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Whether you’re a gaming noob like me, or fancy yourself as a bit of a legend, Manchester Gamers Unite is relaunching – and all Mancunian gamers are welcome.
The group, which is Manchester’s leading gaming organisation, provides monthly meet-ups where you can experience the very latest games, as well as hosting tournaments and offering networking opportunities for avid gamers and developers to come together and work collaboratively to help inform the development of future games and projects.
The organisation has been running for just over two years and was spearheaded by founder Simran Whitham during his first year at university. Their first ever event had over 70 attendees. Since then they have grown significantly, and as a result they have relocated to a bigger venue.
“We specialise in community driven development and we’re focused on breaking down the barriers between developers and consumers. Within the creative industry as a whole there’s a kind of distrust between creative and consumer,” says Simran.
“Creatives kind of have this bubble that they sit in and forget that the product they are making is for people. And consumers don’t feel like they’re getting told much about what’s going on in the background of developing a game – they don’t have a connection to the product that they’re using.”
To celebrate the relaunch, MGU is hosting a huge developer’s showcase with some of the industry’s leading gaming brands – offering guests exclusive gameplay of some of 2018’s biggest games, before their general release later in the year.
“We bring big creatives and big brands down into a single space and they all come together to meet and discuss games and gaming. We have over 200 attendees per event – and work with big names such as Sony, Ubisoft and Electronic Art.
“They come down and show us early development games that haven’t been released yet – some are months away from being released, and gamers get to speak directly to these gaming giants and give input. There is simply nothing else like this in Manchester.
“Ubisoft are coming to the relaunch with Assassins Creed Odyssey – they’re bringing that two months before launch, and Electronic Arts (EA) are coming with FIFA 19 the night before its release, and we’ve also got many prominent Manchester-based studios who are all working on various gaming projects.
“So, anybody who comes gets to experience early access to all of these games before they’re released to the public.”
The monthly event, which is free to attend, also offers gaming fanatics the chance to experience the very latest in VR technology. Guests are invited to explore virtual reality worlds in the most immersive way imaginable by making use of the VR trackpad. This will be a first for many gamers and is expected to be a big hit at the event.
“After the launch, we’re going to have the VR trackpad as a regular feature at our monthly meet-ups. We’re always pushing to be very innovative, so we offer the chance for creatives and brands to show off their latest tech and games to a room full of avid consumers. VR is still such a new and fresh experience for people – it’s a great opportunity,” says Simran.
A great way to meet likeminded gamers, experience the latest early development games and help influence the development of future gaming, MGU currently hosts monthly events that are open for anybody to attend and are completely free of charge.
“We offer brands of all sizes the chance to come down and showcase what they are doing and really show us who they are – no matter what that might be,” says Simran.
“We’re the biggest creative hub in Manchester for gaming and we now have the facilities to allow any tech industry the chance to come down and show their products off.”
The relaunch is taking place on 27th September at Lazy Lizard in the Printworks. Guests who present an Eventbrite ticket will gain fast track access to the VR trackpad.


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iOS is the most engaging and popular operating system in this world. Apple has its tagline “think different” the iPhone app developers at apple company are motivated to think differently from the world that has resulted in the apple’s amazing status in the gadget market. The devices and operating system of apple make it unique this is the reason the apple company has sold its device more than the people living on this globe. Well, the company has sold its Phones alone more than the population of earth that is 7 billion. The company has worth more than 29% in the international market.
About MWC Barcelona, Event Dates & Event Location
Formally known as Mobile World Congress, the GSMA MWC series is recognized as the largest exhibition for the mobile industry all over the globe. Featuring the famous officials representing the global mobile engineers, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, and content owners, it incorporates a thought-leadership conference.
Mobile World Congress Barcelona event this time will be commencing on 24 February and will conclude on 27 February 2020. This time, the event of 2020 will be taken out at Fira Gran Via with selected events that include 4YFN, inaugurating at Fira Montjuïc.
This Monday, Amazon India announced it has begun to work on its electric vehicle (EV) delivery fleet in India that intends to introduce 10,000 EVs on the streets by the end of 2025. Isn’t it amazing? This move has been initiated as part of the company’s global Climate Pledge, as declared in September 2019. Additionally, the overall pledge endeavors to introduce one lakh electric delivery vehicles in action globally. This way, the move in India is the initial step towards accomplishing that object.
Microsoft has launched the Math Solver app, which is an app-in-one solution to solve mathematical problems instantly for Android or iOS devices. The app runs by applying artificial intelligence (AI) which identifies numerical questions and suggests solutions for an extensive array of mathematical concepts. The users of the Microsoft Math Solver app need to add their mathematical questions by drawing, scanning, inserting pictures or typing on the screen. Additionally, the app is composed in a way that presents graphs and a step-by-step explanation of the answers.
The iPhone SE coupled smartphone with updated interior elements, and the composition eventually demonstrated it to be remarkably widespread amidst users. So now Apple is working to develop a refined replacement, the iPhone 9, which itself may subsequently be a fellow member of the group.
Reportedly iPhone 9 Plus is on its way
The latest announcement by DigiTimes on the supply chain article declares that Apple is preparing to include one more LCD-based iPhone to its lineup by the end of 2020 or early 2021. The brand-new phone will be an updated variant of the soon releasing iPhone 9 complete with a more prominent display.
The world’s perk online taxi service is introducing a new present to their fellows. UBER is planning to bring the modern style to commute for the passengers, through electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft by around 2023. The elevate team at UBER is working around the world and transforming commute means into aerial ridesharing. UBER is developing and sharing their air transportation idea with elevate network partners. Their first international markets are Dallas, Los Angeles, and Melbourne, and soon will be India also.
In consonance with Facebook’s official blog, this all is going to take place:
- Facebook is going to run ads for encouraging selected people to take part in the market research program.
- On clicking the ad, the users can register in it. If they qualify, they will be requested to download the app.
- As the user will sign up, they will notice a description of how the app operates. Apart from that, what information they have to share with Facebook if they are interested in participating.
- All who contributed to the research employing the app will be rewarded. The company told all participants would be compensated monthly via PayPal. However, as of now, Facebook has not disclosed how much Americans and Indians would be paid. Despite the query, we cannot find out whether there is room for any bonuses, referrals, or other incentives for users or not.
What info will Facebook accumulate?
This time, Facebook has promised it will gather the least amount of data needed to help users in building better products. The goal apparently will be to locate which apps and features Facebook must copy, buy, and what is to be ignored. Periodically, the company will remind the participants to review the information they share with Facebook.
Here is the data Facebook will gather and interpret:
- Apps installed on the phone of the participants
- The time you spend using these apps in a day
- Participant’s nation, device & network type
Facebook’s Viewpoints, a new market research app launched by Facebook a couple of days ago, a couple of months after the organization introduced the Android data collection app named Study. The app is designed with a view for monitoring what and to which extent the users can access different software on the Google-owned operating system.

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LinkedIn plans to grow after $53 million deal
Networking site explores new prospects; 4 venture capital firms take 5% stake
LinkedIn has raised $53 million in funding, giving the Mountain View social-networking site for professionals an estimated value of $1 billion.
LinkedIn said it plans to use the funding to consider new opportunities, such as expanding its site internationally and acquiring other companies. It also could set the stage for the company to go public.
The $53 million deal represents the fourth and largest round of funding for the 6-year-old company, one of the early social-networking sites. Earlier, it had raised $27.5 million. LinkedIn's announcement comes a year after Palo Alto's Facebook drew an eye-popping $15 billion valuation after Microsoft invested $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in the popular social-networking site.
Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is aimed at professionals looking to extend their relationships with colleagues and clients. It has 23 million users - Facebook has about 70 million - with an average age of 41 and annual income of $110,000. But LinkedIn faces competition as Facebook users grow up, graduate from college and continue to use the site to stay in touch with friends and new work buddies.
LATEST BUSINESS VIDEOS
- DOJ To Announce Charges Against North Korean Spy In Sony Hacking Media: GeoBeats
- Could Your Smartphone Actually Make Your Mood Worse? Media: Buzz 60
- A.I. Start-Up Volley Scores Investment From JPMorgan Chase Media: Cheddar TV
- FOX Business Beat: Airlines report travel increases; USPS hiring for holidays Media: Fox5DC
- Intel Could Be Ahead of the Self-Driving Car Pack Media: Cheddar TV
- Report: iPhone Prices Could Spike If Apple Assembles Phones Domestically Media: Buzz 60
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- Lawmakers Release Russia-Linked Facebook Ads Media: Associated Press
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- General Mills CEO Breaks Down Company’s Turnaround Plan Media: Fortune
LinkedIn has been profitable for about two years, according to the company, which declined to disclose its revenue or income. Like other social-networking sites, it draws advertising, but it also charges users for premium memberships.
"Technically, we don't need it," Ellen Levy, LinkedIn's vice president of corporate development and strategy, said about the funding. "It's a nice place to come from. We think it'll open up opportunities for us to consider. ... There are so many things we can do."


