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- 2017 Aug 30
The E-Book That Could Have Been
A video game called 'Device 6' illuminates the past, present, and alternate future of the book, and shows what the e-book could have done.
- 2017 Aug 25
Obscure Medieval Texts, Translated
Stanford's Global Medieval Sourcebook is a new online compendium of English translations for overlooked Middle Ages texts.
- 2017 Aug 07
MIT Press Classics Come to Archive.org
A publishing partnership between MIT Press and the Internet Archive brings 1,500 titles to the web to be read for free.
- 2017 Apr 27
How E-books Lost Their Shine
Just a few years ago, the Kindle was being blamed for the death of the traditional book. But the latest figures show a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
- 2017 Jan 24
New Amazon E-book Proposal in Europe
Amazon has offered to remove controversial "most favored nation" clauses in European e-book contracts and is asking for feedback.
- 2017 Jan 23
Canada and Apple Reach a Deal
Canada's Competition Bureau has come to an agreement on discounted titles with Apple and three e-book publishers.
- 2016 Dec 01
Iowa Considers An E-book Sales Tax
Iowa is the latest state considering the introduction of a sales tax on digital products such as e-books and software.
- 2016 Sep 28
Catfishing on Amazon
How one Kindle scam made an independent seller millions of dollars as thousands were tricked into buying low-quality e-books.
- 2016 Aug 31
A Treasure Trove of Kids' Lit
Enter an archive of 6,000 historical children’s books, all digitized and free to read online.
- 2016 Aug 23
Redshelf Shakes Up Textbooks
The e-textbook company has raised $4 million to drive new product development.
- 2016 Apr 19
Amazon Deal with NYC Schools?
Amazon waiting to hear on contract with NYC schools.
- 2016 Apr 05
Amazon CEO Previews New Kindle
Jeff Bezos tweeted that an "all-new, top of the line" Kindle is coming, and he'll be sharing more details next week.
- 2016 Mar 11
Kobo CEO on E-Reading
Chief of Kobo Michael Tamblyn said e-books have seen "fantastic growth" in Europe, noting that Kobo e-readers are here to stay.
- 2016 Mar 08
Google Patents an 'Interactive Book'
Google filed for patents for technology that would add special-effects imagery and sound to the reading experience.
- 2016 Feb 04
A Blueprint for Better E-books
The National Science Foundation is funding a project to create interactive digital textbooks.
- 2016 Jan 26
Amazon Tests E-Book Gift Cards
Bartell Drugs, a Seattle-based chain, is carrying title-specific Kindle gift cards as Amazon tests their success.
- 2015 Dec 16
Get Google Play's Night Light
Google's new reading mode, Night Light, aims to reduce eyestrain during darker hours.
- 2015 Dec 14
A Scientific Look at Books Vs. E-books
A new study uses scientific research to present the pros and cons of each format.
- 2015 Oct 22
How to Spot an E-book Catfish
Kindle entrepreneurs have found a way to make money by producing e-books in the name of fictional experts and marketing them using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
- 2015 Sep 30
Apple Launches iBooks in China
The company has taken Apple Music, iTunes Movies, and iBooks to China, and said the cloud-based music streaming service will roll out on Android phones this fall.
- 2015 Sep 25
What's Ahead for the Subscription Model?
Oyster's shut down adds to the growing sense that the all-you-can-read subscription model for e-books is not succeeding — at least in its current form, writes 'Forbes.'
- 2015 Sep 24
From Books to E-books and Back
The future of literary consumption is unwritten, says Flavorwire.
- 2015 Sep 23
How to Launch a Book on Amazon
Nine tips from one successful author, at 'Forbes.'
- 2015 Sep 15
The Question of E-book Pricing
The 'Observer' says that raising prices doesn't appear to be helping the bottom line at big publishers.
- 2015 Aug 31
How Amazon's Healing Its 'Black Eye'
'Forbes' contributor Dave Chase says Amazon needs to respond "forcefully" to the recent, and scathing, NYT piece on its culture in order to be able to "attract and retain the best talent in the tech industry."
Dunham Drops New Story in New Newsletter
Lena Dunham's new newsletter, Lenny, has a preview fiction issue coming out that features a short story by the author/actress/filmmaker called “Six Sausages."
- 2015 Aug 27
New York Delays E-book Deal with Amazon
City education officials have shelved a $30 million deal to give students electronic books after advocates complained it would exclude the visually impaired.
- 2015 Aug 20
Authors React to Authonomy Closure
UK online writing community Authonomy is closing. Here are reactions from authors who use and read it.
- 2015 Aug 14
The E-book Effect
The BBC asks, did technology kill the book, or give it new life?
- 2015 Aug 04
Japanese Readers Buying Digitally
According to new research, Japanese readers will spend the most on electronic editions in 2015. U.K. readers will follow closely, with U.S. readers somewhere down the middle, spending an average of $46 this year.
- 2015 Jul 30
NYC to Sign $30M Contract with Amazon
The Department of Education is about to approve a $30 million contract with Amazon to create an e-book marketplace for New York City's 1,800 public schools.
- 2015 Jun 25
Amazon's New Payment System Works
'Fortune' explains why Amazon's new way of paying authors makes sense.
- 2015 Jun 22
What If Authors Got Paid For Every Page?
Amazon is about to find out.
- 2015 Apr 15
What the Harper, Amazon Deal Means
Alison Griswold at Slate takes a look at what the agreement says about the future of e-book pricing, and publishing.
- 2015 Apr 13
Book Collecting--It's Alive and Well
According to a WSJ article, demand for collectible rare books has remained stable despite the embrace of e-books and e-reading.
- 2015 Feb 20
E-book of Malcolm X Autobiography Coming
One of the last major digital holdouts, 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X,' should soon be available as an e-book, according to the attorney for the late activist's estate.
- 2015 Feb 18
E-books Up in the Air
Digital resources in the form of e-books, audiobooks, and other media are beginning to take flight across the country by way of airport library branches.
- 2015 Feb 13
KU Launches in Canada
Continuing the roll-out of the e-book subscription service which launched in the U.S. last summer, Kindle Unlimited has now been established in Canada, with over 750,000 titles available to readers.
- 2015 Feb 04
Amazon Program Turns Print to E-book
Kindle Convert, a new program for Windows, turns print books into digital versions fully compatible with Amazon’s Kindle software.
- 2015 Jan 27
Tesco Shuts Down E-book Business
The supermarket chain has given up on Blinkbox Books after failing to find a buyer for the division.
- 2015 Jan 26
Spotify for Books
'The Economist' explores how authors and publishers may constrain the rise of e-book subscriptions.
- 2015 Jan 22
Reading Reading Behavior
Buzzfeed on the publishing industry’s uneasy embrace of Netflix-style analytics.
- 2015 Jan 13
The Print, Digital Debate Arises Again
This time, there's talk of e-books "dying out."
- 2014 Dec 23
S&S U.K. Permits E-lending on All Titles
Simon & Schuster UK is to allow libraries to lend its full catalogue of nearly 14,000 e-book titles, effective immediately.
- 2014 Dec 18
Apple Claiming Virtue
Vauhini Vara at the 'New Yorker' asks: Did Apple fix e-book prices for the greater good?
- 2014 Dec 12
KU Launches in France & Brazil
Amazon's Kindle Unlimited is now live in France and Brazil, bringing to seven the number of countries where the service is available.
- 2014 Dec 10
The Unfinished Novels
New data from Kobo shows that, although 'The Goldfinch' was the 37th bestselling e-book of the year for the retailer, it was completed by just 44.4% of Kobo’s British readers.
- 2014 Nov 05
Enhanced 'Mockingbird' E-book Out
Oprah Winfrey and Tom Brokaw are among the featured commentators for an "enhanced" e-book of Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' released Tuesday by HarperCollins.
Dictionaries in a Digital World
A lexicographer at Merriam-Webster writes about how going electronic changed dictionaries.
- 2014 Nov 03
Most Popular Passages in Books
According to Kindle data.
- 2014 Oct 29
E-book Prices May Rise As VAT Kicks In
Publishers and retailers will aim to prevent e-book prices from soaring when a new European-wide VAT law on digital products is introduced on January 1, 2015.
- 2014 Oct 22
Do Readers Really Prefer Paperbacks?
The e-book industry by the numbers, in an infographic.
- 2014 Oct 17
Is Jeff Bezos the Bad Guy?
Alex Beam, in the 'Boston Globe,' asks.
- 2014 Oct 15
Google vs. Amazon
Google thinks Amazon is its biggest competitor, according to Slate's Alison Griswold.
- 2014 Oct 08
Adobe Spyware Reveals the Price of DRM
Two independent reports claim that Adobe’s e-book software, “Digital Editions,” logs every document readers add to their local “library,” tracks what happens with those files, and then sends those logs back to the mother-ship, over the Internet, in the clear.
- 2014 Oct 01
A Parent's Attachment to Print
Parents who buy books for their children have an attachment to print vs. e-books, a new Nielsen study has found.
- 2014 Sep 30
This Interactive Book Makes $70k a Week
Since the last week of August, the interactive book 'Alice' been pulling in $70,000 a week from iOS customers alone and is on Apple’s list of top-grossing apps, the app’s creator Emanuel Paletz revealed to VentureBeat.
- 2014 Sep 25
Nearly 75% of Young People Prefer Print
New research shows that while nearly three-quarters of young people in the U.K. said they prefer the print form, only 27% prefer e-books and 31% said they don’t buy e-books at all.
- 2014 Sep 22
Vintage to Release Márquez E-books
Six months after his death at 87, Gabriel García Márquez is finally getting a digital makeover.
- 2014 Sep 15
Line by Line, E-books Go Poetry Friendly
More than a decade into the e-book revolution, poetry publishers are scrambling to carve out a place in the digital market.
- 2014 Sep 02
How We Can Fix Scientific Publishing
TechCrunch tells us how the digital revolution can change scientific publishing.
- 2014 Aug 29
Greer: E-books 'Should Cost Pennies'
Writer Germaine Greer has said that e-books should “cost pennies” and accused people of having an “irrational attachment to the [printed] book."
- 2014 Aug 20
E-reading Adversely Affects Plot Recall
Kindle readers are “significantly” worse at recalling plot compared to paperback readers, according to a new Europe-wide study.
- 2014 Aug 15
Reading Literature On Screen
A new study suggests that there may be some cognitive drawbacks to reading even short works of literature on a screen.
- 2014 Aug 12
Amazon Book Battle is Yesterday's War
What Amazon, authors, and publishers fail to recognize is "in the world of digital literature, book ownership will soon be an anachronism," according to Leonid Bershidsky at BloombergView.
- 2014 Aug 07
Sainsbury Now Sole Owner of Anobii
The U.K. supermarket has purchased the HarperCollins and Penguin Random House stakes in the Anobii e-book platform, and now owns 100% of the company.
- 2014 Aug 05
What Amazon's E-book Numbers Say
Carolyn Kellogg, at the 'Los Angeles Times,' writes about what Amazon's math on e-books does and doesn't tell you.
- 2014 Jul 25
Judge Troubled by Apple Settlement
A U.S. judge on Thursday expressed concern over a proposed $450 million settlement of claims Apple conspired with five publishers to fix e-book prices, saying its provisions could drastically reduce money paid to consumers depending on appeals.
- 2014 Jul 11
iBook Bestsellers Vs. Kindle Bestsellers
Are they different?
Gladwell Takes Comedic Shot at Amazon
The author gets cheeky in a video about the ongoing terms dispute between the e-tailer and Hachette.
- 2014 Jul 07
Summer's Most Un-Read Bestsellers
Relying on Kindle data, the WSJ looks at the book people are buying, but not reading.
- 2014 Jun 30
The E-reader Death Watch Begins
E-readers are dying, says Slate. So what does that mean for book sales?
- 2014 Jun 20
I Was a Digital Bestseller
Tony Horwitz pens an opinion piece in the "New York Times" about his experience with digital publishing.
- 2014 Jun 04
Byliner Seeks Partners
Byliner, a company that publishes long, literary journalism and fiction online and as e-books, told its contributors Tuesday that it has been struggling and is seeking partners to ensure its future.
- 2014 May 28
Target to Offer E-books
As the retailer works to build a more competitive e-commerce experience, it's partnering with a startup e-book subscription service called Librify to give customers an online platform for buying, sharing, and discussing their favorite books.
- 2014 May 20
Jane Friedman talks tech, e-books and why content still rules, at "Forbes."
- 2014 Apr 28
Kids on E-books
Could e-books actually get in the way of reading?
'To Kill a Mockingbird' Going Digital
Filling one of the biggest gaps in the e-library, "To Kill a Mockingbird" will become available as an e-book and digital audiobook on July 8, HarperCollins Publishers announced Monday. Harper Lee, in a rare public statement, cited a "new generation" of fans in agreeing to the downloadable editions of her Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.
- 2014 Apr 25
Hemingway Goes Digital
Ernest Hemingway’s collected works will be made available in e-book for the first time in a global project by Simon & Schuster.
- 2014 Apr 24
Pharrell Releasing Digital Book Today
Just hours after the busy "Happy" hit-maker released the music video for his new single "Marilyn Monroe," he also revealed that he is releasing a new, untitled book.
- 2014 Apr 21
You Don't Own Your Kindle Books
Amazon reminds one customer.
Enhanced E-books and Scholarly Writing
For scholars in the humanities, the "enhanced" e-book format is a game changer. Now we can much more easily disseminate our work in art history, archaeology, and many other scholarly fields that have presented high hurdles to print publishing.
- 2014 Apr 14
Students Reading E-books are Losing Out
Students who read conventional books have a higher reading comprehension than those reading digitally, according to a new study.
- 2014 Mar 28
The Great E-book Royalty War
A backstage battle between publishers and authors over royalties may be limiting which e-books you can buy.
- 2014 Mar 26
The Revolutionary Atavist
Inside the digital platform that, according to PolicyMic, is about to revolutionize book publishing.
- 2014 Mar 10
Forecasting the Self-Pub Market
Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, estimates that self-published e-books will account for 50% of digital sales by 2020.
- 2014 Feb 07
First Arab E-bookstore Launched
Kotobi.com, the first webstore where Arabic books can be downloaded and purchased online, was launched at this year's Cairo International Book Fair.
- 2014 Jan 23
The Author Life in a Digital Age
We used to know what it took to be a writer – you had to publish a book. But electronic publishing is piling pressure on myths of the author's life.
- 2014 Jan 10
'Mein Kampf': E-Book Bestseller
Salon explores why Hitler's memoir/manifesto has become a bestseller in digital.
- 2013 Dec 20
Kindle Readers Make Their Mark
Amazon's popular highlights chart reveals a revolution in reading habits.
- 2013 Dec 19
Startup Settles Dispute with Publishers
Boundless, a ed-tech startup that aimed to provide free, online alternatives to textbooks, was served with a lawsuit citing a violation of the Copyright Act from three major textbook publishers in March 2012. The companies have now reached a settlement, which will set a precedent for digital publishing and serve as a warning to future education technology startups.
- 2013 Dec 03
Australian Kindle Store
Amazon has been prising open the wallets of Australian consumers for years – but what will its local push on Kindle mean for readers, writers and publishers?
- 2013 Dec 02
HarperCollins, Beyond E-Books
The New York-based publishing house, whose roots date back to 1817, was the only one of the Big Five publishers to offer some of its backlist titles — and perhaps more importantly, some of its prestige — to startups at launch, helping to kickstart the fledging Netflix-like e-book subscription market.
- 2013 Nov 26
YA Readers Prefer Printed Books
A survey finds that 62% of 16 to 24-year-olds prefer traditional books over their digital equivalents.
- 2013 Nov 21
HC U.K. Boss: Take Storytelling Back
HarperCollins U.K. CEO Charlie Redmayne warns that publishers must take their space back from digital rivals by going beyond e-books to apps, games and video.
- 2013 Nov 12
The Rise & Fall of Kno
Kno launched with much fanfare and raised nearly $100 million in venture capital and debt, only to find out that the world of education didn’t care much for the company’s products or for that matter the company itself. It crash landed at Intel last weekend.
- 2013 Nov 04
Startup to Offer Didion E-books
Beginning Monday, ZolaBooks.com will be the only place consumers can find the e-book edition of Slouching Towards Bethlehem, an essay collection by Didion that was published in 1968.
- 2013 Oct 18
Franzen's Worst Nightmare
Apple’s exploring ways to autograph e-books. Slate asks, what does that even mean?
- 2013 Sep 13
White Plains High Goes All Digital
Students at Stepinac High will no longer be lugging around their print textbooks after the catholic school created a unique digital textbook program with Pearson.
- 2013 Sep 10
APA Creates Publishing Arm
The L.A.-based talent and literary agency is launching digital book publishing business called Beverly Drive Press.


