text:
AT&T Reports Strong Revenue and Adjusted Earnings Growth with Solid Margin Expansion in First-Quarter Results
April 27, 2016
Fourth Straight Quarter of Double-Digit Adjusted EPS Growth; Best-Ever U.S. Wireless EBITDA Service Margins; Full-Year Guidance on Track
Consolidated revenues of $40.5 billion, up 24% versus the year-earlier period primarily due to DIRECTV acquisition
Diluted EPS of $0.61 as reported; $0.72 diluted adjusted EPS, a 10.8% increase
Cash from operations of $7.9 billion; free cash flow of $3.2 billion, up 17% year over year
Adjusted margins expand in every domestic segment
2.3 million North American wireless net adds driven by connected devices, Mexico and Cricket; 712,000 branded (postpaid and prepaid) phone net adds
Total churn of 1.42% in U.S., stable year over year; postpaid churn of 1.10%
Business Solutions revenues up 0.3% year over year; wireless revenues up 2.3%
Strategic business services revenues of $2.8 billion, up nearly $250 million
328,000 U.S. DIRECTV net adds; total video subscribers decline slightly
Entertainment Group broadband grew with 186,000 IP broadband net adds
Note: AT&T's first-quarter earnings conference call will be webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. The webcast and related materials will be available on AT&T’s Investor Relations website at www.att.com/investor.relations.
DALLAS, April 26, 2016 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today reported strong revenue, adjusted operating margin, adjusted EPS and free cash flow growth for the first quarter.
“It was a good start to the year. We had solid financial results and executed well on our strategy to be the premier integrated communications provider for businesses and consumers,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. “We’re seeing good momentum with our initial integrated wireless, video and broadband offers. And we’ll expand the integrated choices for customers in the fourth quarter when we launch our new video streaming services."
“Our consolidated revenues, adjusted earnings and free cash flow continue to grow as margins continue to expand. And we’re putting up these numbers even as we invest in building our Mexico wireless business. In addition, DIRECTV merger synergies are on track to reach $1.5 billion or better by the end of the year.”


text:
On Thursday, Adidas lifted full-year guidance for the fourth time this year on strong second-quarter results. Sales rose by 21% on a currency-neutral basis and 13% in euro terms to €4.4 billion ($4.9 billion), the company said in a surprise preliminary report before full results are due out on Aug. 4.
Operating profit at Adidas increased 77% to €414 million in the second quarter, due in part to the early termination of a sponsorship deal with the Chelsea F.C. soccer team, which plays in England's Premier League. That contract is now scheduled to finish six years ahead of schedule in June 2017.
Adidas also raised its operating margin guidance, now projected at up to 7.5% as opposed to 7.0% projected earlier, and now expects net income from continuing operations to rise by 35% to 39% compared to its earlier forecast of 25%.
"We are extremely pleased how well our brands are connecting with the consumer and how fast our new strategy has started to gain traction," said Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer, boasting of double-digit growth rates across all key regions and all major categories.
"We have every confidence that the strong momentum our brands are enjoying around the globe will continue in the second half of 2016," added Hainer who will hand over the reigns to his successor, former Henkel (HENKY) CEO Kasper Rorstad, in October.
Hainer will leave on a high note after a good year for Adidas and its investors. The company raised guidance in February, April, May and now July 2016, as its shares have far outperformed those of Nike, which is based in Beaverton, Oregon.
Adidas shares were up 2.25% in Frankfurt Thursday afternoon at €143.50, putting its market value at around €30.6 billion. Adidas shares are 106% above what they were a year ago, while Nike are 1.29% lower over the same time frame.
Adidas didn't release any brand figures in Thursday's headline report. But the first quarter was a strong one for its eponymous Adidas brand, where sales rose 26%, while Reebok gained 6%. Brand momentum was strong in key regions including Nike's home North American turf, but also in greater China and western Europe.
Nike meanwhile last month posted fourth-quarter results that undershot expectations while reiterating its sales forecast for the fiscal year ending next May, expected to growth a high single-digit percentage.
Nike's fourth-quarter revenues rose by 6% to $8.24 billion, shy of the $8.28 billion that had been expected, while diluted earnings per share were flat at $0.49.
Analyst Jamie Bajwa at Goldman Sachs is bullish on Adidas after Thursday's figures, noting the strong increase in currency-adjusted second-quarter revenue growth "represents the strongest brand momentum seen by the company in over five years," and is likely to be broad-based across all categories and regions.
The analyst has a buy rating on Adidas and a 12-month price target of €139.79.
When it releases results next week Adidas may give an update on the sale of its TaylorMade golf business, nearly three months after saying it will start talking to potential buyers. Earlier this month Adidas completed the sale of its Mitchell & Ness sports nostalgia apparel and head ware business to a newly formed entity primarily owned by Juggernaut Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount.
Adidas also recently extended its partnership with musician Kanye West, while Nike reportedly plans to lower the price of it unreleased Lebron14 shoes to $175 compared to the $200-a-pair LeBron 13s - so maybe an NBA championship for LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers isn't everything.
-Lisa Botter and Paul Whitfield contributed to this report.

domain: news


text:
Microsoft may not be an exhibitor at CES 2013 in January but the show's organizers at the CEA predict lots of Windows 8-based hardware will be shown at the Las Vegas electronics trade show.
Windows 11 Preview in Beta Channel comes with Tablet-optimized taskbar
windows 11 insider preview
Windows 11 Dev Channel finally brings Task Manager with a right click, and more
windows 11 promo
Gary Shapiro, the head of the Consumer Electronics Association, claims that Microsoft will return to both exhibit and hold a keynote event at the CES trade show sometime in the future.
More information has come to light about Microsoft's announcement Wednesday about its planned departure from exhibiting and holding a keynote speech at CES starting in 2013.


text:
We hypothesized that extra frequent each day consumption of kratom might cause additive superposition that occurs attributable to multiple dosing of the same drug in brief time intervals, the place the entire serum concentration of a drug is the sum of concentrations remaining from every prior dose mixed with concentrations from the latest dose. These are the most cost effective Kratom product by a worth that makes it an affordable option for everybody. Each product undergoes strict twin lab exams to again up these requirements, too. Due to Quannabu’s blockchain technology, the corporate has created a product that minimizes unlawful exercise by allowing regulation enforcement to track the supply and supply of all cannabis merchandise. Gov. Brian Kemp has pushed forward the process since taking office, signing Georgia’s Hope Act in April 2019. It created the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Fee to oversee the regulation of the industry. Quannabu also has a cost platform called Quannabu Pay, which is built on the blockchain and permits businesses and consumers to seamlessly transfer funds without any financial hurdles. Bride wears a standard pure white silk kimono known as Shiromuku at Japanese ceremony. Selling forged prints of works by prominent Japanese painters. However, buying, selling and mass cultivating the drug is prohibited and dealers could face as much as 10 years in prison if convicted.
Nevertheless, companies might want to file Type 8300 for every transaction that exceeds $10,000. However, they typically come with an unpleasant taste. “Dogs like the taste and scent of pot,” she wrote. One girl, who resides in Stinson Beach, wrote that her toy poodle has been to the emergency room four occasions because of consuming cannabis while being walked around the neighborhood. Since possession had been legalized in eight states-including California, essentially the most populous-by 2017, it could appear stunning that marijuana arrests continued to rise till 2019. But in California, possession of an ounce or less for personal use had been treated as a citable offense punishable solely by a $a hundred nice since 2011. So whereas California accounts for 12 p.c of the U.S. Unruh believes large-scale cultivators will flock to states with low cost vitality, looser labor and environmental requirements, lower taxes and charges, and good outside growing conditions. To keep away from any attainable dangers, even in areas the place cannabis is now authorized, most banks, credit card corporations, and fee suppliers will avoid working straight with cannabis transactions. Hash oil butter dose measurement is right here. The overall rule of thumb is when you utilize One re relating to stock, you’ll use Hundred gary relating to butter and Hundred gary concerning flour. In a condition like we are in now, one can imagine how reassuring the safety of crypto offers will be for vendors.
U.S. dash star Richardson was expected to be one of many faces of the Tokyo Games last month after a series of blistering displays within the a hundred meters earlier in the season. When you are taking an extended view, the 2020 U.S. World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe is among these who have backed requires a cannabis evaluate. “It’s not an unreasonable second to have a evaluate,” Coe stated in the course of the Olympics in July. “It’s wise – nothing is ready in stone. It has nothing to do with performance enhancing. Performance enhancing it actually isnt. Had to inform my students right here in Safety Japan that utilizing marijuana would make Sha’Carri Richardson SLOWER as it’s not a performance enhancing drug. Well, now you may see what that will appear to be, as James will get battle prepared in historical Samurai armour, while exploring the Minamisoma area of Japan.
Princess Mako’s boyfriend to return to Japan on Sept. Japan’s Princess Mako is about to forgo a one-off million-dollar payment for giving up her royal standing to wed a college classmate, media stated on Saturday (Sept 25), clearing the way for a marriage delayed for years by controversy over her fiance. “Following receipt of requests from a lot of stakeholders, the (govt committee) endorsed the choice of the List Expert Advisory Group to initiate in 2022 a scientific evaluation of the standing of cannabis,” WADA mentioned in a statement. “I thought I’d get a good resolution. Yeah, can’t get arrested within the parking lot of a Phish present when there are not any Phish reveals. The whole group is targeted on this effort, and extra facility closures we announced last week is another proof level to indicate that these actions are properly below approach,” the CEO added. The Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee will consider a proposal next week that shields medical cannabis users from the state’s “zero tolerance” impaired driving penalties. The quick-term will probably be continuously per long procedure as the long-term can stretch out of three weeks.


text:
SAVE THE DATE
E3 Alliance’s 2021 Geeks in Boots Gala Postponed Until 2022
We have decided to reschedule our November 3 in-person Geeks in Boots event until 2022, out of reasonable caution and concern for the health, safety, and well-being of our guests.
At E3 Alliance, we believe in the spirit and essence of Geeks in Boots is to share the celebration and fun at a physical event. We prefer to wait until the current spike of the COVID-19 delta variant subsides, and we are in a better place as a community. Please stay posted! We will send a new save-the-date announcement shortly.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our mission and work.


