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- Australia's ASX 200 index rose by 38.5 points (0.53%) and currently trades at 7,350.20
- Japan's Nikkei 225 index has risen by 407.76 points (1.43%) and currently trades at 28,957.11
- Hong Kong's Hang Seng index has risen by 218.17 points (0.87%) and currently trades at 25,180.76
UK and Europe:
- UK's FTSE 100 futures are currently up 15.5 points (0.22%), the cash market is currently estimated to open at 7,223.21
- Euro STOXX 50 futures are currently up 15.5 points (0.37%), the cash market is currently estimated to open at 4,164.56
- Germany's DAX futures are currently up 57 points (0.37%), the cash market is currently estimated to open at 15,519.72
- DJI futures are currently up 534.75 points (1.56%)
- S&P 500 futures are currently up 47.5 points (0.32%)
- Nasdaq 100 futures are currently up 14 points (0.32%)
Indices: FTSE confirms reversal pattern, eyes on the DAX
Along with global indices in general, the FTSE 100 finally broke higher yesterday in line with investor’s appetite for risk. Invalidating trend resistance, an inverted head and shoulders pattern was confirmed which projects a target around 7500. The next major resistance levels for bulls to conquer is the August high at 7224.46 and, if this is a real breakout, we would not want to see prices trade back beneath yesterday’s low.
We’re now waiting to see if the DAX can follow suit and break trend resistance, like the S&P 500 and FTSE 100 did. The daily chart closed at the high of the day although resistance was found at the 50-day eMA and trend resistance. This provides a pivotal level, but if we see a gap higher then our bias remains bullish above yesterday’s low around 15,300.
S&P 500 earnings scheduled for today
- Q3 2021 Prologis Inc (PLD) Earnings Release
- Q3 2021 PNC Financial (PNC) Services Group Inc Earnings Release
View today’s video: Under the Microscope: E-mini S&P Futures
FTSE 350: Market Internals
FTSE 350: 4125.65 (0.92%) 14 October 2021
- 289 (82.34%) stocks advanced and 58 (16.52%) declined
- 8 stocks rose to a new 52-week high, 4 fell to new lows
- 56.7% of stocks closed above their 200-day average
- 41.88% of stocks closed above their 50-day average
- 15.38% of stocks closed above their 20-day average
- + 7.0% - Baltic Classifieds Group PLC (BCG.L)
- + 6.2% - Harbour Energy PLC (HBR.L)
- + 5.8% - Darktrace PLC (DARK.L)
- ·-13.2% - Qinetiq Group PLC (QQ.L)
- ·-4.15% - Domino's Pizza Group PLC (DOM.L)
- ·-3.12% - Close Brothers Group PLC (CBRO.L)
Forex: Consumer sentiment, retail sales and inflation expectations in focus
Trends established yesterday extended their reach overnight. The New Zealand dollar remained the dominant force in the FX space whilst the yen was offloaded across the board, with the only difference being that volatility was not as fierce.
The baulk of today’s data worth a mention is in the US session. Import prices are an inflationary input, so any rise or fall here is a proxy for factory gate prices. Retail sales is a proxy for consumer demand, with both data sets scheduled for 13:30 BST. Then at 15:00 we have the preliminary University of Michigan Survey which includes consumer sentiment and inflation expectations.
Whilst September’s consumer confidence print had nudged its way higher, the August read had plummet (somewhat suddenly) to a 10-year low. Therefore, another weak confidence print today could ruffle a few bullish/hawkish feathers if it breaks to new lows.
And then there’s consumer inflation expectations which remain near multi-decade highs. Whilst consumers are not generally credit with their forecasting abilities, they will change their spending habits if they believe prices will change in future, so policy makers track what they think. And should inflation expectations continue to rise it’s another tick on the ‘hurry up and tighten policy’ box for the Fed.
Commodities: Commodities broadly higher
WTI continues to move higher, yet volume is low to show a lack of commitment from the bull camp. A trend needs volume to be sustained, so without fresh buyers stepping in we suspect a correction (or pause in trend) could be due over the near-term.
Gold trades around 1795 near its 200-day eMA after printing an indecision candle yesterday. The longer it stays below 1800 the greater the odds of a pullback, but if it can break to new highs then the next resistance level is around 1820 (monthly R1 pivot). Falling TIPS (proxy for real rates) are falling which can be beneficial for gold prices.
Platinum is now above its 200-day eMA after rising to a 10-week high yesterday. We retain our bullish bias above 997.
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New figures show a large drop in the number of containers being returned under the Northern Territory's cash for containers scheme.
The scheme, which forced drinks companies to refund 10c for each returned container, has been in turmoil since the Federal Court ruled earlier this year that it was illegal under Commonwealth law.
When the Territory Government was propping up the scheme, almost half of all containers sold in the Territory were being returned.
Since the Territory has been able to run the scheme legally, it has hit more problems.
In the September quarter the recycling rate dropped to just over a third of all containers.
Halfway through that period, the beverage industry began running the scheme again, and all but one Darwin depot closed their doors.
Some depots still have not re-opened, saying the beverage industry runs a far more complicated operation than the government did, and that makes it unviable.
Other depots have recently begun operating again, but most still say they're waiting for the Government to amend the cash for container laws, so they get fairer returns.