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Apple is preparing to release an upgraded version of its iOS operating system that will give iPhone owners information about the health of the batteries on their handsets.
Reversing the company’s longstanding refusal to make such information available directly on iPhones and iPads, the US tech giant said on Wednesday that the iOS update will show the phone’s battery health and recommend whether the battery needs to be replaced, Reuters reports.
It will also let users turn off a controversial piece of software that slows the phone’s performance in some situations when the battery is flagging.
Apple acknowledged in December that its software sometimes deliberately slows phones with weak batteries. The company apologized and lowered the price of battery replacements in its stores for affected phones.
Critics say Apple has obfuscated the fact that a worn-out battery not only fails to hold a charge, it also degrades the phone’s performance. The company’s lack of transparency on the issue has pushed people to buy a new phone rather than a new battery, these people say.
Apple has always banned battery-health apps from the App Store for security reasons.
While a few developers had found ways around the restrictions, their apps stopped showing a key piece of information – the “charge cycle count,” or how many times the battery has been drained and recharged – after a 2016 software update, Reuters noted.
All lithium ion batteries degrade over time. Until the software update announced Wednesday becomes available, the only way to check an iPhone battery is to take the device to an Apple Store or hook the phone up to a Mac computer running special third-party software.
– Contact us at [email protected]

domain: news


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March 21, 2014
Today (March 21st, 2014) PayPal announced a major update to its iOS and Android apps in the UK. The company is turning on two features - that let users order food ahead of visiting the restaurant and enables them to pay for their food using the app via a 4 digit code. In neither case is the presence of the user’s credit/debit card required.
The smartphone has changed our lives, and we wanted to use it to solve some of the most common frustrations about traditional ways to pay on the high street. Our new Order Ahead and Pay at Table services save busy people valuable time. Why wait for the bill when you can pay at the table with your smartphone? And why wait in a restaurant for your takeaway when you can skip the queue by choosing and ordering ahead on your phone? We found in a recent survey that 76% of Britons dislike having to wait in long queues, said Rob Harper, Head of Retail Services at PayPal UK. The mobile is at the heart of the new age of money, and we’re delighted to join big brands like GBK, Prezzo and wagamama to make life easier for people, he added.
PayPal has built the biggest network of high street stores and restaurants that let their customers pay with the one thing they always take with them: their smartphone, said Harper. It’s the beginning of the end for the wallet on the high street.


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This report has been removed, please click the menu above to find the latest research from Strategy Analytics.
Apples New iPad Shines with HD Content Creation and Display
Strategy Analytics attended the much awaited Apple launch of The New iPad today. The tone of the event was refreshingly upbeat and there were some surprises given that many bloggers had already published what they felt would be the specifications well in advance of the event. Our view is that three key trends took on extra significance today, as Apple gave us its news on an astonishing high quality retina display, a new processor to handle the retina display and associated HD content, and finally the next stage in the transition from just media consumption, to now include media creation.


