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As per a report from Spanish outlet Don Balon this afternoon, Spanish giants Barcelona are prepared to offer up both players and cash as part of a summer bid for Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann. Saga Manchester United’s chase of … Continue reading
OMG! We’re hearing Justin Bieber is more than ready to get down on one knee! Here’s why he hasn’t yet!
Are wedding bells in the future for J-Rod? Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez were spotted jewelry shopping during a romantic date. Is he about to get her a ring?
A downriver church has been embroiled in controversy since it made a social media post advertising an “Unashamed Identity” workshop claiming to help girls ages 12 to 16 grappling with their sexual identify. [content-1] While the post was removed, the … Continue reading


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NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — Howes turns 100 years old this year and to celebrate, the company has launched the Howes Hall of Fame. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, large gatherings were canceled in mid-March, including the Mid-America Trucking Show, which is where the company had originally planned to unveil its nominees. That did not stop Howes, as the company carried on with its mission of honoring people, places and things that have contributed significantly to the industry.
“The Howes Hall of Fame is meant to recognize the individual pieces that make up these great industries as a whole, knowing full well that we wouldn’t have reached our centennial milestone without them,” stated President Rob Howes. “A big part of our 100 Year Celebration is to say ‘thank you.’ This seemed like the perfect kickoff opportunity to do just that.”
It is the intent of Howes that this platform serve as a vehicle to raise awareness of the inductees and all of their accomplishments. That is evident right away with the first inductee, Women In Trucking’s CEO and president, Ellen Voie. Voie has dedicated her life to advancing women in the industry and promoting their inclusion behind the wheel and on the road. Her contributions to trucking have been astounding, and Howes was excited to showcase her hard work.
“I am so honored to be the first inductee into the Howes Hall of Fame,” Voie said. “It’s really surreal to think that they are recognizing me and others for our contributions to the trucking industry. Just watching the video online takes my breath away.”
The second inductee into the Howes Hall of Fame has contributed not only to the trucking industry, but also to the music industry. Tony Justice has sold over 100,000 albums in the past nine years, all while averaging 2,500 miles per week as a professional truck driver.
“I’m the most blessed guy in the world. I get to live two childhood dreams,” Tony said. “I get to drive trucks and make music.”
Justice continued, “The thought that so many people are supporting my music and my dreams. I’d like to thank Howes for welcoming me into the Hall of Fame. As a 100-year-old, family-owned American company, it’s a real honor to be recognized by them.”
Howes will continue to announce its inaugural class of inductees online but will look to have formal in-person recognitions of its members once the COVID-19 pandemic is over. For more information and to view the videos of the current inductees, click here.
Wendy Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in strategic communications. Wendy has been a journalist and editor for nearly 15 years and has specialized in niche publications for the past eight years. Wendy draws her love for the trucking industry from growing up as a trucker’s daughter.

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Vital Signs: Will Housing Haunt Growth?
It will be another slow week on the economic front. Following the Labor Day holiday, there won't be a lot of data that typically drive the market. The most important economic numbers could very well be revisions to second-quarter labor productivity results.
The second pass at gross domestic product data for the second quarter had a big surprise. Besides producing more goods and services, American businesses also shelled out a lot more money to its workers. Wages and salaries paid out during the April to June period grew by 8.6% from a year ago rather than 6.8%. The original amount was pretty good but the new number shows the strongest yearly gain in compensation since the third quarter of 2000.
So even though productivity growth will likely be revised up, unit labor costs will probably show an even larger upward revision. The revision will likely catch the attention of investors, economists, and the Federal Reserve. The central bank has been on the lookout for signs of accelerating rising labor costs that could spark up additional price pressures through the economy.
At the same time more income for consumers should soften the blow from a weaker housing market. The Fed's Beige Book report, the Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing index, and weekly chain store sales will shed some light on how much of an impact housing is having on the health of the economy and on consumer demand.
Labor Day will make for a short week. Financial markets and government offices will be closed on Monday, September 4. Here's the weekly economic calendar, from Action Economics.


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Perth voted ‘Best New Travel Destination of the Year’
Readers of China Travel Weekly have voted Perth as the ‘Best New Travel Destination of the Year’.
The award attracted more than 4.2 million votes by Chinese readers. Surprisingly, Perth was battling Dubai for the number one position.
Felicia Mariani, ATEC managing director, said: “Tourism WA and the Western Australian Government have been working hard to secure a foothold in this growing market and this award recognises this effort.”
Ms Mariani said China has the capacity to provide the Australian tourism industry with a growing market and it was important to develop a capacity to move with its demands.
“Australia has significant advantages over other destinations in that we have been an approved destination for more than a decade and we can offer Chinese travellers a nearby, short-haul ‘western’ experience, but destinations such as Canada and the US are right on our tail.
“With the US planning to make a $50 million push for the China market we must keep ahead of the game and continue to grow and refine our tourism products and leverage our advantages such as our natural environment and Indigenous experiences.
Western Australia’s (WA’s) Tourism Minister, Kim Hames, said: “The award reflects a growing awareness in China of the many extraordinary destinations and experiences this state has to offer.
“The award’s fantastic news for WA’s tourism industry, especially with China Southern Airlines’ direct flights between Perth and China due to start in November.”


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Reliance Jio has taken the industry by storm with the announcements of its new Jio Fiber subscriptions and other benefits during its Annual General Meeting. Mukesh Ambani’s led company has revealed that the Jio Fiber commercial launch will happen on September 05, 2019.
Mukesh Ambani revealed that Reliance Jio GigaFiber has received 15 million registrations for its Fiber home broadband service and it is now aiming to reach 20 million residences and 15 million business in India across 1,600 towns. Ambani also announced new Jio set-top box along with new Jio Forever Plans, Jio Postpaid Plus and more. Entering in the DTH market will surely create some tremors in the market. Although, it is still not known what will be offered with the set-top box service, we can look at the content provided by the Reliance Jio with its suite of Jio apps like Jio TV and Jio Cinema has for its customers.
Jio TV: How many channels are there?
Currently, Reliance Jio is offering close to 639 live channels on its Jio TV application. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. The channels are divided into different categories including Business News with 9 channels, Devotional with 59 channels, Educational with 49 channels, Entertainment with 123 channels, Infotainment with 36 channels, Kids with 28 channels, Lifestyle with 15 channels, Movies with 55 channels, Music with 44 channels, News with 197 channels, Shopping with 1 channel and Sports 23 channels.
Out of all channels, there are 141 channels, which are HD. Coming to the local languages, the app showcases channels in different languages Bengali, English, Gujarti, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu. This put some of the major DTH service providers at shame as not many of them are showcasing such length of content on their respective platform.
What about JioCinema?
JioCinema application has a variety of shows and movies available at its disposal. You get movies in different genres including Thrillers, Adventures, Bollywood, Action, Comedies, Fantasy, Crime and more. Furthermore, the company has tied up with Disney for the Disney – Jio section. In this section, users get to explore movies and TV shows from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Lucas Films and more.
What are the content partnerships?
To start with, Reliance Jio has entered into a 5-year partnership with Star India to provide all the Indian cricket content to all its users on JioTV application. This means Reliance Jio users can watch T20 and one-day internationals matches along with international test matches and premier domestic competition of the BCCI. This is not it. Customers can also watch cricket matches from Sony Ten sports channels as well.
The brand has also partnered with Eros Now last year. With this, Jio users are able to watch movies with multi-language subtitles, music videos and more on the Jio Cinema application. The company has also partnered with ALT Balaji to showcase all its content on its Jio Cinema app.
Reliance Jio has also secured a partnership with ZEE5 under which Jio customers can watch all the Zee channels including ZEE TV, & TV, ZEE Anmol, Zing, ZEE Marathi, ZEE Tamil, ZEE Bangla, ZEE Yuva, Sarthak TV, ZEE Kannada, ZEE Cinema, ZEE Action, & Pictures, ZEE Café, & flix, ZEE ETC and more. Customers can also watch movies across different languages including Hindi, Bhojpuri, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
What is missing?
The two major content players, which are missing in this list are none other than Amazon Prime Videos and Netflix. Notably, these are one of the biggest OTT players in the world, which has a wide range of movies and shows in different genres. Both the players are also betting big on the Indian market. Netflix recently announced its cheapest mobile plan in India, while Amazon is offering Prime Videos and Prime Music under its Prime membership that cost Rs 999 for one year.
Interestingly, Reliance Jio’s next step into the DTH space seems to be a calculative measure. The company has first focused on the content partnership and has strengthened its portfolio by adding a wide list of live channels to its platform. This coupled with VOD content from Jio Cinema has acted as the foundation for the company to enter the DTH market in India. Now, it would be interesting to see how the company will disrupt the DTH segment in the country.


