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The March 10-12, 2010, event will take place at the China National Convention Center in Beijing.
major sanitation and HVAC companies have committed to exhibiting at ISH China,
March 10-12, 2010, event will take place at the China National Convention
Center in Beijing.
companies A.O. Smith
Water Heater, Ferroli, Giacomini, Immergas, Uponor and Viessmann Heating
have signed on, along with bathroom products makers Roca and VitrA.
“It is a privilege to have
these highly respected brands at our show, and an honor to have new support
from the Foshan Ceramics Industry Association, an important Chinese association
for sanitary ware products,” said Richard Li, deputy general manager of show organizer
Messe Frankfurt in China. “It further positions ISH China as the only high
quality show in China that guarantees professional exhibitors and


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What: Genius Brands partners with Pacific Digital Distribution to launch Baby Genius® streaming service in October 2013.
Why is it important: By means of a subscription-based service, parents will be able to create custom playlists of children’s educational content. These kind of initiatives are changing the way content is produced, consumed and distributed.
Genius Brands International, Inc., developer and marketer of entertainment products including the Baby Genius® line of music and edutainment products and characters, recently announced it has formed a strategic partnership with Pacific Media Technologies’ Pacific Digital Distribution (PDD) division to bring the entire catalog of Baby Genius® video, music and digital content to a global audience.
PDD, a digital video services company dedicated to the distribution of content to broadcast, cable, Internet and mobile video platforms, will connect consumers to Baby Genius® content through its proprietary Cloud Video On Demand WAVE platform.
The new Baby Genius streaming service will be available to consumers beginning in October 2013 at a monthly rate of US $5.99.
“Instead of shifting from service to service to enjoy individual titles, subscribers will be able to create custom playlists,” stated Genius Brands CEO and Chairman Klaus Moeller.
Source: WSJ via Globe Newswire.

domain: news


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3 Big Things Today, February 16
1. Soybeans, Grains Little Changed on Mixed Demand, Weather, Dollar
Soybeans and grains were little changed as investors weigh mixed demand, ongoing droughts in global growing areas, and a rebounding dollar.
The USDA's Export Sales Report was mixed, as corn sales were higher last week but bean and wheat sales lagged.
Prices are likely underpinned as droughts persist in much of Argentina where soybeans are grown and the U.S. Southern Plains where hard red winter wheat is overwintering.
The dollar hit the lowest in more than three years yesterday but then bounced, though only a small amount, in overnight trading.
Soybean futures for March delivery fell ½¢ to $10.23¾ a bushel overnight on the Chicago Board of Trade. Soymeal futures rose $2.20 to $375.90 a short ton, and soy oil lost 0.03¢ to 31.87¢ a pound.
March corn fell ½¢ to $3.67¼ a bushel in Chicago.
Wheat for March delivery dropped 3¾¢ to $4.58 a bushel overnight. Kansas City futures declined ¾¢ to $4.92¼ a bushel.
2. Corn Export Sales Higher Last Week While Soybean, Wheat Sales Decline
Export sales of corn were higher in the week that ended on February 8, while soybean and wheat were lower, according to the USDA.
Corn sales for delivery in the 2017-2018 marketing year that ends on August 31 totaled 1.97 million metric tons last week, up 12% from the prior week and 14% from the previous four-week average, the USDA said in a report.
Japan was the big buyer at 453,300 metric tons, following by unknown buyers, who took 432,900 tons, and Mexico, which bought 258,600 tons. Colombia was in for 193,800 tons, and Saudi Arabia purchased 140,000 tons.
Analysts had expected sales from 1 million to 1.5 million tons.
Soybean sales totaled 640,400 tons, down 4% from the prior week and 8% from the four-week average, according to the USDA. Analysts had pegged sales from 450,000 to 700,000 tons.
China was, as usual, the biggest buyer at 156,900 tons, followed by Mexico at 133,400 tons, the Netherlands at 84,400 tons, Germany at 79,300 tons, and Italy at 62,700 tons. The total would’ve been higher but an unknown customer canceled a contract for 159,300 tons, the USDA said.
Sales for the 2018-2019 year were reported at 197,100 tons.
Wheat sales for delivery in the marketing year that ends on May 31 came in at 311,100 tons, down 21% from last week and 2% from the average. Consensus was for sales of 200,000 to 400,000 tons.
Japan was the top buyer at 84,800 tons, followed by Indonesia at 83,300 tons, and Taiwan at 78,500 tons. Mexico purchased 58,700 tons, China took 33,00 tons, and Guatemala was in for 31,500 tons. An unknown customer canceled a sale for 130,500 tons, and South Korea canceled a 81,200-ton shipment, the USDA said.
3. Snow, Ice Expected This Weekend Near Illinois-Wisconsin Border, Cold in North Dakota
Some snow and ice accumulation will be likely this weekend near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, and cold weather will cause ice jams along local rivers, according to the National Weather Service.
Snowfall is expected to be light and probably will be followed by several rounds of heavy rain in the area next week, the NWS said in a report early Friday morning.
In North Dakota, snowfall accumulations are forecast at about 3 inches this weekend, the agency said. A light glaze of ice is possible south of Interstate 94, as freezing drizzle mixed with the snow will make travel dangerous.
Parts of northern North Dakota and Minnesota will see wind chills around -30˚F. this weekend.


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Apollo nears $3.8 billion-plus deal for packaging group RPC: WSJ
Private equity company Apollo Global Management is in advanced talks to buy Europe`s biggest plastics packaging maker RPC Group for more than $3.8 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported https://on.wsj.com/2RHnm0W on Monday.
RPC on Friday extended the deadline to Jan, 23 for Apollo to make a firm offer or walk away.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said that a deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday.
PNB Gilts hits 52-week high; banks, AMCs rise too as JPMorgan announces it will include India in EM debt index
India vs Australia Free Live Streaming: When and How to Watch IND VS AUS 1st ODI Match Live on TV, Mobile Apps Online
Retirement Planning: This small finance bank offers up to 9.5% interest rate on FDs to senior citizens, check details
Private equity has long been attracted to the sector`s reliable cash flow and growing demand from online shopping, with a spate of takeovers by bigger packaging players further spurring their interest.
RPC, which operates in 34 countries, on Monday had a market capitalisation of 2.95 billion pounds ($3.8 billion).
The company said in September that it was in talks on a possible sale to Apollo and U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital, with the deadlines to make a firm offer extended repeatedly since then.
The FTSE mid-cap company ended talks with Bain in December.
RPC declined to comment when contacted by Reuters and Apollo could not be reached for comment outside normal business hours.
($1 = 0.7760 pounds)
(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.
Noida Traffic Police Advisory: Roads open and close in New Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida during International Trade Show and Moto GP
PM Modi to visit Varanasi on September 23; to lay foundation of cricket stadium, inaugurate Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas


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Vijay C Roy
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 28
Hit hard by the pandemic, the travel and tourism sector has high expectations from the upcoming Budget. The sector feels the Central government should announce pro-growth steps and incentives to bring hospitality sector back on track. Let’s have a look what the hospitality industry expects from the Budget:
Many hoteliers are on the verge of going bust. According to the industry, the government could consider extending MSME working capital loans to this sector to help job restoration. Besides, relaxation of interest on loans and moratorium on loan repayment is the need of the hour. “A dedicated stimulus package for the distressed hospitality sector is a must,” said Rohit Warrier, CEO and founder, Warrier Safe Shields.
Waive interest on VAT/GST
As there was no business during the lockdown and subsequent months due to restrictions, the working capital eroded. The industry says there should be no late fee and interest on VAT and GST payments and returns should be allowed to be filed up to March 31.
Cut GST rates on hotels
The reduction in GST will have a direct impact on room tariffs. The reduction would provide immediate relief to the industry as consumers will be charged at a lesser rate which in turn will increase occupancy in hotels.
The hotel industry must be accorded infrastructure industry status. By doing this, the hotels would be charged power rates applicable to industries instead of commercial rates.
Expedite Motor Vehicle Act
To promote domestic tourism, the government must expedite the Motor Vehicle Act notification on ‘One Nation, One Permit’. This will boost inter-state movement of tourist vehicles.
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Three Business supports cafes as Brits work from high street this winter
British office workers are looking to work from the high street to save on commuting and heating their homes.
Research of over 2,000 office workers by Three Business revealed seven in ten (70%) are concerned about the impact of working from home on their energy bills and two thirds (66%) about the cost of commuting.
Nearly all (92%) are looking at ways to reduce energy costs when working remotely this winter, as the majority (76%) worry about paying their bills in the coming months.
To help, Three Business has teamed up with three independent cafes in Birmingham providing a package to turn them into local flexible working hubs. As part of a pilot starting today, the company is providing three locations with a connectivity grant, giving them two years of free Superfast 5G Business Broadband, alongside a hot drink tab for local office workers and marketing support to attract more customers.
The campaign comes as two thirds (66%) of office workers want to give more support to businesses in their area through the cost-of-living crisis with majority (70%) worrying about their local favourites surviving the downturn.
Proving their loyalty, seven in ten (71%) said they would work from their local café if they knew it was helping it survive the cost-of-living crisis. Office workers also said given the option they wanted to work from an independent café (46%), preferring it over a co-working space (36%), a coffee chain (33%), a hotel lobby (12%) or a pub (10%).
However, nearly half (49%) of people say poor or unreliable internet connection is currently stopping them from working in their local café with three quarters (74%) saying they would try it, if they knew they could trust the Wi-Fi.
Snehal Bhudia, Director, Three Business said: “Everyone is concerned about the current inflationary pressures, whether that’s local businesses being worried about demand for their services and costs of running their business, or workers who face higher home energy bills and more expensive commutes. Working from the high street is a win-win for everyone – bringing much-needed footfall to local businesses while giving workers a little respite. We’re doing our bit to support by raising awareness and providing strong connectivity to make it happen.”
Fero Moshfeq, the owner of Lavatte, a café in central Birmingham said: “We have regular customers who choose to work from the café every day and their number has been on the rise as people want a change of scenery and ways to cut down spending over winter. Support from Three Business creates an incentive for people who haven’t considered working from a café before and we look forward to welcoming them to Lavatte.”
It’s not just financial reasons that draw people to working from the high street. Those surveyed admitted that there are tasks that they enjoy more or perform better when working from a café:
- 59% said so about catching up on emails
- 35% completing online learning & development sessions
- 29% planning projects
- 23% thinking about career development
- 22% completing in-depth tasks that require focus


