text:
While Jobs Mob and Amazon have been competing for years, and now it seems that Amazon does not see the point of continuing to be Apple’s pusher any more.
At the start of October, it was reported that Amazon would be making the rather stark move of removing competing streaming devices from its store; namely those that didn't support Prime Video to the company's liking.
The Tame Apple Press is furious saying that that Amazon either being unable to get Prime Video to work in the way it wants on Apple gear and that the company doesn't want to give a cut of its profits to a third-party. Others have said that it is anti-competitive as Amazon should be obliged to flog its rivals products because it is a near monopoly.
It is not just Apple gear that is being banned. Chromecast is also no longer on Amazon's website. It thinks that the loss of sales might be balanced out by an increase in sales of its own Fire.
Amazon is making a serious Prime Video push by getting in lots more content.


text: Santa did not go back to the North Pole, instead heading to rehab and group therapy. Santa’s Anonymous is a growing group thanks to a lousy holiday shopping season. The final numbers show that holiday sales for retailers declined 2.8% in 2008. It represents the first decline in holiday sales since the National Retail Federation started forecasting and tracking the numbers in 1995. Online retail sales were just as bad, declining 3%, compared to the 2007. However, comScore discovered that the top growing online product category for the season was “Sport & Fitness,” which grew 18% versus one-year ago. The NRF says that among brick and mortar retailers, health and personal care stores grew by 8% and sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores were up slightly.

domain: news


text:
Premium American Made Eliquid for Ecigarettes & APVs. Voted best ejuice since 2012
Crystal Canyon Vapes focuses on creating the highest caliber e-liquid that is both clean tasting and pure.
Electronic cigarettes are banned here but that has not stopped more smokers from trying to get hold of them and even using them boldly in public.
In the first five months of the year, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) seized 2,428 units of the smokeless product. This is far more than the 1,464 it detected in the whole of last year. In 2009, only 10 were confiscated.
Local users are able to buy e-cigarettes from overseas websites or when travelling in countries that permit their sale.


text:
XMOS veteran takes charge to drive growth in voice user interface markets.
Bristol, 20th July 2016 – XMOS Ltd., the leader in voice-enabled controllers for the IoT, has today announced the appointment of Mark Lippett as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Lippett, a 10-year veteran of XMOS, previously held VP Engineering and COO roles within the business. Prior to XMOS, he served as CTO of Ignios, and held engineering and marketing roles at Texas Instruments, Lucent and Madge Networks.
Lippett said “I’m delighted to take up my appointment at such an exciting time for XMOS. A massive change is coming in the way that we engage with the electronics that surround us at home, at work and in the built environment. There will be billions of voice-aware products that we will use to talk to intelligent agents who will inform, entertain and manage our everyday tasks, and XMOS is a leader of many of those changes.”
The appointment comes as innovative products such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home, Rokid Intelligent Assistant, Baidu Duer are showing the huge potential offered by voice interfaces. Lippett will drive the unique combination of XMOS technologies – flexible I/O, embedded DSP, and control processing, integrated into a single device, to deliver a new class of voice-enabled controllers into this exciting market.
Outgoing CEO, Nigel Toon, has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors.


text:
Two exchange-traded fund (ETF) providers have filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to create Bitcoin ETF products that trade in cryptocurrency derivatives.
According to the SEC public filing system, the commission has received new applications for both REX Bitcoin Strategy ETF and REX Short Bitcoin Strategy ETF , as well as VanEck Vectors Bitcoin Strategy ETF .
The Connecticut-based REX filed its application on December 8 — two days before the first bitcoin futures contracts launched on CBOE — while the New York-based VanEck filed on December 11.
Neither firm intends to hold bitcoins directly; rather, the actively-managed funds will trade futures contracts and other derivatives products to enable investors to profit from the price movements of the flagship cryptocurrency.
A myriad of fund providers have filed to create Bitcoin ETFs, but thus far, the SEC has either denied or refused to review the applications. In the former case, the SEC denied applications that sought to trade bitcoin directly, citing the unregulated nature of bitcoin exchanges. In the latter case, the SEC stated that the commission could not review an application for a fund that would invest in non-existent products, namely, bitcoin derivatives.
However, now that CBOE has officially listed bitcoin futures and LedgerX has launched other derivatives products, many analysts expect that the SEC will begin approving ETFs that trade these products. Consequently, the futures launch is expected to trigger a flurry of new Bitcoin ETF filings.
The creation of the first Bitcoin ETF would be a historic moment for mainstream cryptocurrency adoption, as it would make bitcoin-linked investment products more easily accessible to retail investors who desire to invest in bitcoin through their brokerage and retirement accounts. It would also likely add more fuel to the bitcoin price’s record rampage as it heads into 2018.
However, it is not clear to what extent — if any — the market has already priced an ETF into the general upswing surrounding the futures launch. Consequently, it is possible that an SEC rejection could move the markets into bearish territory.


text:
- Buyers' Guide
- Magazine Archive
- Contact Us
Six youth-led agribusinesses for African farmers have won a share of the US$45,000 Pitch AgriHack 2021 competition at the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF)
These innovations include mobile crop processing machinery, produce delivery services and e-commerce and farm financing platforms.
The Pitch AgriHack competition aims at amplifying efforts by young innovators to bring technological innovation close to the agriculture sector. It is sponsored by Heifer International and hosted by Generation Africa – a thematic platform of the AGRF. Heifer aims at providing nutritious food, shelter, clean water and access to health care – a life free from hunger and poverty. Generation Africa plans to strengthen the ecosystem for youth entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector across the continent.
“The youth of Africa have a crucial role to play in our continent’s food and farming future. Food systems change is one of the most pressing global issues as humanity negotiates a new balance with the natural world amidst the undeniable impacts of climate change,” said Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA and Special Envoy to the UN Food Systems Summit.
The winners of the three open competition categories are:
Winner: Jeffrey Appiagyei of SAYeTECH Company Limited in Ghana. Jeffrey’s company designs and manufactures climate-smart agricultural machinery that increases productivity of smallholder farmers.
Mature- and Growth-Stage category
Winner: Mahmud Johnson of J Palm in Liberia. Mahmud’s company has created innovative labour-saving technology for Liberia’s smallholder farmers, helping them to produce wild palm oil more profitably and efficiently, while not contributing to deforestation or animal habitat destruction.
Women-led Agribusiness category
Winner: Ore Alemede of GrowAgric in Kenya. Ore’s company provides a full technology end-to-end solution that optimises the entire agriculture value chain
Winners of the Invite-Only AYuTe Africa Challenge run by Heifer International
ColdHubs: Solar powered cold storage for developing countries.
Hello Tractor: Connecting farmers to nearby tractor owners via a mobile app.
“Pitch AgriHack and the AYuTe Africa Challenge support youth-led technological innovation in the agriculture sector. We believe that the agricultural sector has the potential to provide future jobs for Africa’s growing youth population, while advancing the continent’s food security agenda,” said Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President for Africa Programs at Heifer International.