text:
Samsung launched the Galaxy Watch Active 2 back in 2019; it was powered by Tizen OS 184.108.40.206, and later it received three major updates until 2021, but then it was no longer eligible to get any major software updates. However, the company has chosen to provide some extra service for the users, and from time to time it has received some new features with a minor update, just as now it is getting a new update in the form of new watch faces.
Samsung serves new watch faces to retired watches
Samsung has recently added two new watch faces, including Stretched time and Perpetual which was came with Wear OS 4-based One UI 5 Watch, to the Galaxy Watch 3 devices, and now it has expanded the update to the Galaxy Watch Active 2 as well. The latest update is coming with the firmware version number R820XXU1FWK2.
With the latest watch faces, the update also includes some new improvements for the watches, which make the sensor more stable, so you will get more accurate information about different parameters.
The latest update for the Galaxy Watch Active 2 is now available; if you want to check, just follow the simple steps: Open the Galaxy wearable app on the connected Android smartphone, then select watch settings, then open the software update menu, then select the download and install option. If it shows download available, tap on install now.
Meet RowKnee Shaw, our tech maestro at Sam Lover! Dive into the intricacies of One UI and ride the wave of Samsung Firmware updates with his expert guidance. From sleek navigation tips to the latest firmware gems, RowKnee Shaw is your go-to for unlocking the full potential of your Samsung device. Stay tuned for a tech journey like no other!


text:
MWC 2017 saw a lot of phones of the 'smart' variety such as the LG G6, Huawei P10 and the Nokia 6 being announced. However, what captured the imagination of the world was a diminutive little feature phone by the name of Nokia 3310.
UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has seen massive pre-orders for the re-incarnated Nokia 3310. The retailer, in a statement said that they are seeing an "unprecedented level of demand for a feature phone."
We are not surprised to see the hype and interest turning into actual sales as a feature phone in 2017 appeals to the 'nostalgic', 'frustrated of the pseudo social modern world' soul in each and every one of us.
According to recent reports, the announcement of Nokia's Android smartphones along with the new version of the iconic 3310 saw interest in the brand jump a whopping 797%.
The new Nokia 3310 is quite a comprehensive update over its predecessor and comes with a 2.4' color display, a 2MP rear camera and a microSD slot.
The 2017 Nokia 3310's battery life is 10 times more than the original. The removable 1200mAh battery offers 22 hours of talktime and a colossal 30 days of standby time. Also, unlike the proprietary port on the original 3310, the new version comes with a convenient microUSB port for charging.
Additionally, the device runs on the S30+ operating system and comes with an updated version of the iconic Snake game found on the original 3310.
The Nokia 3310 might be just a feature phone but its mind-blowing battery life, tank like build quality and affordable price point makes it a great buy as a secondary phone and even as a primary device for those who are sick of the ultra connected world we live in.
The handset has been priced at 49 Euros (around Rs 3,500) and will come in a bevy of colours including Red, Yellow and Navy Blue.


text:
Taylor Swift’s ‘Lover’ the top-selling 2019 album in U.S. after just two days
Love is in the air as Lover by Taylor Swift becomes the top-selling 2019 album in the U.S. after just two days.
Everyone around the world has fallen in love with Lover, Taylor Swift’s brand-new album that has been receiving rave reviews and high praise from critics and fans alike. In just two days, the latest output from Taylor Swift has already become the top-selling album of 2019, beating out some of the toughest competition of the year.
Lover has officially surpassed previous top-selling album, the A Star Is Born Soundtrack, becoming 2019’s top-selling album across the states. The sales reports stem from Nielsen Music, which applauds the album for reaching such high heights after only two days with its feet on the ground.
The latest effort from Taylor Swift was officially released on August 23, with sales of the album hitting around 500,000 on its second day of release. This means that the album has passed the year-to-date sales of current top seller A Star Is Born Soundtrack by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, which reached 440,000 throughout the week ending August 22.
As per usual, Swift’s album was released with multiple versions that included merchandise and other collectible goodies. First week sales of the album are said to be influenced by these iterations of the album on sale via Target. In total there were four different collectible versions of Lover, and if you’re a total Swiftie, you better believe you’ll be buying all four.
In just 48 hours, Lover has the biggest sales week for any album since Swift’s own reputation sold 1.216 million copies in its first week and debuted at No. 1 on the Dec. 2, 2017-dated Billboard 200 charts.
Industry forecasters expect that Lover will bow at No. 1 on the Sept. 7-dated Billboard 200 with over 700,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Aug. 29.
Watch the new clip for ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift:
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.


text:
Halifax slashes 25% off its switching bonus – switch soon to bag the £100 offer
Bank switchers looking to take advantage of Halifax's £100 switching incentive will need to act fast
1 February 2017
Halifax unveils joint-longest balance transfer card and longest fee-free deal
High street bank Halifax has today launched two new best-buy balance transfer credit cards
6 January 2017
£300+ of free cash for bagging top deals
Incl last chance £35 M&S vouchers, £100 switching to one of four top current accounts plus more quick cash & vouchers
30 November 2016
Regulator reviewing contactless card security after MSE investigation
Lloyds Banking Group has responded to a request for information from the Financial Conduct Authority
9 November 2016
Small rise in current account switching as Halifax makes biggest gains
Just over 1% of the 70 million active current accounts in the UK were switched in the first nine months of this year
20 October 2016
Savings in crisis
Massive market changes as savings bank accounts slashed
19 October 2016
All Halifax Help to Buy ISA customers to be hit with rate reductions later this year
Halifax will once again chop the interest rate it offers on its Help to Buy ISA to as low as 2% from 8 December
3 October 2016
Lloyds and Halifax contactless fraud procedures 'under review' after MSE reveals security flaw
Banks to examine their policies after we revealed lost and stolen cards can be used by crooks months after cancellation
26 September 2016
Regulator asks lenders to explain why they haven't passed on base rate savings
Mortgage lenders that have not yet passed on base rate savings to their customers could attract the attention of the FCA
12 September 2016
Contactless card fraud warning: Crooks can use them MONTHS after cancellation
A theft victim discovered crooks using his contactless card EIGHT months later, even though it was cancelled
8 September 2016
15 September 2021
SIX banks now pay you to switch
Incl Santander's new FREE £130
Shift debt to 27 months 0%
At essentially NO FEE
New. Not great at saving?
Chip auto-save app does it for you at 0.7%
30 Amazon hacks
Incl free Deliveroo delivery
Martin's energy warning
'Your bill is about to JUMP by £100s'
£40 cashback for investing £400
If you plan to 'robo-invest'
500,000+ water-saving FREEBIES
Eg, £20 shower heads and £5 tap inserts.
Read the full email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today - it’s spam free!
17 September 2021Fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to take a pre-departure Covid-19 test before they depart for England from 4 October. In addition, they'll only need to take a cheaper lateral flow test on arrival to England from later next month under an overhaul to the 'traffic light' travel system. Eight destinations will also come off the red list from 22 September.
17 September 2021The coronavirus outbreak is causing major travel disruption around the globe
16 September 2021The next update of the coronavirus 'traffic light' travel system, used to govern the action holidaymakers take when they return to the UK from overseas, is due to take place this week. This will provide the latest information on which destinations will feature on the Government's 'green', 'amber' and 'red' travel lists.
16 September 2021Teletext Holidays and its sister company Alpharooms have agreed to refund £7 million to thousands of customers still waiting to get their money back after their package holidays were cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis. Here's how to make a claim.
'I'm self-employed but confused about whether I can claim the fifth grant' – Unsure? Here's what you need to know16 September 2021100s of self-employed people are confused about what constitutes being “adversely affected” by coronavirus, we have some helpful scenarios to work out where you stand, as well as HMRC’s guidance.
14 September 2021Update September 2017: It’s eight years since I first braved this subject, expecting a snowstorm of protest. Instead, year after year more join in, like Julia who recently tweeted me, “@MartinSLewis, finally took your advice and told my family I can’t afford Christmas presents. What a weight off my mind. Thank you.” One year even the Archbishop of...
Martin Lewis: Why you shouldn't worry too much about your credit score – it’s not actually a real thing14 June 2021When it comes to finances, numbers are key – whether it's what you earn, your credit card balance or the interest rate on your mortgage, small changes can add up to a big difference. Yet there's one number you shouldn't pay too much attention to – your credit score.
16 August 2021
Clever ways to calculate your finances


text:
SAN FRANCISCO — As San Francisco’s article-pandemic economic rebound continues, organization vacation to the city is at last beginning to come back to everyday living.
“We are starting to see that return of small business journey, and that is a definitely beneficial and encouraging signal for San Francisco,” stated SF Vacation President and CEO Joe D’Alessandro. “Business vacation is a actually significant sector for San Francisco. It generates close to 30% of all of our vacation and tourism to San Francisco.”
For United Airways, business enterprise journey to and from the San Francisco Global Airport in April was three moments greater than it was in January, according to a corporation spokesperson.
“The financial recovery of San Francisco is in entire power,” reported D’Alessandro.
A significant resort, Parc 55 San Francisco, re-opened on Thursday.
“We be expecting organization journey to enhance as the summertime raises,” reported lodge typical supervisor Terry Lewis. “We’re so delighted. Business is returning. We’re grateful.”
Some more compact businesses in the town are hopeful the boost in business travelers will provide them with a strengthen as well.
“I hope that it will carry in more regular prospects, get our name out there much more, so that we can be a location place for San Francisco travelers,” reported Miranda Felkins, the retailer supervisor of Glazier, a rolled ice cream shop near Union Sq..
Lauren Ellis, who owns Union Sq. artwork gallery CK Modern, states she’s discovered there are much more people out and about in the location.
“Suitable across our home windows each individual working day, we’re setting up to see comprehensive cable vehicles, we’re commencing to see individuals that are right here for conventions wearing tags and badges,” she claimed. “I am, for the very first time, sensation quite optimistic about the potential.”
D’Alessandro claims this is a great indication, but he isn’t going to anticipate San Francisco will see a total restoration until eventually 2024.
“It can be heading to acquire time,” he stated. “But, we’re observing quite optimistic indications appropriate now. This is the most visitation we have witnessed, this quarter proper now considering the fact that the beginning of the pandemic.”