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Jenna Rabberman is preaching the gospel of kids car seats after her two sons came through a horrific crash without a scratch.
The Pennsylvania mom posted a photo on Facebook of her totaled Honda CRV with two car seats right in front looking untouched. In her post, Rabberman stated "THIS is why you buckle your kids into their car seats correctly every SINGLE time."
Rabberman told The Today Show that she always makes sure she buckles her boys, 3-years-old and 6-weeks, properly in their car seats even though the older one fusses about all the straps. He's even started asking to face forward like his other friends.
"I was starting to feel like 'that mom' by keeping him rear facing. I'll never second guess that again!" she said.
Rabberman decided to post the picture as a way of showing folks the importance car seat safety. She says the paramedics who responded to her accident told her there could have been a different outcome "had I not taken the extra two minutes to be sure they were buckled correctly."
"I'm so thankful that we get to be an example of what TO do instead of what not to do. I hope people will see my story and realize that car seat safety is not something to take lightly," Rabberman said.
The family has replaced those car seats and is now shopping for a new car, but Rabberman says she definitely wants another Honda CRV.


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The TTG Luxury Travel Awards are back! The luxury sector’s prestigious awards are now open for entries in a range of categories
The UK luxury travel sector’s most prestigious awards are back for the third year, with 14 categories up for grabs, allowing a wide range of opportunities for companies to enter and win.
The winners will be announced on 28 February 2020 at Rosewood London during a popular event that includes a champagne and canapes welcome reception, seated lunch, awards ceremony and entertainment.
This year there will be five categories for agents and luxury travel retail businesses to enter, now including one aimed at identifying the industry’s best homeworking agency.
Luxury Homeworking Business of the Year is designed to recognise brilliant luxury businesses built on running a successful network of home-based, or remote-located travel designers supported from a head office framework.
Back for its second year will be an award designed to recognise the brightest new star in luxury travel sales. Best New Luxury Travel Designer (previously Star of Tomorrow) will be seeking someone fresh in the sector, with two years’ or less experience in the role they are entering under.
Luxury Travel Retail Business of the Year, Luxury Travel Agency of the Year (sole store) and Luxury Travel Designer of the Year (individual) complete the agent categories.
The winner of Luxury Travel Agency of the Year 2019 Tricia Conroy-Smith of Off Broadway Travel said: “Winning the award has given the team more confidence, and we now shout from the rooftops that we are a luxury agency. Our clients love to see we are award-winning and we have had more referrals this year. We’re over the moon that we entered – our category was filled with incredibly stiff competition. All I can say to other agents is – enter!”
The awards also give a host of luxury travel suppliers the chance to win recognition from the luxury agent community, with a hand-picked roster of agents rating the shortlisted finalists in order to decide the overall winner in each supplier category.
The supplier categories are:
Suppliers nominate themselves for the categories (except Contribution to Luxury) and this year, the community of agents who rate will be refreshed to include entrants in the Luxury category of TTG’s Top 50, all past TTG Luxury Travel Awards agent finalists and Luxpo attendees, so suppliers know that the very best and experienced agents are rating companies they feel really stand out.
For the Best New Luxury Hotel of the Year category, contenders enter themselves and are then rated and selected by a panel of renowned travel and lifestyle journalists and editors, who use their wealth of experience to narrow down the finalists.
Contribution to Luxury is a coveted award given to a person deemed to have made a very significant impact in the sector, with the individual picked from a wide range of business types globally. The decision is made by the editorial team at TTG Luxury with past respected recipients already including Matthew Upchurch, chief executive of Virtuoso (2019) and Justin Wateridge, managing director of Steppes (2018).
April Hutchinson, editor of TTG Luxury, said: “It gives me enormous pleasure to kick off our next awards. We first announced this initiative back in 2017 and I'm thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response we have had from the industry ever since – whether a finalist, winner, sponsor, or attendee on the day. Our experience in the sector continues to allow us to lead the way with events and initiatives and, importantly, to help bring this brilliant industry together.”
“Hosting the event at one of London's finest hotels and partnering with Rosewood is another huge bonus of this event – and we make it a Friday lunchtime in February so that peers and colleagues in the business can emerge from the hectic Peaks season to catch up with each other in a beautiful, relaxed environment.”
Key dates for your diary:


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HIGH Street retailer Woolworths will gain its own listing on the stock market later this month, it was confirmed today.
Retail giant Kingfisher is floating the business, chaired by former Railtrack boss Gerald Corbett, to focus on growing its DIY and electrical brands.
Shares in the Woolworths group will begin trading on August 28 with a forecast price range of 30p to 40p, giving it a market value of up to #500 million.
Investors will receive one new Woolworths share for every Kingfisher one they already own.
The move comes a year after Kingfisher said it would be demerging Woolworths alongside Superdrug and the rest of its general merchandise operations.
The group's chief executive Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy bought the chain in 1982 in a deal that laid the foundations for the present Kingfisher business.
Sir Geoffrey said he was sad to be saying goodbye to Woolworths but said it left Kingfisher well positioned to grow internationally.
He added that he was convinced Woolworths could fly "higher and higher" despite revealing that like-for-like sales at the chain dipped slightly last month.
This and news that a programme to reduce stock levels would as expected hit Woolworths' first half profits sent Kingfisher's shares tumbling 4%.
Kingfisher hopes the demerger process will raise around #1.1 billion in cash to expand its other businesses, which include B&Q and Comet.
Last month it raked in #310 million after deciding to sell Superdrug to Dutch pharmacy group Kruidvat.
The group also plans to offload #200 million of its debt into Woolworths as well as selling off #600 million-worth of Woolworths property.
Stores sold by the group will then be leased back to Woolworths management.
Mr Corbett will continue to head up the chain as executive chairman until a chief executive can be found - a process Sir Geoffrey said may take a year.
The former Railtrack chief executive said the demerger gave the management an opportunity to build a "robust independently listed company".
"Our first priority will be to apply rigorous operational disciplines to the core business and lay the foundation for improving cash flow and profitability.
"Once this has been achieved, we shall be well placed for long term growth through the rollout of new formats like Big W and Woolworths General Store and building on our pivotal position in the entertainment market."
Mr Corbett is in line for another huge bonus for successfully floating Woolworths just five months after having taken up his new post.
He may receive as much as #500,000 as a reward, two months after it was revealed he was paid #1.3 million after leaving Railtrack.
Sir Geoffrey said a bonus would be paid but refused to be drawn on how much this would be.


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By Staff writer
Etihad Holidays has introduced its first standalone winter brochure and reported emerging travel trends after monitoring forward bookings.
“Fly-drives, mainly to Europe, are doing well, and I have been surprised by the number of UAE nationals taking this option, because usually it’s ex-pats visiting friends and relatives,” said Nick Wood, the tour operator’s general manager.
“Local travelling habits are also changing. GCC families used to travel once a year between June and September, and that was it, but now they are taking four or five annual holidays and are becoming more adventurous.”
Thailand is Etihad’s top-selling destination this year, according to Wood, followed by the UK.
“We are seeing a massive influx of people travelling from Europe [to Thailand] from now until March,” he said. “And it’s not just us witnessing this; tourist arrivals to Thailand from everywhere are booming.”
Thailand was one of the first destinations to sell out for Eid, along with Jordan and Cairo.
“We advertised our offers on radio stations across the UAE and had such as tremendous response that we had to remove some of the ads,” said Wood.
“[Strong demand for] Jordan was a surprise, but I suspect that a lot of locals that were planning to go to Beirut, went to Amman instead. Also, there aren’t as many flights to Jordan as there are to Lebanon, so seats sold out quickly.”
Etihad’s winter brochure, available in English and Arabic, runs from October 2006 to April 2007 and showcases all 82 destinations featured in the summer 2006 brochure.
Highlights include New York, after Etihad Airways launched its inaugural service to the US city on October 26 (see back page), as well as safari holidays incorporating Johannesburg and Kruger National Park.
The lead-in price for a seven-day fly-drive to New York is AED 3895 (US $1060) per person and a five-night break at the Thirty Thirty Hotel in central New York City starts at AED 6120 ($1666) per person.
Prices for a three-night package to Johannesburg, South Africa, including flights and three nights at the four-star Hilton Sandton Hotel, start at AED 4065 ($1107) per person.