text:
Mysore/Mysuru: Unlocking the potential of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in revolutionising mobility and transport is no longer a distant dream. While the EV technology is shaping the future of mobility in many parts of the world, India too is getting ready for the same.
Many automakers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, MG Motor and Audi have announced plans to launch EVs in India over the next two years. At the same time, students from various Colleges are also taking baby steps towards developing the mature EV technology.
In Mysuru, students of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE), have developed a new electric car.
“In the present day, air pollution is a major peril on human health. Foremost part of the air pollution is due to vehicles which run on power generated by Internal Combustion (IC) engines, namely petrol and diesel engines. The Government of India has taken a bold step to curb air pollution caused by vehicles. The alternatives for internal combustion vehicles are EVs,” say the students.
The Government-backed Energy Efficiency Services Ltd. (EESL) has issued tenders for 20,000 EVs to be deployed across the country for Government use. With this, the Government aims an EV sales penetration of 30 percent or private cars, 70 percent for commercial cars, 40 percent for buses and 80 percent for two-and three-wheelers by 2030.
To support this venture of the Government, the team, calling themselves as a team of E-ight (E- Electric vehicle i-is g-good for ht-health) students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed the car as part of their final year project — converted an IC engine car into an electrical car.
They bought a second-hand TATA Nano car from Tata motors for Rs.41,500 and totally modified it into an eco-friendly electric car with an additional cost of Rs. 96,658 including electric motor, batteries, controller, accessories and labour cost.
The team E-ight included Bharath Y. Kashyap and R.V. Sheshank (Team Leaders), Vishnu Appaiah, Chidananda A. Kashyap, K. Guruprasad, R. Punith, Dadabash Soudagar and R. Pratheek. They were guided by Dr. G.B. Krishnappa, Dean (Research and Development), L.J. Sudev, Professor and Dean (Training and Placement) and D.S. Rakshith Gowda, Assistant Professor.
According to the students, the car needs full charging time of 6 hours 36 minutes and can give a mileage of 40 kms (single person). They have calculated running cost per km: 1 rupee 15 paise when driven at a maximum speed of 45 to 50 kms. It will be 35 kms (four members) and the running cost per km will be 1 rupee 32 two paise at a maximum speed of 35 to 40 kms.
President of Vidyavardhaka Sangha Gundappa Gowda and Secretary P. Vishwanath, Principal Dr. B. Sadashive Gowda and HoD of Mechanical Engineering Dr. G.V. Naveen Prakash have congratulated the team.


text:
by Frank Riolo on Sep 25, 9:42 AM
Lines literally stretched blocks last week as millions of consumers around the world queued up outside Apple stores eagerly waiting to get their hands on the new iPhone 5S. Many people were willing to dish out up to $800 for the new device, making it safe to say that a large number of these Apple fanatics rolling out their sleeping bags were able to afford it quite comfortably. Yet, here is the question: what is the point of using valuable time to make a purchase at a store when a product, such as the iPhone 5S, can easily be ordered …
by Stephen Kraus on Sep 20, 10:51 AM
This week we released the 2013 Ipsos Affluent Survey USA, a study that traces its heritage to the Mendelsohn Affluent Survey, which has studied Affluent lives and media habits for 37 years. The study highlights several key trends that combine to paint an encouraging picture for media and marketers interested in the Affluent population.
by Paul Chachko on Sep 17, 5:09 PM
As the market emerges from this protracted recession, when marketers were laser-focused on maximizing the customers they had, a new priority is emerging. According to IBM's most recent survey of marketing professionals, the top marketing challenge in 2013 for almost half of the respondents is new customer acquisition. Customer retention and loyalty came in second. The fact that marketers have prioritized customer acquisition indicates that the U.S. economy is recovering, and marketers are finally shifting from CRM to acquisition mode.
by Erica Martinez on Sep 11, 10:00 AM
Lucky me - our bedroom air conditioner died in the middle of the New York City July 2013 heat wave. It had been a great air conditioner, but when it started blowing warm air because the compressor started shutting down every three minutes, and it started making that scary high-pitched whining sound, we decided it was time to find something new.
by Bob Shullman on Sep 4, 11:00 AM
In June, I reviewed two questions in our ongoing survey regarding the media channels advertisers and their agencies might consider using as they think about where and how to engage their target markets of higher-income adults with meaningful messages. That review generated some interesting feedback from a number of luxury marketers who asked if we could segment those insights by consumers who are planning to buy a luxury product or service in the next 12 months from those who are not. We can, and that's what this review does.
To read more articles use the ARCHIVE function on this page.


text: Epic Games’ legal battle against Apple has been long and difficult, with Apple coming victorious and Epic needing to pay 6 million USD. Despite the case, Epic Games attempted to bring Fortnite back onto iOS but Apple has blacklisted the game. Apple lied. Apple spent a year telling the world, the court, and the press they’d "welcome Epic’s return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else". Epic agreed, and now Apple has reneged in another abuse of its monopoly power over a billion users. — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021 Just last week, Epic agreed with Apple that we would play by the same rules as everyone else. pic.twitter.com/WOxsbnAFXE — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021 Late last night, Apple informed Epic that Fortnite will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals, which could be as long as a 5-year process. pic.twitter.com/QCD7wogJef — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) September 22, 2021 The process will run until all the course appeals have been exhausted, which can take up to 5 years. This also means Apple will take a loss since the company takes 30% of all transactions and Fortnite made around $700 million from iOS over 2 years and without that platform that source of income is now gone. Apple may suffer but not as much as Epic Games. Many see this as Apple making an example of Epic Games and since Apple is a private company they reserve the right to refuse service.