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Retired freelance TV commercial and documentory producer/director/camera/editor
RedShark Replay: What is the single greatest technical dilemma facing today's DIY filmmaker? Which Camera? Which OS? Which NLE? Which Plug-in? Which Colour Grading Software package? According to Craig Marshall, it’s none of the above. Instead, it’s all about the monitor.
And so we reach the end of our Top 10 countdown for the year, and it wasn't a camera story that nailed the top spot, it was back to post production and all things Mac-based. Or the future lack of them, as this article about facilities increasingly adopting PC-based systems, capped off by the recent introduction of the GTX 1080, reported. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds in 2017.
RedShark Summer Replay: With 4K footage on YouTube becoming increasingly commonplace, Craig Marshall details one way of producing and uploading video in the format without the need for a 4K video camera. The answer? An '80s presentaton style called 'audio visuals'.
- Saturday 15 Jul 2017 - (20602) Why put a camera on your shoulder?
- Tuesday 18 Jul 2017 - (11442) The real purpose of the RED Hydrogen smartphone
- Saturday 22 Jul 2017 - (11207) Steadicam: The device that changed filmmaking forever
- Thursday 20 Jul 2017 - (9201) Samsung launches HDR LED cinema screen
- Thursday 20 Jul 2017 - (8377) Why the Moon landing was not a hoax filmed in slow motion
- Tuesday 25 Jul 2017 - (140) Using the ARRI Alexa Mini as a stills camera
- Tuesday 25 Jul 2017 - (765) Nikon celebrates 100th birthday by announcing the Nikon D850
- Tuesday 25 Jul 2017 - (3279) Canon’s CN-E 18-80mm: a lot of lens for the money
- Monday 24 Jul 2017 - (1090) Filmmakers love retro lenses... how about retro cameras?
- Monday 24 Jul 2017 - (1938) Sony FS5 update adds ability to change minimum ISO and more


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The 75th anniversary of India’s independence is being celebrated by a new campaign Thumps Up, Coca-Cola India’s first billion-dollar domestic brand. The hashtag campaign #HarHaathToofan pays tribute to the inspiring individuals whose labors over the years have built India and who are the real sources of national pride. Through this campaign, the brand honors the bravery, tenacity, and steadfastness that enabled them to conquer all obstacles in their path. Thumbs Up strives to arouse strong patriotism in the audience through an engaging message and imaginative visuals. The commercial uses a potent animated narrative technique to instill national pride and dedication in its audience.
Avani Lekhara, the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, fires her way to the top despite losing her legs in an accident when she was 11 years old; Nikhat Zareen, Indian Boxer and IBA Women’s World Boxing champion; and Sourav Ganguly, former captain of the Indian national cricket team and current president of the BCCI, who instilled self-belief & fearlessness in the Indian cricket team, taking it to. The company’s campaign is an expansion of its #PalatDe initiative, which was first introduced during Thums Up’s global cooperation with the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 last year.
Ogilvy developed the concept for the suspenseful #HarHaathToofan movie. Ritu Sharda, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy India-North, comments on the creative insight behind the campaign and adds, “For the last 75 years, anytime the doubters have questioned India’s promise, the hands of the nation have come forward and done a #PalatDe, turned them upside down. Thumps Up is one of the nation’s most iconic brands and has the famous ‘thumbs up’ hand as its symbol
Therefore, we are honored to transform this hand into the many hands that make up Tofani on this occasion of 75 years of independence. And in our campaign, #HarHaathToofan, it all fits together nicely.
In the lead-up to Independence Day, the campaign will use a 360-degree marketing strategy, utilizing a variety of touch points to maximize reach and consumer engagement, including television, digital, print, and distinctive OOH. Six short videos on India’s famous journey will also be released by the brand as part of the campaign and promoted on digital media.


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(ATF) Cathay Pacific said it will slash passenger capacity by 96% in April and May as travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic crimps seat demand across the world but said its capacity as a freighter remained intact.
It warned that “our ability to maintain even this skeleton schedule will depend on whether more travel restrictions are imposed by governments around the world which will further dampen passenger demand.”
The global pandemic is yet to peak and the economic damage from travel restrictions, social isolation and supply-chain disruptions has already sparked panic in financial markets. About 244,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus, which has now claimed more than 10,000 lives.
Cathay’s decision comes amid the stark forecast by the Centre for Aviation (CAPA) that by the end of May 2020, most airlines in the world will be bankrupt.
Cathay Pacific said it will operate three flights per week to 12 destinations: London (Heathrow), Los Angeles, Vancouver, Tokyo (Narita), Taipei, New Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore and Sydney.
Its regional arm Cathay Dragon will operate three flights per week to 3 destinations: Beijing, Shanghai (Pudong), and Kuala Lumpur.
“While our freighter network remains intact, we are also ramping up our cargo capacity by mounting charter services and operating certain suspended passenger services purely for airfreight to meet cargo customer demand,” Cathay Pacific’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam said.
Cathay Pacific shares are trading at their lowest level since 2009. The airline was hit hard by the protests in Hong Kong in the second half of last year, and Covid-19 has been a double whammy for the airline.


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Sustainable Printing Inks Project
The Recyclate Initiative from Werner & Mertz is taking on a new challenge in matters of sustainability. Now that the project team has made plastic bottles from recycled material, it aims to produce printing inks according to the Cradle-to-Cradle® principle too. In the Cradle-to-Cradle® Printing Inks Project, Werner & Mertz has initiated development of sustainable UV printing inks in collaboration with the ink manufacturer Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA and the EPEA Switzerland (Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency). „We have long wished for industry to push the development of sustainable UV printing ink. Thanks to the Initiative from Werner & Mertz and the engagement and know-how from Siegwerk and EPEA, we were able to take the critical steps that finally led to a breakthrough,“ said Albin Kälin, CEO of EPEA Switzerland.


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- READ MORE: Final Fantasy XIV’s Scions of the Seventh Dawn reminisce on an epic, eight-year journey – “We are better, together.”
“In order to implement Patch 6.01, we will be performing maintenance on all Worlds at the time below, during which Final Fantasy XIV will be unavailable,” the Lodestone blog post read.
Servers will be going down on December 21 at 2:00 GMT for approximately eight hours. Players can expect the servers to go back up at 10:00 GMT, but completion time is subject to change.
Patch 6.01 is the first patch post Endwalker launch which is set to feature brand-new content, including the expansion’s first eight-player raid: Pandaemonium. The first part of the raid is called Pandaemonium: Asphodelos and will revolve around unconfirmed Ascian characters from Final Fantasy 14‘s main story.
Players can expect Patch 6.05 on January 4, which will see the introduction of the Savage difficulty versions of Pandaemonium: Asphodelos.
Following the launch of the MMO’s latest expansion, there have been an overwhelming amount of players trying to get into the game, whether it’s free trial or long-time players. This issue has ultimately caused major server congestion across multiple data centres around the world, from long queue times to server errors and disruptions.
Square Enix and Final Fantasy 14‘s director and producer, Naoki Yoshida, has previously addressed these issues with some solutions on the developers side.
Additionally, Square Enix recently halted the sale of Final Fantasy 14 due to the heavy server congestion. This means that no more players will be able to purchase the game, temporarily, while the developer attempts to resolve the issues, and new registrations for the Free Trial will be suspended but will return “over the next few days.”


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Stock Development’s first quarter sales top $100 million
Stock Development’s home-building division, including their Classic, Signature and Custom home lines, has released its first quarter 2018 sales report, showing 110 new home and home sites sales worth nearly $113.8 million. The company also closed on 54 homes worth more than $50.9 million.
"Stock had a terrific year with a 22.2 percent increase in unit sales and a 4 percent increase in sales volume over the same period in 2017," said Claudine Léger-Wetzel, vice president of sales and marketing for Stock Development. "In 2018, Stock debuted its new Classic Series of homes to great acclaim and immediate sales success. We have also completed a vast array of beautifully furnished models and move-in ready homes throughout Southwest Florida."
Stock is a builder in The Concession in Bradenton, four villages within Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota, TwinEagles, Esplanade Golf & Country Club of Naples, The Isles of Collier Preserve, Fiddler’s Creek, Quail West, Naples Reserve, downtown Naples, the Park Shore and Pine Ridge neighborhoods in Naples, Marco Island, Hidden Harbor, The Renaissance and Babcock Ranch in Lee County, and Palm Beach.
On the commercial side, Stock Luxury Apartment Living, a division of Stock Development handling apartment and commercial development, expanded its operations with the launch of leasing at Inspira, its latest luxury residential development. Inspira is a high-end, multi-family neighborhood that revolutionizes luxury apartment living with a dazzling array of opulent residences and resort-style amenities.
Inspira builds on the company’s success at Spectra Apartments, a multifamily community in South Fort Myers, which was completed and fully leased last year.
Stock Plaza has added new businesses to the complex. This new commercial center is on the northwest corner of Collier Boulevard and Grand Lely Drive. Situated on a nine-acre site are five buildings offering 50,000 total square feet.
"We are looking forward," said Léger-Wetzel. "Stock Development is always adapting to the marketplace and creating new opportunities."
Stock Development is headquartered at 2639 Professional Circle, Suite 101, Naples. Online at www.stockdevelopment.com.