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Trucking Stocks Find Profits a HaulDavid Bogoslaw
Earnings in the trucking sector likely improved in the 2009 fourth quarter, but investors know better than to embrace the same level of cautious optimism that has surfaced in other industries that are expected to benefit as the economy recovers.
While the broader economy has shown signs of improvement, the recession for freight haulers isn't over. In fact, some people think it's entering its fifth year, says John Larkin, an analyst who covers transportation stocks at Stifel Nicolaus in Baltimore.
Unlike air freight carriers, and intermodal companies that use metal containers that can be transferred from railroads to ships in place of trucks, trucking companies are entirely dependent on the domestic economy, which isn't expected to recover as quickly as the global economy.
Improvement in trucking revenues between the first and second halves of 2009 wasn't sustainable, says Larkin, since much of it was due to fiscal stimulus programs like "cash for clunkers" and the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers. Market optimism toward the sector will likely wane as the reality of still-harsh economic conditions sinks in, he says.
"The modest recovery, combined with current lean inventory levels, makes it less likely that we will experience the sharp increase in freight volume that we have experienced in previous recoveries," Larkin wrote in a Jan. 5 research note. Without a major reduction in capacity, the return to a constrained supply-and-demand balance that would drive stronger pricing could take longer than many investors are now discounting in freight transportation and logistics stocks, the note said.
How much capacity does the trucking industry need to shed? Little has been taken out in the past 12 months, as banks and leasing companies are reluctant to put trucking firms into receivership or bankruptcy because they don't want to own a lot of devalued truck assets they can't sell, says Larkin. With freight volumes down 22% from their peak in 2005 and rebounding slowly, he doesn't project a tighter supply/demand balance until at least mid-2010 and maybe not until 2011.
The American Trucking Assn.'s advance seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rose 2.7% in November, after a 0.2% decline in October. Seasonally adjusted tonnage was down 3.5% from November 2008, the best year-over-year result in 12 months, the ATA said in its Dec. 29 release.
The Dow Jones Transportation Average (DJTA) rose 7.8% during the fourth quarter to finish at 4,099.63 on Dec. 31. The index closed as high as 4,262.86 on Jan. 11 but ended at 4,093.88 on Jan. 21. With just one pure-play trucking stock, Con-way (CNW), in the index, the rise in value since Sept. 30 is more reflective of improvement in the air freight, railroad, intermodal, and transportation logistics businesses.
Keybanc Capital Markets in a Jan. 11 research note recommended truckload stocks—those that haul loads of 10,000 pounds or more—for 2010 based on how low retail inventories are compared with sales. That could prompt strong replenishment in the first half of this year and inventory restocking typically accounts for 60% to 70% of truckload volumes, equity analyst Todd Fowler said in the note.
will tight credit will temper new capacity?
Some companies with fairly large fleets of trucks have folded in recent months and more will fail in the first quarter, especially as diesel fuel prices keep rising, Fowler told Bloomberg BusinessWeek in an interview. That does more than just reduce excess capacity. It causes a lot of freight to gravitate toward more stable trucking operators—mostly publicly traded—as the more savvy manufacturers and retailers try to avoid having freight tied up with financially unstable carriers, says Fowler,
"[Shippers will realize] it makes sense to pair up with a carrier like Knight [Transportation] (KNX), Heartland [Express] (HTLD), or Werner [Enterprises] (WERN), and pay a little bit more," so the customer can be assured the carrier will be around in the future, he says.
Jon Langenfeld, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co., is more sanguine than many transportation analysts about excess capacity. In a Jan. 15 research note, he said that firming freight rates in this weaker environment highlight show how much capacity has exited the market through a lack of new truck buying in the past three years. Improved discipline among carriers and tight credit will also temper additional new capacity and support higher truckload rates in 2010, he said.
For the less-than-truckload carriers, which generally carry cargo from multiple shippers, each weighing 1,000 pounds on average, a lot of hope is riding on the eventual demise of beleaguered YRC Worldwide (YRCW), the biggest carrier in this part of the industry. A handful of less-than-truckload stocks got pumped up in the last few weeks of 2009 only to plummet in early January after YRC successfully completed a debt-for-equity swap worth more than $500 million that bought it some more time to meet debt maturities. Investors had been betting that troubles at YRC would prompt customers to move their business to other trucking concerns. Larkin thinks names such as Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL) and Saia (SAIA) are now a fairly good bargain, while most of the stocks he covers are pricing in a more dramatic recovery than he thinks will materialize.
what a YRC bankruptcy would mean
YRC's debt-for-equity swap makes it unlikely the company will have to file for bankruptcy before April, Fowler wrote in Keybanc's Jan. 11 research note. As a result, investors should expect at best muted pricing for less-than-truckload names in the short term and at worst a continued irrational environment, he said. YRC must have $45 million in third-party financing in place by March. At current cash burn rates, it could exhaust available credit by the second quarter. A YRC bankruptcy could allow less-than-truckload freight rates to rise 5% in the first year after the bankruptcy filing, as carriers negotiate higher rates for portions of their books each quarter. It would also result in market share gains and more efficient use of the network by competitors.
A bankruptcy filing would also mean substantial upside in earnings for competitors. Con-way's earnings would rise from the current consensus estimate of $1.40 to $2.55, Arkansas Best's (ABFS) would go from 20¢ to $2.10, and Old Dominion's would climb from $1.30 to $2.10 a share, according to the Keybanc note.
But Larkin at Stifel Nicolaus believes it's dangerous to bet too much on YRC disappearing. In past downturns, a company that's had all the trouble YRC has would have failed. "Banks, bondholders, and the Teamsters have bent over backwards to cut the company immense amounts of slack" because they think it's worth saving, he says. The company is saving $25 million per quarter from a one-year forgiveness on any cash interest or cash bank fees it owes. And it could get a tax refund of several hundred million dollars if Congress passes legislation designed to help keep struggling businesses afloat by returning any cash taxes they paid in the past five years. The refund would allow YRC to operate for five to six more months, he says.
"It's conceivable [YRC] could last through this year," or even longer if there's even a fairly modest, steady recovery, he says. "I've given up trying to guess when the company's going to run out of cash because there always seems to be another stakeholder who's willing to lend the cash to allow them to continue operating. This can't go on forever [however]."
If YRC folds, Larkin estimates the market would lose 15% to 20% of total capacity, some of which would be restored by competitors needing larger facilities to handle an increase in shipping volume.
transport and logistics costs are apt to rise
Over the longer term, the "new normal" level of demand is likely to be higher than the current level but still depressed relative to the demand boom in 2004 and 2005, according to the Keybanc note. Rising fuel prices, tougher safety, security, and environmental regulations, and inadequate funding for infrastructure or development of an integrated nationwide freight transportation plan will likely increase transport and logistics costs over the next decade, the note said.
Although intermodal companies such as JB Hunt Transport Services (JBHT) that diversified by adding an export business had an advantage during the freight recession, pure-play trucking companies such as Knight and Heartland have managed very well in the difficult environment, says Fowler.
Knight's operating margins have deteriorated just five to six percentage points from a peak of 18% in 2005 thanks to cost-cutting. "That's very respectable for an industry that's lost a lot of money and is breakeven from a margin perspective over the course of a cycle," says Fowler. "There are some companies that will never get to the margin that Knight is running at even in this environment."
Knight's fourth-quarter earnings are expected to fall 19% from a year ago to 16¢ a share on a 7% rise in revenue, to $153 million, before fuel surcharges, analyst Nate Brochmann wrote in a note from William Blair & Co. on Jan. 13.
The first pure-play trucking company scheduled to report earnings for the 2009 fourth quarter is Celadon Group (CGI) on Jan. 25, while less-than-truckload outfits such as Arkansas Best and Old Dominion report on Jan. 28.


text: Cait Lamberton, a Wharton marketing professor, offers insight into holiday spending and consumer confidence as the uncertain economic outlook looms over the upcoming Black Friday. Meanwhile, culinary historian Sarah Lohman has embarked on a journey to uncover rare foods at risk of extinction in her new book “Endangered Eating.” She talks about the importance of bringing heirloom foods back to our tables. On Tuesday, the WHYY podcast “Art Outside” is set to debut, focusing on Philadelphia’s public art scene. Hosted by Conrad Benner, the series will feature five street artists and explore their impact and motivation for creating outdoor art. The first episode will spotlight an artist known as “the Philadelphia Bansky,” who is taking on the Philadelphia Parking Authority with his art.


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The Biden administration has revised its suggested Food Pyramid in an effort to de-stigmatize “fat” and “plus-sized” persons while simultaneously promoting the consumption of high-fat foods that contribute to weight gain.
A Biden spokeswoman emphasized the significance of everyone being the same size. To fight the widespread fat phobia afflicting the world, we are urging all Americans to embrace high-fat meals.
“Meat consumption is terrible for the world and the environment, which is why we don’t include meats or poultry in our new pyramid,” the speaker continues.
Research indicates a steady diet of butter, ice cream, french fries, bread, and donuts plus a small serving of fruit for fiber will help everyone achieve longevity. This type of diet will also help with sleep.
The oils and grease have proven to lubricate the digestive system eliminating stomach disorders like IBS and constipation.
Children attending public school will be encouraged to take the food pyramid home to caregivers and implement the guide.
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The end of 2018 is drawing to a close, but the Callaway Chamber of Commerce still has plenty of events to offer.
Executive Director Tamara Tateosian said there is still time to sign up for the 2018 Pitch Competition.
Do you have a business idea or planning to expand your current business model? Are you ready to pursue opening your own business or adding a key element for your customers?
The 2018 Pitch Competition presented by The Callaway Bank is scheduled Nov. 5 at the chamber office, 510 Market St. in Fulton. Applications to pitch are available on the chamber website at callawaychamber.net. For more information, contact Tateosian at email@example.com.
Advertisement sales for the 2019 Chamber Community Profile and Membership Directory will be starting in the coming weeks. John Speck with Speck Publishing will be contacting chamber members about ads. If members have had any changes to their businesses such as address, representatives, phone number, contact Tina Knipfel (firstname.lastname@example.org) by Oct. 30 to make those changes. This will ensure your listing is correct in the directory.
Registrations are underway for the 2018 College and Career Fair for local high schools. For more information, contact Knipfel. This event will be from 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 16 at Fulton High School.
Preparations are underway for Christmas Shop Local program. In the coming weeks, retail and restaurant owners will receive calls from chamber intern Destiney Speech about planned activities.
The Festival of Lights at Veterans Park is scheduled for Nov. 30. The Chamber Train will be at the park from 5:30-7 p.m. with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Make plans to stop by the train to get pictures made with the merry pair.


