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January 29, 2014 9:49:25 AM
In the late 1970s, Tommy Coggins, not knowing the first thing about repairing shoes, opened a business in Columbus called Coggins Shoe Shop.
He was a young man then and set about teaching himself the art of the cobbler. He did so through trial and error, and must have done a fine job.
For nearly four decades he has done a little bit of everything for folks needing footwear repairs. He got rid of scratches and fixed broken heels. He did resoling and polishing. He sold boots. He sold shoes.
He always stayed busy and always loved his work. But next month, after 36 years, Coggins is closing the doors.
"It's time to go," he said Tuesday from behind his counter.
Walking away from his life's work wasn't an easy decision. It's been on his mind a while, though.
Coggins is 67 now. His twin brother Jacky died in August. Ever since, Coggins has been thinking about closing his 1,000 square foot shop at 2014 Hwy. 45 North. A few months ago he made the decision.
"I figured while I got my health still I better go ahead and do something," he said.
Coggins hasn't picked a closing date, but it will be in February, after the remaining boots and shoes on the shelves have been sold at a discounted price.
When the doors do close, it will be the end of an era. Coggins is the last cobbler working in Columbus.
"We're a dying breed," he said. "Nobody goes into the shoe repair business anymore."
Asked why that is the case, Coggins said, "it's a throw-away society."
Wesley Jones, whose family has owned Jones Shoe Shop on South Lafayette Street in Starkville since 1940, agreed. He said people these days seem to favor buying "plastic shoes" that can not be repaired, only replaced.
"When you see a shoe repair business close, you won't see another open," Jones said.
Even though his craft is fading, Coggins has no regrets.
"I always thought the good Lord led me to it," he said of his business. "It was my niche in life."
He says he will certainly miss the work, but also his customers. His shop, where country music plays in the background, has been the type of place where customers do as much idle talking as business. They came from places as far away as Winona and Decatur, Ala., and Coggins knew most of their names.
As for what's next in his life, Coggins has nothing specific planned.
"Whatever I do it's not going to be on a schedule," he said with a laugh. "Unless my wife says different."
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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3. Man charged with aggravated assault for shooting in Cracker Barrel COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY
5. CRA to hold off on Burns Bottom acquisitions COLUMBUS & LOWNDES COUNTY


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Samsung Galaxy S3
The development of the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is still underway, but specifications for the update has leaked.
Nokia continues to tease on-watchers about their next Lumia smartphone by releasing the latest test comparison against the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Microsoft’s Windows Phone has released the latest challenge video, once again comparing Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone to Nokia’s Lumia 920.
It’s always fun to break high-end tech, but sometimes there’s a purpose. Electronics insurer SquareTrade performed a series of abusive tests to compare the durability of the Samsung Galaxy S4 against its main competitor, the Apple iPhone 5, as well as its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3.
A Windows Phone YouTube video showing a wedding gone badly is going viral.
Even after the launches of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, it is the iPhone 4 that leads in advertising shares.
As of today, April 24, Sprint is rolling out the Premium Suite upgrade version L710VPBMD4 for Galaxy S3s on its network.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 will hit the U.S. market by the end of the month, but there’s still no word on exactly when Verizon will offer the new flagship smartphone.
Microsoft has released a second advertisement comparing the Nokia Lumia 920 over Samsung’s Galaxy S3.
Six months after its release, Apple's iPhone 5 dethroned Samsung's Galaxy S3 as the U.K.'s favorite smartphone for the month of March.
CyanogenMod has released an Android 4.2.2 mod for the Samsung Galaxy S3.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is headed to all four major U.S. carriers in the next few weeks, but when will each one have the new flagship smartphone in stock?
Samsung is moving toward the next generation of their Galaxy S smartphone series with the debut of the Galaxy S4.
Microsoft has released a new advertisement pitting the Nokia Lumia 920’s camera abilities against Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has finally been unveiled. But is it worth an upgrade of you already have a Galaxy S III? Let’s take a look.


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Month Russian market, $/t, DDP, without VAT, $1/RUR62.9* Ukrainian market, $/t, without VAT, DDP, $1/UAH25.496* min max min max September 775 995 850 970 October 775 1025 900 990 * – Ukrainian Hrivna and Russian Ruble exchange rates are as of 31.10.16 according to the National Bank of Ukraine and the Central Bank of the…Details
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Since the beginning of the year Severstal has supplied 3.13 thousand tons of shipbuilding steel to Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Works. The high-strength steel was used to produce ships for the Russian navy. All the steel was produced at Cherepovets Iron and Steel Works. In October Severstal won two tenders to deliver 956 tons of special shipbuilding…Details
Beloretsk Iron and Steel Works, a part of Mechel, has started producing stainless wire. The first batches weighing 10 tons have already been supplied to local and foreign consumers. The new wire is produced in cooperation with Izhstal works, which supplies AiSi 304 stainless steel. The wire is intended to replace foreign analogues on the…Details
Month Russian market, $/t, EXW, without VAT, $1/RUR62.9* Ukrainian market, $/t, without VAT, EXW, $1/UAH25.496* Export, Ukraine, $/t, FOB Black sea ports Export, Russia, $/t, FOB Black sea ports min max min max min max min max September 242 242 218 257 250 255 250 260 October 242 242 184 258 235 250 237 255…Details
U.K.-registered Petropavlovsk Plc, which operates in Russia, has suspended mining of the Andreyevskoye gold field in the Amur region due to an early severe frost, the company said in a statement. “Earlier flooding and now abnormally low temperatures, which fell from zero to 40 degrees Celsius led to extensive frosts”, the statement said. “A subsequent…Details
In 2015-2016 Interpipe supplied steel pipes for a number of major construction projects in Qatar. “We have supplied pipes for the international airport of Khamad, Lusail arena, and QRail Red Line subway”, NEAA markets commercial director Andrei Burtsev said. In total Interpipe supplied around 3 thousand tons of pipes to Qatar. Deliveries for subway constructions…Details
In October Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant produced 64.7 thousand tons of silicomanganese, up by 8.2% MoM, or by 4.9 thousand tons. According to the Association of Ukrainian Ferroalloy Producers, ferromanganese output remained on September level – 4.3 thousand tons. In January-October NZF increased silicomanganese output by 17.5% YoY, or by 85.7 thousand tons, to 575.5 thousand…Details
In October Ukraine produced 94.7 thousand tons of ferroalloys, up by 8% MoM, or by 7 thousand tons. According to the Association of Ukrainian Ferroalloy Producers, in January-October ferroalloy output went up by 11.4% YoY, or by 86.3 thousand tons, to 847.6 thousand tons. (Ukrainian metal)Details
In 2015 Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical Works produced 800 thousand tons of ferroalloys and received 49 billion rubles. In January-November ChEMK produced 600 thousand tons of ferroalloys and received some 35 billion rubles of profits. The 2016 results are expected on the 2015 level. And 2017 is not expected to change. But the company hopes the demand…Details
In October Zaporozhye Ferro Alloys Plant produced 25.7 thousand tons of ferroalloys, up by 8.9% MoM, or by 2.1 thousand tons. According to the Association of Ukrainian Ferroalloy Producers, in January-October ZZF ferroalloy output dropped by 5.7% YoY, or by 14.2 thousand tons, to 234.1 thousand tons. (Ukrainian metal)Details
The state enterprise Vostochny Mining and Processing Works has announced a purchase of 13.397 million cubic meters of gas in 2017. According to the company statement, the offers are welcome until December 19. The expected cost of the purchase is 109.58 million UAH. In 2016 VostGOK receives gas from Energy Trade Group (Kiev). (Ukrainian metal)Details
In October Ukraine exported $31.12 million worth of steel pipes, while imports totaled $5.52 million. According to the State Fiscal Service, the main consumer of Ukrainian steel pipes in October was Russia ($8.45 million). In January-October Ukraine exported $331.09 million worth of pipes, with imports at $83.16 million. (Ukrainian metal)Details
In July-September DTEK received 2.61 billion UAH of losses against 0.52 billion UAH of losses in Q2. According to the company statement, its income went up by 15.8% QoQ, or by 4 billion UAH, to 29.31 billion UAH (25.31 billion UAH in Q2). EBITDA totaled 4.16 billion UAH (955 million UAH in Q2). (Ukrainian metal)Details


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Alex Roy and the Team Polizei BMW M5 at K1 Speed Torrance
07 May 2009
We were pleased to have Alex Roy (of cross-country record-setting driving fame) and his infamous Team Polizei BMW M5 on location recently to celebrate the opening of our newest indoor karting center in Torrance, California. Alex was kind enough to sign autographs for fans and display his one-of-a-kind BMW out front of our facility. The turnout for the event was great and everyone had a great time! We wish Alex Roy, Rene Villeneuve, and the entire Team Polizei team the best of luck in their upcoming Rolex GT race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 16 and 17!
Tags: Alex Cross, alex roy, Autographs, Best Of Luck, Bmw, Bmw K1, bmw m5, Cross Country, Entire Team, Fame, Fans, go kart arena, Great Time, indoor go kart track, indoor karting center, indoor racetrack, K1 Speed, Mazda, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Rolex, Roy Rene, team polizei, torrance, Torrance California, Villeneuve


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New Liverpool home kit: Reds unveil 2013-14 strip with retro design
New Liverpool home kit: The Merseyside club unveil their strip for 2013-14, made by Warrior, which features a very retro feel
Liverpool have unveiled their 2013-14 home kit – that takes on a retro look in honour of the club’s European Cup final victory in 1984.
Made by Warrior, the home kit is the second produced by the American sportswear manufacturer and is based on the club’s 1984 strip.
Captain Steven Gerrard said: “It will certainly spark many happy memories of Liverpool’s famous fourth European Cup win.
“As with all Liverpool shirts, I will wear it with pride and carry the excitement and history of what it represents, and, as a team, we hope to bring that success back to the club.”
In line with the 2012-13 version, two embroidered ‘Eternal Flames’ alongside a ’96’ logo are located on the nape of the shirt’s neck to commemorate the events at Hillsborough in 1989.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers added: “It’s distinctly Liverpool which the players and I love. It exceeds what we need it to do technically while also delivering a strong visual statement.”
“The new home kit pays tribute to the renowned success LFC is built on, but it is also a nod to the future,” said Richard Wright, head of Warrior Football.
“With high performance the top priority, our design team has further developed what was loved about our last design and lifted it to a new level. The result is an innovative take on the iconic red jersey.”