text:
As usual, the crypto market focused on the immediate narrative: If Elon Musk says that bitcoin is bad for the environment, other large investors will probably worry about public scrutiny and decide to sell, right? The expectations game consists of guessing what others think you’re thinking and then making reducing positions the sensible thing to do, regardless of the fundamentals.
While this may be Elon Musk speaking before thinking or his board and/or executives bowing to outside pressure, it’s worth taking a step back to look at the probable motivation and strategy behind the move, as well as its hopeful outcome.
First, let’s look at why the Tesla statement was not that significant, and then we’ll look at why it does actually have meaning.
Against the wind
Tesla announced that it would start accepting bitcoin as payment back in February at the same time as it announced a $1.5 billion investment in the asset. Even back then, the payment option felt like a PR stunt. If bitcoin is a “reserve asset,” a hedge against fiat debasement, then why would users want to use it as a payment token?
For the majority of Tesla’s target audience, however, bitcoin is unlikely to ever be a better payment option than straightforward bank transfers or platinum credit cards. And Tesla’s signaling that bitcoin is a good reserve asset and a useful payment method presents an intellectual disconnect – if bitcoin is worth holding as a fiat debasement hedge, why would users part with it? Especially when, if they needed to raise funds for a Tesla and had lots of bitcoin sitting idle, they could use the cryptocurrency as collateral for a fiat loan, which could then go toward a shiny new car.
In other words, the number of Tesla customers excited about paying with bitcoin was always going to be small to nonexistent.
Removing that option feels like another PR stunt, and a ham-fisted one at that. The economic impact of removing something hardly anyone would want anyway is negligible, both for Tesla and for the demand for bitcoin.
So, with the move, Tesla comes across as one, lazy and irresponsible on the research side – Tesla shareholders have every right to wonder why the company is just finding out about the energy consumption mix now – and two, hypocritical: Why is supposedly contaminating BTC acceptable for the balance sheet, but not as a possible (but unlikely) convenience for users?
And, you have a potential breach of fiduciary duty, something Musk is no stranger to. With that tweet, the price of BTC dropped almost 8% within three hours, producing a significant slump in the market value of Tesla’s bitcoin holdings. (That will not affect the balance sheet, which values bitcoin at the lower of cost or market value.)
Elon Musk may act irresponsibly at times, which is a risk that Tesla shareholders know about and accept. But he is far from stupid. So what is really going on here?
A place in the sun
I am not a mind reader and have no insider knowledge of the thought process behind publishing that statement. But I don’t think it was an impetuous mistake.
Tesla’s mission, according to the headline on the “About” section of its website, is to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.” This week, Tesla entered the S&P 500 ESG Index (up 9.8% year to date at time of writing, slightly ahead of the S&P 500), which selects stocks based on environmental, social and corporate governance scores relative to others in the same industry group. And earlier this week, with uncanny timing, Reuters reported that Tesla was seeking entry into the multibillion-dollar U.S. renewable fuel credit market.
So Tesla has invested heavily in sustainable energy and it has invested heavily in bitcoin. Might we soon see Tesla-branded “green” bitcoin mining?
With the bitcoin payments statement, Musk is kicking the bitcoin-is-bad-for-the-environment conversation up a notch. The flood of counterarguments his tweet received is just the beginning. But with Musk’s tweet and the subsequent price fall, the community is no doubt becoming even more acutely aware that tweeting is not enough. Writing reports is not enough. The conversation needs to escalate to policy.
A rising tide
Tough times lie ahead for officials and regulators when it comes to harnessing the opportunity in crypto. Many of them are still relatively low on the learning curve. We all know that environmental questions are complicated, the problems are often misunderstood, and “simple” fixes are anything but. Throw into the mix the still controversial concept of decentralized self-sovereign currencies, and you have the considerable challenge of identifying social priorities, let alone protecting them.
But the more bitcoin mining gets talked about at a policy level, the more “acceptable” it becomes as an industrial activity. Politicians will come to realize that bans will merely send the activity elsewhere. The more the potential is understood, the greater the incentive for politicians to come up with solutions that help remove the contamination stigma. And the greater the mining industry involvement in renewable energy initiatives, the cleaner its image will become, removing a potentially significant barrier to more widespread investment in the bitcoin market.
That’s how the Tesla decision ends up helping the bitcoin price: by escalating a much-needed conversation that will end up removing investment barriers and encouraging further development and exploration of the role bitcoin can play in many fundamental areas of society.
This week saw what could be the start of a meaningful shift in the stablecoin market.
The largest stablecoin by far is tether (USDT), which has for years been grappling with a cloud of suspicion that its tokens are not fully backed by dollar reserves. This week, we found out that those suspicions were correct.
Part of the recent settlement with the New York Attorney General's office stipulated that Tether would publish quarterly breakdowns of its reserves. It did so this week in the form of pie charts with no mention of an independent review by an accounting firm.
The pie charts showed that almost half of all reserves (65% of the 75% “cash & cash equivalents”) is held in commercial paper, which is not always liquid, nor does it reliably hold its value. Understandably, that has made many market participants nervous, although tether’s continued growth even through worse uncertainty indicates that, for most, its liquidity and ubiquity are more important. Tether has a much more significant role as a trading pair and a much higher outstanding supply than other cryptocurrencies do.
And Diem, formerly Facebook-linked Libra, is partnering with Silvergate Bank to launch a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin. That is a far cry from the global ambitions of the original project, which aimed to put the convenience of blockchain-based electronic money in the wallets of all Facebook users – the network will be permissioned, accessible only to approved participants, so the extent of its reach remains to be seen. It is significant, however, in that it is the first time we have a U.S. bank launching a stablecoin.
Tether will likely continue to dominate the stablecoin market for some time, despite weakening confidence in its backing (which was never very strong anyway). But the numbers are also pointing to a shift: In the second half of 2020 and so far in 2021, supply growth in the other top four stablecoins in terms of market capitalization has easily outpaced that of the market leader.
Swiss financial giant UBS Group is in the early stages of planning to offer digital currency investments to affluent clients, according to a Bloomberg report. TAKEAWAY: This week it was Citigroup, the week before that it was U.S. Bank. In March, it was Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In February, it was BNY Mellon and Deutsche Bank. The growing roster of high-profile legacy names getting involved in crypto markets in various ways is raising expectations for the second half of 2021. If we think these financial institutions are big, we should remember that they got there on the back of big clients.
Investment bank Cowen Inc. will offer crypto custody services to hedge funds and asset managers. TAKEAWAY: Cowen may not be as well known as names such as UBS, but it is over 100 years old and represents a profound shift in institutional attitudes toward this “rebel” market.
U.S. hedge fund giants Millennium Management, Point72 Asset Management and Matrix Capital Management are all at varying stages of launching cryptocurrency-focused trading funds, with plans to start earning returns using decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, according to sources. TAKEAWAY: DeFi used to be something that institutions feared, didn’t trust, wanted to ignore. Not any longer. We’ve seen accelerating signs that interest in DeFi functionality and investment is growing. That is astonishing, given that most DeFi platforms have not been audited, have no oversight and have relatively low liquidity (by institutional standards). It is also exciting in that more money entering the ecosystem brings attention, funding, legitimacy and more scrutiny.
Crypto asset manager Bitwise has launched a new exchange-traded fund, the Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (NYSE:BITQ), which offers investors exposure to companies that derive at least 75% of their revenue from or have 75% of their net assets in cryptocurrencies. TAKEAWAY: This offers a convenient exposure to the industry, with the additional variable of corporate strategy. As more crypto companies go public, corporate strategy will become a more significant selection factor, allowing investors to complement direct investment in crypto assets with the potential upside (or downside) of business risk. Until then, given the lack of listed crypto vehicles in the U.S., funds like these are likely to act as a proxy for the overall crypto market.
Renaissance Technologies seems to be following a similar strategy. This week it disclosed multi-million dollar positions at the end of the first quarter in several listed crypto mining stocks: Riot Blockchain ($61.8 million), Marathon ($75 million) and Canaan ($4.2 million). TAKEAWAY: These positions are tiny relative to the fund’s $115 billion in assets under management, but meaningful compared with the companies’ size – they account for about 3% of Riot’s and Marathon’s market caps. What is notable is that these positions were all accumulated during the first quarter. That implies that Renaissance could switch out of them at any time, which could trigger significant volatility in the miners' share prices.