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Toyota Hits a Wall – Bloomberg
Toyota just can’t catch a break.
Annual sales volumes in China broke through the 1 million unit mark in December and rose 33 percent from a year earlier in the March quarter, the best performance since 2010. In Japan, the automaker has snapped an 18-month run of weak sales in the past two quarters, with volumes rising 9.9 percent from a year earlier in the three months to March 31.
In the U.S., April sales beat estimates, despite a decline in its Lexus luxury division. Going into Wednesday’s annual results, not one of the 29 analysts tracked by Bloomberg had a sell rating on the stock, and 19 rated it a buy.
All that sounds pretty healthy until you look at the stock market. Toyota’s share price slid to a three-year low of 5,278 yen last month , making it the worst performer in the Bloomberg World Auto Manufacturers Index over the past six months, after Mazda and Changan Automobile. Relative to blended forward 12-month earnings estimates, Toyota’s share price over the past 30 days has been bouncing around the lowest levels in data going back to 2005.
Sometimes, the bullish analysts have it right, and sometimes the bears are on the money. In this instance, it’s looking like the latter: Fourth-quarter net income came in at 427 billion yen ($3.9 billion), about 7.7 percent below analyst estimates. Next year looks even worse. Net income for 2017 is projected to be 1.5 trillion yen, the least since 2013 and 31 percent below where analysts were seeing it.
What’s going wrong?
Part of it’s down to the currency. Foreign-exchange effects will pull about 935 billion yen from Toyota’s operating income in the coming 12 months, according to a company presentation that assumes the yen will strengthen to 105 to the greenback, relative to about 109 at present. Toyota derives nearly four-fifths of its revenue from overseas, so a stronger Japanese currency can deliver a big hit to income.
Another factor is the product mix. Toyota’s biggest market, the U.S., is also one of its weakest. All those sedans seem out of step in a country where declining fuel costs are causing sales of muscular SUVs and pickups to surge.
Ford’s F-Series pickup now sells more units in the U.S. than Toyota’s best-selling Camry and Corolla sedans put together. While Toyota’s RAV4 contends with Honda’s CR-V for the title of America’s most-loved SUV, the company’s fleet of vehicles as a whole is weighted toward designs that North American consumers are showing less interest in buying.
There are other issues, also. Expenses will go up by about 540 billion yen during the 2017 fiscal year, including a 300 billion yen item defined only as “Expenses, etc” in Toyota’s presentation. They’re probably not the good sort either: R&D and capital expenditures are defined elsewhere, and are expected to slow rather than accelerate. Perhaps they relate to provisions for the Takata airbags recall. In any case, Toyota would do itself a favor by being more upfront.
In a media conference after the results, President Akio Toyoda sounded more like a corporate turnaround specialist ruing past mistakes. The yen’s previous weakness was described more as an anomaly that covered up underlying problems than a normal condition set to return. “We have benefited from an exchange rate tailwind that has helped raise our earnings above the level of our true capabilities,” he said. “Toyota has become too big to respond speedily to severe changes in the business environment.”
Japan’s largest company is still a force to be reckoned with. If you ignore the gloomier forecast for next year, Toyota currently has the healthiest profit margins among the 14 global automakers with at least $50 billion in annual sales, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Those tempted to short its stock should also note that its forecast dividend yield of 3.98 percent ranks among the best globally for blue chips, and runs a long way ahead of the interest Japanese investors could earn at a bank. And it’ll look even better once Toyota completes a buyback of as much as 500 billion yen.
Still, as Apple has shown, size can often be as much a liability as an asset when a company is approaching limits to growth. Toyota’s earnings have raced ahead in recent years. Right now, it appears to be running on fumes.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.
To contact the author of this story:
David Fickling in Sydney at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Katrina Nicholas at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Amazon carries on marching on to become the leading eCommerce retailer with its acquisition of Body Labs. Body Labs is a startup based in New York that offers 3D body scans.
These scans can then be used in such applications such as virtually trying out clothes or creating realistic avatars for gaming.
There aren’t any reports as to how much Amazon has acquired Body Labs, but there are some speculations that it could be between $50 million to $70 million.
Body Labs also makes software that captures shape and motion in 3D and then sell these software to other businesses.
Why would Amazon acquire Body Labs?
There has been much speculation that Amazon wants to become an online fashion powerhouse, and getting Body Labs would be step in that direction. Already Amazon has built up its online fashion presence with its in-house apparel lines such as the Echo Look and it’s private label brands like Lark & Ro.
While this has become news for eCommerce, Amazon so far has not commented about it. Body Labs’ site though has confirmed it, with a note saying that it “looks forward to innovating on behalf of customers.”
While Body Labs does create software for 3D body modelling, it is not yet clear what its role would be in Amazon’s plans. Its software though could be used by customers to virtually try out clothes before buying, which would lessen incorrect sizes being delivered.
This would then in turn also lessen shipping expenses for Amazon. Aside from that, having customers virtually try clothes out would let them see if it would look good on them.
With Amazon expanding in to different areas, it is poised to remain as one of the worlds largest eCommerce retailers. Already it has also expanded into different territories, and is very much ahead of its next rival, eBay. It will take much for other online retailers to catch up with Amazon then.
Would the acquisition of Body Labs continue the growth and expansion of Amazon? What do you think? Write your thoughts below.


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The Future Of Economic Relations with Asia
ATB Financial’s Chief Economist, Todd Hirsch, is joined by special guests to go beyond China’s borders to discover the future economic possibilities between Canada and Asia.
By ATB Financial 5 July 2022 2 min read
Economic relations go far beyond trade. Investing, intellectual property, services, culture and much more all impact the economy. While China remains one of Canada’s major trading partners, Asian economies account for two-thirds of the growth in the global economy. As we look at growth trends over the last two decades, Canada’s trade and economic relations with Asia has grown on average 6% per year, while our growth with the USA market has only grown 2.5% - making Asia an important consideration when it comes to the future of our economic relationships.
This series features two episodes. In episode one, Todd Hirsch is joined by Sharon Sun, Trade Policy Economist at the Canada West Foundation and Distinguished Fellow at Asia Pacific Foundation. In episode two, Crystal Nash, ATB Financial’s Media Analyst who has over nine years of corporate experience across Asia joins the conversation.
Episode 1 - Sharon Sun, Trade Policy Economist at the Canada West Foundation and Distinguished Fellow at Asia Pacific Foundation
How do sectors like education, agriculture and technology amplify economic opportunities between Asia and Canada? Beyond the future of these sectors, this episode explores the growing middle class in Asia, and Canada’s opportunity for innovation in spaces like food manufacturing, as protein alternatives are in high demand in China.
With technological innovation and education being a large focus among many Asian countries, we are looking at a future of more research cooperation and facilitation. What does this mean for Canadian researchers in the future? And for students from both Asia and Canada who are looking for international education?
Learn more about the Canada West Foundation.
"Looking at agricultural consumption forecasts, by 2030, the largest consumers of our key products such as wheat, soybeans, corn, meat and so on will be China and other countries in Asia."
Trade Policy Economist, Canada West Foundation
Episode 2 - Crystal Nash, Media Analyst ATB Financial, Economic Policy
By building understanding around the similarities, differences and opportunities between Canada and Asia, Canada can work on growing positive economic relations that support our communities. With over nine years of corporate work experience across Asia, Crystal pulls back the curtain to help us understand the opportunities and challenges that are present as we foster these relationships. What did Crystal experience that we can learn from and apply to our own systems to set Canada up for success?
These relationships impact each of us. From our ability to shop our favorite brands, to building our businesses and even pursuing the education and experiences we desire, each of us has a role to play when influencing economic relationships with Asia.
From ESG practices and diversity, to business advice and how brand loyalty, including timbits, are impacting even the smallest local economies - no topic is left behind.
"There was a very strong connection between the ESG goals that were being set internationally, understanding them, applying them locally and then how businesses were going to work with governments to achieve those goals."
Media Analyst, ATB Financial
In this series
Chief Economist Todd Hirsch connects with Sharon Sun, Trade Policy Economist at the Canada West Foundation, and Crystal Nash, Media Analyst at ATB Financial.
While China is Canada’s main trading partner within Asia, we go beyond China’s borders to discuss the opportunities, challenges and future of economic relations with Asia. From trade to technology, ESG, education, agriculture and much more, this series unpacks how Canada can go from being a footnote, to note-worthy when it comes to economic partnerships.


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A post on Motorola’s blog from yesterday reaffirms the company’s plans to bring Android 4.0 to these devices as well as shedding light on the upgrade process.
So if you’ve ever wondered why it’s taken what seems like an ice age to get the latest version of Android on your phone, this ought to go some way to explaining how it works.
Upon a manufacturer getting the latest Android source code from Google, it’s also sent to chipmakers such as “Qualcomm, TI, and Nvidia [to] adapt this to their chipsets in parallel” with Motorola incorporating the new code ASAP.
Custom software like HTC’s Sense, Samsung’s TouchWiz and in Motorola’s case MotoCast, and Smart Actions is integrated around this time as well.
After a period of stabilisation and bug fixing, it’s then submitted to the networks for quality control testing. Then there’s a customer pre-release for further QC testing and after that, it’s finally made available to us, the grateful public.
So the next time a new version of Android is announced, expect all of the above to happen before we get any action on the consumer end of things.
Source codes and tags
Motorola says that its “currently assessing [the Ice Cream Sandwich] source code, and over the next month we will be determining which devices will get the upgrade and when – and we will communicate this as information becomes available. ”
It’s been roughly six weeks when we were told to expect upgrade details for the Xoom 2 and its Media Edition counterpart; guess we’ll have to wait a little longer then.
But from what we saw yesterday with the Archos G9 101, it looks like the wait will be worth it.
Additionally, Motorola has published an Android upgrade timetable, detailing which phones and tablets will be getting what and when. Atrix owners hoping for some ICS action might have to wait; looks like it’s not due for an upgrade anytime soon.


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The polar bear has featured in Birds Eye’s TV and digital marketing activity since last year, appearing in freezers to give advice on the benefits of frozen food and the quality of Birds Eye’s range.
The Give a Bear a Home campaign includes an on-pack promotion and a digital TV ad that sees Clarence open the door of the freezer to find a toy version of himself.
The bear is voiced by Hollywood actor Willem Dafoe.
The Advertising Standard’s Authority recently banned a Birds Eye ad which claims its frozen vegetables contain more vitamins than fresh equivalents.
The company appointed former Cadbury marketer Margaret Jobling as marketing director at the end of last year.


