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COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 or commonly called known as Novel Corona virus diseases, a pandemic disease that has halted the regular life of people all around the world. Global economy seems to be in stake.
The year 2019 turned out to be a bitter year from the very beginning for business, trade and commerce all around the world. Malaysia is not far away from this global crisis, and the country like many other is spending their hardest time.
The impact is much worse for small businesses; COVID-19 affects on small businesses in Malaysia are seeing their worst hours till date. As this pandemic disease is spreading fast and uncontrollably, the death tolls are increasing in parallel with that too. When human life is in line, running businesses in Malaysia turns out to be the secondary necessities.
Till March 28, 2020, the death toll for COVID0-19 was 27 in Malaysia; the infected victims count out to be to be exceeding 2300. Such alarming scenario has put some ‘not so good’ news on business sectors too. This article explains how COVID-19 affects on small businesses in Malaysia and the possible aftermath of the pandemic scenario in Malaysia.
The corona virus struck pretty hard on Singapore and Malaysia. To tackle the pandemic spread, the authority of Malaysia announced national emergency. The country thereafter followed national wide lockdown or what they called as Movement Control Order (MCO) until April 14th. Business organizations, private or public, shopping districts, tourism, all are included in this shutdown policy. When big businesses have relatively lesser problems accepting this national lockdown, COVID-19 affects on small businesses in Malaysia is the maximum.
Small businesses, that started with limited capital are seeing black and blues after this massive shut downs or Movement Control Order. When, the majority of the residents are ordered to stay at home and not to leave home until any emergency, small businesses like, food carts, small cafeterias, tour and travel industries, ride sharing businesses, delivery, logistics and cleaning services are in huge downfall.
The demands for employments are rising during this MCO, and many are considering job shifting as saved capitals are going down rapidly for small companies in Malaysia the country is seeing 4.3% falls in economy. This is the lowest record since 2016. The lockdown to control the corona virus outbreak is forecasted to put a big smack on Malaysian business and economy in 2020.
When it comes to international trade and economy in Malaysia, china, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan are the biggest trade partners in place of both import and export. Every year a large amount of goods are exported as well as imported from the mainland of China. After the virus outbreak that was originated from Wuhan province of China things have took a detour. A big drop of international trade took place. China and Singapore alone shared 30% of Malaysian international trades.
Both of these nations are reported major virus outbreak causing major halts. Importations of goods from those nations are also in pause till further orders. The FDI’s in Malaysia which were championed by Singapore at 20.7% followed by Hong Kong and Japan are all adversely affected by COVID-19 outbreak in their respective nations. This as a result put international trades into jeopardy and forced to lower down businesses drastically here in Malaysia.
Many economists have already forecasted a big hit on the tour and travel sectors in Malaysia beforehand. This is because; travel alone counts nearly 50% of Malaysia’s export trade in facility. Approximately 27 million tourists travel into Malaysia every year. Due to the virus outbreak most of the nations all around the world have already locked down their international airports.
This is obvious to get rid of further outbreaks of Covid-19 pandemics. It became clear for the government authorities of all nations that, airport restrictions can minimize pandemic outbreaks. So, to keep the nations safe in this critical condition, most major countries locked down their passenger on boarding ports.
Malaysian government took the same steps other conscience nations did, however, after several casualties. The ports and channels are shut down until further orders. This was a step in responds of the recent virus breakdown, but at the same time restricted the tour and travel industries as well. Immigrants on the other hand are equally affected on this emergency condition. They are kept into waiting quos for an uncertain period of time.
As mentioned earlier, the bigger hit comes on the small businesses in Malaysia, where the company capital and resource is comparatively limited. Most of these small businesses demands crowds and human gathering. Such small businesses are street food carts, small cafeterias or hotels, tour and travel agencies, night clubs, pubs, horticultures or agricultural farming, ride sharing, consulting businesses etcetera. After the corona spread out, the Malaysian government decided to restrict human movements in public places, to prevent any further virus spread outs. The result is devastating for those businesses.
Next to the oil and gas industries, tour and travel sectors among these businesses are expected to fall under major crisis in this scenario. The airports are locked down. Public movements are restricted in most provinces in Malaysia. 4% increase in deficit for country’s fiscal is expected in Malaysia’s GDP in 2020. This leads to the fear of virus contaminations and pandemic outbreaks; the reason why these limited capital businesses are counting their darkest hours in Malaysia.
When the nation is going through such critical moments, the government of Malaysia took several Humanitarian steps to uplift businesses and commerce in Malaysia after this COVID-19 crisis. It is obvious that the pandemic affects on small businesses in Malaysia is the maximum. This is why; government announced some stimulus packages to keep up with the economic recovery of Malaysia. A RM250 billion stimulus package has been announced to fight against aftermath COVID-19 crises. It was announced in March 2020 by the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
The package is meant for one- off cash assistance, rebates and credit facilities for businesses and investors who are categorized under B40 or M40 groups. They are expected to be affected during the crisis the most. A direct fiscal injection of RM 25billion has also been included along with the existed package to control the economic downfall of this nation.
It is expected that the MCO for COVID19 will cause many businesses to shut down and this means unemployment rate will shoot to the pick after this pandemic. The packages introduced by the government, however, can put a pause on sudden spike of job losses and business crisis during that time. The tourism Recovery Committee are also acting at this time and discussing their way to recover the downfall and thinking of subsidies for major damages and find fresh markets for flourishing this sector once again..
Lastly, experts predict that such crisis will shrink Malaysia’s GDP by 2.9% in 2020 when compared with 2019. This will cause 2.4 million people lose their job, and the nation may face food crisis due to lack of supply chain, agricultural progression and international trades. This may lead to further chaos even though national fiscal are kept under standard sober limits. To minimize such aspect government further allocated a fund of RM 1 billion on agricultural sectors to secure food supplies in nation.
Other than these a stimulus fund of RM50 billion has been arranged from helping bigger companies. This will be distributed after the crises as various loan schemes, to recover sudden economic recession in the country. Different provinces of Malaysia individually announced various stimulus packages to deal with the aftermath. For instances, The state of Sarawak announced a stimulus package of RM 1.15 billion along with various additional governmental facilities to deal with adverse COVID-19 affects on small business in Malaysia.


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The Huawei Mate 30 announced on Twitter a launch case in Munich, Germany, with a brief teaser video pointing to the camera of the phone as one of its most significant characteristics, unsurprisingly.
Note that the teaser says “series,” which means that at the event Huawei will launch more than one phone, probably the Mate 30 and the Mate 30 Pro.
The predecessor of this phone, the Mate 20 Pro, was one of 2018’s finest phones. It was accompanied by the P30 Pro, which was even better, although it is essential to remember that Huawei sees its Mate series as the real flagship among the smartphones of the company. That implies you can expect this phone to have top-notch specs, which will probably include the company’s fresh Kirin 990 chip, and a quad rear camera (according to leaks).
However, one thing the Mate 30 may not have is Google apps and services pre-installed, including the Google Play store.
If true, it’s going to be an enormous blow to the business. It’s not going to be such a large deal in China— but worldwide, it’s almost unimaginable to have an Android phone without, say, Gmail or Google Maps.
On the 19th, we will find out more. Meanwhile, let’s just remember that by mid-September, we’re going to get fresh iPhones, Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and LG’s fresh flagship; not a poor month if you’re looking for fresh phones.

domain: news


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Photos of Samsung’s new wearable activity-tracking device “Triathlon” shows an impeccable resemblance to the Korean company’s smart watch, Gear S2.
Samsung Gear S2 is now compatible with the devices of its rival Apple, which the company announced during the International Consumer Economics Show on Wednesday.
Does the Samsung Gear S2 live up to its hype?
Samsung's newest wearable device, the Gear S2, is now tagged by some as the "best round smartwatch" in the market a few days after it was released.
Samsung's newest smartwatch, the Gear S2, arrived on Friday and clearly amused users with its features.
Starting Friday, the Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic will be made available on the US market and these are expected to cost cheaper than the Apple Watch.
With the launch of a new smartwatch from Huawei, fans say that the Samsung Gear S2 has found its competition right away.
Another anticipated creation from HTC is its rumored smartwatch after it has listed itself to be an Android Wear partner.
Details on the Samsung Gear S2, a smartwatch expected to take on the Apple Watch, were earlier disclosed revealing that it would now come with a round design and will be available in various versions.
Consiga dos boletos por el precio de uno con el código OBWW2018.
The superhero movie "Deadpool" has crushed box-office records despite the restricted rating (Rated R) given to the film.
This was the first time in their 52 years in the industry to reveal three cover girls.


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SAN FRANCISCO – Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) recently announced that it had acquired smartwatch designer WIMM Labs. The acquisition was seen as an effort to heat up competition in the wearable-computing market. While the company did not provide details of the acquisition, it noted that the deal was completed in 2012 – an odd move as it would appear the company wanted to keep the deal a secret while other companies where in the process of developing their smartwatches.
WIMM Labs, is based on Los Altos, California, had previously unveiled smartwatch designs that included a full-color touch screen, internet access, and sensors for tracking the owner’s motions. Wimm had already received funding from Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Taiwan:2317), the flagship company of Foxconn Technology Group – makers of the iPhone and other consumer electronic devices. Wimm’s management team had included former executives from Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:INTC) and Apple.
The announcement comes as rivals Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung (KS:005930) are also working on smartwatches and Google has been working on the highly anticipated release of its ‘Glass’ device. Google made no official announcement about plans for a smartwatch.
Some analysts believe the acquisition could spell the end of Google’s long association with Samsung as Google is slowly establishing a range of devices that will interconnect with their smartphones. In this environment, the smartphone is set to act as a personal server that will coordinate with other devices such as Google Glass.
The importance of the Google Smartwatch is that it given clarity to Google’s long-term strategy, which it wants to be a full-fledged hardware company similar to Apple. The result is that Google will end up competing with former partners like Samsung – the major user of Google’s Android Operating System. In the past, Google has designed the software, and Samsung had provided the devices. For Samsung, the moves beg the question of how quickly they can reduce their dependence on Android, or how it can divert app revenues from Google Play to the Samsung App Store.
In other Google news, reports emerged last week about a love triangle involving Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin, and Hugo Barra, an Android executive who announced the same day that he would leave the company for a rival phone maker in China. The tech blog, AllThingsD, reported that Brin has separated from his wife, Anne Wojcicki, and has begun dating a Google employee who was previously in a relationship with Barra. The news sent waves through Silicone Valley, and the loss of Barra was noticeable as he was one of the most public faces of Android. Company representatives refused to comment on the story.


