., which so far has offset the impact of geopolitical risk and kept energy prices well behaved.”
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Andrea Ricci)


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About 22ha just north of Oamaru, bought in 2001 to develop a $20 million business park, is on the market and sources said it was likely Teschemakers, the former Catholic girls' boarding school, plus another 500ha of farmland would also be sold.
Nikken's principal shareholder Dr Hirotomo Ochi, who died in October 2005, bought Teschemakers for about $500,000 in 2000, and from that sprang the idea of the business park and the purchase of about 500ha of farmland to produce organic foods for processing.
Dr Ochi was also the principal shareholder in food company Nikken Foods, but since his death the projects - which could have created hundreds of jobs - have languished.
Former Waitaki mayor Alan McLay yesterday said the business park land was still "a huge opportunity long term".
"Nothing has changed, except the possibility of having Japanese enterprises and industries.
''It's given us the opportunity for a much-needed industrial area for the town," he said.
Mr McLay did not believe the involvement of Nikken Seil and its other companies would continue in North Otago.
He expected its farms and Teschemakers would be sold.
Last week, the business park site, on State Highway 1 opposite the Oamaru racecourse, was listed by Colliers International for sale by private treaty.
Nikken Seil's North Otago representative Katashi Kai confirmed it was for sale, but declined to comment on the future of Teschemakers and farmland.
Nikken Seil, which was 74% owned by Dr Ochi, owns the business park land and farms.
Teschemakers is owned by 3H Family, which was Dr Ochi's own private company.
However, it is understood other land, including Teschemakers, is also likely to be offered for sale in the future.
Mr Katashi said it had been decided to sell the business park land "in the hope some other company may buy and develop it".