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Love her or hate her, it seem Kristen Stewart is here to say. After all the rumors over the past twelve months that brands were dropping K Stew like hotcakes following her affair with a married man, it seems the dust has officially settled. And what better way to put all rumors to bed than with an announcement of an endorsement from one of the world’s most recognized brands – CHANEL. Yes, it was announced last night in Dallas that Kristen Stewart’s the Chanel campaign model for Pre-Fall 2014. Kirsten attended the event and stood proudly next to Karl Lagerfeld in a cropped top ensemble on the big night, which is when the rumor of a collaboration began to spread like wildfire.
As one would expect, Karl Lagerfeld will shoot the campaign, which will be released May 2014.


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Apple and Amazon have reportedly struck deal in which Apple will start selling its iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch directly on the website of Amazon in India and other key international markets. The e-commerce giant will further delist Beats and Apple products that are sold by non-authorized resellers, making way for Apple to gain more control on the online sales channel for its devices.
Apple said in a statement that the company is working with Amazon in improving Apple customers’ experience on Amazon’s website. The company mentioned that it would be providing these customers with another good way of purchasing iPad, Mac, iPhone, Apple Watch and more products.
Apparently, authorized Apple resellers in India include Sangeetha, Chroma and Reliance Digital, which are majorly offline sellers and consider themselves as competitors of Amazon. The only online reseller authorized by Apple in India so far is Infibeam. However, according to industry experts, Amazon can easily make Cloudtail a certified reseller of Apple products, as Amazon holds 49 percent in Cloudtail.
Research director at Counterpoint Research, Neil Shah, mentioned that this alliance could help Apple to take on OnePlus, that has come to be a leading player in the market of premium smartphone with the help of Amazon. Furthermore, this deal for Amazon India with Apple, could offer it a way to counter a collaboration between Flipkart and Google, through which Google sells its Pixel devices.
Shah said that about one-third of total sales in India for Apple comes from online channel and Flipkart has sold more iPhones compared to Amazon. Since Amazon would delist third-party sellers of iPhone, prices for these devices could come to be more coherent both offline and online. This can put pressure on Amazon, as it attempts to grab the market share from competitors by offering low prices.


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On February 8, 2022 Joe Biden announced that he was going to spend huge amounts of other people’s money to buy half a million EV recharging stations from an Australian company called Tritium.
“President Biden Delivers Remarks on his Administration’s Work to …… Lower Energy Costs for Americans”
Since then, energy prices have skyrocketed.
Tritium’s US President Mike Scalise says :
“Electric vehicles (EVs) are undoubtedly the future of transportation.”
Twenty years ago I was hired by Mike Scalise to be VP of Technology at a company located in Bristol, England. They were designing a special purpose coprocessor for speeding up mathematics calculations. The product looked good on paper, but I wrote a simulator for it and discovered the performance was atrocious. I sent out an email to the engineering team with the performance results showing their design was grossly inadequate and had no value as a product. Mike immediately called me up and told me to keep quiet, because product sales depended on people believing the product was valuable.
One of their potential customers was the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado whom I had introduced to their product. After Mike said my job depended on keeping quiet, I went to NCAR and told them not to buy the design because it would actually slow their computing down. Needless to say, NCAR didn’t buy the product and I was quickly terminated.
Mike’s sales approach was to talk quickly and endlessly until people would sign a contract just to get him to stop talking. He was the #1 salesman at Intel from using this approach. He also loved to tell stories about his lap dances at titty bars. He is the right man for the job selling the imaginary future of EV transportation.


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German tier 1 supplier Continental has announced its financial performance for the first quarter of CY2023, which it says are “solid results, in line with its expectations”.
The company achieved consolidated sales of 10.3 billion euro (Rs 90,516 crore), a growth of 11 percent, adjusted EBIT margin of 5.6 percent and a net income of 382 million euro (Rs 3,357 crore), up 59.6 percent.
It anticipates a further improvement in earnings over the course of the year, in particular, due to rising production numbers for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, inflation-related price adjustments and cost discipline. As a result of inflation, the company expects to incur additional costs in 2023 of around 1.7 billion euro (Rs 14,939 crore) for materials, wages and salaries as well as energy and logistics. Continental is maintaining its outlook for 2023.
Nikolai Setzer, CEO, Continental said, “The good start to the year by our Tires group sector and the earnings performance of ContiTech are encouraging. Furthermore, Automotive’s earnings were up slightly, marking a strong improvement compared to the same quarter of last year. As we predicted, the group sector’s earnings in the first quarter were below our full-year forecast and are expected to increase as the year progresses.”
Katja Durrfeld, CFO, Continental said, “The negative free cash flow was caused by two main reasons: increased inventories to maintain our supply chains and a high level of receivables. We plan to reduce both over the course of the year. Free cash flow will therefore improve significantly as the year progresses, additionally supported by the increase in earnings. Overall, we started 2023 in line with expectations and are therefore maintaining our full-year outlook.”
The German company anticipates consolidated sales for fiscal 2023 of around 42 billion euro (Rs 369,096 crore) to 45 billion euro (Rs 395,460 crore) and an adjusted EBIT margin of around 5.5 to 6.5 percent. This includes additional costs of around 1.7 billion euro as a result of the price increases for materials, wages and salaries as well as energy and logistics. Adjusted free cash flow for the current year is expected to be around 0.8 billion euro (Rs 7,030 crore) to 1.2 billion euro (Rs 10,545 crore).
New business orders
The global production of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles weakened slightly compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 (Q4 2022: 21.9 million units) but increased year-on-year, according to preliminary figures. Compared with the first quarter of 2022, it rose by around 6 percent to 21.1 million units (Q1 2022: 19.9 million units).
For the year as a whole, Continental continues to expect the global production of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles to increase by 2 to 4 percent compared with the previous year’s figure of around 82.3 million vehicles.
Continental says for its Automotive group sector, sales increased by 18.1 percent to 5.0 billion euro (Q1 2022: 4.2 billion euro). With its sales growing organically by 17.1 percent before exchange-rate effects and changes in the scope of consolidation and global automotive production rising only by around 6 percent, the group sector again outperformed the market.
In addition, it has recorded a high volume in the Automotive group sector. This amounted to around 6.6 billion euro (Rs 58,000 crore), up 13.3 percent in the first three months of 2023 and included a major order in the Autonomous Mobility business area worth around 1.7 billion euro (Rs 14,940 crore) for 360-degree radar coverage from front, rear, side and long-range radars. They ensure the all-round monitoring of a vehicle’s surroundings, thus increasing road safety.
In addition, the Autonomous Mobility business area has also announced an exclusive partnership with Aurora Innovation. Together, the partners will bring autonomous trucking systems to the American market – as early as 2027. The system will be available to carriers and commercial fleet operators across the USA and will help reduce costs to facilitate broader adoption. Continental will contribute not only to the entire hardware system but also to a complete fallback system.
From May the ContiTech group sector is being strategically aligned with the aim of enhancing its impact and efficiency, and improving customer and market proximity. The group sector, which specializes in material applications, will step up its focus on expanding its industrial business. ContiTech will also consolidate its automotive original-equipment business to generate synergies.
With this realignment, ContiTech will create the conditions required for its development from a conventional product supplier to a provider of integrated solutions. The group sector also aims to respond in a more integrated manner than before to the constantly changing requirements of its customers in the various markets and industries.


