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May New-Car Sales Rebound for Most Automakers as Consumers Flock to Showrooms
By Jeff Youngs, June 03, 2014
"Business is fabulous," said Michael Foote, a general manager at Lia Automotive Group in Albany, N.Y., in this week's edition of Automotive News about May 2014 auto sales. Five weekends, an extra selling day, and Memorial Day sales events helped produce big sales gains last month for nearly every car company. Compared with May 2013, last month's sales represent a 12% year-over-year gain, causing some analysts to revise full-year sales forecasts to between 16.5 million and 17.0 million total units.
Highlights: May 2014 Car Sales
When comparing year-over-year sales, nine auto brands improved by 20% or more. Among brands, Jeep sales increased the most at 58%, prompting Mark Winstead, sales manager at Machens Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Columbia, Mo., to tell Automotive News this week: "Jeep is always a hot product [and] people want SUVs."
Other brands with significant gains in May include Mitsubishi (54%), Infiiniti (31%), Land Rover (28%), Audi (26%), Bentley (23%), Mazda (23%), Lexus (21%), and Lincoln (21%). The news wasn't all good, however; year-over-year sales declined for eight brands: Chrysler, Jaguar, Mini, Scion, Smart, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
Following are the May 2014 year-over-year sales results for each major automaker, presented in alphabetical order by manufacturer group:
American Honda--Sales were up 9% in May. Honda rose 10% thanks to strong demand for the Accord, Civic, and CR-V. Acura increased by 2%. A redesigned Honda Fit is about to hit showrooms.
BMW Group--BMW Group sales increased 13% over May of last year, due to a 17% increase in sales of BMW and a 6% increase for Rolls-Royce. Mini sales were down by 4%.
Chrysler Group--May was the 50th consecutive month that Chrysler Group posted a year-over-year improvement in sales, this time up by 17%. All divisions reported increases except for the Chrysler brand, which declined by 22%. Jeep posted a 58% increase; Ram, 19%; and Fiat, 18%.
Daimler AG--Daimler AG sales rose 8% on the strength of a 9% increase for Mercedes-Benz. Smart stumbled by 16%.
Ford Motor Company--Sales improved by 3% at Ford Motor partially due to a 21% increase at Lincoln. The Ford brand increased by 2%.
General Motors--All GM divisions reported sales improvements in May, for a total increase of 13%, the biggest gain of the year for the company. Chevrolet was up by 14%; Buick, 11%; GMC, 8%; and Cadillac, 6%.
Hyundai Group--Sales at Hyundai Group rose by 9% thanks to a strong showing by Kia, which enjoyed a 15% jump. Kia sold more than 60,000 vehicles in May, the first time the brand has ever surpassed that sales threshold in a single month. Hyundai sales improved by 4%, with the Equus, Genesis, Santa Fe, and Tucson the big gainers.
Jaguar Land Rover--Total sales at the luxury automaker were up 17% thanks to Land Rover, which increased by 28%. Jaguar sales were down by 9%.
Maserati--Maserati notched another month of significant sales gains, showing a 406% increase compared with May 2013.
Mazda--Mazda volume increased by 23%, the company's vice president of sales crediting Memorial Day sales for driving showroom traffic right through the end of the month.
Mitsubishi--Mitsubishi continued its rebound in May with a 54% increase, compared to the same month in 2013. The company's least expensive models, the Outlander Sport and Mirage, are credited with fueling the improvement.
Nissan Group--Sales at the Japanese automaker climbed by 19% this past May, with Infiniti improving by 31% and Nissan brand sales increasing by 18%. Nissan reported that its key models are driving sales growth: Altima, Juke, Rogue, Sentra, and Versa.
Subaru--Subaru sales increased by 11%, compared with May 2013, in advance of the redesigned 2015 Legacy and 2015 Outback models arriving in showrooms.
Tesla--Tesla Model S sales were down by 6% in May, compared with the same month in the previous year.
Toyota Group--Toyota's overall sales rose by 17%, and Toyota brand sales also increased by 17% on demand for the popular Camry, Corolla, and Prius. Sales for Toyota's Lexus luxury division improved by 21%, while Scion sales were down by 6%.
Volkswagen Group--Overall Volkswagen Group sales fell by 3% in May, mainly due to a 15% drop for the Volkswagen brand. Audi jumped by 26%; Bentley, 23%; Porsche, 17%; and Lamborghini, 4%. The overall decrease in sales for the German automaker reflects the 14th consecutive month of sales decline for Volkswagen as a company.
Volvo--Volvo sales fell by 21% in May, compared with the same time last year. Volvo is preparing to launch a redesigned XC90 SUV soon, and has wound down production of the C30 and C70 models.


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Lloyds Bank has been trailing ‘tap to bank’ technology to authenticate devices during mobile banking registration process.
The technology, which has been tested on 125 people, will enable owners of NFC-equipped Android smartphones to set up mobile banking by tapping a debit or credit card against the handset.
The bank said that the new technology could phase out automated security calls and chip and pin readers.
The majority of those people involved in the testing found the new technology to be simpler, quicker, and easier, the bank added.
The bank also plans to extend the application to other tasks, including authenticating new payments.
Lloyds Bank director of innovation and digital development Marc Lien said: "With the widespread take up of contactless cards and most new smartphones now having NFC technology, this tap to bank trial is developing enhancements to banking processes that many people could benefit from.
"This is one of a raft of new technologies that we’re experimenting with to help our customers."

domain: news


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Software company SAP has appointed Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of Omnicom Group as its media agency network-of-record. OMG is tasked to support SAP marketing’s global paid media planning and buying activities. Previously, SAP’s media business had been with OMG’s PHD Worldwide since 2015. The current PHD team will continue to support SAP through the transition period until end 2020.
The decision follows an extensive review in which OMG presented North Star, a customised media unit that draws talent, tools and technology from the entire Omnicom Media Group network as a solution to continue the acceleration of SAP’s unified customer and brand experience. Supported by the Omni operating system, North Star enables innovative and meaningful end-to-end consumer experiences that drive better business outcomes.
Initiated by SAP global CMO, Alicia Tillman, the company remains confident in Omnicom Media Group’s capabilities, tools and data-led approach to help SAP grow its brand value, modernise its marketing capabilities to deliver innovative and the broader markets it serves. “Since 2016, we have grown our brand value over US$18B and this new agency partnership will support our vision of executing in a more innovative, agile, flexible and efficient way for the continued benefit of our customers, stakeholders and for SAP’s global ecosystem,” Tillman said.
Florian Adamski, CEO of OMD Worldwide who led the cross-network pitch team said with North Star, the company was expanding the foundation built by PHD over the past five years. He added that the company could create a re-envisioned solution, including a connected, cross-agency operational network that enabled a global vision for media while maintaining local specificity and execution; delivered a seamless experience across media and creative; and assured data flexibility and transparency.
Separately, in January this year, SAP appointed Rachel Barger as president and managing director of SAP SEA. Barger was responsible for driving SAP Southeast Asia’s strategy and execution, leading customer operations, accelerating customer transformation into enterprises, as well as building customer value and success in the region. Additionally, it entered an extensive go-to-market partnership with Microsoft from conceptualisation to sales, to boost customer adoption of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software SAP S/4HANA and SAP Cloud Platform on Microsoft Azure.
Meanwhile, SAP also recently announced its intent to take Qualtrics public through an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. It's primary objective for the IPO was to fortify Qualtrics’ ability to capture its full market potential within Experience Management. This would help to increase Qualtrics’ autonomy and enable it to expand its footprint both within SAP’s customer base and beyond.


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If you’ve been scanning the Bitcoin subreddit today, you’ll notice Western Union — the world-famous money remittance company — is taking a fair bit of flak from digital currency enthusiasts for an event that took place on Facebook not terribly long ago.
In short, a user of the social network, Dave Aiello, mocked a Western Union advertisement in attempts to highlight the benefits of bitcoin. In a thread created Monday on Reddit, Aiello says he was met with a copyright claim from the company for the following:
Needless to say, Aiello’s post on Reddit was met with disappointment and anger. And now, it seems like the community is eager to share what they think Western Union didn’t want them to see.
This morning alone, I’ve counted ten threads with reference to the debacle on the Bitcoin subreddit front page, and a number of others on Twitter are making reference to this. But is it the proper way to go about getting back at Western Union for their copyright claim?
Do you think the case is that Western Union doesn’t want people to see the benefits of bitcoin transactions?
Further, do you think that in light of this news Western Union should explore getting into bitcoin? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
In short, a user of the social network, Dave Aiello, mocked a Western Union advertisement in attempts to highlight the benefits of bitcoin. In a thread created Monday on Reddit , Aiello says he […]
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Microsoft’s Your Phone app is probably one of the most convenient tools for Android phone and Windows PC users. It enables you to sync your phone to the PC, enabling you to see notifications, messages, place/ receive calls, and much more. The app lets you currently view your phone’s photo gallery on the PC as well. Microsoft is looking forward to perk up this feature in the coming months.
As spotted by app reverse engineer @ALumia, the Your Phone app is set to get a very handy feature. It will soon let users not only view but also delete their phone’s photos and videos right from their Windows PCs. A demo for this feature is shown below and the process looks effortless. You just hit the ‘Delete’ button at the top right, confirm the deletion, and voila, the said photo/ video is gone from your phone’s library.
— Aggiornamenti Lumia (@ALumia_Italia) July 7, 2020
Yeah, Microsoft is trying to make more and more features from your phone accessible via the Your Phone app. Another new feature coming to the app is the ability to pin Your Phone to the taskbar. It will enable you to quickly launch the app instead of a long cold start. The app recently also enabled users to control phone’s media playback from the PC and see the battery and connectivity features right in the Your Phone app.