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Is there any evidence for the health benefits of chocolate? From what I’ve read, there have never been true randomized studies. Some ingredients in cocoa are probably good ... Please tell your readers about the side effects of cold and sinus tablets.
There are, however, potential side effects of eating ... Earlier reports revealed cocoa consumption is associated with decreased blood pressure, improved bloodvessel health, and improvement in cholesterol levels, among other benefits.
so it’s time to understand what all of that java is doing to our brains and bodies. But unfortunately, studies touting the benefits of coffee are often followed by others that highlight its adverse effects on health. The latest, published in the journal.
Within health ... side effects or pregnancy risks? In Resneck's study, only 32 percent of clinicians discussed relevant adverse effects when prescriptions were provided. They’re full of lycopene, a phytochemical that provides red pigment and health benefits.
“We thought, if you could do it for Cocoa Krispies or Diet Coke, why couldn’t you do it for Lunesta or other drugs?” said Dr. Steven Woloshin, a general internist and researcher at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practic.
The fungi-focused brand’s goal is simple: Make it even easier for people to consume foods that deliver powerful health benefits. Their superfood of ... can have potential side effects and interactions,” explains Sass. That is, if you take a blood.
Chocolate's benefits can be attributed to cocoa bean ... "If you look at the underlying mechanism, the cocoa flavanols have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health and can increase cerebral blood volume in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.
“If you look at the underlying mechanism, the cocoa flavanols have beneficial effects for cardiovascular health and can increase cerebral ... “There are, however, potential side effects of eating cocoa and chocolate. Those are generally linked to.


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The award was announced this morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Ridgeline bested two other finalists: the Ford F-series Super Duty and the Nissan Titan.
In accepting the award, John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., credited the team behind the Ridgeline for “re-imagining the pickup.”
“The Ridgeline has been incredible for us,” he said. “Consumers love it, it’s been virtually sold out since we introduced it here last year.”


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Author: Kendall Jones
Results are in from the 2023 NABA awards. PNW brewers win big
The results are in from the judges at last weekend’s North American Brewers Association awards. Oregon did very well this year, again.
Steelheads Alley & Métier Brewing present a beer brunch on June 25th
Métier Brewing Company and FairStart present a brewers brunch at Steelheads Alley on June 25th. Not a beer dinner, but a beer brunch.
Constellation Brands bids adios to the last of its craft breweries
Constellation Brands (Corona, Modelo, etc) has now completely exited craft beer, selling its remaining craft breweries.
Iron Goat Brewing celebrates its 11th anniversary on June 17th
Iron Goat Brewing in Spokane, WA announces plans to celebrate its 11th anniversary on June 17th. And you are invited.
Northwest breweries stepping up to support important causes
Northwest breweries are stepping up this month to support important causes. Here are some of the beers and breweries we’ve heard about.
The Father’s Day Beer Fest returns – Father’s Day weekend in Ballard
Father’s Day Beer Fest returns for 2023. A new kind of festival this year, in Ballard, Father’s Day Weekend.
Ninkasi Brewing merges with Wings & Arrow, forms a new company
News today of a change at Ninkasi Brewing. The company just merged with Wings & Arrow to form a new company: Great Frontier Holdings.
No-Li Brewhouse’s partnership with EWU comes to fruition
No-Li Brewhouse teams up with EWU’s Craft Beer Industry Professional Certificate program. Beer release is slated for June 5th.


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Stena Recycling, a Sweden-based recycling and circular economy company, will speed up the construction of a new lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Halmstad, Sweden, after receiving $7.59 million (SEK 70.7 million) from the Swedish Energy Agency.
The facility is expected to initially handle around 10,000 tonnes of batteries annually, including lithium-ion batteries from electric cars as well as industrial and consumer products.
The company said the investment in the battery recycling plant would help it comply with EU directives stipulating stricter measures on the recovery of valuable materials, such as lithium and cobalt, due to come into force in 2025.
Additionally, the company said it had chosen "a new technology" for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries that it claimed would "provide a higher recycling rate and lower climate impact than existing melting furnace technology."
The technology is based on grinding batteries in an inert environment, followed by an advanced process to separate the different fractions to recover valuable metals. From the black mass, one of the fractions from batteries, nickel, cobalt and lithium can be extracted.
Frederik Pettersson, chief executive officer of Stena Recycling Sweden, said the company aims to have the plant operational in the first quarter of 2023.
General Robert Andren, director of the Sweden Energy Agency, said the plant would help create a battery value chain that is sustainable and circular "so we are not just shifting emissions from one activity to another."
Mining industry stakeholders across Europe have intensified efforts to develop a circular economy by improving battery recycling processes.
In February 2022, Glencore entered a joint venture with a Britain-based investor in battery cell technologies and research and development, Britishvolt, to build a battery recycling system in the UK, including a new plant.


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Nissan Unveils More Inspection Fraud, to Recall 150,000 Vehicles
Yokohama, Dec. 7 (Jiji Press)--Nissan Motor Co. <7201> said Friday that it has found additional misconduct in preshipment inspections of its finished vehicles, including tests on brake systems, the fourth such revelation by the major Japanese automaker since autumn last year.
Next Thursday, Nissan will report to the transport ministry a recall of some 150,000 vehicles from 11 models, including the Note passenger car and the Leaf electric vehicle.
Nissan discovered the new problem during a voluntary investigation it launched after the revelation in September of a similar inspection scandal at industry peer Subaru Corp. <7270>.
The irregularities took place at two Nissan plants--the Oppama factory in the city of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, and Auto Works Kyoto in the city of Uji in the western prefecture of Kyoto.
At the plants, employees used inappropriate methods for a total of six inspection items, including on brakes and steering wheels.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]


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In something of a bolt out of the blue, Sony has opened up about its next-gen plans and revealed a deluge of tech-specs and juicy details about the work-in-progress PlayStation 5.
According to an interview between Wired and chief system architect Mark Cerny, the next-gen console -- which isn't officially called the PS5 -- will support 8K graphics, 3D audio, a lightning quick SSD, and backwards compatibility with PS4 titles.
For those devs looking for a more technical breakdown, Cerny explained the next-gen box will feature an eight-core CPU based on the third generation of AMD's Ryzen Line, a custom-built Radeon Navi GPU that'll support ray tracing, and a custom unit for 3D audio that will apparently "redefine" game audio.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the PS5 is the inclusion of a SSD (solid-state drive). Cerny says the console will pack a "specialized" SSD that will dramatically reduce load times, and noted it was one of the most requested features from a dev standpoint.
To highlight the benefits of an SSD, he booted up Marvel's Spider-Man on a next-gen devkit, which is only an early "load speed" version, and compared its performance with that of the PS4 version.
On the current-get console, fast-traveling across Manhattan took around 15 seconds, while on the new console the exact same journey took all of 0.8 seconds. It also allowed the game world itself to be rendered at much faster speeds, without any drop-off in visual quality.
Although Cerny couldn't reveal any more technical details, he did reassure PlayStation VR owners that the headset would continue to be supported by the next-gen machine. There was also the hint of a suggestion that long-gestating titles, like Hideo Kojima's bizarre babysitting sim Death Stranding, might soon become generation-spanning titles.
Beyond that, there was no word as to when the PS5 will actually hit shelves, although Cerny did at least rule out a 2019 release. For more details on the console, be sure to check out the full Wired interview.