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Moderate retail volume growth was recorded in cooking ingredients and meals in Serbia during 2022 as the recovery of the country’s consumer foodservice industry and the rising cost of living put strong pressure on demand. Serbians are known for dining out very often and thus the complete lifting of social distancing restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus at the peak of the pandemic led to significant pressure coming on retail sales of cooking ingredients and meals as consumers returned to restaurants, bars and cafés, rather than preparing meals at home from scratch using fresh ingredients.
The return to pre-COVID-19 lifestyles has created the preconditions for consumers to demand lower volumes of cooking ingredients and meals and this is tied to the fact that consumers are spending more time socialising outside of the home than they did during the pandemic. Serbian people are known for their love of dining out and socialising with friends and family in bars, cafés and restaurants and this meant that a major increase was seen in demand for consumer foodservice as soon as social distancing regulations were relaxed to the point that people felt comfortable socialising outside of the home once again.
The influence of private label is growing generally in Serbian as significant numbers of consumers come to accept that private label offers the same quality as most branded goods and that their much lower prices mean better value for money. With high inflation and the cost of living crisis meaning that many consumers are struggling to meet their financial commitments, the leading brands across all important categories of cooking ingredients and meals are finding it difficult to maintain consumer loyalty.
2022 witnessed a return to pre-COVID-19 shopping behaviours among much of the Serbian population, which meant good news for the leading manufacturers and retailers of cooking ingredients and meals. The leading store-based retailers improved the shopping experience in their stores by offering quick service , which meant reduced checkout times and greater convenience.
The main influence on cooking ingredients and meals during the forecast period is expected to be the high inflation that is being seen in Serbia and the address and uncertain economic environment in Europe generally. This situation is set to continue putting pressure on consumer purchasing power, resulting in further price sensitivity among the population and a tendency to economise among all but the most affluent consumers.
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The Star 12 Apr 16;
GEORGE TOWN: Even durians have taken a hit from the heat. Durian lovers will be disappointed to learn that the supply of the King of Fruits is expected to drop by up to 40% due to the hot weather.
Bao Sheng Durian Farm owner Chang Zhi Vooi said the prolonged heatwave had badly affected the durian trees.
“Due to the hot weather, the trees are not getting enough water and we have to water them everyday.
“There are seven water pipes to ‘shower’ the trees every four hours,” he said yesterday.
Chang, a third-generation farmer, said many unripe fruits had dropped off.
However, he pointed out that the durian season this year could be longer as new flowers were still blooming.
“This year, we can expect durians from May until the end of July.
“However, it will be a smaller harvest compared to last year. A tree can produce more than 200 fruits, but this year, we may get only about 100 plus,” he said.
Green Acre Sustainable Farm owner Eric Chong said the supply in his orchard was expected to drop by between 25% and 30%.
“One of my Little Red durian trees is also dying as the fruits are absorbing the nutrients from the tree, thus leaving it without the necessary minerals to survive,” he said.
Chong is hoping for rain to come soon.
Meanwhile, Penang Water Supply Corporation Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Jaseni Maidinsa has reminded Penangites to continue conserving water and use it wisely.
“The capacity at the Air Itam Dam stands at 61%, which can last for 60 days,” he said.
First durian harvest in May
JOLYNN FRANCIS The Star 19 Apr 16;
BALIK PULAU: Durian lovers can expect to sink their teeth into the first batch of the D604 and Kunpoh Angbak from May 1 onwards.
Bao Sheng Durian Farm owner Chang Teik Seng said these would be followed by the Lipan, D600, Kapri, Little Red, D11, Horlor, Green Skin, Green Skin Ang Bak, Kunjit, Lim Fong Jiao, and Mausan.
“All of the above will be available from May, with some spilling over to June and July.
“In June, the Black Thorn, D99, Bak Eu, D15 and Ganjau will be available while the Red Prawn will only make its appearance from July 10 onwards,” he said here yesterday.
Although Chang is struggling with the dry weather and experiencing a drop of about 40% in harvest, he said his durian trees were coping well – thanks to the organic farming methods he had adopted about 20 years ago.
“By practising organic farming, my durian trees live and last longer, and are not badly affected by any changes in the weather.
Quality harvest: Chang and his son Zi Vooi admiring the fruits of his orchard in Balik Pulau.
Quality harvest: Chang and his son Zi Vooi admiring the fruits of his orchard in Balik Pulau,
“They are also not attacked by diseases so easily. The worms and bugs in the organic soil also help keep it moist.
“The grass, which is free of pesticides, can add moisture to the soil.
“If it is too hot, the flowers will dry up but if there is too much water, the flowers will keep growing. However, they will eventually drop on their own as it is too wet,” Chang added.
He noted that it would be ideal for the trees if it rained for half an hour each week.
“If it rains too many times or doesn’t rain at all in a week, it’s bad.
“If the rain is heavy, 10 minutes will be enough,” he said.
He added that even though the quantity of the harvest might be down due to the dry weather, the quality would be good.
“This year, the durians will taste better. The trees are not producing new leaves, so all the nutrients will go to the fruits,” Chang said.
The Star 12 Apr 16;


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16 October 2019 17:55
THE owner of the camera shop chain Jessops is poised to go into administration, plunging the chain's future into doubt for the second time in six years. The business was bought out of administration by Dragon's Den star Peter Jones in 2013. All its 187 stores had already closed with the loss of almost 1,500 jobs, but Mr Jones relaunched the business and re-hired many former staff. However, the company has not turned a profit since then and its property arm, JR Prop Ltd, has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. It is reported that Mr Jones is seeking a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) with creditors to shut unprofitable sites and cut rents.
The holding company for the 46 shops, Jessops Europe, would not go into administration. The 2013 administration led to the closure of Jessops stores at Castlepoint and Poole's Dolphin Centre. A branch in central Bournemouth had closed the previous year. It still has a branch at Southampton's Westquay.


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Image source: Apple.
The new TV app from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a great content aggregator. It collects all of the various video content consumers have access to through iTunes downloads, stand-alone streaming services, and on-demand streaming services that use pay-TV credentials. But there are a couple of major omissions: Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN).
Those omissions have led many people to criticize the app, since at least 50 million Americans watch some of their television through Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video. That severely limits Apple's new app in its ability to find and recommend the best content for each user. What's more, it's unlikely Netflix will ever sign on.
Netflix gets a lot of value out of controlling its user experience
The big issue with Apple's TV app, from Netflix's standpoint, is that it cedes control of the user experience to Apple. That could be good for stand-alone networks and online pay-TV streaming portals, which generally have poor user interfaces and low adoption. But for Netflix, which has a quality user interface and strong adoption, it's unnecessary and even detrimental to its business.
Most egregiously, Apple would take over the content recommendation from Netflix, something Netflix relies on to improve watch time and churn. Earlier this year, Netflix published a paper claiming its recommendation engine saves the company $1 billion per year. "When produced and used correctly," the authors say, "recommendations lead to meaningful increases in overall engagement with the product (e.g., streaming hours) and lower subscription cancellations rates."
Additionally, the TV app removes a lot of branding from the user interface. That could have a negative impact on churn for a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video. If it's more unclear where this content is coming from, it's harder for users to justify $10 a month for one of those services.
Overall, it's more likely services with a strong brand and user interface such as Netflix or Amazon will see a negative impact from Apple's TV app than the potential positives.
Netflix wants its data all to itself
On top of the potential detriments to Netflix's user experience, Netflix's participation in the TV app would open up a lot of its data to Apple. Netflix is historically very private about its viewer data, as is Amazon. It won't even share its data with the people responsible for creating its original content.
Netflix's viewer data is one of its biggest competitive advantages. It lets it spend its content budget effectively and efficiently. It's also one of the reasons its original series have managed to become so popular.
With Apple's increasing interest in producing original video content -- starting with Apple Music exclusives -- Netflix's viewer data would be immensely valuable. On the flip side, for Netflix to let its data fall into the hands of Apple could give rise to another big competitor.
Even if the adoption rate of Apple's TV app remains relatively low, Netflix's participation would probably generate a significant increase in adoption. As a result, evaluating the impact of Netflix's inclusion is difficult. Management is best off staying on the sidelines and focusing on drawing consumers to its app. Giving up control of both its user experience and data is too risky, given the huge benefits each provide Netflix.
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Adam Levy owns shares of Amazon.com and Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon.com, Apple, and Netflix. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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ELBOW GREASE: Only 76 Lexus vehicles in South Africa are affected by the latest Toyota recall. The "special service" fixes a possible problem that may lead to the loss of power steering.
Toyota is recalling 550 000 vehicles worldwide to replace an engine component that could hamper steering, the Japanese automaker said recently.
The latest recall involves Toyota and Lexus cars worldwide although only 76 RX 300 cars sold in South Africa between 2004 and 2005 are affected. Toyota SA said it is busy contacting affected customers.
The recall relates to an outer ring on the crankshaft pulley on six-cylinder engines that may not align with the inner ring. This could cause a component of the power steering pump to detach from the pulley, requiring more effort from the driver to steer.
However, "no problems of this nature were recorded on the African continent," Toyota SA told Wheels24.


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Fon Mathuros, Head of Media, World Economic Forum: Tel.: +41 (0)79 201 0211; Email: email@example.com
· Eighty South-East Asia start-ups selected to participate at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN meeting
· The meeting will take place from 11 to 13 September under the theme, ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution
· Click here to see the full list of selected start-ups
· For more information about the meeting: http://wef.ch/asean18
Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 8 September 2018 – Some of the most innovative start-up companies from the ASEAN region will be featured for the first time at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, on 11-13 September.
Nearly 300 start-ups from across South-East Asia applied to join the meeting. The 80 start-ups who will take part at the meeting were selected by a panel of judges from start-up accelerators, venture capital funds, technology experts and media leaders.
The start-ups selected come from across the region and represent a wide variety of sectors, from financial services, logistics and e-commerce to agriculture, media and healthcare. The products and services they are developing range from smart fertilizers that reduce nitrous-oxide emissions (a potent greenhouse gas) to sharia-compliant bitcoins to new healthcare options for elderly care.
“We expect the start-ups to make an important contribution to shaping the debates at the meeting about the impact and course of new technologies and disruptive business models. We believe that they will enrich important discussions about how to upgrade innovation ecosystems and promote entrepreneurship,” said Justin Wood, Head of Asia Pacific and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum. “The start-ups will also benefit from their interactions with the other 1,000 participants at the summit, including 90 government ministers and 600 business leaders from more established companies.”
During the meeting, the start-ups will be fully involved in the official programme but will also have their own dedicated programme track to discuss critical issues facing entrepreneurs, from finding finance to achieving regional scale with limited resources. There will also be a dedicated “hub” for the start-ups to share their stories of disruption and transformation. Once the meeting is over, the Forum hopes to establish a permanent community for the start-ups to support their growth and development.
“The theme of the meeting is ASEAN 4.0: Entrepreneurship and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which reflects the significant transformations and disruptions that are now unfolding across South East Asia,” noted Wood. “One of the important responses to the challenges raised by disruptive technologies is entrepreneurship. It is through innovation that the region will grow the companies, shape the policies and build the economic systems of the future.”
The Co-Chairs of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN are: Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, Chief Executive Officer, Plan International, United Kingdom; Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance of Indonesia; Kang Kyung-Wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea; Nazir Razak, Chairman, CIMB Group Holdings, Malaysia; Nguyen Manh Hung, Acting Minister of Information and Communications of Viet Nam; and Kevin Sneader, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Notes to editors
Learn more about this meeting at http://wef.ch/asean18
Click here to see the full list of selected start-ups
Follow insights of the region on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wefasia/
Watch live webcasts of sessions at http://wef.ch/live
View the best Forum Flickr photos at http://wef.ch/pix
Follow us on Google+ at http://wef.ch/gplus
Read our blogs in English at http://wef.ch/agenda
View upcoming Forum events at http://wef.ch/events
Subscribe to Forum news releases at http://wef.ch/news