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SAN FRANCISCO, June 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The global smart orthopedic implants market size is anticipated to reach USD 34.7 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The total addressable market indicates the revenue opportunity available for smart orthopedic implants and is expected to expand at a notable CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2030. The key factors driving the market growth include the rising number of orthopedic surgeries performed across the globe, the growing geriatric population, and technological advancements. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2019, an estimated 75 million Americans were aged 60 years and older, out of the 328 million US population. This indicates that a high number of the population in the country is vulnerable to chronic and acute orthopedic disorders, leading to an increased volume of surgeries.
Key Insights & Findings from the report:
- The rising prevalence of chronic orthopedic disorders and increasing diagnostic capabilities are increasing the number of orthopedic procedures performed globally, thus contributing to the market growth.
- The knee application segment dominated the market in 2021 owing to smart knee implants leading the overall market with growing R&D activities, product approvals, and adoption of digital and enabling technology.
- The implants component segment held the largest share of the overall market revenue in 2021 owing to higher cost, adoption, and availability of products.
- As the incorporation of electronic components into implants grows with increasing R&D initiatives, the segment is projected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast years.
- The total replacement procedure segment accounted for the largest share of the global revenue in 2021 owing to the high number of total knee & hip replacement surgeries performed procedures across the globe.
- The hospital end-use segment held the highest market share in 2021 as these facilities are the primary Point of Care (POC) for the diagnosis and treatment of orthopedic disorders.
Get more Insights from 130 page market research report, ‘Smart Orthopedic Implants Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Knee, Hip, Others), By Component (Implants, Electronic Components), By End-use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 – 2030‘, published by Grand View Research.
Smart Orthopedic Implants Market Growth & Trends
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in reduced demand and decreased sales in the overall …


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FDA carries on repression concerning controversial supplement kratom
The Food and Drug Administration is punishing numerous companies that make and disperse kratom, a supplement with psychoactive and pain-relieving qualities that's been connected to a recent salmonella break out.
In a letter released on Tuesday, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb called on 3 business in different states to stop selling unapproved kratom items with unproven health claims. In a declaration, Gottlieb said the business were engaged in "health fraud rip-offs" that " present major health risks."
Obtained from a plant native to Southeast Asia, kratom is frequently sold as tablets, powder, or tea in the US. Supporters say it helps suppress the symptoms of opioid withdrawal, which has actually led individuals to flock to kratom in recent years as a means of stepping down from more effective drugs like Vicodin.
But because kratom is categorized as a supplement and has not been developed as a drug, it's not subject to much federal guideline. That implies tainted kratom pills and powders can easily make their method to store shelves-- which appears to have happened in a current outbreak of salmonella that has actually up until now sickened more than 130 people across several states.
Over-the-top claims and little clinical research study
The FDA's recent crackdown seems the most recent action in a growing divide between advocates and regulatory firms relating to the usage of kratom The business the company has actually named are Front Range Kratom of Aurora, Colorado; Kratom Spot of Irvine, California and Revibe, Inc., of Kansas City, Missouri.
The claims these three companies have actually made consist of marketing the supplement as " really effective against cancer" and suggesting that their products could help lower the symptoms of opioid addiction.
There are few existing scientific studies to back up those claims. Research study click here to find out more on kratom has see here actually discovered, nevertheless, that the drug use a few of the same brain receptors as opioids do. That stimulated the FDA to classify it as an opioid in February.
Specialists state that due to the fact that of this, it makes sense that individuals with opioid usage disorder are turning to kratom as a means of abating their symptoms and stepping down from more powerful drugs like Vicodin.
However taking any supplement that hasn't been evaluated for safety by medical experts can be unsafe.
The threats of taking kratom.
Previous FDA screening discovered that a number of products dispersed by Revibe-- among the 3 companies named in the FDA letter-- were polluted with salmonella. Last month, as part of a request from the agency, Revibe damaged a number of tainted items still at its facility, however the company has yet to verify that it remembered products that had actually already delivered to shops.
Last month, the FDA released its first-ever mandatory recall of kratom products after those produced by Las Vegas-based Triangle Pharmanaturals were discovered to be polluted with salmonella.
Since April 5, a total of 132 people throughout 38 states had actually been sickened with the germs, which can trigger diarrhea and abdominal pain lasting up to a week.
Besides dealing with the threat that kratom items could bring damaging bacteria, those who take the supplement have no trustworthy way to identify the appropriate dosage. It's also hard to find a verify kratom supplement's complete ingredient list or represent possibly harmful interactions with other drugs or medications.
Kratom is presently banned in Australia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and several US states (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). Throughout the United States, numerous reports of deaths and addiction led the Drug Enforcement Administration to place kratom on its list of "drugs and chemicals of issue." In 2016, the DEA proposed a restriction on kratom however backtracked under pressure from some members of Congress and an protest from kratom supporters.


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The HTC 10 Will Launch April 12th
HTC has today revealed through social media that they will announced their “next flagship smartphone” (which is the HTC 10, or whatever it will be called) on April 12th. Rather than hosting an event to launch the device, HTC will host an online only unveiling which will take place on Tuesday April 12th at 8am EST through a live stream on their website.
— HTC (@htc) March 22, 2016
We’ve seen several leaks of the HTC 10, showing off a familiar, yet refined all-metal design. HTC has also been teasing aspects of the device through their “#powerof10” hashtag on social media. One thing that seems certain is that they are putting much needed focus on the camera this time around, teasing “world’s first” on the front and rear cameras.


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Aluminium futures fall on low demand
New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) Aluminium price on Tuesday fell 90 paise to Rs 208.30 per kilogram in the futures market, as participants trimmed their positions on a weak trend in the spot market.
On the Multi Commodity Exchange, aluminium for delivery in November declined by 90 paise or 0.43 per cent to Rs 208.30 per kg in 2,813 lots.
Analysts said cutting down of positions by participants on easing demand from consuming industries mainly kept aluminium prices lower. PTI SGC DRR
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated feed.


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Toei has officially announced the FOURTH spinoff project for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid!
This release will be a Televi-Kun Super Battle DVD, focusing on fan-favorite character Kamen Rider Lazer!
Lazer will return thanks to the Proto Bakusou Bike Gashat, and encounter a new menace from the Game World.
Sadly, an exact release date for this DVD special remains unavailable at time of writing. Stay tuned to TokuNation as we keep you up to date on all Ex-Aid news!


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Macworld: Apple's iPhone runs on chip from IntelIf our early reports that Apple's iPhone would run a variant of Mac OS X didn't give it away, Apple this week confirmed the device will employ a microchip from Intel Corp. at its core.
In a statement picked up by Reuters on Wednesday, an Apple Germany spokesman is quoted as confirming the news.
"The processor is from Intel," the spokesman said, declining to go into specifics.
Apple on Tuesday also confirmed that the world's largest chipmaker will play a central role in its forthcoming Apple TV product product, due to begin shipping sometime next month.
But as is the case with iPhone, Apple isn't yet commenting on which family of Intel chips will be used.
In related news, Retuers is also reporting that Balda will supply touch-screens for the iPhone.
Shares of the German company soared by as much as 10 percent after a company spokesperson confirmed the news.
On Topic: General
- Chicago Apple Stores targeted in traveling fraud scheme
- Redbox makes second go at online streaming, Google Maps gets 'Wi-Fi only' mode
- Twitter adds weekly MLB & NHL games to live sports coverage
- Apple leases 40,000 square feet for development accelerator in Bengaluru, India
- Verizon to buy struggling Yahoo for $4.83 billion


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Deadly Premonition Creator's Pet-Themed Mystery Hits Kickstarter Goal
Hidetaka Suehiro, better known among fans as Swery65, has been having a rough few months. When his cat-based murder mystery game, The Good Life, failed to meet its crowdfunding goal late last year, Swery vowed to get it funded somehow, and brought the game to Kickstarter with some changes last month.
Now, a few days from the time limit, The Good Life has finally passed its funding goal. The last few weeks of Swery's social media presence has been a whirlwind of the game designer retweeting everyone who backed the game and also reminding fans every waking hour that the campaign was closing soon. It seemed like a longshot, the game was about $200,000 from funding on the eve of the final week, so the team had to pull a number of ripcords to make the final push.
A few days ago, Swery teased the possibility of a Switch version, which now exists as a stretch goal to the campaign. The team put out a demo for the game and sent it to Youtubers in hopes of drumming up interest. Swery even started showing off the physical rewards, including hoodies in both dog and cat varieties.
The success of the campaign is probably a relief for Swery, who has had a recent spat of problems getting his games produced. His Xbox One/PC narrative adventure series, D4, was cut short after Microsoft pulled out and he cut ties with the publisher. In The Good Life demo, a gravestone even has the letters "D4 S2," likely referring to a second season of the game, etched on the front. Swery mentioned a number of months back that he also wished to make a game about a teenage girl detective who activates psychic powers through masturbation, though he confessed to me in March that he has not been able to find a publisher to get on board with that idea.
Regardless, The Good Life has now met its goal and the team at White Owls can actually move forward with the PlayStation 4 and Steam versions of the murder mystery. Fans of cats, dogs, and Swery himself can be happy that threshold has been crossed.
Hopefully the game hits its stretch goal for Switch owners. I've been intrigued by the game since its announcement and the team seems really receptive to feedback.


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The iconic British maker of exceptional high performance cars since 1913, Aston Martin celebrated the year 2013 that marks the brand’s 100th anniversary, with the launch of Aston Martin's Centenary Edition Vanquish, along with series of events and commemorative videos including the Dubai Centenary Spectacular where the new Aston Martin Vanquish was taken to the iconic Burj Al Arab helipad which also hosted an Andre Agassi, Roger Federer tennis match. However, in this brand’s centenary year, the enthusiastic fans of the marque also stand a rare chance to grab the one-of-a-kind multiple- award-winning 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT Bertone ‘Jet’ with Italian-built coachwork. Described to be one of its type ever built, this unique British car is expected to realize a price between $4.38 and $5.95 million when offered for sale in May by Bonhams, the auctioneer which last year also offered historic Aston Martin cars from the 1952 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Sports Saloon to the 2005 Aston Martin DB9 Volante.
Fully restored by Aston Martin, this completed ‘one-off’ will go under the hammer at the 14th annual Bonhams auction of Aston Martin and Lagonda motor cars at Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, on 18th May.
Historically, the British auto maker in the year 1960 commissioned Bertone to conceive and build a special GT version of the DB4GT, to be premiered at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show. The finished design was penned by a young Giorgetto Guigiaro, and the car was then named ‘The Jet’. The car in question which has 12 awards including ‘First in Class’ at Pebble Beach and the Hurlingham Club, is being offered on sale for the first time in over 25 years.
Besides, we have also seen the sale offering of historic 1955 Aston Martin DB3S Sports Racing Car which was expected to fetch $3.8 million at Monterey auction and the only Aston Martin Le Mans winning race car which was expected to sell for $31.76 million at Talacrest sale.
Also watch in video Aston Martin celebrating 100 years of Power, Beauty, Soul with a spectacular centenary event; the New Vanquish lifted to the helipad of the exclusive Burj Al Arab hotel, Dubai.