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LG Optimus LTE, LTE Tag, Vu to get a scoop of Ice Cream Sandwich in June
It looks like LG will be spending June rolling out Ice Cream Sandwich updates to a few of its devices. According to the LG Newsroom, the LG Optimus LTE, Optimus LTE Tag, and Optimus Vu will all begin to see software upgrades available starting on June 4th.
All three devices will receive the new UI 3.0 interface with this update that adds a host of new features. The Optimus Vu will also be privy to some “additional features.” According to Engadget, some of those additional features will “take advantage of the extra-wide dimensions for side-by-side note-taking.”
Nitro HD, but they have to start somewhere. Hopefully after these 3 devices get their scoop, LG will continue to rollout upgrades for the remainder of its Gingerbread devices.There still are a couple of LG devices that we could definitely see an ICS upgrade warranted, such as the


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Hospitality Industry Convergence: AHIF 2023 Takes Place In Nairobi This June
The highly anticipated Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF) has announced its agenda, showcasing a diverse range of influential hospitality investors and industry leaders who will be sharing their expertise at the event. Set to take place in the vibrant city of Nairobi, Kenya, AHIF will bring together hotel owners, top executives, government officials, bankers, consultants, and industry experts from over 50 countries to discuss the pressing issues impacting hotel development across the continent.
Prominent figures such as Olivier Granet, Managing Partner & CEO of Kasada Capital Management; Alyshia Mangalji, VP of Europe & Africa at Westmont Hospitality Group; and Rahul Chaudhary, Managing Director of CG Corp Global, are among the esteemed lineup of speakers. These individuals, alongside many others, will lead discussions on a wide range of topics crucial to the growth and sustainability of Africa’s hospitality industry.
The agenda boasts an impressive array of subjects, including examining global risks and their influence on Africa’s hospitality sector, achieving net-zero targets, implementing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, securing access to capital, navigating hotel development challenges and opportunities, and determining hotel financing criteria. The forum will also explore successful tourism entrepreneurship, operational excellence, the significance of human skills, emerging market dynamics, alternative accommodation trends, and the future of hospitality investment in Africa.
Distinguished speakers at AHIF include Hon. Peninah Malonza OGW, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife in Kenya; Haitham Mattar, MD MEA & SW Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts; Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor at CBS News; Rajan Datar, Host of BBC Travel Show & BBC World News; Pat Thaker from the Economist Intelligence Unit; Thomas Mundy, Head of Capital Markets Strategy & Research EMEA at JLL; Jameel Verjee, Founder & CEO of CityBlue Hotels; Catherine Hendry, Principal: Property Finance Africa at Nedbank; Srividya Jagannathan, Manager Consumer and Social Services at the International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group; and Vimbai Masiyiwa, CEO of Batoka Hospitality Group.
Matthew Weighs, the managing director of AHIF, expressed his appreciation for the exceptional speaker line-up, acknowledging their expertise and unique perspectives that will undoubtedly foster enlightening discussions on the key issues shaping the African hospitality industry.
As the AHIF approaches, industry professionals and stakeholders eagerly anticipate the valuable insights and networking opportunities that will arise from this prestigious event. With its influential speakers and diverse agenda, AHIF is poised to drive positive change and inspire future developments in Africa’s flourishing hospitality landscape.
AviaDev Africa is the only dedicated air service development event for Africa. The event is focused on developing air connectivity to, from, and within the continent via pre-arranged meetings, interactive workshops, an exhibition, and networking events. The event brings together the key players in the African aviation community to forge new collaborations and partnerships to ensure that Africa remains connected regionally and internationally.
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Bitcoin a ‘Potential Store of Value’ That's Very Volatile: Fidelity Digital Assets Head
Many investors aspire to hold bitcoin as a store of value, but right now the cryptocurrency is very volatile, said the head of Fidelity Digital Assets.
Investors are hoping bitcoin becomes a "store of value" but the largest cryptocurrency is still very volatile, Tom Jessop, head of Fidelity Digital Assets (FDAS), said during the Reuters Global Investment Outlook Summit 2020 on Thursday.
“We use the words ‘potential store of value’ as bitcoin is still extremely volatile, and by any standard perhaps would not achieve the mantle of a true store of value,” said Jessop, whose company, a unit of Fidelity Investments, offers cryptocurrency trading and custody services for financial firms and corporations. His remarks were reported by Reuters.
Jessop added that while bitcoin’s volatility prevents it from acting as a reliable way to store value, “aspirationally” it could be one, and “that’s one of the reasons why so many investors are now thinking about this space constructively.”
Currently, low trading volumes seem to have kept bitcoin hovering around $19,000 after touching its all-time high of $19,850 last week.
While sharp price movements in a market can often scare investors because volatility gets conflated with risk, what’s unique about bitcoin’s volatility is that unlike the volatility index (VIX) for the S&P 500, bitcoin’s VIX tends to be positively correlated with the asset’s price.
In an October report regarding bitcoin’s market cap, FDAS noted that due to bitcoin's uncorrelated nature the crypto’s market cap has ample space to grow.
“In a world where benchmark interest rates globally are near, at or below zero, the opportunity cost of not allocating to bitcoin is higher,” the report noted.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.
Learn more about Consensus 2023, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.


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"We have increasingly strengthened our resolve to make our Danfoss Drives business self-reliant where ~80% of our supplies are produced from India Campus with an increasing focus on building a local supplier base and enhancing process innovation for our customers in India," said PL Palanisamy, Director – Danfoss Drives, Danfoss India.
The Danfoss Group has made investments over Rs 1000 crores in the last six years, to further the company’s commitment towards strengthening its local manufacturing and powering its capabilities towards India-focussed R&D and innovation.
Danfoss India said that since its independent operations in India, it has quadrupled its localisation efforts in terms of production and supply chain capabilities and projects 90 percent localisation by 2022.
The company said it has achieved maximum self-reliance right from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of the finished products in India. Currently, the final products from the Danfoss India campus are also exported to key markets such as US, Middle East, ASEA regions.
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- Adani Promoters Prepay $1.1b Loans Backed by Share Pledges
Gautam Adani and his family have repaid ₹9,250 crore ($1.1 billion) of debt backed by shares early as the cement-to-coal conglomerate sought to soothe investor nerves. This follows a $110 billion erasure of equity value after the Hindenburg report was released on January 24.Govt Against $3b Vedanta Intl Zinc Biz Sale to HZL
The government has raised objections to Vedanta Resources’ proposal to sell its international zinc assets for nearly $3 billion to Indian subsidiary Hindustan Zinc (HZL), people aware of the development told ET.Special Situation Funds Lap up Adani Bonds
A number of global special situation funds — high-yield and distressed-debt specialists — bought large amounts of foreign currency bonds of Adani Group firms in the days following the January 24 Hindenburg report, three people directly aware of the matter said.
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BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- China's automobile sales fell in February from a record high in January, with sales of home-brand passenger cars dropping sharply, Monday data showed.
Sales amounted to 1.6 million units last month, down 26 percent from January, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said in a statement.
Production dropped 21.7 percent from a month earlier to 1.64 million units, the statement said.
Chinese-brand passenger cars sold some 503,700 units in February, diving by 29 percent month on month.
Home brands accounted for 38.4 percent of China's passenger car market, almost flat month on month, yet down 4.6 percentage points from the same period last year, the sixth consecutive decline since last September.
Chinese auto makers exported 53,700 units in February, dropping by 21.7 percent from January.
But on a year-on-year basis, China's auto industry still maintained strong growth, with sales up 17.8 percent and production surging 21.5 percent.
"China's auto industry faces great challenges, including strained resources and energy, environmental protection, traffic congestion and enterprises' weak innovation capacity," said Dong Yang, CAAM's secretary-general.
China has been the world's largest auto market and producer for five consecutive years, with sales and production both exceeding 20 million units for the first time in 2013.


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Discussions are continuing over the long-awaited potential introduction of a new mobile operator in Egypt, which has the potential to dramatically tighten margins in what is already a very competitive sector. If the agreement is concluded, incumbent operators may find themselves looking to further expand value-added services (VAS) to maintain revenue streams and margins.
In mid-November, the international press reported that state-owned Telecom Egypt (TE) was in “advanced talks” with the government over launching its own mobile operator. The potential deal would see TE become a “universal operator”, diversifying from its core fixed-line business, which is seeing subscriptions fall as competition from mobile and internet call services increases.
Should TE be granted a licence to offer mobile services, as is expected, Egypt’s three existing GSM operators, Mobinil, Vodafone Egypt and Etisalat Egypt, would probably also be allowed to become universal, allowing them to move into the fixed-line business, currently a TE monopoly, the firm’s CEO, Mohamed El Nawawy, told Reuters. Whether the GSM firms would wish to do so is open to question – in the 12 months leading to the end of August, fixed-line subscriptions fell 5.93% to 8.41m, or 10.41% penetration.
TE has been diversifying its revenue streams through its successful TE Data subsidiary. This helped the firm post a third-quarter net profit of LE633m ($103.44m), somewhat above the LE625m ($102.13m) forecast by a Reuters poll, and 2.9% up from the same period in 2011.
TE is also already involved in the mobile sector through its 45% stake in Vodafone Egypt. The future of this share could be under question should the firm obtain a universal licence. At the moment, the most likely option is for TE to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). An MVNO service uses other networks’ infrastructure, requiring significantly lower capital expenditure and risk, and usually lower licence costs as well.
Under this model, TE’s MVNO would become a fourth mobile player, according to Mohamed El Nawawy, the CEO of TE. “We are interested in moving forward as soon as possible, as soon as we get a licence, offering a virtual service,” he told the international press in November. TE’s share in Vodafone would make the latter’s network the natural one to choose.
International press reports suggest that TE could either bid for a majority share in Vodafone, from its UK-based owner, giving it a substantial existing market share, or sell its holding in the Egyptian subsidiary and go it alone with its new operator, aiming for organic growth.
Either way, should TE be awarded a universal licence, competition in the mobile sector, which is already tough, would be likely to increase. The average price per minute is already the lowest in the Middle East, pushing average revenue per user (ARPU) below LE30 ($4.9); Vodafone, which has had the highest ARPU of the three players lately, reported LE26.1 ($4.26) in the third quarter.
There were 92.64m mobile subscriptions in Egypt at the end of August, meaning that penetration reached 112.81%, according to the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT)’s monthly “ICT Indicators in Brief”. The figures disguise the fact that there are almost certainly many Egyptians without mobile devices, as the number of subscriptions is inflated by those who have two or more SIM cards. The number of active subscriptions is further increased by the proliferation of USB modems, which count as mobile subscriptions and are commonly used by Egyptians to go online.
Nonetheless, the consensus in the industry is that the mobile voice market is nearing saturation and that amongst the 85m-person population, those demographic groups without mobiles – the very young, old and poor – are unlikely to provide much penetration growth.
For some time, the mobile operators have largely been focusing on winning market share from one another, and increasing volumes, rather than seeking out new subscriptions. This has intensified price competition. The three operators are thus targeting greater take-up of value-added services, particularly use of mobile internet, to boost revenues and margins. Egypt had 10.97m mobile internet users at the end of August, meaning that 11.73% of mobile subscriptions were internet-enabled, and that 35.02% of all internet users were going online through mobile devices.
The cost of internet handsets is still high for many Egyptians, and low levels of post-paid penetration make increasing take-up through contract deals with free or cheaper mobiles difficult. However, these challenges are not insurmountable, as operators in other emerging markets such as Morocco have used pre-paid internet add-ons and packages with a certain amount of free data to build up VAS usage.
Whether the fourth player materialises or not, the broad direction of Egypt’s mobile sector seems clear enough: encouraging more data use, and building value, while remaining price-competitive.