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In 1991 IDG Books published DOS for Dummies, a beginner-friendly guide to Microsoft’s PC operating system. That first publication had a print run of just 7500 copies, but it was the beginning of a global publishing phenomenon that now has 250 million books in print spanning 1800 titles. (Although with the availability of online editions that in-print number is somewhat meaningless.)
Data analytics (Aka big data) is a powerful tool for gaining insights into customer behaviours and trends, but traditionally it’s been the domain of experts – data scientists — who are one step removed from the ‘coal face’ of marketing, customer service and delivering the optimal customer experience. That's changing with the growth of self-service analytics.
The pundits seem to be united: the future of customer service is in delivering a great “ digital experience” – whatever exactly that is.
Call centre consultancy Call Center IQ has issued its 2016 Executive Report on the Customer Experience, saying the term ‘customer experience’ possesses universal recognition as a buzz word, but lacks universal meaning as a specific concept. “Absent that specificity, the challenge of mobilising an organisation and driving truly significant improvement will remain incredibly daunting,” it concludes.
There’s a suggestion in a blog post from The Customer Experience Company –- an Australian design and innovation firm -- that changes to financial advice legislation may make formal financial advice more costly and less accessible and that the finance industry’s response might be to provide general information for free by investing in new channels such as robo-advice.
Last December Gartner came out with a forecast Predicts 2016: Excellent Customer Experiences Hinge on Continuous Digital Experiences. Here’s a couple of predictions as to what that “continuous digital experience” will entail.
A worldwide survey of almost 500 chief marketing officers (CMOs) and senior marketing executives undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) finds the power of the CMO growing rapidly and suggests that CMOs are well on their way to taking ownership of the end-to-end customer experience.
“Predictive analytics has come of age as a core enterprise practice necessary to sustain competitive advantage,” proclaims a white paper on the topic. This technology, it says “enacts a wholly new phase of enterprise evolution by applying organisational learning, which empowers the business to grow by deploying a unique form of data-driven risk management across multiple fronts.”
In today’s complex multichannel world where customers interact with companies through multiple digital technologies — and vice versa — simply giving each customer a username and password is no longer sufficient, and the whole ‘technology’ that addressed this are – identity and access management (IAM) — has now evolved into a whole new one: identity relationship management (IRM).
US based magazine Contact Center Pipeline claims to be “the industry's leading instructional journal focused on driving success through effective contact center management.” While that’s clearly debatable, the next claim is certainly true, at least for the issue we saw. “Each issue features in-depth perspectives on the call center market, best practices and trends, technology and people issues that impact the customer experience.”
Application performance management, it’s something IT departments have been doing for years: monitoring the performance of applications, identifying bottlenecks, looking for ways to increase efficiencies.


text: Microsoft put on its nicest suit when it invited Samsung to the patent-licensing barn dance. Whatever it whispered as the two snuggled close during the slow jams about rescuing the Korean giant from the quagmire of Android litigation, it worked. Sammy has entered into a deal to license Redmond's vast patent archive and, if the rumors are to be believed, it will pay $15 per handset sold for the privilege. (No word on if that includes the $45 million in fees that would just cover sales of the Galaxy S II.) This seems like it could be an implicit vote of no-confidence concerning Google's promises that its acquisition of Motorola would make courtroom drama a thing of the past. There's also a strong reference to the pair collaborating on Mango, and we can only assume that it comes with a significantly less punitive licensing charge in place. Between Android, Windows Phone, Bada and Tizen, it's clear Samsung is hedging its operating system bets. There's a press release after the break, but take our word on it, at no point does it mention Steve Ballmer, lying naked on a bed of money, laughing to himself.


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Push for Faster Global Transactions
JPMorgan Chase & Co., America’s premier financial institution, is on the verge of potentially unveiling a groundbreaking digital currency tailored to expedite global transactions and settlements. According to Bloomberg, a source, who chose to remain anonymous given the nascent nature of the initiative, has shed light on the bank’s progressive move towards leveraging a digital deposit token backed by blockchain technology.
Innovative Approach with Deposit Token
The impending digital deposit token stands as an emblematic representation of a deposit claim against JPMorgan. This innovative approach not only ensures efficient and rapid transactions but also signifies the bank’s undeterred commitment to staying abreast of technological advancements. The banking giant is equipped with a majority of the requisite infrastructure essential to manage this novel payment mechanism. However, the final green light hinges on the necessary regulatory endorsements from U.S. overseeing bodies.
JPMorgan’s Prior Foray into Blockchain
This isn’t JPMorgan’s maiden voyage into the blockchain realm. The bank has previously introduced “JPM Coin” – a system designated for its select institutional clientele, facilitating intra-bank transfers of dollars and euros. As of June, JPM Coin’s successful implementation is evident from the staggering $300 billion in transactions it has overseen since its inception in 2019.
Benefits of the Deposit Token
Beyond its swiftness, the blockchain-backed deposit token offers a multitude of advantages. The inherent nature of blockchain, being a distributed ledger technology, ensures a meticulous record and authentication of transactions, negating the need for any middlemen. Consequently, this implies a substantial reduction in transactional overheads, sidestepping intermediary institutions such as correspondent banks and clearinghouses.
In conclusion, as JPMorgan Chase & Co. continues to explore the vast potential of blockchain and digital currency, the imminent introduction of the deposit token might herald a new era for international finance, streamlining processes and reducing costs.


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Hunts Point Market signs temporary leasePosted: Updated:
The Hunts Point Market is staying in the borough until at least the end of the year.
The lease with the city for the market expired yesterday. Market executives and the city were at the negotiating table working out a new lease. Vendors had earlier said rising costs and an aging facility could prompt them to relocate to New Jersey.
However, executives were able to sign a nine-month temporary lease today. The agreement includes plans to work on creating a larger, modernized market. The market is a borough staple bringing in about $2 billion per year and employing thousands of people.
Hunts Point Market fighting to stay in borough


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MPs took the Government to task on the issue of rural broadband during a parliamentary debate as peers in the House of Lords said consumers should be entitled to a minimum broadband speed of 30 megabits per second (Mbps), not 10Mbps, by 2020.
MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael, who secured the debate in Westminster Hall, said the digital divide between urban and rural communities was growing, with many in cities having access to superfast speeds while a large proportion of people in the countryside struggled to get 10Mbps.
“We are forever encouraging our farmers to diversify, saying they should be setting up holiday accommodation and finding different ways to bring people into the countryside and add value to their product”, he added.
“Bluntly, however, this requires good connectivity. Without this it will not happen.”
NFU vice president Guy Smith said: “Well over half of our members have diversified their fam businesses with the aim of supporting the wider rural economy, but they simply will not be able to support this wider economy if they cannot access high-speed broadband.
“This is tantamount to failure to provide the infrastructure our industry desperately needs to flourish and compete in increasingly globalised markets.”
In the House of Lords last week, peers voted for an amendment to the Digital Economy Bill which would see consumers offered a minimum broadband speed of 30Mbps by 2020, instead of the 10Mbps which will be available under the Universal Service Obligation.
The Government is likely to oppose the amendment when the Bill returns to the House of Commons, despite similar calls from MPs during the broadband debate.
Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy Louise Haigh said offering a minimum speed of 30Mbps was the only way to ‘future-proof’ the legislation and match the ambitions of small businesses.
The SNP’s rural affairs spokesperson, Calum Kerr, echoed those concerns, saying consumers may end up paying again for a faster connection in the future if they were only offered 10Mbps.