text:
According to email transcripts posted to Pastebin yesterday, and confirmed by the company, a group of hackers attempted to extort £30,000 from Symantec in exchange for not releasing its stolen PCAnywhere and Norton Antivirus source code.
Symantec’s Android scaremongering last week wasn’t all that justified it seems. Although the 13 apps that it pinpointed as malware aren’t all that great, it appears they’re actually slightly less vicious adware – something Windows users are horribly familiar with.
Symantec has been scrabbling around trying address a security breach from 2006 that came to light recently. But the fact that the company wasn't sure its was hacked in the first place doesn't exactly inspire confidence.
A hacking team going under the excellent name of "The Lords of Dharmaraja" claims to have accessed confidential Symantec servers and downloaded the source code for its Norton Antivirus flagship product. And it'll be dumping the 1.7GB file online tomorrow.


text:
With the price of gas on the rise again, this is really shocking news:
The United States is awash in gasoline. So much so, in fact, that the country is exporting a record amount of it.
The country exported 430,000 more barrels of gasoline a day than it imported in September, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
That is about twice the amount at the start of the year, and experts and industry insiders say the trend is here to stay.
We always hear that if we want gas prices to go down one of the big answers is more refineries. Well apparently we have more than enough refining available if we are now in the export business.
And why are we exporting more than we are importing? It seems like it would make more sense to just say "hey - we're not going to import or export and use it all here". But this is the "global economy" and not much makes sense in that.


text:
Institutional investors apply more pressure to corporations
Published 6:32 pm, Friday, June 8, 2012
Every spring, corporate chieftains and their boards squash uprisings from a familiar batch of pugnacious investors. This proxy season was different, as chief executives and directors have gone up against a more formidable foe than the typical corporate gadfly: the mainstream investor.
It is the changing face of shareholder activism. While the proxy season long has been the domain of labor unions and activist investors with large personalities and forceful demands, increasingly it is mutual funds and other more tempered institutional shareholders who are criticizing lavish pay packages and questioning corporate governance. The movement already has stung a variety of companies, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Wal-Mart.
- Millennials Have The Most Patience For Bad Customer Service Buzz 60
- US Marijuana Job Growth Could More Than Double By 2021 Buzz 60
- FOX Business Beat: Bulletproof Backpack Sales Increase; Facebook ID Verify Fox5DC
- FOX Business Beat: New iPhone in the works; Lucky Charms marshmallow Fox5DC
- Amazon Offering Cash Back to Customers Who Shop at Whole Foods Wibbitz
- Robots Are Getting Smarter, Perhaps Too Smart Fortune
- The Apple Watch Sold More Than Rolex, Omega and Swatch Combined in Q4 Wibbitz
- Check Out Lucky Charms’ Brand New Marshmallow Fortune
- 'Fixer Upper' Star Joanna Gaines Says She Was Bullied As A Child Buzz 60
- Uber CEO Think Flying Taxis Will Debut in 5-10 Years Wibbitz
At its annual shareholder meeting Friday in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy shareholders voted to withhold support for two board members in an open revolt that is likely to remake the board of directors and further dilute the power of Aubrey McClendon, the besieged chief executive. Shareholders, already exercised about the company's underperforming stock, have seized on revelations that McClendon took personal loans from the company's lenders. Attempting to placate detractors, Chesapeake already had agreed this week to shuffle its board.
The move followed a string of shareholder triumphs at Canadian Pacific Railway, Barclays and other companies.
“Chesapeake is an excellent example of the changing impact of shareholder activism and the effectiveness of that activism,” said Charles Elson, director of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware.
“Years ago, it was really just the large pension funds and labor funds,” he said. “Today, you're seeing a very wide mix of people.” Elson noted that one of Chesapeake's chief critics is Southeastern Asset Management, a large money manager known as a low-key investor.
The number of shareholder proposals, one measure of activism, grew by 3 percent this year to 595, according to Broadridge Financial Solutions, a technology company that processes proxy votes.
“We're looking at a bumper crop of proxy fights,” said Patrick McGurn, special counsel at Institutional Shareholder Services, which advises on proxy voting. “It looks like we'll see more fights during the first half of 2012 than we tracked for the entire year in 2011.”


text:
Trees don't grow to the sky according to market wisdom and stocks don't live in the stratosphere for very long, but China's internet giant Baidu (Nasdaq:BIDU) may prove this wisdom wrong, at least for now. Baidu turned in a sensational third-quarter earnings report with income that more than doubled on revenue which also skyrocketed.
IN PICTURES: 20 Tools For Building Up Your Portfolio
Search and More
Baidu now claims 72% of the Chinese search market, the world's largest with 420 million people. Baidu posted a near 80% increase in revenue with $337.2 million compared to $187.3 million in the year-ago quarter. Net income more than doubled to $156.4 million or 45 cents a share from $72.2 million or $2.07 per share, which was prior to the 10-for-one stock split. Baidu increased its market share gains in China after Google's (Nasdaq:GOOG) issues with the Chinese government. Baidu also continues aggressively to pursue other revenue streams, including online video and ecommerce.
China's Still Expanding Market
Not only did Baidu gain market share in search at the expense of Google, but the search market itself in China grew 59% in the third quarter, to $471 million, so Baidu posted gains from market size expansion as well. While Baidu dominates China's search business, it also doubled the number of online retailers advertising with it during the quarter.
In addition to its upgraded Phoenix Nest click ads generating more revenue, Baidu still has the opportunity to grow with contextual ads, which are something like Google AdSense ads. Online video, mobile search and Baidu's version of mobile apps, aren't revenue producers yet, but are expected to eventually be. The company continues aggressive R&D spending with a look to long-term growth.
Google now with only 24% of the search market in China appears to have been tamed. China internet company Alibaba, which is 39% owned by Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO), has thoughts of challenging beyond its ecommerce area in China, as its Taobao unit started search engine Etao recently. Baidu's response? It partnered with Japan's Rakuten to compete in ecommerce against Alibaba.
Rumors also are in the air that Baidu will take over its prime internet competitor, China's leading internet portal, Sohu.com (Nasdaq:SOHU). Sohu's search engine Sogou (which means "search dog" in Chinese) was spun off earlier this year. Another of the Chinese internet players, Sina Corp. (Nasdaq:SINA) is second in China as a web portal with 250 million users, and leads in blog applications. These companies or their spinoffs also feature highly popular online gaming. Sohu spinoff Changyou (Nasdaq:CYOU) is a leading player in the gaming space. None can do what Baidu can at the moment. Baidu has the potential through its ongoing acquisitions or expansions to continue to diversify its business and revenue stream while retaining its dominant position in search.
Baidu's outlook for its fourth quarter sees the company pulling in revenue between $354.2 million and $364.7 million. The stock, which has doubled since January, now trades at over $100 a share and a forward P/E of just under 50. The business space it occupies in China still has a significant demographic for expansion. Baidu is a tremendous company with great long-term prospects and a great stock.
Great Company, Great Stock, But Watch the Expectations
That said, you might want to remember this about trees to the sky: that doesn't go on forever. Each quarter the company's lofty stock price will be harder to sustain, with even a minuscule slip up in growth an opening for the market to pounce and punish. Though we'd love to see a price pullback and a buying opportunity, we don't think that will happen for awhile. Momentum trumps fundamentals for now. (For more, see Investors Beware: There Are 5 Types Of Earnings Per Share.)
Use the Investopedia Stock Simulator to trade the stocks mentioned in this stock analysis, risk free!