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Facade Install Continues for 2nd Tower at Omni Seaport
Facade install continues for the 2nd tower at the Omni Seaport across from the Boston Convention Center. The 1,055-room hotel's two towers are connected by a 3-story podium. Guest amenities will include a rooftop pool, spa, and fitness center. The hotel will also be connected to the BCEC via an existing underground tunnel below Summer Street. Construction is expected to be complete in 2021.
Crews are back on site, working on framing for the Omni Boston Seaport. The upcoming 1,055 room hotel will be the city's fourth-largest hotel when complete. The hotel will also include 120,000 square feet of meeting and event space including two large 25,000-square-foot and 15,500-square-foot ballrooms, 35,000 square feet of restaurant space, 5,000 square feet of retail space and an 8,500-square-foot spa and fitness center.
Construction Continues for Omni Boston Hotel at The Seaport
Construction continues for the Omni Boston Hotel at The Seaport. Framing is rising for one of the towers while facade install is ongoing on the other. The 21-story building will include 746 standard rooms and 278 innovation rooms. Hotel guests will have access to meeting and event space, a spa, a fitness center, and 400 off-site parking spaces. With the Boston Convention Center being a main draw to the hotel, there will be access to the BCEC via an existing underground tunnel.
Framing is ongoing and facade install continues for the 1,055 room Omni Boston Seaport. The hotel is set to open in early 2021 and will offer a 24-hour fitness center, 3 dining options, a full-service spa, plus an expansive pool deck with bar. New interior renderings have also popped up on the hotel's website, giving a glimpse of the finishes guests can expect from the high-end property.
Framing Progressing for Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
Framing continues on the upcoming Omni Seaport Hotel with the first set of windows going in at the corner of Summer & D Streets for what will be one of two towers connected by the three-story podium. The 1,055 room hotel will also include 120,000 square feet of meeting space plus an underground tunnel connecting the hotel to the Convention Center across the street. Construction is expected to last through 2021.
With the concrete cores on the site climbing, framing has also started for the upcoming Omni Hotel in Boston's busy Seaport. The 1,055 room hotel will feature the city's largest ballroom and a 4th-floor pool deck that will allow guests to host year-round events featuring views of the Boston skyline. The luxury hotel will also offer guests access to the Mokara Spa, a state of the art fitness center, and numerous dining options including a French brasserie & boulangerie. The Omni Seaport is set to open in early 2021.
Concrete cores are rapidly rising for the Omni Seaport Hotel. The massive, 1055 room hotel will offer direct access to the Boston Convention Center via an existing underground tunnel. The hotel will also include 120,000 square feet of meeting and event space including two large 25,000-square-foot and 15,500-square-foot ballrooms, 35,000 square feet of restaurant space, 5,000 square feet of retail space and an 8,500-square-foot spa and fitness center. The project is targeting LEED Silver certification and is expected to be complete in early 2021.
Work has started on 2 concrete cores for the upcoming Omni Seaport across from the Boston Convention Center. The 788,5000 square foot building will house around 1,055 hotel rooms along with meeting and event space, retail, restaurant, and a fitness center with spa. Over 275 of the guest rooms will be "innovation rooms" at around 250 square feet in size. With the largest hotel ballroom in the Seaport and 100,000 square feet of flexible space, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport should prove to be a hub for meetings and events. The Omni is set to open in early 2021.
Tower Crane in Place for Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
A tower crane is in place for the upcoming 788,500 square foot Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport. The project will feature two 21-story towers connected by a 3-story ground floor podium. The hotel will include over 1,000 guest rooms, 120,000 square feet of meeting and event space, 5,000 square feet of retail, multiple restaurant options, and a spa and fitness center. The Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport is set to open in early 2021.
Foundation piles are being driven for the upcoming Omni Hotel in Boston's Seaport. The new hotel across from The Boston Convention Center will include 1055 rooms and 120,000 sf of meeting and event space. Guest amenities will include a rooftop pool, spa, and could also feature an above-ground skating rink. The hotel will be connected to the Convention Center by an existing underground tunnel. Construction on the project is expected to be complete in 2021.
After the groundbreaking earlier this summer, site works continues for the upcoming Omni Hotel in the Seaport. The 21 story hotel is set to include 1055 guest rooms along with the largest hotel ballroom in Boston. The Omni will also feature the French Brasserie and a signature Mokara Spa and fitness center as well as an elevated pool bar and grill with the Boston skyline as its backdrop.
The $550 million hotel, across from Boston's Convention Center, is set to open in 2021.
On Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018, the Seaport celebrated another highly anticipated and welcome addition with the Omni Boston Seaport Hotel ground breaking ceremony. Mayor Marty Walsh, Governor Charlie Baker, Massport CEO Tom Glynn, and John G. Davis of New Boston Hospitality all took part in the event.
The $550 million project, will be located on a 2.1-acre parcel across from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (BCEC). The new a 1,054-room 788,500-square-foot hotel will feature two new 21-story towers connected by a three-story ground-floor podium.
NEW OMNI HOTEL WILL GET BCEC ‘PAST THE TIPPING POINT,’ DAVID GIBBONS SAYS Mass Convention Center Authority Executive Director Addresses MassEcon Members Meeting
WESTBOROUGH, MA – Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Executive Director David Gibbons told MassEcon members today that the Omni hotel now under construction, with 1,050 rooms, will get the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) “past the tipping point” toward the estimated 3,500 nearby hotel rooms that were forecast as needed when the convention facility was planned in the 1990s. About 2,000 rooms had been built toward that goal, but many of them were limited service hotels, which are not as helpful to convention center business as big groups work to book blocks of rooms several years ahead, Gibbons said.
The new hotel is scheduled to open in 2021. Having enough hotel rooms within a nearby walk of the exhibition space is critical to the success of the venue, Gibbons reported. Gibbons outlined an increasingly positive financial picture of the BCEC, which he said functions as an economic engine for the region’s hospitality industry and larger economy and has been statutorily allowed to run an operating deficit of up to $26 million a year. Gibbons, who has been executive director for two years after serving as general manager of hotels in Boston for more than two decades, said that deficit is being steadily reduced. “We are now approaching zero.”
“Our financial performance gives comfort to people on the Hill that we know what we’re doing and we’re not out wasting money,” Gibbons said. He addressed a breakfast meeting of MassEcon, which is celebrating its 25thanniversary this year as it works with public and private sectors to assist companies in locating or expanding in Massachusetts.
Asked about the recently announced proposal to help reduce Seaport transportation congestion with a gondola transportation system from South Station to the Boston Marine Industrial Park and eastern neighborhood of the South Boston Waterfront, Gibbons called it “intriguing... an interesting idea.” Gibbons said the convention center authority has “a huge transportation profile” in managing several private transportation initiatives from North Station to the Seaport and is also involved in planned water transportation from the North Station area. “They have to go through a public process,” Gibbons said of Millennium Partners, which has Seaport plans for about two million square feet of development and has put forward the gondola concept. “There are some aesthetic issues. We are in need of solutions. The gondola may be one of them.”
Gibbons said the recent annual impact of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority amounts to a total of $775 million in economic activity, 336 events, 665,965 hotel room nights, and 732,587 attendees. The authority spends $115 million a year for operations and has 300 direct employees. It owns three facilities: the BCEC, the Hynes Memorial Convention Center in the Back Bay, and the MassMutual Center in Springfield.
The authority is embarking now on a $2 million study to determine future needs, what they will cost, and how to pay for them. Gibbons said the BCEC has been handicapped by having been scaled back from its original size in exhibition space and parking, as well as having only one large ballroom instead of two. He said the current order of priorities is to see the Omni hotel, which is being developed with no public subsidy, finished, to add meeting space, and later to expand the BCEC’s 516,000 square feet of exhibition space.
Omni Hotel Seaport proponents kick off city review process, Q3 2018 groundbreaking anticipated
The Davis Companies and Omni Hotel Management Corporation, developers of an upcoming 1,054-key luxury hotel located on a 2.1-acre Massport-owned parcel across from the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) in the Seaport District, have filed plans for the project with the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), kicking off the hotel’s city review process. Though projects constructed on Massport-owned land are exempt from the City of Boston’s Zoning Code, both Massport and the proponents have agreed that the project will voluntarily undergo city review.
The Omni Hotel will feature amenities including 120,000 square feet of meeting and event space with two large 25,000 square foot and 15,500 square foot ballrooms, 40,000 square feet of retail space, an 8,500 square foot spa and fitness center and a rooftop pool. The hotel could also feature an above-ground skating rink. The Omni Hotel will provide the Seaport District and the BCEC with much-needed hotel rooms; per a report released by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) in 2016, the BCEC has the fewest hotel rooms available within walking distance in comparison to convention centers in major US cities. Meanwhile, in 2016, Boston placed among the cities with the highest hotel rates in the country. Construction of the Omni Hotel is anticipated to commence in the third quarter of 2018, with completion expected in 2021.
Massport has selected Omni Resorts and Hotels and New Boston Hospitality LLC, a conglomerate of real estate firms and investors including The Davis Companies, to develop a 1,054-room hotel on a 2.1-acre parcel located across from the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in the Seaport District. The new hotel, which will be the largest in the Seaport District and the fourth-largest in Boston and all of Massachusetts, will feature two new 21-story towers and will also include 120,000 square feet of meeting and event space, 40,000 square feet of retail space and an 8,500 square foot spa. Construction of the hotel is anticipated to start in summer 2018, with completion expected in early 2021. Omni Resorts and Hotel is the owner and operator of the Omni Parker House hotel in Downtown Crossing. The following are renderings of the Seaport Omni Hotel:
The following is a site plan of the Seaport Omni Hotel:
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August marks the end of summer for many students and the start of a new school year. After the winter holidays, the back-to-school season is the second-most important shopping season for retailers. As a result, retail stocks are poised to gain handsomely during this time.
According to a forecast from professional services firm Deloitte LLP, back-to-school spending will reach $32.5 billion, up 16% from 2020 and 17% from 2019 as parents and students gear up for an in-person classroom experience after a year of virtual learning.
But there are challenges as well. Inflationary pressures are mounting. Delays at global ports could contribute to inventory shortages. And, the back-to-school shopping season stretches from June to late September, making it tough to manage inventories and plan promotions.
There are certain themes you should watch when investing in back-to-school retail stocks. For example, although there will be strong demand for a variety of goods, technology and apparel will be two key areas. Apparel retailers will be the biggest beneficiaries since many students will be forgoing Zoom (NASDAQ:ZM) classes for in-person learning.
Each retailer will be affected differently by the season as students buy supplies they skipped over last year. Let’s also not forget college students, who will be shelling out cash for bedding and bathroom items.
These five companies stand to benefit exponentially from this unique season:
- Dicks Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS)
- AT&T (NYSE:T)
- Dollar Tree (NASDAQ:DLTR)
- Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN)
- Walmart (NYSE:WMT)
Retail Stocks: Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS)
DKS might seem like a curveball on this list of retail stocks. But a return to school means a return to athletics. Despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, net sales for the fiscal year rose 9.5% to around $9.58 billion. Consolidated same-store sales grew a record-setting 9.9% despite temporary store closures during March, April, and May. Most impressively, e-commerce sales soared 100% for the full year 2020.
In May, the sports retailer unveiled fiscal first-quarter earnings and revenue that handily exceeded analyst estimates. Dick’s net income surged to $361.8 million, or $3.41 per share, from a loss of $143.4 million, or $1.71 per share, a year earlier.
Revenue jumped 119% to $2.92 billion from $1.33 billion a year earlier. Same-store sales surged 115% year over year, the company said, which included e-commerce growth of 14%.
This is a key metric for any retailer moving forward. DKS is well aware of this; that’s why it has spent millions of dollars creating a distribution center to serve its e-commerce site better.
CEO Lauren Hobart said the retailer saw a resurgence in its team sports business during the quarter, as kids returned to activities following a year when authorities canceled many youth sports. We can expect that momentum to continue as schools reopen, and kids get back to team sports.
Smartphones are part of our daily lives, and younger children are no exception. As a result, parents are looking for family cellphone plans. That brings telecom and media giant AT&T into the picture.
Over the years, the tech giant rewarded investors handsomely during its long journey to transform from a boring old telecom into a dominant player in new media.
But there have been two recent catalysts that have sent the share price into a tailspin. First, the company revealed that it would create a new company called Warner Bros. Discovery through a merger between its WarnerMedia subsidiary and Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:DISCA). Subsequently, it will spin off 71% of those shares to AT&T shareholders.
AT&T also agreed to sell a stake in its pay-TV unit to private equity firm TPG Capital and carve out the struggling business. With no media assets remaining, AT&T will cut its dividend by about 50%, which will hurt the stock.
But there are positives to keep in mind. Once AT&T receives the $43 billion in payments from the new Warner Bros Discovery company and $7.3 billion from the new DirectTV company, it will pare down its $167.9 billion in net debt.
Mark Hake wrote an incisive article on the potential scenarios for AT&T stockholders moving forward. I recommend reading the piece to get more insight regarding the latest market moves.
Retail Stocks: Dollar Tree (DLTR)
Dollar Tree is one of the best back-to-school retail stocks because it targets an oft-neglected demographic – the savings-conscious consumer. Even if you have done all your back-to-school shopping, parents will have to make additional shopping trips once their kids tell them about the extra supplies needed.
DLTR has proven to be quite a recession-resistant stock. In fact, whenever there has been economic turmoil, Dollar Tree has done well because the company stocks essential items at affordable prices.
In its first quarter of fiscal 2021, Dollar Tree earned $374.5 million, or $1.60 a share, up from $1.04 a share in the year-ago period. Revenue rose 3% to $6.48 billion from $6.29 billion in the prior year’s first quarter. Analysts’ expectations were for EPS of $1.42 from revenue of $6.42 billion.
The company forecast muted growth for the full year, expecting to earn between $5.80 and $6.05 a share, with an uptick in same-store sales in the low single digits. Dollar Tree has predicted that freight costs will likely be higher in the remaining three quarters of its fiscal year than in 2020.
The downbeat outlook has led to DLTR stock losing some steam. And therefore, this otherwise excellent stock is trading at just 0.9 times price-to-sales. Although shares lost 14.6% of value in the last three months, that should not deter you from investing in this one.
Texas Instruments (TXN)
Texas Instruments has several segments. But it is mainly known for producing financial calculators. Now that kids are going back to school, sales of its well-known calculators are set to skyrocket. It’s important to note here, though, that this Dallas-based company generates about 95% of its revenue from semiconductors.
Right now, we are in the middle of a semiconductor shortage. In the current environment, companies such as Texas Instruments will continue to thrive.
Most recently, the major auto-chip supplier’s posted second-quarter net income of $1.93 billion, or $2.05 a share, compared with $1.38 billion, or $1.48 a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue surged to $4.58 billion from $3.24 billion in the year-ago quarter. Rich Templeton, president & CEO at Texas Instruments, said the revenue gains were were “due to strong demand in industrial, automotive and personal electronics.”
Texas Instruments expects third-quarter earnings of between $1.87 and $2.13 a share on revenue of $4.4 billion to $4.76 billion. Although the forecast is muted, reflecting decelerating growth from the second quarter, these are still healthy numbers.
Retail Stocks: Walmart (WMT)
Faced with a long list of back-to-school supplies, parents usually head to large general merchandise retailers like Target (NYSE:TGT) and Walmart. I am partial to Walmart because the stock is up just 3% in the last three months, marking a very rare dry spell for the retailer, which is an all-weather stock.
In May, the big-box retailer reported first-quarter revenue of $138.3 billion, an increase of $3.7 billion, from $134.62 billion a year earlier, exceeding Wall Street’s expectations of $131.97 billion. Net income rose to $2.73 billion, or 97 cents per share, from $3.99 billion, or $1.40 per share, a year earlier.
But revenue was negatively affected by approximately $4.2 billion related to recent divestitures in Walmart International. Additionally, there are concerns about inflation, slowing earnings growth, and the coronavirus delta variant. All things considered, Walmart has performed through thick and thin mainly due to the retailer’s operations.
During the pandemic, shelter-in-place orders prompted customers to stock up on food and household items and make more purchases online. Now that things are getting back to normal, customers are picking up bicycles and athletic gear from the Walmart nearest to them. In every scenario, the retailer benefits.
On the publication date, Faizan Farooque did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
Faizan Farooque is a contributing author for InvestorPlace.com and numerous other financial sites. Faizan has several years of experience in analyzing the stock market and was a former data journalist at S&P Global Market Intelligence. His passion is to help the average investor make more informed decisions regarding their portfolio.