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Role of UPI in Shaping Foreign Policy
- 05 Sep 2023
- 6 min read
Why in News?
India's digital strength has reached new heights with the United Payments Interface (UPI) surpassing 10 billion transactions, signifying not only domestic success but also its vital role in foreign policy.
- Transactions on UPI have grown by over 50% year-on-year. UPI crossed 1 billion monthly transactions for the first time in October 2019.
How does UPI Contribute to India’s Foreign Policy?
- Digital Diplomacy:
- India aims to assume a leadership role in the Global South by pioneering digital governance.
- India's digital public infrastructure (DPI) push is a differentiator from China's focus on physical infrastructure development in developing countries.
- International Expansion:
- Since June 2023, India has signed agreements with countries like Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, Antigua & Barbuda and Papua New Guinea to share India Stack.
- Similarly, UPI has also been taken to international markets such as France, UAE, Singapore and Sri Lanka, with countries like Japan, Mauritius, and Saudi Arabia having shown an interest in adopting the payment system.
- Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository (GDPIR):
- India plans to establish the GDPIR to share DPI practices globally.
- The GDPIR aims to facilitate the exchange of tools and resources related to DPI among G20 members and beyond.
- Economic Diplomacy:
- UPI's success attracts foreign investments and partnerships, contributing to India's economic diplomacy efforts and strengthening bilateral relations.
What is India Stack?
- India Stack is a set of APIs (Application programming interfaces) that allows governments, businesses, startups, and developers to utilize a unique digital Infrastructure to solve India’s hard problems towards presence-less, paperless, and cashless service delivery.
- India Stack is a government-led initiative that focuses on building a robust digital infrastructure to enable various digital services across different sectors.
- The components of this collection are owned and maintained by different agencies.
- INDIA STACK aims to streamline and enhance identity verification, data exchange, and digital payment processes to make them more accessible and efficient for citizens.
- It includes digital public goods, which are digital resources and tools made available to the public to support various digital services and initiatives.
- The India Stack comprises three key layers: identity, payments, and data management.
- Identity Layer (Aadhaar):
- Aadhaar serves as the cornerstone of India Stack, offering digital identity products.
- It is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- Aadhaar is considered a proof of residence and not a proof of citizenship, and it does not grant any rights to domicile in India.
- Payments Layer (UPI):
- UPI forms the second layer, ensuring interoperability among money custodians, payment rails, and front-end payment applications.
- Managed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI is licensed to third-party private entities like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm.
- Data Governance Layer:
- Digital Locker is built on Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture(DEPA) ; it incorporates a consent management system, enabling the secure sharing of information for better financial, health, and telecom-related products and services.
- It consists of a set of digital identity products centered around Aadhaar. It can be used to remotely authenticate via two-factor or biometric authentication, receive digitally signed records such as driver’s licenses, educational diplomas, and insurance policies, and sign documents or messages using a government-backed digital signature service.
- Identity Layer (Aadhaar):
- Aside from UPI, a number of digital solutions that the Indian government has rolled out in the last few years, including CoWin, DigiLocker, Aarogya Setu, and Government e-Marketplace (GeM), all utilize the three fundamental layers of the Indian Stack.
- The vision of India Stack is not limited to one country (India); it can be applied to any nation, be it a developed one or an emerging one.


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Sheldon, Iowa — If you’re a farmer or grower who sells your products directly to consumers, like at a farmer’s market, or if you are considering expanding to foodservice or other markets, there’s a workshop coming up in Sheldon just for you.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a Level 1 workshop covering Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). This one-day training will be held on Monday, February 15, 2016 at Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon. It’s to be in Building A, Room 117. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The workshop goes from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Angela Shaw, professor in food safety and program specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach says that “Good Agricultural Practices” workshops provide farmers with the information they need to ensure their food products are safe when sold to the consumer or retail markets. She says that because of consumer awareness about food safety, these workshops are essential.
Level 1 training is for growers who provide food to consumers through community-supported agriculture or farmers markets, or are considering retail foodservice sales. The training covers good agriculture best practices and market considerations.
The workshop, led by Dr. Catherine Strohbehn, who is an Iowa State University Adjunct Professor and is the Nutrition Extension State Specialist, will include presentations, hands-on activities and small group discussion.
Contact your local extension office for more information.


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China’s Manufacturing Starts Expanding Again: Caixin PMI
China’s manufacturing activity expanded in August after shrinking for two months as factory output grew at its fastest clip in five months, a Caixin survey showed Monday.
The Caixin China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which gives an independent snapshot of the manufacturing sector’s operating conditions, increased to 50.4 in August from 49.9 in the previous month.
The Caixin index, one of the earliest available monthly indicators showing the latest economic conditions in China, is closely watched by investors. A reading of 50 divides expansion from contraction. The higher above 50 the faster the expansion, while the further below 50 the greater the contraction. Manufacturing accounted for nearly 30% of China’s GDP in the first half of this year, according to government data (link in Chinese).
“China’s manufacturing sector showed a recovery in August, mainly due to improved production activity,” said Zhong Zhengsheng, director of macroeconomic analysis with consultancy CEBM Group, a subsidiary of Caixin Insight Group. “However, overall demand didn’t improve, and foreign demand declined notably, leading product inventories to grow.”
Manufacturers’ output expanded at the fastest pace since March, the survey showed. Companies that reported higher output generally linked this to firmer client demand, although the anemic growth rate was weaker than the historical average, according to the survey.
New orders placed with goods producers grew at a slower pace in August compared with the previous month, while new export orders declined at the fastest pace since November, with firms often linking lower export sales to weaker global demand and the ongoing China-U.S. trade dispute.
The employment subindex inched up to the highest point in five months, coming in a tad below 50, indicating that manufacturing employment was more or less stable in August, according to the survey.
Both manufacturers’ input costs and the prices they charge customers dropped last month. This indicated a downward trend in industrial prices, Zhong said.
The gauge for future output expectations, which measures how optimistic or pessimistic manufacturers are about their production for the following 12 months, inched down in August, although it remained in positive territory.
“China’s economy showed signs of a short-term recovery, but downward pressure remains a long-term problem. Amid unstable Sino-American relations, China needs to step up countercyclical policies,” Zhong said.
China’s official manufacturing PMI, released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Saturday, fell to 49.5 in August from July’s reading of 49.7.
The Caixin manufacturing PMI, sponsored by Caixin and compiled by London-based data analytics firm IHS Markit Ltd., focuses on light industry, while the official one focuses on heavy industry. The geographic distributions of the companies covered in the two surveys are also different.
The Caixin China General Services Business Activity Index for August, which tracks the growing services sector, will be released on Wednesday.
Contact reporter Liu Jiefei (email@example.com)
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Japan has government with excellent industrial and electronic enterprise. They would like more of a natural equilibrium from supply and demand, and other things from liberal economics.
Europe and the United States are allowing businesses to be owned by Russia, India and China–all government economies that take out more and more of the private sector.
If government owns too much of global GDP liberal economies will lose the equilibria of markets’ price resulting from the supply of output commodities and the demand of buyers.
We have to be aware of how much business ownership is in the hands of government businesses, not too crowd out private enterprise.