text:
A number of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana are to benefit from financial support following African Development Bank’s approval of a US$15 million contribution to a new equity investment fund, which targets raising a total of US$150 million for SMEs in English speaking West African countries.
This is being spearheaded by Verod Capital Growth Fund III, a private equity fund that seeks to make investments in high growth middle market segment companies to promote the industrialization drive in the region which also includes Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Reports indicate that the fund’s investments will be in companies in consumer driven sectors including light industrials, fast moving consumer goods, education, financial services and agro processing and the ticket size for each investment will be between US$5 million and US$20 million.
This equity fund is expected to assist in accelerating investments in SMEs in the region which would in turn result in scaling up of beneficiary local businesses. This will enable SMEs to handle a growing amount of work or sales in a capable, cost-effective manner, as well as create new jobs.
This important measure is part of concerted effort and policy framework by the Bank and stakeholders involved to ensure that the private sector – which is regarded as an engine of growth, largely contributes to regional economic growth by assisting respective countries take advantage of the soon to be implemented new trade policy – the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (AfCFTA) which is expected to boost trade and create jobs on the continent.
According to the Bank, the fund will provide a mechanism for growing SMEs in the region to promote the industrialization drive.
In Ghana, it is estimated that SMEs contribute more than 70 percent to Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and account for 92 percent of businesses. Thus, based on such important contribution, any financial support like this will come as a measure to boosting the private sector.
The Bank is noted for putting in place pragmatic measures to assist in boosting the capacity of SMEs on the continent in accessing credit and financial support.
Last month, the Bank signed a US$50 million risk participation agreement (APR) with investment and corporate bank Natixis to promote investment and trade financing in key economic sectors such as agribusiness and industry as well as promoting diversification of the economy, generating growth, jobs and additional tax revenues for several African states. This investment drive is expected to benefit African commercial banks and SMEs by guaranteeing them better access to financing their foreign trade operations.
By Dundas Whigham


text:
Latinos Still Owning Key Digital Technology User Trends
A 2015 study of Latinos' digital habits confirms that U.S. Hispanic consumers are still leading key technology and digital trends.
It was 2013 when Pew Research found that Latinos tended to own smartphones at a higher rate than the national average. Media researcher Nielsen called Latinos "Ahead of the Digital Curve" in 2014, after finding Hispanic consumers in the U.S. particularly tended to stream more online video and were more likely to use mobile devices as "second screens", among other key measures of digital habits that Latinos over-indexed for.
Fast-forward to this month, when Ad Age released its 2015 Hispanic Fact Pack, a meta-study that confirms Latinos are still leading the technology trends and gaining influence as powerful consumers and tastemakers.
While the fact pack is written an audience mostly made up of advertisers, the statistics within about Latinos' use of digital technology are quite telling. Many key findings from the 2015 Hispanic Fact Pack highlighted by MediaPost's Engage: Hispanics show that online Latinos continue to be "super-users" of mobile technology and digital entertainment.
In short, it looks like Latinos won't be giving up their place on the top of forward-thinking consumers of cutting edge technology any time soon. Here are some of the highlights.
Latinos Are Heavy Smartphone Users
While previous studies have found that Latinos are more likely to own a smartphone and tend to plan on purchasing their next mobile device earlier than the general population, Ad Age's fact pack expands on how Latinos use their smartphones.
For example, according to the study, 66 percent of Latino smartphone users peruse their phone's app store every month, compared to about 60 percent of non-Latinos. They also over-index for using social media on their mobile devices each month: nearly 80 percent of Latino smartphone owners will visit a social media network using mobile each month, compared to about 77 percent of the general population.
The most notable mobile trend Latino consumers are leading may be online video. Almost 66 percent watch online videos on smartphones each month, compared to less than 60 percent of non-Hispanics, the Ad Age fact pack found.
Latinos Spend More Time Online
Ad Age's fact pack found that Hispanics over-index for spending time online, whether streaming digital entertainment, using the Internet on mobile devices, and even spending time online via home computers, which previous studies have found Latinos in general are less likely to own.
Despite that counterbalance, Latinos tended to spend 3.5 hours per day on a home computer, compared to 3.3 hours per day for the rest of consumers. Meanwhile, mobile-first Latinos helped outpace smartphone use for Latinos, at 2.1 hours per day versus 1.7 hours per day for non-Hispanics.
Online video continues to be hot for Latinos in particular, expanding the trend Nielsen noted last year, to a rate in 2015 of 2.7 hours per day that Latinos spend on average streaming online video -- widening the gap even more compared to the non-Hispanic population, which watches online videos about 1.6 hours per day.
Latinos Purchase More Online, Especially on Mobile
Latinos were also found to be more likely to purchase technology online using a computer, though only slightly (54.1 percent of Latinos vs 53.5 percent non-Latinos). The same goes for buying food using a computer, where 24.8 percent of Hispanics had done so, compare to 23 percent of the general consumer.
But everyday mobile purchasing is where Latinos clearly led the non-Hispanic U.S. consumer in terms of being digitally forward. While only 10.8 percent of non-Latino consumers reported buying items you'd find at your local drug store on mobile devices, over 18 percent of Latinos had done the same.
Advertisers clearly will use these figures to continue to tweak their marketing campaigns to reach as many Latinos as possible, but the findings from the 2015 Ad Age Fact Pack do more than inform salespeople. They point to a long-term trend, in which the Latino consumer is already ahead of the technology game and will consistently stay on top of those indicators.
Especially as digital technology, mobile Internet, and online entertainment continue to have an outsized effect on the broader U.S. economy -- and the young Hispanic population continues to lead both digital and demographic trends -- Latino consumers' purchasing power and prestige are only likely to expand.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!


text:
The US chain expects to pay “somewhere in the range of £10million” in corporation tax for each of the next two years, regardless of whether it makes a profit.
It follows furious protests and boycott calls after research showed that while making £3billion from UK sales in the last 14 years it paid just £8.6million corporation tax, including none in the last three years.
Starbucks UK managing director Kris Engskov said it had always obeyed the law but admitted “the emotion of the issue has taken us a bit by surprise”.
He added: “With the backdrop of these difficult times, in the area of tax our customers clearly expect us to do more,” he told the London Chamber of Commerce.
“These decisions are the right things for us to do. We’ve heard that loud and clear from our customers.”
A Commons committee this week accused Starbucks, along with Amazon and Google, of “immorally” minimising their UK tax. All three say they obey the law.
These decisions are the right things for us to do. We’ve heard that loud and clear from our customers
Starbucks UK effectively made a loss and legally did not have to pay corporation tax after paying fees to other parts of its global business.
Activist group UK Uncut said it would still protest at 40 Starbucks cafes tomorrow over tax and the impact of austerity cuts on women.
Spokeswoman Hannah Pearce said offering to pay “if and when it suits” did not stop a firm being a tax avoider, adding: “Starbucks have been avoiding tax for over a decade and continue to deny that it paid too little tax in the past.
“This is just a desperate attempt to deflect public pressure. There’s no money yet and hollow promises don’t fund women’s refuges or child benefits.”
Conor Delaney, tax lawyer with Milestone International Partners, said MPs’ “strong-arm tactics appear to be paying off” and predicted Google and Amazon would be under pressure to follow suit.
The Chancellor, George Osborne, has vowed to ensure multinationals pay their fair share, but stresses the UK tax system must remain competitive to attract investment.
A spokeswoman for internet giant Google, which paid £6million corporation tax on £2.5billion of UK revenues last year, insisted yesterday it obeys all tax rules and makes a “substantial contribution” to the economy.
A spokesman for online retailer Amazon, whose UK division paid £2.3million corporation tax after £7.1billion sales over three years, said it paid all “applicable taxes” everywhere it works.


text:
Sweden embraces music streaming services
April 4, 2018
Mediavision research finds that over 60 per cent of Swedish households subscribe to at least one service for music or TV streaming. And among the streaming households, almost half subscribe to a music service, a high figure also internationally.
The great interest in Spotify among Swedes is partly explained by the country’s general interest in digital media. A grand total of 61 per cent of Swedish households (15-74 years) subscribe to at least one service for music or TV streaming (Q4, 2017). Among these streaming households, 43 per cent subscribe to a music service. ie, 26 per cent of all Swedish households subscribe to at least one music streaming service. This is high compared to other markets. In US, 11 per cent subscribe to a service for streamed music.
At the same time, there are major differences between younger and older consumers. Among 15-34 year olds, approx 40 per cent subscribe to streamed music while the equivalent figure is only 10 percent among older (55-74 year olds).