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Members of Teamsters 117 at Seattle Cold Storage facilites in Algona and Tacoma will be working under a different ownership group now that the company has sold two local warehouses to California-based Lineage Logistics.
After Americold, Lineage is the second largest cold storage company in the country. The company also owns and operates Seafreeze and City Ice, two cold storage facilities in Seattle.
Workers at all four Lineage locations will have protected Teamster wages and benefits and will be represented by Teamsters Local 117.
Read more about the transition in an article in today's Tacoma News Tribune.
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This week in video games: it’s all about PUBG, GDC, Ni No Kuni, and Nintendo Nindies. Here’s our digest of the week’s top gaming news stories.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds news
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is now testing its own Event Mode. Designed to be more than a standard preset custom game, the mode will feature new content. To start with, it will include eight player teams, and a doubled drop rate on rifles. Event mode will be moved to the live server as soon as it’s deemed stable.
Patch 11 was also deployed to the Xbox One version of the game this week. It adds improvements to the game’s stability, inventory management, and UI.
Following hot on the heels of the Fortnite Battle Royale mobile game, the PUBG mobile game – developed and published by Tencent, and previously only available in China – began launching suddenly around the world this week. It’s surprising just how good a job they’ve done.
There was also plenty of PUBG talk at this week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. One of the highlights was a talk by community manager, Sammie Kang, on how Bluehole built its devoted following of streamers. Brendan Greene also took to the stage to speak about his career and the rivalry with Fortnite. And speaking of conferences, Brendan Greene is also slated to deliver the opening “storytime” keynote at PAX East next month.
Marketing intelligence company SuperData reports that Fortnite Battle Royale is currently making more money than PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, despite – or should that be because of – its free-to-play status. According to the report – discretely titled, Fortnite is eating PUBG’s lunch – Epic’s game is surpassing PUBG in terms of revenue, and Twitch streaming views.
Fortnite was also to be found at GDC, and in Epic’s ‘State of Unreal’ keynote, it was announced that the game will soon receive a suite of video replay editing tools. They will allow players to review completed matches, capture footage, and create highlight reels.
NIntendo Switch breaks records
Nintendo broadcast another Nindie Showcase this week, revealing a new selection of indies heading to the Switch in 2018. Highlights include Lumines Remastered, Pool Panic, Reigns Kings and Queens, West of Loathing, and The Banner Saga series. Epic Games also announced that ARK: Survival Evolved will also come to the Switch later this year.
Finding these games on an increasingly crowded eShop is becoming a problem, but according to Nintendo’s Damon Baker, this is something the company is actively looking to solve.
Game Developers Conference
In case you missed it, GDC 2018 was on this week. And as we do every year, we’ve been there, attending talks and producing reports for everyone who couldn’t make it. There’s more to follow, but here are some of our early entries:
- The Making of SteamWorld Dig 2
- West of Loathing – a video game ‘made out of jokes’
- Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap – Redesigning a classic
- The Sound Design of Night in the Woods
And the winner is…
GDC also features a number of awards. We already knew about Tim Schafer’s lifetime achievement and Rami Ismail’s ambassador awards – and why Nolan Bushnell didn’t receive the pioneer award, as originally planned – but there were awards for games, too. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won big at the GDC choice awards, while one of our favourites, Night in the Woods, triumphed at the IGF awards.
Didn’t go to GDC?
If you didn’t get to go to GDC, or have come back inspired and looking for more development help, check out our guide to some indie alternatives, with perspectives from the people who setup and run them.
Vive Pro revealed
HTC have announced the new Vive Pro headset, an upgrade on their original unit. The Pro has a number of features to bolster the existing tech, including 2880×1600 resolution, a new redesigned head strap, and built-in noise-cancelling headphones.
The Vive Pro is compatible with SteamVR Tracking 1.0 and 2.0, meaning you will only need to replace the headset if you are making the jump from the original Vive. This new model will cost around £800, with pre-orders open now, and the original Vive headset receives a price cut as a result.
The Atari VCS is a thing
With their fingers in everything from speaker hats to crypto-currencies, we tend exhale a weary sigh when we hear the name Atari these days, but… damn them… there is something undeniably cool about the newly renamed Atari VCS console.
It’s mainly the retro looks, and the classic Atari joystick-inspired gamepad looks the part, too. As for the games, there’s still no word, and we still think it’s going to be a disaster.
God of War has gone gold
Cory Barlog wrote on the PlayStation blog this week, both to announce that God of War has gone gold, and to offer his thanks to the team at Sony Santa Monica studios.
“This was the scariest, most wonderful thing I have ever done and I can honestly say it would never have been possible without the full-throated support of Sony and the tireless work of the incredible team at Santa Monica Studio.
We have been through a lot together and I would not change a thing. You are the best damn team a director could ever hope for and I am thankful beyond words for every ounce of passion and pride you put into this game.”
It looks to be shaping up into a fine addition to the series, but we still wouldn’t recommend letting Barlog babysit your kids.
World of Tanks update
World of Tanks has been trundling along for four years, and amassed over 160 million players. You could argue that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but developer Wargaming has this week released a major update to the popular tank ’em up.
“Update 1.0 improves the baseline technology for the game, introducing the in-house developed Wargaming Core graphics engine. Thanks to it, we’re now capable of elevating the entire game and can ensure World of Tanks is a fun and immersive experience for years to come.” – Milos Jerabek, development director, World of Tanks PC
Head over to the World of Tanks website for the update’s full patch notes.
Ni No Kuni II review round-up
Level-5’s Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom has been met with a broadly positive critical response, with the game’s mix of genres and gameplay styles being the focus.
Cam Shea, writing for IGN, says:
”Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom distinguishes itself from its predecessor by layering fast-paced, real-time combat and an engaging kingdom building system atop more traditional RPG systems
PC Gamer’s Austin Wood, wrote:
“Ni No Kuni 2 is gorgeous, charming and constantly evolving. Its combat is layered and exciting, and polished by a medley of systems that let you finely tailor your play style. Its globetrotting coming-of-age story is a bit saccharine, but it’s told well, and packs an ending that still occupies my thoughts.”
Sea of Thieves takes to the seas
There were choppy waters for Rare’s Sea of Thieves on its maiden voyage. Reviews have been mixed, but the connection issues that plagued the game’s launch were a bigger problem. With over one million players accessing the game in its first 48 hours, servers buckled, and at one stage Rare had to temporarily prevent new players from signing up. Still, the game has given us an early contender for video game gag of the year, with its literal Day One patch.
This week’s video game sales
If you are look for something to play over Easter, the PlayStation Store Easter sale, the Nintendo eShop Spring into Action sale, and a range of new Humble Store sales should provide enough games for you to choose from.
In the latest edition of Cut Scenes, Josh Wise explores the intersection between films and video games with Grand Theft Auto III vs. The Sopranos.
Over on The Verge, Megan Farokhmanesh delivers a sobering report into the troubles that have blighted Telltale Games. It’s a tough read, but helps understand both the endemic issues in our industry, and how Telltale went from one of the hottest studios around to 25% layoffs in just five years.
And if you have ever considered dipping a toe into the, somewhat daunting, Yakuza series, Kotaku has pulled together a useful guide on where to start.


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Netflix has commissioned a second season of JibJab Studios’ Ask the StoryBots. The new episodes of the Netflix Original children’s series will be available worldwide on August 24.
Created by JibJab’s Gregg and Evan Spiridellis, the animated/live-action hybrid series follows five curious creatures who live in a world underneath digital screens. In season two, each episode will feature a live-action celebrity guest. Snoop Dogg, Christina Applegate, Kristen Schaal, Ali Wong, David Koechner, Edward Norton, David Cross and Wanda Sykes are scheduled to appear throughout the season.
Following its season one launch on Netflix, the brand has amassed almost 500 million video views on its YouTube channel and garnered more than 700 million minutes watched. Recently, DHX Media’s digital kids network WildBrain signed a multi-year deal with JibJab to manage and grow the brand on YouTube.
The studio has also released five StoryBots books with Random House Children’s Books and partnered with Razor & Tie to release and promote music. This season’s soundtrack will be available on all major digital music platforms starting on August 31.