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SAN ANTONIO, TX — Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation's most reliable network, has named Joe Romo as manager of its newest retail location off Military Drive in San Antonio. In this position, Romo will be responsible for customer service, retail sales, inventory, merchandising and employee training for the store, located at 7635 N.W. Loop 410.
Romo was recently joined by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in celebrating the grand opening of the new Verizon Wireless Communications Store. Romo also presented a donation to Family Violence Prevention Services in support of their ongoing work to prevent domestic violence.
Romo will oversee the store's HopeLine® wireless phone collection program in an effort to further combat local domestic violence. Through HopeLine, Verizon Wireless collects no-longer-used wireless phones, regardless of make, model or carrier, to be refurbished or recycled in an environmentally-friendly way. Proceeds are donated to domestic violence prevention advocacy groups or used to purchase wireless phones with free airtime for use by survivors.
Romo joined Verizon Wireless in 2001, and previously served as a retail sales manager. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Dallas.
About Verizon WirelessVerizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 56.7 million voice and data customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.####


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Retail chain Tuskys has inked a deal with online shopping mall Jumia that will see shoppers get a wider selection of products from its 55 stores located countrywide.
Tuskys is looking to increase its sales and reach to a wider clientele by leveraging on Jumia’s network and knowledge of e-commerce trade in Kenya.
Following the deal, the retailer has already enlisted some of its products, which include furniture, electronic appliances and baby care products amongst other, on Jumia.
Online shopping is increasingly becoming popular in Kenya, for the convenience it brings and the wide selection of products it accords buyers. Purchasing goods online makes it possible for buyers to compare various product description and their pricing.
“The retail landscape under the brick store model has already blossomed. The next frontier to watch out for is e-retail. We are already poised to tap into this new market and be a key player in making the entire region an e-retail powerhouse,” said Tuskys Manager in charge of Supply Chain Daniel Muya.
“We will rely on each other’s market strengths and platforms to deliver on this partnership and promote high level shopper convenience and develop the modern e-retail space through innovation and diverse product range.”
According to an online shopping survey published last month by research firm e_Ensures, Jumia and Chinese-backed Kilimall are the most sought online shopping sites with a market share of 38 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.
The survey shows that mobile phones are the most popular items purchased online, taking up 58 per cent of all orders. Fashion products came a distant second at 18 per cent of the online purchases.
“Jumia already has a huge online trust. Tuskys on the other hand has the goodwill of millions of customers who frequent our stores countrywide every day. This deal marks the future of e-retail in the region,” he said.


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SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Experts are raising concerns as South Korean game developers continue to stick with massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG).
Google Play’s top sales in the first week of September showed that seven out of top ten games were MMORPGs.
IGAWorks, a South Korean marketing solutions company, reported that MMORPG games comprised 62.6 percent of all mobile game sales in first half of this year.
NCSOFT Corp.’s “Lineage M”, PLAYWITH GAMES Inc.’s “ROHAN”, and BluePotion Games Co.’s “EOS RED” were some of the most successful MMORPG games.
“The expansion of MMORPG games directly leads to the growth of South Korea’s gaming industry as they account for more than 60 percent of all game sales,” said Ahn Jae-min, a researcher at NH Investment & Securities Co.
Experts are raising concerns that the South Korean game industry’s infatuation with MMORPG games, thanks to their high profitability, is preventing them from developing new games with new genres, which many result in an overall decline in the industry’s competitiveness in the long run.
“The short lifespan of mobile games is leading many companies to hang onto MMORPGs for short-term profit,” said a source familiar with the gaming industry.
It is becoming more difficult to find South Korean developers in the North American and European markets where PC and console games hold a stronger presence.
Major South Korean developers were nowhere to be seen at this year’s E3, Tokyo Game Show, and Gamescom.
Experts are also concerned that Chinese developers may drive out local developers in the South Korean market as they gain a better reputation for making quality games.
H. M. Kang (firstname.lastname@example.org)


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Call it the Grinch trade.
Sales during Thanksgiving weekend, the official kick-off to holiday spending, came in lower than expected as consumers went shopping but spent less than they did a year ago. That theme is likely to continue in the coming months, with a fourth quarter characterized by higher discounts and a shift to profit-biting online sales.
Investors who want to avoid retailers with the greatest exposure to holiday-driven sales might consider staying away from companies such as GameStop and Kay Jewelers parent Signet, which derived 38 percent and 37 percent of their annual sales from the fourth quarter last year, respectively.
They are the retailers with the most at stake during the holidays, among the 96 companies in the S&P Retail Select Industry Index. In contrast, Finish Line, Advance AutoParts and Big Lots each got just about 21 percent of their 2015 sales from the fourth quarter, the lowest in the index:
Black Friday and other holiday shopping events, while still meaningful to many consumers, have become less important to retailers in the past decade. That's partly because shoppers realize they can get good deals throughout the year, especially on e-commerce sites such as Amazon. They no longer need to wait in line during Thanksgiving weekend to snag the best price on popular items.
What's more, the percentage of consumers who claim not to buy holiday gifts topped 10 percent this year, up from 4.7 percent in 2009, according to survey data from Kantar Retail.
And those that do shop will only do so with steep discounts: Thirty-six percent of consumers surveyed by Prosper Insights & Analytics said they only bought items that were on sale, up from 32 percent last year.
Roughly 60 percent of the retailers in the S&P Retail Select Industry Index have seen their reliance on holiday sales decrease over the past decade. For example, Macy's got 43 percent of its sales during the holidays in 2005. Last year, it got 33 percent of annual sales from the fourth quarter.
Only a handful of companies in the retail index -- mostly dollar stores and auto companies -- actually increased the percentage of sales coming in the fourth quarter.
But investors should also look beyond sales; many retailers still get a hefty chunk of their profits from the holiday season. For example, while Macy's relies less on the fourth quarter for sales, it still gets 53 percent of its annual earnings from the holidays.
So while holiday shopping grabs all the headlines, investors might want to leave retailers with the greatest holiday exposure on the shelf.
-Gadfly's Rani Molla contributed graphics.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.
One factor driving up fourth-quarter EPS is share buybacks, which get compounded throughout the year.
To contact the author of this story:
Shelly Banjo in New York at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Mark Gongloff at firstname.lastname@example.org


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TGA Weighs Changes to Regulations for Personalized, 3D Printed Devices
By Michael Mezher -
Published 09 November 2017
Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Thursday launched a consultation on proposed changes to the country's medical device regulations for personalized and 3D printed medical devices.
Categories: News, Oceania, TGA, Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Submission and registration
Tags: 3D-Printing, Custom Medical Devices


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The second Dreamliner model, which Boeing just started shipping to customers, took its debut flight above the prestigious UK airshow. Here's a look.
Users of the 6-second looping video app can now see how many times their video has been repeated across the web.
Meet the distinguished Notifier smartwatch from Martian which unites classic analog style with 21st century messaging and alerts. Best of all the device will cost an affordable $129.99.
This ingenious strap can hold your smartphone in portrait and landscape orientations. But overseas shipping is just a wee bit pricey.
A new iPad animation app makes doodling flipbook-style moving pictures super easy.
Scan your iPhone at nearly any credit card reader and pay for what you want: magic, or just weird? We tried LoopPay around town, and it really worked.
Zubits magnetic shoe closures let you keep your laces while ditching the chore of tying them.
The Loop isn't cheap at $499.95, but it's got a slick, modern design and streams audio from a variety of devices.
Pricing not available
Apple may show off a wearable device at its September iPhone event. But don't call it an iWatch just yet. Here's what else Apple watchers say the company could be cooking up.
The aviation industry spends big bucks and plans years in advance. Airbus sells 496 passenger jets at the UK airshow.


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The City of Ashland has recently become one of many to be impacted by the massive rate of Pizza Hut shop closures across the United States. In August 2019, the fast food giant’s parent company, Yum! Brands Inc., announced plans to close roughly 500 of its dine-in restaurants in the next year as a result of competition within the carryout and delivery food services.
According to the Yum! Website, there are 7,496 Pizza Hut locations in the United States. Of these, 6,100 are restaurants and 1,350 are considered “express locations” that focus primarily on delivery and carryout. This massive reduction would result in there being around 7,000 total locations remaining.
~ There’s more in today’s Journal ~


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Amazon announced earlier this month that it is stopping construction of some buildings at its second headquarters in Arlington.
Josh Harris already has a building issue in Philly. Buying Commanders will give him a bigger one →
Amazon announced Tuesday that the Black Friday game on Nov. 24 will be available for all fans to stream for free.
NFL Black Friday game on Prime Video won't be under paywall →
© Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC
3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002


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Iconic Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster has entered the Australian domestic market in partnership with Bluebell Group, following the successful launch of the brand’s first travel retail airside space in the Southern Hemisphere at Sydney airport in November 2022.
Building on the brand’s momentum, Gentle Monster’s latest venture in Sydney has opened on the ground floor of David Jones Elizabeth Street.
As visitors step into the space, they are greeted by the kinetic art installation known as the ‘Giant Head.’ This artwork, which has enthralled travellers at Sydney International Airport, features an enigmatic display of facial expressions that evoke a sense of mystery and penetrate the essence of the viewer.
Nelly Ngadiman, managing director, Bluebell South East Asia & Australia, said: “This first opening in Sydney’s domestic market is a significant milestone for both the brand and Bluebell; it is a recognition of a close and successful partnership. I am honoured for the trust that Gentle Monster has placed in our teams, and to be part of the process of the exciting future for the brand in Australia. The brand’s uniqueness and disruptive nature in the fashion eyewear category enhances our teams’ commitment to retail excellence even further.”
Working in close collaboration with Gentle Monster, the Bluebell Group assumes responsibility for overseeing all operations, executing effective marketing initiatives, and shaping the brand’s future development in the Australian market. As part of their expansion plans, a flagship store is set to open in July 2024, solidifying Gentle Monster’s presence and further enhancing its brand visibility in Australia.
Retail in Asia is part of the Bluebell Group.