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A 24-year-old girl student of University of Hyderabad recently began a signature campaign to highlight the difficulties caused by shortage of sanitary pads on campus, and this has forced the authorities to act. They have constituted an empowered committee to procure sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators in the ladies’ hostel.
It was two months ago that the University had cracked the whip on errant shopkeepers and eateries on campus, accused of selling expired products.
Stores in North complex and South complex were raided and contracts of shops, found guilty of irregularities, were terminated and closed. Shops still continue to remain closed as the process to announce tenders is still underway.
While a few were happy that the errant shopkeepers faced the wrath of the administration for selling expired foods, others were disappointed that they could no longer buy snacks or refreshments in the campus—virtually making it tough for students to live in the 2,000-acre campus. However, not everyone thought about this— Where will girls buy sanitary napkins? Will they have to walk for 3-4kms to buy them? Shouldn’t temporary arrangements be made?
Administration officials were embarrassed to learn that the closure of the shops also had an unintended consequence which no had anticipated.
Sharing her plight, G Anju Rao, a first-year student from MA Sociology, also a NSUI member who initiated the campaign, said that on July 26, when she wanted to purchase sanitary napkins, she could not find any store. “Since there were no stores open, I went to the University Health Centre for it—only to learn that the health centres also don’t have them. I was shocked to learn that the primary health centres don’t have sanitary napkins.”
“Luckily for me, I had a vehicle and I could go out and purchase them. But what about the other students, who don’t have a vehicle”, she fumed.
“Should students walk 3-4kms to buy them. Girls constitute 36.75% of the total students and they were excluded”, she said.
Anju continued, “With the help of my friends, I did a signature campaign and got nearly 340 signs. Following which I gave a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Dean of Students’ Welfare and Chief Warden.”
While others were receptive about my appeal for sanitary napkin vending machines, the VC outrightly said, “The University can't provide anything and everything. When you go to buy chocolate and biscuit, you should also buy napkins, he said, which I couldn’t digest, Anju recalled.
He further continued that a primary health centre’s role is not to provide sanitary napkins. And, that never had the health centre provided them, which was baffling, Anju said.
Notwithstanding his remarks, the meeting was fruitful, as the University made temporary arrangements to buy sanitary napkins in stationery outlets, she said.
Reiterating the views of Anju, another student, Ravali Medari, doing final year Anthropology, said that the students’ union or the administration should have thought about it and made necessary arrangements. In this whole episode, people failed to think about sanitary napkins—which is important for women’s health.
Oishani Mojumdar, a second-year communication student said that the students’ union failed to take this situation into account. “They should have expedited the process of finalising tenders. It is already two months, since there are no snacks or sanitary napkins, available in the campus”, she fumed.
She further said that the vending machines should not just be provided in ladies’ hostel but in other lesser accessible areas as well.
“In Ladies hostel, you can knock anyone’s door and get them. Vending machines should be made available in open spaces like shopping complex and Gops (a food spot)”.
She also rued that there is a general discomfort about discussing menstruation and primary well-being of women.