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Unfortunately, non-married people and already-married people generally don't care too much about your upcoming wedding.
Sure, they'll attend, and most will probably have a great time. But very few of them, if any, want to hear about it for months and months leading up to the big day. And even fewer of them are likely interested in helping. (You're be better off with professional help anyway—weddings are complicated.)
This is where a startup like Vancouver-based WedOverHeels comes in. It's a social network exclusively for weddings. Sounds terribly dull to most—but perfectly awesome to those the startup is targeting, like engaged couples who need a lending hand but don't know where to start.
"WedOverHeels is a discovery platform and more," cofounder Mike Benson explained to The Other Angle. "Couples and pros can search photos and videos by location, keyword, seasons and colors. Unlike other inspiration sites, everything on WedOverheels is automatically credited and linked directly back to the photographer or vendors who took part in the shoot. Couples can collect photos and videos in their Keepers, follow other members and ask the community questions through their blog."
The company was founded by Mike and Bean Benson (surprise, they're married!) and went online at the start of October. The founders argue that WedOverHeels is better than a broad social network such as Facebook because "brides don't want to fill their personal streams" with wedding crap. Truth.
Photo-based Pinterest may be a more relevant potential competitor—WedOverHeels acknowledges that it is the best place for inspiration—but Mike says the site is "noisy with poor attribution and zero context." WedOverHeels offers a platform to discover, connect, and interact with local pros. Pinterest, obviously, does not.
The scrappy startup is convinced it's better than its competitors, even the ones with tens of millions of dollars of funding in their pockets. Sounds lofty, but that's how a lot of success stories begin.
More than just a website, WedOverHeels is a bootstrapped labour of love for Mike and Bean. "We have two young children and worked for years on this business pre-launch without making a dime," Mike says. "We have suffered personal setbacks that would have crippled other entrepreneurs, but through it all we have persevered and we are extremely proud of the result."
So we hope this Canadian startup succeeds, although we're well aware that the rate of success for startups is far worse than the rate of marriage divorces in Canada. Either way, three cheers to keeping wedding stuff off our Twitter streams.


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The holiday season – it’s the most delicious time of the year! But all those tasty treats and traditional holiday foods can also mean lots of extra sugar, fat and calories.
According to the National Institutes of Health, American adults gain about one pound between Thanksgiving and the New Year. And people who are already overweight may gain up to five pounds. Although a single pound might not sound like much, most of us don’t lose the added weight. Over the years, the continuous weight gain can lead to serious health consequences including diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
“It’s definitely worth having strategies in place before the start of the holiday season to curb any potential weight gain,” says Carolyn McCune, R.D., a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Mills-Peninsula. “It’s not so much what you eat on a single holiday – it’s the accumulation of treats we consume between Halloween and the New Year that really adds up.”
McCune offers the following tips to help you enjoy your favorite holiday foods without sacrificing your waistline and good health.
About 45 million Americans go on a diet each year and spend an estimated $33 billion on weight-loss products. There’s the vegan diet for people who avoid meat and cheese. There’s Paleo for people who only eat meat, fresh fruits and vegetables. There’s the gluten-free diet for people shunning breads and pasta.
Which diets really work? None of them – and all of them.
“Any diet works as long as you’re on it,” says Natalya Denissov, M.D., a Mills-Peninsula family medicine doctor. “When you go off the diet you regain the weight. Sometimes you regain even more than you lost. So you really need to find an approach to eating that you enjoy.” Read More about Which Diets Really Work?
High cholesterol is one of the major risk factors leading to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. The good news? You can lower your bad cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke with healthy lifestyle eating choices and exercise – and following a medical plan, if prescribed by your doctor.
As you may have seen in the news recently, cholesterol itself isn’t bad. We all have cholesterol in our bodies. But it’s important to learn about the difference between good (HDL cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol and how it affects your health. Take this short American Heart Association Heart Health Quiz to test your cholesterol knowledge.
In this blog post, Deborah Kurzrock, a Mills-Peninsula registered dietitian, weighs in on the best and worst foods for lowering cholesterol levels – and on the benefits of exercise to prevent or help manage bad cholesterol. Read More about Best & Worst Foods to Lower Cholesterol
Traditional holiday food — such as turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, wine and all the fixings – contains an astounding 2,500 to 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat per serving. That’s more calories and fat than adults should have in an entire day.
No wonder the average American gains one to two pounds over the holidays. More troubling, most of us never lose that extra weight, says Leah Groppo, R.D, a nutritionist with the CardioMetabolic Program located at Mills-Peninsula Health Services. Over the years, accumulated holiday weight gain can lead to diabetes, heart disease, obesity and more.
Instead of taking supplements, look to healthy foods to boost your vitamin intake. Start with these four simple tips from Debbie Kurzrock, a registered dietitian at Mills-Peninsula’s Dorothy E. Schneider Cancer Center in San Mateo. Read More about Get a Vitamin Boost Through Food
Half of all Americans take vitamin supplements, according to a recent Gallup poll. But are vitamins in pill form really good for you?
“Most adults with a balanced diet don’t need to take supplements,” Tarini Anand, M.D., a Mills-Peninsula internal medicine doctor, says. “In fact, a variety of natural foods, rather than supplements, is the best source for getting all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients you need to stay healthy.” Read More about Vitamin Supplements: Yes or No?


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Digital Marketing programme.
IBSAR has successfully organized a two day Digital Marketing workshop 8th & 9th Sep 2015 "Carpe-Diem ",an IIM Calcutta Event. MBA,BBA & BCA students
participated the same.
About Carpediem:Carpe Diem- IIM Calcutta's International Cultural/Technical Festival. Every year, Carpe Diem brings all the students from various under-grad and post-grad colleges to a single podium and makes it an eye feasting revelry.
Since it is the festival of oldest IIM(1961) in the country & the most prestigious Institute Of Management,so the students who will be participating in the event they will get a platform to represent themselves in front of the best minds.


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- Freeport murder suspect Damon Dixson taken into custody in Rockford
- Local gas station employee arrested for selling liquor to minor
- Renewable Fuel Standard delay ‘a mixed blessing,’ Bustos says
- Rockford delegation presents inaugural ‘Rockford Award’ to Norwegian Air
- Education in Illinois making slow progress, according to report
- Illinois GOP Congressional delegation: Obama’s immigration plan undermines rule of law
- Suspect, 17, charged in Halloween hit-and-run in Roscoe
- Saint Anthony College of Nursing president to retire
- Man found guilty in deadly August 2013 crash at Mulford and Garrett Lane
- ‘The Price is Right Live!’ at Coronado March 1; tickets on sale Nov. 21
To the Editor: Thank you, Rockford-area Divas!
Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois would like to thank all the Rockford “Divas” who attended our first Diva Dress Sale Sunday, May 16. The event was a great success with more than 500 attendees and tremendous media and community support.
The event featured beautiful dresses and accessories on sale at Goodwill prices, so every Rockford woman can afford to be a diva! Thank you to the Holiday Inn and the Hoffman House for hosting the event and their support, as well as Educators of Beauty and Spa Contouz for their generous donations.
We wish to thank all the community members who donate their items to our local Goodwill retail stores, as this event would not be possible without the generosity of our community. Funds generated from the Diva Dress Sale and Goodwill stores go toward training and placement services for individuals with barriers to attain meaningful employment.
Thank you, Divas, and see you next year!
Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois
From the June 2-8, 2010 issue


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- Apr 12, 2001
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shipments in the fourth quarter of 2022 will be "significantly lower" than the market consensus due to labor protests at Foxconn's main iPhone factory in China, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo today said iPhone production at the factory in Zhengzhou has been "significantly affected" by the protests over unfavorable working conditions, leading him to cut his iPhone shipments forecast for the fourth quarter of 2022 by 20% to 70-75 million units, compared to a market consensus of 80-85 million units.
The average capacity utilization rate at the factory was only about 20% in November, and is only expected to improve to 30–40% in December, according to Kuo. He said Pegatron and Luxshare have each obtained about 10% of iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max orders from Foxconn, but said mass shipments will not be until late December at the earliest.
Kuo believes that the production issues could result in iPhone revenue being "significantly lower than the market consensus by 20–30% or more" this quarter.
Due to lengthy shipping delays and a recession, Kuo believes that most of the demand for iPhone 14 Pro models this quarter will simply "disappear" rather than be deferred, suggesting that many customers who would have purchased an iPhone 14 Pro right now will not return to order the device in January or later once supply improves.
iPhone 14 Pro models currently face at least a four-week shipping delay on Apple's online store in the U.S. as the company struggles to maintain supply.
Article Link: Kuo: iPhone 14 Pro Sales Are in Big Trouble Due to Foxconn Factory Protests


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WESTMINSTER — The town could become the second community in North Central Massachusetts to bar marijuana retailers, following Lancaster, which banned retail at its spring Town Meeting.
The town is planning to pursue a referendum about whether to ban retail sales before the moratorium expires in December, said Town Planner Stephen Wallace.
“We’re looking to allow the industrial side of it but not retail,” he said.
Cultivation, processing and distribution are the types of marijuana establishments that could be allowed in Westminster.
Proposed regulations would tie the number of marijuana-related businesses to the number of state-approved medical marijuana dispensaries, of which there are two, that might open in town, said Wallace. That means only two marijuana cultivators or processors would be allowed to open in town.
He said the goal is to have a bylaw ready for Town Meeting and a ballot question to ban retail sales by the end of the year, which is when Westminster’s moratorium expires.
The bylaw has been drafted and is being reviewed by town counsel.
This is the direction municipalities voted for in the 2016 state referendum — known as Question 4 — to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults age 21 and older, according to the Cannabis Control Commission, the state agency that regulates the industry.
Westminster voters narrowly supported Question 4, by a margin of 60 votes.
A separate, local nonbinding ballot question in May showed a majority of Westminster voters oppose retail sales.
To help determine what direction to go in, Wallace gave the Board of Selectmen three options to pursue: limit most types of recreational establishments, allow only industrial uses like growing and processing, and place no limits on the type of establishments.
The town also gave the public the opportunity to send in comments about regulations. Fewer than 20 people responded, Wallace said, and a majority of them wanted a total ban on marijuana establishments. Other comments were in support of allowing only industrial uses or a mix of that and retail, he said.
It ultimately was up to the selectmen for the town to pursue cultivation, processing and distribution, Wallace said.
Agricultural Commission Chair M.L. Altobelli said Westminster’s bylaw is expected to be available to the commission, town departments and committees to review in the early fall.
“We will be involved in any onward discussions,” she said. “The group is willing to support any legal agricultural activity in town.”
Residents will also get a chance to discuss the bylaw with the board at a public hearing.
Many cities and towns in the region are working toward enacting the necessary local regulations to allow recreational marijuana retailers.
Ashby approved zoning for allowing recreational marijuana retailers at its spring Town Meeting.
Fitchburg, which has had a cultivator operating in the city for over two years, finalized its zoning regulations in June.
The Leominster City Council passed the first reading of its proposed zoning regulations Thursday. The regulations, before adoption, must still have a public hearing and a second vote of the council.
Shirley voters tried to ban all recreational marijuana-related business at a Special Town Meeting in March. The town ended up adopting zoning for recreational and medical marijuana businesses.
Ayer already has finalized its zoning regulations for all marijuana establishments.
Ashburnham and Lunenburg are crafting bylaws to regulate marijuana-related businesses.
Follow Mina on Twitter @mlcorpuz