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A recent update from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms that dairy milk consumption continues to decline - falling 25% from 1996 to 2016.
The US decreased it's yearly per-capita dairy milk consumption from 205 pounds to 154 pounds over the 20-year period.
Dairy milk sales have fallen to such a low level, it may be impossible to curb the decline, said Tom Gallagher, chief executive of Dairy Management Inc., a national organization that promotes dairy products and is funded by dairy farmers:
“The numbers are devastating. At some point, [dairy] milk could become an irrelevant beverage for the average consumer.”
The US dairy industry has no intentions of vanishing without a fight - they're currently in the midst of a $500 million campaign to try and persuade consumers to purchase cow milk.
What terrifies the dairy industry is that they’ve got no way to compete — the taste and nutrition of vegan milks can be far superior to cows’ milk, and the costs of production (since there’s no animal care, feed or waste involved) can be much lower.
Meanwhile plant milks continue to rise rapidly in popularity and gain widespread approval with the global plant-milk market set to top a staggering $16 billion in 2018 according to new data from Innova Market Insights, and projected to rise to $21.7 billion by 2022.
Due to the increasing popularity of plant-based milks, Starbucks recently launched Almond Milk in the UK and sports supplement company Muscle Milk recently launched a line of vegan protein shakes, with more people are ditching whey for plant-based protein powders than ever before.
Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights, said:
"The dairy alternatives market has seen rising levels of interest in recent years, spurred mainly by consumers increasingly looking for lactose-free, dairy-free and plant-based/vegan options as healthy lifestyle choices, rather than regarding them as simply for those with allergies or intolerances.
With the negative health effects of consuming dairy becoming more well known we will continue to see dairy decline, especially as these days it's so easy to replace dairy in our diets.
More people than ever before are choosing plant-based milks, whey-free plant-based protein powders, and are taking steps to eliminate dairy completely from their diets.
There is now a wide variety of plant-based milks available that are not only healthier than cow milk, but tastier, better for the environment and cruelty-free. The dairy industry is desperately trying to fight back as consumers become more aware of the barbaric dairy industry practices.
And it's not just individuals that are shifting away from dairy, but large companies are ditching dairy to make way for high quality products like nut, soy, rice and hemp milks, and restaurants, cafes and even ice cream parlours are also ditching dairy.
Switching to a plant-based milk is easy and healthier, with plant-based milks generally having a lower fat content, no cholesterol and no hormones.
Recently the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK also banned an advert for organic cow's milk which attempted to label itself as “good for the land” and ruled the advert as "misleading" since dairy production is terrible for the environment.
Another advert from a vegan group that labelled milk as "inhumane" was described as "accurate" by the same authority. These rulings from the completely impartial Advertising Standards Authority further validates the ethical and environmental concerns around the production of dairy products.
Your email address will always stay private.


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A measure of U.S. manufacturing expanded in December at the fastest pace in more than two years, bolstered by a pickup in new orders and the strongest growth in production since 2011.
A gauge of factory activity unexpectedly increased to 60.7 from 57.5 a month earlier, according to Institute for Supply Management data released Tuesday. Readings above 50 indicate expansion and the figure exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
For months, the manufacturing sector has been steadily recovering from the pandemic’s devastating blow early last year. Though a full recovery will take time, the latest data underscore how a strengthening economy and lean inventories should continue driving production and factory employment gains.
“Manufacturing performed well for the seventh straight month, with demand, consumption and inputs registering strong growth compared to November,” Timothy Fiore, chair of ISM’s Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, said in the statement. “Labor market difficulties at panelists’ companies and their suppliers will continue to restrict the manufacturing economy expansion until the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis ends.”
Sixteen of 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in December, led by apparel, furniture, wood products and fabricated metals.
The ISM measure of production rose 4 points in December to 64.8, the highest since January 2011, as factories continued mobilizing to replenish still-lean inventories and meet rising demand. The new orders’ gauge, at 67.9, matched the strongest reading since January 2004, while the order backlogs index rose to its highest since June 2018.
The overall manufacturing figure was also boosted by longer lead times, likely a result of still-challenged supply chains and Covid-related effects on the labor force. The ISM’s supplier deliveries index climbed to the highest level since May.
The gauge of prices paid for materials rose to the highest since May 2018 against a backdrop of firmer demand, lean stockpiles and supply-chain disruptions. The pickup in costs may fuel more debate about the possibility of a quickening in inflation as the year progresses and demand strengthens with widespread vaccinations against the coronavirus.
A measure of customer inventories, while edging up from a month earlier, remained subdued at 37.9, suggesting production growth will remain firm in the months ahead.
The group’s factory employment gauge advanced to 51.5, only the second time since mid-2019 the index has indicated expansion. The December jobs report, out Friday, is expected to show a modest employment increase in the month, supported by factory hiring. Just over half of the manufacturing jobs lost in March and April have been recovered so far.
A separate manufacturing gauge for December, released by IHS Markit on Monday, also beat expectations with the strongest reading since 2014.
— With assistance by Kristy Scheuble
Source: Read Full Article


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Spotify is making its way into the Xbox One soon, a huge deal for owners of the console who have been waiting for the music streaming service to arrive for years.
The Spotify app has been available for the PlayStation 4 since 2015, and two years later, there are finally signs that the service will soon be added to the console's library of apps.
Spotify On Xbox One: Here Are The Clues
Rumors regarding the arrival of Spotify for Xbox One started when Redditor Geralt_De_Rivia spotted Xbox Live Director of Programming Larry Hryb, more popularly known as Major Nelson, using the music streaming service's app on the console. The Redditor uploaded an image on the official Xbox One sub-Reddit as proof.
Some users were skeptical of the image, but further proof was uploaded on the sub-Reddit by Redditor GhostlyCrowd. He posted a screenshot of a June announcement on the MS Partner Training portal that Xbox version of Spotify was indeed on its way, despite the risk that he might be violating a non-disclosure agreement.
The confirmation that Spotify is really coming to the Xbox One was acquired by The Verge from sources familiar with the plans of the music streaming service and Microsoft. The app is said to be undergoing internal testing, and will arrive to the console soon. Unfortunately, no specific date has been revealed for its launch on the Xbox One.
Spotify will likely replace Groove Music, a music streaming service that Microsoft launched as Xbox Music in 2012. Sony discontinued its Music Unlimited service on the PlayStation in 2015 when it introduced Spotify for its console, and Microsoft is expected to do the same once the Spotify on Xbox One launch is ready.
The Expansion Of Spotify
Spotify recently made its way to the Windows Store as a desktop app for Windows 10, but not as a Universal Windows App that would have also made it available on the Xbox One. With its pending addition to the console, the music streaming service will be present in the two major consoles in the video game industry.
In June, the number of users on Spotify per month surpassed 140 million, the biggest in the music streaming service industry, thanks in part to its ad-supported model that is free to access.
With Spotify receiving stronger challenges from rivals such as Apple Music and possibly new entrants such as electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, the company is reportedly thinking about creating Spotify hardware, including wearable devices and smart home devices.