text:
NHTSA Looks to Implement Artificial "Minimum Sound" Output for Hybrids/EVs
January 7, 2013 4:05 PM
comment(s) - last by
The NHTSA will require new vehicles in the 2016 model year to have these sounds applied
A new proposal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggests that quiet vehicles be equipped with sounds to
when they're nearby.
Vehicles like hybrids and EVs are quiet when traveling at low speeds because they don't rely on traditional gas engines. Hence, many pedestrians (especially the visually impaired), cannot hear them coming and can get hurt.
To remedy this issue, the NHTSA is proposing that all quiet vehicles like hybrids and EVs (and even electric motorcycles and heavy-duty vehicles) have
minimum sound levels
when traveling under 18 MPH. Even quiet vehicles emit a sound when going over that speed limit.
"Our proposal would allow manufacturers the flexibility to design different sounds for different makes and models while still providing an opportunity for pedestrians, bicyclists and the visually impaired to detect and recognize a vehicle and make a decision about whether it is safe to cross the street," said David Strickland, NHTSA Administrator.
Automakers will be allowed to choose from a variety of sounds to use for their vehicles, but each vehicle of the same make and model must have the same sound and must meet minimum volume requirements.
The NHTSA will require new vehicles in the 2016 model year to have these sounds applied. The auto industry will have to pay about $23 million the first year to implement the sounds, and about $35 per vehicle.
A bill was proposed in April 2009 in the Senate that would force hybrid/EV automakers to integrate a system that would
when the vehicles are running on electric power alone.
The NHTSA has a few other projects and proposals it's working on as well. Last month,
the White House Office of Management Budget completed its review of the NHTSA's proposal for making
event data recorders (EDRs)
required in all new vehicles. The proposal suggests increasing the number of new vehicles with EDRs from 91.6 percent today to 100 percent of light-duty cars and trucks.
The Detroit News
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: But officer...
1/8/2013 12:13:01 AM
The Chevy Spark EV is slated to be around 3000lbs and it's tiny. You really don't want to be hit by that.
"I'm an Internet expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired." -- North Korean Supreme Commander Kim Jong-il
Backup Camera Regulation Expected to be Completed Dec 31
December 14, 2012, 8:06 AM
White House Completes Review for Black Boxes in Automobiles
December 7, 2012, 12:29 PM
Hybrids, Electric Cars to Get Noisy to Protect Blind Pedestrians Thanks to NHTSA
May 24, 2010, 10:54 AM
New Bill Seeks Method of Allowing Blind to Hear Hybrid Cars
April 23, 2009, 12:05 PM
Tesla Adding More Superchargers, Stores, Service Centers Throughout Europe in 2014
March 6, 2014, 4:00 PM
EPA to Cut Two-Thirds of Sulfur in Gasoline Starting in 2017
March 4, 2014, 5:40 PM
UPDATE: Apple's iOS Comes to Your Car via CarPlay Infotainment System, iPhone 5 and up Supported
March 3, 2014, 3:28 PM
Four U.S. States Fighting Over Tesla Motors' Gigafactory Location
March 3, 2014, 12:26 PM
Ford: We're "Not Married to Microsoft" for Sync Gen. 3
February 27, 2014, 3:56 PM
Tesla Motors' Gigafactory to Help Push Out Half Million EVs/Year in 2020
February 27, 2014, 9:22 AM
Most Popular Articles
Facebook Kills Popular Messenger App for PCs
March 1, 2014, 4:01 PM
Mt. Gox Bitcoin CEO Can't Stifle Grin as he Bows in Apology for Bankruptcy
February 28, 2014, 5:00 PM
Bitcoin King: Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpelès' History of Arrests, Firings
March 5, 2014, 9:05 AM
Two More Microsoft Executives Leaving the Company
March 3, 2014, 4:38 PM
USAF Moves Forward With Long Range Bomber Program Despite Budget Crunch
March 4, 2014, 9:44 AM
Latest Blog Posts
Tesla vs. BMW: Who Has the Safer EV?
Feb 1, 2014, 2:56 PM
Justice Leaks Details of Next HTC One Two Flagship Phone
Dec 5, 2013, 4:04 PM
Global Cyber Espionage Concerns Reveal Growing Cyber Armies
Nov 29, 2013, 11:04 AM
Is The Period Becoming an Expression of Anger?
Nov 26, 2013, 2:02 PM
NSA and Congress -- You Will Never Kill the Constitution, It's an Idea
Nov 10, 2013, 2:00 PM
More Blog Posts
Copyright 2014 DailyTech LLC. -
Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information


text:
Will the pandemic change convention-going permanently?
Share Now on:
One of the world’s biggest gadget conventions is happening right now, although it’s a lot smaller than it used to be. CES, formerly the Consumer Electronics Show, used to bring around 170,000 people to Las Vegas.
But with companies like Google, Intel and Amazon dialing back their participation because of omicron, foot traffic is down considerably. It’s a rocky start to 2022 for the convention industry.
Tech lovers worried about omicron can attend CES virtually. Event organizer Jean Foster said the online version even has a substitute for those awkward networking receptions: a platform called Mingle.
“People can chat about specific topics, and it’s based on profile and recommendations for people coming together,” she said.
Of course, that means no riding John Deere’s fully autonomous tractor or trying out other gadgets. And the more conventions go digital, the more CES misses out on its biggest source of revenue: “The space that exhibitors rent from us,” Foster said.
So will the ongoing pandemic lead companies to cut travel budgets permanently?
The toolmaking company Hilti used to attend 30 trade shows a year. Now, that’s down to 16. But it’s not abandoning the strategy completely, marketing VP Erik Mikysa said.
“We fully intend to have a big presence at trade shows,” he said.
In two weeks, Mikysa will be in Las Vegas for the World of Concrete. He said Hilti is sending more employees there than ever before.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.


text:
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has confirmed recent reports that it plans to overhaul its online credit system in order to provide citizens with more detailed “economic identification.”
On 22 April the Chinese central bank announced that it was in the process of making improvements to its credit system, with a focus on upgrades to system functionality and optimisation of credit report contents, as well as improvements to product processing, service methods and systems administration.
The upgraded version of PBOC’s credit reports will include information on nationality, joint loans, as well as personal repayment records for the past five years, as compared to current personal credit reports which include two years of regular repayment records alongside five years of late payment records.
PBOC did not provide a clear timeframe for the launch of the new system, while also indicating that it would not include information on salaries or utilities payments as previously reported.
According to PBOC data the credit system that it launched in 2006 has already gathered information on around 990 million natural persons and 25.918 million enterprises and other organisations in China.
Interested parties have the right to obtain personal credit reports twice per year free of charge, with the number of personal inquiries seeing a sharp increase in recent years to reach 96.883 million in 2018.


text:
Nikola can now progress forward with its proposal to double its exceptional stocks to one.6 billion from 800 million. Issuing unused stocks to lift finances is significant for its pivot to generating hydrogen gas mobile vehicles and development out HYLA, its hydrogen manufacturing and distribution community.
The corporate’s hold value has rallied because it has made headway in fresh weeks. Nikola’s percentage closed at $3.40 on Thursday, a 534 % building up since extreme at a one-year low of 54 cents on June 6.
On Monday, Nikola introduced it gained an line for 13 zero-emission Magnificence 8 vehicles from J.B. Hunt Delivery Products and services, one of the vital community’s greatest motor carriers. The line covers 10 battery-electric fat rigs and 3 hydrogen gas mobile vehicles. And Bosch stated ultimate pace that it has began manufacturing of the gas cells for Nikola’s vehicles.
The trucking corporate plans to usefulness the tractors alongside key trucking routes within the larger Los Angeles and Phoenix farmlands. Nikola’s hydrogen arm, HYLA, will provide the hydrogen and fueling infrastructure.
“These zero-emission trucks from Nikola advance our progress towards achieving our ambitious goal to reduce carbon emission intensity through viable solutions,” stated Nick Hobbs, important working officer and president of assurance products and services at J.B. Hunt.
J.B. Hunt operates a fleet of 21,000 vehicles and is ordering handfuls of zero-emission automobiles from numerous producers as a part of a objective to slash carbon emissions via 32 % from a 2019 baseline via 2034.
Nikola stated Wednesday that it had surpassed 200 gross sales orders for its Magnificence 8 hydrogen gas mobile tractors. The line store represents 18 shoppers.


text:
Henley Summer Start-Up Boot Camp 2021 report reveals entrepreneurship in practice
The Boot Camp is an annual week-long event, hosted by HCfE and led by the Rebel Business School, for current students, alumni and local entrepreneurs to create and develop their own business from the ground up. For 2021, 86 participants attended virtually and got hands-on with learning a plethora of skills, ranging from how to start a business with no money to how to build a website for free.
The Boot Camp's success in helping participants turn a business idea into a reality was clearly shown in the report's statistics. At the start, participants were asked about factors that would determine their growth throughout the course, such as their confidence and building a business network.
When quizzed at the end of the week, more than 90% of participants said their confidence in starting a business had risen since the start of the Boot Camp, and 40% were ready to start trading by the end of the event, with 11% taking the big step of making a sale within their first week.
On top of the statistics, the report showcases examples of the business social media profiles and websites that participants on the Boot Camp created. It also displays a selection of the 'lightbulb moments' participants shared from the key lessons they learned.
To find out more about the impact of the Henley Summer Start-Up Boot Camp 2021, read the full report here.


text:
Unfortunately, there will not be a 2023 Campaign Media Awards.
Visit the agenda page to watch the 2022 event on-demand
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN US MEDIA AWARDS
These awards were created to celebrate excellence, effectiveness and creative thinking in the media industry, from the agencies that plan complex media strategies and negotiate placements for major brands to the media companies putting together innovative packages and solutions for advertisers.
REGISTER TO VIEW THE ON-DEMAND EVENT
MEET THE 2022 JURY CHAIR
Campaign US is thrilled to announce that Linda Yaccarino, chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, has been selected as jury chair for the 2022 Campaign US Media Awards.
As the top ad sales executive at NBCU, Yaccarino oversees more than $12 billion in annual revenue for the iconic media company across platforms. She’s been pivotal in unifying the company’s ad sales strategy and infrastructure around One Platform, a data-driven initiative that meets the needs of modern advertisers.
Yaccarino, who has been with NBCU since 2011, plays a crucial role in transforming the $70 billion TV marketplace as consumer attention shifts to digital and streaming platforms. Overseeing an ad sales force that is 1,500 people strong, she is one of the most prominent executives in today’s media landscape.
“We couldn’t be more honored to have Linda join us as chair of jury for the 2022 Campaign US Media Awards,” said Alison Weissbrot, editor of Campaign US. “Her groundbreaking work, key relationships and constant push to innovate the media landscape make her the perfect leader to steward our jury as they evaluate the best media campaigns of the year.”