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It’s Halloween 2022. Prepare to delight in all things eerie and odd. It’s time to dress up like your favorite horror movie character right now. Don’t worry if you haven’t made up your mind on what to dress for the Halloween party. Here are some costume suggestions that will help you nail the Halloween mood, from wacky to frightening.
Google has re-released the “Great Ghoul Duel Doodle” from last year in honor of Halloween. But it’s a little different than the prior doodle.
Many people are getting into the atmosphere of this spooky, terrifying festival as Halloween gets closer. In line with this, Google has also brought back an older interactive Doodle.
It’s not just any interactive Doodle; instead, you may play a game in which your team must complete a mission to win.
Google has re-released the Great Ghoul Duel Doodle from last year in time for Halloween. However, it differs somewhat from the preceding doodle. You are represented by either Team Purple or Team Green. This year’s version, according to Google, is different in that gamers can look forward to all-new characters, gaming locales, and even special power-ups to improve the experience.
Things to consider while playing: Halloween 2022
A team has two minutes to collect as many roaming spirit fires as they can. For it to count, a stray spirit flame must be brought back to the team’s base of operations.
The spirit flame can be taken and claimed by the players of the opposition, so it must be avoided.
While it is always possible to play against strangers anywhere in the world, you can also plan a game that can fit up to seven members of your family and friends. To do this, a personalized invitation URL might be utilized.
The following are the game’s rules:
- Players must gather as many roaming spirit flames as they can in two minutes and bring them back to their home base while exploring one of the various eerie levels.
- The team with the most spirit fires at the end of the game wins. But watch out: as they return to home base, spirits can be intercepted by rivals.
- Speed increases, night vision, and other special abilities will all be unlocked for ghosts that amass the most spirit flames along the route.
- The game was created to run on the Google Cloud platform, “utilizing Open Match, a highly-scalable, open source matchmaking framework cofounded by Google Cloud and Unity,” according to those who are interested in the technical side.
Google has created a brand-new holiday Google Doodle in honor of Halloween.
From October 30 until Halloween on October 31 in the US, The Doodle will be accessible.
According to a press release given to Parade, the 2018 Halloween game The Great Ghoul Duel served as the model for the multiplayer interactive Doodle. It was the “first-ever multiplayer interactive game Doodle, powered by Google Cloud.”
With four new characters, two new maps, and 12 unique achievement crowns, the 2022 Halloween Google Doodle is receiving a monster makeover.
What is the Google ghost game?
In 2018, Google released The Great Ghoul Duel, a multiplayer online game in which players controlled two teams of ghosts engaged in combat over the collection and return of spirit flames. Google has The Great Ghoul Duel 2, which significantly increases the gameplay and variety, ready for 2022.
Who is Momo in Google Doodle?
Momo is a fictional Black Cat that has appeared in several Doodles; she is based on a real cat that Juliana Chen, a former Doodler, actually owns.
What is the Google Doodle theme for 2022?
Congratulations to Sophie Araque-Liu, the national winner of the 2022 Doodle for Google contest. This year’s competition was won by Sophie from Florida with her Doodle, “Not alone.” Sophie has received a $30,000 college scholarship from Google as well as a $50,000 technology prize for her school.
How to play the new Google Doodle?
All you have to do to participate in the game is visit the Google homepage and click on the Google doodle. Before you play, each minigame will go over the necessary controls, and for each one, you can challenge a “Legendary Champion” from Japanese history.
Are there any multiplayer Google Doodle games?
A fun new multiplayer Doodle from Google allows you to play pétanque online. It’s similar to bocce ball if you’ve never heard of pétanque, as I hadn’t before writing this post.
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Google has re-released the “Great Ghoul Duel Doodle” from last year in honor of Halloween. This year’s doodle features all-new characters, gaming locales, and special power-ups to improve the experience. It’s time to dress up like your favorite horror movie character right now. Google has created a Halloween game called The Doodle, which is the “first-ever multiplayer interactive game Doodle, powered by Google Cloud”. Players must gather as many roaming spirit flames as they can in two minutes and bring them back to their base while exploring one of the various levels.


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Giving the shirt off your back used to be ultimate sign of generosity. But Hollywood stars Sharon Stone, Benicio Del Toro and Emma Watson have gone one better, donating their trousers for a new charity drive called "J...
Yves Saint Laurent took no risks with a collection that seemed to come straight out of a recent exhibition on its founder, but with a 2010 touch, allowing it to ride the wave of nostalgia for the late designer.
Black capes over leopard-skin, zippers and belts slung around the thighs, Givenchy struck a dark, sensuous note in Paris Sunday with a summer look that seemed plucked from Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut.
Swedish fashion retailer H&M has signed up French designer Sonia Rykiel for its next two collections, the latest in a string of big-name partnerships aimed at helping the brand reach more upmarket shoppers.


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The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said it was lowering China’s economic growth forecast for 2019 and 2020, citing “uncertainty” over the trade war between Beijing and Washington.
The world’s second-largest economy is expected to grow by 6.2 percent this year and 6.0 percent in the next, the IMF said, down from previous forecasts of 6.3 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively.
“Everybody loses in a proactive trade war. If trade is threatened, if trade is damaged, growth will suffer,” Kenneth Kang, deputy director of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific department, said at a press conference in Beijing to present the findings of a visit to China.
Talks to resolve the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies have stalled, leaving in place bruising tariffs on $360 billion worth of two-way commerce.
“Uncertainty around trade tensions remains high and risks are tilted to the downside,” the IMF said in a statement.
The downgrade comes as China’s government launches a series of measures to reverse the downward trend, with policymakers turning the credit taps back on and rolling out massive tax cuts.
The policy stimulus is sufficient to stabilise growth in 2019 and 2020 despite the recent US tariff hike, the IMF said.
The IMF’s forecast remains within the government’s official target of growth ranging between 6.0 and 6.5 percent this year, down from 6.6 percent in 2018.
Recent economic data show China’s economy stumbling.
China’s manufacturing activity contracted more than expected in May, official data showed last week, slumping to a three-month low.
Industrial production also slowed sharply in April.
The trade war shows no signs of abating anytime soon with China taking aim at American firms in recent days and announcing plans to soon release its own blacklist of “unreliable” firms — a move analysts say is likely to target US companies.
China on Wednesday imposed a $23.6 million fine on US auto giant Ford’s local joint venture for “price fixing”.
Over the weekend, Chinese authorities also targeted US courier and logistics firm FedEx, with state media announcing an investigation into the company over mis-delivered packages.
China on Tuesday issued a pair of travel alerts to its citizens going to the United States, warning them of police harassment and crime.


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Microsoft revealed its Surface tablet yesterday, and the reaction so far has been decidedly mixed.
Software giant Microsoft has revealed its Windows 8 software to developers in a new preview build, as the company attempts to battle against both Google and Apple in both the desktop computer and smartphone categories.
A Swedish technology company has unveiled the world’s first laptop computer controlled by the human eye, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “keeping an eye on it”.
The Consumer Electronics Show is gadget heaven. Every year major manufacturers pull out some of the most powerful (and wacky), pieces of technology for attendees and have the chance to show off some of the most impressive and futuristic pieces of hardware ever seen; it's the biggest tech event of the year.


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Continue reading Chicago office market snapshot including average asking rent and total vacancy
Continue reading Is this the typical work week?
Continue reading Who’s your favorite shipping service?!?
Continue reading Positive news regarding raise in retail sales, lower new unemployment claims, and increased requests for mobile driving directions. Ranges tallied since the beginning of the year.
Continue reading Among global cities measured for density of office space between workers, Chicago is ranked fifth lowest.
Continue reading Midwest payroll analysis compared to the rest of the U.S. across sectors of government, retail, and goods-producing since January.
Continue reading Columbus, Ohio ranked tenth on recently published list of U.S, cities where millennials are moving in, leaving classic big cities behind.
Continue reading National Retail Sales Increase at the end of May including sector-by-sector breakdown from April’s drop and percentage increase/decrease from 2019.
Continue reading Likely voters in Michigan and Wisconsin polled at the end of May. Covid-19 breakout personal finances and consumer confidence review.
Continue reading Midwest meatpacking supply chain analysis since Covid-19 outbreak including state-by-state plant closedown review.
Continue reading Since 1980, national breakdown of who is and will hopefully receive employer sponsored retirement benefits. Midwest region still leading, collectively.
Continue reading Midwest, State-by-State breakdown of approved SBA Paycheck Protection Loans paid to small businesses with less than 500 employees. Counts are per 1000 small businesses as of the end of April, 2020.


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Mobile app development is an increasingly lucrative field. With technical knowledge, imagination is the only thing keeping you from getting an exciting app done, though things are not always so easy when it comes to marketing the app you’ve worked so hard on.
IDC figures state that Android’s projected smartphone market share for 2015 is a mammoth 78% contrasted with Apple’s mere 16.4%. However, app developers have not quite found the former to be the one for better monetization. Apple seems to provide more intelligent tools for that. But Google wants things to change. Like Apple, Yahoo and Facebook, Google is realizing the importance of keeping app developers happy. The future belongs to them and Google doesn’t want to get complacent with its achievements thus far.
Android App Development Boosted by Google
Earlier in 2015 Google had launched fresh monetization tools and analytics for game developers. Google is now making life easy for Android app developers as well, to advertise their products more effectively. At the recent I/O 2015 conference, Google announced a range of tools which should be great news for hardworking developers of useful apps. Now, Google says, they can focus on getting their app up and running because Google gets more involved in getting the word across.
- Universal App Campaigns is one of these tools, and the brainchild of the Google AdWords team. App marketers can now reach users across Google Play, Google Search, YouTube, Google Display Network and AdMob network through ads developed by Google. App marketers only need to specify the details of their ad copy, the kind of audience they want, and the money they wish to spend on it. Google then plans and designs the ad and gets the campaign started.
- The Mobile App Install Campaign Attribution can enable app developers to realize how effective the various media partners are and how they can be used. Google would provide an idea of the app value in various networks based on metrics data. Developers will also have the provision to post-back conversions they receive to referring networks, which should help them optimize their traffic and also give them an idea of where to channel their advertising money.
- AdWords can now also integrate event and app install data from other app measurement services such as Appsflyer, Adjust, Tune, etc, with Google already working to improve accuracy in measurement between the various third-party AdWords trackers.
- Google is also launching a beta feature by which developers can set apart some users to show ads to them while hiding them from the rest. 40 mediation partners are now supported by AdMob. Google already has the Audience Builder tool to enable app developers to categorize app users based on how they use it.
- AdMob Reservations is another beta feature unveiled by Google which enables app sales teams to take bookings for ad campaigns from advertisers they are directly involved with. Ad creatives can be uploaded, and campaign delivery can be managed for free.
- Google also announced a feature that would enable developers to use native ads without having to carry out any custom design work. All they need to do is define their ad style through CSS. AdMob would use those specs to serve the ad. Developers can also change the ad appearance through some CSS adjustment.
- AdMob is also getting integrated into Android Studio which would enable developers to create ad units quite easily as they create their app.
So if you’re a developer you’ve got great times coming your way. Google is taking mobile app development seriously and needs developers to keep preferring Android to any other platform.