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Sony’s Xperia phones have been struggling. Of that, there is no doubt. With strong competition from the likes of Apple, Huawei, Samsung, LG and others, they’ve just not been able to keep up. Wccf Tech reports that while many believed that Sony would simply close or sell off their struggling smartphone division, they’re actually merging it into the Sony TV, audio and camera product lines.
Along with today’s release of the Sony A9 firmware v5.0, Sony as also released a pair of mobile apps. Sony Imaging Edge Mobile now replaces the somewhat terrible PlayMemories app, and there’s a new Transfer & Tagging add-on for it which enables continuous FTP transfers in the background (for the Sony A9) which they claim doesn’t affect continuous camera use.
After a pretty abysmal launch, the RED Hydrogen One had one possible saving grace that might help see it succeed and allow RED to redeem themselves in the eyes of their customers. Not to mention the entire smartphone-buying public. That one thing was its expandability. Modules that allow the user to enhance the functionality of the device.
Now, RED seems to have silently scrapped those modules, including the camera module, after removing all traces of them from the Hydrogen One website. The change was spotted by Reddit user ReipasTietokonePoku, where it sparked off quite the discussion between owners of the phone.
While the fake depth of field look on smartphones might not be everybody’s cup of tea, they’re definitely very popular. And while they’ve improved in quality and believability a lot over the last few years, they’re still not quite as good as you can get with a real large sensor camera like a DSLR or mirrorless.
But what if you’re running an older phone with a single camera and no depth sensor that doesn’t have built-in fake bokeh? While most new phones these days do offer some kind of fake depth of field effects, there are still many phones out there that don’t. DPTH may be the answer.
When this camera was first teased last October, my mind was stuck somewhere between “wtf?” and “this is so crazy, it just might work!”. They made the camera sort-off official a few days later by releasing some early specs, which just made me even more confused at this odd combination of tech. Since then, it’s all been a little quiet on the Yongnuo front.
But now, the folks at Cinema5D had the chance to chat with Yongnuo about the new camera during CP+ 2019 and hold one in their hands. It confirms a lot of the specs and answers some questions that had thus far remained unanswered.
Android’s openness is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows just about anybody to (relatively) easily write and publish mobile apps through the Play Store. But it also allows anybody to write and publish apps through the play store. And the checks to get apps approved aren’t quite as stringent as those found in Apple’s App Store.
But Google is doing something about it. They’ve just pulled 29 camera and photo apps from the Play Store after they were reportedly pushing intrusive ads, promoting porn, scamming users via phishing and even stealing content. But these apps have already been downloaded millions of times.
There’s a new camera app in town. It’s called SOVS and it’s designed to help you get those perfect Instagram photos whenever you hand your phone to somebody else to get a shot for you. Now, you no longer need to worry if that person clutching your phone knows how to shoot a decent photo. There’s also a SOVS2 app for group photos, too.
I’ve no idea what they’re saying in their promotional videos, but the point is quite obvious and they’re pretty funny. Whether the humour is by design, I don’t know, but I got a good laugh out of this one.
This is one of those things that’s definitely going to split people up into two camps. In one, there’s those who’ll think it’s awesome, and in the other, there’s those who believe that the types of locations to which this app allows access should remain secret.
You guys can discuss the camps to which you belong in the comments, but let me introduce you to Forgotten, a new mobile app for iOS and Android. It’s an app to help you discover new place to shoot or “sell” your locations. It’s the latter part of that which Forgotten says makes them different from similar apps and services that have popped up in the past.
When Yongnuo teased a new mirrorless camera the other day, there wasn’t really any information to go along with it. Pretty much the only thing we new for sure was that it had 4G capability. But we could make a few assumptions based on what we saw and prior Yongnuo history.
Now, some of those assumptions have been confirmed as Yongnuo has released the specs for the yet-to-be-named new camera, which currently bears the code YN450. And there are a couple of surprises…


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8 handy things to do with your new Google Assistant
Monday, 20 March 2017 So your Marshmallow-or-better Android phone just got Google Assistant, and when you long-press the Home button for the first time after the update, your new digital helper asks, “Hi, how can I help?” Talk about an open-ended question.
Read on for eight easy ways to get started with Google’s chatty servant, from telling it what to call you, to making a shopping list, to turning on Bluetooth and even playing Solitaire.
*Give Assistant some familiar voice commands*
”Open the Kindle app,” “make an appointment for noon today,” “remind me to buy milk,” and “play some jazz”—all familiar Android voice commands from way back when, and most of them will work just fine with Google Assistant.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Google made a big deal out of its new Assistant when it launched alongside the Pixel and Home. The company has since brought the Assistant to other Android... The Next Web - InternetAlso reported by •The Verge •Digital Trends •TUAW
Djingo is the name of a new virtual assistant, coming to take on Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. It's currently being developed by mobile operators Orange and... Digital Trends - TechnologyAlso reported by •ITworld


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If boat show season is any indication, we’re in for a heck of a year in the boating industry.
The recent Miami International Boat Show is just the latest to have dealers and manufacturers reporting great activity and sales. I lost count of the number of people who told me on the show floor that it was their “best Miami ever” or best boat show season ever (or at least in years).
With the exception of the Snowpocalypse-affected shows in the parts of the east, reports have been almost universally positive coming out of shows across the country.
More importantly, the positive energy on the show floor was palpable. People were excited to be there and more optimistic about the industry than I’ve seen over the last few years. There was more new product, with several exciting launches from the Volvo Penta Forward Drive to Yamaha’s new FSH jet fishing boats to new engines from several manufacturers, and accessories galore.
The only negative sentiment I heard was about next year’s move to Virginia Key. People are concerned about traffic, a new location, etc. That’s not surprising, as nobody likes change, especially in this industry. I certainly share some of those concerns, but going to give the show organizers the benefit of the doubt that they can pull it off. Hey, if nothing else at least it means not having to stay in another Miami Beach hotel.