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Creative Commons photo via Pxhere.com.
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith has signed on to a letter asking the Justice Department to investigate whether four large beef processors have a monopoly on meat processing that some members of Congress say is leading to high retail beef prices.
Led by South Dakota Republican Sen. Michael Rounds, the bipartisan effort includes two dozen U.S. senators and representatives, who want Attorney General Merrick Garland to review whether anticompetitive practices in the industry are hurting consumers and ranchers who say they are being paid low prices for their cattle.
“From our perspective, the anticompetitive practices occurring in the industry today are unambiguous and either our antitrust laws are not being enforced or they are not capable of addressing the apparent oligopoly that so plainly exists,” reads the letter, dated May 27. “This is where we need to work together.”
Minnesota ranks tenth in its production of beef, making $2 billion in annual sales, according to Minnesota Department of Agriculture figures.
The letter is expected to be sent to the Justice Department next week.
Bloomberg News last June reported that the Justice Department had already issued subpoenas to the four meatpacking companies: Tyson Foods Inc., JBS SA, Minnesota-based Cargill Inc. and National Beef Inc. Altogether, the four companies control more than 80% of the U.S. beef processing market.
Messages seeking requests for comments from the four companies were not immediately returned Friday.
In February, executives at Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. pleaded guilty and were sentenced to pay $107 million in fines after being charged with price fixing. The plea agreement says that from 2012 to 2017, the company had conspired to suppress and eliminate competition for sales of broiler chicken products in the U.S.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.


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Money is not a client of any investment adviser featured on this page. The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Money does not offer advisory services.
Between the uncertainty of the economy and geopolitical tensions, there's a lot for investors to watch this year.
And it comes after a wild ride for those watching the markets. After starting 2022 near an all-time high, the S&P 500 ended the year down 19.4% — the stock market's worst annual performance since 2008. The prices of other financial assets, like bonds and crypto, struggled as well amid high inflation and interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.
The stock market was also extremely volatile, with a frequency of intraday swings of more than 1% not seen since the Great Recession.
So what's in store for the stock market in 2023?
"The markets will be very volatile," predicts James Angel, a finance professor at Georgetown University. "There are a lot of things which could move the market."
Experts say there are five factors affecting the stock market that they'll be monitoring this year.
In an effort to bring down decades-high inflation, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates throughout 2022, most recently by a half percentage point in December. That brought the federal funds rate to a target range of between 4.25% and 4.5%.
The higher interest rates are, the more expensive it is for consumers and businesses to borrow money. That can in turn cramp consumer spending and help lower inflation. But higher borrowing costs also mean businesses are coping with increased costs while consumers have less to spend, which can hurt companies' earnings and how they're expected to do in the future, bringing down stock prices.
All eyes have been on the central bank ever since it became clear it was planning on upping interest rates. While the last interest rate hike was smaller than the previous four (which were all hikes of three-quarters of a percentage point), Fed Chair Jerome Powell has indicated that ongoing increases will continue. So what does this mean for 2023?
"The most important focal point and greatest importance to capital markets continues to be the Federal Reserve's battle with inflation," says Bill Northey, senior investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. While inflation has begun to show some signs of peaking and declining, it remains much higher than the level that will allow the Fed to move back to a more neutral monetary policy, he adds.
In other words, investors can expect more Fed rate hikes ahead, and likely more struggles in the stock market.
2. The U.S. labor market
The biggest factor the Fed will be watching is the labor market, says Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird. The Fed's basic thesis is that a very tight labor market is causing upward pressure on wages even as the economy slows, and that's feeding into price inflation overall, he adds.
Even if most inflation indicators are headed in the right direction, if the labor market remains as tight as it is today, the Fed's messaging indicates that it will remain hawkish, Mayfield told Money Thursday. ("Hawkish" policy refers to aggressive policy, like higher interest rates.)
The U.S. labor market added 223,000 workers in December, according to data from the Labor Department released Friday. Job growth decreased slightly from November and wage growth slowed, a sign that the Fed's moves are having an effect, but that the labor market still remains strong.
Mayfield says his firm will be closely eyeing the labor market in 2023.
3. China's economic reopening
China has one of the biggest economies in the world, and it heavily impacts global markets. After years of a strict zero-COVID policy, the Chinese government recently removed many requirements and has been generally relaxing rules as it works to reopen its economy. But experts say it could be a long and bumpy road to recovery for the country's economy.
China is the globe’s largest consumer of commodities, and stringent lockdowns impacted production, put strain on global supply chains and helped ease some of the price pressure on commodities at different points, says Matt Bacon, a financial advisor at Carmichael Hill & Associates, a financial planning firm based in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
"Reopening is likely to be inflationary as factories fire back up and demand for raw materials picks up pace," Bacons says. "We could also see a big upswing in consumer spending as people emerge from lockdown with pent up demand."
Just a few days into the year, China's policy changes are already shaking up commodity prices.
4. The Russia-Ukraine war
The war in Ukraine rattled financial markets in 2022, and market experts will continue to watch for effects this year.
There are economic impacts across Europe and more broadly, largely transmitted through energy costs and the impact to the European economy, Northey says.
The energy problems of 2022, like redirected Russian supply, are "likely to persist in 2023," Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, wrote in a recent research note.
One theme that Mayfield says may be being underassessed is deglobalization and the onshoring of supply chains — as in, bringing them to the U.S. He points to recent legislation, like the bipartisan infrastructure package and the Inflation Reduction Act, which address securing supply chains and investing domestically amid rising geopolitical tensions.
The Inflation Reduction Act, for example, will encourage more production of solar equipment at home with incentives for domestic solar panels and inverter manufacturing, David Sekera, Morningstar's chief U.S. market strategist, told Money when the initiative became law in August.
Mayfield says the themes of deglobalization and increased domestic production "will continue to gain traction this year as tensions abroad continue to ramp up."


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The development of voice control language processing and available applications will impact seniors' ability to safely age in place.
Mehul Kochar //
10 Jan 2023
Demand for voice-enabled devices has skyrocketed during the pandemic, and in the rush to capitalize on it, businesses can easily fall prey to common misconceptions about voice-enabled products. This piece debunks these myths one by one.
Paul Beckmann //
06 Apr 2021
As consumers get more accustomed to using voice interfaces, wake words will become more prominent.
Todd Mozer //
29 Sep 2020
The future is now for voice recognition technology as industries from automotive to healthcare embrace the technology.
Probal Lala //
16 Mar 2020


text: The Auction Team has recently obtained a significant library of signed books. The volume is such that in addition to selling them in our auctions, they intend to list 30 books per month which will be emailed to members. Books will be sold on a ‘first-come, first served’ basis and an invoice will accompany the items. Members should check emails regularly – the precise timing for the issuing of each list is uncertain. The first listing is expected to be issued very soon!


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Since word has spread about a Banana Republic Factory Outlet taking the place of the shuttered Fabco Shoes at 422 86th Street, Ridge residents have weighed in on the chain retailer setting up shop along the bustling commercial strip.
“We’re excited, once again, to have another national chain identify 86th Street and Bay Ridge as a major place to have a retail store,” said Pat Condren, executive director of the 86th Street Business Improvement District in Bay Ridge — a sentiment that he said John Gallucci, president of the 86th Street BID, shared.
This will be Brooklyn’s second Banana Republic Factory Outlet – with the first located at 485 Fulton Street – and the second Gap Inc. store on the street; a Gap Factory Outlet sits directly across the street from the alleged Banana Republic location.
Some residents have reservations, however.
“I think it’s a wasted opportunity for the middle-income bracket I’ve always known Bay Ridge to be,” said lifelong Bay Ridge resident Ralph Garcia, noting that Banana Republic is the most expensive of the Gap Inc. brands. “I also felt that aesthetically, [the space] is already perfectly set up for an H&M or Uniqlo, which would have fit in just fine, seeing as the area is lacking in both.”
“I can’t say I’m disappointed, because I do love their clothes, and it will probably bring more people to the area,” said Ridge resident Sarah Collins. “But it also raises the never-ending concerns we have here in Bay Ridge about traffic and parking. I just hope it brings more good than bad to the neighborhood.”
The building, originally constructed in 1921, houses three stories which are classified as “mixed residential and commercial use,” according to city zoning. It sits on a 4,000-square-foot lot and has an estimated gross floor area of 10,400 square feet.
Zelnik and Company LLC, the real estate firm which listed the property, declined to comment.