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Constellation Brands Inc., the world’s largest wine company, rose the most in almost two months after reporting second-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates, helped by sales in North America.
Constellation advanced $1.68, or 9 percent, to $20.40 at 4:15 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, the biggest gain since Aug. 9. The shares had declined 7.9 percent this year.
Chief Executive Officer Robert Sands sold the company’s Australian and U.K. wine operations this year to focus on the North American unit. The overseas wine businesses were unprofitable in the year-ago period, according to Tim Ramey, an analyst for D.A. Davidson & Co. in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
“The stars are aligning,” Ramey said today in a note. Constellation has generated “impressive” cash flow “and put this cash to work creating significant value for shareholders.”
Constellation’s free cash flow totaled $478 million in the six months ended in August, up from $263 million in the same period last year. The cash will help Constellation pay debt while buying back shares, Sands said today on a conference call.
Net income rose 78 percent to $162.7 million, or 76 cents a share, from $91.3 million, or 43 cents, a year ago, the Victor, New York-based company said today in a statement. Excluding restructuring charges and other items, profit of 77 cents beat the 66-cent average of 9 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
The company’s brands include Robert Mondavi and Clos Du Bois wines. Revenue fell 20 percent to $690.2 million, primarily because of the sale of its Australian and U.K. wine business. Sales in North America rose 5 percent.
With stock repurchases and a tax-rate benefit, profit in fiscal 2012 will be as much as $2.10 a share. Excluding those items, Constellation reiterated its previous projection of a maximum of $2 a share on a conference call today. Analysts predicted $1.96, the average of 10 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.


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Nominations have opened for the 2022 arable industry awards.
“We are on the hunt for our (industry’s) tall poppies, not to chop them down but to celebrate their achievements and to inspire others,” Federated Farmers arable industry chair Colin Hurst said.
“We are a sector that generates $800 million of sales a year, $260m of that in exports, and we’re determined to better highlight to fellow New Zealanders the role we play.”
The innovators and heroes of NZ’s arable industry will be recognised at an awards event next month.
This is an event put together by industry for industry, Hurst said.
Federated Farmers, the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), United Wheatgrowers (UWG) and the NZ Grain and Seed Trade Association are working together to make the awards a showcase of the sector’s people and products, recognising, celebrating and rewarding excellence.
“Our industry involves more than $2 billion in annual direct and indirect spending and 11,310 full-time equivalent jobs.
“Not only are we world leaders in seed production, but we also grow 60% of the world’s radish seed, 50% of white clover seed and 40% of global carrot seed.
“The maize, feed and grass seeds we grow are also crucial for the NZ dairy and meat producers who drive the lion’s share of our export receipts.
“Home-grown wheat for bread products assumes even more importance with supply chain disruption and the war in Ukraine and our thriving brewing industry soaks up our barley,” Hurst said.
The growing diversity and impact of the arable industry is reflected in the fact that the 2022 awards have been expanded to eight categories, FAR chief executive Alison Stewart said.
“As well as recognising top maize, cereal and seed growers and a standout agronomist, there are awards for emerging talent, environment and sustainability, innovation and an arable food champion award open to both growers and those innovators who turn our seeds and grains into end products that consumers want to snap up,” Stewart said.
An overall winner will be chosen from the eight category winners.
“We’re building this event up to be a must attend on the arable sector calendar.
“It’s time the arable industry stood up and told the rest of NZ just how good we are, she said.
The awards event will be held at the Te Pai convention centre, Christchurch, on August 4.
Nominations are open at www.arableawards.co.nz


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Underpinned by steady trade in prime cattle, store sales have been buoyant with cattle selling well.
Longer-keep cattle have been less desirable due to the late spring, but the tide is starting to turn with auctioneers predicting the spring boost is just around the corner.
AHDB store cattle averages for England and Wales for the week ending 7 April reflect this, with continental cross two-year-old steers up £14.10/head on the week, but all other continental cross stores were back slightly on the week.
The price dip was most prominent among yearlings, with steers back £58.53 a head to £857.32 and heifers back £64.46 a head to £732.53.
Leek and Bakewell
A combined total of 1,120 stores went through the rings at Bakewell (Monday 16 April) and Leek (Saturday 14 April), where delayed turnout dampened trade for younger sorts.
Steer averages were back by £88.19 at Leek, where trade levelled at £752.81 for 282 offerings. Heifers also saw a slight dip from the previous week’s trade (31 March) of £712.25 to level at £687.15 for the same number of 282 forward.
However, at Bakewell, steer averages were up slightly, by £24, with 255 averaging £808 and topping at £1,160 for a 21-month-old Charolais.
Bagshaws auctioneer Mark Elliot said smaller stores were a shade more difficult to sell compared with larger and better-meated cattle over 16 months of age, regardless of type.
“They are not massively down but they are harder to sell. But the bigger cattle have been exceptionally good trade and they are still a good trade.”
But he predicted a lift in trade for younger cattle in a “matter of weeks”.
At Monmouthshire Market in South Wales, auctioneers reported that trade was buoyant for all stores, with smaller and especially the better-fleshed animals selling well.
Phil Anstey, market manager at Monmouthshire Livestock Auctioneers, said: “Last week was definitely sharper. Buyers are thinking that there’s a bit more grass and spring is coming.”
Throughput and prices were up on the year at the last store sale on Wednesday (11 April), with 337 stores forward and feeding and grazing stores easily sold, despite dismal weather on the day.
The top price of £1,460 was paid for 23-month-old Charolais crosses from MR Smith.
Feeding heifers peaked at £1,210 for 620kg Limousin crosses from R Davies, and yearling heifers sold to £815.
However, 10-month-old continental heifers are not quite as sought-after as they were a month ago.
Trade has been similarly strong in the Scottish Highlands, although auctioneers say the weather and grass situation means they haven’t witnessed the spring boost in prices yet.
Numbers and prices sold are about on a par with last year, said Ian Tolmie, auctioneer and managing director of Dingwall and Highland Marts.
Last week’s store sale saw 246 bullocks average 240.7p/kg, with trade peaking at 276.3p/kg for a 380kg Charolais cross from 2 Lochend, Thurso.
A good-quality show of breeding heifers sold well, with 233 heifers averaging 227.3p/kg and selling to 285.1p/kg and £1,220 gross for a pair of 428kg Simmental crosses from Torgorm, Canon Bridge.
Demand was healthy for both grazing and nearly finished sorts, with prices for the longer-keep cattle the only ones affected slightly by the lack of grass.
“We have seen a ready demand for heifers because they will finish sooner and won’t get out of spec,” said Mr Tolmie.
“But you would be right to say the younger and very small cattle have been most affected, but not overly so. It is wonderful that trade is as strong as it is, given the lack of grass.”
- £12.81 Prices for steers in Scotland are firmer and are down by only this amount
- £797 Average price a head for yearling steers in England and Wales, according to AHDB
- £1,109 Average price a head for 12- to 18-month-old steers in Scotland, according to AHDB.


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Last week, New York Times columnist Timothy Egan penned a scathing critique of Walmart’s corporate culture. In an article entitled “The Corporate Daddy,” Egan claims Walmart is a “net drain on taxpayers” that forces “employees into public assistance with its poverty-wage structure” among other things.
Instead of sitting by idly, Walmart decided to hit back against the claims. In a blog post, Walmart’s vice president of corporate communications David Tovar fact checked the Times article – tearing through Egan’s piece with a red pen just like a high school English teacher.
“Did you see what the New York Times did to Walmart,” Glenn asked on radio this morning. “I mean, oh my God, Walmart was genius in this… It's really brilliant.”
Tovar published the blog post on Friday and explained Walmart “couldn't overlook how wildly inaccurate” the Times article was, so they decided to have “some fun with it.”
Below is the article with Tovar's "corrections":
“It's really so sloppy by the New York Times,” Stu said of the article. “I mean they don't even understand their facts at all. PolitiFact is no friend of Walmart in the right, but they even said this is a giant lie.”
In the blog, Tovar pointed out that Walmart is the “largest tax payer in America” and has hired more than 42,000 veterans this year alone. Furthermore, Walmart pays the average full-time associate $12.91 an hour.
Ultimately, Tovar believes the Times should have picked a different angle for the piece.
“Better idea for the piece,” Tovar wrote. “Could focus on bringing back U.S. manufacturing (Walmart is buying $250 billion in US products over 10 years) and expanding education, training and workforce development programs. i.e. things that will make a bigger difference, not just focusing on starting wages.”
“Since when did we become the this country where you can't run your business the way you want to. You know,” Glenn asked. “Since when did we have to lie about businesses because we hate business so much? We're trying to create jobs, and yet we hate business? How is that? How does that work for anybody?”
At the end of the day, Pat believes the deep-seated hatred of Walmart boils down the company’s refusal to play by the left’s rules.
“The hatred of Walmart is just irrational. But I think it has to do with the fact that… they've resisted unionizing and that just drives the left out of their mind. They can't stand the fact that the largest employer in the world is not a union shop. And if it were, it wouldn't be Walmart anymore.”