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If you could only pick one exercise to do every day for the next month, the burpee may very well be a good choice: We already know it's one of the best total-body moves, and it can be done nearly anywhere, anytime, with very little equipment.
But that's not the only reason entrepreneur Justin Mendelson has pledged to do 10,000 of those babies in just over four weeks. He and his business partner David Gritz are attempting the crazy-sounding feat—Justin in 30 days, David in 60—to raise awareness about their new product, Perfect Burpee, launching on Kickstarter tonight.
Perfect Burpee is a slip-resistant workout mat made of natural rubber and designed for athletes doing intense workouts like CrossFit, weight training and, you guessed it, burpees. It's longer (6.5 feet), wider (3.3 feet) and thicker (5 millimeters) than a traditional yoga mat, and has slightly angled edges that encourage users to remain centered and in control during fast-paced, high-intensity sets, says Gritz. And, they claim the mat has “the ultimate grip” whether it’s dry or sweat-drenched.
Mendelson, a recent Ironman finisher, and Gritz, a "reluctant fitness enthusiast," unveiled their mat and kicked off their #10KBurpeeChallenge today at the Boston Fitness Gala. You can follow their progress (or join in!) on Twitter or Facebook—or check out their Kickstarter page, where they're offering Perfect Burpee for the introductory price of $85. If it can withstand the type of abuse these guys are giving it, it sure sounds like a good investment!
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Image Credit: Courtesy of Perfect Burpee


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Roblox founder and CEO David Baszucki expects top brands and celebrities to take charge and play a key role in making the “dream” of cross-platform NFTs come true.
Virtual Land News
Virtual land is a plot of land existing in the metaverse that may utilize blockchain technology. In cases when there is a blockchain-powered economy, virtual land is purchased using cryptocurrencies and digital plots are represented as nonfungible tokens (NFTs) on one of the metaverse platforms, making them distinct, tradable digital assets with blockchain-recorded ownership.
In virtual worlds, a user’s starting point for in-world activities is virtual plots of land. The digital representations of these plots — i.e., NFTs — are used to facilitate secondary market trade. Axie Infinity, Decentraland and The Sandbox are just a few examples of blockchain-based games that sold their finite virtual lands to major corporations and investors.
Virtual lands could also integrate current virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to offer consumers an enhanced realistic, immersive experience. This might introduce a brand-new form of entertainment we previously believed was only feasible in films.
Sandbox co-founder Sebastien Borget says the metaverse sector is thriving in Hong Kong, Korea and Japan.5908
Popular metaverse properties, such as Otherdeeds, The Sandbox, Decentraland, Somnium and Voxels, have all depreciated in value over the past year.32132
Twenty-five AI “agents” were given a virtual town and were observed going to a bar for lunch, planning a party and expressing other human-like behavior.10619
The manuscript is part of a larger series of physical and digital items related to the famous book.3673
A survey participated by 24,179 respondents across 32 countries reveal that nearly half, or 43% of the respondents, intend to use virtual reality to inspire their choices.15188
Those looking to earn passive income in the metaverse have several available options, but how profitable and durable these are isn’t yet clear.47287
Celebrities are facing huge losses on their Bored Apes bought during the NFT peak, but big names like Sony and Adidas are pushing further into the industry.8451
A DappRadar report found that while trading volumes have taken a sharp hit during Q3, the average number of NFT sales for these 10 projects only decreased by 11.55%.4160
One of the crypto world's best-known exchanges has teamed up with a cutting-edge metaverse to create a state-of-the-art office complete with live charts.6480
Virtual lands are all the rage, but why are real estate investors pouring literal millions into metaverse properties? Let’s break it down.
PYR regained its bullish momentum after the launch of the Elysium testnet and the limited release of digital land plots in the VulcanVerse.5269
Based on NFT and metaverse sales over the past week, the demand for digital land outpaced all other items, art and collections.34045
According to the game's developers, it's the largest sum ever paid for virtual real estate.18893
Metaverse Group has snapped up a lot of land and has said it has no plans to stop buying plots of metaverse land across various metaverse platforms.12229


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The month of May usually brings a flurry of holidays in France, the first reluctant blossoms in New York and an inescapable outpouring of new fragrance propositions everywhere.
For the last few years, this has been a time of swelling confidence. But the signs are harder to read this year, judging from the latest figures from the NPD Group, which indicate that the U.S. department-store fragrance business is still shrugging off the aftereffects of its anemic holiday performance, which was saved from oblivion only in the last couple days before Christmas. For the first quarter of this year, department-store fragrances were up 3 percent, according to NPD figures adjusted for the extra week in January.
Issa Rae stopped by WWD's NYC headquarters to talk about season two of "Insecure," which premieres this Sunday on HBO. Click link in bio for all the details. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery; Styled by @mayteallende)
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has announced the features of its new aluminum bodied D-150 truck, revealing a 700 pound lighter version of the F-150 that is also more economical in terms of fuel. Official estimates from Ford says that the new F-150 offers as much as 20 percent better fuel economy compared to the previous release of the same model. Some observers, however, note that Ford’s new make is not the best yet in terms of fuel economy. According to CNBC, the most fuel efficient vehicle available in the market is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV(NYSE:FCAU)’s 2015 Ram 3-liter EcoDiesel V6 4×2. The CNBC report further notes an analysis by Jack Nerad of Kelley Blue Book that better fuel economy, which in the F-150 make is ranged at 20 to 25 percent, won’t have as much influence on buyers due to falling gas prices.
On a more positive side, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s manufacturing of the new F-150 is seen as something good for the aluminum industry. According to the Financial Post, the aluminum industry will benefit much from the F-150, arguing that the new release from Ford is the biggest thing to happen so far that have such an impact on aluminum. Citing chief commercial officer Gervais Jacques of Rio Tinto Alcan, a company that supplies aluminum to General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), Honda Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:HMC), and Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), the Financial Post notes that Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s new F-150 has the same effect as that when cars transitioned to aluminum, which was seen as a new era for the aluminum industry.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s new creation was revealed at an event on Friday on Dearborn, Michigan. The new F-a50 truck comes in many variations, depending on several factors such as whether the it is a 4-wheel or 2-wheel drive, the type of engine, and the configuration. Each variation in turn offers different terms of fuel efficiency, ranging from 5% to 29%. The new F-150 comes with a 2.7 liter turbocharged V6 that can get from 22 mpg to 26 mpg on the highway.
This article has been written by Nonito Guntan.
Ford Motor Company (F) All Set To Start Production Of Remodeled F-150 Truck, Sales To Commence in December
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Are you a Christmas 'showroomer'? Seven in 10 savvy shoppers browse for presents in shops but buy online for less
- British women estimate showrooming tactic will save them £78 in total
- Cyber Monday will see British shoppers spend a record £1billion online
Seven out of ten women admit they will be 'showrooming' for Christmas presents this year.
The phenomenon involves looking for gifts in shops but then buying cheaper online.
On average, savvy shoppers polled in the survey estimate the tactic will save them £78 in total.
Showrooming involves looking for gifts in shops but then buying them cheaper online
The news comes as online retailers gear up for Cyber Monday (December 2), the biggest British online shopping day before Christmas, which is set to see a record £1billion spent in just 24 hours.
According to the survey, British women will be buying more Christmas presents online than in the shops for the first time.
Female Christmas shoppers say they are set to splash out more than ever, with the average total spend going up to £331.
Gift buying online has been helped by a trend for 'showrooming' which sees shoppers browse for gifts in stores and then find them at bargain prices on the internet.
More than half of British women (58 per cent) will be doing the majority of their Christmas shopping online this year, and 56.9 per cent said they would be spending nearly twice as much online this year as they did last year.
main reason for women gave for shopping online was that it was cheaper (40 per cent) while 29.4 per cent said they can't bear shopping at this time of year because of overcrowding.
More than half of British women (58 per cent) will be doing the majority of their Christmas shopping online
A spokesperson for Escentual.com who commissioned the survey, said: 'It's hardly surprising that showrooming for Christmas has become so popular when shoppers are finding that it saves them nearly 20 per cent on their bill.
'The women in our survey said they would save £78 on an average Christmas shop of £331, and they said beauty products and fragrances was one of the areas where they would find a better deal online.'
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Web Services // Hong Kong, China
Customers of the virtual private network service received a falsified email purporting to come from the company’s founder, Uzair Gadit: "I’m sorry to inform you that due to an incident we had to close your account permanently. We are no longer able to run an anonymization service due to legal issues we are facing."
The message also warned, in infosecurity’s words, that “PureVPN had handed over full user details (presumably to the law enforcement agency causing the incident), and that it could not refund any money because its bank account had been frozen.”
On Oct. 6, Gadit refuted (in a blog) the bogus email: PureVPN is not closing, almost no user details had been compromised, it is continuing to operate, and the message was a hoax.
That said, there was a suspected breach. "Preliminary reports suggest that we are hit with a zero day exploit, found in WHMcs; 3rd party CRM that we use on our website," wrote Gaddit. However, he added, "we do not store any of our users credit card nor PayPal information in our on-site databases." Nor are user or usage logs stored on line. "We are able to confirm that the breach is limited to a subset of registered users Email IDs and names," he said.
Possessing merely certain customer names and email addresses, the culprits are only capable of blasting users with malicious messages.
ThreatWatch is a regularly updated catalog of data breaches successfully striking every sector of the globe, as reported by journalists, researchers and the victims themselves.