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After causing a bit of a worry the last few months, Nest, now owned by Google, is putting its Protect smart smoke detector back on its shelves. And perhaps in an attempt to tide users both old and new into its nest, pun intended, the company has considerably reduced the price required to get one of those devices into your homes.
In April, Nest suddenly halted the sales of its Nest Protect product after a severe flaw in one of its features was discovered. The culprit was the wave-to-silence gesture that not only hushed the alarm but also inadvertently turned off the alarm from making any sound at all. Fortunately, no one was yet hurt by this flaw, but Nest immediately promised a firmware update to address that issue.
The update would indeed come, but a month later, there was word that people would have to yank out the Nest Protect and have it replaced. Considering that it takes quite some effort to install one, it’s not exactly inspiring news. The truth of the matter, however, is that the firmware update addressed issues with the wave-to-silence feature and owners need only check that they are running the latest version. That said, those who have grown to mistrust Nest because of the incident could, of course, still send the device back.
Today, the company is resuming sales of the Nest Protect, with a small anecdote of the real-world, life-saving benefits of having such a device installed in your home. Perhaps for some people, the damage has been done, but there are always others who will be willing test the waters as well. For these folks, they will meet a new price for the Nest Protect, now sold for only $99 from its previous $129 price tag.
However, the wave-to-silence feature has not returned with the alarm, and Nest is still to say when – or if – that will be the case.
Still, the timing, both of the return and the price cut, couldn’t be better. Nest might be looking at trying times ahead now that it has become an even bigger target after its Google acquisition. It is also seeing some competitors rising up to try and share, or take, its part of the market pie. Honeywell Lyric will be taking on Nest’s own Thermostat product, though it’s not likely that Honeywell, who specializes in thermostats, will be taking an interest in smoke detectors.


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A Turkish restaurant is set to open in Burton town centre, it has been revealed. It has been announced that Gizli is set to open in the former Salvation Army charity shop, in Station Street, as its name finally went on the building. Little is known about the business, but there is one Gizli restaurant near Battersea, in London, which is recommended for the Turkish cuisine it serves.
Gizli does have a website but it is currently just a clock counting down to its opening date in Burton of Saturday, December 3.
The restaurant is moving into the former Salvation Army shop which shut in 2020. The charity revealed it would not reopen the unit after covid lockdown restrictions on non-essential shops were lifted. A spokesman at the time said the decision to shut the store was taken before the pandemic and was due to the store becoming unprofitable together with the lease expiring that November.
At the time the-then president of Burton Chamber of Commerce Nik Hardy called the news of the closure of the Salvation Army "disheartening" and that he would be raising the matter with colleagues and the wider business company to encourage them to support the charity sector.
At the time he said the retail sector had been hit particularly hard during lockdown and urged people to support their charity shops which helped the disadvantaged and vulnerable.


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WHILE sugar warnings have seen sales of some of the UK’s biggest milk chocolate brands fall, more of us have turned to the dark side — as sales of some ‘quality’ dark chocolate brands, perceived to be a healthier indulgence, grew 14 per cent in 2017.
Small wonder that mainstream brands like Cadbury want a piece of the action with the introduction of its ‘Darkmilk’ version of Dairy Milk. Many studies suggest a link between dark chocolate and improved health.
In 2019, Portuguese researchers reported in the journal Nutrition that eating a few squares of 90 per cent cocoa dark chocolate every day could lower blood pressure.
The benefits are thought to be down to compounds called flavanols in cocoa, particularly one called epicatechin that helps keep blood vessel walls elastic.
What is the evidence?
Some of the first evidence that chocolate may be good for the heart came from Panama’s Kuna Indians. When researchers in the Nineties compared data from these remote islanders, who consumed lots of a bitter cocoa drink, with people living in Panama City who didn’t, the cocoa drinkers were found to have better blood pressure and lower rates of diabetes, cancer and stroke.
However, the flavanol content of cocoa beans is reduced dramatically by the processing needed to turn it into chocolate we find palatable — and can vary significantly between products.
‘We know fresh, unprocessed cocoa beans contain 10 per cent flavanols, but processing the beans into chocolate can reduce this to between 0.5 per cent and even as low as 0.001 per cent,’ explains Dr Karin Ried, an associate professor at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Melbourne, who has produced a review of the evidence on chocolate and blood pressure for the respected Cochrane Collaboration.
While you might assume the darker the chocolate, the higher the flavanol content, this isn’t necessarily so.
‘Research that compared the flavanol content of 41 different commercial brands of dark and milk chocolate has shown no correlation between the percentage of cocoa and the flavanol content,’ says Dr Ried. ‘When it comes to health, we need to look at not just cocoa and flavanols, but what else is in there.’
This includes the amount of sugar.
‘In general, a higher cocoa content is healthier,’ says Dr Ried. ‘And with a darker chocolate — I’d recommend 75 per cent cocoa solids and up — you also have a higher amount of nutrients such as magnesium (for healthy muscles and nerves), zinc (for a healthy immune system), and iron (to make red blood cells), as well as a little fibre.
‘Darker chocolate also tends to be more satisfying, and you’ll get more caffeine and theobromine, which are mood-enhancing. A couple of squares a day is not a bad thing.’
MYPROTEIN DARK HIGH PROTEIN CHOCOLATE
70g, £4.79, myprotein.com.Cocoa: 55 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 543; saturated fat, 21g; protein, 27g; fibre, 8.7g; sugar, 21g; salt, 0.2g
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘This has whey in it for extra protein, but in the UK most people eat enough protein anyway. A glass of skimmed milk would be a better, cheaper option if you really wanted a protein hit post-workout. It is lower in sugar than some other dark chocolate bars with 55 per cent cocoa solids, though.’
TASTE TEST: Rich with a slightly powdery aftertaste.
NOMO DARK CHOCOLATE BAR
85g, £1.99, hollandandbarrett.com. Cocoa: 55 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 552; saturated fat, 21g; protein, 6.8g; fibre, not given; sugar, 46g; salt, 0.02g
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Markets itself as vegan and free from gluten, egg and nuts. Dark chocolate should be vegan — there shouldn’t be any milk or eggs by definition. And makers are not allowed to put gluten in chocolate, apart from added extras, such as wafers or crispy “puffs”. Nutritionally it’s similar to other dark chocolates — labelling it “vegan” doesn’t make it healthier.’
TASTE TEST: Tasty, but with rather an oily texture.
85g, £1.50.Cocoa: 40 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 562; saturated fat, 22g; protein, 5.8g; fibre, 4.8g; sugar, 48g; salt, 0.08g
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘There’s nothing particularly healthy about these “darker milk” versions of popular chocolate bars. It may have slightly more cocoa than Dairy Milk — 40 per cent compared with 20 per cent in the original — but this is still 48 per cent sugar. What you’re getting is a slightly more grown-up flavour. They’ve also reduced the serving size to encourage people to eat smaller portions of chocolate.’
TASTE TEST: Creamy and sweet, with a deeper flavour than Dairy Milk. Moreish.
CHOCOLOGIC NO ADDED SUGAR DARK CHOCOLATE
100g, £1.50, tesco.com.Cocoa: 55 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 432; saturated fat, 21.9g; protein, 5.3g; fibre, 34.8g; sugar, 3.2g; salt, 0.02g
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Marketed as 90 per cent less sugar compared to similar chocolates. It uses the sugar substitute erythritol, a sugar alcohol. It’s essentially a reinvention of diabetic chocolate with added fibre. It is better for teeth and slightly lower in calories. However, in large amounts, erythritol has a laxative effect.’
TASTE TEST: Slightly crumbly, almost dusty texture. Sweet for a dark chocolate, but there’s no satisfying richness.
RAW HALO DARK 85 PER CENT
70g, £3, waitrose.com. Cocoa: 85 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 587; saturated fat, 31.7g; protein, 10.8g; fibre, N/A; sugar, 13.8g; salt, 0.2g
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘Fresh cocoa beans have a higher flavanol content than commercial chocolate, so a “raw”, or less processed, bar should be more nutritious. However, no research I know of has proved this is the case. Also, “raw” chocolate has no set definition so it could still have gone through substantial processing. It’s made from “raw cacao powder” but cacao is just another word for cocoa and doesn’t necessarily mean any extra health benefits.’
TASTE TEST: Very bitter, but surprisingly smooth. Slightly cloying aftertaste.
HOTEL CHOCOLAT SUPERMILK
100g, £3.95, hotelchocolat. com. Cocoa: 65 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 568; saturated fat, 26.9g; protein, 10g; fibre, N/A; sugar, 24.9g; salt, N/A
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘This is called “supermilk” because it contains more cocoa and less sugar and milk than normal milk chocolate. It is one of the lowest sugar chocolates that isn’t a pure dark bar — around a quarter of the chocolate is sugar (24.9 g per 100g) as opposed to half or more for others. Sugar masks cocoa’s bitterness and the cream in this chocolate presumably does this instead. Slightly higher in saturated fat than other bars blending milk and dark chocolate but still lower than pure dark chocolate options.’
TASTE TEST: With a creamy bite, this tastes like the best of dark and milk chocolate.
MONTEZUMA ABSOLUTE BLACK DARK CHOCOLATE
100g, £2.59. Cocoa: 100 per cent. Per 100g: Calories, 601; saturated fat, 33g; protein, 12g; fibre, 17g; sugar, 0.5g; salt, 0.02g
EXPERT VERDICT: ‘This is pure cocoa solids, with no added sugar or anything else. It’s the highest in naturally occurring fibre (Chocologic has more, but some of that is added), which you’d expect it to be as cocoa is rich in fibre and a fifth of this bar would give about a tenth of your daily intake. However, many people would struggle to eat chocolate this dark and bitter.
TASTE TEST: Lingering texture but tasty, given its extreme strength.