text:
A Toy Bank was opened in Ajmer today to bring cheer to the less privileged children. Thanks to an initiative of Ajmer district administration, this Toy Bank will make toys available to Aaganbadis, primary schools and kids living in children’s wards.
A mobile app specially developed to facilitate collection of toys was also launched today. Any donor can access the app to donate toys in this bank. The donors will receive a letter of appreciation by the administration.
The Toy Bank was inaugurated at the district collectorate premises through video conferencing by the chief minister Vasundhara Raje. She herself sent 101 educational toys which were distributed by collector Gaurav Goyal to the kids present on the occasion. Some kids also interacted with the CM through video conferencing.
Ms. Raje said such toy banks should be opened in all districts of Rajasthan and congratulated Ajmer Collector for his initiative. She also took update on Nagaur Toy Bank from district collector Rajan Vishal.
The initiative has got good response in the city motivating banks, educational institutions and NGOs to come forward in the toy collection drive. Uco Bank has set-up 50 Toy Collection centres in their branches and HDFC, Sofia and Mayo College are also going to open Toy Collection centres in their premises. Lions Club, Mahaveer Internatinal and Brahmakumaris organization have gifted toys to enrich the toy bank.
Hindustan Zince has made available two mobile vans to collect toys.
So far 8,000 toys have been collected across the district. In coming one month, a toy collection drive aims to collect nearly 50,000 toys for the bank.
CM Raje has also directed to open cloth and mobile book banks to motivate people to donate books and cloths.


text:
Movin' and shakin'
• Coquette's Bistro & Bakery (915 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, coquettesbistroandbakery.com) dropped two big news crumbs last week: a new bakery/production facility could be in action by May's end at 2130 Spectra Drive, off 21st Street; and it's earned product placement inside Colorado Springs Whole Foods Market locations.
Co-owner Michelle Marx says the health food giant had approached Coquette four years ago, but the small business wasn't prepared for such growth at the time. So five months ago, she re-approached Whole Foods with an initial offering of Coquette's cupcakes, coffee cake and German chocolate cake. As of the first day of shelf-stocking last Saturday, all sold out; the next order from Whole Foods was more than doubled.
"We always knew we were going to have to ramp up," she says, citing tentative plans for new retail flour blends, a frozen-foods line and perhaps even a new downtown location sometime down the road. Presently, the new bakery facility won't feature a retail front, but the concept to add one is in play, says Marx.
• Garden of the Gods Gourmet (2528 W. Cucharras St., godsgourmet.com) recently announced its relocation to the former Saigon Stars location at the intersection of U.S. Highway 24 and 26th Street. Senior VP of marketing Lynn Schlemeyer says the transition should take place in late fall, and adds that demolition started last week for "significant renovation" of the 5,000-square-foot space.
All the current services, including classes, express catering and the retail market, will remain intact, and a new breakfast menu will be introduced. Since merging with the Pinery last fall, Garden of the Gods Gourmet and Pinery Gourmet Catering & Events (pinerygourmetcatering.com) continue to oversee Café 36 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. The Pinery at the Hill (in the former Fish Market) remains under construction for another tentative fall opening this year.
• Less-than-year-old Urban Steam Coffee Bar and Cafe (1025 S. Sierra Madre St., urbansteamcoffee.com) has acquired a neighboring 600 square feet with hopes to expand by Aug. 1, says owner Kelly Bubach. The new space will allow for the original vision of a coffee roaster on site for demos during "crop-to-cup" classes and the like. Plus, the kitchen will add more gourmet small plates, and a tavern license will allow for craft spirits and coffee cocktails to fuel a late-night lounge with anticipated live jazz.
"The concept will be more realized," says Bubach, adding that he'll stay "very focused on the overall quality factor ... nuance, something different."
A new store for "all things British" called Willy's Emporium (473-6659, willysemporium.com), recently opened at 2423 W. Colorado Ave. All U.K. countries are represented among retail offerings that include cookies, candies and common British canned and frozen goods such as sausages and fish & chips.


text:
Camp Bow Wow Ranks in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500
Camp Bow Wow ranked No. 1 in the pet services category and No. 193 among all franchises in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list.
At the end of last year, Camp Bow Wow announced 2018 to be one of its strongest years of growth. The $100+ million dollar brand more than doubled in year-over-year growth in openings by reaching its projected goal of 20 new locations. As the company continues to align itself with strategic franchisee partners who are interested in investing in the pet care business, the brand is on track to match or exceed 2018’s Camp openings in 2019 and to reach its long-term goal of more than 300 units in the next three years.


text:
Offices are notoriously noisy and distracting places, and noise from others has long been a main complaint among employees. The key to a quieter office may be hidden in a can of crisps. BuzziSpace, a Belgian furniture, acoustics and lighting company, has just unveiled its latest line of acoustic panels and lighting for offices, and according to founder and CEO Steve Symons, the design was “inspired by the playful curved shape of the classic Pringles chip.”
[Photo: courtesy BuzziSpace]The fabric-covered foam panels, which indeed look like giant floating Pringles chips, are intended to float above desks, conference rooms and reception areas in offices. Optional pendant lights provide illumination, while the curved Pringles chip shape both captures sound and reflects light.
[Photo: courtesy BuzziSpace]“When designing the new acoustic light, we wanted to create a product that not only absorbed an excessive amount of sound, but also created an amount of ambient light for the workplace,” explains Symons via email. The potato chip offered a solution. “The jagged curve and bulky body help achieve both.”
[Photo: courtesy BuzziSpace]The curved panels are made of honeycomb foam and are available in three different lengths. They can be upholstered in different fabrics and colours. Symons says the parabolic shape of the panels allows them to absorb mid, low and high frequencies, although there are more effective sound absorbing panels on the market. And technically, the shape doesn’t exactly follow the stackable precise geometry of the Pringles chip, a saddle-like shape known as a hyperbolic paraboloid.
[Photo: courtesy BuzziSpace]For BuzziSpace, the design was not intended to mimic the shape of the classic chip or even to be the best possible sound absorber. The main goal was to make a statement. “We don’t want to design products that blend in with their environment,” says Symons.
This post These look like new Pringles themed lights, but they’ll be really cool! was original published at “https://www.fastcompany.com/90778739/these-look-like-novelty-pringles-theme-lights-but-theyll-actually-keep-your-office-quiet?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss”


text:
As the Chinese Olympic team's gold rush slows, the Games souvenir stores are seeing a boom of their own.
Stores around Beijing reported total sales of close to 2.3 billion yuan (1 yuan equals US$0.15) during the first seven months this year, and have generated over 212 million yuan of taxes, according to the Beijing Youth Daily quoting data from the city's local taxation bureau.
Foreign tourists buy Olympic souvenirs in the commercial and cultural street of the Beijing Olympic Village on August 20, 2008.
"Sales have grown from the 40,000 yuan a day when our store first opened late in July, to 1 million yuan right before the Games, and to 2 million over the past few days," said a woman manager surnamed Pang at the souvenir store in the Olympic Village.
The Fuwa mascots are the biggest catch, with 4,000 sold to athletes, officials and journalists every day, accounting for more than 20 percent of the total sales, said Pang.
Tee-shirts, badges and stationery bearing Olympic symbols are also popular, said Pang, adding that each customer was spending at least 4,000 yuan these days in a single purchase.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Flagship Shop, the city's largest souvenir store at its main shopping area Wangfujing Street, has received 70,000 to 80,000 customers a day since the Olympics opened on August 8, and is already planning to expand its hours by two hours each day to cope with the crowds.
Daily sales volume hit 5 million yuan, a 20 to 30-percent rise from before the Olympics, store staff told Xinhua.
The 1,000-square-meter store offers items ranging from commemorative coins, sunglasses, models of the venues like the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, to commemorative vases priced at 49,800 yuan.
"You wear something, you get a little something. They'll say 'Where did you get that?' You say, 'Well, I went to China. Had a great time'," said Albert Clarke from the United States as he picking eight tee-shirts for himself.
Sales of Olympic souvenirs would end at all 6,300 souvenir stores around China by March next year, according to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG).