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In Costa Rica, the pineapple sector is of significant importance to the country’s economy. The export of this crop generates about a billion dollars a year, which makes it one of Costa Rica’s main agricultural exports. The pineapple sector is a source of employment for approximately 32,000 people in economically depressed areas. Over the past decade, land area dedicated to the production of fresh pineapple has increased sixfold as its demand increases in Western markets. In fact, three-quarters of the pineapples found in European supermarkets come from Costa Rica. However, as prices for the fruit decrease for Western consumers, plantation workers continue to bear the costs.
The environmental damage caused by the mass production of pineapple is clear. Chemical products like insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers are widely used in plantations. The excessive use of these chemicals has led to the contamination of the soil and water sources. Complaints before Costa Rica’s environmental court about public water relating to pineapple production have generally involved communities affected by plantations owned by Del Monte and Dole, two American multinational corporations. Tests conducted by the government on the groundwater of nearby villages declared it unsafe for residents to drink. They showed the water had been contaminated by chemicals related to the production of pineapple. In 2007, the Costa Rican government started sending water by tanker to these communities. However, deliveries can be infrequent and insufficient, which causes residents to rely on contaminated water for washing and even for drinking.
It is not only the residents of local communities that are exposed to the chemical products used by plantations. Field workers frequently use pesticides and other chemical products without protective clothing and equipment. Some of these chemicals are known to cause cancer, are highly toxic, and known as persistent pollutants. As a result, workers often experience dizziness, fainting spells, vomiting, and allergic skin reactions, according to a report by OXFAM.
Given the proximity of these plantations to the border with Nicaragua, many of these workers are not Costa Rican. Some are legal residents, others are undocumented, and a few others cross the border every day to get to work. Most plantation workers are Nicaraguan men between the ages of 36 and 65, according to OXFAM, and their families tend to live in poor conditions with an average household income of about €355 per month. They work, on average, between ten and twelve hours per day, six to seven days a week and are rarely paid for the hours they work overtime. In recent years, pineapple price wars in American and European supermarkets have led to wage cuts for plantation workers. American companies like Del Monte and Dole have also started replacing full-time field workers with seasonal workers. This was carried out in an effort to cut costs by avoiding paying social insurance for their workers, which is required by law.
The right to belong to a trade union is protected by the Costa Rican Constitution and Labour Code. However, few plantation workers seek membership out of fear of being fired or blacklisted. As workers attempt to join unions to demand better wages, their employers find new ways to persuade them not to. Workers have reported incidents of mass sackings, after which workers were re-hired under poorer conditions, and not re-hired if they refused to give up their union membership. Unfortunately, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Labour has failed to create opportunities for dialogue between plantation owners and their employees.
Small-scale farmers have found other ways to farm pineapples without using all the chemical products larger plantations use. Some have switched to controlling pests by rotating crops and keeping the soil healthy for plants to build up resistance. Farming organic and Fairtrade pineapples can be profitable for farmers thanks to the extra premium paid for their fruit. However, when the price of pineapple in Europe falls, demand for Fairtrade pineapple falls as well. In this scenario, consumers are not inclined to spend a few extra cents for Fairtrade pineapples and these start being sold as conventional ones. For farmers, this means they do not receive a premium for their Fairtrade fruit.
There is no doubt the pineapple sector is a vital part of the Costa Rican economy. Plantations are a source of employment for men and women in economically depressed parts of the country. However, most of the profits from the sale of fresh pineapples in the West falls into the hands of big multinationals while local field workers live under conditions of relative poverty. It is also impossible to overlook the negative consequences it brings to the environment and local communities. There is damage to protected areas, contamination of water sources, health concerns related to exposure to harmful chemicals for local residents, and workers’ rights are often disregarded. It is clear the Costa Rican government has been unable to keep up with the explosion of pineapple production across the country and it has not managed to protect the rights of field workers within its territory.
We often underestimate the power we have as consumers, but the reality is that we finance the operations carried out by multinationals like Dole and Del Monte by purchasing their products. Today, it is easier than ever to know where our produce comes from. There is widely available information online as to where your fruit comes from, who produced it, and under which conditions it was produced. By choosing Fairtrade pineapples you are guaranteed to be purchasing fruit produced under strict environmental standards, and by workers who earn fair wages, are allowed to join unions, and are provided with appropriate protective equipment. Spending an extra euro, or even a few cents, on Fairtrade fruit might not have a significant impact on your weekly grocery spending, but in the long run, it could impact the way in which local plantations in Costa Rica, and the multinationals that buy their fruit, carry out their operations.


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Adobe reached the logical endpoint of its digital ad build-out, but was the journey worth it? Then, news from the podcast world, and the potential resolution of the ZTE ban.
The ZTE saga takes a twist, Dropbox’s first earnings are solid, and Bloomberg shows how the rich get richer.
The U.S. government banned companies from selling to ZTE for issues unrelated to the current trade war; that may not much matter, and Apple and other U.S. tech companies could soon feel the pain.
The Trump administration blocked Broadcom’s acquisition of Qualcomm, and I think it was the right move. Understanding why means understanding Qualcomm and Broadcom’s plan for the company — and the problem with patents.
The Athletic is right to go for it, and raise more VC money. Then, tech and politics is only becoming more complicated as national security concerns enter the debate.
The Supreme Court has issued a decision about patents that is genuinely good news, both in the short term and potentially the long term. Plus, it also benefits Apple in their dispute Qualcomm.
Qualcomm was sued by both the FTC and by Apple; Apple seems to have a much stronger case. Then, is Google buying Google ads a bad thing?
Both Samsung and Qualcomm are moving into cars: I like Samsung’s move better, but both make sense. Then, Nintendo continues to have trouble adapting to the reality of today’s market
Ben is on vacation so today’s Daily Update guest writer is Ben Bajarin. One of Ben’s many responsibilities is consulting for the chip industry, and today he shares his pessimism about Qualcomm.
I think that the stock market tends to get a bad rap amongst tech pundits and executives; in fact, it is a critical part of how new companies defeat incumbents. Still, sometimes markets get it wrong and I think that is the case with Qualcomm. Plus, what Uber’s episode with New York City mayor Bill de Blasio suggests about politics and Aggregation Theory.


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Bâtiself safe despite shareholder difficulties
(AFP/JB) Luxembourg DIY store Bâtiself is thought to be safe after majority shareholder Praktiker announced it had failed to find sufficient financing to continue operating.
The German chain, which owns a 62 percent stake in the Luxembourg brand, is to consider filing for insolvency, potentially putting 18,000 jobs at risk.
Bâtiself Managing Director Raimund Müller said that the three Luxembourg DIY stores, which employ around 200 staff, will not be affected by the change.
"We are debt-free and profitable," he told the Luxemburger Wort on Thursday, explaining that negotiations for the sale of Praktiker's shares are still ongoing.
Praktiker said in a statement that negotiations on additional finance failed on July 10 because "certain creditor groups did not provide approval for such financing."
The financing had become necessary after the heavily indebted group failed to complete its planned sale of a stake in Luxembourg-based Bâtiself.
This meant that "the expected proceeds from the sale could not be realised. These proceeds had been firmly included in the financing concept from 2012," the statement said.
"The management board will now carry out a review ... to determine the units for which insolvency applications will have to be filed and will then publish the results of this review as soon as possible."
On the Frankfurt stock exchange, Praktiker shares nosedived by 69 percent to 0.11 euros.
Bâtiself operates three hardware stores in the Grand Duchy: in Strassen, Foetz and Ingeldorf. The first store was opened in Foetz in 1978. 1988 was the second in Strassen. The Bâtiself in Ingeldorf has been there since 1996.


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CIRCUITS: REPORTERS' NOTEBOOK; TiVo's New Tack
By BRAD STONE
Published: January 11, 2007
TiVo is a company that many adore -- especially those who like an underdog. In 1997 it popularized the digital video recorder, or DVR, which lets you pause live TV and fast-forward through the ads. A decade later, it is floundering in the face of generic copycats and the reluctance of many cable and satellite customers to have a second box.
But there was hope for TiVo fans at C.E.S. After nearly a year of development, the company announced that it had finished tailoring its famously user-friendly service for the set-top boxes of the cable giant Comcast -- the fruits of a partnership announced last spring.
This year, Comcast customers will be offered the ability to download TiVo onto their existing box (no visit necessary from the cable guy). A monthly fee has not been announced, but a Comcast representative said it would offer TiVo as a premium alternative to its current generic DVR, which it leases for $11.95 a month.
The news could not come at a better time for TiVo. It announced a similar deal with Cox last August, and TiVo's chief executive, Tom Rogers, said the company was in ''deep discussions'' with other cable operators. But ''a lot of people weren't sure technically that this could be done,'' Mr. Rogers said, and getting TiVo to work on a cable company's equipment ''was a real piece of engineering magic.''
TiVo does not yet have clear skies ahead. Of its 4.4 million subscribers, 2.9 million signed up through DirecTV, in a partnership canceled before the News Corporation agreed to sell DirecTV to Liberty Media.
Last fall, TiVo also began selling a box compatible with high-definition video. But it sells for $799 and appeals only to enthusiasts. To live up to the hopes of its fans, TiVo's future lies in the land of cable. BRAD STONE


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The International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers (IPCPR) Association had plans to unveil a new name and a new mission statement to kick off its 87th Trade Show and Convention. Those announcements did not go off as planned as information leaked out and quickly set off a huge firestorm of reaction across the cigar industry.
The IPCPR scheduled a major announcement for June 28 at 5:15 Pacific Time on the eve of the Trade Show in Las Vegas. No details were initially announced, but on June 19th, IPCPR attempted to give a glimpse into what the announcement would be through a short Facebook live broadcast hosted by IPCPR Executive Director Scott Pearce. In the broadcast which lasted 4 minutes and 18 seconds, Pearce said that IPCPR would be taking on a new name and a new framework to serve the industry. “We want to become the premium cigar and pipe industry’s center of excellence,” said Pearce. He added, “not only are we going to expand what we do, but who we do it for.” No specifics on the name or the programs were given on the broadcast.
Shortly after the broadcast completed, Cigar Coop was made aware of a trademark filed by the IPCPR for “Premium Cigar Association” (PCA) and a brand new logo. The trademark information was soon made public in a story broken by The Cigar Authority later that afternoon. Several industry people told Cigar Coop that the strategy to announce plans for a new name without announcing the actual name was a flawed one because cigar industry personnel have experience in doing trademark searches. As one source told Cigar Coop, “it was bound to come out”. Following The Cigar Authority report, there was initial reaction to the name, logo, and the question of “what happened to pipes and retailers.” That reaction would be just the beginning.
Later that evening, Halfwheel.com published a story not only confirming the Premium Cigar Association name and logo, but outlining the framework for the organization. The report stated that in 2020, the framework of the Trade Show would be changed to a consumer-oriented event where no trade show buying by retailers would take place on day one. The actual Trade Show component would take place on days 2 through 4, with Day 4 being expanded to a full day as opposed to the usual half day. There was also information on a proposed Cigar Rights of America (CRA) merger with the IPCPR.
Over the past few weeks, several industry sources reported to Cigar Coop similar information to that contained in the Halfwheel report. IPCPR has yet to confirm the name change or any information in the Halfwheel story.
Following the announcement many retailers, manufacturers, and consumers took to social media expressing displeasure. In Cigar Coop’s ten years of covering IPCPR, the topic of adding a consumer component has easily been the most controversial. In fact, it was proposed in 2013 and quickly shot down.
Several industry people have told Cigar Coop that the biggest concern of what they have seen or heard of the consumer element are the costs seem to outweigh the benefits. Retailers and manufacturers have also long argued consumers should not interfere with the business of trade show transactions.
The IPCPR has neither acknowledged the name change publicly, nor confirmed or denied the information in the Halfwheel story.
The name change and consumer event reflects a movement within IPCPR to expand its mission beyond serving the retailers. Over the past year, evidence of this movement has been seen – namely with the launch of cigaraction.org. Cigaraction.org represents a grassroots effort by the IPCPR to inform consumers and launch calls to action against the many regulatory challenges the industry faces.
Over the past five years, IPCPR has had its share of drama leading into the trade show. 2015 saw a comprehensive smoking ban implemented in the City of New Orleans where the Trade Show was being held. 2016 saw the Trade Show take place just days before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would start enforcing its deeming regulations. 2017 saw the Trade Show face an unpopular venue move to the Las Vegas Convention Center as well as a major increase in California State OTP taxes. 2018 saw civil unrest in Nicaragua as well as an outbreak of the norovirus in the adjacent Westgate Hotel just days before the show. Despite these challenges, they may all be eclipsed by the firestorm expected to continue over the consumer event.