text:
Morrisons acquires 49 Blockbuster stores
Morrisons has bought 49 of the failed Blockbuster DVD rental stores from the administrators for an undisclosed sum.
The supermarket will convert the stores into small M-Local convenience shops which it hopes will be open by the end of the summer. Morrisons said that the move will create around 1,000 jobs.
Earlier this month, Morrisons acquired seven stores from the collapsed camera chain Jessops which will also be converted into M-Local shops.
The supermarket plans to open 70 convenience stores by the end of the year as it looks to catch up with its rivals in the convenience sector. Many of the Blockbuster stores that it has bought are situated in the South East, an area where Morrisons is keen to expand.
Gordon Mowat, managing director of Morrisons Convenience, said: "We are rolling out the Morrisons M local estate at pace this year and these acquisitions give us a kickstart in securing a solid foothold in this key sector.
"The convenience market is growing as more people shop locally and we want to be in a position to take advantage of this."
Blockbuster, which operated 600 stores in the UK, collapsed into administration last month after struggling against competition from online retailers.
Email this article to a friend
You need to be logged in to use this feature.
Please log in here


text:
Kate Upton Ad Teaser for Mercedes Super Bowl 2013 Ad has over 2.5 Million Views
Three days ago Merecedes-Benz released a companion video for its upcoming Mercedes-BenzSuper Bowl 2013 Ad featuring Kate Upton. Mercedes-Benz took out all stops and went straight for the money with a super sexy Super Bowl ad teaser featuring Kate Upton's main assets in slow motion as she washes the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA. The Kate Upton ad video has now over 2.5 million views on Youtube.
Today the highly anticipated Volkswagen Super Bowl 2013 Ad Teaser has been released. If Volkswagen can reach the viral success of last years teaser ad "The Barkside" is still open. The teaser for the Volkswagen Super Bowl ad is very different. It features beloved Youtube stars. Watch the Volkswagen Super Bowl 2013 Teaser.
The Kate Upton video has a funny twist, but watch for yourself. This what we wanted to see from Kate Upton. I still wonder how Kate Upton and the Mercedes CLA will fit together in the final Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl 2013 Ad. Watch the Kate Upton ad below.
The Super Bowl 2013 will take place on Sunday, February 3, 2013 in New Orleans. Our traditional Super Bowl Ads for Geeks Guide will again feature full coverage of the Super Bowl Ads ahead and during the Super Bowl XLVII (superbowl 2013). You will also be able to watch Super Bowl 2013 Ads here as soon as they are revealed. Many Super Bowl 2013 ads will be released well before the Super Bowl game day.
Luigi Lugmayr Luigi Lugmayr (Google) is the founding chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years
experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting
world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into
vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at firstname.lastname@example.org.
IPhone 6 Plus Starts to Sell Out in Some U.S. Stores
We had already speculated a few problems with the iPhone 6 Plus and we were not entirely wrong since the larger iPhone has already started to sell out at some stores across the U.S. There is this one Apple store on the...
The “geek mind” is concerned with more than just the latest iPhone rumors, or which company will win the gaming console wars. I4U is concerned with more than just the latest photo shoot or other celebrity gossip.
The “geek mind” is concerned with life, in all its different forms and facets. The geek mind wants to know about societal and financial issues, both abroad and at home. If a Fortune 500 decides to raise their minimum wage, or any high priority news, the geek mind wants to know. The geek mind wants to know the top teams in the National Football League, or who’s likely to win the NBA Finals this coming year. The geek mind wants to know who the hottest new models are, or whether the newest blockbuster movie is worth seeing. The geek mind wants to know. The geek mind wants—needs—knowledge.


text:
CNN reports Some 3,000 baby river turtles native to the Amazon rainforest were released into a Peruvian river on Thursday after hatching from eggs kept on artificial beaches as part of a conservation effort. Read more at ‘Go be happy’: Thousands of baby river turtles released in Peruvian jungle – CNNThousands of baby river turtles released in Peruvian jungle — Natural History Wanderings
Fires in Brazil’s Amazon Surge to Highest Rate in 13 Years JUL 02, 2020 In Brazil, new government data show fires in the Amazon region jumped by 20% in June to a 13-year high for the month. Campaigners say most of the fires were deliberately set by illegal miners and cattle ranchers, with the encouragement […]
Outrage has replaced reason in the debate surrounding biodiversity and poisoned the way we talk about workable solutions.
This video says about itself: SAVING AMAZON TAPIRS The story of our Amazon journey in June 2019 and our plans for the establishment of the LTCI Amazon Tapir Program in 2020! Filmed and produced by Laurie Hedges. By Gloria Dickie, May 12, 2020 at 8:00 am: Tapirs may be key to reviving the Amazon. All […]
The pygmy marmoset is a tiny primate that is native to rainforests of the western Amazon Basin in South America. At just 100 grams, the pygmy marmoset is known to be the smallest known species of monkey in the world. It averages at about 15cm in height with a 20cm long tail behind it. The […]
Amazon Threatens to Fire Workers over Environmental Activism JAN 03, 2020 Amazon has threatened to fire workers who speak out about the online retail giant’s environmental policies. Leaders of the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice say they’ve received letters reprimanding them for speaking to the media without the permission of Amazon’s corporate offices. Last […]
What on earth can we do to help? It shocked and saddened me to the core when I heard a few days ago about the huge fires raging in the Amazon rainforest. Not only had I heard nothing about it on the news, I was also totally at a loss as to what was causing […]
NPR reports on the devastating deforestation in the BrazilianAmazon The country’s National Institute for Space Research, or INPE, released data Monday revealing that 3,769 square miles of rainforest were lost to deforestation in a 12-month period ending in July. That marks the highest rate of deforestation since 2008 — and a nearly 30% spike over […]
The world as we know it is burning; and the Amazon rainforest shares that similar trait, but what most don’t know is that these fires were illegally and purposefully made by loggers and cattle ranchers who use the “slash and burn” method to clear land. This problem has been ongoing since the 60s, and environmentalists […]
Ecosia told Metro.co.uk it will plant three million more trees in Brazil.