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Smart phones are the GPS killer. That’s a problem for industry leader Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) and auto companies like General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) that sell in-dashboard systems build around GPS. Phones, however, won’t replace Trimble Navigation Limited (NASDAQ:TRMB)’s GPS products.
Why Pay Extra
Bloomberg quotes J.D. Power as stating that “46 percent of car owners with a factory-installed navigation system said they wouldn’t buy one again if their smartphone app could play on their dashboard screen.” That’s a problem for auto maker margins, since the in-dash GPS is a core function of the high-priced technology being put into cars today.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is particularly susceptible to the in-dash push back because of its OnStar service. It costs about $29 a month for OnStar with directions, with discounts for year-based plans. While this is more than just a GPS service, if directions are all you really use, why spend the monthly fee?
OnStar has over six million subscribers. Automotive News suggests that the division makes around $1.5 billion a year with margins as high as 30%. That’s well in excess of the company’s gross margin of around 7% in 2012. It’s also a nice recurring revenue stream in a business known for economically sensitive and lumpy sales.
While $1.5 billion is a rounding error compared to General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s over $150 billion top-line, highly regarded OnStar is also a differentiated selling point. If customers stop caring and spending for the service, the automaker risks losing both a reliable revenue stream and customers. That said, the company is trying to co-op smart phones by selling applications that tie into the car and provide directions. It’s far from clear that these efforts will keep OnStar on target.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) shares are up some 80% since hitting lows in the 20’s in late 2012. That’s a pretty solid run considering that General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s 6.5% sales growth in June lagged both Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and Chrysler. GM’s price to earnings ratio of around 10 is about 1.5 percentage points lower than Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s PE even though Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s June sales growth was roughly twice that of GM’s.
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) appears to be the laggard in a recovering market. Aggressive investors might want to put their money there, but more conservative types shouldn’t. Longer term, the GPS issue is one to watch if the trend toward avoiding the extra costs of in-dash upgrades shrinks margins.
As far as GPS systems go, the company with the biggest problem is Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN). Its sales peaked in 2008 at around $3.5 billion as GPS was gaining in popularity and have headed lower since. That said, it earned about $2.75 a share in 2012, so it makes plenty of money. However, that’s more than a dollar a share below the nearly $3.90 it earned in 2007.
Free directions from smartphones are the basic reason for the company’s struggles since on-dash auto systems account for about half of its business. And one of the company’s big pushes is to try to break into the in-dashboard systems business. If that business moves away from GPS, the Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN) brand isn’t going to hold much value.


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MANATEE -- When a gunman robbed a Winn-Dixie store pharmacy at 7400 Cortez Road of oxycodone pills Monday morning, the crime was one more addition to a disturbing national statistic and trend.
Since 2003, there have been 6,184 crimes against 23,000 independent pharmacies in theUnited States, said Valerie Briggs, a spokeswoman with the National Community Pharmacists Association based in Alexandria, Va.
Briggs’ source for the statistics, which doesn’t include corporate pharmacies like Wal-Mart or unreported crimes, come from a database called RxPatrol that tracks such crimes.
RxPatrol is funded by Purdue Pharma L.P., the Stamford, Conn., maker of OxyContin, a painkiller so sought after by those addicted to it that they often commit brazen crimes to get it.
“They are going to the pharmacy for one thing, for prescription meds,” said Dave Bristow of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. “I believe most of these suspects are brazen. The crimes are often done in the middle of the day. This is a big problem all over the country now. People are hooked on these drugs.”
The Winn-Dixie robber approached the store pharmacy about 9:09 a.m. with a note demanding the painkillers, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.
“When the clerk questioned if he was serious, the suspect displayed a handgun in his waistband,” the release states.
The robber, who was described as wearing a long-sleeved blue and white shirt, a University of Miami hat and sunglasses, fled the store after getting some of the drug, the report added.
Although exact statistics weren’t available Monday, Bristow said Manatee County has been spared a large outbreak of pharmacy crimes over the last few years. “I think that was our first one this year,” Bristow said, referring to the Winn-Dixie robbery.
But the rest of the nation has not been so fortunate.
“I don’t have the exact numbers, but there have been reports that crimes against retailers are increasing,” Briggs said Monday. “What makes pharmacies unique is that the suspects are not just interested in our money, but our products as well.”
Robert Pelot, the long-time pharmacist at Pelot’s Manatee Pharmacy in the 800 block of ManateeAvenue East, held a recent meeting with his staff. “I told the girls to be aware of their surroundings,” Pelot said Monday. “It bothers me. I do worry about it.”
Pelot’s, which is a member of the National Community Pharmacists Association, was robbed on Nov. 2, 1981. “I remember the date,” Pelot said. “It was a drug called Dilaudid they were after.” Since then, he has installed security cameras and alarms. He hopes that is as far as he has to go.
But nationally, pharmacies are going farther. “I think some of the tips we have gotten from our partnership with RxPatrol is to use closed-circuit TV, alarms and to train your staff on how to be good witnesses,” Briggs said.
A “height sticker” is applied to some pharmacy doors so staff can get a quick look at the height of a suspect.
“We tell our pharmacists to train their staff to note everything, but comply with whatever is asked,” Briggs said. “The drugs our pharmacies have are valuable, but they can be replaced.”


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Bel Group teams up with Standing Ovation to develop animal-free casein protein for cheese
French cheese company Bel Group – owner of brands such as Babybel, the Laughing Cow and Boursin – has announced a new collaboration with Standing Ovation to incorporate cruelty-free casein milk protein into its alternative cheese offerings.
Founded in 2020, Paris-based Standing Ovation uses precision fermentation technology to produce casein proteins that don’t come from animals.
Because the proteins are identical to those which are naturally present in animal-derived milk, Bel Group says they will help give its cheese alternatives the same nutritional values, functionality and good taste seen in its dairy-based cheeses – while offering a lower environmental impact and being accessible to those with dairy intolerances.
Frédéric Pâques and Romain Chayot, respectively President and Scientific Director, and Co-Founders of Standing Ovation, said: “We have developed a unique process to produce non-animal caseins. Our ambition today is to see the first products arrive on the market quickly, with a very wide distribution.
“We are proud to partner with Bel Group to accelerate the deployment of these alternative proteins, whose market is growing exponentially, and where we want to play a key role. We look forward to working with a Group with proven cheese expertise, iconic brands and a collaboration model that is ideal for start-ups.”
Both companies’ scientific teams will work together on the application of the animal-free casein proteins at Bel’s R&D centre in Vendôme, northern France, and at Standing Ovation’s facility in Paris.
Anne Pitkowski, Bel Group Research and Application Director said: “Caseins are essential to the quality of cheeses – they are nutritious and provide firmness, texture, and the capacity to melt. Standing Ovation’s technology combined with our knowledge of the links between structure and function will enable all these features – and more – to be developed.
“Our unique cheese-making expertise will put these advances into practice. This partnership opens many possibilities for imagining tomorrow’s cheese recipes and products, combining nutritional quality, accessibility, and responsibility.”
The new deal follows Standing Ovation’s oversubscribed funding round, which attracted €12 million investment in September. Bel contributed an equity investment to the sum, alongside other investors including Astanor Ventures, Big Idea Ventures, Good Startup, Peakbridge, and Seventure Partners.
This partnership isn’t Bel’s first foray into fermented ingredients this year. Earlier in July, the company announced it would be teaming up with US-based cultured protein start-up Superbrewed Foods, to test out how to use its Postbiotic Cultured Protein in some of its product applications.
From cheese to plant-based meat, the popularity of fermentation in the production of alternative proteins is booming. Find out what the future holds for the technology in this Food Matters Live Podcast episode:


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Ciara turned heads in a double-denim look when she stepped out in New York on Thursday to promote her new single, “Thinkin Bout You.”
The 33-year-old mother of two was photographed flashing the peace sign outside of a radio station in a Western-inspired light denim shirt courtesy of Virgil Abloh’s Off-White. The men’s button-down, which featured black and red plaid lining and shoulder detailing, costs nearly $800.
Ciara styled the shirt with a white top and light-wash ripped jeans cuffed once at the ankle, making way for a pair of smooth black leather combat boots by denim brand R13. The avant-garde shoes boast a classic lace-up design, red stitching and a thick platform, retailing for $1,125.
The “Goodies” hitmaker took to Instagram yesterday to share an adorable video of her 1-year-old daughter, Sienna Wilson, parading around the house to her new song. “Baby Si Si showed Mommy how making a music video is done,” she captioned the post.
Watch FN’s cover shoot with Meek Mill below.
Ciara Looks Stunning in a Leopard-Print Outfit That Matches Russell Wilson’s Shoes on Date Night