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Steven A. Cohen
Hedge-fund billionaire and NY Mets proprietor Steve Cohen has invested in a crypto start-up that goals to launch a inventory trade with 24-hour buying and selling.
Cohen’s venture-capital fund Point72 Ventures is main a $14 million funding spherical for twenty-four Change, a Bermuda-based crypto and overseas trade buying and selling platform that wishes to convey the continuous buying and selling of the digital forex world to the inventory market.
“The identical folks that commerce cryptocurrencies began to commerce extra shares due to the GameStop motion and the general participation of retail that [has] elevated considerably,” mentioned Dmitri Galinov, founder and CEO of 24 Change. “If Elon Musk tweets one thing on Saturday, folks would wish to purchase or promote Tesla inventory.”
Buying and selling classes within the U.S. inventory market begin at 9:30 a.m. ET and finish at 4 p.m. on weekdays, and prolonged buying and selling permits traders to commerce as early as 4 a.m. and as late as 8 p.m. Buying and selling is already comparatively skinny throughout after-hours that would typically result in wild value swings.
A report variety of new, youthful merchants entered the market through the coronavirus pandemic to trip the epic rebound in shares. The retail craze reached a crescendo when a gaggle of so-called meme shares together with GameStop and AMC skyrocketed in a large quick squeeze earlier this yr. On-line brokerages reminiscent of Robinhood, Constancy and Charles Schwab all skilled fast progress over the previous yr.
24 Change additionally sees robust demand for 24-hour buying and selling amongst abroad traders.
“Abroad exchanges began to checklist U.S. shares and commerce exterior of U.S. hours,” Galinov mentioned. “It’s extremely clear to us that abroad traders are enthusiastic about Apple, Tesla and different nice American firms.”
The corporate has filed a draft utility with the U.S. Securities and Change Fee to approve 24-hour buying and selling. Galinov mentioned he expects a choice in the summertime of 2022.
“We’re vertically integrating. We’re relaying retail purchasers instantly into the trade, bypassing the dealer. We’re combining all these asset lessons right into a wholesale system that may speak in confidence to retail they usually can profit from low costs,” Galinov mentioned.
Over the long run, the agency has its eyes on securitization of varied digital belongings that aren’t presently below the SEC realm, together with crypto and non-fungible belongings, or NFTs.


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Despite its absence from Detroit earlier this week, Jaguar certainly knows how to put on a show of its own.
If you need proof, just go to its YouTube page for a collection of car videos that look like scenes from an action film. Or look back at their "virtual reality reveal" of the I-Pace Concept car. Just this past October a couple of our own reporters attended the Jaguar Art of Performance Tour and got the chance to audition for a "movie" that, if Jaguar actually produced, I might even go see.
Now, the automaker is giving drivers the chance to be the stars of their own highlight reels with the new ReRun app developed in collaboration with GoPro for the 2018 F-Type.
As explained in the video above, users link their GoPro camera to the app and control recording functions through Jaguar's new Touch Pro infotainment system. ReRun syncs up the video footage with key performance data that includes speed, throttle position, gear selection, braking force and G-Force. The high resolution video can then be downloaded to the driver's smartphone and shared on social media.
Although Chevrolet beat Jaguar to the punch with the 2015 Corvette Stingray's Performance Data Recorder, which doesn't require the use of an external camera, ReRun's high quality GoPro footage, smartphone integration and ability to instantly share clips on social media is sure to make it a hit with those who spend a lot of time on the track.
GoPro's popularity extends far beyond videographers as well, so you can be sure plenty of car enthusiasts and tech nerds who find themselves behind the wheel of the new F-Type will want to document their action, too.
The 2018 Jaguar F-Type is expected to go on sale in the first quarter of 2017.


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Bhubaneswar: In view of increasing cases of Corona infection in Odisha, the state government will re-enforce 14-day complete lockdown in 4-high caseload districts—Cuttack, Khurda, Jajpur and Ganjam, and entire Rourkela Municipal Corporation area from tonight. However, there will be no weekend shutdown in the specified districts during this 2-week long lockdown.
Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy on Thursday informed that the lockdown restrictions would come into effect from 9 PM of 17 July and continue till 31 July.
Aggressive surveillance will be conducted during the period in these areas to contain the spread of the disease, Tripathy said.
The restrictions in the four districts and RMC were imposed after different surveys showed that these account for 66 per cent of the total cases in the state. 90 per cent of the cases in Sundergarh district have been detected in Rourkela alone.
Unnecessary movement of people to Bhubaneswar and Cuttack will be barred and nobody will be allowed to enter into these cities without a valid reason, he added.
However, shops selling essentials will remain open from 6 am to 1 pm every day, the chief secretary said, appealing to the people to refrain from panic buying.
Other than these four districts and Rourkela Municipal Corporation, the weekend shutdown will continue in rest of the districts, according to the notification released by the Special Relief Commissioner.
During the lockdown, all shops and commercial establishments, offices and institutions shall remain closed and mobility of people will be strictly restricted with the following exemptions:
Central govt establishments
- Central Armed Police Forces
- Treasury including Pay & Accounts Offices, Financial Advisers and Field Offices of the Comptroller General of Accounts with bare minimum staff
- Central Government offices on emergency duty
- Post Offices
- Telecom Services including their maintenance offices and’ movement of, associated personnel
- National Informatics Centre
- Early Warning Agencies including IMD
- Customs clearance at ports, airports land border; GSTN; and MCA 21 Registry, with bare minimum staff
- Reserve Bank of India and RBI regulated financial markets and entities like NPCI, CCIL, ATMs, Clearing Houses, payment system operators and standalone primary dealers, with bare minimum staff.
Odisha govt establishments
- Disaster Management establishments
- State Government officials on emergency duty
- District and Municipal Administration/ Police/ Fire Services/ Government officials on emergency duty
Utilities and Essential Services
- All medical establishments including Govt. and private hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, including medicine stores, Movement of ambulance and all medical personnel including Doctors & Paramedics
- Water supply, sanitation, and sewerage workers
- Power generation, transmission, and distribution
- Movement of air, sea and rail transport. Operations of Airports, Railway Stations, Bus Terminals and their associated offices, movement of associated personnel and activities
- Road transport and movement of transiting vehicles on highways
- Movement of goods and goods carriers, whether loaded or unloaded
- Movement of Public Transport, private vehicles and taxis (including cabs by aggregators like Ola, Uber, etc.) to and from airports, railway station and bus terminals/ stands/ stops, for facilitating movement of passengers by air, rail and road
Vegetables, Food & Grocery
- Shops selling vegetables, grocery and milk between 6 am to 1 pm
- Home Delivery of food, groceries, vegetables, egg, fish, meat, and other essential items’ by restaurants and aggregators such as Zomato, Swiggy, OPOLFED, OMFED, Chilika Fresh etc.
Economic and Other activities
- Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Veterinary ‘ Services, and allied activities
- All industrial units, factories and construction activities
- IT/ITeS units with bare minimum staff for critical operations
- Operation of hotels and hospitality units, including their associated offices, movement of staff and associated personnel
- Dhabas along National and State Highways/ major roads for takeaway only
- Petrol pumps, CNG Stations and LPG, including their bottling, distribution and retail outlets
- Operations of E-commerce establishments such as Flipkart, Amazon etc including their warehousing and delivery activities
- Print and Electronic Media identified by Commissionerate/ district Police
- Marriages and Funerals, with permission of local authority
Also Read: Covid-19 Tally Burgeons In Odisha With 718 New Positives, 4 Deaths


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The price of light iron, the key ferrous scrap grade, has seen significant falls, with some businesses reporting a slump of up to £35 a tonne this year.
After a difficult 2016, the rates paid for loose light steel scrap, otherwise known as 5C, had recovered from lows of £15-£30 last spring to £70-£100 by the turn of the year.
However, merchants have told MRW that the main industry buyers, including EMR, Sims and Norton, have lopped off around £30 in three or four instalments.
One merchant in the south of England told MRW that, by Monday, he was accepting £65 a tonne for 5C and this had declined to £60 by Wednesday.
A Midlands dealer said he was getting £35 per tonne less for 5C than he had been in early January.
“Ferrous demand seems to have weakened, with Turkey pulling back on orders,” he said.
”The Chinese are in new year mode, so it will be well into February before we get a feel for things.”
The new range for 5C is reported to be £50-£70.
Those in other regions reported similar declines, reiterating lower demand for scrap in Turkey, the leading importer, as the main influence driving down all ferrous grades, but not as acutely as 5C.
The prices listed in MRW’s official website will be updated accordingly.