text:
Valuation of goods for Customs duty should be done only at the time and place of importation and it should not be based on the bill of lading but on goods arriving in India. The Supreme Court rejected the argument of the Commissioner of Customs that the quantity mentioned in the bill of lading should be the basis of payment of duty, not the quantity actually received in this country.
The Customs appellate tribunal had upheld the view of the Customs authorities, but the Supreme Court said that the tribunal had "lost sight of the first principles". It stated in its judgment, in Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals vs Commissioner of Customs, that the tribunal was wrong in holding that a levy in the context of import duty can only be on imported goods, that is, on goods brought into India from a place outside of India. Till that is done, there is no charge to tax.
Explaining the law further, the judgment stated that the taxable event in the case of imported goods is "import". The taxable event in the case of a purchase tax is the purchase of goods. The quantity of goods stated in a bill of lading would perhaps reflect the quantity of goods in the purchase transaction between the parties, but would not reflect the quantity of goods at the time and place of importation.
A bill of lading quantity, therefore, could only be validly looked at in the case purchase tax but not in the case of an import duty. Moreover, the judgment pointed out that where goods which are imported are lost, pilfered or destroyed, no import duty is leviable on it until they are out of Customs and come into the hands of the importer. It is clear, therefore, that it is only at this stage that the quantity of the goods imported is to be looked at for the purposes of valuation, the judgment declared.
Telco cleared of unfair practice charge
The Supreme Court last week set aside the 'cease and desist' order of the erstwhile Monopolies and Restrictive Practices Commission against Telco on the allegation that it had indulged in unfair trade practice in the conditions for booking Indica cars in 1999.
The judgment largely depended on the definition of unfair prac-tice, which has been adopted by the Competition Commission, successor to the earlier commission. Some customers alleged that the deposit amount was too high and exceeded the basic price of the car if cess, taxes and transportation cost were left out.
The commission made an enquiry in which Telco contested the charge and asserted that its conditions were not prejudicial to public interest. The price was set to discourage speculative booking. The SC ruled that the conditions did not fall within any of the prohibited categories and the commis-sion omitted to notice certain crucial factors in the case.
Order against Dr Reddy's Lab set aside
The Supreme Court has cleared Dr Reddy's Laboratories of misdeclaration of the description of diagnostic equipment and set aside the ruling of the Customs appellate tribunal against it. The pharmaceutical company had described the imported machinery as auto analysers with software programmed to analyse blood samples.
The goods were seized and the director of revenue intelligence issued a show cause notice to the firm, maintaining that the equipment should be classified as photometers, inviting higher duty. The commissioner accused the firm of several manipulations. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal of the company.
Chowkidar wins prolonged litigation
A chowkidar on daily wages, who abandoned work for 14 years in 1994, has got Rs 2 lakh as compensation from the Supreme Court. The labour court in Ujjain had ordered reinstatement without back wages. Therefore, the Madhya Pradesh government appealed to the Supreme Court, alleging that he was employed on a daily wage basis for a short while and not recruited according to statutory rules.
In its judgment, State vs Mohan Lal, the court set aside the order for reinstatement, but as a final settlement of the old dispute ordered the government to pay the compensation. The judgment cited precedents in which compensation has been given but not reinstatement.
Revenge of a company auditor
A statutory auditor, peeved by his removal from a company, can create a lot of legal headache for it, the Delhi high court observed in its judgment in the case, H K Chadha vs Basti Sugar Mills. "Having knowledge of all intricate details about the working of the company, he can misuse the same and make distortions by virtue of his position and resort to exploitative complaints to statutory government authorities and initiate malicious litigation as in the present case to prevent the company from functioning or implementing decisions," the HC stated.
The auditor had a few shares in the defunct company and when it was merged with another, troubles started heaping upon the company. The auditor who lost his post launched a series of litigation challenging the merger. Dismissing his petition against the merger and imposing damages, the HC observed: "Valuable judicial time has been squandered on this meritless litigation at his instance who must compensate the system. This is possible by making a deposit towards legal aid, a constitutional right of poor and disadvantaged litigants and provided institutionally by this court."
Penalty on dominant film federation
In view of repeated anti-competitive conduct of the Kerala Film Exhibitors Federation, the Competition Commission of India last week ordered stern action against its executives. The top two shall pay penalty at the rate of 10 per cent of the annual turnover in the past three years within two months.
They shall keep away from administrative and management functions of the federation for two years. The federation has also been ordered to "organise, in letter and spirit, at least five competition awareness and compliance programmes over the next six months in Kerala for its members." The orders were passed on a complaint by one of the theatre owners, Crown Theatre, who did not join a strike called by the federation protesting against service charges imposed by the state government.
The federation asked the distributors not to lend film to the theatre, leading to the complaint before the commission. After investigation, the commission found that the federation had abused its dominant position in the market and indulged in anti-competitive practices like asking distributors not to provide films to the theatre to show films of its choice.
The commission stated that the federation has been indulging in and perpetuating anti-competitive practices. "It is clear from the submissions of various film distributors that because of the diktats of the federation, release of Malayalam and Tamil films were denied to the theatre."


text:
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 18, 2010) – The U.S. government is helping businesses and consumers protect themselves against counterfeit currency with a new Web video – “How to Detect a Counterfeit” – released today on www.newmoney.gov. The downloadable video is the second in a series of educational videos created to increase public awareness about the new $100 note, which will begin circulating on February 10, 2011.
“When a business or consumer accepts a counterfeit note, they are the ones who end up losing the money. It is important for the public to be educated about what security features to look for on the new $100 note. By knowing those features . . .
Full story at: newmoney.gov


text:
The Harris Products Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of metalworking products used in welding, cutting, brazing and soldering, announced today that the company’s strategy to dramatically expand its distribution channel in South Africa has been an overwhelming success.
Harris began implementing the strategy earlier this year, providing South African customers in the mining, railroad, petrochemical, and auto assembly industries easier access to its products through additional distributors such as Renttech, Air Liquide and Brandweld in order to meet increased demand.
Long part of the Afrox stable of products, Harris began manufacturing its own products for the South African market when competing brands began migrating to Chinese parts and products, challenging Harris’ market share. The Harris goods are being produced at its Dzierzoniów, Poland plant, one of the most modern manufacturing facilities in the world.
That strategy is now a proven success. As of July 2012, bookings of Harris-branded gas equipment are three times higher than for all of 2010, and 2011.
“We’re very excited to announce the success of our South African business plan here at the Electra Mining Show,” said David J. Nangle, President & CEO, The Harris Products Group, and Vice President, The Lincoln Electric Company. “This is a terrific opportunity to thank our customers in person and show them how we intend to build on this success moving forward.”
A key driver of this success is increased demand for two new Harris products—the Harris H28 Heavy Duty Hand Cutting Torch, designed for Foundry and Special Heavy Cutting applications, and the Harris 351 Flowmeter Regulator, which is more resistant to CO2 freeze-up and gauge damage than typical flow control devices.


text:
Home Tags RCV
New Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) are equipped with turrets that not only mount the main weapon systems but add many new features, including optronics, battle management, active protection, guided missiles, and drones. Our podcast discusses the trends and future of such systems.
General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has unveiled a tracked robotic platform (TRX) designed to meet the US Army’s ‘Robotic Combat Vehicle - Medium’ class requirement. Yesterday, TRX starred at the center of GDLS’ virtual display at the virtual Modern-Day Marine expo, hinting more information will be provided at the upcoming AUSA virtual event next month.
Milrem Robotics company from Estonia has developed a Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) known as Type-X, introducing new and exciting manned-unmanned capabilities to modern combat. "Milrem Robotics plans to complete the vehicle prototype by the end of the 3rd quarter of 2020 and begin mobility testing in October." Kuldar Väärsi, Milrem CEO said.


text:
Greener Gadgets Design Competition 2009
Green gadgets will lead the way in 2009 and now you have an opportunity to contribute your ideas. Simply, enter the device into the Green Gadget Design Competition by January 15th!
This year, Greener Gadgets and Core77 has partnered together to make known the top 50 entries on the web for commenting and voting. The winner will be showcased at the Greener Gadgets Conference in New York City on February 27th.
Last year's grand prize went to Matt Meshulam and Zach Dwiel who designed the EnerJar, a do-it-yourself device that measures the power draw from your appliances. For more of last year's nominees check out: http://www.core77.com/competitions/GreenerGadgets/notables.asp
For more information on the Greener Gadgets Design Competition visit: http://www.core77.com/greenergadgets/


text:
Marijuana Tax Revenue Won’t Reach All Parts of Oregon
- Oct 20, 2015 | Gail Cole
Ontario is nestled into a curve of the Snake River, on the eastern edge of Oregon. It’s a remote part of the state, closer to Boise, Idaho, than any city of size in Oregon. And, as in Boise, sales of marijuana are illegal.
Oregon voters approved sales and possession of recreational marijuana in July 2015. Since licensed retailers won’t open for business until some time next year, medical marijuana dispensaries are permitted to sell limited amounts of pot for recreational use as of October 1, 2015. Already, “Oregon dispensaries have done more than $11 million in business.
Current sales of recreational cannabis are tax-free (taxes will kick in on January 1, 2016). But many are eying the future revenue with excitement, as it will “fund schools, mental health programs, state police, and the cities and counties that are allowing recreational sales.” It will not be adding to Ontario coffers, which currently has a ban in place.
Ontario community leaders “believe no amount of money is worth the possible affect on the community.” Nicole Albisu, Superintendent of Schools, likened legalization to selling your soul to the devil.
According to initial projections, which many now think could be low, the Ontario school district would receive approximately $15,000 a year of marijuana tax revenue if they permitted sales. She and other community leaders don’t think the pay off is worth the risks associated with legalizing cannabis.


text:
Mumbai: While cement manufacturers still remain undecided about whether or not to drop prices in response to the threat of imports, they may be forced to do so by builders who are planning to import cheaper cement in bulk. And bulk it will have to be. A recent report on the cement industry by Mumbai-based brokerage house ASK Raymond James & Associates Pvt Ltd says builders will need to import at least 25,000 tonnes for it to be economically viable.
A prominent Mumbai-based builder, who did not wish to be named, said the members of the Builders Association of India and Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) have expressed interest in coming together as a loose consortium to import cement. Confirming the move, Mohan Deshmukh, MCHI’s president, said, “We have been talking among ourselves to look at bulk import of cement. We are still finalizing the plan.”
Importing the commodity is one thing. Using it in time, too, matters. The shelf life of cement is not more than 45 days, says the brokerage’s most recent report. This means several builders with large projects under implementation have to come together to import the bulk commodity which can be consumed in time.
Bandish says the MCHI was studying the feasibility of importing cement even before the 16% countervailing duty on imported cement and the 4% additional customs duty on imported cement was removed. “After the removal of all import duties, we are now seriously working on imports,” said Bandish.
However, A.K. Saraogi, chief financial officer of J.K. Cement, said while imported cement would get cheaper by Rs22-23 a bag, it would still be more expensive than the domestic product. That’s not stopping the builders. “We have already got quotes from countries such as Korea, China and Indonesia. We have to see how much cheaper it will be to get the cement at the points of consumption,” says Bandish Ajmera, director of the Mumbai-based Ajmera group of builders.
Bangalore-based regional major RMZ Corp is also looking at importing cement for its projects. “We are considering it (imports) as the Indian cement industry is not cooperative in reducing the prices as requested by consumers and the finance ministry,” said Viswanatha K.N., senior general manager, contracts, RMZ Corp. in an emailed response. RMZ Corp. consumes 10,000 bags of cement a day, across sites in Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata.
The list of those looking at the imports route is growing. “We are looking at importing a shipload of cement either from South Korea or China,” says Sunil Mantri, chairman and managing director of the Mumbai-based developer, Mantri Group. The New Delhi-based DLF Group too is mulling imports for its port-based projects, the company said in an emailed response.
PTI also contributed to this story.