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Kathmandu: A workshop on ‘China’s Outbound Tourism : How to develop Nepal as a preferred destination for Chinese Travellers’, and Chinese Tourist Welcome (CTW) Training Program concluded here today focusing on providing quality services to the Chinese tourists visiting Nepal.
Entrepreneurs representing different travel agencies participated in the workshop and training on China’s outbound tourism issues.
Earlier,tourism entrepreneurs and Nepal government officials stressed on new strategies and efforts to attract Chinese tourists to Nepal keeping in view the latest move of the two countries to promote tourism.
Speaking at a inaugural session of the workshop on ‘China’s Outbound Tourism : How to develop Nepal as a preferred destination for Chinese Travellers’, various speakers emphasized on delivering quality services to the Chinese tourists visiting Nepal’.
On the occasion, Founder and Director of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt highlighted on different trends of Chinese outbound tourism.
‘As Chinese tourists are more educated and interested to explore new tourism products, Nepal should focus on providing quality services and local hospitality ,’Dr. Wolfgang Arlt added.
He said that Nepal could benefit a lot from Chinese tourists, as China is a very important and big tourism market for Nepal.
Director General of Department of Tourism (DoT) Govinda Bahadur Karki informed that the coordination committee meeting for the promotion of tourism between Nepal and Tibet , China to be held in February or March will expedite various measures to promote tourism between the two countries including opening up three border points and Kathmandu- Lhasa bus service.
Deepak Raj Joshi, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), stressed on providing organic hospitality to attract more tourists from China , a big tourism source market for Nepal.
DB Limbu, President of NATTA, DB Limbu,General Secretary Mihika Dhakhwa and NATTA CEO Dr. Hari Sarmah stressed on concerted efforts and programs to lure 250 thousand Chinese tourists in 2016 in Nepal.
Nepal government decided to waive off visa fee for Chinese nationals with the objective of attracting more tourists from China, one of the top tourist generating country in the world. A total of 123,805 Chinese tourists visited Nepal in 2014.
Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents (NATTA) organized the workshop and Chinese Tourist Welcome (CTW) Training Program with support of SAMARTH-NMDP on January 3-4 ,2015.
Jan 4, 2016


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Sovereign Metals Ltd (ASX:SVM) has revealed that its Malingunde graphite concentrates have a strong potential to meet the specifications of major graphite end-markets, including lithium-ion batteries.
The graphite concentrates are from the company’s Malingunde saprolite deposit in Malawi, and is hosted within weathered, soft saprolite (clay) material.
Sovereign’s primary objective is sales to high volume, high value, traditional markets such as refractories, foundries and other industrial applications.
Importantly, the company’s test-work results have highlighted an opportunity for entry into developing markets such as the lithium-ion battery supply chain.
Sovereign’s initial laboratory test-work programme has demonstrated the possibility of producing spherical graphite with suitable benchmark specifications for lithium-ion battery anodes.
Further battery suitability development test works are being planned to commence shortly.
Interestingly, a scoping study for the Malingunde Project in June, 2017 revealed the potential to produce circa 44,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate annually over an initial mine life of 17 years.
The project is at the bottom of the capital and operating cost curves, which is expected to allow Sovereign to enter existing industrial markets at a competitive price point.
Sovereign’s share prices increased by circa 30% in the last year, and were last trading at $0.115 intra-day.


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Drug and antibiotic resistant salmonella bacteria strain found in UK supermarket pork.
According to a report shared exclusively with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Guardian, 10% of sampled pork products from UK supermarkets were found to contain enterococci bacteria that is resistant to known drugs or antibiotics.
From around 103 pork samples from various meat processors, 25 contained enterococci while 13 were resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin.
Enterococci are usually found in animal and human feces which could cause a variety of infections which in some extreme cases, affect the brain.
“These findings suggest that antibiotic use is by no means under control in parts of the meat industry. Buying any food is a trust relationship; no consumers have X-ray specs to see what these findings show. There’s no label,” said Tim Lang, a professor emeritus of food policy at City, University of London.
Health experts raise concerns that thee mass use antibiotics in livestock production has contributed to the evolution of drug resistant bacteria.
“The UK government needs to end the routine use of antibiotics on farm animals, as the EU has recently done, and to acknowledge that a reduction in animal product consumption is needed to address the countless issues caused by factory farming,: said Lindsay Duncan, the farming campaigns manager at the conservation charity World Animal Protection.
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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Posts Tagged 'protecting kids online'
When we launched the Intel Security Digital Safety Program recently, it marked a new era in our commitment to cyber education. Since 2009, McAfee has sent employee volunteers into schools to teach digital safety. We reached 250,000 students but we weren’t satisfied. So we partnered with one of the most exciting brands in digital education – […]
For a parent, there’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing your teen slowly emerge from the “me slumber” and begin to genuinely care about giving. And what better time to encourage a giving spirit than the holidays? But there’s a cyber-world lesson that’s critical to teach in tandem with giving, and that is how to click wisely online—especially […]
When I saw the hashtag #AlexFromTarget trending on Twitter right behind #Election2014 and #Senate on November 4 it hit me abruptly: Social media owns far more real estate in our children’s brains than most of us parents care to admit. We’re living in a time of mind-blowing crowd power for sure. Instagram famous. Vine famous. […]
A couple of weeks ago, global media was abuzz with the news of iCloud hacking where hundreds of personal photos of celebs were hacked and publicly shared. With iPhone cloud storage being a popular option with most Apple device users, it’s but natural that the layperson is worried and confused. Even those using Android and […]
I know what you are thinking. ‘Why do we need to worry about cybersafety? It’s Halloween and it’s happening in our street NOT online!’ But as the lines between our offline and online worlds blur and merge, we need to be constantly thinking about how we can ensure we keep our families safe. So, here […]


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Volkswagen has reduced its internal sales target for 2012 in Western Europe by up to 140,000 vehicles, according to German daily Handelsblatt, citing the head of the carmaker’s works council. Bernd Osterloh told Handelsblatt that the VW Group is tentatively selling more cars in 2012 than 2011. However, the final figure would be less than the original targets set by the German carmakers.
Osterloh’s reduction estimate of up to 140,000 vehicles is essentially lower than the 250,000 figure Handelsblatt reported in September. VW had denied Handelsblatt’s report. The VW Group is targeting to sell around 10 million vehicles by 2018, up from the 8.36 million units sold in 2011 last year. In its report, Handelsblatt said VW was also reducing its planned production capacity this year, citing a copy of a VW internal capacity planning report.
The German daily reported that VW management board member Michael Macht, who oversees production, had estimated that a maximum of 9.4 million vehicles would be produced in 2012, down from the previous estimate of 9.7 million units. The estimated figure includes vehicles produced by VW truck units MAN and Scania.
VW disclosed in September 2012 that it is not expecting a significant recovery in the European auto market for the next one to two years. In the Handelsblatt report, Osterloh said VW would produce more of the last generations of Golf and would add new production shifts through the end of 2012 to continue the supply of sixth-generation compacts into the European market.
Osterloh said VW can compete in the price wars without placing the seventh-generation Golf under pressure since the carmaker could produce the old Golfs up to the end of 2012 parallel to building the latest generation. VW marketing board member Christian Klinger told Handelsblatt that the orders for the new Golf were beyond VW’s expectations.


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Labour has accused ministers of being "asleep at the wheel" over travel chaos at airports - after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government had "done its part".
And ABTA – The Travel Association has responded to the comments from Transport Secretary today about the travel difficulties some people have experienced this week.
Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive from ABTA – The Travel Association said: “The return of international travel after two years of heavy government restrictions on the industry, and minimal levels of financial support was never going to happen without challenge. While the vast majority of people have been able to get away on holiday this week, it is of course disappointing for those who have been caught up in delays or who have seen their travel plans cancelled. ABTA has been providing advice and guidance to customers throughout this time, appearing on national and local radio and TV to put the issues into context and advise consumers of their rights.
“The comments from the Government this week are deeply frustrating and do not correlate with the events of the last two years. ABTA, along with the rest of the industry, warned the Government time and time again that thousands of jobs would be lost, and the industry’s recovery would be delayed if the Government did not provide sector-specific support for the travel industry.
“The lack of recognition from Government that it was only March this year when all UK travel restrictions had been lifted, despite furlough being reduced from July 2021 and then removed altogether in September, is particularly disappointing.
“We have been in touch directly with the government to share our dismay with Ministerial comments this week, and to urge officials to look at how red tape in the recruitment process can be reduced to help the sector. It is welcome the Transport Secretary has committed to engagement with the industry and it is vitally important that any conversations involve the wider travel industry alongside airports and airlines.”
Grant Shapps has told airlines to stop selling tickets for flights they cannot staff after a spate of airline cancellations caused widespread disruption for holidaymakers.
Airports across Europe have struggled to cope with the rebound in demand but British airports are facing a particularly difficult week as a school half-term holiday combines with a long Jubilee public holiday weekend.
Airports faced similar queues over the Easter vacation, and Shapps said that while some steps had been taken, there had not been the progress that is needed.
“We need to make sure there is no repeat of the scenes witnessed over the last few days. Despite government warnings, operators seriously oversold flights and holidays relative to their capacity to deliver,” Shapps said.
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These companies are private businesses. They take risks and reap the rewards. Do they expect the government to plan for them as well. God save us if they do. I am not sure if it’s Covid or Brexit brain rot that’s the problem, but that’s what directors are paid for. Directing .. If They can’t do the job, put your coat on get out of the way and let someone who can, get on with it. Like many other businesses overly wedded to the cheap endless European labour, they need to learn the new reality of attracting, training, rewarding and retaining from the current U.K. work force which includes 6million European Union nations nationals. And ROI nationals.with no restrictions due to CTA. Those who can’t will go the way of the dinosaurs … extinct. If that means doing less business better, so be it. Supplier prices have been suppressed to breaking point for many years. This inflation surge is a result of the invariable bounce back. But cheap is done , now commodity suppliers like tourism will have to differentiate them selves with quality and invest according, for competition will determine who survive.


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Photo Gallery 3 Images
EUGENE, Ore. -- One Eugene woman said a drone battery caught fire inside of her house and caused major damage.
Tina Thomas said her family owned a Propel X-5 drone with a lithium battery. She said they followed the charging instructions and left the battery charging for 15 minutes, even though the instructions said you could charge it for 30 minutes.
Thomas said they unplugged the battery and then noticed it was smoking. That’s when the trouble began.
"Then it just shot out. I mean it was like a missile,” Thomas said.
She said the battery shot right into the carpet and lit it on fire, and then the charger port shot into the dog bed and lit that on fire.
Luckily no one was injured, but they ended up having to replace the carpet. They got rid of the drone because they didn’t want to risk another incident.
"It was terrible. It was a nightmare -- I'm telling you -- I just could not believe that a toy could do that,” Thomas said.
Thomas said by the time the Fire Marshall arrived, the battery had disintegrated.