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Gome.com.cn, the e-commerce platform of the Chinese home appliances and electronics retailer Gome, announced that they will launch China's first 3D Internet home decoration e-commerce platform called "Gome Home".
According to Mu Guixian, chairman of Gome.com.cn, users who have home decoration demands can experience 3D virtual decoration by visiting the "Gome Home" website. They will be able to enjoy one-stop home decoration and purchase services once the service is launched in a few weeks.
"Gome Home" has an exclusive cooperation deal with C2gou.com to provide the 3D virtual home decoration experience, which allows users to visualize their future home. In addition, "Gome Home" invited top design teams from Dongyi Risheng, a listed home decoration company, to provide customized home decoration services to users, said Mu. "Gome Home" aims to provide one-stop packaged price and services and it will cost about 45 days at the quickest from model designs to move-in.
"Gome Home" will first be launched in ten cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing; and it will be expanded into 50 cities by the end of 2015.


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By Heather Hamilton, contributing writer
Disney has again expanded its empire with the Disney Research Magic Bench, a group virtual reality experience designed to let users cozy up to their favorite characters. By combining augmented and mixed reality experiences, users can enjoy the experience in unison. Unlike other virtual reality projects, this one doesn’t involve a head-mount display or even a handheld device, instead instrumenting the surroundings instead of the individual, which Moshe Mahler, a principal digital artist at Disney Research, says makes the experience much less isolating.
According to a press release, people on the Magic Bench can see themselves in a mirrored image on a large screen in front of them, which creates a third person point of view. Using a depth sensor, participants occupy the same space as the characters or objects, which are computer-generated. CNET likens the experience to being in a Roger Rabbit movie.
“The platform creates a multi-sensory immersive experience in which a group can interact directly with an animated character,” said Mahler. “Our mantra for this project was: Hear a character coming, see them enter the space, and feel them sit next to you.” At SIGGRAPH 2017, a computer graphics and interactive techniques conference that begins on July 30 in Los Angeles, the research team will present the Magic Bench.
How does it work?
By using a color camera and depth sensor, the team created an HD-video-textured reconstruction of the surroundings, participants, and bench. The algorithm aligns the information from the RGB camera and the information from the depth sensor to recreate the scene. In areas where the depth sensor lacks a line of sight with the color camera, a modified algorithm creates a 2D backdrop to eliminate shadow. Both 2D and 3D reconstructions live in virtual space and contain characters and effects that create a seamless composite in real time, capable of interacting with physics, light, and shadows.
Mahler reports that the bench is critical to the experience. “Not only does it contain haptic actuators, but it constrains several issues for us in an elegant way,” he said. “We know the location and the number of participants and can infer their gaze. It creates a stage with a foreground and a background, with the seated participants in the middle ground. It even serves as a controller; the mixed reality experience doesn’t begin until someone sits down and different formations of people seated create different types of experiences.”
A team of Disney Research scientists, including Kyna McIntosh, John Mars, James Krahe, Jim McCann, Alexander Rivera, Jake Marsico, Ali Israr, and Shawn Lawson worked alongside Mahler to create the Magic Bench.
In a paper describing the project, the team writes that it can be run as a traditional VR Village installation or as an autonomous piece in an unsuspecting area, allowing participants the fun of a surprise VR experience.
Source: Press Release, Disney Research, CNET, Magic Bench — A Multi-User & Multi-Sensory AR/MR Platform
Image Source: Disney Research
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Jan. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Verizon’s legal victory over the FCC lets the carrier charge extra fees for speedier delivery of online content, potentially increasing costs for Netflix and other Internet companies. Jon Erlichman reports on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)
This text has been automatically generated. It may not be 100% accurate.


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Steve Jobs has resigned.
The irony being, how many of you discovered this news on a product that Jobs helped pioneer? He will continue to make great strides in the Apple kingdom, operating as Chairman while able-bodied Tim Cook takes over the helm at CEO.
The note was short and succinct:
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Many relate Jobs’ and Apple’s success to the fact that Jobs can see a product from the customers’ point of view. There’s certainly been nothing but growth in the company the last ten years. In September of 2006, Apple had over 20,000 full time and part time employees, a number that only continues to grow. In September of 2010 Apple had close to 50,000 men and women in its employ.
This isn’t the first time that someone has moved on,” Executive Director of Fast Company Noah Robischon told FoxNews.com. “So it’s really a question of how the company manages to foster innovation. Building teams that are creative and that aren’t just centered around supply chain management.”
Wall Street execs wondered how the change in leadership dynamic would affect Apple stock, but they needn’t have worried. Shares fell only %2 yesterday afternoon and has only dropped %5 in total since Jobs’ announcement.
The market’s modest reaction speaks to the public’s enthusiasm for Apple products and faith in the company. Apple shares are currently traded at $372.50.
A toast to a visionary- who co-founded Apple at age 21, was exiled after the boom and bust, returned as CEO and took Apple from bankruptcy to being proclaimed the world’s most valuable company.
He’s given us technology that we didn’t even know we needed: iPod, iPhone, iPad. Can’t forget about Pixar.
Coined a “genius” for each and every one of his staff (well deserved) and maintained an iconic uniform of black turtlenecks and jeans. I have a feeling that’s not the only legacy that he’ll leave behind.
- Steve Jobs’s Resignation Letter to Apple Board of Directors & Community (blogworld.com)
- Steve Job RESIGNS AS CEO! What does this mean for the fate of Apple? (urbanindiebrownchick.wordpress.com)
- Steve Jobs Resigns (kymx.radio.com)
- Steve Jobs Resigns As Apple CEO (suburbanmen.com)
- Apple CEO Steve Jobs Resigns, Picks Tim Cook As Successor (fastcompany.com)
- Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ biography (bellwort.wordpress.com)
- Text of Steve Jobs’ letter of resignation (sfgate.com)
- Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple: Worlds Largest Public Company (crenk.com)
- Steve Jobs Resigns From Apple (justjared.buzznet.com)
- Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO (mobile-ent.biz)


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German luxury car maker that has announced to launch a limited edition of its flagship sports car 911m which has turned 50 years old this year. The car will be launched globally including India in September, claims ET. The special edition model, which is all set to debut at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September will be limited to 1963 cars only. Bookings for the car has already begin.
The special anniversary 911 is based on the 911 Carrera S, but it comes with a wider body – 44 mm broader across the rear wheel arches – that is typically reserved for the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 models. The highly dynamic and aggressive exterior styling is combined with features that have contributed to the 50-years success story of the car. Such as, the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), with special tuning to complement the increased track width, adds to the exceptional cornering dynamics. The car also features a sports exhaust system for increased emotional character.
Speaking on the bookings and deliveries of the limited edition model, the company said, "The limited edition model is available for order as of now, with first deliveries scheduled to start in December this year. The 911 50th Anniversary Edition has a basic retail price of Rs 1,72,56,000."
The special anniversary edition of 911 comes powered by a 3.8-litre flat-six engine that produces massive 400bhp. The 911 50 Years Edition accelerates from 0 to 100kmph in mere 4.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of 300kmph.


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Almost every smartphone these days come with two or more cameras at the back. The presence of multiple cameras helps smartphone focus on different aspect like depth sensing, wide shot, optical zoom and more. Now it seems like Sony has decided to take the lead in the camera department with not two or three but a total of six cameras at the back.
Tipster Max J on Twitter with username @Samsung_News_ informed that Sony is working on a new Xperia smartphone, which will feature a total of six lenses on the back. He also mentioned that the device will have two front cameras as well.
Max J also shared an image of a phone with six camera lenses and an LED flash, however, the image is not of an actual Xperia phone but only a concept. The Xperia phone in question is still in the development phase so there is no information regarding its design and specifications.
However, since Sony is installing six rear cameras in the device, the device will most likely be a flagship smartphone powered by a high-end processor like Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, MediaTek’s 5G processor, or some other chipset.
The device is still in development which means that specs and further things are still unknown.
!CONCEPT BASED ON IMAGINATION! pic.twitter.com/mJ83LSNzAc
— Max J. (@Samsung_News_) June 10, 2019
Now coming back to the rear cameras, while flagship devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10+ sport a triple rear camera setup, the Honor 20 Pro features four cameras at the back. To this point, Nokia 9 PureView carries the most number of rear cameras at the back with a total of five camera sensors for computational photography.
With six cameras at the back, Sony Xperia might clinch the title of the phone having the most numbers of rear cameras. Notably, the Nokia 9 PureView carries five 12MP camera lenses, all of which shoot at the same time and generate a single combined image, using Light technology. It is unlikely that Sony will take Nokia 9 PureView’s approach but since Light has partnered with Sony, there is a possibility of a similar setup.
Sony Xperia might incorporate a telephoto lens, a super-wide-angle lens and there is a possibility that it might have a ToF (Time of Flight) lens. On the front, the smartphone might have a normal selfie camera clubbed with a wide-angle lens.