text:
Amazon denies plans to open high street stores
There is no chance of seeing Amazon stores on the high street, according to the company.
Amazon has denied plans to open high street stores in Britain.
The statement refutes a story by the The Sunday Times, which reported that the company had launched a search for physical stores to support the website.
The paper claimed that Amazon wanted to make money from click and collect' services, where shoppers would buy online and pick up goods from nearby stores.
It would have suited shoppers who would rather buy online and collect gifts instead of waiting at home for deliveries.
It was suggested that properties belonging to the closing Borders book chain were targets.
However, Amazon said in a statement: "We have no plans to open physical stores anywhere in the world."
Amazon recently predicted its busiest Christmas on record, with sales expected to increase by more than a third (35 per cent).
Unlocking collaboration: Making software work better together
How to improve collaboration and agility with the right techDownload now
Four steps to field service excellence
How to thrive in the experience economyDownload now
Six things a developer should know about Postgres
Why enterprises are choosing PostgreSQLDownload now
The path to CX excellence for B2B services
The four stages to thrive in the experience economyDownload now


text:
Wix and Google announced an expanded partnership that integrates Google My Business (GMB) directly within Wix. Businesses can now access GMB data, customer interactions and manage their profile directly from Wix.
Everything that a business owner can do in the GMB interface, including managing their Google Search and Maps profile, can be done directly from the Wix platform through a familiar user interface.
According to the Wix announcement:
“Business owners can manage their Business Profiles, update their business information and hours, add photos, update their website, create posts, add attributes, respond to reviews, share Q&As, message with customers and accept bookings.
An up-to-date Business Profile is considered 2.7 times more reputable, 70% more likely to attract location visits and are 50% more likely to lead to a purchase.”
Here are some of the Google integrations already built-into Wix:
- Google Search Console
- Google Workspaces
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
- Reserve with Google


text:
This industry has been developing consistently for years. Africa has a tiny market share but is steadily growing. This continent’s potential for growth is enormous. This may help online casinos and gamers, but can the economy benefit?
Some nations have legalized internet gambling. This raised government money while while ensured player safety. Can taxing online gaming assist Africa’s economy? This article examines the existing situation and the possible economic advantages of online gambling taxation.
What is the current state of online gambling in Africa?
If you visit Casino HEX South Africa, you may select from hundreds of platforms. SA has the most gaming activity in Africa. But the continent has over 50 nations, and internet gambling is permitted in several.
We may divide Africa into three groups:
Banned gambling Muslim-majority countries do not allow gaming.
Uncertain or absent laws Online gambling is illegal in several countries. The good news is that most countries allow residents to play at online casinos.
Gambling is allowed. These nations enacted gambling legislation. That includes both physical and online locations. Some nations may not allow some gambling formats due to legislation.
Africa’s Highest Gambling Revenue Countries
According to available statistics, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya have the most revenue. Notably, this pertains to legal land-based and internet gambling. Unfortunately, most African nations have issues with illicit gaming operators, leaving the government with little money. Here is further information about the top three nations.
SOUTH AFRICA HAS THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX ON THE CONTIN That’s why, despite being the fifth most populous country, it has the highest revenue. The expected revenue is around $2 billion and rising.
The SA government legislated the market. It authorizes land-based casinos, which are many.
But the NGA only allows online sports betting. That doesn’t mean South Africans shouldn’t play at online casinos. Many venues, including online casinos, accept SA players.
The government seems to ignore internet gambling and does not issue penalties. Only the pros and those who rely on gambling for their livelihood vary. But if you’re a casual player, you shouldn’t worry.
In terms of taxation, all casinos operating lawfully in South Africa must pay taxes. The National Gambling Board regulates. To lawfully provide gaming services, the operator must pay taxes, licenses, and other expenses. Notably, earnings from games of chance are taxed at 15%.
Nigeria is the most populous and richest nation in Africa, according to statistics. Its economy is performing well, yet there is potential for improvement. The Nigerian government recognizes the economic value of internet gaming. That’s why they legalized online and offline casinos.
Not roulette or slots are the most popular here. Nigerians like betting. Nigerians stake roughly $5.5 million everyday on sports, both offline and online. That’s almost $2 billion a year.
Nigerian national payment systems utilized legal gaming. Paystack, for example, processes millions weekly. This industry contributes to the national gaming income.
Nigeria seems to have a problem with illicit gambling sites. Since they are largely land-based, you should be secure online. To be safe, verify whether a website has a legal gaming license.
Kenya’s gaming income is roughly $50 million. Sports betting generates almost half ($29 million). Only 50 million people yet they earn third most in gaming. Partly due to their tight tax policy. Aside from the 20% win tax, operators also pay a turnover tax and a percentage of their net earnings.
In 2019, the government passed the Online Casino Bill. To provide legal services, they must follow local laws. However, compared to other African nations, the Kenyan gaming business is adequately controlled.
How Gambling Taxation Can Help Rebuild Africa’s Economy
The goal is to maximize tax income, but how? What can African nations do to gain from the internet gaming industry?
Creating a Legal Framework for All
Gambling is unregulated in many African nations. That’s why it’s critical to establish a legal framework. Just because a nation legalizes gambling doesn’t mean it’s controlled. It’s important to keep an eye on the market and enforce the regulations. Existing illicit operators reduce certain nations’ potential gaming income.
Players are perplexed in many nations. Regulation makes gamers feel safer. The COVID epidemic is still active, despite several nations easing regulations. That’s why people stay home more. A secure gaming environment may entice people to attempt online gambling, increasing income.
Even Muslim nations might gain from internet casinos. Egypt launched casinos, but they are reserved for foreigners. To enter, you must produce your visa or passport. The government earns an estimated $200 million each year through gaming. If Egypt legalized gambling, this income would grow by at least 300 percent.
Restrict or impose stricter rules on foreign-based casinos
Overseas operators serve players throughout Africa. They lack permits in various countries. To stimulate the local economy, local governments might limit foreign-based internet casinos.
Abolishing them totally would be harsh. Some may not find that democratic, thus stricter controls may be necessary. Foreign casinos paying more fees to operate in a nation. Thus benefiting the home economy.
Online casinos can assist African countries enhance income and economic recovery. Gleichzeitig, they must be accountable to their citizenry. Regulating the market will also safeguard users.
Online gambling has enormous potential. Africa has barely realized a fraction of its potential, giving it leeway. Regulating the internet and the wider gambling sector is a start. It can boost the economy if the legal structure encourages domestic gaming enterprises.