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Showing 28-36 of 48 News articles
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God of War co-developer Valkyrie Entertainment acquired by Sony’s PlayStation
Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios has announced that Sony has officially acquired support studio Valkyrie Entertainment, best known for its role in helping develop titles such as Halo Infinite, God of War and the upcoming sequel, Forza Motorsport 7, League of Legends, and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War.
“Since 2002, we have contributed to well over 100 titles, including great PlayStation franchises, such as God of War, Infamous, and Twisted Metal,” said Valkyrie president and founder Joakim Wejdemar.
The “invaluable contributions” Hulst was talking about might have been hinted at earlier. Valkyrie announced in a statement released on social media in September that the studio was working with Sony Santa Monica Studios on God of War Ragnarok.
Both Sony and Valkyrie have yet to reveal whether the latter will work on another title at the same time.
This was Sony’s fifth big acquisition this year with the Seattle-based Valkyrie becoming the 17th studio to operate under the umbrella of PlayStation. Previously in June, it acquired Returnal developer Housemarque, former WipEout developer Firesprite, and the developer behind the Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls remakes, Bluepoint. Additionally, it also purchased Nixxes Software.
“Valkyrie Entertainment is a highly adaptable and respected studio which has produced high-quality work on a range of platforms from console to PC; and a variety of styles from action to games-as-a-service titles,” said Hulst via a blog post.
“Valkyrie’s diverse capabilities will be welcomed by every team at PlayStation Studios as we continue to focus on delivering extraordinary gaming experiences.”
Will there be more acquisitions in the future?
It seems like Sony will acquire even more developers and studios. Previously in October Hulst told IGN that Sony “are open always to building new relationships or bringing people in-house, but only if we adhere to the quality-first mentality and the right kind of innovative content, new experiences, diverse experiences”.
Hulst has also said that PlayStation would bring an even more diverse range of games to the platform. He also said that Sony was “not buying teams to just be bigger”.
“We’re only buying teams because we feel that together, we’re going to make something that is going to be even better than if we did it separate from one another,” Hulst continued.
Sony’s another major move
Previously, It was also reported that Sony was making a Playstation version of Microsoft’s subscription service, Xbox Game Pass. Bloomberg reported that the service was set to be launched in spring 2022, and much like Microsoft’s Game Pass, it was expected to be available on PS4 and PS5 for a monthly fee.
The service, called Spartacus, is expected to merge PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now into one offering. According to Bloomberg’s review of the documents they acquired from Sony inside sources, the launch of Spartacus will see the termination of PlayStation Now while the PlayStation Plus branding will be maintained.
PlayStation Plus is currently required for online gaming on PlayStation consoles while PlayStation Now is used to stream or download older PlayStation games.


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A basic principle of investing is that there is a trade-off between risk and reward. Take big risks like opening a business or investing in a start-up and you should get rewarded handsomely if the ventures are successful. Fail and you lose what you gambled. If you want steady returns, invest your money in a federally insured bank.
But that relationship between risk and reward has been skewed for consumers in Texas who are buying their electricity in the spot wholesale market — a risky place for even experienced investors. They face the risk of price spikes that can hit $9,000 per megawatt hour — or $9 per kilowatt hour, about 100 times typical residential rates. Such price spikes aren’t just an academic concern; wholesale prices soared to the $9,000 level, the maximum allowed by state law, repeatedly during last summer’s heat wave.
Many consumers in wholesale power plans howled when their normal daily electricity suddenly cost hundreds of dollars.
But for consumers willing to put up with that kind of risk, there should be a great reward waiting for them if the gamble pays off. Maybe next to free power? Something big that will compensate them for betting the weather will be mild, monitoring prices continuously and taking aggressive action such as shutting off all appliances when power prices spike.
On HoustonChronicle.com: Griddy customers feel the bit of soaring wholesale prices
The reward, however, doesn’t seem to amount to much. The average customer of Griddy, the California company that opened the wholesale spot market to Texas residential customers two years ago, pays 9.8 cents per kilowatt hour, according to Griddy’s website.
For just a bit more Texans can buy a fixed-rate 12-month plan on the Public Utility Commission’s shopping site Power to Choose for 10.1 cents a kilowatt hour for 1,000 kilowatt hours from Chariot Energy. Not only is the price guaranteed for a year but the consumer doesn’t have to change consumption patterns or become fixated on wholesale markets to avoid price spikes.
Even customers paying the statewide average rate of 11.5 cents per kilowatt hour — a figure that includes what residents pay in the regulated parts of Texas — aren’t paying that much more than those taking the risk of the wholesale power spot market.
One nice meal
Gene Fisseler, of Clear Lake, did some back-of-the-envelope calculations and figured that someone whose electricity bill runs about $200 a month saved about $144 this year by using Griddy. Griddy calculated that members who bought their power through the company this year saved 6 percent even with the summer price spikes.
“I’ve got better things to do than to worry about a total savings equal to the price of a nice meal for me and my wife - or for us and our kids - while all the while having to constantly monitor my iPhone and adjust my electricity usage settings if things go awry,” said Fisseler, who spent four decades in the power industry before retiring two years ago.
On HoustonChronicle.com: The murky and confusing Texas electricity market
Griddy says consumers save money with wholesale prices over the long run. This year the savings were minimal, said Jeremy Zarowitz, vice president of marketing and analytics, but earlier this decade the annual savings amounted to between 20 and 30 percent.
“It's a little like the stock market,” he said. “If you're focused on daily or weekly movements, it can be risky. But if you're looking at the long-term, those near-term price fluctuations get overshadowed by the larger positive trend.”
In any event, it’s up to consumers to decide. You weigh risk and reward when you decide how to invest your retirement savings and whether to buy a house in an established neighborhood or one that you hope is up-and-coming. Now it’s time to add power to the list.
Fuel Fix: Get energy news sent directly to your inbox


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- Video Games
- About Us
Even before its release, Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios has announced three characters that will be available as DLC for the upcoming installment of its bloody fighter.
In an interview with CVG, Mortal Kombat producer Hans Lo revealed the first two “kombatants” available through DLC will be Kenshi, a character from previous Mortal Kombat titles, and Scarlet, a new female ninja.
While most Mortal Kombat fans are familiar with Kenshi, a blind, sword-wielding fighter, Scarlet is a brand new character pulled from some old arcade lore. Occasionally palette-swapped ninjas would appear due to a glitch and would cause red ninjas to appear. The most famous of these was the Scorpion/Sub-Zero clone Ermac, which ended up becoming an actual character in the Mortal Kombat series. Now Kitana and Mileena’s previously unnamed doppelganger has also become a reality.
Despite her palette-swapping background, Lo made it clear that Scarlet, along with each new character, would be unique and have their own moves, including x-rays and fatalities.
Also in the early planning stage for future DLC is Kintaro from Mortal Kombat II.
While no date has been set for the first round of DLC, Lo
said it would be “coming pretty soon post-launch,” and that as long as people
kept playing the game, they would continue to support it with add-on content.
Mortal Kombat is scheduled for release on April 19.