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Another set of UMi branded earphones have been launched and they are already available through Amazon.
UMi have a year of earphone launches under their belts and they look set to keep on producing audio centric accessories.
The DIVOIX DV550 earphones are their newest and also the companies first dual driver earphones. UMi say that the dual dynamic driver design has separate woofers for a better audio experience, and the coaxial river an independent cavity offers crystal clarity.
UMi are likely to launch more earphone and headphones over the year, but if you wanted a pair of the DIVOIX DV550 you can either pick them up on Amazon for £15.99 or enter to win a free pair on UMi’s Facebook page.
Gizchina News of the week
In other UMi news, the phone maker is celebrating 100,000 fans on it’s Facebook hence the giveaway. For more details check our Facebook.


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Posted Thu, Jul 21, 2005 by Boomjack
GameSpot puts the screws to Scott Brown.
GameSpot has posted an Auto Assault Interview with NetDevil president Scott Brown. Sleep deprivation, hunger and things we simply can't write about here resulted in the following:
"NetDevil is set to broaden its beta test soon for Auto Assault, the online role-playing game where you get to participate in high-speed vehicular combat in a postapocalyptic world. In Auto Assault, you will create a character based on one of three races, take on missions, upgrade your vehicle and weapons, and blow up everything in the world while you're at it. And as you can probably tell, Auto Assault is certainly a change of pace from conventional online role-playing games, which rely on swords and sorcery. The broadening of a beta test is an important milestone for many online RPGs, as it signifies that most of the content is locked down and now needs to be tested on a larger scale. We caught up with NetDevil president Scott Brown for a progress report, and he gave us some interesting details on the game, thus far."
You can read the entire Auto Assault Interview at GameSpot.


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Visa and Mastercard, two of the world’s largest payment service providers, have announced that they have ceased all operations in Russia effective immediately, with transactions to cease over the coming days — joining PayPal in the corporate-driven move to sanction the country.
Once the cessation of services is complete, all cards issued within Russia will no longer work outside the country, and any cards issued outside Russia will no longer work within the Russian Federation, it said.
“We are compelled to act following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and the unacceptable events that we have witnessed,” said Al Kelly, CEO of Visa Inc. “We regret the impact this will have on our valued colleagues, and on the clients, partners, merchants and cardholders we serve in Russia. This war and the ongoing threat to peace and stability demand we respond in line with our values.”
“This decision flows from our recent action to block multiple financial institutions from the Mastercard payment network, as required by regulators globally,” stated Mastercard in a press release. “With this action, cards issued by Russian banks will no longer be supported by the Mastercard network. And, any Mastercard issued outside of the country will not work at Russian merchants or ATMs.”
“We don’t take this decision lightly,” the release continued. “Mastercard has operated in Russia for more than 25 years. We have nearly 200 colleagues there who make this company so critical to many stakeholders. As we take these steps, we will continue to focus on their safety and well-being, including continuing to provide pay and benefits. When it is appropriate, and if it is permissible under the law, we will use their passion and creativity to work to restore operations.”
The companies’ move to terminate services in the Russian Federation comes amid a global push, driven by major companies from different sectors around the world, to restrict the Russian economy amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The move comes as PayPal on Saturday announced its suspension of services in Russia, citing the war with Ukraine, CNBC reported.
“Under the current circumstances, we are suspending PayPal services in Russia,” said Dan Schulman, PayPal’s CEO, in a letter addressed to the Ukrainian government. The move came after Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Federov issued letters to corporations, payment processors, video game companies and others to ban Russians from using their services and products.
“So now it’s official: PayPal shuts down its services in Russia citing Ukraine aggression,” Fedorov tweeted Saturday. “Thank you @PayPal for your supporting!”
Over the past week, many sectors in Russia saw suspensions, ranging from technology and entertainment, to automotive and energy. The move comes from the private sector, separate from the sanctions imposed by European Union members states, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
As previously detailed by Rebel News, the western sanctions are heavily impacting the daily lives of average Russians.
Big Tech giants Apple and Google have opted to block their services to Russians following the Biden administration’s efforts to put the squeeze on the Russian economy. The move to suspend certain services used by Russian citizens is now causing chaos in the Moscow metro system.
Social media platform YouTube also decided to block Russian state-run media outlets, Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, while Google blocked their mobile applications from being downloaded through its app store.


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GPS devices are great, but sometimes I want to throw mine out the window. There’s something so obnoxious about the Garmin voice, especially when you disregard its navigation choice and it tells you it’s “reCALCulating” in that disapproving tone. A new haptic steering wheel concept would be so much friendlier! Instead of smarmy commentary, the wheel simply vibrates to tell you which way to turn.
The European Space Agency announced plans today to launch a privately built snub-nosed space bullet, which sort of resembles a wingless, truncated space shuttle, within the next two years. Thales Alenia Space, builder of several International Space Station components and many European satellites, is manufacturing the spacecraft.
The days of rummaging for your cellphone may be over. Bluetooth-enabled timepieces now pull all your phone alerts right to your wrist. Eventually, these watches will communicate directly with the Web and serve as mobile hotspots on their own.
By Joshua Saul
Posted 05.20.2011 at 11:03 am 7 Comments
In 2006, Darpa, the Department of Defense’s R&D arm, commissioned AeroVironment, a company specializing in remote aircraft, to create an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) small enough to fly through an open window. AeroVironment had already built the 4.5-foot-wingspan Raven, which first saw combat over Afghanistan in 2003, but making a UAV so much smaller took five years and 300 different wing designs.
Imagine bringing down World of Warcraft enemies with merely an icy stare. A new laptop prototype, developed jointly by Lenovo and eye-tracking specialist Tobii, is the first notebook you can control with your eyes. The 15-inch computer can run gaze-based apps that automatically close when you look away and reopen when you look back, or games that let you aim weapons with your eyes.
Lenovo and Swedish eye-control company Tobii have teamed up for a laptop prototype that uses eye-tracking tech to trigger certain actions on the computer. We've seen this idea before with smartphones, but the laptop's bigger size and increased power makes it much more suitable--even useful, if Engadget's hands-on is any indication.
They're not making any more real estate; not until we colonize other planets at least. Laying out our dead horizontally, and leaving them in peace forever, is becoming an expensive proposition. That's why inventor Donald Scruggs has come up with the screw-in coffin.
Holding a body vertically, it is screwed down into the ground securely, to optimize graveyards' use of space.
In an unprecedented lapse for one of the world's most secretive companies, Apple has lost control of what appears to be a late-stage prototype of the next version of the iPhone. And unluckily for them, the lost bird found its way into Gizmodo's hands. They've splayed it open for all to see, similar to how Steve Jobs is now hoping to splay open whomever lost his top-secret phone.
Get ready for a firefighting vehicle that might have arrived from your old Saturday morning GI Joe cartoons. Yanko has showcased an ATV design by Liam Ferguson that can carry remotely-operated water cannons and a two-person crew into the heart of a raging blaze, and emerge unscathed.
Microsoft will debut a new keyboard prototype in October that adds a new layer of functionality: pressure sensitivity. By including sensors underneath the entire keyboard, each key is capable of detecting pressure, which it captures at 8-bit resolution. By striking a key with varying degrees of force, you can carry out higher-level actions like deleting entire words instead of letters, or having a video game character run and jump at different speeds and heights.
This shiny little black car is the first real Chevy Volt—the first of many hand-built but bona-fide production-intent prototypes that will roll out of GM’s pre-production workshop in the coming weeks. This car is the next big step in the production process after the testing of the Volt “mules”—test cars with a Chevy Cruze body and a Volt powertrain. (We drove one of the mules last month; see our full review here.)
27 hydraulic cylinders bring the mechs to life, its movements matching those of the person inside it
By Charles Crain
Posted 06.08.2009 at 10:37 am 69 Comments
Carlos Owens had handled all kinds of machines as an army mechanic, but he always dreamed of using those skills for one project: his own "mecha,” a giant metal robot that could mirror the movements of its human pilot.
Today Mitsubishi unveiled the production version of the iMiEV, the company’s pure-electric car, and announced that it will come to market pretty much right away—next month, in Japan. (No North American launch date has been announced.) Mitsubishi is calling the four-seat minicar the “ultimate eco-car,” the first step toward making EVs 20 percent of its business by 2020.
The foot-controlled "Luke" prosthetic arm may not win any lightsaber fights, but it could soon lend a helping hand to wounded warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. A three-year study by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is slated to provide engineering feedback before widespread distribution to veterans, according to an announcement last week.
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.


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The installment in the 2023 Rolling Loud festival returns to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on July 21-23. Fans around the world will be able to watch the performances via Amazon Music.
“We are excited to team up with Amazon Music to bring Rolling Loud Miami to the masses,” said Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, Rolling Loud Festival co-founders.
Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif added, “Miami is our flagship festival and Hip-Hop’s biggest stage, and with the help of Amazon Music, we can show millions of people what Rolling Loud is all about.”
Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, and Playboi Carti will headline Rolling Loud Miami 2023. The lineup also features Lil Durk, Lil Yachty, Ice Spice, Trippie Redd, GloRilla, Coi Leray, Don Toliver, Offset, Latto, Central Cee, and more.
Florida’s own Kodak Black will be Friday night’s special guest. Atlanta-raised rapper 21 Savage takes on the special guest spot for the Saturday show. Philadelphia native Lil Uzi Vert is Sunday’s scheduled special guest.
Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif started Rolling Loud as a one-day Miami concert. Since its inception in 2015, the brand has expanded to present shows in California and New York. Festivalgoers in overseas locations such as Portugal, Germany, and Thailand have also experienced the Hip Hop event.