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Mercedes-Benz has become the latest manufacturer to offer voluntary recalls for cars in the UK, following a German government investigation in response to the ongoing emissions scandal.
No more details have been given surrounding how the voluntary recall will be carried out or the number of cars involved, but the affected vehicles are expected to be some diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mercedes-Benz B-Class and Mercedes-Benz V-Class models, after the investigation found irregularities in their - and many other manufacturers' - emissions systems.
Yesterday, Suzuki announced it would offer a similar voluntary recall, with some of the car maker's Fiat-engined models falling short of emissions requirements during the same investigation. Suzuki emphasised that the only models in its range to be affected use engines supplied by Fiat, and that the service action it is offering to rectify them is entirely voluntary.
The German investigation found that Audi, Mercedes, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen failed to meet expectations, with all five voluntarily recalling more than 630,000 diesel-powered vehicles in their home market - but several other car makers were also named in the investigation. Audi and Vauxhall/Opel were the first to confirm that they will make the voluntary updates on every affected car in Europe.
During real-world testing, German government investigators discovered what they deemed excessive NOx emissions levels, chiefly as a result of emissions reductions systems only working at certain temperature levels.
The full list of cars deemed by the German government to have excessive emissions is: Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0; Audi A6 V6 3.0; Chevrolet Cruze 2.0; Dacia Sandero 1.5; Fiat Ducato 3.0; Hyundai ix35 2.0; Hyundai i20 1.1; Jaguar XE 2.0; Jeep Cherokee 2.0; Land Rover Range Rover 3.0; Mercedes-Benz V250 Bluetec 2.0; Nissan Navara 2.5; Opel Insignia 2.0; Opel Zafira 1.6; Porsche Macan 3.0 V6; Renault Kadjar 1.5; Renault Kadjar 1.6; Suzuki Vitara 1.6; Volkswagen Amarok 2.0 and Volkswagen Crafter 2.0.
The announcement follows on from the UK government’s similar investigation, which was presented yesterday, finding levels of NOx emissions were up to six times the prescribed legal limit in lab tests. However, the Department for Transport did not immediately back up its findings by calling for a voluntary recall.
However, following the German government's action, Secretary of State for Transport Patrick McLoughlin said: “I am pleased to hear today’s announcement from Germany that Mercedes, Opel, Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche are able to offer consumers changes to their cars which will reduce emissions. I will be seeking urgent clarification from these manufacturers that they will be offering the same fix to car owners in the UK.”


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Daimler Truck has announced that despite the impacts of Covid and the continuing supply chain issues it registered a 14.2 per cent increase in its global truck sales volume, with the World’s largest truck and bus maker delivering 520,291 vehicles in the calendar year 2022.
The truck and bus giant performed particularly well in North America where it is the market leader, delivering 186,779 units for the year, an increase of 15 .2 per cent on the 2021 result, with the company saying the performance was driven by extremely high product demand.
The Mercedes Benz brand registered a 17.7 per cent increase in unit sales, delivering 166,369 vehicles in 2022, while Daimler’s Asian operations saw more modest, but still positive growth with an 8.8 per cent increase on ’21 thanks to sales of 155,967 vehicles. The company’s bus operations were up 28.3 per cent globally on the back of sales of 24,041 buses and coaches for the year.
Daimler Trucks CEO, Martin Daum, said the result underlined Daimler’s strong market position and concluded its first year as an independent company.
“It was an expected strong sales result underlining our strong market position, and despite the challenging macro-economic situation in 2022, all our segments could increase the sales of trucks and buses. This is a joint success of the entire Daimler Truck team,” Daum said .
For the individual segments as well as the Daimler Truck Group as a whole, the unit sales are as follows:
Daimler Truck has scheduled its intention to report in detail on its financial and non-financial key figures for the fiscal year 2022, at both Group and segment level, as well as presenting its forecast for the current fiscal year 2023, at a virtual Annual Results Conference on the 10th March.


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CHATSWORTH, Calif — Pipedream Products came home with two Adultex Awards in Australia last night, taking home the Company of the Year and Customer’s Choice awards. The latter was chosen by retailers based on product range, customer service, marketing, sales team and best all-around retailer service.
“It is always an honor to be recognized, but to win the Customer’s Choice Award for the second consecutive year is really special,” said Pipedream Senior Sales Executive Briana Honz. “We always aim to provide the best service to our customers and this award shows that our efforts are paying off.”
Pipedream’s signature stand was on display at the show, showcasing its brand new Ultimate Fantasy Dolls, Fantasy for Her collection and Anal Fantasy Elite line plus new additions to the King Cock collection. Day one also marked the debut of the Pipedream Extreme Dirty Talk series along with new innovations from the PDX Elite line.
“I am very proud of our team and the work they have done to build such strong relationships with our Australian customers,” stated Pipedream Chairman and CEO Nick Orlandino. “We aim to build the best products at a fair price and offer the best possible service to our customers. These awards are an honor and we want to thank Calvista and their customers for all the support.”


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SHUTTLE Officially Confirms Booth Exhibit and New XPC Models at the 2010 International CES
The latest new XPC models and concept PC solutions will be unveiled at the HUTTLE booth (South 4 36016) at CES 2010 in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 - 10
SHUTTLE, an industry leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance small form factor (SFF) PC solutions and creator of the XPC, today officially confirmed its exhibition (SHUTTLE Booth: South 4 36016) at the 2010 International CES, the world's largest tradeshow for consumer technology, returning to Las Vegas, January 7-10, 2010.
"SHUTTLE has several very exciting announcements planned for the coming year, including concept PCs designed from the ground up by our R&D and of course, new XPC models," said Nicolas Villalobos, Manager at SHUTTLE, "Everything is still under NDA now, but it's going to be hard to keep the excitement under wraps once the news hits."
SHUTTLE will be opening up its schedule for appointments with media, resellers, and VIP guests starting in November. It is recommended that interested parties email SHUTTLE at firstname.lastname@example.org to get on the CES 2010 announcement list.
For more information about SHUTTLE at CES 2010 and to register for free as a SHUTTLE guest, visit us.shuttle.com.
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Braintree restaurant gets license to serve beer and wine
BRAINTREE — The town's license board approved a license Tuesday allowing Braintree House of Pizza to serve beer and wine.
Michael Modestino, a lawyer representing the restaurant, said the application was made at the request of their customers. He submitted a petition signed by 67 people supporting the license.
He said much of the 35-seat restaurant's business is take-out and it would not become a place where customers would go to exclusively drink.
"They feel it will enhance their business," Modestino said.
The beer and wine would be kept in locked coolers and all staff members who will handle the beverages will be trained in alcohol service, he said. Restaurant manager Anastasia Zotos has more than two decades of experience in the restaurant business, including a dozen years in establishments which serve alcohol.
There was no opposition to the request at the hearing.
Four years ago, the restaurant moved to a larger space at 970 Washington Street in South Braintree Square after many years at a location a few doors away. Modestino said the restaurant had been considering making the request for the past few years.
The license doesn't take effect until it is approved by the state's Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.
In other business, the board approved the transfer of the restaurant license for Pho Paris, 906 Washington St., to the NHH Company LLC doing business as Ganh Pho. The new owner will be limited to 35 seats in the restaurant, but does not plan any changes in the menu or the decor.
The board also granted a used car dealer license for Shaw Auto Leasing, 29 Messina Drive. The company will be limited to 10 vehicles.


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Decision Tech, a leading business-to-business (B2B) and consumer price comparison platform in the UK specialising in home communications and mobile phone comparison today announces that it will be joining the Moneysupermarket.com Group.
Decision Tech’s B2B services power several of the UK’s leading home communications and mobile comparison tools such as MoneySavingExpert, as well as offering home communications, mobile and mobile recycling comparison services via its own websites including broadbandchoices.co.uk. Since it was founded in 2005, Decision Tech has delivered one of the most advanced and scalable B2B platforms in the UK.
Michael Phillips, Decision Tech founder and CEO, said: “Our mission from day one was to apply our deep market expertise and technical knowledge to creating the best possible comparison solutions; providing essential tools for partners, and a first-class user experience for consumers looking to save money. Moneysupermarket is excited by our technology, our brands and our team, and this is testament to the focus and drive of our talented staff in delivering our vision. Moneysupermarket has a fantastic heritage in price comparison and we are confident it shares and respects our customer-centric values and understands our unique forward-thinking culture, which was an important part of the decision to join the Group.”
Decision Tech, which is headquartered in Holborn, London and employs an experienced team of over 40 staff, will operate as an arms-length subsidiary business, from its current office and under the same leadership team, with founder Michael Phillips continuing as CEO following completion, ensuring continuity and stability for customers, partners and employees.
The deal spells great news for customers of both brands, who will be able to benefit from Decision Tech’s market leading technology as part of their experience and this deal will enable Decision Tech to bring new verticals to our partner distribution platform, capitalising on Moneysupermarket’s expertise in Energy, Personal Finance and Insurance.
Michael Phillips continued: “Our strategy, at its core, is unchanged. We are committed to maintaining our trusted reputation and providing the same level of impeccable service, offering a strategic distribution channel for our providers, and, for our white label customers, a technology platform that enables consumers to compare broadband and mobile deals. We are looking forward to the increased capacity for innovating new user journeys and building new white label platforms using Moneysupermarket’s presence in Energy, Personal Finance and Insurance. We are hugely excited about the opportunities ahead, moving forward as part of the Moneysupermarket.com Group.”
This caps off an exceptional 18 months for the business, that acquired three sites last year as part of its M&A strategy, and released its first SaaS product, Fullsight, to the market in October.
Mark Lewis, Moneysupermarket Chief Executive Officer, said:
“We are delighted to announce this transaction and I look forward to welcoming Michael and his team to the Moneysupermarket Group. We said we would be working to take price comparison to users via sites they regularly visit on their mobiles, and Decision Tech’s B2B operation does just that.
”Decision Tech is one of the UK’s leading platforms for helping consumers compare and choose home communications, broadband and mobile phone deals. This is an area people find complex and confusing, and where there are plenty of savings to be made by customers”.
Decision Tech is a performance marketing and data group. Founded in 2005, Decision Tech houses a diverse portfolio of brands, products and partnerships that delivers customer-centric comparison solutions quickly and simply. Its customer facing proposition includes Broadbandchoices.co.uk, the award-winning TV, broadband and home phone price comparison site, whilst the white label programme provides the platform and data technology powering the home comms offering of over 40 customers including some of the biggest brands in the industry.