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Last Updated: Friday, April 18, 2014, 14:09
Audi A3 has been named the 2014 ' World Car of the Year' after being voted by 69 jurors from 22 countries at the New York Motor Show.
Last Updated: Friday, April 04, 2014, 14:02
German luxury carmaker Audi's sales grew by 8.29 percent to 10,126 units in FY 2013-14, as compared to 9,350 units in the previous fiscal.
Last Updated: Sunday, March 23, 2014, 15:13
The sale of A3 Sedan has started in only a few countries in Europe. It will be launched in the US next month.
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 11, 2014, 16:26
Audi finished ahead of Mercedes (9,003 units) and BMW (7,327 units) in the Indian market last year.
Last Updated: Wednesday, February 05, 2014, 23:15
German luxury car maker Audi Wednesday unveiled its much-awaited sedan A3 in the country and said it will be formally launched in the domestic market by mid-2014.
Last Updated: Thursday, January 16, 2014, 19:33
Audi became the first luxury car maker in India to cross the 10,000 milestone in 2013 by posting 11 percent.
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 09:53
The car maker will first launch the A3 in Europe and then in the US.
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, 18:00
The firm said that it wouldn’t be offering email access on the move as part of its new in-car wi-fi infotainment system, citing the reason of driver distraction.
more videos >>


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Download our in-depth report: The Ultimate Guide to IT Security Vendors
The wireless advertising industry's Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has released a six-point industry code of conduct for North American wireless marketing campaigns, hoping to stop a spam epidemic before it starts.
The global wireless marketing trade group said it developed the policies to protect what's generally seen as a fledgling medium that is extremely vulnerable to abuse -- especially in the U.S., where consumers are just beginning to understand mobile text messaging, or Short Messaging Service (SMS).
To avoid antagonizing consumers and blunting the effectiveness of the medium, the code stipulates that advertisers must allow people to "opt in" -- that is, specify to receive -- to each mobile marketing program separately. It also says every message sent must provide an easy "opt-out" mechanism, and consumers should be offered something of value in each wireless communication they receive.
The code gives a green light to companies hoping to collect demographic data for mobile campaigns, since "mobile messaging campaigns are most effective when appropriately targeted," the authors of the code wrote. Targeted communications are also less likely to annoy consumers.https://o1.qnsr.com/log/p.gif?;n=203;c=204650394;s=9477;x=7936;f=201801171506010;u=j;z=TIMESTAMP;a=20392931;e=i
In addition to imposing a code on its members, the MMA is considering a second step to protect the medium: the creation of a mobile campaign certification process to help advertisers and brands design campaigns that meet the code of conduct.
"The code of conduct is a tremendous first step toward aligning the industry behind an aggressive yet universal set of principles for mobile marketing that protects the consumer and the industry simultaneously," said Cristy Swink of Cingular Wireless, a member of the MMA's Privacy Advisory Committee (PAC), which developed the code.
The PAC also includes Carat Interactive, Procter & Gamble, PocketChoice, The Weather Channel and VeriSign. It was ratified by a majority of MMA board members.
U.S. and Asian mobile subscribers are more susceptible to mobile spam than are their counterparts in Europe, where senders pay a per-message fee. This "sender pays" model creates a significant cost for the marketer, but also greatly reduces the likelihood of a spam epidemic to match that which is now being perpetuated via the e-mail medium -- and which advertisers agree is hurting legitimate e-mail marketing's effectiveness.
So far, Asian markets are the only ones to have encountered mobile spam on a large scale. Faced with a growing wireless e-mail epidemic in Japan, DoCoMo last month implemented severe restrictions on the volume of mobile messages a given i-mode handset can send in a day. It's also taken additional technical measures to block suspicious mailings.
The effort to safeguard the mobile marketing channel comes as advertisers are increasingly adopting SMS. In October, mobile messaging player m-Qube operated a cross-carrier marketing program for Universal Domestic Television's "The 5th Wheel" -- one of the U.S.'s first campaigns supported across multiple networks. In the summer, it also ran mobile marketing programs in connection with blockbusters including Warner Bros.' "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."
m-Qube rival Mobliss, meanwhile, is powering a mobile under-the-cap promotion for Coca-Cola's popular teen music and chat site, Cokemusic.com. The national promotion lets U.S. consumers enter cap codes using their mobile phones and accrue points, or "decibels," in registered accounts on Cokemusic.com. They can then visit Cokemusic.com to enter for chances to win prizes in exchange for the points. Coke has tried under-the-cap promotions in conjunction with Cokemusic.com before, but this is the first time it has integrated SMS with its music-focused Web destination for teens.
At the same time as players are increasing their efforts to safeguard the growing wireless advertising market, U.S. mobile carriers are also making it easier for wireless campaigns to get off the ground. Last month, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association's (CTIA) American carrier members launched common short code (CSC) capability -- which has been available for some time in Europe, where mobile marketing has proven a major success.
CSCs are five-digit numbers that can receive SMS messages, just like normal 10-digit phone numbers. But they're far more user-friendly -- they're easier to remember, and they're compatible across all participating carriers. (That is, customers of Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless, for example, can send text messages to the same short code.)
As a result of the carriers' agreement, hurdles are removed enabling marketers and brand managers to better engage consumers via SMS -- and the new cooperation on short codes could provide a platform for simpler-to-deploy cross-carrier campaigns in the U.S.


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Ignoring the catcalls for a wireless version, this sparkling -if rather tangled- outfit that debuted during the recent Austin Fashion Week has caught the eye of enthusiastic tech bloggers everywhere.
Rather than consign tech and e-waste to places like Nigeria or China, electronic junk can be better used for furniture as lovingly exhibited in the Egyptian-themed chests, cabinets and sculptures of Theo Kamecke.
Designed with the substandard healthcare of developing countries in mind, the Embrace is an instant infant warmer for those crucial hours when a premature newborn has to be incubated.
Blessed with an external graphics card packing dedicated 1GB memory and a choice between Blu-Ray or DVD drivers, the new laptop from Toshiba seems specifically crafted for video-heavy users out there.
Most of you might never have heard of Ferroelectric storage, so here’s a short introduction.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is currently seeking damages for what he believes are gross patent violations by Google, Apple, FaceBook, eBay, AOL, and Netflix.
In case you’re wondering about the name, Sanyo’s latest venture in green public transport stands for Solar Vehicle, hence Solarve.
If geekdom had a reigning sovereign, it would be Dr. Nakamats.
So the University of Florida has launched a revolution in higher learning by allowing a PhD candidate named Nate Poling to run EME2040: 21st Century Skills In Starcraft. We say it’s about time!
You know how people seem to be able to recognise old buddies even if they last met 20 or 30 years ago? Well, it seems a Japanese company has cracked the code on this one a little bit.
At least this was the gist of Dr. Ben Carter’s presentation during the 24th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. In it, the scientist from the University of Liverpool unveiled dry water.


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While COVID-19 continues to be on our mind, that other enemy, climate change has not gone anywhere either.
The RX circular loom series is produced at the Starlinger plant in Taicang/China specifically for the Southeast Asian market. This series is now extended with the RX 8.1...
17 European companies within the MinebeaMitsumi Group, including three Minebea Intec locations in Germany, donate N95 protective masks to hospitals and care facilities.
To overwrap, iXAPACK GLOBAL offers two compact and flexible pieces of equipment allowing high-speed sleeving, with a top or bottom gluing: The Top Load and IS Sleeving Machines...
Digitalization, defined as the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new value-producing opportunities, is transforming entire industries with varying speed and scope.
Hygiene protective clothing is in high demand in these difficult times and worldwide production capacities are limited.
SML starts-up TopSheet Cast Hygiene Line for inline production of high-grade vacuum-perforated film.
Wipak UK has been awarded silver accreditation by Investors in People – a recognised international standard for people management.
Following the Coronavirus emergency and the consequent restrictive measures adopted by the Italian Government to limit the spread of the virus, OMET has taken the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of its employees and collaborators.
Rely on iXAPACK GLOBAL’s expertise to follow you through the whole project...
Omag confirms its operation in compliance with the health and safety orders for the containment of COVID-19.
Global Association of Exhibition Industry (UFI) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) launched a worldwide campaign to support the events “This show is open.”
From purely a metallizing and coating company back in 1993, Vacmet India has emerged as a leading producer of oriented polypropylene, polyester films and specialty coated films in India.
Smurfit Kappa has announced its strategy to expand its paper sack business in the Americas in a $36 million investment.
How BOBST and its partners are pioneering new high barrier mono-materials laminates as environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastic
It’s Russia’s largest international exhibition for the packaging industry, annually bringing together suppliers of packaging machinery, ready packaging and raw materials from across the world to meet with Russian industry professionals looking for new suppliers and services for their businesses.
Krones, the world’s leading manufacturer of filling and packaging technology, achieved its 3% growth target in 2019 despite the difficult overall economic environment.
The SUEDPACK MEDICA team participated at the PHARMAPACK in Paris from the 5th until the 6th of February 2020.
At the Interpack 2020, Feige FILLING will present the INTEGRA® 86, a fully automated filling system which ...
From 18th to 21st of February, we will be at the DairyTech exhibition in Moscow, Russia, on Pavilion 2, Hall 6 – Stand A271.