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As Low-Cost Labor Pools Shrink, Will Global Supply Chains Become a Thing of the Past?
The way products have been manufactured has evolved significantly over the past decades. Today, most are built in large factories in low-cost regions, primarily in Asia, but also increasingly in Eastern Europe and South America.
This has largely been good for consumers. Products manufactured overseas have powered our cars, connected our networks and furnished our lives. Lower manufacturing costs have made more products more affordable for more people.
However, there are signs that this approach has reached its limit.
Low-cost labor pools in distant countries are being exhausted, and in manufacturing settings closer to consumers, the growing global middle class is less willing to do repetitive tasks, fueling high turnover. Not only is it getting harder to find labor in low-cost regions to build products, the growing impact in terms of local jobs, the environment and delays in product distribution around the world is becoming even more serious.
The Rise of Personalized Products
In tandem, consumer demand for personalized products is a steadily growing trend. According to a report by YouGov, between 2015 and 2018, “the personalization economy has seen an increase in demand from 17% to 26%.” And 46% of those consumers are willing to pay more for a customized product or service.
This new consumer paradigm presents massive opportunities for large corporations to succeed in a localized economy — if they are set up to take advantage of them. The key to unlocking these opportunities lies in a distributed manufacturing operation, one that relies on a network of smaller, more nimble and flexible factories around the world located closer to customers.
Simply put, corporations must increasingly think globally in terms of emerging customer needs, but build locally in terms of executing those needs.
The Rise of Microfactories
The possibility of smaller, distributed factories with accompanying ecosystems that serve regional markets, compared to a large production center that ships product worldwide, may seem counter to how industry typically thinks of cost efficiency and scale.
Automation is proving to be an important link between large companies and their localization strategies. It enables not only localization in manufacturing, but innovation — and at lower costs and higher efficiency.
Globalization, simply put, has run its course. A localized approach to manufacturing is imperative for companies to succeed.
This is where microfactories come into play.
These smaller factories use automation instead of relying on expensive human labor, ensuring quality and consistency in product while enabling scale through efficient output. With their lower operating costs, microfactories effectively democratize innovation by making manufacturing more readily available to entrepreneurs, inventors and makers.
For example, if someone today has an idea for a new product — even if they have the technical skills to create it — they cannot manufacture that product at scale without investing significant capital. In 10 years, we will see cost-effective microfactories drive a new wave of innovation across industries as manufacturing becomes accessible to all people.
Closer geographic proximity to customers also means closer proximity to customer tastes and preferences. Not only can a company localize the actual product to best suit that particular market, it can focus its marketing efforts on locally designed and produced goods — and enjoy other benefits from those efforts. Geopolitical policies amplify this trend, as goods produced closer to consumers who buy them aren’t subject to the same threat of changing tariff structures. Further, smaller manufacturing footprints help companies reach their sustainability goals.
The obvious argument against adopting a more automated factory floor is the loss of jobs for human workers, but the benefits of automated microfactories far outweigh those losses.
And the manufacturing industry would still be indirectly creating jobs for workers down the line. According to the Economic Policy Institute, “manufacturing provides a significant source of demand for goods and services in other sectors of the economy.”
Ultimately, job growth driven by local manufacturing is an important offset against globalization. There has been much pontificating on the idea that Industry 4.0 will eliminate manufacturing jobs, but a “think global, build local” approach bucks this trend. While globally, job loss from automation will outpace job creation from automation, locally automation could be a creator — not a destroyer.
Globalization, simply put, has run its course. Once heralded for its cost-effectiveness, a globalized approach loses all impact in a world where low-cost labor is rapidly diminishing and consumer demand for authenticity is steadily increasing. In this changing world, a localized approach to manufacturing is imperative for companies to succeed.
Intelligent automation will enable large corporations to embrace localization and build closer to their customers than previously possible. In this world, product innovation trumps cost advantages, with no player too large or too small to reap the benefits.
This piece was previously published on the World Economic Forum blog


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By Charles F. Moreira, Editor
Following our article Reinstate Exemption of Palm Oil Export Tax of 29 January 2020, the weighted average price of crude palm oil (locally delivered) according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) plunged to RM2,689.00 per tonne on 30 January 2020, down from RM2,984.00 per tonne on Friday 24 January or the day before the Chinese New Year long weekend.
The CPO price was down to RM2,736.00 per tonne when trading resumed on 28 January, rose slightly to RM2,777.50 on 29 January, before it dropped by RM88.50 per tonne the following day.
According to a Bernama report on 17 January 2020, CPO futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended the week lower amid bearish sentiment over an increase in export tax to six percent for February, which may curb short-term demand.
“We locate support at RM2,780 and resistance at RM2,900 per tonne”, palm oil trader David Ng told Bernama.
In stock, commodities and cryptocurrency trading, a support level is the price when buying forces are expected to balance selling forces, which tends to prop the price from dropping further.
However, since the above CPO prices since the Chinese New Year break are all below the support level, so it could drop further. On the other hand a resistance level is when selling forces are expected to balance buying forces, thus tend to prevent the price from rising further.
The CPO price reached a monthly peak of RM3,111.00 on 10 January. CPO prices listed by the MPOB are posted at 8.30 am and 4.30pm for the date before the current date.
Prices of crude palm oil and of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) had increased steadily especially during the second half of 2019 when this exemption by the Ministry of Finance, intended to boost palm oil exports was in effect.
The export duty on crude palm oil in February 2020 remains at is 6% according to the Royal Malaysian Customs notice posted on the MPOB website, up from 5% in January 2020, after an export duty exemption between May and December 2019 had expired.
Palm fruit prices
On the other hand, the reference price of oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) at the mill gate dropped to their lowest in January 2020, with prices ranging from RM503 per tonne for Grade C in Sabah to RM567 per tonne for Grade A in the Southern Region. These prices are around those on 6 December 2019, after having peaked at between RM600 and RM665 per tonne on 13 January 2020.
FFB prices are listed according to grades A, B and C across six regions across Malaysia – namely Northern, Southern, Central, East Coast, Sabah and Sarawak. Palm fruit FFB grades A, B and C are based upon the oil extraction rates from the oil palm fruit – namely 20%, 19% and 18% respectively.
A Malay Mail article of 25 January 2020 quotes Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) chief executive Datuk Kalyana Sundaram as saying that smallholders supply an estimated 30% of Malaysia’s the palm fruit harvest.
The rest (70%) is provided by industrial sized plantations owned by corporations such as United Plantations Bhd, Sime Darby Bhd, IOI Corp Bhd, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd, the Felda Group and others, most of which are members of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA).
According to the Kuala Lumpur-based Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), smallholders produce 40% of the world’s palm oil. Their plantation size is generally less than 50 hectares, they rely on their family members for labour and oil palm usually is their principal source of income.
The RSPO is an international non-profit organisation of stakeholders from the seven sectors of the palm oil industry – namely oil palm producers, processors or traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks/investors, and environmental and social non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to develop and implement global standards for sustainable palm oil.
Founded in 2004, the RSPO serves as an industry watchdog and regulator which aims to promote the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through accredited global standards.
Meanwhile, oil palm fruit (FFB) prices are still pretty respectable compared to in June and July 2019 when they were below RM400 per tonne, however from a political perspective, oil palm smallholders can vote in elections, whilst palm oil mills and corporations cannot, so politicians are usually sensitive to the concerns of smallholders and if FFB prices drop too low, it could have negative political implications especially for elected representatives.
In the same Malay Mail article above, Datuk Kalyana proposed that to overcome criticism of the sustainability and trustworthiness of its palm oil, especially in the west which, “continues to bombard the edible oil with discriminative labelling and protests”, Malaysia should make Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification mandatory for oil palm plantations, including smallholders, in order to “prove Malaysia’s commitment to the sustainability agenda”.
MSPO certification, which was inspired by RSPO certification, enforces sustainable oil palm plantation and churning processes without compromising on quality and within a local context. MSPO certification is more affordable than RSPO certification, the latter which has been affordable to large plantations and Datuk Kalyana expects the cost of MSPO certification to be more affordable to smallholders.
However, he admitted that there are challenges in identifying, grouping and educating oil palm smallholders on the importance of getting their crop certified.
In December 2019, the government had announced that 63.2% of Malaysia’s palm oil plantations were MSPO-certified, but Malaysia Palm Oil Association (MPOA) chief executive Datuk Nageeb Wahab told the Malay Mail that independent smallholders are facing difficulties in complying.
“Our smallholders are divided into two categories, organised smallholders and the other is independent smallholders. Organised smallholders are the like of Felcra, Felda and Risda, which have no issue in complying with MSPO,’’ he said.
“The big issue now is to get the independent smallholders together. So the bulk of the 30% which are yet to be certified are actually independent smallholders.
“It is not easy for these guys as the matter of cost will be a huge factor for them to be certified. But, we see that the government now is really pushing hard to help them in this regard,’’ he added.
So far, 90% of MPOA members are already certified, with the rest to follow suit soon.
However, the downside of certification, according to Datuk Nageeb is that its cost has deterred major palm oil players from wanting to expand their plantations, coupled with possible blowback due to environmental concerns.
“All the big players in the industry have no appetite to expand. One is the issue of the cost in ensuring their plantation comply with regulations and two, push back due to environmental concerns. They are more focus now on research and development on improving yield among other innovations,’’ Datuk Nageeb said.
Is it the right time?
We had proposed in our article Reinstate Exemption of Palm Oil Export Tax, that the Ministry of Finance should reinstate exemption of export tax on palm oil in 2020 to help exporters overcome the current challenges they face from India’s restriction on imports of refined palm oil and alleged Indian government pressure on importers in India to boycott Malaysian palm oil, coupled with some western countries’ ban or restrictions on imports of palm oil.
Likewise, we ask whether it is the right time to additionally burden both large corporate and smallholder oil palm plantations with the additional costs of certification and compliance, when as Datuk Nageeb said above, these are already an additional burden on large plantations, so what more smallholders.
After all, only two western countries – namely Netherlands and the United States of America are amongst the major buyers of Malaysian palm oil and these major buyers altogether account for two thirds of worldwide palm oil purchased from Malaysia.
They are in order of palm oil purchased in 2019 – India (4,409,511 tonnes), China (2,490,503 tonnes), Pakistan (1,085,546 tonnes), Netherlands (880,813 tonnes), Turkey (709,262 tonnes), Philippines (629,086 tonnes), Vietnam (595,265 tonnes), United States of America (542,161 tonnes), Iran (521,669 tonnes) and Japan (498,359 tonnes), with the rest of the world (6,107,083 tonnes).
Whilst mostly western environmental NGOs have been putting pressure on their respective governments to restrict or ban imports of palm oil over allegations of poor sustainability practices on plantations, how many of our regional neighbours and other countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America which buy Malaysian palm oil are as demanding over the sustainability practices and standards of Malaysia’s palm oil plantations?
Basically, does levying export duty and mandating certification make sense at this challenging time for the oil palm and palm oil industries?