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Google's decision to acquire Motorola Mobility has thrown the Android ecosystem into chaos: Will Google really treat Motorola no differently than any other Android licensee, or will it give Motorola priority for new features and new versions of Android? Will Google be able to stay focused on releasing new versions of Android that are competitive with iOS while dealing with the Motorola acquisition?
Google's acquisition opens the door for Microsoft to become an alternative operating system vendor for some of Android's licensees, but Microsoft's partnership with Nokia has spawned its own concerns: Nokia clearly has "favored nation" status in the Windows Phone ecosystem. As a result, Microsoft may be less able to capitalize on Google's decision than it would first appear.
The company that might have the best opportunity to capitalize on Google's acquisition is HP, if it can execute quickly and decisively (always a big if when talking about HP). WebOS is an excellent operating system, but it's been crippled by HP's indecision in launching new products, and its inability to run an effective developer program. AllThingsD reported yesterday that Best Buy has taken delivery of 270,000 HP TouchPads but has only sold 25,000 of them. Best Buy is reportedly demanding that HP take back its inventory of tablets. Now, HP is launching a new line of webOS-based smartphones in Europe, but the company's chances of success aren't much better in the smartphone market than they are right now in tablets.
A number of observers have suggested that HP should license webOS, but for this plan to be successful, HP has to follow a more radical course. Here's the approach that I believe HP should take:
- Set up a Mozilla-like organization to run future webOS development, and in particular, run the developer program. This organization would insure that all licensees have a common code base to work from, and that webOS apps work on the widest possible range of devices. One goal would be to avoid the proliferation of versions that frustrates Android developers.
- Give licensees partial ownership of webOS and the development organization. That would give the licensees a say in the future direction of the operating system.
- Licensees would invest in the development organization rather than pay royalties. (There could be two classes of licensees: One that owns a stake in the development organization, and another that pays royalties in lieu of investing in the development organization.)
- Once the development organization is launched and licensees sign on, HP would drop its smartphone line. HP would remain in the tablet business, and could use webOS throughout its product line. The company would have the option to reenter the smartphone business after a number of years.
In the long run, if HP establishes webOS as an industry standard for mobile devices, its acquisition of Palm will have been worth it, even if the company gives up a minor revenue stream from smartphones


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Customers browse inside an Apple store in Hong Kong, China, on Jan. 3, 2019.
Anthony Kwan | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Apple is poised to lose market share in China to local smartphone makers, who are ahead on 5G technology, according to Rosenblatt Securities.
“We remain cautious on iPhone sales as recent signs point to Huawei’s 5G Mate 30 smartphone starting to gain market share in China in the high-end segment,” Jun Zhang, China tech analyst, said in a note on Monday. “Huawei has launched eight 5G smartphone models in China. We believe Apple will lose market share in China in the March quarter.”
Huawei’s 5G Mate 30 Pro model ranked the most popular phone in China in November, beating the long-time winner iPhone, the analyst noted. OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi are all slated to launch 5G smartphones in December, creating a big threat to Apple, which still hasn’t announced its 5G lineup, Zhang said.


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Google will pay $85 million to the state of Arizona to settle a suit claiming the company unlawfully monitored Android user location for targeted advertising.
The settlement comes when the tech giant is facing similar lawsuits from a group of state attorneys general including Texas, Indiana, and Washington DC.
The complaint was launched in May 2020 when Arizona accused Google of breaching the state’s Consumer Fraud Act.
The tech giant was charged with tracking users’ locations even if they opt out of a feature that records location data via other settings such as “Web & App Activity.”
Google made billions of dollars by selling advertising based on location data.
Defending itself, Google said state consumer protection law requires that alleged fraud be linked to a sale or advertisement.
An Arizona state judge refused Google’s plea to dismiss the case in January.
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Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office said the settlement reflects the largest sum per individual user Google has paid in “a privacy and consumer-fraud lawsuit of this kind.”
Mr Brnovich said: “I am proud of this historic settlement that proves no entity, not even big tech companies, is above the law.”
Google spokesman José Castañeda said Arizona’s lawsuit is based on outdated product policies that the firm modified years ago.
He said: “We provide straightforward controls and auto delete options for location data, and are always working to minimize the data we collect.
“We are pleased to have this matter resolved and will continue to focus our attention on providing useful products for our users.”


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GS News Update: A Bunch Of New Nintendo Switch Game Remasters And Ports Are On The Way
Mark of the Ninja, Lumines, and more acclaimed games are receiving Switch remasters.
GS News Updates
GS News Updates are here to keep you up to date with the very latest and greatest in gaming news.
Crew: Tony Wilson Jay Julio


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Column | Jun 9, 2012 | 4:53 PM
A collection of news and information related to Chipotle Mexican Grill published by this site and its partners.
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Blog | Mar 2, 2011 | 4:22 PMThere's an opening date for the Chipotle in the Can Company -- March 15. This is the third Chipotle for Baltimore City.I got the press release from Katherine Newell Smith, who came up with this great opening line:How ironic that...
Column | Apr 5, 2013
Story | Jun 1, 2012 | 4:25 PM
The highly anticipated Chipotle Mexican Grill opens next week at Lehigh Valley Mall, an official said Friday. The fast and casual Mexican restaurant opens at the former Corner Bakery space on June 5, according to mall spokeswoman Amanda Johnson....
Story | Jul 21, 2012 | 4:32 PM
Want to get a look at skate and surf brand Billabong's new Spring 2013 collection? Billabong will host its 6th annual "Designer For Humanity" event July 25th with an exclusive sneak peak at the line's new tribal-influenced swimwear and one-of-a-kind...


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Can Google Disrupt The Console Gaming Industry?
Leo is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
After conquering the Internet search, display ad and mobile operating businesses, tech giant Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) might have a new target - the gaming console industry, currently dominated by Sony (NYSE: SNE), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Nintendo. A recent report from the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources at Google, claims that the company is preparing to release an Android-powered game console later this year.
This news sent the media into a speculative frenzy on whether or not Google’s effort to bring Android games to the living room would succeed. Let’s take a look at Google’s motivations for suddenly developing a game console, and how it could aid the company’s growth prospects.
Following in Ouya’s footsteps
In my opinion, Google’s Android-powered console is less about challenging the high-powered consoles from Sony and Microsoft, and more about following up the initial success of the Ouya with a product of its own. The Ouya, a $99 Android-powered console that started as a Kickstarter project, recently sold out at all brick-and-mortar and online retailers within the first day of its release. Although the Ouya is simply the guts of an Android tablet wrapped up in a tiny box with a controller, its success confirms that there is a market for Android games in the living room.
Similar to Amazon’s Kindle, Ouya uses a forked version of Android that uses a proprietary storefront, the Ouya Store, to provide Android games specifically designed for its hardware. Yet investors should remember that Ouya is not the industry’s first attempt to make Android a platform for a controller-based console games.
The other contenders
Sony attempted to create a handset-mobile hybrid with its Xperia Play handsets, which were equipped with slide-out physical controllers. Nvidia’s (NASDAQ: NVDA) Shield, which was recently delayed, is an attempt to create a handheld console completely dependent on the Android ecosystem. Both Sony and Nvidia face the challenge of getting enough developers to create games specifically designed for hardware controls, rather than touch screen ones. Sony and Nvidia released their own storefronts, the Xperia Play Store and the TegraZone, respectively, to help gamers find controller-enabled games, but neither service is particularly popular.
Nvidia also made a grievous error by initially pricing the Shield at $349, making it nearly as expensive as a Playstation 4. That price was eventually reduced to $299, but that price tag is still a too high for the casual gaming crowd, since the best-selling Nintendo 3DS only costs $180.
Ouya, on the other hand, didn’t struggle as much, since it had already attracted several major publishers, such as Sega and Square Enix, during its funding and development stages. As a result, the Ouya Store had over 150 titles available on the day of its release, and all of its titles were free to try. Therefore, despite mixed reviews, the Ouya has proven popular with casual gamers on a budget.
Aiming for the living room
If Google is planning to release a console, it definitely won’t be on par with the eighth-generation powerhouses Xbox One and Playstation 4. I believe that Google will release a much cheaper console, likely near the Ouya’s price range, which will be designed to play casual games which require less demanding hardware. The reason is simple - Google’s long-term goal isn’t really about video games. It’s about taking over living rooms across the world.
Google has attempted several times to take over the living room. Its first effort, Google TV, was an attempt to merge the Internet and television platforms through set-top boxes developed by Sony, Logitech and other manufacturers. Several manufacturers, including Sony, Samsung and LG, also released “smart TVs” with the technology already integrated inside.
However, Google TV has suffered the same fate as its predecessors, Microsoft’s WebTV and Apple’s Apple TV. There simply isn’t enough of a market for Internet-enabled televisions, since they cost substantially more than regular TVs with larger screens. Watching television is a passive experience, while engaging the Internet is an active one. Attempting to blend the two together often feels like mixing oil with water. Even people who purchase a smart TV reportedly use very few of its web features.
Google TV, take two
However, that hasn’t kept companies from attempting to create the perfect “all-in-one” product for the living room that unifies television, the Internet and gaming. Microsoft’s ambitious Xbox One, which offers all of these features, is proof that the industry considers the living room to be the next great technological battlefield.
If Google’s Android-powered console is successful at burrowing into living rooms across the world, it could offer many of the Xbox One’s features at a much lower price than the latter’s $499 price tag. Google has a formidable ecosystem in place for gaming, video and audio streaming with Google Play and YouTube. Now it simply needs a viable device to deliver all of this content to consumers on their televisions Considering that Google Android now controls roughly three-fourths of the mobile OS market, the company will have an easier time migrating users over to a gaming console than Microsoft, which is still counting on its Xbox 360 audience to remain loyal.
Let’s not count our eggs before they hatch
Make no mistake, Google’s gaming console could be very disruptive for the gaming industry. However, investors should recall that Google also has a habit of attempting to invest in too many industries at once, often half-heartedly. The gaming industry is a cutthroat one that hasn’t been kind to “half-hearted” attempts to build a market. We only need to see the failures of half-baked products such as the Apple Bandai Pippin, Philips CD-i, Nintendo Virtual Boy and Nokia N-Gage to see what dire fate awaits companies that underestimate the standards of gamers.
Google definitely has the industry clout to convince Android game developers to create games for its console hardware, which would immediately grant it the software support that Sony and Nvidia lacked with their previous Android gaming efforts. By tapping into the casual gaming market, Google could find the elusive backdoor into the living room that it has long desired.
If Google is successful, then Microsoft and Sony will be forced to seriously rethink their strategies at approaching games and media consumption in their eighth-generation consoles, and that could dramatically shift the balance of power in the smart TV and gaming markets.
It's incredible to think just how much of our digital and technological lives are almost entirely shaped and molded by just a handful of companies. Find out "Who Will Win the War Between the 5 Biggest Tech Stocks?" in The Motley Fool's latest free report, which details the knock-down, drag-out battle being waged by the five kings of tech. Click here to keep reading.
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March 13, 2007
Viacom Sues YouTube For Copyright Infringement
Viacom has hit YouTube for copyright infringement, demanding one billion dollars and an injunction against the popular online site. Other content providers have alleged copyright infringement against YouTube but have then come to terms with the company, signing licensing agreements, obviously seeing an advantage in having their products available online. Read more here in an article on CNNMoney.com and here in an AP article carried in the Toronto Star.
March 13, 2007 | Permalink
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Though record-breaking sales of its items during 2013 winter holidays made news, Amazon’s overall sales in the United Kingdom did not keep pace with past stats.
In December 2013, as reported on BGR, Amazon set high sales record by selling 426 items per second on Cyber Monday during the winter holiday season. According to the press release included in the report, Amazon declared sales of $36.8 million worth of items ordered worldwide that weekend. The items were shipped to 185 countries.
Noteworthy in Amazon’s sales report was the information that more than 100,000 copies of books were sold of each of 150 Kindle Direct Publishing authors in 2013 with Colleen Hoover’s “Hopeless” and Elisabeth Naughton’s “Wait for Me” topping the bestselling books list.
Amazon also noticed that more than 50 percent of customers buying from the site placed their orders via their mobile devices.
But the holiday season shopping blast did not mean steady sales throughout the year around the world. Earlier this month, The Bookseller posted a story about Amazon’s low sales in UK during 2013. The story notes that Amazon’s sales grew by only 12.6% in the year 2013 as against 21% of growth in 2011-2012. Referring to retail analyst Nick Bubb’s view on the stats, the story pointed to the possible role of Amazon’s retail rivals like Dixons and John Lewis that have launched new web services to draw more customers.
An alternative possibility of Amazon’s decline in sales during 2013 that some analysts pointed at was the now prolonged criticism of Amazon on account of its low business taxes paid in UK and the ensuing bad publicity of the site.