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Grieg posts weak 3Q
Plunging prices in the United States caused by a bumper-crop of Chilean production are partly to blame for a rough third quarter for Norway-based Grieg Seafood, which posted an “unsatisfactory result” in its third quarter report.
Once again, third-quarter earnings were in the negative, as they were in 2011, but 2012’s result was worse, at NOK -69.4 million (USD -12.1 million, EUR -9.4 million) compared to NOK -30.7 million (USD -5.4 million, EUR -4.2 million) in 2011. The company noted that the harvest volume of 15,233 metric tons (MT) was close to numbers from Q3 2011, however.
“The decline in profits was due to the extraordinary steep decline in prices in the USA and biomass write-downs in British Columbia and UK,” the company wrote in its report.
The price decreases were due to a “strong Chilean production increase,” but noted that the rate of increase of supply is falling, from above 30 percent in the first half 2012 to 18.5 percent in the third quarter.
“The increase in supply in the next 12 months will be considerably lower than in the last year, especially in Europe, and this is expected to improve market equilibrium and margins at production level,” the report noted.
In Europe, Grieg fared better. Prices dropped there, too, but only seasonally, and costs were down in Norway compared to the third quarter 2011.
Looking forward, Grieg estimates a total 2012 harvest volume of 72,500 MT, which would be an improvement over the 60,082 MT harvested in 2011.


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How Ngong Ping 360 is preparing for HK opening
The Hong Kong government said on April 14 that several types of premises would reopen, including theme parks. Earlier, the Hong Kong Tourism Board predicted that Hong Kong will receive around 9.6 million inbound travelers to the city in the second half of 2022. After a hiatus of more than three months, Hong Kong attractions will receive at new visitors on April 21. Before resuming activities, INTERACTIVE-MARKETING spoke to Ngong Ping 360 about his business plan for the coming months, his marketing strategies and his collaborations with other companies to create better synergy.
To accompany the government’s announcement, Ngong Ping 360 said cable car service will resume at 10 a.m. on April 21, 2022. Indoor attractions in Ngong Ping Village, including the Cable Car Discovery Center and Motion 360, will also reopen. However, as Hong Kong is still implementing strict border control measures, the city’s attractions mainly depend on local customers and Ngong Ping 360 is no exception.
Plans after the fifth wave
The Hong Kong government will relax some pandemic control measures on April 21, while the Hong Kong Tourism Board has even predicted that Hong Kong may reopen its border in the second half of 2022 with a total of 9.6 million visitors coming to the city. As a major tourist attraction located on Lantau Island, Ngong Ping 360 said it will leverage its position in the city’s tourism industry in the coming months.
“We want to create a reason worth visiting for Hong Kong people. We want to instill a sense of wanderlust, positivity and resilience, and produce interactive online content to meet the needs of our visitors” , said Andy Lau (pictured right), general manager of Ngong Ping 360. Lau said that in the coming months, the company will continue to promote various tourism offers and add more attractive offers, as the team foresees strong competition in the tourism industry.
“In addition, we will strengthen the destination positioning of our outdoor destinations, hoping that customers can enjoy breathtaking natural scenery,” he said.
In the second half of 2022, Ngong Ping 360 will continue to increase ticket sales and generate visits by launching seasonal events, leveraging their popularity to drive initial adoption and tap into the short-term entertainment trend. Additionally, in the fourth quarter of 2022, Ngong Ping 360 will launch a new ropeway project, hoping to boost local patronage by positioning Ngong Ping 360 as an outdoor destination for families and friends.
With the possible reopening of the Hong Kong border in the second half of 2022, the Hong Kong Tourism Board has predicted that there will be a significant growth in arrivals in the second half of 2022, reaching 9.6 million travelers incoming from China and the rest of the world.
The city has also implemented one of the strictest measures in the world to control the pandemic. This included tightened border measures and lengthy quarantine measures. In 2021, there were only 91,398 arrivals, representing a 97.4% drop from the 3.57 million inbound travelers in 2020. The number of arrivals from China also fell by significantly in 2021, decreasing by 97.6%, from 2.76 million to 65,694.
Lau explained, “In the short term, we plan to launch a series of promotions in the Greater Bay Area to attract cross-border travelers. We will also relaunch the Tai O Culture and Heritage Tour and tailor-made private group tours, stay programs with hotels on Lantau Island shortly after the reopening of borders.”
In the long term, Ngong Ping 360 will host and actively participate in the programs initiated by HKTB to promote the city. The attraction will also work with overseas partners and the HKTB following the easing of travel restrictions.
Tourism Industry Trends in Hong Kong
Amid the pandemic, Hong Kongers can barely travel but are flocking to country parks to enjoy nature. Lau thinks outdoor activities will continue to be a trend. Visitors also prefer to travel in small groups to ensure safety as well.
“Also, they will be more focused on the purpose of the activity and may not be willing to take the cable car just for the beautiful view. It is therefore crucial that we create more successful and unique campaigns that meet the needs post-pandemic visitors,” Lau said.
Although the number of local and international visitors is expected to rebound after the easing of pandemic control measures, Lau said the business environment will be even more difficult in the future. To follow the new trend of green and healthy tourism, 360 Holidays, the subsidiary travel agency of Ngong Ping 360, will relaunch “360 Private Lantau Tour”.
“These days, local tourists prefer more in-depth cultural travel experiences. Our tour will allow small groups of guests to enjoy a private tour of various Lantau attractions, workshops and itineraries of their choice, offering them their preferred route at the best price,” Lau said.The changing role of marketing
As customer preferences are constantly changing, Ngong Ping 360 aims to create innovative ideas as part of its brand image to keep things fresh. “The impression that customers have of a brand is strongly influenced by their experiences, so it is important for us to give our customers a feeling of newness when they visit us. So we have to generate brand new content and stimulate social buzz for Ngong Ping 360. These activities will help to improve pre-arrival tourists’ awareness about us and increase our visitor numbers,” Lau said.
He added that Ngong Ping 360 also applies integrated marketing strategies to connect and interact with potential visitors, engaging them through marketing communication channels to help them along their journey from awareness to loyalty and loyalty. advocacy.
Since expanding its customer base from family groups to a range of demographics, including young people, Lau shared that Ngong Ping 360 has also transformed the way it approaches competition and collaboration. Since collaboration can generate healthy synergies, he said leveraging partners’ resources can help achieve a win-win situation in difficult times. Meanwhile, Ngong Ping 360 also acquires information from various data sources and studies market trends. The data allows the company to offer directions for subsequent campaigns.
Resonating with the target audience
In total, Ngong Ping 360 welcomed around 460,000 visitors to the attractions last year, with the number of local visitors increasing by 132% year-on-year. “Travel restrictions amid the pandemic have impacted the tourism industry. To attract local tourists, new elements and variety are essential to entice them to visit,” Lau said.
We have segmented our target customers into two groups: families with children and young people. We have designed different elements and worked with different partners to create events targeting the needs of these distinct groups.
Ngong Ping 360 launched events based on this segmentation. Lau said that the “families with children” group tends to look for fun and educational activities for children, so he collaborated with Hang Heung Cake Shop to organize the “Hang Heung 100 Exhibition cum Eggs-plore 360” event. He added that the event included decorations recreating scenes from ancient Hong Kong and egg hunt games, targeting parents and children respectively. The number of local visitors increased by 800% year-on-year during the Easter holidays in 2021. Last summer, Ngong Ping 360 took advantage of the popularity of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and co-launched the “360 Sweatival Sports Gala” with Pocari Sweat. By working with influencers and actor Kenny Wong, who starred in Ossan’s love (HK version), the event sparked engagement and excitement among young people. These successful events demonstrated how cross-industry partnerships can create synergies and benefit the brands involved.
Besides offline campaigns, Ngong Ping 360 also leveraged online platforms to generate awareness. For example, the company launched the “360 Sweat Coins” game on Instagram, allowing users to earn coins by playing a personalized Instagram camera filter game. Lau said the number of followers on Instagram has increased by 48% and the game has appealed to a younger demographic as more than 65% of followers are between 18 and 34 years old.
Brand Spotlight: Tamjai International remembers its roots despite global expansion plans
Brand spotlight: Deliveroo sees bright future in Hong Kong food delivery market
Brand Spotlight: AIA Group is a household name with an ambition to make HK and APAC healthier


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Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Singapore has expanded its remit in the region to Southeast Asia and India, renaming itself IAB SEA+India. Following the move, the organisation will cover markets such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and India.
IAB Singapore CEO Miranda Dimopoulos (pictured) will also be promoted to regional CEO, participating in IAB US board meetings in New York to represent the region on a global platform. The statement added that the move follows IAB Singapore’s “sevenfold growth in the last four years”, along with strong demand from members.
Following the move, businesses with IAB Singapore membership will immediately transfer to IAB SEA+India membership. This includes member benefits in local markets across the region. The recently appointed regional board, with representation of regional heads from publishers, agencies and platforms will be joined by a regional advisory board. This is comprised of the heads of the local associations who will meet with the regional board quarterly.
“With over 98% of our members having regional remits we are looking forward to supporting the industry in its rapid growth to meet business needs both now and in the future. Our strategy is to partner with local associations as a first step in terms of infrastructure as well as ensuring all we do respect each market and their unique nuances,” Dimopoulos said.
“Digital media and marketing has rapidly expanded across Southeast Asia and India, from urban centers of worldwide commerce to more rural, local areas, as well. United together for representation from one IAB SEA+India, the industry in this region is poised for much more growth, and growth in a way that’s deliberate and strategic,” Randall Rothenberg, CEO, IAB, said.