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I have decided to relax on the Internet tomorrow, according to a blog post on Reddit.
The post said that people would be able to relax if they “put down their phones and don’t want to be distracted by all the social media posts”.
Its a nice sentiment, but if you’re a regular user of the Net you know how difficult it can be to get used to the idea of being online 24/7.
It also said that it was only a suggestion.
But, it seems, if you don’t have a netbook, you won’t be able relax.
The post was written by a user on Reddit called ‘bakedbabble’ and said that if he is using a smartphone, he will have to use the internet on a laptop.
The post has been up for a few days and I’m not sure whether it will be taken down.
I am happy to see someone try and relax on their own, as long as its not something that is constantly being posted on social media.
But, if people want to keep using the internet, they will have a hard time.
Read more: Reddit user says people won’t need to use mobile phones as long they have a computer to run the siteAs part of its effort to make the Net more accessible, the government has been testing a new feature that will enable people to connect to the Net via a smartphone.
This feature, called ‘mobile internet’, was unveiled on February 8 by the Minister of State for Internet Affairs Suresh Prabhu.
It allows users to connect from their mobile phones to the net by clicking on the ‘Mobile Internet’ link at the bottom of their page.
After connecting, they can choose to see their browsing history, use their mobile data or use a ‘cloud-based’ solution to sync with the net.
This means that the Net can be used as a backup for their data.
Some people may be tempted to use this feature to check their Facebook updates, but that would be a bad idea.
Instead, the new feature will allow users to share their information on the internet with their friends.
“With this mobile internet, you can share the internet connection, content and metadata of all your friends on the same page.
If your friends have a mobile internet connection they can see the content of your shared internet page, and you can check their activity,” the website said.
It will also allow users of different mobile data plans to share the same data.
The mobile internet service will cost Rs. 50 a month, which is around $8 a month for a single plan.
That may sound expensive, but the government hopes that the net will be more accessible to the poor and the disadvantaged.
We hope that it will allow people to stay on the net for a longer period of time.
The plan is to roll out the new service on April 8, and the government plans to provide Rs. 1,000 a month subsidy to everyone in the country to help subsidise mobile internet.


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In November, 26 titles will join the GeForce NOW Powered by ABYA library. Kick off with 11 additions this week, like Total War: THREE KINGDOMS and new content updates for Genshin Impact and Apex Legends.
Build Your Empire
Lead the charge this week with Creative Assembly and Sega’s Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, a turn-based, empire-building strategy game and the 13th entry in the award-winning Total War franchise. Become one of many great leaders from history and conquer enemies to build a formidable empire.
The game is set in ancient China, and gamers must save the country from the oppressive rule of a warlord. Choose from a cast of a dozen legendary heroic characters to unify the nation and dominate enemies. Each has their own agenda, and there are plenty of different tactics for players to employ.
More to Explore
Alongside the 11 new games streaming this week, members can jump into updates for the hottest free-to-play titles on GeForce NOW Powered by ABYA.
Genshin Impact Version 3.2, “Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises,” is available to stream on the cloud. This latest update introduces the last chapter of the Sumeru Archon Quest, two new playable characters — Nahida and Layla — as well as new events and game play. Stream it now from devices, whether PC, Mac, Chromebook, or on mobile with enhanced touch controls.
Or squad up in Apex Legends: Eclipse, available to stream now on the cloud. Season 15 brings with it the new Broken Moon map, the newest defensive Legend — Catalyst — and much more.
Here’s the full list of games joining this week:
Horse Tales: Emerald Valley Ranch (New release on Steam, Nov. 3)
Space Tail: Every Journey Leads Home (New release on Steam, Nov. 3)
The Chant (New release on Steam, Nov. 3)
The Entropy Centre (New release on Steam, Nov. 3)
WRC Generations — The FIA WRC Official Game (New Release on Steam, Nov. 3)
Filament (Free on Epic Games, Nov. 3-10)
STAR OCEAN THE DIVINE FORCE (Steam)
RISK: Global Domination (Steam)
Total War: THREE KINGDOMS (Steam)
Arriving in November
Here’s a sneak peak:
The Unliving (New release on Steam, Nov. 7)
A Little to the Left (New Release on Steam, Nov. 8)
Yum Yum Cookstar (New Release on Steam, Nov. 11)
Nobody — The Turnaround (New release on Steam, Nov. 17)
Goat Simulator 3 (New release on Epic Games, Nov. 17)
Evil West (New release on Steam, Nov. 22)
Colortone: Remixed (New Release on Steam, Nov. 30)
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide (New Release on Steam, Nov. 30)
Heads Will Roll: Downfall (Steam)
Guns Gore and Cannoli 2 (Steam)
Hidden Through TIme (Steam)
Cave Blazers (Steam)
Railgrade (Epic Games)
The Legend of Tianding (Steam)
While The Unliving was originally announced in October, the release date of the game shifted to Monday, Nov. 7.
Howlin’ for More
October brought more treats for members. Don’t miss the 14 extra titles added last month.
LEGO Bricktales (Epic Games)
Rabbids: Party of Legends (Ubisoft)
The Darkest Tales (Steam)
Dual Universe (Steam)
Batora — Lost Haven (Steam)
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef (Epic Games)
The Tenants (Steam)
Evoland Legendary Edition (Epic Games)
Saturnalia (Epic Games)
Asterigos: Curse of the Stars (Epic Games)
Sniper Elite 5 (Steam)
V Rising (Steam)


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We are about to launch two new products which are under research and some tests will fulfill our satisfaction level.
Herbal Cigarette Companies have been testing harmful effects of tobacco coupled with routine drug testing for years. Their hard work has finally started paying off as new health friendly alternatives to tobacco are being introduced in the market. Once of the most popular alternative is using Herbal Cigarettes . Herbal Cigarettes are not only health friendly but also environment friendly.


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UK enforcement regime for platforms for business announced: what you need to know
Published on 26th Jun 2020
The UK government has published the legislation establishing the enforcement regime for the EU platform for business regulation. The UK approach establishes a two-tier, decentralised enforcement mechanism that gives businesses limited rights and a broad category of "qualifying organisations" more extensive powers.
The platforms for business regulation imposes strict rules on how search engines and "online intermediation services" (such as app stores; comparison/review sites; hotel booking platforms; social media platforms; marketplaces) interact with businesses that use them to sell products or services. It is due to come into force in the EU and the UK on 12 July of this year. For more information on the regulation itself please see here.
UK businesses have been working towards compliance but without knowing what the sanctions are for breach of the regulation, until now. The UK government has finally published the relevant statutory instrument, the Online Intermediation Services for Business Users (Enforcement) Regulations 2020 (here) which sets out how it meets its obligations under Article 12 to provide effective proportionate and dissuasive enforcement.
The key points are as follows:
What direct rights do business users have?
Business users' rights to bring direct actions against intermediaries are limited to any damage suffered as a result of breach by an online intermediation service if the online intermediation breaches the following obligations under the regulation:
- Article 3 (terms and conditions).
- Article 4 (restriction, suspension and termination).
- Article 8 (specific contractual terms).
This would seem to be good news for intermediaries and search engines as these limited rights will lead to fewer claims from aggrieved business users.
Although these rights are limited it is worth remembering that the regulation provides that any contract which fails to meet the requirements of Article 3 of the regulation is null and void and therefore cannot be enforced against a business user.
Qualifying organisations can bring a claim for injunctions or other remedies
Qualifying organisations include regulators such as the CMA and organisations that represent business users (for example, trade bodies). Those organisations have the right to ask the court for an injunction or another remedy to force and online intermediation service or a search engine to comply with a much wider set of obligations under the regulations.
The UK approach to enforcement is interesting. Rather than appoint one or more specific regulator to be responsible for enforcement of platforms for business it gives any public body the right to enforce it through the courts. This empowers not only consumer regulators such as the CMA and trading standards but also specific sector regulators such as the FCA. These rights also extend to trade bodies and other associations which have legitimate interest in representing business users. As a result, businesses could have to deal with enforcement by multiple organisations.
Remedies against search engines are limited
Business users cannot bring a claim against search engines, meaning that the sanctions against search engines are much more limited and may only be as a result of an application by a qualifying organisation to the court.
As well as the direct impact of enforcement action by businesses or qualifying organisations, the courts are given the power to order an online intermediation service or search engine to publish the relevant order itself or a corrective statement, which may lead to reputational harm.
The regulations will be part of EU Retained Law after the end of the Brexit transition period (31 December 2020, subject to any extension). Unless and until the UK chooses to amend or revoke the regulations, Brexit businesses will have to continue to comply with them post-Brexit.
Cross border enforcement
Many of the platforms caught by the regulations will be available in multiple jurisdictions, meaning that any breach is likely to impact business users in multiple jurisdictions. Neither the EU regulations or the UK implementing legislation address how cross-jurisdictional infringements will be addressed. This means online intermediaries could face claims for the same breach from businesses and "qualified organisations" in multiple different territories for the same breach.
We may see one or more qualified organisations take the lead in enforcing the regulations, either generally or in relation to specific sectors. Given the CMA's recent activity on investigating and enforcing against online platforms, it will be no surprise if it takes an active role in policing this area. With the potential for claims in multiple different territories from business users and qualified organisations alike, the platform for business regulations represent a significant new compliance challenge for those to which it applies.


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Those vegetables and potatoes you order via Instacart has a palpable economic benefit.
A study by Dr. Robert Kulick of NERA Economic Consulting finds that grocers have created 1,900 new jobs and $56 million in incremental revenue since the grocery delivery and pickup service entered the market in Washington state. Jobs include stocking associates, cashiers and deli counter clerks. The study finds that grocers add employees to keep pace with increased business sparked by Instacart orders.
The report, which analyzed Instacart’s economic impact in Washington, California, New York and Illinois, found that the company’s entry into a market leads to a 4% increase in retail grocery employment. Instacart created 23,000 jobs and $620 million in incremental revenue in the four states last year.
Instacart, which was founded in San Francisco in 2012, partners with more than 350 grocers to offer delivery from more than 25,000 stores in 5,500 cities across the United States. Instacart delivery is available to more than 85% of U.S. households and more than 70% of households in Canada.