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Westcott Bay Orchards was a big winner at the Great Lakes International Cider & Perry Competition. The competition was in December but results were released Monday.
The ordinance change, requested by local businesses, would allow illumination of signs and display cases after business hours.
Local accounting firm Hawley & Nicholson has merged with Hilsinger & Company, an accounting firm with offices in the Mount Vernon area. Sandra Hawley and Beth Nicholson will continue to be associated with the firm’s Friday Harbor office, which takes the name Hilsinger & Company SJI PS. They will continue to offer a full range of accounting services, including audits, bookkeeping, consulting, tax preparation, and valuations.
In an ongoing effort to accommodate the women of Friday Harbor, Curves has relocated to 535 Market St., suite B (next to Whidbey Island Bank). This convenient location is within walking distance of the town core and has ample parking. Hours are Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday/Thursday, 7:30-11 a.m. and 3-6:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 9-11 a.m.
According to the numbers, the Friday Harbor business community would seem, overall, to be in good shape. But you’ll have a hard time convincing some Friday Harbor businesses of that.
We enter 2009 with many concerns about the local, state and national economy. But to understand our economic condition, we have to remember exactly how bad things have been to appreciate how well off most of us are today.
The following local business people have been elected officers of the San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce for 2009 ...
Dr. Edwin Dolan, resident of Lopez Island and author of books and articles on banking, monetary policy and environmental issues, leads a free seminar titled, "Understanding the Financial Crisis — Past, Present and Future Realities," three days on three islands this month.
Washington State has launched a multi-agency streaming video that gives new and small businesses easy-to-understand basics on how to plan for, prepare and pay state business taxes and insurance premiums.
The next Chamber Downtown Forum will meet on Thursday, 8:30 a.m., at Whidbey Island Bank. Joy Sevier and Peggy Long, members of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, will facilitate the meeting, continuing the topic "What can we do NOW to improve our local economy?"
Boardwalk Bookstore will close its doors Dec. 31 after more than 35 years in business. Owner Bettye Hendrickson said the closure is not related to the economy, although the store has been for sale with no expressed interest. The closure will leave the town with three book stores: Griffin Bay Bookstore on Spring Street, Harbor Bookstore at Cannery Landing, and Serendipity on A Street.
Spirit Tree Gifts on Argyle Avenue is closing, its owner saying the store has "run out of resources" to keep operating. Spirit Tree's owners described the store as "a multi-dimensional resource center for personal growth and spiritual enlightenment." It sold local clay art, drums, handmade pillows, jewelry, mandalas, music and musical instruments, photography, sculpture, video art and wood art. It also sold books and self-awareness tools, and was a venue for meditation and yoga.
A new fitness center is opening on San Juan Island in January. The new gym, Xtreme Fitness San Juan Island, is located in the Beaverton Business Park, 70 Saltspring Road (3/4 of a mile past the library). It will feature a variety of fitness equipment in a 4,000-square-foot open floor plan.
'My wife and I have just returned home from a wonderful day of Christmas shopping in Friday Harbor. Frankly, we do a lot of shopping online, as well as on the mainland, so we were in for a very pleasant surprise.'
After 18 years of providing medical care for the children of San Juan County, pediatrician Jeanne Olmsted has announced that she will no longer maintain a practice based on Orcas Island after Dec. 31.
Following is a message from Lynn Danaher that the Chamber of Commerce wanted to share in light of recent discussions about "What can we do NOW to help our local economy."
What do you do when you are a creative retailer, wife and mother with two children? You work around the clock, you hire clerks for the times when the children need you and pay babysitters when you are at the store. That might work when sales are brisk during tourist season, but might be marginal at other times. Michelle Waldron and Megan Van Hamerssfeld have solved that dilemma by combining their two shops — Daisy Bloom and Creme Brulee — into one at 165 Spring St.
All state-run liquor stores will be closed on Thursday in observation of the Thanksgiving holiday. State-run stores will be open on Friday.
The Garuda & I, a favorite venue for beaders as well as lovers of exotic jewelry and objets d' art, is for sale. "My husband and I also own and run Naknek Charters and Dive and we have decided that we want to focus more of our efforts on building the diving industry in the San Juan Islands," owner Peggy Long said in an e-mail.
On Black Friday 2008, local businesses throughout the Town of Friday Harbor and, indeed, the entire San Juan Island, will be adorned in holiday decorations, shelves and racks will be overflowing, awaiting your visit as you start your gift and holiday shopping.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once assured Americans that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And at least one local financial adviser is saying we need that assurance now: We’re in a recession, not a depression. And we still have a lot for which to be thankful.
San Juan Wireless has announced the addition of AT&T Mobility and Budget Prepay Bill Station to its mix of services. Through a business partnership with Car Toys, San Juan Wireless can now offer mainland competitive prices on AT&T Mobility GSM phones. AT&T Mobility is a wireless carrier whose service will work both domestically and internationally.
The auction of the Friday Harbor Ace Hardware property has been postponed until Dec. 5, 10 a.m., on the courthouse steps. The auction had been scheduled for Oct. 3 but was postponed because the property owner, J. Philip Miller of Camano Island, has filed for bankruptcy protection.
The San Juan County Land Bank is requesting proposals from anyone interested in a long-term agricultural lease of its King Sisters Property. Acquired from the King family in 2005, the land includes about 40 acres of farmland in addition to woodlands and wetlands. A well and perimeter fencing will be included in the lease. The Land Bank worked closely with members of the Agricultural Resources Committee, a county advisory group, in developing this opportunity.
The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild is one of 85 nationwide recipients of a Farmers Market Promotion Program grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. The $10,000 grant is for the planning and design of the Ag Guild’s Permanent Farmers’ Market project, a multi-use agricultural facility on San Juan Island.
Elements Hotel & Spa on Spring Street is changing its name. It is now Earthbox Motel & Spa. New signage is to come. The Web site is already being changed.
Julie Corey has opened Friday Harbor Mortgage. She was previously with Countrywide and has 15 years experience. Her new business, Friday Harbor Mortgage, is a branch of Axia Financial, LLC. The office is located at 20 West St. next to The Whale Museum. She is looking forward to offering her clients a wider selection of mortgage solutions.
Despite the name, Compost It is not a compost store. “Compost It” is the store philosophy of providing products that reduce waste and toxic effects to the consumer and the environment. According to proprietor Maureen Marinkovich, “My store helps support people who want to transition to a greener lifestyle.”
The Journal of the San Juan Islands received 13 awards at the 121st annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, Thursday through Saturday at the Red Lion Hotel-Yakima Center. The Journal won second place for community service — its eighth community service award since 2001 — for its reporting on, and advocacy for, efforts to reduce the use of Styrofoam on San Juan Island.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands was honored today for community service at the 121st annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, in Yakima.
Lauren Cohen and Derek Steere have brought their home remodeling skills from…
Dr. Sonja C. Webster-Hills, DVM, is the new owner and veterinarian at…
The San Juan County Economic Development Council was awarded a $30,000 Rural…
The launch of SeaPort Airlines has given San Juan Island residents easy access to travel to Portland. SeaPort Airlines, in combination with its Boeing Field terminal neighbor Kenmore Airlines, can get patrons from the San Juan Islands to downtown Portland in about two hours.
The entire historic archive of the Journal of the San Juan Islands will be made freely available online.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands will sport a new look and a new page size beginning Sept. 3.
A year has passed since the San Juan Island Grange was suspended. In August 2007, the State Grange suspended the local Grange’s charter, citing “past actions” of local Grange officers and members.
The Journal of the San Juan Islands will be honored for community service, news reporting, photography and advertising at the 121st annual Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention, in Yakima.
Friendly Isle Charters, owned by Jay and Deanna Brant, is offering charter and excursion bus services based on Lopez Island.
The San Juan County Council expressed concern Monday about the imminent auction of Rosario Resort on Orcas Island. The resort, centered around the 100-year-old Rosario mansion built by shipbuilder Robert Moran, is an island landmark and one of the island’s largest employers.


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Why those essential oil 'flu bombs' circulating online are so dangerous
This flu season has been extreme. It’s been the worst in over a decade, with 37 pediatric deaths reported according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, although medical professionals and the CDC are urging people to get their flu shots, it’s understandable that people are looking for any and everything they can do and use to prevent getting sick, including unorthodox treatments like the essential oil “flu bomb.”
Recipes for flu bombs are circulating through online parenting groups as a more natural alternative to the flu shot. But ingesting essential oils is not only ineffective; it can be dangerous. And a homemade concoction of essential oils is not a substitute for the science-backed vaccine. No matter how “natural” it sounds. Because do you know what else is natural? Dying of influenza.
In a screenshot and link being shared on social media, aromatherapy group Aroma Life advises putting doTerra-brand oregano, On Guard, melaleuca and lemon essential oils into an empty gel capsule and taking it internally. A second recipe includes peppermint and frankincense. If you have a cough, they recommend adding two drops of lime to the mixture before bedtime to suppress it.
If you haven’t heard of doTerra before, it’s a multilevel marketing (aka pyramid) company that sells essential oils and other related products, primarily via their independent distributors known as “wellness advocates.”
But should people be ingesting essential oils?
In 2014, the FDA sent a warning letter to doTerra (and one to Young Living) citing illegal medical claims. (Essential oils are not regulated or FDA-approved.) Since then, it seems the oil companies have tried to avoid using language claiming medical benefits. And yet, we have the flu bomb spreading like, well, the flu.
The Mayo Clinic does not recommend ingesting essential oils, and the Poison Control Center says to “[u]se products containing essential oils ONLY for their intended purpose.” Their site notes, “Many can be poisonous if absorbed through the skin or swallowed. Few have been tested like medicines have, even though people put them in their mouths, on their skin, and in their children’s vaporizers.”
Los Angeles mom Josie Davis says she learned not to ingest essential oils the hard way. When a doTerra rep paid her a visit to help with her fussy newborn and other postpartum issues, the rep declared the infant gassy. She sold Davis some fennel oil and told her to drink it in her water until the baby felt better.
“Essential oil is incredibly concentrated, and she told me to add 10 drops to every glass of water I drink,” Davis recalls. “First of all, it’s insane that a doTerra rep basically diagnosed my kid as gassy, but also 10 drops is a lot.”
The worst possible scenario ensued. “After about a week, I notice that my lips and throat hurt and I think I’m sick,” says Davis. “But then I take a sip of the fennel water and something clicked. This stuff had burned me from my lips literally all the way through to my anus; the burns were visible.”
Yikes. “I think essential oils smell great, but I will never ingest them again, and I will absolutely never buy doTerra,” she says. Learn from Davis’ experience. Don’t let an essential oil salesperson diagnose you or “prescribe” anything for medical reasons.
Physician assistant Jessica DeLuise, founder of Eat Your Way to Wellness, says that while topical essential oils can be helpful with cold and flu symptom relief such as nasal congestion, “[u]se of essential oils for medicinal purposes should be closely monitored with a trained professional.” Introducing oils, just like foods or products, can potentially cause skin irritation, GI upset or allergic reaction, she notes.
When it comes to substituting a flu bomb for a flu shot, Dr. Vincent M. Pedre, author of Happy Gut, wants to clarify some things.
“First of all, we need to make it clear that it is not an alternative to a vaccine,” he says of the flu bomb. “A vaccine is designed to prevent an illness, but may also come with other unwelcome side-effects. The flu bomb is using essential oils to treat the flu if it happens. The only remedies I know to prevent the spread of the flu are elderberry and prescription Tamiflu, and yet, they are unlikely to be 100 percent effective in preventing the spread.”
The flu bomb has antimicrobial essential oils, he says, but they’re not a substitute for a vaccine. If someone in your household comes down with the flu, Pedre advises that they be quarantined, ideally in a separate room. The flu is spread by droplets in the air, but those droplets cannot travel more than 10 feet, he explains. “Surfaces need to be cleaned, as they also become carriers for the spread of the flu virus.” And of course, make sure to wash your hands often.
So, wash those hands and stay well until this horrible flu season finally comes to a close. Head to your doctor’s office for a flu shot, and save those pricey essential oils for aromatherapy.
Source: Read Full Article


text: Microsoft have officially made their first Xbox One console ban a week before the official release date of the console. Moonlightswarmi ( Swarmi ), Twitter user and Xbox One owner has had his Xbox One console banned for leaking information about the next gen console on Twitter. Swarmi paid for his Xbox One on the 22nd of October and received it on the 8th of November. He released some info about the Xbox One via Twitter such as the day one title update size (500mb) pictures of the power brick, an unboxing video etc. Xbox One Power Brick Swami was prevented from posting anything last night by Twitter, but is back tweeting again now and seems like he isn't phased at all by his console ban. Hopefully this ban will get overturned on the official launch date. What do you think guys, is this Microsoft going to far, or do you think its reasonable ? Read More here.