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Women on the minimum wage in Ghana have to spend one in every seven dollars they earn on sanitary towels, according to research by the BBC.
The BBC surveyed nine countries in Africa to see how affordable menstrual products are. We compared the minimum wage with the local cost of the cheapest sanitary napkin and found that many women could not reach it.
While Ghana was the country with the least affordable menstrual products of those we surveyed, women across Africa are struggling with “menstrual poverty” – something activists are trying to change.
Joyce, a 22-year-old Ghanaian, cannot afford to buy what she needs when she has her period.
“The only person available to help wants sex before giving me the money. I have to do it because I need pads,” she told the BBC.
In six of the countries studied by the BBC, minimum wage women have to spend between 3 and 13% of their salary to buy two packs of eight pads – which many women will need each month.
As a grocery store assistant, Joyce lives with a family friend and lives off tips. Previously, she could afford to pay for the cost of a sanitary napkin when it cost 4.88 Ghanaian cedis (45 US cents; 35 UK pence) per pack.
However, after the government increased taxes on sanitary products, a pack of sanitary napkins now costs 20 cedis, putting them out of her reach.
The price hikes caused women to protest outside Ghana’s parliament in June 2023.
Joyce resorted to using toilet paper as a makeshift pad, but when that proved unsustainable, she said she ran out of options and gave in to sexual demands in exchange for money for pads. But Joyce’s struggle is just one of many.
The BBC used the statutory minimum wage in each of the nine countries surveyed and the lowest priced sanitary towels available locally to calculate its findings.
Ghana turned out to have the most expensive products in relation to monthly income.
According to our research, a woman in Ghana earning a minimum wage of $26 a month would have to spend $3, or one out of every $7 she earns, to buy two packs of eight pads.
That means for every 80 cedi they earn, they have to spend 11 cedi on sanitary napkins alone.
By comparison, women in the US or UK would spend significantly less. For example, in the US, minimum wage earners would spend $3 of $1,200.
Francisca Sarpong Owusu, a researcher at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) in Ghana, says many vulnerable girls and women use cloth rags during their periods that they line with plastic sheets, cement paper bags and dried plantain stems because they don’t feel disposable hygiene. can afford. towels.
And the problem extends far beyond Ghana. The global impact is astonishing.
According to the World Bank, 500 million women worldwide do not have access to menstrual products.
They also lack adequate menstrual hygiene facilities, such as clean water and toilets.
What’s tax got to do with it?
Many menstrual health activists say doing away with “tampon taxes” is one way to help women get closer to accessing and paying for sanitary products.
Tampon tax refers to the various types of taxes levied on feminine hygiene products, including menstrual products such as pads, menstrual cups, and may include sales tax, VAT, and others.
Campaigners go on to say that governments still view women’s products as luxury items, rather than consumer goods or basic necessities, meaning the tax levied on them is akin to a “luxury tax”, imposed on items deemed non-essential and that only rich people will buy. . These taxes are usually higher than on basic goods.
In 2004, Kenya became the first country in the world to abolish the tax on menstrual products. In 2016, it went ahead with abolishing the tax on raw materials used to make sanitary napkins.
As a result, the price of sanitary napkins has fallen in Kenya, with the cheapest period products in 2023 at 50 Kenyan shillings (35 US cents; 27 UK pence), making it the country with the most affordable sanitary napkins in our study.
However, female politicians and campaigners are pushing for further tax exemptions in the hope of lowering prices even further.
In South Africa, Nokuzola Ndwandwe, a menstrual hygiene activist, has been working since 2014 to abolish VAT on menstrual products. In April 2019, she won a “monumental victory” when the government abolished the 15% tax on sanitary napkins and pads. announced free sanitary pads in public schools.
Countries that do not tax sanitary napkins and allow manufacturers to tax the materials used (zero rate) tend to have cheaper products.
But is tax exemption enough to ensure women and girls have access to sanitary towels?
In 2019, the Tanzanian government announced that it was reintroducing VAT on sanitary products, just one year after its abolition. This was after consumer complaints that prices had not fallen in stores and markets.
Campaigners say prices did not fall because the tax was reintroduced before the product supply chain had time to adjust.
Across Africa and the rest of the world, the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products due to the high cost or because they are not available in rural or remote areas has had a huge impact on millions of women.
Although no research has been done on the number of girls missing school worldwide, studies in different regions and countries show that thousands of girls miss many days of school every year because of their periods.
A survey in Kenya found that 95% of menstruating girls missed one to three days a month, while another 70% reported a negative impact on their grades, and more than 50% said they fell behind in school because of menstruation.
Marakie Tesfaye is a founding member of Jegnit Ethiopia, an uplifting women and girls movement that has pushed for tax exemptions and distributed reusable sanitary napkin sets to girls in Ethiopia,
“We found data showing that girls in Ethiopia would miss as many as 100 days in a school year calendar, and if they missed school, we noticed that several things would happen,” she says.
“They’d fall behind, repeat a class because they didn’t have catch-up classes, drop out and get married or work as housekeepers, with little chance of ever going on to college.”
Not just a women’s issue
Ibrahim Faleye was about 10 years old when he started buying sanitary napkins for his sister. Growing up around girls in the Nigerian metropolis of Lagos, he thought it was normal for any young man to do.
“We were an average family and we could afford our pads, so I thought it was the same for other families. When I found out that many people can’t afford the products, I was shocked,” he says.
Now 26 years old, the public health expert has focused his work on menstrual health and education for girls and boys through his NGO, Pad Bank, with the goal of ending menstrual poverty and helping boys stop shaming girls.
“In Nigeria, we have a culture where men are not allowed to talk about menstruation. We take the men through that process so that they can understand and care for women.”
South African campaigner Nokuzola lives with endometriosis, a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside and can make periods very painful. She often had a hard time at work.
“I was on a male-dominated team and I wasn’t comfortable saying I felt sick. I was embarrassed and embarrassed and worried about how it would affect my chances,” she says.
“I thought about the millions of women going through the same thing. At that point I felt it was time to deconstruct the story and stigma of the end period.”
So what does period justice look like?
UNFPA defines menstrual poverty as “the struggle many low-income women and girls face as they try to afford menstrual products”.
The UN says general menstrual hygiene means women and girls have access to clean water and soap, accessible and clean toilets and latrines and the ability to enter these facilities in privacy without stigma and disgrace, coupled with menstrual education for both boys and girls. girls.
Commenting on the BBC inquiry, Nokuzola says: “It shouldn’t be like this. The fact that a woman has to choose between a loaf of bread, the support of her family and menstrual products is really sad and worrying.
“This is a natural, biological process that occurs every month, so you have to neglect your autonomy over your body for the survival of your family. Menstrual products should be free.”
Nokuzola is now working to pass a menstrual health law in South Africa so that menstrual products can be recognized as a human right and women like Joyce don’t have to resort to desperate measures to get them.
“We are suffering, I want to beg our government to get rid of the tax on sanitary napkins. The truth is that we go through a lot just to menstruate. Why should I beg or starve myself just to menstruate? I don’t think it’s fair at all ‘ says Joyce.
Data Research and Analysis by Brian Osweta and Ruth Mulandi


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Kia names Detroit bound midsize SUV Borrego
In an era when most automakers are switching from body-on-frame SUVs to unibody crossovers, Kia is preparing to launch a new midsize SUV called the Borrego, which will make its global debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show. The Korea-made SUV will go on sale either in late spring or early next summer as a 2009 model.
Details are scarce, but the company has said that a V-6 and a V-8 will both be offered, the latter being a first for the Korean automaker. The V-8 Borrego will also have the largest towing capacity of any Kia ever.


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In an age where organizations and individuals are becoming increasingly reliant on the cloud, internet of things (IoT), and workforce mobility for critical business functions, it is becoming more difficult to keep track of the threats and areas where we are most vulnerable. According to CSO Online, damages caused by cybercrime are estimated to hit the $6 trillion mark by the year 2021. Experts predict cybersecurity spending to exceed the trillion dollar threshold over the next five years. With financial repercussions reaching all time highs, it’s of utmost importance to stay ahead of the curve and take note of the new wave of cybercrime trends that are expected to blight the business landscape for years to come.
Malware and Ransomware Hacking Cloud Computing Services
Malware and ransomware remain some of the biggest cybersecurity threats in our world today. While malware and ransomware are similarly characterized by self-installing on a computer and running in the background, they differ in what they steal and how they present themselves. Malware stays hidden while stealing valuable information whereas ransomware immobilizes the victim’s machine, encrypts files, and notifies the user of a ransom demand in order to regain the key to decrypt the files.
Cybersecurity Ventures reports that a business falls prey to a ransomware attack approximately every 40 seconds, and this is expected to rise to 1 victim every 14 seconds by the year 2019. While the trend of big data breaches is set to continue, research from MIT suggests that ransomware aimed at hacking cloud services is likely to be a new development. This is due to the growing trend of adopting cloud computing services among businesses today and the large amounts of sensitive data stored by these services.
Another significant threat to cybersecurity is phishing, where an attacker disguises itself as a trustworthy entity in an attempt to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. As phishing is one of the easiest forms of cyber attack to carry out, Research now shows that around 1.3 million phishing websites are created every month with Google, Facebook, Dropbox, and Paypal ranking as the top disguises for hackers. Attackers have learned to design phishing attacks to play on the audience’s fear while looking 100 percent authentic. This would cause the targets to panic thinking that something is legitimately wrong, and act without following the SOP.
For example, a phishing email might claim to be from a bank and instruct users to login to their account to verify personal details in order to prevent their accounts from being closed. However, the link goes to a fake website that is difficult to distinguish from the real one where their login and personal details are then captured for malicious ends. Phishing might look like a basic form of a cyber attack, but the simple fact of the matter is that it works. Up to 90 per cent of all data breaches occur as a result of credentials stolen using a phishing attack. The FBI also suggested that phishing scams that hit thousands of US businesses amount to almost $5 Billion every year.
Recently, cyber criminals have shifted their focus to spear phishing which, instead of sending generic emails to thousands of people, contains more targeted messages to specific individuals within an organization. These specially crafted messages serve as the key of cyber criminals to initiate high profile cyber attacks which victimize even the largest organizations. To illustrate, back in 2015, Ubiquiti Networks Inc. fell prey to the destructiveness of a spear phishing attack when employees from the finance department were tricked into transferring almost $50 million in funds from a subsidiary in Hong Kong to the overseas accounts of the attackers. The employees were made to believe that they were getting instructions from their executives when, in fact, the email addresses and domains were spoofed with minor alterations.
Cryptojacking / Cryptocurrency Mining
At this very moment, your computer might be consuming valuable memory and processor power— while bumping up your electricity bill in the process—to generate money for someone else without you ever knowing. This phenomenon is called “cryptojacking”. Given the meteoric rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin that rely on computing power to earn new coins, cryptojacking has become an increasingly popular way for cyber criminals to extract money from their targets.
One of the most popular ways to execute cryptojacking is to find a vulnerable website and inject a script (usually requiring only a few lines of code). This results in unwitting enslavement of unprotected website visitors to mine cryptocurrency for the hackers. The adverse effects of cryptojacking extend beyond the exploitation of one’s computer and electricity; the mining can slow down some hardware, overhead components, and in some cases render the machine unusable. Cryptojacking puts organizations’ entire networks at risk while jacking up cloud usage and operating costs.
Given the ever-increasing dependence of today’s generation on the internet for various activities such as social media, online shopping, and bank/fund transfers, more and more organizations are getting access to sensitive information of its clients. These include personal bank accounts, credit card numbers, passwords, and addresses. As such, these corporations now have the additional burden of ensuring the security and integrity of the data that they hold all while giving the cybercriminals a new and bigger target.
A recent example of this would be the Cambridge Analytica scandal which blew-up during the first half of 2018. Too make the long story short, social media giant, Facebook, developed a platform which allowed third-party developers and apps to reach out to Facebook users and request for access to a large amount of their personal information. This paved the way for Aleksandr Kogan and Cambridge Analytica to use the psychological data of over 87 million users (without consent) to help politicians such as Ted Cruz and Donald Trump to gain political advantages over their rivals. Because of this, Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, had to endure severe public scrutiny for it lapse in data security as well as suffering losses of up to tens of billions of dollars in market cap.
This new wave of threats, coupled with increasingly strict data regulation laws, compel individuals and businesses alike to step up their security and data protection game—or fall prey to increasingly debilitating attacks. With the Internet of Things (IoT) projected to explode to 200 billion devices by the year 2020, the need to keep our interconnected networks secure has never been greater. After all, a breach in one, may lead to a breach in all.