text:
ANKARA, Turkey — Germany’s economy minister is visiting Turkey accompanied by a 30-strong business delegation in a bid to boost trade ties between the two countries.
Peter Altmaier and Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Peskan will convene Thursday for the first time the so-called Joint Economic and Trade Commission, which seeks to improve trade, industry, tourism and infrastructure projects between the two countries.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
On Friday Altmaier is set to open the second session of the German-Turkish Energy Forum with Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez.
During the trip, Altmaier plans meetings with other officials, including the Turkish finance and industry ministers.
Germany is a top trading partner for Turkey. The visit comes as the NATO allies are trying to mend strained ties.


text:
Search International Hotels
The United States Congress yesterday approved free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia and Panama that are expected to boost exports by $13 billion a year, increase U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by more than $15 billion and help create tens of thousands of American jobs.
The trade pacts, the first to pass Congress since the FTA completed with Peru in 2007, will lower or eliminate tariffs that American exporters face in the three countries. They also take steps to better protect intellectual property and improve access for American investors in those countries.
With rare bipartisan support, yesterday's vote "will significantly boost exports that bear the proud label 'Made in America,' support tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs and protect labor rights, the environment and intellectual property," President Obama said in a statement. "American automakers, farmers, ranchers and manufacturers, including many small businesses, will be able to compete and win in new markets."
The biggest gains are expected from the pact with South Korea, a longtime U.S. ally and a $1 trillion economy in a region dominated by China.
"While the deals with Colombia and Panama are likely to have limited economic impact, the agreement with South Korea is designed to break down barriers between the U.S. and the world's 15th-largest economy," the Washington Post explains. "The South Korea deal is widely hailed as the most consequential trade pact since the North American Free Trade Agreement was ratified in 1994."
While the U.S. was once South Korea's largest trading partner, it is now the fourth-largest. The U.S.-Korea FTA is expected to boost U.S. exports to South Korea by one-third and cut the bilateral trade deficit in half, giving American exporters the opportunity to recover lost market share. Manufacturing exports are expected to increase by nearly $10 billion, and services exports should also see sizable gains. U.S. agricultural exports like beef, poultry and pork could rise by as much as $4 billion due to decreased tariffs, while also contributing to job creation.
Among South American countries, Colombia is the third-largest destination for U.S. exports and the second-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports. Most Colombian goods typically receive duty-free treatment in the U.S. market, so the FTA will level the playing field for U.S. exporters by removing Colombia's tariffs on U.S. goods. More than 80 percent of U.S. exports will immediately gain duty-free access, and the remaining tariffs will be phased out over the next 10 years. In addition to boosting manufactured and agricultural exports, the FTA will also provide new access for U.S. service suppliers to Colombia's $166 billion services market.
The U.S.-Colombia FTA is expected to increase U.S. exports by more than $1 billion each year and raise U.S. GDP by $2.5 billion, creating thousands of new jobs in the U.S.
Panama has one of the highest growth rates among Latin American nations, and the U.S. is currently its largest supplier of imports. Most goods brought into the U.S. from Panama already receive duty-free access, and the FTA will level the playing field for U.S. exporters by removing Panama's tariffs on U.S. goods.
The U.S.-Panama FTA will guarantee access to Panama's $20.6 billion services market and could increase U.S. access to more than $15 billion in infrastructure projects in Panama, providing new opportunities for machinery and equipment manufacturers. Moreover, as much as 87 percent of U.S. consumer and industrial exports to Panama will become duty-free immediately, and the remaining tariffs will be eliminated within the next 15 years.
Business groups, trade associations and global companies, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, were nearly unanimous in support of the trade accords.
"Limits on international trade have been allowed to hold back our nation's economy for far too long, and tearing down those barriers is one of the keys to economic recovery," the National Retail Federation said in a statement.
According to Dow Chemical Company, the FTAs are "a key element in an advanced manufacturing strategy that supports U.S. corporate engagement in the global market while enabling companies to create jobs and sponsor new investments in America."
Jim McNerney, chairman of the Business Roundtable and chairman, president and CEO of the Boeing Co., also praised the approval of the FTAs, saying, "These three trade agreements will help keep U.S. manufacturers, service providers, farmers and workers competitive in Asia and Latin America."
The FTAs have been a top trade priority of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for four years.
"Passage of these agreements puts us back on the road to faster export growth and boosts our ability to compete," NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said in a statement this week. "They will help create quality manufacturing jobs at a critical time in our economic recovery, especially as we've seen evidence of a slowdown in recent months."
Despite overwhelming support, some prominent labor unions oppose the deals, arguing that they will help U.S. companies without bringing much benefit to U.S. workers, particularly if increased imports lead to widespread layoffs. Some also argue that the agreements serve to reward two countries, Panama and Colombia, that have been hostile to organized labor and international environmental standards.
"These flawed trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama are the wrong medicine at the wrong time. Working people know what too many politicians apparently do not: these deals will be bad for jobs, workers' rights and our economy," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement. "Instead of passing more flawed trade deals, Congress and the White House should act quickly on China currency and focus on creating the millions of good jobs that we desperately need."
In moving the pacts through legislation, Obama required that Congress renew Trade Adjustment Assistance, a program that provides training and support for American workers displaced by globalization. It is designed to help workers, firms, farmers and fishermen transition to alternative employment.
Congress Passes Trade Agreements and Trade Adjustment Assistance
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Oct. 12, 2011
Baucus Leads Senate Passage of Colombia, Panama, South Korea FTAs
U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Oct. 12, 2011
Statement by the President on the Passage of Trade Agreements and Trade Adjustment Assistance
The White House, Oct. 12, 2011
Obama Gets Win as Congress Passes Free-Trade Agreements
by Zachary A. Goldfarb and Lori Montgomery
The Washington Post, Oct. 12, 2011
U.S.-South Korea Trade Agreement
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
U.S.-Colombia Trade Agreement
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
U.S.-Panama Trade Agreement
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Statements Regarding the Congressional Approval of the Korea, Colombia, and Panama Trade Agreements
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Oct. 13, 2011
U.S. Chamber Hails Submission of Trade Accords to Congress
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Oct. 3, 2011
NRF Welcomes Votes on Free Trade Agreement Legislation
National Retail Federation, Oct. 12, 2011
Dow Congratulates U.S. Congress for Approving FTAs
Dow Chemical, Oct. 13, 2011
Business Roundtable Praises House and Senate Approval of Trade Agreements and TAA Legislation
Business Roundtable, Oct. 12, 2011
Manufacturers Welcome Strong Vote on Trade Agreements to Create Jobs
National Association of Manufacturers, Oct. 12, 2011
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Rejecting Flawed Trade Deals
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, Oct. 12, 2011
Obama Shifts Away From Jobs Message to Promote Bush-Signed Trade Pacts...
Global Trade Watch (Public Citizen), Oct. 11, 2011
Congress OKs Korea, Panama, Colombia Trade Deals
by Doug Palmer
Reuters, Oct. 12, 2011
Congress Approves Trade Pacts (subscription required)
by Elizabeth Williamson and Tom Barkley
The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 12, 2011
Congress Ends 5-Year Standoff on Trade Deals in Rare Accord
by Binyamin Appelbaum and Jennifer Steinhauer
The New York Times, Oct. 12, 2011