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By Yuqing Xing. Posted March 12, 2013
Since the People’s Republic of China (PRC) surpassed Japan as the world’s second largest economy in 2010, guessing when the PRC would eclipse the United States (US) as the world’s largest economy has been an exciting game among PRC watchers. On 10 February came the surprising news that the PRC had surpassed the US to become the world’s No. 1 trading nation, after both countries officially announced their 2012 trade figures. According to the US Department of Commerce, total US trade in 2012 amounted to $3.82 trillion, about $50 billion short of the PRC’s exports and imports of $3.87 trillion, estimated by China Customs.
By Ganeshan Wignaraja. Posted March 7, 2013
Slowing growth and rising unemployment sometimes induce economies to become more inward-oriented with restrictive policies. Indonesia shows early signs of such tendencies and its future growth may be at risk. The experience of high performing East Asian economies, however, suggests that outward-oriented policies and infrastructure investment support sustainable growth. Indonesia’s growth slowed to 6.2% in 2012 from 6.5% in 2011. Its growth in the previous decade was below 6%. A slight dip notwithstanding, a turnaround seems to be continuing in this resource-rich economy once seen by the West as a basket case of crony capitalism during the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis.
By Ganeshan Wignaraja. Posted October 24, 2012
Deep free trade agreements (FTAs) are key to trade-led growth in Asia. Deep FTAs can support a comprehensive regional agenda for liberalization covering reductions in barriers to goods and services trade as well as opening new areas beyond the current purview of WTO negotiations (like investment, trade facilitation, competition, government procurement and intellectual property). Deep agreements can also help lock in structural reforms at national-level and promote implementation of second generation reforms. Accordingly, deep FTAs are useful for opening markets and removing obstacles to the spread of production networks throughout Asia and the Pacific. The depth of FTAs among Asia’s developing giants—the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India—is a topical issue.
By Alejandro Jara. Posted August 22, 2012
The Doha Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations has been stalled since July 2008. To try to end this impasse, the leaders of the G-20 pledged at their summit in Seoul in November 2010 that negotiations should be concluded by the end of 2011. Since a consensus among the G-5—the European Union, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), India, and the United States—would be required for this to happen, the negotiations fell mainly into the hands of these members. However, much to the disappointment of the rest of the World Trade Organization (WTO) membership, in April 2011 the G-5 announced that their differences were too wide and that they would stop looking for a breakthrough. As a result, the target of concluding the Doha Round by the end of the year was not met.
The decades leading to the current global economic turmoil saw many developing countries attempt to pursue the East Asian development model, which is widely perceived to have been export-led. Is such growth possible in the post-crisis world with shrinking global imbalances? Historical data may provide useful clues. Our paper, titled "Can Asia Sustain an Export-Led Growth Strategy in the Aftermath of the Global Crisis? An Empirical Exploration", finds that Asian growth in the pre-crisis period was significantly correlated with the proportion of their manufactured exports that were sold in industrialized country markets. Given this evidence, Asian exports to other developing countries may not be good substitutes for their exports to developed countries. The policy implication is clear: a deceleration of exports to industrialized countries may limit prospects for post-crisis growth even if exports to other developing countries pick up the slack. Asian policy makers should, therefore, be more willing than ever to experiment with new paths to technological catch up.
East Asia’s attitude toward free trade agreements (FTAs) has changed. Slow progress in global trade talks has led to a surge in FTAs across Asia. With the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round trade talks stalled, Asian countries see FTAs as a way of liberalizing trade and investment and sustaining economic recovery. The number of signed and implemented FTAs in the region has increased from three in 2000 to more than 60 in 2012, sparking concerns about an Asian “noodle bowl” of agreements. Critics worry about overlapping rules of origin (ROOs) requirements, which may be costly to business, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and argue that this wave of agreements will undermine the multilateral liberalisation process. A search for pragmatic and innovative ways to untangle the noodle bowl of Asia’s free trade agreements is needed.
By Masahiro Kawai. Posted April 2, 2012
The formation of a Free Trade Area of the Asia–Pacific (FTAAP) has been intensively discussed in recent years. However, it is anticipated that such an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)-wide FTA would take many years to negotiate and involve numerous studies among all the APEC members, currently 21 in number. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could be a viable alternative. It is intended to be a “high-quality, comprehensive 21st century FTA” that will promote economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to deep commitments to tariff reductions, it aims to cover services trade, investment, intellectual property, government procurement, competition policy, labor, the environment, and many other issues affecting trade and investment.
By John West. Posted March 23, 2012
East Asia’s substantially market-led economic integration is a very complex process and is leading to some surprising effects. One example is that of Australia’s booming trade and investment with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which is pushing up the value of the Australian dollar, and consequently enticing Australian companies to outsource business processing services to the Philippines. Over the past decade, Australia has enjoyed one of the best economic performances of any OECD country. While many structural reforms over the past few decades and sound macroeconomic management have underpinned this, Australia’s closer relationship with the PRC has also played a major role.
By Yuqing Xing. Posted February 1, 2012
On 11 December 2011 the People’s Republic of China (PRC) marked the 10th anniversary of its entry into the World Trade Organization. The PRC’s trade statistics over the past decade have been impressive: despite the fragile global recovery, its exports surged 31% to reach $1.6 trillion in 2010, more than six times the value in 2000. For the first time, the PRC overtook Germany to become the world’s largest exporter. The PRC’s high-tech exports were valued at $490 billion and accounted for 31% of its total exports in 2010. A report from European Commission in 2009 concluded that the PRC had surpassed the United States, Japan and the 27 states of the European Union to emerge as the world’s largest high-tech exporter. According to statistics from the US Department of Commerce, in 2010 the PRC even ran a $94 billion surplus in advanced technology products to the US, an undisputed world leader in technology innovation.
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Brazilian development studio Betagames has said that they plan for their upcoming game 171 to not only come to PC next year, but also to the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 alongside the different video game platforms this generation. All of the 171 platforms will hopefully allow the upcoming indie game to be well-received.
This comes from a recent tweet that the developer posted that announced that the studio had partnered with QUByte Interactive in order to bring the game not just to next-gen platforms but also current-gen ones, when previously the game had been on track to be PC exclusive.
171 has been talked about in the past as a Brazilian clone of the Grand Theft Auto series, especially given its setup as an open-world game taking place in a city and full of cops and street thugs. While the developers don’t appreciate the comparison, it’s unavoidable considering the gameplay.
One of Brazil’s most well-known areas are the favelas, essentially small shanty-towns placed in areas of large cities such as Rio de Janiero that are home to a large number of poor people and are also havens for various kinds of crime.
Originally announced back in 2015, it seems like with the announcement of the different 171 platforms, along with a release window, that the game is finally close to being ready for release. The game will feature other urban open-world game hallmarks including exploration both on vehicles and on foot.
It’s likely that the game has taken this long not just because of the scale, but also because of how much detail Betagames has been putting into it. The way that buildings look, the way Brazilian people react to robberies, water tanks, and antennae all figure into making the game look and feel right to a Brazilian player.
171 has previous had pre-alpha periods and other points where interested content creators could play the game, but with the announcement and desire for all of the different 171 platforms hopefully means that we’ll be getting a real trailer and a full release date in the near future.