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2e Creative Joins Global Healthcare Communications Group Fishawack
2e Creative, an internationally recognised healthcare marketing strategy firm focused on launching pharmaceutical and medical device products, has joined the Fishawack Group, after receiving investment from the global healthcare communications group. The 2e deal strengthens Fishawack as one of the largest independent healthcare communications organisations worldwide.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190801005540/en/
CEO Toohey shares news with team at 2e Creative (Photo: Business Wire)
“2e has been on an exhilarating growth trajectory for the past several years,” 2e CEO Ross Toohey said. “We chose Fishawack over a host of other potential investors because their global footprint, expansive capabilities, and entrepreneurial culture represented the greatest advantage for our employees and clients. This is truly the next evolutionary leap for 2e and the brands we serve.”
Fishawack is a global healthcare communications group with offices in London, Oxford, Brighton and Manchester, UK, as well as Philadelphia, New York, and San Diego, USA; 2e adds to the group’s US footprint. The firm’s core strengths in medical communications, strategic consulting, and creative, fits nicely with 2e’s expertise in strategy, creative, digital marketing, sales training, and internal communications. With this breadth of capabilities, Fishawack and 2e can now support clients throughout the entire product development, launch, and growth lifecycle. With the 2e partnership, the Fishawack Group now boasts over 750 employees worldwide, making it among the largest independent healthcare agencies globally.
“Fishawack is one of the new generation of leaders in healthcare communications. We’re challenging the major agency networks by fostering a uniquely collaborative culture across our agency collective,” Fishawack CEO Oliver Dennis said. “We offer the capabilities, scale, and geographical coverage to offer healthcare brands a fresh, new type of partnership value. We’re excited about 2e’s portfolio, capabilities, and brilliant people. Ross has built a great entrepreneurial culture, and we can’t wait to work with the 2e team.”
This partnership is particularly notable for 2e because it comes on the heels of the agency’s appointment to the MM&M Top 100 Healthcare Agencies worldwide, as well as 2e’s three consecutive victories (2015, 2016, 2017) as MM&M “Healthcare Agency of the Year.” Between 2e and sister agencies Dudnyk, Carling Communications, Blue Latitude Health, and Healthcircle, the Fishawack Group is among the most award winning in the field of healthcare marketing.
“We’re very deliberate about the agencies we invest in,” Fishawack Group President Gail Flockhart said. “Clients demand seamlessly blended capabilities, so it’s important that we build collaborative allegiances across the Fishawack Group. It’s best for our clients and our people. 2e brings executive training and organisational optimisation capabilities to the group.”
Advisors to Fishawack included KPMG, Addleshaw Goddard LLP, and financial backers LDC and LGT Capital Partners. 2e’s advisors included Results International, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, and Clifton Larson Allen.
About 2e Creative
Founded in 1999, 2e Creative is a launch and growth agency featuring Fortune 50 clients across pharma, medical device, and research biotech. The agency’s core competencies include branding, marketing strategy, digital marketing, sales training, and meeting/event production. 2e has over 150 employees and operations in Missouri, Indiana, Texas, and California.
About the Fishawack Group
The Fishawack Group of Companies is one of the largest independent medical communications and medical marketing specialists, with teams in the UK (Manchester, Oxford, London, and Brighton), the USA (Philadelphia, PA, New York, NY, and San Diego, CA), Switzerland (Basel), and India (Hyderabad).
Fishawack comprises two international divisions, Fishawack Medical Communications, developing and delivering services in the fields of medical communications, scientific engagement, publications, market access, strategic consultancy, and thought leader consultancy, and Fishawack Creative, offering strategic planning, creative development, advertising and promotion, and tactical execution.
We have built our reputation on excellence, creativity, and transparency.
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Study Investigates the Utility of Masimo ORi™, Oxygen Reserve Index, to Reduce Hyperoxia in Critically Ill Patients26.8.2019 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) announced today that in a randomized controlled study involving 150 ICU patients recently published as a letter in Intensive Care Medicine, researchers investigated whether monitoring with Masimo ORi™ (Oxygen Reserve Index) could reduce the time critically ill patients spend with moderate hyperoxia, compared to monitoring with oxygen saturation (SpO2) alone.1 ORi is an index of oxygenation in the moderate hyperoxic region, defined as arterial partial pressure of oxygen, PaO2 , in the range of 100 to 200 mmHg). As an “index” with a scale between 0.0 and 1.0, ORi can be trended to notify clinicians of changes in a patient’s oxygen reserve. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190825005030/en/ Masimo Root® and Radical-7® with ORi™ (Photo: Business Wire) Dr. Sigismond Lasocki and colleagues at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Angers, France (CHU Angers), sought to evaluate whether controlli
S BLOCK 1000 Pax Interstellar Quantitative Summit Convenes in Bangkok26.8.2019 08:24:00 EEST | Press release
On August 21st, "S BLOCK Interstellar Quantitative Summit" officially convened in Bangkok, Thailand! This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190825005035/en/ (PHOTO: S BLOCK) Interstellar Quantification Assists S BLOCK to be Further Technologized S BLOCK is a brand-new multi-currency, cross-chain technology wallet from Switzerland, which jointly issued by S BLOCK foundation, Cloud Capital, Top Line, DAF, Stanford Blockchain Research center, MIT Media Lab and Cambridge Financial Alternative Center. Since its launch on June 15, it has bring an generous revenue of 6-15% per month for its millions of users. Interstellar quantification is S BLOCK's biggest source of revenue. Interstellar quantification is to realize timely capital exchanges with the quantification team under the agreement of Interstellar loan contract, so as to enlarge the capital scale at the fastest speed and lock up trading opportunities addition, S Blo
Building The Data Economy Within The G726.8.2019 08:00:00 EEST | Press release
Under the French Presidency, the G7 summit in Biarritz brings together the heads of state and government of the largest economies. This summit comes three months after the digital technology ministers meeting of G7 countries in Paris where the need to strengthen international digital cooperation was a key focal point of the debates. Discussions are still ongoing to resolve the challenges of the data economy, and the free flow of data in a trusted environment. Several international initiatives in favor of data circulation took place in recent months. As part of the Digital Single Market, the European Commission announced a new regulation on the free flow of non-personal data. The United States initiated a federal plan for data strategy. At the G20, Japan proposed the Osaka Track initiative to standardize the international rules for data flow. According to Dawex, the leading data exchange technology company and operator of the largest data marketplace, the flow of data in the G7 countrie
Gilead and Galapagos Complete Closing of Their Transformative Research and Development Collaboration23.8.2019 23:01:00 EEST | Press release
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) and Galapagos NV (Euronext & NASDAQ: GLPG) today announced the closing of the global research and development collaboration agreement signed on July 14, 2019. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190823005335/en/ This agreement has received clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and merger control approval from the Austrian Federal Competition Authority. Under the terms of the agreement, the closing of this transaction triggers an upfront license fee payment of $3.95 billion by Gilead to Galapagos. In addition, Gilead has made an equity investment in Galapagos of approximately $1.1 billion (or approximately €960 million) by subscribing for new shares at a price of €140.59 per share, including issuance premium. As a result, Gilead now owns 13,589,686 ordinary shares of Galapagos, representing approximately 2
32 Leading Global Fashion and Textile Companies Make Commitments on Climate, Biodiversity and Oceans23.8.2019 10:47:00 EEST | Press release
Ahead of the G7 meeting at Biarritz from August 24-26, French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Labour Muriel Pénicaud, and Deputy Minister of Ecological and Solidary Transition Brune Poirson, has invited to the Elysée Palace representatives of the 32 fashion and textile companies who have launched the Fashion Pact by his side. In April 2019, ahead of the G7 meeting, Emmanuel Macron had given François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kering (Paris:KER), a mission to bring together the leading players in fashion and textile, with the aim of setting practical objectives for reducing the environmental impact of their industry. In a historic move, given the scale and importance of the coalition that has been created, 32 leading companies from the fashion and textile industry have given themselves a set of shared objectives in the form of a Fashion Pact. The coalition includes groups and brands in Luxury,
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The Telegraph - 23rd December 2020 - Text: Hikmat Mohammed and others.
The 25 best-dressed women of the year - and they are all over 40
The Telegraph’s fashion team salutes the mid-life (and beyond) women who styled out a year like no other with admirable panache...
The Duchess of Cornwall, 73
When Camilla stepped out in a leopard-print mask and a chic monochrome outfit in October, she caused a stir on social media, with fans of all ages pointing out that despite being in her seventies, she can still give the younger Duchesses a run for their money. Camilla had worn the pinafore dress by couturier Fiona Clare before and this time paired it with a white silk balloon-sleeve blouse and a cape from the same brand, and finished the look with suede boots that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a fashion magazine.