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2022 Skoda Kodiaq Facelift Sold Out In India
- The 2022 Skoda Kodiaq facelift is being offered in India as a CKD model.
- It gets an updated front end, revised interiors and more features.
- It is being offered as a petrol-only model and gets a 2.0-litre TFSI mill
The 2022 Skoda Kodiaq facelift was launched in India yesterday and the company has confimred that the model is already sold out in our market. Skoda Auto India has received bookings for the next four months in just within 24 hours of the price announcement. The Skoda Kodiaq was launched in India after a hiatus of two years at a starting price of Rs. 34.99 lakh. The 7-seater SUV is offered as a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) unit and is locally assembled at the Skoda Auto Volkswagen India's manufacturing facility in Aurangabad.
Also Read: 2022 Skoda Kodiaq Facelift Launched In India
In terms of looks, the SUV remains identical to the facelifted version that made its global debut in April 2021. Up front, it gets a signature-style butterfly grille, Crystalline LED headlights with LED DRLs, new fog lamps, 18-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, silver roof rails, new roof-mounted spoiler, new sharp-looking wraparound LED taillights, a new bumper and SKODA lettering on the tailgate among others.
The cabin of the Kodiaq facelift has been updated as well. It gets a new two-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, an 8.0-inch infotainment system inbuilt Navigation and Wireless Smartlink, a 10.25-inch virtual cockpit, panoramic sunroof, three-zone climatronic air conditioning, 12-speaker Canton Sound system with sub-woofer, electrically adjustable front seats, and more. The Laurin & Klement variants also gets stone beige leather upholstery with more chrome on the inside and outside. As for safety features, the SUV gets nine-airbags, antilock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), mechanical brake assist (MBA) with hydraulic brake assist (HBA), anti-slip regulation (ASR) and electronic differential lock (EDL) among others.
Also Read: Used Skoda Kodiaq: Should You Buy One?


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Market research agency Canalys recently released a 5G smartphone forecast report. Data show that global 5G smartphone shipments will reach 278 million units in 2020. The Canalys report shows that global 5G smartphone shipments will reach 278 million units in 2020, a decrease of 10.7% compared to 2019. From a regional perspective, the Greater China market accounts for 62% of the market share, with shipments reaching 172 million units.
Canalys believes that the region’s top 5G smartphone shipments have a lot to do with the rapid commercialization of 5G smartphones in mainland China. Besides, the market share of the North American and European markets, the Middle East, and Africa are 15% (42 million units) and 11% (31 million units), respectively.
In this regard, Canalys senior analyst Ben Stanton said: “At present, smartphone shipments in many regions of the world are picking up rapidly. On the one hand, smartphone vendors actively release new products and focus on online marketing and sales. On the other hand, offline stores are gradually re-open the business, and the supply of products can also be maintained in terms of production and logistics.”


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Ottawa takes aim at Target's Canadian content
The Canadian government said it will review Target Corp.’s $1.83-billion purchase of store leases from Zellers Inc. under a “cultural heritage” provision in the nation’s foreign-takeover law
OTTAWA — The federal government has launched a review under the Investment Canada Act into whether retail giant Target’s move into Canada could erode the amount of Canadian cultural content on store shelves and hurt domestic publishing houses.
The federal government, on the recommendation of Heritage Minister James Moore, says in a cabinet order it’s “in the public interest” to review — under section 15 of the act, which deals with cultural heritage and national identity — “the investment by Target Canada Co. to establish a new Canadian business carried on by Target.”
Target announced in January 2011 a $1.83-billion deal to acquire the leases on up to 220 Zellers stores from Hudson’s Bay Co. Target has since purchased the leases of 189 sites currently operated by Zellers and plans to open 125 to 135 stores in Canada, the majority of which will open in 2013.
Depending on the outcome of the review, Target could be required to introduce more Canadian authors and musicians on their store shelves and distribute imported titles through Canadian-controlled publishers, among other measures.
“The government is committed to ensuring that foreign investments benefit Canadians. We will review Target’s proposal and make an announcement in due course,” James Maunder, director of communications for Moore, said Thursday in an emailed statement.
Target’s plans to sell cultural content such as books, CDs and DVDs will be subject to a net-benefit test under the Investment Canada Act. Cases are approved based on a commitment to Canadian content.
Under that test, the government could seek commitments such as “the development of Canadian authors” and for the company to “support the infrastructure of the book distribution system,” according to Canadian Heritage’s foreign investment policy on book publishing and distribution.
“The Investment Canada Act requires that foreign investments in the book publishing and distribution sector be compatible with national cultural policies and be of net benefit to Canada and to the Canadian-controlled sector,” explains the policy.
The federal cabinet order was issued March 27, with the review to begin immediately. There’s no timeline for when it will be completed.
Millions of dollars of direct federal investments in the cultural sector could potentially be undercut if Canadian publishers take a financial hit from the entrance of a large foreign retailer into the Canadian market. The federal government invests around $30 million annually in Canadian publishing houses.
“Our planned retailing of cultural products — DVDs, music (CDs), books, magazines — is subject to review by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. This process commenced with the issuance of the Order in Council,” Lisa Gibson, spokeswoman for Target Canada, said Thursday in an email.
The Minnesota-based mass merchant, which has more than 1,700 stores across the United States, has been looking at entering Canada for more than a decade.
Over the past few months, Target has announced the locations of its stores across the country. The first 24 store openings in Canada will be a group of Zellers sites in southern Ontario, which will open in March and early April 2013.
Many Zellers stores slated to become Target outlets will be closed for six to nine months for remodelling, with about $10-million to $11-million spent to upgrade each location.
Rodger Touchie, publisher of B.C.-based Heritage House Publishing, said the arrival of retail powerhouses such as Costco, Walmart and now Target certainly makes it more challenging for both small and large Canadian bookstores and publishers.
“The Canadian publishing industry does need protection, does need support or it will not exist,” Touchie said Thursday in an interview.
He urged the government not to relax the ownership rules of publishing houses that are already being supported by the federal government.
On products provided in stores, Touchie said it’s difficult for the government to coerce companies to carry more Canadian cultural content. However, he said it’s in large retailers’ interests to carry more Canadian products in their stores.
“It’s smart business to sell Canadian content in Canada,” he said.


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Word on the bustling streets of Japan is that the bakery business is a competitive one. Not only offering cinnamon scrolls or butter cakes, their bright coloured, sugar-filled creations (sometimes too good-looking to eat) can be found dotted alongÂ many a street corner. As such, each proprietor is striving for a point of difference to stay alive, or in this case, keep on the rise.
And now Denen Plaza Kawaba, a bakery perched on a highway rest stop in Gunma, Japan, has enlisted the help of a high-tech pastry recognition system to do just that. The device scans each item to identify it, and rings it up on the cash register â€“ no humans required. And while this is not the first company to utilise the helping hand of robot-like technology, it does reveal a common shift made my small and big businesses alike, away from human dependence and into artificial intelligenceâ€™s grasp.
Alright, who’s good for a taro puff?
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