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Drug companies cannot escape liability for harmful prescriptions in West Virginia by laying all responsibility on doctors, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.Click here to read the entire article.
Three of five Justices denied a writ that would have kept Marshall Circuit Judge Mark Karl from holding trial against Janssen Pharmaceutica.
They upheld Karl's rejection of a doctrine that would define a doctor as a "learned intermediary" between a drug maker and a patient.
Chief Justice Robin Davis treated the doctrine as a useless 82-year-old relic.
"When the learned intermediary doctrine was developed, direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs was utterly unknown," she wrote. "Pharmaceutical manufacturers never advertised their products to patients, but rather directed all sales efforts at physicians."
She wrote that the law created an exception to the duty of a manufacturer to warn consumers directly of risks.
"For good or ill, that has all changed," Davis wrote. "... we now hold that, under West Virginia products liability law, manufacturers of prescription drugs are subject to the same duty to warn consumers about the risks of their products as other manufacturers."
Monday, July 02, 2007
A blow to DTC advertising?


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A strong comeback is needed in 2021 to heal the global economy from the coronavirus pandemic. The International Monetary Fund predicted Tuesday that the global economy will recover next year from the “great gridlock” of 2020, but some economists and international financial institutions sound less convinced. The global economic collapse caused by the coronavirus will not be as serious as previously thought thanks to strong government intervention around the world and a broad and rapid recovery in China
The global economy will contract by 4.4 percent this year and grow by 5.2 percent in 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday when it released its latest global economic outlook. The economy is forecast to contract at an annual rate of 3% this year, followed by a 5.8% recovery in 2021.
She was referring to the June forecast, which predicted a 4.9% decline due to the coronavirus pandemic. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) described its latest global economic outlook as “fraught with major risks” for emerging and developing countries, with the number of Covid 19 cases and outlook worsening compared to its June forecast. The persistent and serious nature of the crisis, which has led to massive unemployment and more than a million deaths, means that state support will continue to be crucial, the IMF added.
This is especially true given that the economy seems to be characterized by a disinflationary psychology. Unemployment was relatively low during the pandemic, and the economy is expected to be at capacity. Although we agree that the economy will recover once restrictions are lifted, we disagree that inflationary pressures and interest rates are likely to rise over the next 12 months. Bond yields have risen on expectations of faster economic growth and higher inflation. Large-scale US stimulus programs have shifted investors from worries about slowing growth to fears of too-rapid growth, putting upward pressure on interest rates.
The Employment Report shows that there is still a great deal of room for manoeuvre towards full employment. The Congressional Budget Office warns that the unemployment rate will remain high for the next decade and that economic output will remain depressed for years unless changes to the way state taxes are spent are made. This kind of change depends on a broader recognition that emergency measures alone will not be enough to restore the US economy to health. The form of economic recovery will be a kind of ugly, jagged swoosh, a form that reflects years of stop-and-start recovery when the global economy eventually reopens and vaccines are placed and distributed. It will be more difficult to impose a second or third ban.
The pandemic is having a serious impact on the economic health of the entire continent. More than 80 emerging economies are seeking help, and the International Monetary Fund has warned that the recession could be worse than the worst since 2008. The world economy is in a state of paralysis after a massive expansion of size, and for this reason the question that must be asked of global capitalism is the same. Fearing a new debt crisis for the entire continent and for the future of the European Union, member states “first reaction was to close their borders and look after each of their own citizens
The economic damage caused by the COVID 19 pandemic has led to a decline in demand, which means that not all consumers are buying the goods and services available in the global economy. As a result, retail sales have fallen year-on-year in many economies, and in some cases even more sharply than at the end of 2019. This forecast is particularly unfortunate for the people of the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, who have helped ensure that supply bottlenecks in many sectors do not worsen. The global economy is expected to grow by 5.6% in 2021, says the World Bank 08 Jun 2021, 07.28 PM IST The report notes that per capita income losses for two-thirds of emerging and developing countries will not be fully offset until 2022. According to the IMF, emerging economies have become the largest share of total global output since the 2008-09 financial crisis, accounting for 5.8% of the global economy. While this is good news, it is important to remember that for the developed world, the data is only half of the global story.
India’s economy accelerated in January-March from COVID-19 wave May 31, 2021, 09.15 IST The median forecast in a Reuters poll of 29 economists showed that gross domestic product in India grew by 1.0% year-on-year in March and by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter as the country began to pull out of a steep pandemic-induced recession in the first six months. In September 2019, China’s economic growth will be at its lowest level since 1990. Losses in Latin America ranged from 6 to 8 percent, ahead of emerging Asia and China. Because China is the largest country, it will have a greater impact on the US economy than in the past. Figure 2 shows that Japan’s employment rate in 2012 was below the developed world average. Voter turnout in 2018 rose to the second highest in the world. The employment rate of women in Japan is also low compared to other countries.
From an economic point of view, it’s like last year was a bad dream. The real economy is doing well, and asset prices are soaring. Many observers have expressed concern and surprise at the dichotomy between the real economy and finance in the United States.
As soon as the real economy began to accelerate, asset prices became more volatile. Optimism about the economic outlook is mirrored in the developed world, with stock markets pushing many to new highs this week. In March, the global Purchasing Managers Index reached a six-year high, indicating a strong global economy showing resilience in both manufacturing and services, according to James Pomeroy, a global economist at HSBC.


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November 18, 2010
Elk Foundation, NBFog Announce Marketing Alliance
MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has announced a new alliance with NBFog Inc., a company that specializes in building outdoor brands. NBFog will help the nonprofit conservation organization with licensing agreements, sponsorship management and other marketing support.
The goal of the new alliance is leveraging the RMEF brand to generate additional funding for habitat conservation—and improve marketing benefits for RMEF’s investing partners.
“We’re looking forward to strengthening our relationship with our longtime corporate partners in the hunting and shooting sports industry, and we’re eager to explore new opportunities in non-endemic markets,” said Steve Decker, vice president of marketing for RMEF. “NBFog, with its team of highly experienced senior executives from across the outdoor industry, is uniquely positioned to take us to that next level.”
Mike Callahan, CEO of NBFog, said, “The RMEF brand is one of the strongest in all of the outdoors, with powerful associations with land stewardship, hunting and real passion for traditional outdoor lifestyles. It’s a brand poised for growth.”
NBFog will focus on building a broader, more extensive array of RMEF-licensed products, including non-endemic categories such as tools, trucks, beverages and more. Along with the additional royalties, other elements of the alliance include new initiatives to drive sponsorships, business relationships, membership and merchandising.
About NBFog Inc.
NBFog Inc. is a multi-discipline company focused on brand building, sales-management outsourcing, technology and media management and business-process outsourcing for the outdoor lifestyle community. Launched at the 2010 SHOT Show, the company’s clients now include RMEF, Strike King Lure Co., Foxy Huntress, Hoppe’s, Mississippi State University, Long Leaf Camo, Phunware, Vicious Fishing, Camo Gourmet, Final Approach and Buckscore. NBFog Inc. is based in Austin, Texas, with offices in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Oxford, Miss. For more information, visit http://www.nbfog.com/.