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- One content trend at veterinary conferences and in the overall veterinary industry is the use of cannabis and CBD in veterinary medicine.
- This was determined to be a trend based on the fact that it is trending in the overall veterinary industry and that the research team found multiple veterinary conferences with sessions focusing on cannabis/cbd.
- At the DMV 360 conference scheduled for November 2020, two sessions were found focused on cannabis, one session is titled “Cannabinoid Therapeutics and Their Future in Veterinary Medicine” and one titled “Cannabinoids: The next big thing, that’s only getting bigger.”
- The US Vet Show @ Home, an online conference for 2020, there is a session titled “Cannabis Real Talk: What Science Says.”
- At the virtual AVMA 2020 conference, there were sessions titled “Perspectives from a Veterinary Oncologist on Potential Clinical Needs for Cannabis Derived Products” and “Cannabis Toxicosis in Veterinary Companion Animals.”
- The AVMA also hosted a Cannabis Symposium as part of their larger conference (mentioned above), stating that this was “AVMA’s first symposium dedicated to cannabis.” As it is the first symposium dedicated to cannabis, it illustrates the rising importance of cannabis in veterinary medicine.
- One content trend at veterinary conferences and in the overall veterinary industry is encouraging diversity within the veterinary field.
- This was determined to be a trend based on the fact that it is trending in the overall veterinary industry and that the research team found multiple veterinary conferences with sessions focusing on diversity.
- The online US Vet Show @ Home has sessions titled “Leveraging Information to Combat the Pay Gap” and hosts events by PrideVMC, an organization that offers educational opportunities to support the LGBTQ+ veterinary community.
- The DMV 360 conference has a live discussion panel focused on diversity.
- The AVMA 2020 conference has multiple session focused on diversity, one titled “Diversity and Inclusion: Past, Present, and Future”, another titled “The Impact of Unconscious Communications Patterns on Wellbeing in Veterinary Professionals,” and lastly, a diversity and inclusion singing contest titled “Live Life, Love All.”
- Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, most veterinary conferences in 2020 and some planned for 2021 have shifted to virtual formats.
- This was determined to be a trend based on a review of multiple veterinary conferences adopting this trend.
- For example, VMX, the Veterinary Meeting and Expo, hosted by the North American Veterinary Community, scheduled for early 2021, is planning to host both in-person and online events. They state: “For the first time ever, access VMX wherever you are in the world, with live speakers, interactive sessions and OnDemand education. Experience this new way forward with VMX Virtual in its inaugural year!”
- The Vet Show generally hosts a series of conferences each year in different US cities. However, in 2020, organizers decided to host one conference virtually, titled the “Vet Show @ Home.” They state: “To thank you for all your hard work, these last few months especially, we’re bringing the magic of our live shows to the comfort of your own home (or anywhere you can access the internet).”
- The American Veterinary Medicine Association hosted their 2020 conference virtually, and recordings of all virtual sessions as well as the virtual exhibit is still available through the end of 2020. They state: “AVMA’s first Virtual Convention truly was powered by you. Thousands of veterinary professionals took part in three days of best-in-class CE, fun virtual events, and engaging exhibitors. Thank you to the 4000+ attendees who took part in the live event! We hope you enjoyed your experience.”
4. Extended Time Frame
- In tandem with the above trend of going virtual, multiple veterinary conferences for 2020 have extended the time frame for the conference material to be hosted online. This was determined to be a trend based on the fact that multiple veterinary conferences highlighted the extended access.
- For example, Vet Shows “expanded” to create the Vet Show Academy, which offers over 5,000 hours of CE credits for vets and vet techs from past Vet Show conferences, all hosted on the Vet Show Academy online platform.
- VMX Live is including a 90-day virtual pass after the event to access all recorded and virtual content.
- The AVMA conference, even though held in August, will be available online through the end of 2020, and registration for the event is open the entire time.
- The DMV 360 conference material will be available online for two weeks after the official conference dates.
5. Social Media
- Most veterinary conferences use social media to promote their conference, specifically the sites Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. This was observed from multiple top veterinary conferences, mentioned below.
- For example, the Fetch DMV 360 conference has a Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
- The Vet Show @ Home has a Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram as well.
- Additionally, veterinary conferences encourage attendees to post user generated content under expo hashtags. For example, the AVMA Convention encourages users to “join in the conversation by tagging your posts with #AVMA2020″ when posting on Facebook and Twitter.
- VMX encourages attendees to use the hashtag #VMX2021 on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
6. Email Newsletters
- Most veterinary conferences use email marketing to attract attendees, as identified by multiple conferences that promoted their email newsletters.
- For example, the Vet Show @ Home promotes their email sign up on their home page, stating “JOIN THE PAW-TY! SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER.”
- The AVMA Convention also promotes their email list, stating “sign up today for Convention news for the latest information and exclusive offers.”
- VMX also has an email newsletter, encouraging people to sign up by stating “Get your paws on the latest. Join our email list. You’ll be the first to know about the latest NAVC news, upcoming event details and more!”
- The Midwest Veterinary Conference highlights their email list as a way of staying up-to-date with conference information for their conference coming up in February 2021.


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Luke Cuenco 17.08.22
As we enter the late summer/early fall hunting season, Primary Arms is proud to announce that it has expanded its online offering of hunting gear, ammunition and firearms. The new Hunting category on the AP website will now feature more products that hunters know and love, as well as new products including blinds, ammo, firearms, apparel and other hunting gear. high quality hunting. Combined with some of Primary Arms’ frequent online sales, this could potentially be the best new way to gear up for hunting season while saving a few bucks.
Primary Arms expands product offering to include hunting gear
The new hunting assortment includes a wide selection of hunting-focused products including firearms, ammunition, sighting optics and tools, apparel and footwear, hunting accessories, hunting cameras, first aid and camping equipment. This is the first time Primary Arms has offered such a wide range of purpose-built hunting products, and customers will be delighted to know that it will carry Primary Arms’ commitment to exceptional prices and service every day.
The new Hunting category on the Primary Arms website will include other hunting items including hunting lights, general hunting gear like dry bags and camouflaged hunting gear, and the most popular firearms among hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Primary Arms will also be expanding their selection of ammunition deals to include more dedicated hunting cartridge deals, meaning you should be able to use PA and their many online deals to get geared up for hunting season in a one stop shop. For more information on the new hunting category on the AP website, you can visit http://primaryarms.com/hunting.
Primary Arms’ expansion into hunting is one of many expansions the online retailer recently announced. Earlier this year, Primary Arms unveiled a wider selection of tactical gear and apparel brands, now offering a significant selection of leisure and service apparel and footwear. Meanwhile, Primary Arms Optics recently launched new optics for the hunting market with its new SLx® HUNTER™ riflescopes, featuring 3-9x and 4-12x optics.


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WASHINGTON, D.C. – An international organization representing the wireless communications industry announced new commitments by providers that represent more than 97 percent of wireless consumers in the U.S. to send free alerts to help consumers avoid unexpected overage charges.
The joint announcement was made by CTIA-The Wireless Association® President & CEO Steve Largent, Federal Communications Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Consumers Union’s Communications Policy Counsel Parul Desai. The plan – called the “Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines” – will provide free alerts both before and after subscribers reach monthly limits on voice, data and text. In addition, the plan includes a notification to inform consumers of international roaming charges when traveling abroad. Subscribers will be covered by this plan unless they opt-out.
The CTIA “Wireless Consumer Usage Notification Guidelines” will become part of the broader CTIA “Consumer Code for Wireless Service” that provides disclosures and practices for wireless service to individual consumers. By Oct. 17, 2012 participating carriers will provide customers with at least two out of the four notifications for data, voice, text and international roaming and all of the alerts by April 17, 2013.
“Far too many Americans know what it’s like to open up their cell-phone bill and be shocked by hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected fees and charges,” said President Barack Obama said. “But we can put an end to that with a simple step: an alert warning consumers that they’re about to hit their limit before fees and charges add up. Our phones shouldn’t cost us more than the monthly rent or mortgage. So I appreciate the mobile phone companies’ willingness to work with my Administration and join us in our overall and ongoing efforts to protect American consumers by making sure financial transactions are fair, honest and transparent.”
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “Last year, the FCC identified a growing problem known as bill shock and took important steps toward a solution, which led to today’s victory for more than 97 percent of wireless consumers. These alerts will give consumers the information they need to save money on their monthly wireless bills. Consistent with the FCC’s ongoing efforts, these actions harness technology to empower consumers, and ensure consumers get a fair shake, not bill shock.”
“Verizon Wireless has a long-standing commitment to provide customers with the tools they need to manage and monitor their wireless lives,” said Kathleen Grillo, Verizon senior vice president for federal regulatory affairs. “The new CTIA usage-notification guidelines announced today are a win for consumers. For the first time, the industry has adopted a common standard for all wireless providers to expand usage-management tools for consumers. Verizon already offers customers a number of helpful free alerts and controls for usage-based data plans, and we’re pleased that the industry took the initiative to empower consumers with more information.”
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Developers have hacked the Apple TV box to run iPad apps. Apps are expected to be a core element of the coming Apple HDTV.
Apple TV with apps
Many owners of the Apple TV box complain about the absence of apps. Because even though the Apple TV box has many nice features, it lacks the openness and possibilities of the handheld Apple devices.
Developers have made the Apple TV box run apps
Therefore a group of developers have taken things into their own hands, and hacked the Apple TV box to run iPad apps on a TV. It requires some creative controlling tools - but it works. However, it requires a “jailbroken” Apple TV.
The interesting thing is that the current Apple TV box can actually run apps. When Apple launched the box in 2010, they also switched to the iOS; the same that powers Pads and iPhones. Previous versions of the Apple TV box ran a modified version of OSX; Apple’s Mac system. The move is seen as an indication of Apple’s desire to bring an app platform onto the Apple TV in the future.
Apps is also believed to be a core element of the Apple HDTV. It obviously requires Apple to release a dedicated Apple TV SDK but the iOS system is the first step towards apps.