text:
Help is ‘in the bag’
Something as simple as sorting through your bathroom cabinet could “provide a wealth of happiness” for victims of domestic violence this Christmas.
Support organisation for vulnerable women, Share the Dignity, is calling on the public to donate handbags filled with essential female items for its first ever ‘It’s in the Bag’ campaign.
Giving women an opportunity to enjoy the festive season and feel special is what inspired Novus Auto Glass co-owner Misti Fuller to get involved.
Mrs Fuller offered up her business to become a drop-off point and will join CCR Group in collecting the bags until December 3.
The businesses will be accepting donations of things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary items, deodorant, underwear, socks and “girly” things like perfume and hair ties, along with good condition second hand or new bags
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails


text:
Artificial Intelligence videos
No Results FoundIt seems there are no results matching your search criteria.
Latest News From ETtech.com
Internet access through Wi-Fi will be allowed within the aircraft and making calls will be allowed once an aircraft reaches an altitude of 3,000 meters,
Trai asked RCom to return the unused balance of the telcos’ prepaid customers and security deposit of the postpaid subscribers by February 15.
HCL intends to raise the share to 40% in the next couple of years and its target to increase intellectual property partnerships to 10
MARKETS-BITCOIN/INDIA-TAXES (PIX)India sends tax notices to cryptocurrency investors as trading hits $3.5 bln
“I think my wife is resourceful, smart, brainy, and hot, but I had the good fortune of having seen her résumé before I met her, so I knew exactly what her SATs were,” he joked to Vogue.
Facebook is announcing a second major tweak to its algorithm, saying it will prioritize news based on survey results of trustworthiness.
Abidali Neemuchwala, is bullish on the digital services growth that will define the future of IT services.
On a sequential basis, while HCL's revenues were up 3%, its net profit was flat at 0.3%.
Revenue rose by just 0.9% to $2.01 billion — after adjusting for currency fluctuations
The interim judgement came after city-based appliances manufacturer Marc Enterprises alleged that Flipkart’s brand was similar to its own and in violation of its trademark registered in 1984.
Eastern Railway.We have already executed several partnerships.
The banks have also sought additional collateral from the promoters of these exchanges on their borrowings and have capped cash withdrawals from the few accounts that are still operational.
Netflix's quarterly report on Monday may offer an advanced preview of whether Facebook, Amazon and other heavyweights
With this move, Amazon is looking to address the problem of leftover change for customers while paying cash for their cash on delivery order.
Google, Singapore investor Temasek and China's Meituan-Dianping are investing in Go-Jek as part of a $1.2 billion fundraising round
Earlier, both India and China came under fire at the WTO from many countries that wanted the two countries to fulfil their commitments under the WTO’s ITA.
During the first year, Adomantra will focus on investing in five to eight startups with an individual investment of Rs 10 to Rs 15 crore.
The online firm Limeroad plans to open 2,000-3,000 LimeRoad stores across the country in the next 2-3 years, and these will be run by sellers.
On July 1, the Indian government imposed basic customs duty on mobile phones at the rate of 10% and subsequently raised it to 15% on December 14.
Angel tax or basically, tax on investments in the early stages of a startup has been viewed by many as a reason for startup exodus to more 'friendly' countries.
The funds raised by Sharechat are being used for machine learning and artificial intelligence technology, with a major focus on expanding both the technology divisions.
IDG Ventures India and Ascent Capital, who held about 17% of Newgen stock, are expected to cumulatively earn more than Rs 280 crore, on the back of their five-year-old Rs 108-crore bet on the company.
Ecom-focussed logistics cos are battling the twin pressures of adjusting to a new regulatory regime & shrinking business from the country’s largest firms.
TCS announced four deal wins worth nearly $5.5 billion in the space of the last month alone.
Kaizala, a suite of productivity applications built in a chat interface, is being tested and previewed in countries with similar mobile penetration trends as India and could be formally launched soon, said Anant Maheshwari, president at Microsoft (India).
A large part of the growth is being driven by the Amazon Pay wallet, as balance loaded by customers grew 409% year-on-year on the back of aggressive incentives offered by Amazon India
India has pipped the US to stand second in mobile app downloads, behind China. But India is placed at 30, when it comes to consumer spend on apps with $210 million spent via the iOS and Google Play Stores
A quick look at the top headlines in the past 24 hours and its potential implications
WhatsApp has officially launched its WhatsApp for business app, taking its first steps towards monetization by allowing business accounts on its platform.
For Quikr, FY17 has been a year where its inorganic strategy has begun bearing fruit significantly with the businesses of the acquired startups now forming well over 55% of Quikr’s overall revenues.


text:
Walmart announced that it will ask suppliers to remove eight chemicals of concern, including formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, from household goods. This is an important step in the right direction, and yet Walmart and other large corporations still can do more.
The Walmart policy requires 700 manufacturers to list the eight ingredients by 2018 and urges them to find safer alternatives.
However, these eight chemicals are a select few of the many harmful ones that may be in our household goods, including products that we directly put on our bodies, like shampoos, lotions, soap, etc.
Eight is not enough. For example, methylparaben was not included in Walmart’s list. It is a preservative used in some moisturizers and has been linked to skin cancer and hormone disruption.
The average American is exposed to more than 100 different chemicals from personal care products each morning. We shouldn’t have to risk our health when going through our morning routines.
Walmart has taken a step in protecting public health. Let’s see if they can take more.
 Darbre PD., et a., Paraben esters: review of recent studies of endocrine toxicity, absorption, esterase and human exposure, and discussion of potential human health risks. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 2008. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18484575
 Byford JR, Shaw LE, Drew MG, Pope GS, Sauer MJ, Darbre PD. 2002. Oestrogenic activity of parabens in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 80(1):49-60.


text:
PALO ALTO, Calif. (KTVU) - On Tuesday Elon Musk announced, on Twitter, his plan to take Tesla private. The market reacted sending Tesla stock up 11 percent.
For months, Tesla faced questions and criticism from investors about production, finances, and the new Model 3.
Now Tesla may be going private,removing itself from the mercies of the market. Elon Musk made the announcement Tuesday with a Tweet.
Robert Eberhart of Santa Clara University's Leavey School of Business says, "It's interesting that he's reacting to the pressure by saying look I'm going to take my company and go home. And again it just appears that way. So what we have to be most concerned about is what is it doing to Tesla and how is it affecting Tesla shareholders."
Tesla stock jumped, before trading was temporarily halted.
It resumed following a more formal announcement from the company.
In it Musk says a final decision has not yet been made but that he wants, "...an outcome where Tesla can operate at its best, free from as much short-term thinking as possible..."
Eberhart says, "His actions have a great deal to do with the value of that company, so when he announces he's going to do something, some people react, you saw the price go up. And now he has a committment to follow through on that, or he's got some explaining to do."
Automotive journalist Gary Lieber believes the company will follow through. He says Elon Musk should not be underestimated.
Lieber says, "There is so much public grief that he gets. I think this is a good way to get out from the scrutiny, the microscopic scrutiny that he's under right now."
Musk has said the goal is to go private at $420 a share and then to give shareholders a choice.
Sellor remain invested in the company in a special purpose fund which allows buying and selling every six months.
Lieber is a shareholder and says it's a choice he'd be happy to have.
He says, "Well I'd take 420 for a share of stock today. We'll see, we'll have to see how it plays out."
In a follow up tweet this afternoon, Elon Musk said that investor support is confirmed and that the only reason why this move isn't certain is that its contingent on a shareholder vote.


text:
ACCC sides with banks in screen scraping warning war
Transport for NSW dives deeper into voice assistance with Alexa
Barclays faces privacy probe over staff spying accusations
India data-curb plan 'anathema', US tech giants plan pushback
Huawei to stop making flagship chipsets as US pressure bites
Don't have an account? Register now!
Levandowski gets 18 months in prison for stealing Google files
Related to self-driving cars.
Aug 6 2020 6:47AM
US to test mirrorless, camera-based systems in cars
As replacement for traditional rearview mirrors.
Aug 28 2019 1:33PM
NSW govt gets behind smart tech to avoid car crashes
Will overhaul fleet policy to push adoption.
Feb 6 2018 5:00PM
Volkswagen Australia looks to Salesforce for IoT
Connected cars, AI factored into future thinking.
Nov 8 2017 11:00AM
Car makers in high-tech automotive arms race
Battle for dominance on the road to self-driving cars.
Nov 16 2015 11:15AM
Infosec experts hack Jeep, gain control of moving car
Highlight concerns about driver safety in internet-connected vehicles.
Jul 22 2015 3:38PM
BHP Billiton goes cloud for robot rail facility
Melbourne software maker wins big.
Apr 16 2015 6:30AM
Photos: The race for driverless cars
Who's taken pole position?
Feb 27 2015 6:21AM
Volvo readies driverless cars for public roads
Test scheduled for 2017.
Feb 24 2015 12:05PM
Apple poaching auto engineers to build battery division
Battery developer files lawsuit.
Feb 19 2015 4:34PM
BMW patches in-car software security flaw
Up to 2.2 million cars affected.
Feb 3 2015 11:06AM
NASA, Nissan partner for autonomous car tech
Aim to deliver vehicle systems from next year.
Jan 12 2015 12:58PM
Photos: Google's self-driving car enters first real build
First complete prototype unveiled.
Dec 24 2014 1:04PM
Google to build Android directly into cars
Next version to be embedded.
Dec 19 2014 11:05AM
Qld Transport to replace core registration system
State's biggest citizen info repository set for overhaul.
Nov 24 2014 6:50AM
Curtin plots affordable driverless car within a decade
Teams with Mercedes to create vehicle for the common man.
Oct 30 2014 6:35AM
US auto regulator pushes wireless transmitters for car safety
Wants life-saving technology made mandatory.
Aug 19 2014 1:04PM
Carsales debuts new classifieds site Pitchi
Video targets enterpreneurial millenials.
Aug 13 2014 11:23AM
Tesla Motors opens its patents to the public
Hopes to spur developments of electric cars.
Jun 13 2014 4:17PM
Google shows off prototype self-driving car
No driver seat, steering wheel.
May 28 2014 4:39PM
Most popular tech stories
Inside NEXTDC's new Sydney data centre, S2
'Natural radiation event' knocks NBN Sky Muster satellite offline
Telstra sells Clayton data centre complex for $416m
Google unveils its first 5G phones, cuts price on base Pixel model
'Massive messaging storm' takes out Telstra's DNS infrastructure
Behind the scenes at NextDC's S2 data centre
NTT Ltd. names Tania Balcombe as new ANZ chief
Dell hit with new layoffs, says cuts unrelated to COVID-19
JB Hi-Fi to temporarily shutter Victorian stores tomorrow
Colocation vendor DXN signs Sydney's Chill IT as reseller
How long will a UPS keep your computers on if the lights go out?
Ten ways to speed up your laptop
How do I make sure my email is properly synced between all my computers?
Business Continuity Management (BCM): Why You Must Refresh Your Strategy Now
How to recover deleted emails in Gmail
The 2020 IoT Festival is moving online in September
What is an 'intelligent' edge gateway?
Meet the Australian electronics manufacturer that sidestepped the lockdown
NSW Government launches NSW Spatial Digital Twin
Australian company sees market for COVID-19 contact tracing tool for businesses
Don't have an account? Register now!
Username / Email:
Forgot your password?