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According to ACT Research’s North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK, slower freight growth, an easing of driver supply constraints, the resumption of the long-run freight productivity trend, and strong Class 8 tractor fleet growth will increasingly pressure rates and by extension, trucker profitability in 2019.
“With the industry awash in capacity, trucker profitability is expected to roll-over in earnest by the second half of 2019, as 2018 contracts expire and are replaced by lower 2019 rates,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “That said, while GDP is expected to slow, the danger signals that were flashing at the start of the year have largely moderated: Near-term indicators are no longer signaling imminent danger. The in-process ratcheting-up of tariffs on Chinese goods, and expected Chinese counters to U.S. actions do not appear conducive to near-term growth or confidence.”
Regarding heavy vehicle demand, Vieth noted, “We continue to believe the accelerating supply-demand imbalance and large new vehicle inventories will trigger a correction sometime in the latter half of this year. Hence, we remain cautious into the end of this year and early next.”
Despite Vieth’s cautious tenor, he noted that the heavy commercial vehicle market continues to benefit from key supply and demand-side triggers, including a freight rate markdown that is from record highs, desirable new technologies, better fuel economy, and for trailers increased demand for drop-and-hook to keep drivers moving.
Regarding ACT’s medium duty forecasts, Vieth said, “Continuing below-trend order intake further diminished the upward pressure orders had exerted on the forecast. For the medium duty truck segment, analysis shows orders fell to their second lowest level since November 2017. As in March, April’s intake was bolstered by bus orders.”
Head into your average city, and chances are you’ll see some sort of bike or car share program. Or check out a weekend flea market and look at the hundreds of CDs and DVDs that populate the sales tables as... read more
What was the biggest challenge your team faced last year and how did you overcome it? Tom Depping: This biggest challenge has been growing in a highly competitive environment. To counter this, we chose to expand our existing markets but... read more


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Japan has long been a country where side businesses are prohibited in company. Nearly 90% of Japan was employees, so-called s rallymen, so most of the employees could not do it even if they wanted to do a side job.
However, Japan has reached a major turning point in 2018. It is a breakthrough event that allows a side business in a company organization.
This is because the "model work rules" can describe guidelines for promoting side jobs and side jobs. * "Model work rules" are rules created by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare that companies refer to when establishing work rules.
Until now, there was a observance that "do not engage in the business of other companies without permission", which was the basis for prohibiting side businesses.
However, in 2018, the wording of this provision was deleted. This is the origin of the first year of side business in Japan
According to a survey by the Persol Research Institute (“Survey on Awareness and Fact-finding of Side Jobs / Side Jobs 2018”), 10.9% of full-time employees are currently doing side jobs, and 41.0% are not currently doing side jobs but want to do side jobs in the future.
How is situation in 2020?
49.5% introduced a personnel system that allows side jobs / side jobs 49.9% accepts side jobs / side jobs from outside the company according to Recruit Co., Ltd. trend regarding side businesses and side businesses.
Although it has not yet become fully popular, about half of the companies have introduced a system to accept side businesses.


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The ‘People’s Favourite’ gaming company behind the smash hit PUBG Series will launch an “assault” into the NFT battlegrounds.
The world’s leading video game publishers are experimenting with Web3 gaming, utilizing NFT assets and cryptocurrency-based ecosystems in the process.
A well-known gaming company with a tremendously successful brand is developing blockchain-based games — specifically, on Solana.
Krafton, the creator of PUBG: Battlegrounds (originally PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), announced a collaboration with blockchain technology platform Solana Labs on Wednesday to support the development and promotion of blockchain-based games and services.
The South Korean game publisher Krafton, Inc. has been granted official rights to develop blockchain games on Solana networks as part of the agreement.
Editor’s NFA view: This makes the Solana bullish already. Currently it is hovering around 102$ which is already 40% up from the last month’s lowest 75$
Check out News For Latest Updates on Cryptocurrencies and NFTs


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Jamiroquai sign up to alldigdown.com
Added on Monday 17 September 2007, 09:05 (BST)
According to an article in the Guardian newspaper (UK), Jamiroquai are one of a number of artists who have signed up to all dig down (short for All Digital Downloads), a new service which allows artists to sell music directly to fans."Artists can design their own studio pages on the site, and earn revenue from record sales and royalty payments from tracks streamed from the site."Other artists who have signed up include Jamie Cullum, the Verve and the Klaxons.More information about this can read at the Guardian website, and the full alldigdown.com website is set to launch on 20 September.
Credit: Deesha Dyer
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Latest Infectious Disease News
WEDNESDAY, March 10, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Consumers, restaurants, and retailers should not eat, sell or serve any recalled Queso Fresco, Quesillo (Oaxaca, string cheese), or Requeson (ricotta) cheeses that were distributed in 26 states and have been linked to a listeria outbreak, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.
The recall was first announced Feb. 19, but on Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the cheeses had been distributed to at least 26 states. To find out if your state is affected, check here.
The recalled brands by cheese type include:
Queso Fresco: El Abuelito, Rio Grande, Rio Lindo
Quesillo: El Abuelito, El Viejito, El Paisano, El Sabrosito, La Cima, Quesos Finos, San Carlos, Ideal Brands
Requeson: El Abuelito, El Viejito
Some of the recalled cheeses were sold in bulk and may have been repackaged by retailers. Ask your retailer if any Queso Fresco or Quesillo cheese you buy was repackaged from the cheeses recalled by El Abuelito. If you can’t get an answer, don’t buy it and throw away potentially recalled cheese you have at home, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised.
If you had any of the recalled cheeses at home, be especially vigilant about cleaning and sanitizing any surface that may have come in contact with the products, because listeria can survive in refrigerated temperatures and can easily spread to other foods and surfaces, according to the FDA.
People at higher risk for severe listeria infection include those 65 and older, those with a weakened immune system due to certain medical conditions or treatments, and pregnant women. Listeria infection can cause miscarriage.
Copyright © 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Bacterial Infections 101: Types, Symptoms, and Treatments


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If you have a cat, especially an all-black or all-white cat, you're likely preparing your furry housemate for Halloween season by keeping the cat indoors and away from windows. For years, it's been rumored that cults would kidnap cats for rituals, especially around Halloween. However, it's not cults you have to watch out for, but some more mundane but common catnappers.
The idea that Satanic cults kidnap cats has been around for years, but it is just a myth. Snopes says there's no evidence of Satanic or other religious cults regularly swiping cats for rituals. Many shelters still restrict the adoption of black and white cats around Halloween, but others have started promoting Halloween as a great time to adopt because of the increased publicity.
Urban and Not-So-Urban Dangers
That doesn't mean that cats are totally safe around Halloween. Unfortunately, like bunnies and chicks at Easter, cats are seen by some as Halloween decorations. So people adopt the cats but then boot them out of the house after the holiday when they see what caring for a cat really takes.
You also have to be aware of thrill-seeking criminals who think they're being edgy by stealing a cat around Halloween. There are also people around who will poison or harm pets because they don't like animals, regardless of the cat's fur color. So protection for your cat isn't pointless -- and in fact, you may want to do something like setting up security cameras around your home to record anyone lurking near your cat.
Two other risks, both of which could benefit from cameras, are coyotes and cars. Those, unfortunately, make more cats disappear than cults. Even indoor cats can sneak outside, exposing them to these risks. Cameras won't stop the cars and coyotes, but the extra security can show if coyotes are getting into your yard -- so you'll know to be especially careful to not let the cat get out. Vetstreet warns that the urban coyote population is likely responsible for any cat mutilations you find. And if you get a recording of your cat being hit by a car, you have evidence for the police.
If you want more tips on keeping your cat safe and sound, contact your vet and also check into a company like Home Theatre Designs about getting security cameras installed. No one wants to think about all the dangers that could befall their pets, but risks do exist. The cameras can help you identify the risks so that you can do your best to keep cats out of trouble.Share


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Photo by Doyle Murphy
Jenna and Jason Siebert plan to rebuild the Sweet Divine bakery after a fire.
Jenna and Jason Siebert spent Tuesday sorting through the wreckage of their Soulard bakery.
The kitchen and decorating room in the back of the Sweet Divine (1801 S. Ninth St.; 636-942-2900) are charred black. The melted brown plastic sides of a coffee machine dangle off a shelf, like a chocolate fountain in suspended motion.
"Our shop was so cute," Jenna says, surveying the damage. "But we're going to rebuild, and we're going to make it even cuter."
The shop had been closed on Monday when the fire began
. Jason had stopped by earlier before making a supply run to prepare for a busy two days of events. He'd been gone maybe two hours when, at 11 a.m., black smoke signaled trouble.
Photo by Doyle Murphy
The sides of a coffee machine melted in the extreme heat of the fire.
Firefighters responded and were able to quickly control the fire, but not before it wrecked the shop. A faulty freezer compressor appears to be to blame. It burned through the floor of the decorating room, melting plumbing and frying the building's wiring as it crashed through to the basement.
The fire was contained to the back of the building and to where it spread in the basement, but the smoke permeated the shop and an upstairs apartment, leaving a layer of soot on everything. The sour smell of wet ash has replaced the aroma of baking cakes.
The Sieberts are trying to shake off the shock of the fire and focus on relaunching their business, which won national acclaim in 2012 with a victory on Food Network's Cupcake Wars
. They spent the morning meeting with insurance adjusters, talking to their contractor and calling disaster cleanup companies.
The repair will require a gut rehab, Jenna says, and they're estimating it will take six months. In the meantime, they plan to rent kitchen space off-site and continue to fill orders. The Sweet Divine began as a food truck, and they expect to lean heavily on that foundation as they rebuild.
Fans of the popular shop can follow the progress on the shop's Twitter
accounts, where Jenna and Jason have already begun posting updates.
"Nobody got hurt, which is fantastic," Jason says. "Now we need to focus on getting back to work."
We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at email@example.com or follow on Twitter at @DoyleMurphy.