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SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co, the world's top handset maker, sold 63 million smartphones in the fourth quarter and commanded a 29 percent share of the global smartphone market, a report by research firm Strategy Analytics showed on Friday.
In 2012, Samsung sold 213 million smartphones with a 30 percent market share, followed by Apple Inc, which sold 135.8 million iPhones with a 19 percent market share, the report said.
(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Ryan Woo)
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PC shipments, including tablets, in India grew by 72% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021 to reach 4 million units.
PC shipments (including tablets) in India grew by 72% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021 to reach 4 million units, comprising 517,000 desktops, 2.5 million notebooks, 930,000 tablets and 43,000 workstations, according to new research from analyst firm Canalys. Almost all categories grew well, mainly due to a poor Q1 2020, when supply was hit due to pandemic restrictions in China. Notebooks (including mobile workstations) were the major growth driver, as shipments grew 119% over Q1 2020. Tablets also had one of their biggest quarters since 2016, with 52% year-on-year growth. Desktop shipments fell 6% to 517,000 units due to a fall in popularity for the form factor.
“Measuring true demand in India is extremely difficult,” said Canalys Research Analyst Ashweej Aithal. “The second COVID wave has been ruthless, claiming many more lives and livelihoods than the first wave, forcing India to pause almost all economic activity. For PCs, the entire channel has been paralyzed, and despite healthy demand from consumers and businesses alike, fulfilling orders was the primary issue once again. Channel partners that have not been able to pivot to online sales have seen a huge portion of their business slip during the pandemic. In addition, OEMs prioritizing fast-moving markets, such as the US and Western Europe, and diverting the bulk of their inventory to these markets, has further aggravated the situation. For most of this year and next, India will suffer from supply issues.”
The surging demand for PCs led to the entry of new vendors such as Nokia and Vaio, which launched new notebook models and plan to use their strong brand recognition to tempt customers. The market also saw an exceptional rise in the gaming PC sub-category. Shipments of “gaming-capable” machines grew almost 65% year on year as the pandemic gave rise to a need for new forms of entertainment, given movie theaters, theme parks, pubs and restaurants were closed for much of the year.
“India may soon become a major manufacturing hub for PCs, as the Indian government is planning to extend its Production-Linked Incentive scheme for smartphone manufacturing to the PC industry. The scheme is designed to target overseas players that invest INR 500 crores ($69 million) over a period of four years in Indian manufacturing facilities for laptops, tablets and servers to boost domestic exports and employment,” said Aithal. “Manufacturers are expected to get incentives for laptops manufactured and priced above INR30,000 ($400) and tablets priced above INR15,000 ($200). Canalys expects most ODMs and OEMs to take advantage of this route, as the long-term outlook for India is still strong. While the commercial sector remains a key focus, PCs in education and for consumers are future hotspots.”


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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Sears Holdings Corp. is on the hunt for big talent and big ideas to stem the slide in its profits and sales — but it doesn't expect things to get better anytime soon.
During the retailer's annual meeting here Monday, chairman Edward S. Lampert focused on the fact that the group has cut its debt and not overexpanded, unlike many fellow retailers, instead concentrating on specific problems at Sears and Kmart. While many competitors have doubled their debt to expand their footprint — adding 500 million square feet of retail space in the past five years — Sears has reduced its debt 47 percent since 2004, he contended.
"Look at Home Depot, Kohl's and Lowe's, with their significant expansions," Lampert said. "They have not seen their shareholders richly rewarded."
But Sears Holdings' shareholders have suffered a roller-coaster ride themselves. While the company's shares soared in the period after Lampert created the group, they fell sharply last year before recovering slightly over the last few months. On Monday, Sears Holdings' stock closed down 3 percent to $100.08. The stock peaked at $191.93 in April 2007 and sunk to below $90 in January before recovering to its current level.
Fiscal 2007 financial performance fell below expectations and Sears Holdings emerged from the holiday season with excess inventory, particularly in apparel, leading to costly markdowns.
For the fourth quarter ended Feb. 2, Sears Holdings reported that profits fell 47.5 percent to $426 million from $811 million a year ago, while revenues slid 6.8 percent to $15.1 billion from $16.2 billion.
For the full year, Sears' net income fell 44.6 percent to $826 million, as sales slipped 4.3 percent to $50.7 billion. Sears noted fiscal 2006 revenues of $53 billion included 53 weeks, while fiscal 2007 had 52 weeks.
"We are not banking on any significant recovery and expect conditions to remain tough through the balance of the year," Lampert told the estimated 200 people gathered at company headquarters here.
Bright spots for Sears Holdings include the Lands' End brand, which saw record profits in 2007 and was expanded to 100 Sears stores. (Lampert did not break out sales figures.)Going forward, Sears Holdings will focus on three areas to turn around its businesses: protecting margins, optimizing promotions and pricing and better managing how goods are bought and sold, he said. Sears sources apparel from 47 countries.
Lampert said Sears Holdings' restructuring into five distinct business units, announced in January, should enable the company to improve accountability and productivity of all assets from brands to real estate to home services. Jim Barr, who headed up Microsoft's shopping portal, MSN.com, is now president of Sears' new online unit. The other four major units include real estate, operating businesses, support and brands.
There is no firm timetable for naming leadership to lead each new business unit, but Lampert said the brands unit is key. (Sears' search for a chief executive officer is under way and W. Bruce Johnson, who was named interim ceo and president in February, continues in that capacity.)
During the three-hour shareholder meeting, several questions were geared around brands and the opportunity for "alternative distribution" channels for famed exclusive brands like Craftsman tools and DieHard batteries. Lampert said it's premature to discuss whether Sears would consider offering those products through competitors like Wal-Mart or Target. However, he did note Target sells a lot of iPods, manufactured by Apple, which has its own stores and appeals to a different shopping demographic.
"If by interacting with others, we are able to drive more innovation, more awareness, it may help the performance of that brand in our own stores," he said.
Whether talking product, merchandising or sales, Lampert repeatedly referenced Sears' need to attract top talent to its leadership ranks.
"We are trying to build a culture here where there will be a long succession of senior management that will be developed from within," Lampert said. "We will figure out how we can bring in great talent — people who would otherwise go to Goldman Sachs, McKinsey or Google. We need to make those types of investments [in people]."
Several shareholders raised concerns about the shopping experience in stores, ranging from poor lighting and climate control to feuding employees in plain sight of shoppers. While Lampert seemed to dismiss those anecdotes, calling them "anomalies," he did say improving the customer experience is a priority.Johnson said an "executive customer service response unit" has been formed to address customer issues. He said one of the biggest "aha" moments of taking on the role of interim ceo came from reading customer complaints. "It was painful to read some of those letters," he told reporters in a media briefing following the shareholders' meeting.
Executives are assigned one customer complaint to resolve personally, Johnson said. Once the issue is resolved with the individual, the executive then drills down to better understand the systemic root of the problem and propose corrective measures.
Karen Austin, executive vice president and chief information officer, said the 128 scheduled technology projects for 2007 — such as getting Kmart and Sears on a single PeopleSoft payroll system and SAS markdown management technology — were completed on time.
"We retrieve store level data hourly and our biggest user is right here," Austin said, motioning to Lampert. "And if it's not on time, we know it."
"'Dynasty' is all about gowns, the diamonds and the scandal, so it's a bit like the fashion industry. When we come to Cannes it's all about the red carpet dresses too, so it all fit really well," said designer @philippplein78 on the theme of his high-glamour resort 2019 show at his mansion in Cannes. #wwdfashion #cannes (📷: @zefashioninsider)
"I think Spike is such a brilliant director because he holds up a mirror to society and reflects these issues, yet he doesn't shove it down your throat, he doesn't tell you what to think," says @lauraharrier on her latest film @Blackkklansman. Harrier was at the Cannes Film Festival – for the very first time – with @officialspikelee. #wwdeye #cannes (📷: @zefashioninsider)
“I would think to myself, Are you happy? Yes, I’m wildly happy. I go to this studio every day and, in my inside voices, I’m giggling; I’m singing. Yes, it’s a lot of work, it’s a [huge] volume of material. It wouldn’t be for everybody. But I was very happy,” said soap opera star @therealsusanlucci of checking in throughout the years with her career trajectory. Lucci spoke to WWD about her decades-long career, love for pilates, motherhood and her QVC activewear line. Read Bridget Foley’s full piece on Lucci on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: @celestesloman)
@balmain has taken a stand at the #cannes Film Festival, dressing 16 actresses at a press call for the project “Noire N’est Pas Mon Metier,” or “Black Is Not My Profession.” The multimedia project includes a book, photo exhibit and documentary, which aims to expose discrimination in the French and American entertainment industries. “The moment I was asked to participate, I knew it was right for me, and for this brand, to form a part of this moment,” Balmain creative director @olivier_rousteing told WWD. #wwdnews #wwdfashion
"I always feel curious and I feel like there's more to learn. But I think being relevant, feeling relevant, I personally always feel that there's just so much more to know. And maybe that's the key.” — @themarcjacobs #wwdsummits #wwdbeauty (📷: @patrickmacleodphoto )
“The most amazing thing about her is that, regardless of all the things that have happened to her, her spirit is so undaunted by all of it. She is the most cheerful person you will ever meet. She doesn’t see problems, she only sees solutions,” said @ajanaomi_king of activist Ifrah Ahmed, who she plays in a new film “A Girl from Mogadishu.” WWD caught up with King at Cannes — Head to WWD.com to read more about her new role, personal style and how she uses social media for causes like Time’s Up and Black Lives Matter #wwdeye
WWD asked a number designers to share their thoughts on what Meghan Markle’s wedding gown will look like this Saturday. Here, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli sketches his look. #wwdfashion #royalwedding #meghanmarkle


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Flagship export schemes for businesses announced by the Government two years ago have yet to help a single firm, Labour has claimed.
The Opposition said answers to Parliamentary questions revealed that the £5 billion Export Refinancing Scheme, launched in July 2012, was not even operational.
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said the Government's £1.5 billion Direct Lending Scheme, launched seven months ago, has not helped a single firm either.
So far it has received only 15 inquiries and just one firm has actually put in an application for support, said Labour.
Mr Umunna said the revelations will cause embarrassment for ministers at the start of UK Trade and Investment's annual Exports Week.
He said: "Ministers promised an export-led recovery, but the truth is that they are badly letting down British business.
"Scheme after scheme which were supposed to help more firms export have failed to have any impact whatsoever - and now we learn that two programmes which were announced to great fanfare two years ago haven't helped a single firm.
"We desperately need to get more businesses exporting to boost middle-income jobs, grow our way out of the cost-of-living crisis and so we can ensure Britain can compete.
"As we've seen with so many of the Tory-led governments' promises, they have completely failed to deliver."
A Government spokesperson said: "Steps were announced at budget to make both programmes more accessible to small businesses, helping them realise their export potential."