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HP UK details direct customers
It's got a little list...
Hewlett-Packard has at last come clean about how many customers it will serve directly in the UK.
HP's channel partners have been concerned since the proposal was announced earlier this year. HP has now revealed that there are 445 companies on the list. These are entitled to buy kit and services directly from HP without going through a reseller. HP is not publishing the list for what it claims are legal reasons.
The list of customers is smaller than originally envisaged - the proposed list had 535 names on it, according to Microscope.
Dave Poskett, UK channel boss at HP, told the channel mag the changes would "bring real clarity" to HP's channel strategy. He said the firm was only targeting large corporate accounts currently owned by HP's competitors.
The list will be reviewed every six months and customers can be added or subtracted.
The changes runs the risk of alienating HP resellers who may choose to switch to other vendors. Some dealers have complained about confusion - one corporate reseller told Microscope the changes made things more complicated, another described the changes as "a complete mockery" and said they would switch to selling IBM kit.
If you are an HP reseller, or new direct customer, please get in touch at the usual address. ®


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Touch screen panel market: Capacitive is growing faster than resistive type
Display related market researcher DisplaySearch has reported that total touch screen shipments rose 29% Y/Y in 2009, to 606 million units. Among the technologies, though Resistive type touch panels lead in the market share, capacitance type is growing faster.
"Touch screen penetration has been rapidly increasing in mobile phone, PMP/MP3, portable navigation, and other applications. Over the next several years, touch screens will undergo strong growth in large-size applications such as all-in-one PCs, Mini-note/slate PCs, and education/training," noted Jennifer Colegrove, PhD, Director of Display Technologies at DisplaySearch.
The touch screen market's dynamics are altered by growing shipment of Apple's iPhone and iPod and recently the iPad. Projected capacitive touch technology is found to be more adopted in mobile phones and tablets, DisplaySearch forecasts that projected capacitive will pass resistive touch technology to become the leading touch technology in 2010, measured by revenues.
Figure: Year 2009 touch tcreen technology market share by revenues
Source: DisplaySearch 2010 Touch Panel Market Analysis
There are lots of technology types adopted for sensing touch, which includes surface acoustic, infrared, optical imaging, on-cell, in-cell and digitizer. Resistive is simple and is most popular. DisplaySearch says over 90 companies are manufacturing resistive touch panels in 2010 but the projected capacitive technology has attracted numerous suppliers, 56 companies are supplying projected capacitive in 2010, which is nearly twice as many as last year's 27 suppliers.
Earlier DisplaySearch has forecasted the total touch screen module market will grow to $9 billion by 2015, from $3.6 billion in 2008, with a CAGR of 14%.


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After extensive analysis, London-based open banking network and payments platform Plaid has today launched a variable recurring payments product, vowing to save UK businesses up to £1.5 billion in fees, dependent upon policymakers opening the taps.
In order to facilitate such opening of said taps, Plaid now has a system in place for regularly recurring money movements between accounts of the same owner with one authorisation.
Now if this sounds a whole lot like direct debits or card-on-file payments, you’re not wrong, however, where Plaid’s VRP USP lies is in the authorisation of future payments with one one authorisation. This then allows for one-click purchases of a recurring payment option, while at the same time minimising fees.
In a new report issued by Plaid, the company found that if the current VRP is extended beyond the current mandated sweeping use cases and their low cost is protected, UK businesses could save as much as £1.5 billion.
Non-profit organisation Innovate Finance’s CEO Janine Hirt elaborates, “As households and small firms grapple with rising costs, further developments of open banking tools can provide solutions that help improve productivity and reduce costs. Commercial VRPs can offer these efficient solutions and have an important role to play for businesses when it comes to reducing transaction costs. In turn, this can also indirectly help lower costs for consumers which could be valuable as the cost-of-living rises.”
Plaid’s report calls up lawmakers to cap issuer fees at ten basis points to protect their position as a competitive alternative payment method. This would keep fees for VRP slightly lower than card payments’ interchange fees, which are limited at 0.2% for debit cards and 0.3% for credit cards.
"In just five years since its inception, Open Banking has helped to bring a tremendous amount of innovation in finance to the market. Commercial use cases for Variable Recurring Payments have the potential to revolutionise the way money moves between consumers and businesses. However, we need UK policymakers to step in and ensure that unfair pricing practices don't dampen adoption and prevent increased market competition. With their help, the industry can help consumers and businesses realise the full benefits of this new payments option," concluded Plaid’s European policy lead, Dan Morgan.


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* Q1 op. profit 604 mln euros vs 589 mln expected
* Guides for higher margins in 2017 vs 2016
* Sales fall in U.S. in Q1, expects Q2 improvement (Adds details on regions)
BRUSSELS, May 10 (Reuters) - Retail group Ahold Delhaize reported on Wednesday a higher-than-expected operating profit in the first quarter, aided by cost savings that offset weaker sales in the United States.
The company, which was formed after Dutch Ahold merged with Belgium’s Delhaize last July, reported a first-quarter operating profit, adjusted for one-off items, of 604 million euros ($657.76 million), above the average forecast of 589 million euros in a Reuters poll.
Ahold Delhaize said it also expected profit margins for 2017 as a whole to be above those of last year, repeating that it was still aiming for 220 million euros of savings coming from the merger this year.
U.S. sales, excluding gasoline, dropped 1.8 percent in the first quarter for the former Ahold stores, such as Giant and Stop&Shop, while they were flat for the former Delhaize stores, such as Food Lion and Hannaford.
The company said it saw prices falling in both markets, but added that it expected the sales performance to pick up in the coming quarters.
In March, U.S. peer Kroger Co reported its first quarterly same-store sales decline in 13 years, in a sign of intensifying competition in the U.S. grocery industry.
Sales in the Netherlands increased by 3.3 percent in the first three months of 2017, while its Belgian stores saw a 0.6 percent drop. The group said it would refurbish 100 stores in Belgium in 2017. ($1 = 0.9183 euros) (Reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)


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Shares of Lululemon LULU, -3.98% fell 1% after hours Wednesday after the company said it had promoted its senior vice president of the women's division to creative director and had eliminated the role of chief product officer. Lee Holman will serve as executive vice president, creative director and will report to the company CEO. With this promotion, he'll oversee both men's and women's designs. "Changes to the organizational structure, including the new role of Creative Director, are critical to executing upon our 10-year vision," said Laurent Potdevin, the company CEO. Because of the promotion, Lululemon said it eliminated the role of chief product officer, held by Tara Poseley.
Lululemon reorganizes corporate structure, eliminates chief product officer position