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DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - The Dayton Better Business Bureau has suspended its "A+" rating for Jeff Schmitt Auto Group.
This comes after a 2 NEWS Investigates probe exposed that at least 25 lawsuits have been filed against the car dealership in the past 2 years.
The Better Business Bureau said it knew of complaints, but didn't suspend the rating until after our investigation.
The local BBB President told me they suspended the Jeff Schmitt Auto Group's accreditation, or membership, because the dealership did not adequately address dozens of complaints about advertising and sales practices.
2 NEWS Investigates wanted to know why the BBB didn't make the change until last week, when they admit they noticed a trend last year.
The Better Business Bureau said it has a history with the Jeff Schmitt Auto Group.
Last September, they say their investigators noticed a trend in the advertising and sales complaints against the auto dealership.
President and CEO of the Dayton branch, John North, said they contacted owner, Jeff Schmitt and worked with him to develop a plan to solve the problem.
"He submitted a plan to us and so for the next 6-9 months we monitored that plan to see how it changed his complaint volume so what we found is he had an additional 30 complaints related to those same issues so as a result we did have to suspend his accreditation with your Better Business Bureau," said North.
Now, it's up to the BBB’s board of trustees to decide if the accreditation should be revoked, or reinstated. The board meets a week from tomorrow.
But what we really wanted to know was how the dealership maintained such a high rating and accreditation at the same time they were accumulating more complaints with the BBB and the Ohio Attorney General.
Natalie: "So, even though they had a history of some similar complaints they still get an A+ rating?”
John: “They did, because we were working with him, he came up with a plan, we gave him a specific time frame to be able to resolve the issue. We gave him an opportunity for him to recognize he had a problem."
North said they had a history of solving complaints with Jeff Schmitt Auto Group in the past, so it was essentially a second chance.
He said the BBB takes many factors into consideration when deciding what rating a business gets.
Civil lawsuits, for instance, play no part in the rating, but things like complaint volume, government action, and the type of business do.
North says they have about 30,000 businesses to check out in the Miami Valley and rely on consumers.
"We can only help only identify a problem if someone informs us of that problem. we do our own investigation but the way we are going to have our full impact is by working with media and working with consumers," said North.
2 NEWS Investigates did speak with Schmitt Monday and he referred us to a spokesperson who said they have not been notified by the Better Business Bureau about the change of accreditation. They had no further comment.
When police and firefighters arrived, Kettering Fire Lt. Craig Moore said the victim was trying to go back inside the burning home.
It could be a big day in the on-going contract negotiations for Fairborn teachers and the school board.
The Tri-State's newest gambling establishment will throw open it's doors today at noon so you can throw down your money.
This year, they will help 13 families in need buy toys, clothing and other items.
The man suspected in the RTA bus hub attack that led to another man's death has been released from the Montgomery County Jail pending further investigation.


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This article is more than 1 year old
AMD ships first Fusion processors
CPU + GPU = APU (finally)
AMD has — finally — shipped its first Fusion processors, years after they were first announced.
Better late than never.
"As of 4am Central Time, our facility in Singapore, our test and manufacturing facility, shipped the very first Fusion APUs — production units — to customers worldwide," AMD senior vice president and general manager Rick Bergman told his audience at the company's analysts day in Sunnyvale, California.
"So it's no longer the dream. The Fusion era has truly arrived for AMD, our customers, and end users out there that really want that full HD, graphical experience that we've been promising for a couple of years now."
In mid-October, during a conference call announcing the company's financial results for its most-recent quarter, AMD CEO Dirk Meyer said that "customer shipments [were] on track for the fourth quarter and customer systems available early next year."
It appears that AMD has met that goal with weeks to spare.
But the shipment of the company's first Fusion APUs — AMD-speak for accelerated processing units — has been a long time coming, with shipment dates slipping multiple times.
Back in late 2006, AMD's roadmap had called for the first Fusion chips to ship in late 2008 or early 2009. Needless to say, that goal wasn't achieved — AMD didn't even demo Fusion until this June at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan.
The first — now shipping — APUs were identified by AMDs CEO Dirk Meyer on Tuesday as being "Ontario-slash-Zacate." Zacate is a dual-core, 18-watt part with an integrated graphics core that Bergman claimed would have significantly better performance than the integrated graphics in Intel's GPU/CPU mashup, Sandy Bridge. Ontario is its 9-watt compatriot; both are based on AMD's Bobcat core.
Meyer promised that systems using his company's APUs would debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January of next year. ®


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Taking cognizance of the impact of oversupply on the price, farmers started spreading the harvest across seasons, and are now also making other efforts to improve realisations.
"The year before last, there was overproduction in India and this impacted prices of marine exports
to the United States. They have not recovered to the extent we expected. I believe this year will be the same as last year," said Tara Ranjan Patnaik, chairman of Falcon Group, which owns Falcon Marine Exports Ltd. But he asserted that demand is growing and that Indian products are well accepted across the globe.
The crucial factor for farmers is the incentive to export. The government should come out with clarity on Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for the marine exports. If the Scheme is not there or is substituted with another scheme, it would impact exporters as they are working on thin margins and passing on the benefits to the farmers.
“The fall in exports in value terms may have been arrested, and there are talks that the crisis could have bottomed out. We might see a spurt in demand for shrimp, considering there is a shortage of pork meat in the market, after the African Swine Flu. The price of pork meat has gone up and the low-priced shrimp might emerge as an alternative,” said Aditya Dash, managing director, Ram's Assorted Cold Storage Ltd.
"There was some improvement in price this year compared to last year. This has been a tough year and in the next two to three years, it is going to be a phase of consolidation for the sector," Dash said. The European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement from January 2020 will make the country uncompetitive, and the US is one major market India can bank on. He said prices are unlikely to go up significantly in the near future unless there are some factors like the Tokyo Olympics, which may require more supply.
At $2 billion in FY19, the United States, in fact, is the largest seafood importer from India. It is followed by Vietnam and China, which is emerging a bigger market.
Patnaik of Falcon Group said, “Countries like Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan have a huge demand and in the future, these markets would be better for Indian exporters. At present, the exports are more of raw materials, but there is an opportunity to tap value-added products. The government should look at supporting the industry with duty benefits.”
Dash said that China itself is a major seafood exporter as per official reports and it is a risky and arbitrary market.
“Over-reliance on exporting one specific product is unlikely to be sustainable in the long run. While Vannamei Shrimp remains a major marine export item from India, global consumption patterns and palates are ever-changing. Quality concerns from buyer markets, particularly in the West, are going to remain a big challenge for Indian farmers who face increasing competition from other markets,” said Pushkar Mukewar, co- founder & co-CEO of Drip Capital.


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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Most Bojangles restaurants around the Midlands will close for two of the next three Mondays to give their workers a break, according to the company.
The Charlotte-based chicken chain announced the will be closing all company-owned stores on Monday, August 30 and Monday, September 13. The company says that will give 8,000 crew members a "well-deserved break."
“We appreciate everything our dedicated team has done for Bojangles this past year,” said Bojangles CEO Jose Armario. “From navigating a global pandemic to adjusting to new safety measures to picking up shifts for those unable to come in for work, we’ve asked, and they’ve delivered. But this hasn’t been easy, and we know many people are physically and emotionally drained, so we hope these extra two days off will provide rest and refreshment.”
The closings will affect 25 stores in the Midlands. To see the full list, click here. The stores will close at their normal times on Sunday and reopen at their normal times on Tuesday.
The company acknowledges the labor shortages in the service industry and other stresses have put a strain on their employees. They add they apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
"We hope they’ll stop by Tuesday through Sunday, and all other Mondays to be greeted with the same Southern hospitality and smiles we’re known for – perhaps even bigger after a day off,” Armario said.