text:
If you feel like requests for tips are everywhere, you’re not alone. From dry cleaners to shops, prompts to provide a gratuity are popping up in unusual places.
Tipping has long been part of American culture, expected in restaurants, hair salons and taxis — anywhere workers rely on them for a livable wage. An explosion of digital point-of-sale terminals and contactless checkouts has resulted in even more requests for tips.
It can be frustrating and annoying for consumers who don’t want to give 20 percent for a $5 purchase at the convenience store every morning. Nearly 2 in 3 (66 percent) of U.S. adults in a Bankrate survey said they have a negative view about tipping.
Among the respondents:
- 41 percent said businesses should pay employees better
- 32 percent expressed annoyance at seeing pre-entered tip screens
- 30 percent feel the tipping culture is out of control
- 15 percent are confused about whom and how much to tip
- 16 percent would be willing to pay more in lieu of tipping
“The tip jar used to sit quietly next to the register … now the tip screen actively asks us to say ‘no,’ ” says Lizzie Post, coauthor of Emily Post’s Etiquette: The Centennial Edition. “It’s a harder hurdle to get over.”
People grew accustomed to tipping during the pandemic to help small businesses and restaurants stay afloat. In turn, more businesses added the ability to tip to their point-of-sale terminals and — voila! — a new tipping culture emerged. “Now that the Pandora’s box has been opened, you can’t really shut it again,” says Jaime E. Peters, assistant dean of accounting, finance and economics at Maryville University in Town and Country, Missouri.
But just because you’re prompted to tip everywhere doesn’t mean you have to. There are times when it is absolutely necessary and other instances when there’s discretion. Here’s how to navigate the new tipping culture.


text:
06 Apr “Surprise Move: What the RBI’s Decision Means for India’s Economy and Financial Markets-Simplified”
“The Great Repo Rate Debate: How the RBI’s Decision is Shaking Up Indian Finance”
The RBI’s unexpected decision is likely to have a significant impact on the Indian economy and financial markets. While it may lead to short-term fluctuations, the long-term effects remain to be seen. Investors will be watching closely to see how the government and central bank manage the economic situation and what measures they take to ensure stability and growth.
This is the first time since May 2022 that the RBI has not made any changes to interest rates, and it’s being seen as a sign of confidence in the Indian economy.
While leaving the rates unchanged, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) also retained its stance of focusing on “withdrawal of accommodation.” This means that the RBI will continue to monitor the economic situation and make decisions accordingly.
Governor Shaktikanta Das stated that the decision to pause the rate hike was for this meeting only and that the central bank would be ready to act “should the situation so warrant.”
What is Monetary Policy?
In simpler terms, Monetary policy is a set of decisions made by the central bank(Reserve Bank of India) about how much money should be available and what interest rates should be.
-This means that the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) decides how much money is available in the economy and sets the interest rates that people have to pay to borrow money.
The goal of monetary policy is to help the economy grow while keeping inflation stable.
-The aim is to support the growth of the economy while keeping prices stable, so things don’t get too expensive for people to buy.
How does Monetary Policy work?
Central banks like the RBI control monetary policy to keep the economy stable and prevent inflation from getting too high.
They use different tools to achieve this, including
-changing interest rates,
-the amount of money available, and
-buying or selling bonds.
To do this, the Central Bank can change the interest rates that people have to pay to borrow money, increase or decrease the amount of money available, and buy or sell bonds.
If inflation is too high, the central bank may raise interest rates to encourage saving and discourage borrowing.
-When prices are getting too high, the RBI may increase the interest rates people have to pay for loans to discourage borrowing and encourage saving.
If inflation is too low, the central bank may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing and spending.
-Conversely, if inflation is too low, the RBI may lower interest rates to encourage people to borrow and spend money to stimulate the economy.
Lowering interest rates can make it easier for businesses to borrow money and invest, increasing the demand for goods and services.
-By making it cheaper for businesses to borrow money, more investments can be made, which can increase the demand for goods and services.
Raising interest rates can reduce inflation by making it more expensive for consumers to buy things when borrowing costs are high.
-When interest rates are high, consumers have to pay more for borrowing money, which makes it more expensive to buy things, reducing the demand for goods and services.
Here are the key points from the recent RBI announcement:
The RBI has decided not to change the repo rate, which remains at 6.5%.
This decision goes against the predictions of 49 out of 62 economists, who had expected the RBI to lift its repo rate by 25 basis points to a seven-year high of 6.75%.
This is the first time since May 2022 that the central bank has not made any changes to interest rates.
The RBI has increased interest rates by a total of 250 basis points over the past year in its fight against inflation.
The MPC has maintained its focus on withdrawing accommodation in its policy stance.
Governor Shaktikanta Das stated that the decision to keep interest rates unchanged was for this meeting only and that the central bank would be ready to act if necessary.
The Market Moves:
The RBI’s decision to keep rates steady was well received by investors, with benchmark indices rebounding and the Nifty 50, Sensex, and Nifty Bank index all seeing gains.
The RBI decided not to increase interest rates in India, which pleased investors.
Nilesh Shah of Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund compared this decision to a skilled move made by Sachin Tendulkar, who was known for his ability to hit the ball in any direction he wanted.
Some sectors, such as real estate, automobiles, and financial institutions, are expected to benefit from this decision in the near future.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has surprised markets , causing the Indian rupee to decline against the U.S. dollar.
Following the announcement, government bond yields dropped significantly, with the benchmark bond yield crashing to its lowest point in nearly seven months.
The 10-year benchmark bond yield dropped to 7.1469%, its lowest since September 15. Prior to the decision, the yield was at 7.2857%.
The RBI’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged is an important step for the Indian economy. It shows that the central bank is taking a measured approach to managing inflation and growth, which will help to stabilize the markets and boost investor confidence.
Additionally, the fact that the RBI is open to taking action in the future if necessary is a reassuring sign for investors who are looking for stability and predictability.
This electric vehicle EV stock is on the rise to reach an all-time high (ATH) in the current falling market. Here is the reason why…Read More
Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies are their own and not that of the website or its management. Aceink.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.


text:
Tony Abbott hopeful about India-Australia trade pact
Tony Abbott (ANI Photo)
AUSTRALIAN prime minister’s special trade envoy Tony Abbott on Friday (3) expressed optimism that his country and India would abide by the deadline of finalising the proposed trade pact which aims at enhancing their economic ties.
India and Australia have agreed to finalise a long-pending free trade agreement, officially called the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) by the end of next year and an early harvest trade deal by the conclusion of the current year, Press Trust of India reported.
ALSO READ: Australia eases travel curbs from Dec 1, move to help Indian students
In an early harvest agreement, two trading partners slash or remove customs duties in a certain specified number of goods in an early harvest pact. Such duties were removed in the maximum number of goods traded between India and Australia in a free-trade agreement or CECA.
India, Australia to ink comprehensive free trade pact
The two nations also liberalise norms for improving trade in services and boost investments in a CECA.
“The main purpose of this visit is to try to ensure that we get the best possible trade deal between India and Australia as quickly as possible,” Abbott, a former Australian prime minister, told reporters in a virtual press conference in New Delhi.
“Based on the discussions last night with (Commerce and Industry) Minister Piyush Goyal and senior members of his team, I am confident that we can do a very good early harvest deal, which is larger rather than smaller, by the end of the year or very early in the new year,” he said, adding, “I am certainly confident, based on the discussions we had last night, that the time table will be met.”
The two countries launched negotiations for a CECA in May 2011 but the talks were suspended in 2015 due to certain disagreements over issues such as market access in agriculture and dairy products which Australia had sought and over India’s demand of visa liberalisation for professionals.
When asked about India’s sensitivities in the agricultural sector, Abbott said “Australia accepts that because of the particular nature of Indian agriculture, there are very much small family farms, as opposed to the much larger commercial operations in Australia, we absolutely accept that there are some important sensitivities in Indian agriculture”.
He said, “I am confident that we can make strong progress and one of the areas where we can make a strong progress even in the early harvest agreement is wine. I am hoping that more and more people in India will have an affordable opportunity to experience this great Australian product in the months and years ahead.”
In 2020-21, India’s exports to Australia were $4.04 billion (£3 billion), while imports were $8.24 billion (£6.2).
India mainly exported refined petroleum, medicaments, railway vehicles including hovertrains, medicaments, pearls and gems, jewellery, and made-up textile articles to Australia and imported coal, gold, copper ores and concentrates, vegetables, wool, fruits and nuts, lentils, etc.
Indian commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal tweeted about his meeting with Abbott saying, “Met with @HonTonyAbbott, Special Trade Envoy of the Prime Minister of Australia. Had an extensive discussion on the huge potential India & Australia have to further energise & expand our bilateral ties through Free Trade Agreement (FTA) for mutual economic prosperity.”


text:
- Inflation rate now at 7.7% – its highest since 1983CBC News
- Canada inflation rate gallops to near 40-year high, calls for supersized rate hike mountCNBC
- Canadian inflation hits 7.7%, largest increase since 1983Yahoo Canada Finance
- Opinion: The government could do more to help the Bank of Canada fight inflation – or at least it could stop hindering itThe Globe and Mail
- LILLEY: Inflation spikes to highest level since 1983, Trudeau government says they’ve done enough alreadyToronto Sun.
- View Full Coverage on Google News