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ONEONTA — Dozens of local residents flocked to the Quality Inn for the Second Sunday Flea Market and collectibles sale Sunday, Jan. 12.
“I love these kinds of places,” said Maryland resident Anna Holder, perusing an extensive selection of jewelry. “Every week I look in all the local papers and I try to do everything I can, from here to Syracuse.”
Fleischmanns resident John Duda, a regular vendor at the flea market, said he sells vintage postcards and antique photos to support his collecting habit, scouring estate sales and purchasing full boxes at auction.
“I might buy a whole box because there’s one or two in there I want,” he said. “What do you do with the rest?”
Duda said he recently began collecting railroad postcards and photographic memorabilia to meet the local demand.
Harpursville resident Marie VanDeusen said she was finishing her belated holiday shopping.
“My grandkids live in Colorado, and I’m going out to visit them next month,” she said. “A few of them are hard to shop for, and I was hoping to find the right thing if I saw it.”
Karen Bouton, owner of Hare and Feather Farm in Laurens, said she attends the flea market three or four times a year, alternating between other local farmers’ markets to sell homemade jams, salsas and baked goods.
Her products feature unusual flavor combinations like strawberry-pineapple and smokey blueberry chipotle mustard.
“I try to make things you can’t get at the store,” Bouton said.
Other vendors sold antique newspapers and vintage car parts, collectible children’s books and toys, old photographs and ceramic teapots in the shape of cats, birds and corn on the cob.
“We come here to have fun and meet people,” Bouton said.
The flea market is held the second Sunday of every month from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Quality Inn in Oneonta.
Sarah Eames, staff writer, can be reached at email@example.com or 607-441-7213.


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Netizens have reacted after BBNaija star, Mercy Eke, flaunts her new G-Wagon Mercedes Benz with a customised car plate, M Lambo on social media.
In a video that went viral on social media, Mercy Eke was seen driving her newly purchased vehicle that has an estimated net worth of over 50 million Naira. There has been a lot of congratulatory messages buzzing in from her fans and friends.
Mercy Eke is known to be a lover of SUVs as she already has two exotic jeeps in her garage. If readers will recall, on her 27th birthday anniversary, Mercy received a brand new Range Rover Velar from her fans and that same year, she bought a Mercedes Benz GLC 200 for herself.
Reacting to this, netizens have questioned where she gets so much money to buy a car that is reportedly worth 50 million Naira.
Watch the video below;
See the reactions below;


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Indian Motorcycle BS6 launch timelines have been revealed by the country head of the parent company. Scouts are expected to be the first ones…
India’s transition to the stricter Bharat Stage 6 emission norms has hit niche manufacturers like Indian Motorcycle very hard. It is because of the fact that its motorcycles are not manufactured in India, and the limited units that it sells here in India are imported.
In such a case, it is not always feasible for the company to upgrade its engines and exhausts to meet the new emission norms for a single country, as the volumes simply do not justify the investments.
Indian Motorcycle has a handful of dealerships in India through which it sells its range of premium motorcycles. However, as we moved to the BS6 norms, Indian couldn’t sell its tall, lanky cruisers here as none of them adhere to the stricter emission norms.
However, Indian Motorcycle’s parent group – Polaris India’s new country head – Lalit Sharma, has revealed that the company will be bringing its BS6 range of motorcycles by the end of the year. However, he shied away from giving an exact timeline due to the uncertainties because of COVID-19.
The motorcycles from the company are currently imported as CBUs (completely built units), and the company has no plans to set up a CKD or a local assembly unit in the near future. It is expected that the Scout family will be the first of the BS6 bikes to be launched here, which will be followed by other ones, including the FTR, Chief, and Chieftain range of motorcycles.
– Moin Ahmed


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Deliveroo and Amazon have built their first customer-facing partnership since the US e-commerce group agreed to invest in a London-based food app two years ago, delivering free delivery to Prime customers on specific orders. Provided.
This move happens even though UK regulators are considering the risks of just such an alliance when considering whether to allow Amazon to invest. Deliveroo, Initially agreed in 2019.
Millions of Amazon Prime subscribers can get unlimited free delivery for one year on Deliveroo orders from grocery stores and restaurants, as long as they spend £ 25 or more per order. This offer is typically the £ 3.49 / month Deliveroo Plus “Silver” tier.
Lisa Leung, director of prime and marketing at Amazon UK, said the company “is constantly looking for ways to provide more value to prime members.” In addition to free shipping, discounts, and its video streaming services, Prime benefits beyond Amazon’s own product network previously included a one-year free Nintendo Switch Online membership and a discounted wireless contract. ..
During last year’s investigation, UK competition regulators expressed concern that using Amazon’s Prime network could give Deliveroo an unfair advantage over rivals such as Just EatTakeaway.com and UberEats. ..
However, the Competition and Markets Authority finally concluded that such cooperation does not present sufficient “substantial” risk to justify the intervention.
“CMA has discovered, based on a realistic outlook, that the parties have the ability to bundle Deliveroo Plus and Amazon Prime and can use this strategy to seize Deliveroo’s competitors,” the agency said. I am. I have written With the final decision to clear the transaction in August 2020.
“But the CMA also found that the incentives to engage in foreclosure strategies resulting from transactions were insufficient to provide a realistic outlook for SLC. [substantial lessening of competition].. “
Amazon terminated its own restaurant delivery service in the UK in late 2018, shortly before starting discussions to invest in Deliveroo. Amazon and Deliveroo are expanding their grocery delivery services separately. Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, has opened six physical Fresh grocery stores in London this year. These stores use “just out” technology to eliminate traditional checkouts.
Deliveroo plans to use a portion of its initial public offering revenue in March to expand its Plus subscription service, which is considered important for loyalty and customer retention in competitive markets. Stated.
Last month, Deliveroo’s share price temporarily returned to 390p, and the company set the price for an IPO, but then closed at 331p on Tuesday.
Amazon and Deliveroo offer free delivery to Prime subscribers Source link Amazon and Deliveroo offer free delivery to Prime subscribers


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The group posted a 7.2 per cent increase in sales and an 88.9 per cent boost to net earnings for the six months to Decem...
Retail group cautiously optimistic for upcoming Christmas season.
Apparel brands improve as online shows bumper growth for retail group.
Retail veteran keeps pressure on department store retailer.
As data foreshadows a tough winter, retailers are discounting heavily to get on the front foot.
Strong 1H for Solomon Lew's company, raft of staff changes for Portmans.


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Last October The Eastsider reported on an East Los Angeles corner store that put more emphasis on healthy and fresh foods instead of salty and fatty snacks as part of a public health campaign to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Writer Edgar Lopez recently paid a visit to Yash La Casa Market to see whether the new strategy is paying off.
By Edgar Lopez
The junk food and beer have been moved to a corner. Fresh produce – some of it grown in a garden plot a few steps away – is now up . Healthy recipes are posted on the walls. Things are certainly different at Yash La Casa Market at the corner of Hammel Street and Hazard Avenue. “It brought a new feeling, new vibe,” said Edgar Marino, a young parent said of the East L.A. store’s heart-smart makeover. “It’s more inviting,”
The store, owned by husband and wife Balvinder and Kulwant Songu, has seen new customers come in thanks to publicity generated by the makeover, which included a brightly colored exterior and new windows that bring in more daylight. Revenue is up 25%. “Business is pretty good,” said Balvinder Songu.
The store is part of a program sponsored by the UCLA-USC Center for Population Health and Heath Disparities, which has also helped organize and finance similar changes at other East L.A. stores. News of the change at Yash La Casa Market has brought in customers from as far away as the San Gabriel Valley.
As part of its greater involvement in the community, Yash La Casa Market now includes a community garden in the back lot, where students from Esteban E. Torres high school help out. The produce that is grown in the garden – including green peas, raspberries and cilantro – is sold in the store.
The store has also broadened its variety of products. The store now even includes an aisle devoted to some popular Indian items – such as basmati rice, Punjabi Roti bread and cardamon seeds – after Yash’s Latino clientele grew more curious about Indian foods, said Kulwant Songu, who is also holding cooking classes and demonstrations.
The store also has a rewards program for customers, Kulwant Songu said. A customer receives a rewards card and gets a stamp for each purchase. When the card has ten, customers get a special gift.
Lopez is a writer at Campus News, the student newspaper of East Los Angeles College.