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|By PR Newswire||
|April 27, 2010 09:22 AM EDT||
NEW YORK, April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Deloitte's 2010 Consumer Food Safety Survey, while nine out of ten (90 percent) consumers believe food-related recalls are on the rise, or on par, compared with findings from Deloitte's 2008 Consumer Food Safety Survey, fewer people seem to be anxious about them. The results show 65 percent of consumers surveyed are concerned about the quality of the food they eat, a 17 percent decrease from 2008.
"The decline in consumers' concern for quality from our 2008 survey is due, in part, by their need to become more aware and engaged in choosing the products they buy," said Pat Conroy, Deloitte's vice chairman and U.S. consumer products practice leader. "Consumers view food safety and quality as important issues, and are looking to manufacturers, food companies and government regulatory bodies to drive communication, as well as tackle food quality and safety issues."
In fact, three out of four (75 percent) Americans surveyed feel that the manufacturers/food companies are responsible for communicating product recall information, followed closely by government organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (73 percent), with less expectations from retailers (53 percent) and the media (51 percent).
Country-of-Origin Label Helping Selection Process
When making food purchases, Americans are doing more hands-on research and reviewing labels carefully, another indication that they are becoming more engaged in the process behind the foods they buy. Half (51 percent) of Americans say the new country-of-origin labels help in determining which fresh meat, fish, fruit or vegetables to purchase, and 45 percent say they would like to find out the country-of-origin on a Web site for all ingredients in a packaged/bottled food product. This may become of increasing importance to consumers, since the survey found that more than half (53 percent) of consumers frequently or always read the list of ingredients on an unfamiliar packaged or bottled food item; up from 50 percent in 2008.
However, although more Americans are reading ingredients, only four out of 10 (45 percent) surveyed say they understand at least 75 percent of the ingredients on a packaged food item, up slightly from 2008 (33 percent). Furthermore, 55 percent surveyed understand half or less of the ingredients, which is in line with responses from Deloitte's 2008 survey (59 percent).
Nutritional Facts Matter
A strong interest in nutrition has caused consumers to reference the "Nutritional Facts" box on packaged/bottled foods when making a purchase. More than half (54 percent) of Americans surveyed frequently or always read the "Nutritional Facts" box on an unfamiliar packaged or bottled food item and 26 percent occasionally, as compared to 15 percent rarely and five percent who never read it.
The top five nutritional facts that consumers report reading are: calories (71 percent), total fat (63 percent), sugars (50 percent), sodium (45 percent) and serving size (39 percent). Four out of 10 (42 percent) consumers surveyed frequently or always purchase packaged/bottled foods influenced by health-related claims, such as "low carb," "low sodium" and "heart healthy."
"Over the past two years, we have seen a significant shift in how consumers view the foods they purchase," said Conroy. "Though our survey still shows health and safety as the top two concerns facing Americans, the percentages have dropped and consumers are using their increased knowledge of food products to raise concerns around over-processed foods. Food companies are now dealing with an engaged consumer who actively seeks to understand the products they are looking to buy. This survey should be yet another red flag for the industry, as it shows that consumers are determined to be smarter about the foods they put on their table."
For a copy of Deloitte's 2010 Food Safety Survey, please visit www.deloitte.com/us/foodsafety.
About the Survey
The survey was commissioned by Deloitte and conducted online by an independent research company between March 22 and March 24, 2010. The survey polled a nationally representative sample of 1,102 consumers. The survey has a margin of error of +/- three percentage points.
As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and Deloitte Services LP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.
SYS-CON Events announced today that Open Data Centers (ODC), a carrier-neutral colocation provider, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Open Data Centers is a carrier-neutral data center operator in New Jersey and New York City offering alternative connectivity options for carriers, service providers and enterprise customers.
Apr. 25, 2015 06:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,823
SYS-CON Events announced today that Akana, formerly SOA Software, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo® New York, which will take place June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Akana’s comprehensive suite of API Management, API Security, Integrated SOA Governance, and Cloud Integration solutions helps businesses accelerate digital transformation by securely extending their reach across multiple channels – mobile, cloud and Internet of Thi...
Apr. 25, 2015 05:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,026
SYS-CON Events announced today that StorPool Storage will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. StorPool is distributed storage software that allows service providers, enterprises and other cloud builders to run data storage on standard x86 servers, instead of using expensive and inefficient storage arrays (SAN).
Apr. 25, 2015 04:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,230
SYS-CON Events announced today that Site24x7, the cloud infrastructure monitoring service, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Site24x7 is a cloud infrastructure monitoring service that helps monitor the uptime and performance of websites, online applications, servers, mobile websites and custom APIs. The monitoring is done from 50+ locations across the world and from various wireless carr...
Apr. 25, 2015 02:30 AM EDT Reads: 2,068
SYS-CON Events announced today that B2Cloud, a provider of enterprise resource planning software, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. B2cloud develops the software you need. They have the ideal tools to help you work with your clients. B2Cloud’s main solutions include AGIS – ERP, CLOHC, AGIS – Invoice, and IZUM
Apr. 25, 2015 02:00 AM EDT Reads: 3,571
SYS-CON Events announced today that Tufin, the market-leading provider of Security Policy Orchestration Solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As the market leader of Security Policy Orchestration, Tufin automates and accelerates network configuration changes while maintaining security and compliance. Tufin's award-winning Orchestration Suite™ gives IT organizations the power and a...
Apr. 25, 2015 01:45 AM EDT Reads: 3,606
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudian, Inc., the leading provider of hybrid cloud storage solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cloudian, Inc., is a Foster City, California - based software company specializing in cloud storage software. The main product is Cloudian, an Amazon S3-compliant cloud object storage platform, the bedrock of cloud computing systems, that enables c...
Apr. 25, 2015 01:00 AM EDT Reads: 2,734
The stack is the hack, Jack. That's my takeaway from several events I attended over the past few weeks in Silicon Valley and Southeast Asia. I listened to and participated in discussions about everything from large datacenter management (think Facebook Open Compute) to enterprise-level cyberfraud (at a seminar in Manila attended by the US State Dept. and Philippine National Police) to the world of entrepreneurial startups, app deployment, and mobility (in a series of meetups and talks in bot...
Apr. 25, 2015 12:15 AM EDT Reads: 1,319
Containers and microservices have become topics of intense interest throughout the cloud developer and enterprise IT communities. Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 16th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York June 9-11 will find fresh new content in a new track called PaaS | Containers & Microservices Containers are not being considered for the first time by the cloud community, but a current era of re-consideration has pushed them to the top of the cloud agenda. With the launch ...
Apr. 24, 2015 09:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,794
So I guess we’ve officially entered a new era of lean and mean. I say this with the announcement of Ubuntu Snappy Core, “designed for lightweight cloud container hosts running Docker and for smart devices,” according to Canonical. “Snappy Ubuntu Core is the smallest Ubuntu available, designed for security and efficiency in devices or on the cloud.” This first version of Snappy Ubuntu Core features secure app containment and Docker 1.6 (1.5 in main release), is available on public clouds, ...
Apr. 24, 2015 08:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,339
SYS-CON Events announced today the IoT Bootcamp – Jumpstart Your IoT Strategy, being held June 9–10, 2015, in conjunction with 16th Cloud Expo and Internet of @ThingsExpo at the Javits Center in New York City. This is your chance to jumpstart your IoT strategy. Combined with real-world scenarios and use cases, the IoT Bootcamp is not just based on presentations but includes hands-on demos and walkthroughs. We will introduce you to a variety of Do-It-Yourself IoT platforms including Arduino, Ras...
Apr. 24, 2015 05:30 PM EDT Reads: 2,978
SYS-CON Events announced today the DevOps Foundation Certification Course, being held June ?, 2015, in conjunction with DevOps Summit and 16th Cloud Expo at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. This sixteen (16) hour course provides an introduction to DevOps – the cultural and professional movement that stresses communication, collaboration, integration and automation in order to improve the flow of work between software developers and IT operations professionals. Improved workflows will res...
Apr. 24, 2015 05:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,486
One of the most frequently requested Rancher features, load balancers are used to distribute traffic between docker containers. Now Rancher users can configure, update and scale up an integrated load balancing service to meet their application needs, using either Rancher's UI or API. To implement our load balancing functionality we decided to use HAproxy, which is deployed as a contianer, and managed by the Rancher orchestration functionality. With Rancher's Load Balancing capability, users ...
Apr. 24, 2015 05:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,062
SYS-CON Events announced today that Vicom Computer Services, Inc., a provider of technology and service solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON's 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. They are located at booth #427. Vicom Computer Services, Inc. is a progressive leader in the technology industry for over 30 years. Headquartered in the NY Metropolitan area. Vicom provides products and services based on today’s requirements...
Apr. 24, 2015 02:30 PM EDT Reads: 1,715
Public Cloud IaaS started it's life in the developer and startup communities and has grown rapidly to a $20B+ industry, but it still pales in comparison to how much is spent worldwide on IT: $3.6 trillion. In fact, there are 8.6 million data centers worldwide, the reality is many small and medium sized business have server closets and colocation footprints filled with servers and storage gear. While on-premise environment virtualization may have peaked at 75%, the Public Cloud has lagged in ado...
Apr. 24, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,218
Dave will share his insights on how Internet of Things for Enterprises are transforming and making more productive and efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) procedures in the cleantech industry and beyond. Speaker Bio: Dave Landa is chief operating officer of Cybozu Corp (kintone US). Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dave has been on the forefront of the Cloud revolution driving strategic business development on the executive teams of multiple leading Software as a Services (SaaS) ap...
Apr. 24, 2015 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,494
SYS-CON Events announced today that Soha will exhibit at SYS-CON's DevOps Summit New York, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Soha delivers enterprise-grade application security, on any device, as agile as the cloud. This turnkey, cloud-based service enables customers to solve secure application access and delivery challenges that traditional or virtualized network solutions cannot solve because they are too expensive, inflexible and operational...
Apr. 24, 2015 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,657
Microsoft is releasing in the near future Azure Service Fabric as a preview beta. Azure Service Fabric is built to run microservices - a complex application consisting of smaller, interlocked components that enables updating components without disrupting service. Microsoft has used this over the past few years internally for many of its own applications and the new release is for general use, a new product. OSIsoft is an early adopter of this system and run with it to expand into the explo...
Apr. 24, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,221
ProfitBricks, the provider of painless cloud infrastructure IaaS, today released its SDK for Ruby, written against the company's new RESTful API. The new SDK joins ProfitBricks' previously announced support for the popular multi-cloud open-source Fog project. This new Ruby SDK, which exposes advanced functionality to take advantage of ProfitBricks' simplicity and productivity, aligns with ProfitBricks' mission to provide a painless way to automate infrastructure in the cloud. Ruby is a genera...
Apr. 24, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,004
SYS-CON Events announced today that Ciqada will exhibit at SYS-CON's @ThingsExpo, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Ciqada™ makes it easy to connect your products to the Internet. By integrating key components - hardware, servers, dashboards, and mobile apps - into an easy-to-use, configurable system, your products can quickly and securely join the internet of things. With remote monitoring, control, and alert messaging capability, you will mee...
Apr. 24, 2015 01:00 PM EDT Reads: 1,884