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Chennai sources added that the goods and services tax (GST) introduced to track the trail of transaction has in fact increased illegal activities in terms of billing by multiple times. ‘Bill selling’, a practice common in the construction sector among those who inflate cost of projects, has gone up four to five times after the launch of GST. Meanwhile in case of ‘bill selling’ a dealer or a distributor would buy the goods from a construction material manufacturer paying taxes and would get a proper bill.
As per report this bill alone is then sold to a private builder or a government contractor who wants to inflate the cost of his projects. Moreover the builder would have bought the products from some other manufacturer for a lesser price or without a bill. Previously bills were checked at the state check-posts and hence such practices were contained within the state. Presently bill selling happens inter-state and inter-city.
Moreover as per GST, the taxman can trace the
entire trail or transactions, but the government has not started or put in
place the infrastructure to crosscheck input and output tax and hence the malpractice
is continuing unabated and a manufacturer of a well-known brand of construction
BJP AP unit challenged CM Chandrababu Naidu for early poll Hyderabad sources made a statement that lawlessness prevails in AP as police and politicians trade in accusations and counter accusations, stated the BJP. Meanwhile Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Mr. Vishnuvardhan Reddy said that AP was fit to go for early polls as there was a breakdown of constitutional machinery
- Is there a political controversy between India & Former French President?
- No Bail for Karunas until October 5th!
- Madurai express to land in Thiruvarur!
- TN BJP Leaders clash within each others
- DMK leader involved in accident!
- Tanzania boat accident kills more than 200!
- Pakistan fan sings Indian National anthem!
- AIADMK lawmaker Karunas arrested for making remarks against CM
- 10,000 to participate in Plant based Festival in Beijing
- Pakistan PM disappointed as India cancelled Foreign Minister Level Meet
- Trump administration will revoke work permits to H-4 visa users in 3 months
- Amazon to sell Shampoos, face pack, medicinal products made from Cow Urine & Dung
- 136 people died after a ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, Tanzania
- Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy called for a Revolt against BJP
- Balapur Laddu sets a new Record as it fetches Rs.16.6 Lakhs in Auction!


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Tilly’s Inc. racked up its third consecutive quarter of record quarterly net sales and EPS with results easily exceeding Wall Street targets.
“Fiscal 2021 continues to be a record-setting year for us with record net sales and earnings per share for each quarter thus far,” said Ed Thomas, Tilly’s president and CEO, on an analyst call. “We have already surpassed our total net sales for all of last year, and our year-to-date third-quarter earnings per share have set a record relative to any full fiscal year.”
In the quarter ended October 30, sales were $206.1 million, a hike of 46.9 percent year-over-year. Tilly’s had projected sales to be in the range of approximately $187 million to $193 million.
Net sales from physical stores were $165.3 million, an increase of 58.1 percent. This year, the gain was primarily due to a much more normalized back-to-school season that was free of pandemic-forced closures. Stores represented 80.2 percent of total sales against 74.5 percent last year.
Net sales from e-commerce were $40.8 million, an increase of 14.3 percent year-over-year. E-commerce represented 19.8 percent of sales compared to 25.5 percent a year ago.
Compared to the pre-pandemic third quarter of fiscal 2019, total same-store sales rose 27.4 percent. On a two-year basis, comps increased 18.3 percent for physical stores and 80.5 percent for e-commerce. In the 2019 third quarter, sales from physical stores represented 85.3 percent of sales and e-commerce, 14.7 percent.
Gross margins in the latest quarter improved 820 basis points year-over-year to 37.2 percent, a record for the company. Due to sales leverage, buying, distribution, and occupancy costs improved 690 basis points collectively, despite increasing by $2.7 million in total. Occupancy costs improved 540 basis points despite rising by $0.5 million with five net new stores. Distribution costs improved by 110 basis points despite increasing $2.1 million and buying costs improved by 40 basis points despite increasing by $0.1 million.
Product margins improved 130 basis points versus last year and by 200 basis points compared to fiscal 2019’s third quarter due to lower markdowns.
SG&A expenses increased 28.6 percent year-over-year but were reduced as a percent of sales to 23.2 percent from 26.5 percent a year ago due to sales leverage. Primary causes of the SG&A dollar increase included:
- higher store payroll and related benefit costs of $7.6 million, primarily due to operating all stores for the entirety of the quarter and serving significantly higher net sales;
- corporate bonus accruals of $1.8 million due to the company’s strong operating performance thus far in fiscal 2021; and
- increased marketing expenses of $1.2 million.
Operating income significantly improved to $29.0 million, or 14.1 percent of sales, compared to $3.5 million, or 2.5 percent, a year ago. Net income improved to $20.8 million, or 66 cents per diluted share, representing the third quarter in a row of record earnings. In the year-ago period, earnings were $2.1 million, or 7 cents. EPS was well above guidance in the range of 30 to 34 cents.
Thomas said Tilly’s strong operating results over the past year improved its third-quarter ending cash and investments position by $30 million year-over-year, which led to Tilly’s board approving a second special cash dividend of $1 per share, to be paid to shareholders on December 15. The first special cash dividend, also $1 per share, was paid on July 9.
Back-To-School Season Bounces Back
“The back-to-school season in the third quarter was as strong as ever, driven by a compelling overall merchandise offering in a much-improved consumer spending environment,” said Thomas.
Relative to the pre-pandemic third quarter of fiscal 2019, comparable sales of women’s, men’s, girls’, and accessories increased by double-digit percentages, while footwear and boys’ increased by high single-digit percentages. Hard goods, a minor part of assortments in 2019, produced $1.6 million in total net sales. During the third quarter, roughly 200 of Tilly’s stores now included hard goods.
Thomas said Tilly’s had expanded its sustainability shop on its website during the third quarter by introducing over 40 styles of proprietary RSQ-branded merchandise to supplement selections from over 40 third-party brands. The launch of a collection of over 200 vintage and up-cycle product choices has been well received.
Tilly’s opened its ninth and final new store for fiscal 2021 in early November, with plans to open 15-to-20 stores next year. Said Thomas, “These stores will primarily be located within existing markets, primarily California, Texas and the Northeast. We also have approximately 75 existing lease-up decisions to make during fiscal 2022 that are coming up on expiration or have lease kick-out options. We intend to use this opportunity to continue to improve upon our existing occupancy cost structure with these pending lease decisions where possible.”
In November, Tilly’s upgraded its mobile app to offer greater mobile functionality, including loyalty and in-store experience features not previously available. Thomas said, “We expect to continue to invest in improving and enhancing our mobile app experiences throughout 2022. We also expect to upgrade our website platform to a more mobile, responsive version in early 2022. We will also continue to improve our omnichannel capabilities and reinvest in distribution efficiencies to expand capacity for anticipated future growth.”
Fourth Quarter Off To Strong Start
For the fourth quarter, comparable sales for the first month through November 30 increased 19.6 percent compared to last year, with comp increases from physical stores of 27.6 percent and e-commerce of 3.9 percent.
Fourth-quarter sales are projected to be in the range of approximately $210 million to $215 million and EPS to be in the range of 42 to 50 cents. The outlook range compares to $178 million in total net sales and EPS of 29 cents during last year’s fourth quarter.
Product margins in the fourth quarter are projected to improve by 50 to 100 basis points relative to last year’s fourth quarter based on an assumption of a less promotional environment (last year’s fourth-quarter product margins were up 210 basis points compared to fiscal 2019’s fourth quarter). SG&A expenses are expected to be 26 percent of sales.
“We are very encouraged by our strong start to the holiday season, especially considering that last year was our most profitable fourth quarter since 2012,” said Thomas.
Inventories per square foot at the quarter’s end were up 29 percent over last year to support the current momentum of the business and capitalize on the holiday season amid the ongoing supply chain challenges. Thomas said that while Tilly’s continues to contend with delivery delays throughout Southern California ports, the aggregate retail value of delayed products currently represents less than 10 percent of Tilly’s total inventory already on hand.
“Our merchants made every effort to position us well for the holiday season, and we believe we have plenty of inventory to produce a successful holiday season,” said Thomas. “These delivery delays may cause the supply of particular items to run low from time to time. But we have been contending with these delays all year long, not just in the holiday season, and they have not stopped us from producing record results each quarter. Despite ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain difficulties, labor challenges, and increasing costs, generally, we remain optimistic about our business prospects for the remainder of fiscal 2021 and into fiscal 2022 at this time.”
Photo courtesy Tilly’s


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British Farmers Protest Against Food Importation
British farmers drove tractors to Parliament in protest against what they see as low-quality food imports and post-Brexit trade deals, echoing global concerns among growers. The farmers are calling for more support from the government to help them compete with cheap imports from abroad, which they say are putting their livelihoods at risk.
The farmers’ protest comes amid growing concerns about the impact of trade deals on agriculture and food standards. Many farmers fear that post-Brexit trade deals will lead to lower food standards and increased competition from countries with lower environmental and animal welfare standards. The protest highlights the need for policymakers to address the concerns of farmers and ensure that trade deals do not undermine food safety and environmental standards.
- British farmers are protesting against low-quality food imports and post-Brexit trade deals, which they say are putting their livelihoods at risk.
- The protest reflects global concerns among growers about the impact of trade deals on agriculture and food standards.
- Policymakers need to address the concerns of farmers and ensure that trade deals do not undermine food safety and environmental standards.
British Farmers Protest Against Low-Quality Food Imports and Post-Brexit Trade Deals
On Monday, dozens of British farmers drove tractors adorned with Union Jack flags and banners to Parliament to protest post-Brexit trade agreements and the influx of subpar food imports.
The farmers’ campaign groups, Save British Farming and Fairness for Farmers of Kent, organized the slow-motion convoy to raise awareness of their concerns over the future of British agriculture.
The farmers’ protest echoes global concerns among growers about the impact of trade deals on the quality and safety of food imports.
Stricter Food Standards Urged by Farmers
Farmers are calling for clearer food labeling and measures to enhance food security. They urge the government to enforce stricter standards on imported food and criticize trade deals that permit the importation of food produced to lower standards. They argue that this undermines local agriculture.
Farmer Protests Worldwide
Founder of Save British Farming, Liz Webster, expressed disappointment in the government’s failure to uphold high standards and prevent Britain from becoming a destination for low-quality imports.
She emphasized the detrimental impact of such imports on domestic farming. This sentiment is echoed by farmers worldwide, particularly in Europe, who are protesting against cheaper imports and advocating for stricter environmental regulations.
These protests are a response to the increasing competition posed by low-quality imports, which threaten the livelihoods of local farmers.