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5 corporate hoaxes and how they rocked the business world
The rise of the viral internet video has been meteoric in recent years, and has helped spawn a number of business hoaxes that have duped and astonished people across the globeJermaine Haughton
The internet has become a hotbed for hoaxers looking to steal a march on the competition or earn some notoriety, driven by an appetite from consumers and journalists for finding the next big thing and the ease with which stories can go viral.
New smartphone app Peeple said that it was going to allow users to assign reviews and one- to five-star ratings to any person they know, from school friends to girlfriends to co-workers for fellow users to follow.
Despite co-founder Julia Cordray claiming the platform was a place for positive comments, many feared that Peeple would become a haven for trolls to taunt people online. After several critical reviews of the app, most notably by the Washington Post, the site was deleted with no traces left online – leading to suggestions in internet forums and messageboards about the app “being the most elaborate internet hoax” ever.
A subsequent report by Newsweek, influenced heavily by a report by rumour-debunking website Snopes, found Peeple was never patented in the U.S. or Canada and traces of the complex application are not present on Google, or any of the other search engines.
Beautiful people only
Keen to cover breaking news as quickly as possible, many tech and mainstream news sites and publications were caught out by startup LoveRoom in 2013.
The premise of LoveRoom was that it's an apartment rental service that only rents to attractive people. Creator Josh Bocanegra even produced a website, which attracted mass media attention, with duped reporters writing full length think pieces on the “service” as if it was actually real.
But the hoax was uncovered by Forbes’ Kashmir Hill, who found that the startup company pitched as Airbnb for attractive people was merely a controversial concept rather than an existing business.
The darker side of hoaxes
While LoveRoom could be considered a silly but harmless prank on the media, some corporate hoaxes have been used as a weapon against organisations – as oil giant Shell found out to its detriment in 2012.
Environmental campaigners Greenpeace and activists Yes Men launched an almost identical website to Shell's at www.arcticready.com, which parodied the oil and gas corporation’s operations and its negative effect on the environment.
The website read: “So while climate change is a serious thing, and its effects, as scientists say, could wipe out a large chunk of humanity, such outcomes are a mere possibility – whereas the benefits from oil extraction are a certainty."
The meticulously-planned stunt also included the creation of seemingly authentic Twitter and Facebook accounts, which attracted thousands of followers and was used as a source for a number of mainstream news outlets, including The Huffington Post.
The smear campaign went viral and appeared on all major social media platforms, hitting some 500,000 views in 24 hours on YouTube and trending with the hashtag #ShellFAIL.
Afraid to draw any more attention to the issue, Shell released a soft statement in response to the hoax some two weeks later when the hype had died down.
Promoting Good Causes
Some activists-turned-pranksters have taken advantage of people’s internet behaviour and most-visited websites to sneakily promote good causes.
A Dutch PR firm duped internet surfers by making a fake Google “fortune-telling” page to raise awareness about the refugee crisis. BrainMedia mimicked the Google search page, using the tech giant’s new logo and listings format, but instead of a search bar, it asks visitors to type in a question about their future. After submitting a question, users were then automatically directed to a new page with information detailing the Middle-Eastern refugee crisis with links to charities for donations.
Similarly, hoax company ComputerTan promised to help people achieve a regular tan while they used their computers and fooled thousands of people who registered their interest to use the service. Attracting 30,000 hits to the fake firm’s website in the first 24 hours, the prank was set up by agency McCann Erickson for skin cancer charity Skcin, and was aimed at raising awareness of the growing threat of skin cancer.
Launched in February 2009, the campaign’s website allows people to switch on what is advertised to be a free tanning session, but users are instead confronted with shocking images and facts about the development and consequences of skin cancer.
While critics have denounced the campaign for manipulating users, the hoax certainly had an impact on boosting awareness, earning media coverage from the BBC, Guardian and Daily Mail.


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In this week's newsletter: Airbnb's new safety measures, Coveo's unicorn round and the TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin agenda.
Airbnb says it will rebook guests if a property fails to meets its new "accuracy standards" beginning next month.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said Saturday the company will ban “party houses” and take other steps to safeguard hosts and guests after five people died at a Halloween party hosted at Californi
Airbnb is best known as the place you go to find somewhere to stay that’s not a hotel. Now, it has made an investment in a startup that points to its bigger ambition to be a go-to destination fo
Huge travel platforms that run airline booking systems like Sabre and Amadeus were invented eons ago and are so large and cumbersome that innovating with them is no easy feat. In the same way that cha
Uber is selling foodie experiences such as cooking classes and multi-course fine dining in its on-demand food delivery app, Uber Eats, under a new Moments tab, per Forbes, which reports on a small-sca
Employee onboarding isn’t all desk balloons and company T-shirts — it’s a critical moment when new hires begin integrating into the culture and workflows of their new company. So, it’s no surp
The founder of one of 2019’s most buzzworthy startups is putting on his VC hat.
Airbnb may be another overvalued 'unicorn,' but it's no WeWork.
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast where each week we discuss other people’s copious dollars and lacking sense. This week was special! Kate and Alex we
Back in May, Tourlane raised $47 million in its ongoing mission to address the complex problems that still exist today around booking group travel. Tourlane has become a major player in this sector. W
Gatsby, a platform that uses modern web technologies like React and GraphQL to help developers build better sites faster, today announced that it has raised a $15 million Series A round led by CRV. Pr
Most people just guess how to price their vacation rental based on minimal research, or take platforms like Airbnb’s suggestions that just want to maximize their own revenue. Beyond Pricing alig
In this week's newsletter: Airbnb, WeWork and Postmates prep IPOs.
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast, where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines.
Airbnb has said that it will have its initial public offering in 2020. The company is one of the last of the big unicorn herd that grew up roughly a decade ago (a herd that includes Uber, Lyft, The We
Holidu, the Munich-headquartered holiday rentals search engine that is now active in 21 country markets, has raised €40 million in Series C funding. The round was led by Prime Ventures, with partici
We’ve aggregated the world’s best growth marketers into one community. Twice a month, we ask them to share their most effective growth tactics, and we compile them into this Growth Report.
Brianne Kimmel on her debut fund: "I want to be mindful that I am a female GP and I feel honored to have that title."
While the software revolution started out slowly, over the past few years it’s exploded and the fastest-growing segment to-date has been the shift towards software as a service or SaaS...


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Huda Beauty’s Wishful brand marks first year with super-sized scrub
Wishful, the third brand in Huda Kattan’s global beauty empire, is celebrating its first birthday with the launch of a jumbo-sized version of its hero Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub.
The arrival of the new 200ml variant is the first in what will be a series of new launches for the Wishful brand this year.
Founder Huda Kattan said the launch followed consistent consumer requests for a larger sized format of the gentle, yet powerful, Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub, which has fast become one of Huda Beauty’s “hero” products.
Infused with a combination of pineapple and papaya enzymes and BHAs and AHAs, the lightweight, milky scrub is designed to reveal “smooth, radiant and glowing skin in seconds and promises long-lasting results in just 10 days.”
One year after launch, the Wishful brand now includes a line-up of seven core products designed to give consumers the “gift of great skin,” Kattan added.
“I am so grateful for all of the support and love that everyone has shown the brand.
“The most rewarding thing for me is to receive messages from my community telling me that Wishful products have genuinely improved their skin and enhanced their confidence.
“We can’t wait to add more products to the line-up and continue to make your skincare dreams come true.”
Wishful products are available for purchase on ShopHudaBeauty.com and in selected retailers across the world.


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Supply chain sources suggest they've had enough.
Taiwanese news site Digitimes says these four 'old-school' PC makers have recognised they can't compete with OEMs that combine a hardware build with a tightly integrated software offer – namely Apple, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
These end-to-end devices don't just offer a more compelling proposition to users, they're also cheaper. Amazon is offering its Kindle Fire at $199 and Barnes & Noble's Nook Simple Touch is $99. They may even end up free one day.
The Guardian surmises that the four exiting OEMs may be waiting for a WinPho tablet option as this would prove more attractive to the vast Microsoft-addicted enterprise market.
Although it does point out that margins are tight in Microsoft world, with Hewlett-Packard making an average profit of just $40 on each $800 PC it sells.
And there's some serious catching up to do even in this space, with Good Technology revealing last month that 19 out of 20 enterprise tablets are iPads.


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Saab on death watch
SWEDISH media outlets are reporting that car maker Saab is about to be declared bankrupt.
The maker, which has been struggling to survive since being offloaded by former parent General Motors in 2010, is believed to be preparing to file for liquidation.
Dutch authorities - the company is part owned by Dutch supercar maker Spyker - halted trading in Saab shares yesterday in response to a report in Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri that the company's chief executive Victor Muller had conceded defeat in his attempts to keep the company afloat.
Last week a court-appointed administrator asked the court to declare the company bankrupt and a verdict is expected to be delivered by the end of the week.
The company has been trying to do a deal with Chinese company Youngman, but has been blocked by General Motors, which is concerned about its intellectual property falling into the hands of the Chinese.
Saab hasn't made a car at its Trollhattan plant since April and was unable to pay its employees last month. The company maintains it is continuing to seek funding.
Saab has sold 139 vehicles this year, up from just 9 in 2010.


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WEIGHT Watchers has dropped the word 'weight' from its name - and rebranded as WW.
But no-one know what the new name stands for, including the famous diet company's chief executive.
The new, slimmed down name is said to mark "the next stage of the company's evolution" - and a focus on wellness, rather than weight loss.
And Mindy Grossman has insisted WW does not stand for either Weight Watchers or 'Wellness that works', the brand's new slogan.
According to Mindy, who took over as chief executive a year ago, it is simply a 'marque' for the brand's focus.
"That marque represents our heritage and history and what we are going forward,"she said.
"This is just a next step, a point of validation. Like any brand we have to stay relevant."
Posting on Twitter, WW said: "We have a mission: to inspire healthy habits for real life—for everyone.
"We’ll always be the global leader in weight loss. Now we’re becoming the world’s partner in wellness."
You can join WW for as little as £2.10 per week.
Also, if you sign up now you can get a whole extra month completely FREE of charge.
But hurry, the deal ends tomorrow!
Sign up here.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Oprah Winfrey, who bought a stake of Weight Watchers in 2015, said she always thought the role in people's lives "goes far beyond a number on the scale".
The TV host's involvement has seen the company's share price surge from less than £3.80 a pop to around £53.
WW will launch a new app next Thursday, while clients can use Alexa and Google Assistant to track their points on a trial basis from today.
In more diet news, this yoga teacher drinks her own PEE every morning and claims it’s cured fibromyalgia and cleared her skin.