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Levi's warns of sales slip / Strong 4th quarter won't repeat in current quarter
Published 4:00 am, Thursday, March 9, 2006
After closing out the year with a strong showing, Levi Strauss & Co. expects net sales in its first fiscal quarter to be lower than last year because of weak sales in Europe, an unfavorable foreign currency exchange rate and inventory reductions in the United States.
In an SEC filing on Wednesday, the San Francisco jeansmaker said sales would fall 7 to 8 percent. The company also estimated its operating income in the first quarter would be 12 to 15 percent lower than the same period a year ago.
The filing comes on the heels of a positive fourth quarter, in which Levi's profit climbed to $44 million, recovering from a $19 million loss in the previous year's fourth quarter. The company also ended its eight-year sales decline.
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But the weaker numbers predicted for the first quarter suggest that Levi's is still not out of the woods. Sales in Europe continue to haunt the retailer. They were down 17 percent in the fourth quarter, even though sales were up in both Asia Pacific and North America.
Levi's CEO Phil Marineau has blamed the weakness on a soft retail market in Europe, along with a number of organizational changes that the company is making, including the departure of Paul Mason, president of Levi Strauss Europe.
Harry Bernard, a partner with the independent San Francisco fashion marketing and consulting firm Colton Bernard Inc., said Levi's has traditionally sold well in Europe but is experiencing the same trend as other retailers there. "Most major brands in Europe are having a tough time," he said.


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A similar lawsuit was filed against the company in February, shortly after the launch of Google Buzz prompted widespread complaints that the service exposed sensitive information about users' contacts. And yet another legal complaint against Google Buzz was filed last month.
Buzz, a social networking layer that Google added to Gmail on February 9, provoked controversy by automatically creating a list of "followers" and a list of people the user was "following" from the user's Gmail contact list. Outrage about privacy violations followed.
Feldman's lawsuit, filed U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif., alleges that "Google Buzz made private data belonging to Gmail users publicly available without the users' knowledge or authorization."
Exposed data included personal contact information, place of residence, occupation, and a list of users' frequent e-mail contacts, the complaint claims.
The complaint notes that Google has acknowledged Buzz's privacy problems and that it subsequently modified the service. It claims that the changes are insufficient to address the issues.
Nonetheless, Google is pressing ahead with the development Buzz and is working on making it available to enterprise customers, through its Google Apps suite. The company is working on refining the user experience at the moment. "But we definitely want to support sharing within a particular domain and plan to launch Google Buzz for Google Apps businesses and schools," said a Google spokesperson in an e-mail.
Google had no further specifics to share about Buzz for business customers. It's certain to face skepticism from business customers, many of whom still harbor doubts about security in the cloud.
At the moment, the company is still reassuring consumers. Todd Jackson, Google product manager for Buzz, on Monday summarized changes Google had made to address user concerns and asked that Gmail users confirm their Buzz settings. "[M]any of you started using Google Buzz before we made these changes, and we want to help you ensure that Buzz is set up the way you want," he wrote in a blog post.
On Tuesday, Google mobile software engineer Alex Kennberg said in a blog post that Google had further integrated Buzz into its mobile Web app at gmail.com.


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Tunes at Noon launches today in Sydney
There will be music in Sydney’s downtown each Wednesday afternoon over the next several weeks.
The Sydney Downtown Development Association and the Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative have announced the launch of Tunes at Noon, which will kick off today and continue each Wednesday until early October. As part of Tunes at Noon downtown merchants will sponsor a local musician to provide entertainment in front of their establishment from noon until 2 p.m. Musicians will also accept donations.
The idea behind it all is to promote local musicians and give people more to enjoy in downtown Sydney.
“Tunes at Noon is one of several initiatives that the Sydney Downtown Development Association and merchants are undertaking to help revitalize downtown Sydney,” said association president Janelle Osborne, noting that a study by Pure Project Relations in 2014 found that locals want more music in the downtown. “It creates a festive atmosphere that benefits both the merchants and people who come downtown to shop, eat and do business.”
Tunes at Noon is set to run until early October and the dates have been chosen to coincide with the cruise ship schedule.


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Over the past decade, online fraud has crept up to be the most prevalent crime in the UK. The persistence of online fraud is unthwarted. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau recorded around 450,000 reports of fraud and cyber-crime, totalling reported losses of £2.4 billion in the past 13 months alone. Online fraud is constantly evolving in complexity and variety. Furthermore, the rise of covid-related fraud amounting to £34.5 million losses during the COVID-19 outbreak suggests that the fraud industry is adaptive to contemporary social developments. There is growing recognition among UK’s policymakers of the need to develop an anti-fraud strategy. Significant attention has been dedicated to developing stakeholders’ capabilities to respond to online frauds in both enforcement and preventative measures.
The efforts taken are on the correct trajectory. However, one crucial aspect missing focus in the anti-fraud strategy is combating the negativity associated with victims of online fraud. Victims are perceived as gullible or greedy for being defrauded, generally associating being a victim with shame and guilt. The victim-blaming and victim-shaming narrative surrounding online fraud manifest itself in many ways. For example, judgment from friends or family, receiving blame from financial institutions such as retail banks, and businesses holding individual employees liable for fraud losses.
To increase the effectiveness of the anti-fraud strategy, it is crucial that policymakers reshape the narrative surrounding online fraud victimhood away from one that perceives victims as responsible for their losses and instead engenders a contrasting narrative that builds empathy for victims. Including a policy goal to reshape attitudes towards victims of online fraud would help the anti-fraud campaign for three reasons.
First, it would more comprehensively tackle the problem of underreporting online fraud. Online fraud has chronically been one of the most underreported crimes. The Office of National Statistics, for instance, estimates that there are 4.4 million fraud offences in the year leading to September 2020, but only 16.6% of that number was reported. Part of the problem stems from the confidence people have in the effectiveness of reporting fraud to the authorities in recovering their losses. However, a second pillar to underreporting is the reputational cost of gaining an online fraud victim status and the expectation of unsupportive and hostile interactions with financial institutions and law enforcers. Changing the narrative to make victims blameless can reduce the psychological inertia for them to report their cases to the authorities. Underreporting is detrimental to the anti-fraud strategy because it represents a loss of valuable information in trends of fraudsters’ methods, delaying the ability of law enforcement agencies to adapt their response. Additionally, underreporting obscures the scale of online fraud, which can lead to an underestimation of risk exposure to fraud on all levels, including individuals, businesses, and national agencies.
Secondly, it would reduce the inherent incentive for victims to hide their victimhood from their social circles. Shifting away from a narrative that shames victims can help them feel less of the need to conceal their victimhood. Given that law enforcement has limited bandwidth in cyber-crime prevention education, forcing them to prioritise the use of their resources, leveraging victims to share how they have been defrauded can act as an extension to the preventative efforts to reduce incidences of successful fraud. Especially since each fraud scheme often designed to target people within the same demographic, timely sharing of information and experiences can help people in the same social group identify red flags and warning signs before any financial losses.
Lastly, it would be critical to dispel myths about which demographic is susceptible to online frauds. The belief that only people who are uneducated, of low socioeconomic status, elderly, or lonely are vulnerable to scams is not only untrue, but also breeds complacency that increases the chances of falling prey to fraud. It is untrue because frauds exploit psychological traits that anyone might have, such as exploiting people with higher risk tolerance. Empirically, when all varieties of scams are considered, it is difficult to ascertain a generalised profile of victims. Given the reality, it is pertinent that we normalise the notion that everyone is a potential victim to encourage risk-minimising behaviour. This requires shifting the narrative away from the current conceptualisation of victims of frauds as possessing negatively perceived traits.
It is laudable that tackling online fraud is increasingly concerning to policymakers. Victims are recognised as one of the key tenets of the policy response to fraud. Yet, less attention has been given to changing the narrative around victimhood. A good place to start could include expanding training of victim-facing stakeholders, such as bank service staff and police officers, to be more empathetic in their interactions with victims. While reshaping the narrative cannot happen overnight and requires deep cultural and perception transformation, it is important that we embed this idea when thinking about policy tackling online fraud.
Note: This article gives the views of the authors, and not the position of the Social Policy Blog, nor of the London School of Economics.