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PPG Glass, Coatings Used on Mexico's First LEED Platinum Building
Solarban solar control, low-e glasses reportedly combine high levels of visible light transmittance with solar control characteristics to help reduce cooling- and lighting-related energy costs in buildings. Starphire glass is reportedly the architectural industry’s clearest, most transparent glass. PPG reports it is the first and only architectural glass manufacturer to earn CRADLE TO CRADLE® certification for all its products.
Bioconstrucciόn y Energìa Alternativa is a leading company in the development and certification of green buildings in Mexico and throughout Latin America. The company’s owner, Cesar Ulises Trevino, is president of the Mexico Green Building Council.
For more information, visit www.ppgideascapes.com.


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Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — McDonald's is trying to modernize its image by rolling out delivery and promising fresh beef in Quarter Pounders. But for now, $1 sodas are helping get people in the door.
The company said Tuesday that discounted drinks and a new line of pricier burgers helped boost sales in its flagship U.S. market by 3.9 percent at existing locations during the second quarter.
CEO Steve Easterbrook has been working on transforming the chain's menu and stores to get customers visiting more often in an increasingly competitive environment . Customer visits have declined in the U.S. for four straight years at existing locations, and McDonald's is on track to shrink its domestic footprint for the third year in a row.
The latest quarter showed signs of improvement. McDonald's said customer visits increased at existing domestic locations, though there were about 100 fewer U.S. locations than a year ago. It did not specify how much customer visits contributed to the sales increase, but Easterbrook has repeatedly laid out plans to get the figure climbing again by making McDonald's more convenient.
Those efforts in the U.S. include introducing in-store ordering kiosks, expanding delivery through UberEats, and launching a mobile order-and-pay option later this year.
While those plans may boost sales over the long term, the company is relying on deals like $1 sodas and $2 McCafe drinks to attract customers in the short term. Such promotions get people into stores to see other changes and new menu offerings like the "Signature Crafted" burgers, the company said.
Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonald's USA, noted in an interview last month that about three quarters of the people who come in for the drink deals also end up buying food.
"The typical behavior is that they will buy other items," he said.
Bernstein analyst Sara Senatore noted that the company's "impressive" results came even before the full effect of its digital initiatives have been seen.
And Instinet analyst Mark Kalinowski said that other menu news could help boost sales in the coming quarters. The company plans to sell a Sriracha Mac dipping sauce, he noted, and is testing Loaded Bacon & Cheese fries in parts of four U.S. states.
McDonald's is also looking beyond its core menu and offering pastries by registers in some locations, and testing "dessert stations" behind the counter that would let employees make an expanded menu of treats.
In the meantime, the U.S. store count is falling. The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company had 14,079 domestic locations at the end of the quarter. Globally, it expanded and had more than 37,000 locations. Sales on a global basis also rose 6.6 percent at existing locations, with customer visits up in the company's nine biggest markets.
For the three months that ended June 30, McDonald's earned $1.4 billion, or $1.70 per share. Earnings adjusted for non-recurring costs came to $1.73 per share, beating analysts forecast for $1.62, according to a poll by Zacks Investment Research.
McDonald's said total revenue was $6.05 billion, also higher than expected.
Its shares rose more than 4 percent Tuesday. Before the results the stock had climbed more than 25 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has risen 10 percent.
Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MCD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MCD
Keywords: McDonald's, Earnings Report, Priority Earnings
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Nov 1, 2011
The details of Gamestop’s tablet program have finally been unveiled, and they’re quite different from what was expected. GameStop is simply getting into the business of selling Android tablets, though they will come with several Android games preinstalled. The three tablets that they will be selling are the Acer A100 for $329, the Asus Transformer for $399, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab for $499. The last two tablets will be available with a Bluetooth controller for playing games on the tablets.
The games that will be available? They are Dead Space (making its Android debut after an excellent iOS version), Cordy, Riptide, Monster Madness, Re-Load, the Kongregate Arcade App, and a timed exclusive launch of Sonic CD for Android. The controller will work with Cordy, Sonic CD, Riptide, and Monster Madness. Some of these games are already available on the Android Market as well.
GameStop may be missing a real opportunity here to launch their own tablet. The Kindle Fire hype has shown that interest in a low-cost tablet does exist, and a gaming-focused product could be of potential interest. Instead, these tablets are competing with the iPad on cost and features, and a few pre-installed games might not be enough to push interest in favor of these devices. Still, the lack of physical controls is what often off-puts those unfamiliar with touchscreen gaming, and this could be a great introduction with a controller available. As well, unlike the Kindle Fire, there is actual access to the Android Market, so these aren’t limited devices at all. They’re just tablets that GameStop is trying to push gaming on.
Still, the Android Market does lag behind the App Store as a gaming platform, and Android tablets have had their sales issues. Can GameStop manage to help push Android gaming forward, along with tablet sales, through their sale of Android tablets? Time will tell. The pilot program has launched on GameStop’s website and in 200 GameStop stores.


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- Infosys’ data and tools used across ATP’s digital infrastructure
- ATP has seen Tennis TV ad revenues grow 60% YoY
The ATP Tour, the elite men’s international tennis circuit, has extended its partnership with global technology services and digital innovation partner Infosys until the end of the 2023 season.
Infosys will continue to provide the digital assets and infrastructure, including artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, to power the ATP’s data platforms and services. That includes consumer tools, such as the ATP’s digital platforms, and B2B services.
The next phase of the partnership will also see the creation of a new a digital fan experience called Flashback 50 that will compare past champions and mark the tour’s 50th anniversary.
“Infosys is a leading global brand and one which has been instrumental in helping ATP innovate and maximise efficiency through technology, said Massimo Calvelli, the tour’s chief executive. “Most importantly, these exciting innovations have enhanced fans’ experience and interaction with our sport.”
Infosys’ data and solutions have formed part of the ATP’s digital strategy. In September, the ATP Tour revealed its direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms had enjoyed significant growth, including a 60 per cent increase in revenues for the Tennis TV streaming service, owing to greater in-stream advertising.
Meanwhile, ATP has also announced a three-year extension to its partnership with Lacoste, which sees the clothing brand become the official outfitter and footwear supplier to the tour until the end of 2023.
Under the deal's terms, Lacoste gains brand marketing rights and exposure on ATP's digital channels, and will continue to kit out ATP staff throughout the season.


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Two men wearing what appeared to be full camouflage kits were among a group of bandits who robbed a Quikshoppe at a NP gas station in San Juan on Thursday night.
Police said a cashier at the store was at the counter at around 11.15 pm when masked bandits with guns walked in and demanded cash.
One of the bandits shot twice in the air before emptying the cash register, stealing $6,000 in cash.
Another bandit snatched the cashier's gold chain.
Police said the bandits tried to open a safe at the back of the store but were unsuccessful.
The bandits got into a white Nissan AD Wagon and drove off.
A video of the bandits escaping the store was recorded by a passer-by and circulated on social media.
San Juan police were called in and are viewing CCTV footage on the incident.
Section 219 of the Defence Force Act prohibits citizens from possessing or wearing attire resembling that of the Defence Force.
People convicted of wearing camouflage clothing can face a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment of up to 18 months.


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Apple is giving $10 from the sale of every RED IPod ($200) to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. U2's Bono's Product Red project raises money for AIDS research. Oprah's show on friday 13th Oct was a stunner. She along with Bono hit Chicago downtown's "Magnificent Mile" on Thursday for a shopping spree to promote a new line of clothing, accessories and gadgets, including the special-edition RED iPod.
JoinRed.com(RED)™ was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver to empower consumers to shop and do good at the same time.
You can even check out the BLOG for Joinred
Gap is introducing Gap (PRODUCT) RED™—a new, limited collection of clothing and accessories for men and women.
Armani is a proud partner of (PRODUCT) RED™.
Converse It's just a little, red eyelet,at the top of each pair of Converse sneakers signifies participation in (RED)™.
Motorola is introducing the new red MOTORAZR V3m.


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Tom Cullivan, director of advertising at CompuServe, resigned earlier this month, following Cynthia Vahlkamp, senior VP-marketing, out the online service's door. Ms. Vahlkamp's departure came at a time when the company's marketing budget was said to have been cut back; CompuServe's VP-Online Services Scott Kauffman said the service would rely more heavily on direct response campaign work, rather than work from traditional agencies including agency of record DDB
Needham Worldwide, Chicago, in the coming months. No replacement has been named for Mr. Cullivan.
Copyright October 1996 Crain Communications Inc.


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Canada's leading national brand to announce sponsorship and partnership
with Canadian ski racers
TORONTO, Oct. 25 /CNW/ - Loblaw Companies Limited will announce a
groundbreaking sponsorship and partnership agreement that will propel forward
Alpine Canada Alpin's plan to make Canada a world-leading ski racing nation.
The top level partnership will provide significant new resources to Canada's
fast improving national ski racing teams.
WHO: Galen Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Ltd
Elizabeth Margles, Vice President, Public Relations and Public
Ken Read, Chief Executive Officer, Alpine Canada Alpin
Paul Stutz, athlete, Canadian Alpine Ski Team
Larisa Yurkiw, athlete, Canadian Alpine Ski Team
WHERE: Queen's Quay Market
10 Lower Jarvis Street,
WHEN: October 25th, 2007, 9:30 a.m. EST
(*) Participants subject to change without notice
ABOUT ALPINE CANADA ALPIN
Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) is the governing body for alpine ski racing in
Canada with more than 50,000 athletes, coaches, officials and volunteer
members and over 200,000 supporting members. ACA manages the high performance
programs for the athletes of the Canadian Alpine Ski Team and the Canadian
Para-Alpine Ski Team who represent Canada throughout the world. For more
information on Alpine Canada Alpin, visit www.canski.org.
"Best in the world... at every level"
For further information:
For further information: Sara O'Reilly, Manning Selvage & Lee, Tel:
(416) 625-3680, Sara.firstname.lastname@example.org