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Google isn’t the only company working on a modular smartphone project. Google’s Project Ara is an effort to create a platform that lets customers buy the skeleton of an Android phone and then add modules for the processor, storage, display, battery, camera, and other components. The first Project Ara devices could ship in 2015.
But Chinese phone maker ZTE also showed off its own modular smartphone concept earlier this year, and now a new started called Vsenn is working on its own modular, upgradable phone.
There aren’t a lot of details about the Vsenn project yet, but the idea is that you’ll be able to upgrade or replace three different modules:
That means you could buy a phone when it’s launched, and upgrade the processor and memory in a year or two when faster hardware is available. You could also theoretically keep a few battery modules around: a slim one for everyday use and a thicker (but more powerful) battery for times when you don’t expect to be able to recharge your phone.
One of Vsenn’s co-founders is said to be a former program manager who worked on the Nokia X line of Android smartphones, and the company says its new phones will ship with stock Android software and will receive software updates for 4 years. That’s longer than Google offers updates for its own Nexus phones.
Vsenn is also emphasizing security features including encryption and free access to a VPN network.
That’s assuming Vsenn actually brings its modular phones to market. Right now all we know about the project is what’s written on the company website… which isn’t very much.
The team did post an image on Twitter suggesting that the first of its phones will have a 4.7 inch, full HD display and measure 4.9″ x 2.5″ x 0.35″ which suggests that there’s at least a prototype… or a design in place.
via Android Central
I wouldn’t even mention battery as an option. Even on phones with non-removable batteries you can typically replace them. So that basically means this one allows changes in camera and CPU/memory. Yawn.
From the article, I assume you are able to not only replace the battery, but change it for varying sizes (at the expense of thickness). Also, no phone to date has an upgradeable camera, cpu, or RAM. Also, the closest to expanding flash memory we have gotten is through the use of SD cards. If this phone actually allows for modular parts and still comes in at 8.9mm, that would be a marvel in itself.
Variably size replacement batteries is hardly a novel idea on phones with removable batteries. The old Moto Driod 2 (if not the original Droids) had that feature, OEM. And aftermarket you could get that for the Samsung S4 (if not the S3 and many others).
Comments are closed.


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A study by 1&1 Internet found that SMBs aren’t as connected as one might think. In fact, 40 percent of SMBs lack an online presence, and more than half of such companies have no idea how much it would cost to have an online business.
The study also found that more than 80 percent of companies with an online business found it vital to their operations.
SD-WAN webinar happening June 6. Don't miss out, register today: https://t.co/eYXqeEY7Ee
May 22 2018 @ 16:40:08 UTC


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Celiac.com 03/21/2016 - Claims, counterclaims and a lawsuit have engulfed the gluten-free empire of actress Jennifer Esposito, and the people suing her include her new husband, British model Louis Dowler.
The former "Blue Bloods" star opened Jennifer's Way bakery in 2012, after being diagnosed with celiac disease. Her small business empire includes the bakery and an online business selling gluten-free bagels, cookies and rolls.
According to court documents, her business partners, Lawrence Wenner and David Drake sank $250,000 each into the business and then loaned $1 million to establish a commercial plant in Queens to bake and ship orders, in addition to the retail shop that sold products made on site.
According to the investors, Esposito failed to transfer ownership of the East Village bakery to the newly formed company, Jennifer's Way Inc., and has been uncooperative, and publicly combative. Wenner and Drake allege they were unable to obtain a needed loan because Esposito refused to cooperate.
As if a $43 million lawsuit isn't enough, things got even more exciting recently when, after making posts on Facebook to the effect that she could no longer vouch for the gluten-free status of the company's products, Esposito was served with a restraining order forbidding her from bad-mouthing the investors, according to the New York Post.
Court documents charge that "Esposito has instilled and promoted a groundless and downright false sense of fear that the very same products with the same recipes, coming from the same facility, that she once stood behind, are now unsafe to consume."
According to the Post, Esposito's lawyer has called the case baseless, and said the actress "was misled by her investors, and has done nothing wrong to warrant a lawsuit." Both sides are due in court in Suffolk County March 16.
Whatever the outcome of the suit, Esposito's legal woes won't end there, as she declared in court papers that she has filed for divorce from Dowler, citing "cruel and inhuman treatment," among the grounds.


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ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 26 -- A trace amount of melamine, the toxic chemical that has sickened tens of thousands of infants in China, was found in a U.S.-manufactured infant formula, the FDA confirmed.
A spokesperson for the agency would not identify which brand was affected, and said that "extremely low" levels of the chemical were found in only one of 77 samples tested.
The agency is awaiting results on another 10 samples.
Stephanie Kwisnek, with the FDA's Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition stressed that the agency believes U.S.-produced infant formula is safe. There are no plans for recalls, she said.
"There's no concern for public health. FDA's advice to parents is to continue to use U.S.-produced infant formula. It is safe, effective, and wholesome. There's no health risk," according to Kwisnek.
The contamination is believed to be the result of the manufacturing process, she said. Melamine is approved for use in can liners.
Testing in the U.S. began in September following the discovery of melamine-contaminated infant formula in China, which has sickened more than 50,000 Chinese infants and killed four.
In the contaminated U.S.-produced sample, the FDA detected levels of 137 parts per billion and 140 parts per billion.
On Oct. 3, the agency announced that it could not establish any safe level for melamine in infant formula. (See: FDA Says No Safe Level of Melamine in Baby Formula)
But, Kwisnek said, the agency has continued testing since then and is in the process of updating its risk assessment for melamine. There is no timetable for its release.
Even though there is no accepted safe level of melamine for infant formula, she said, the concentrations detected are so low that the agency would not expect them to be dangerous.
There have been no illnesses reported in the U.S. in connection with melamine-tainted formula.
The finding of contaminated U.S.-manufactured products was first reported by the Associated Press, stemming from a Freedom of Information Act request.
The AP identified the melamine-contaminated sample as Mead Johnson's Enfamil LIPIL with Iron.
Another sample -- Nestle's Good Start Supreme Infant Formula -- was tainted with cyanuric acid, a byproduct of melamine, the news organization said.
Several products have been pulled from the market over the past two months because of suspected melamine contamination, including a fruit-flavored drink called Blue Cat, YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink, YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink, and several Mr. Brown coffee and tea products. (See: Chinese Melamine Contamination Triggers U.S. Recall of Instant Coffee and Tea Products, Fruit-Flavored Drinks Tainted by Chinese Melamine, and FDA Finds Melamine in Asian Milk Drinks)


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European markets are hovering around the flatline as investors digest a slew of earnings reports. A surge in profits from Marks & Spencer Group (LSE:MKS) has sent the stock to the top of the FTSE 100, lifting other retailers such as Associated British Foods (LSE:ABF), Next (LSE:NXT) and B&M European Value Retail SA (LSE:BME) too.
Germany’s inflation rate hit 3.8% in October, down significantly from 4.5% in the previous month, hitting a more than two-year low thanks to easing food inflation.
In the US, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite have logged their longest winning streak in two years, but futures are pointing to a slightly weaker open ahead of Fed chair Jay Powell’s comments later today.
ITV (LSE:ITV) said the advertising market “remains challenging” with full-year ad revenues likely to fall by 8% partly due to tough comparables after a strong year in 2022 because of the FIFA World Cup. CEO Carolyn McCall flagged the “challenging macro environment”, which she says is impacting the advertising market and demand for content from free-to-air broadcasters in the UK and internationally.
The broadcaster reported lacklustre total revenue growth of 1% in the first nine-months with strength in ITV Studios partly offset by a decline in TV ad demand amid the structural shift towards streaming away from traditional linear viewing. ITV Studios was a bright spot with revenue growth of 9% thanks to key shows like Fifteen Love on Amazon Prime, World on Fire on BBC and Love Island USA on Peacock. However, Studios revenue is seen slowing to 3% this year, down from 19% last year.
- Marks & Spencer shares surge after these cracking results
- Primark drives AB Foods share price to two-year high
Its streaming service ITVX had a strong nine months with 27% growth in total streaming hours. It is aiming to achieve £750 million of digital revenues in ITVX by 2026. ITV has been trying to save costs – it says it is on track to deliver £15 million of cost savings this year as part of its previously announced £50 million savings target between 2023 and 2026.
Shares in ITV have slumped by over 5% today, on track for their worst one-day slide in 10 months, reflecting the weak macro backdrop that is weighing on ad spending. This leaves the stock down around 20% so far this year.
In July, the company warned it was in the “worst advertising recession since the global financial crisis” as macro pressures from elevated inflation and higher interest rates take their toll. There’s a mixed assessment from the analyst community with 7 buy recommendations, two holds and two sells on the stock.
Wetherspoon (J D) (LSE:JDW) reported first quarter like-for-like sales in the 14 weeks to 5 November up 9.5%. Chair Tim Martin said “inflationary pressures have eased”, but said energy costs are still far higher than before the pandemic.
Shares in Wetherspoons are trading higher today, extending its year-to-date gain to over 50%. However, the stock has pulled back from the May highs. Demand at Wetherspoons has remained pretty resilient even in the face of a weaker consumer and cost-of-living pressures thanks to its low price point on food and drinks. However, some consumers have been substituting their pub visits for spending on cheaper food and drinks in supermarkets to consume at home instead. Martin has long been vocal about the “tax inequality” that he believes punishes the hospitality sector and favours supermarkets.
The hospitality industry has had a tough time lately, grappling with cost inflation, sluggish demand, strikes, the shift towards working from home, and labour shortages, an issue that’s likely to flare up again over Christmas as companies look to attract seasonal temp workers.
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