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If you were reading this blog late last year, then you know we made a massive fuss over the Droid, a next-gen smartphone built by Motorola and powered by Verizon. The Droid burst onto the scene with a major marketing push from Verizon, and landed some decent reviews, but the Droid lost its share of the limelight (the arrival of a brand-new iPhone 4 certainly isn't making things easier for Verizon).
Now comes news – or at least speculation – that Motorola is planning to release a Droid sequel, which could address some of the keyboard quirks on the first iteration. According to the folks at Droid Life, the Droid 2 is likely to use the same 3.7-inch display as the first Droid. But the copper square touchpad is gone, some of the sharp edges of the first Droid have been rounded, and the keys – which seemed unresponsive to some users – look softer.
Meanwhile, the Droid Life team says the Droid 2 will get a range of internal updates, including Android 2.1, Wi-Fi tethering, a preinstalled 8GB SD card, and a new version of the Motoblur software. Solid upgrades. Of course, as the folks at Wired have noted, it's unlikely that even a serious re-vamp would put the Droid 2 in striking range of more recent entrants to the smartphone party, including the iPhone 4 or the HTC EVO.
"The Droid 2 won’t entirely catch up to these devices," Wired argues. "The refreshed version [of the Droid] is still likely to have a 5-megapixel camera and no video-chat capability. But as incremental as the upgrades seem, it’s good to see Motorola not let the device languish after its launch." Agreed.
Expected launch date is this summer.


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The streaming industry has grown incredibly competitive in just the last couple of years with the introduction of platforms such as Walt Disney's Disney+, Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max, and Apple's Apple TV+ in addition to industry giant Netflix (NFLX 1.31%). As a result, streaming wars have become a hot topic of conversation among analysts.
One more company joining the fray is Comcast (CMCSA -0.95%), which has made significant strides with its streaming service, Peacock. Here's why investors would be wrong to overlook this streamer and how it could substantially threaten its competition.
Peacock launched in July 2020 from Comcast's television and streaming division, NBCUniversal. The platform offers a library of NBCUniversal and third-party content, including TV series, movies, news, and sports. Consumers can choose from three subscription options: a completely free, ad-supported tier for access to a portion of the library; a second ad-supported tier for $4.99 per month with access to the entire library; and an ad-free experience for $9.99 per month.
The streaming service has so far proven incredibly successful for Comcast. In June, the company boasted that Peacock had doubled its revenue over the last year from $500 million to $1 billion, resulting in the "highest grossing upfront [revenue] since Comcast's acquisition" of NBCUniversal over 10 years ago.
Peacock has offered ad-supported content from the start, which seems to have paid off. A recent study showed that Peacock has a higher percentage of ad-supported subscribers than any other platform, with 73% of respondents choosing ads on the NBC platform and 20% going ad-free. By contrast, HBO Max has the lowest number of ad-supported users at 28%, and Paramount+ is the second-highest with 64%.
Additionally, Peacock has consistently grown its share of the streaming market each year. The streaming service grew from a 2% share of subscriptions in the first quarter of 2021 to 7% in Q1 2022, an impressive increase of five percentage points. In the same time frame, Netflix went from 34% to 27%. Peacock also saw the largest growth of subscription share than any other streaming service from the fourth quarter of 2021 to Q1 2022, rising by 2%.
Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011 granted the company access to a library of content in a similar league to Disney's. Peacock has the potential to offer top-rated NBC sitcoms such as The Office, Parks and Recreation, and 30 Rock, as well as titles from Universal's library of films including fan-favorite franchises such as Jurassic Park, Fast & Furious, and Minions.
The Universal sequel Minions: The Rise of Gru, released July 1, broke the box-office record for the biggest opening over a July 4th holiday weekend, bringing in $125 million domestically. Once the film hits streaming, Peacock will be able to use the movie to attract viewers.
NBC sitcoms have a history of pulling in big viewing hours for streaming platforms. In 2020, The Office racked up 57 billion streamed minutes from U.S. Netflix users and was the most-streamed series of the year. Although The Office had been a staple in Netflix's library for years, NBCUniversal paid $500 million in 2019 to pull the sitcom from the streaming giant and offer it on Peacock. In an effort to retain at least shared streaming rights to the workplace sitcom, Netflix offered NBC $90 million a year to stream the show but was ultimately denied.
While Peacock competes in a market already crowded with streaming options, it has an excellent method for drawing in new users. Its free, ad-supported tier with partial access to the platform's library allows the company to draw in viewers without commitment. This strategy creates the chance that users will enjoy the service enough to want access to the entire library and move to a paid subscription. If not, Comcast can still generate ad revenue from its lowest-tiered users.
What's next for Peacock?
Comcast groups Peacock into its media division, responsible for 19% of its business in 2021. It is the second-biggest portion of Comcast's business after cable communications with 53%. However, from Q1 2021 to Q1 2022, the division including Peacock gained 36.3% more revenue while cable communications' revenue rose by 4.6%. While the company does not break down exactly how much of its media sector Peacock claims, this time frame did coincide with the streamer doubling its revenue.
As Peacock continues to grow its share of the market, keen investors will want to keep an eye on Comcast's media division on a quarterly basis. If revenue continues to grow at its current rate, Peacock will become increasingly integral to Comcast's business.


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Last month, the Thai FDA announced new quality systems requirements that apply to the manufacture and distribution of medical devices, and for conducting clinical trials in Thailand.
Tag Archive for: new regulations
On September 18, 2023, The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) published the Drug and Cosmetics Act 2023 formalizing the regulatory requirements of medical and diagnostic devices in Bangladesh with immediate effect. A translated version of the document is available on Asia Actual’s website here. All medical devices now require a Marketing Authorization Certificate to clear Customs and be sold on the market in Bangladesh.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) of India issued a notice (PDF) on October 25, 2023 classifying in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices under medical device rules. The updates to IVD classification in India include intended use, associated risk, and other parameters.
On October 6, 2023, a team of enthusiastic members from the AAI (Artificial Intelligence and Innovation) group, including Ashoniya Puri, Sanjay Singh, and Rajat Budhori, had the honor of attending the prestigious 15th CII Global MedTech Summit. Hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), one of India’s largest industry bodies, this event brought together key players in the MedTech sector, both from India and abroad. The summit revolved around the central theme, “Paving the way for a USD 50 billion MedTech Industry by 2030,” signifying a collective vision for the industry’s future growth.
On September 27th 2022, the Philippines FDA published Circular No. 2022-008 announcing that Class B, C, and D medical devices that have been already approved by a member country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be eligible for the Reliance registration route, allowing for a quicker review and expedited market access.
The Philippines FDA hosted a public consultation to introduce a revised draft version of new IVD Regulations along with a definitive timeline for implementation.


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Deadline Extended for GCA Bathroom Awards Competition
Garden Centers of America (GCA) has extended the deadline for entries to the 2018 Best Garden Center Bathroom Awards to July 13 at midnight EDT. Independent garden centers are encouraged to submit their garden center bathrooms, including, but not limited to, recent renovations and remodels, for this prestigious juried competition.
The winner of the top honor, the Gold Award, will receive a plaque and one free registration for next year’s GCA Summer Tour 2019. Other recognitions will include a Silver Award and Awards of Merit.
To enter the competition, garden centers should send several photos of their store bathrooms, saved in jpeg file format, along with a brief paragraph about the bathrooms, the concept behind the designs and their benefits to the garden center. This information, along with the name of the store and key contact, address, phone and e-mail address, should be e-mailed to: [email protected].


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Indi Wind Shop – Here for our Workers
Written by Leah Jones on December 19, 2017
The Tri-State Area is built on the back bone of our workers. Men and women who go out into our workforce every day and do just that. Work. In their shops, in their factory, in the wind and cold. Rain and heat. Keokuk’s newest business Indi Wind Shop is there for that worker.
Holding their grand opening open house last week, Indi Shop owner, Robert Shattell showed the public what he has to offer our workers. Workwear and Personal Protective Equipment that is quality, but affordable. Everything for the construction worker to the factory worker, mechanic to the homeowner working on his improvements, Shattell wants the Tri-State Area to have the options for durable effective workwear that doesn’t break your bank.
“Selling the workwear and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) only made sense to me considering I’ve been out there in the field in wind for the better part of the last 7 years and know what us “grease monkeys” like. Most the gear in existence is expensive and companies typically buy the cheapest stuff they can find. I’d like to help companies lower their bottom line (as this is what inspires them) while increase the quality/choice the people in the field (no matter the industry) have”, says Shattell.
Co-owning with partner Jennifer Campbell, Shattell has over 17 years experience in the business, bringing insight to our working class consumers that translates to making their jobs the most efficient, comfortable and of the utmost importance – as safe as can be.
You can visit Indi-Shop at 21 South 2nd Street in Keokuk, visit their website at indi-wind.com or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/indiwind.


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The forum presided by Virendra S Patidar also asked it to pay Rs 2,000 as litigation costs to Girish Garg, an advocate by profession.
The incident took place on June 13, 2015 when Advocate Garg had boarded Coimbatore-Jaipur Superfast Express (12969) from Betul station around 2.05 PM.
"I contacted customer care of the railways on number 139 and requested them to wake me up before I reach my destination Kota at 1.40 AM the next day," Advocate Garg (48) told PTI.
The customer care executive registered my request and assured to wake me up, he said.
But, he said no one woke him up.
"After this, I approached the consumer forum seeking Rs 20,000 from the railways for the mental harassment caused to me," Advocate Garg said.
The railways in its submission contended that their customer care does not guarantee that passengers would be woken up.
Advocate Garg said the consumer forum on April 26 asked the chief manager of central railway to pay Rs 5,000 to him within a month.
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