text:
San Francisco– Elon Musk has offloaded Tesla shares worth $5 billion, after he was trolled on Twitter for a controversial poll last weekend where he proposed selling 10 per cent of his stock in the electric car-maker.
Initial filings in the US showed that Musk had sold 934,091 shares for about $1.1 billion, out of more than 2.1 million options he received as part of a compensation package.
The filings that were posted later on Wednesday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) showed that Musk sold another 3.58 million shares in Tesla. That sale was valued at about $4 billion, reports TechCrunch.
The world’s richest man had earlier posted two of the costliest tweets in the history of Global Inc.
In a tweet announcing the poll over the weekend, Musk said: “Much is made lately of unrealized gains being a means of tax avoidance, so I propose selling 10 per cent of my Tesla stock.
“I will abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes.”
Nearly 58 per cent of Elon Musk’s followers who participated in his Twitter poll told him to sell 10 per cent of his stock (worth $24 billion) in the electric car company, ostensibly to pay more tax.
Musk posted: “Note, I do not take a cash salary or bonus from anywhere. I only have stock, thus the only way for me to pay taxes personally is to sell stock.”
The bloodbath that followed sunk Tesla stock by $200 billion (market capitalisation was $1,211 billion on November 5 end of day and $1,023 bn on Tuesday).
Musk’s own net worth took a $50 billion beating.
He has been a vocal critic of a proposal to tax unrealised gains on publicly traded assets in the US. (IANS)


text:
_IF WE ARE _to believe the movies, by now we should either be on the verge of flying cars and hoverboards a la Back to the Future II, or at least capable of creating machines able to perform complex tasks autonomously like in the Terminator franchise.
While the first lot of technology is still some way away, the latter appears closer than ever in the automotive industry, with many car companies aiming to create vehicles able to drive themselves in certain situations - although hopefully the cars don't become self-aware and we're forced to battle it out in an apocalyptic nuclear war in a few years.
US experts recently acknowledged Audi for its new piloted parking and self-driving technology, with Popular Science magazine naming it Product of the Future and the innovation taking out the Best Automotive Technology gong at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Audi has uploaded footage of its working prototypes on to the internet and it makes for impressive viewing. The piloted parking feature allows the driver to exit the car, activate the function with a smartphone app and then walk away as the vehicle not only parks itself in a car bay but also navigates its way through a garage, find its spot and then switches off the engine once it's parked.
With no need for the driver and passengers to exit the vehicle once it's stopped, the car can squeeze into the tightest space.
The same phone app can have the car turn itself on and navigate its way back to the driver.
Audi's autonomous driving function, meanwhile, could help take the frustration out of peak- hour commuting.
The system constantly monitors the speeds of the car and surrounding vehicles and, if it detects a traffic jam, gives the driver the option of letting the car drive autonomously with the push of a button.
In speeds under 60km/h the car will steer, accelerate and brake by itself, leaving the driver to read a newspaper/play Angry Birds/ have a snooze (the last one's probably not wise).
When traffic has cleared a beep alerts the driver to retake control.
It's not yet known when the system will be made available in Audi's production cars but it seems this technology is hinting at fully- automated vehicles in the future, which would be revolutionary.
Removing human error from driving would slash the number of crashes and deaths on our roads.
Could drink-driving and driver fatigue become problems of the past? Would taxis be needed? Could truckies be replaced by haulage vehicles in which you enter the destination and leave it to its own devices?
Could family holidays involve sitting in the back playing cards while the vehicle takes you to your holiday spot?
Of course, this would likely sound horrible to those who love driving and, admittedly, it all seems more like sci-fi than reality.
But fully automated cars whizzing down Forrest Highway could be seen sooner than you'd expect.
Google has been testing automated models of Toyota Prius in the Nevada Desert for about three years and other major manufacturers - such as Ford, GM, Volkswagen and BMW - have all tested autonomous cars.
So, how far away are they?
Google founder Sergey Brin said in September last year that its autonomous cars had driven more than 480,000km without crashes, including time spent negotiating tricky, congested urban roads.
Mr Brin said he expected self- driving cars to be available to the public in five years.
Late last year, German company Continental received approval from Nevada to test their own autonomous vehicles, although the company says it isn't aiming to have fully autonomous vehicles until 2025.
But, in a sign we're not far off taking our hands off the wheel full-time, Mercedes-Benz is aiming to be the first company to bring a semi-autonomous vehicle to market which will have capabilities similar to the Audi traffic-jam feature with its new S-Class limousine set for release this year.
The German car-making giant says its stereo camera technology creates a three-dimensional image around the car and avoids pedestrians and other obstacles.
Mercedes-Benz says the move towards full automation will be gradual, starting with parking and slow speeds before eventually moving up to freeway use.
It seems the main hold-up in the march to automated cars won't be the technology but road rules and legislation.
Though three US states - Nevada, California and Florida - have all passed legislation permitting driverless cars to be tested on public roads, widespread reform would likely take time and is no guarantee to get the nod across all States and territories the world over.
And then, of course, will there be enough demand for such vehicles?
Mercedes-Benz concedes drivers want the improved safety and comfort available via autonomous cars rather than a desire for complete lack of input.
The company also admitted that the thought of handing control over to a car in all situations didn't sit well with many drivers.
Still, autonomous cars certainly seem like playing some sort of a part in the future of motoring.
So maybe Hollywood wasn't all that far off the mark after all.Removing human error from driving would slash the number of crashes and deaths on our roads.
'The West Australian' is a trademark of West Australian Newspapers Limited 2013.
All rights reserved.
Select your state to see news for your area.


text:
Montblanc has moved into a new Mayfair home, opening the doors of the brand’s new flagship boutique on New Bond Street.
The new 1,521sq ft boutique at 119 New Bond Street is a short distance from Montblanc’s previous retail home and showcases the brand’s collection of watches, pens, leather goods and jewellery over two floors of a Georgian townhouse. The boutique boasts an area dedicated to men’s luxury gifting.
The new location puts the boutique at the centre of Mayfair’s luxury shopping landscape and is the first step in introducing a new Montblanc retail concept that will be brought to the store and then rolled out globally next year.
Montblanc opened its first London boutique in 1992 following the brand’s first boutique in Hong Kong.


text:
Car Crusher by Flickr user wilkesjournal
For the first time since Word War II, the annual number of vehicles scrapped exceeded the number of new vehicles sold.
That’s solemn news for the auto industry. U.S. vehicle sales had been in a sustained boom period of 15 to 17 million vehicles per year from 1994 through 2007. And the size of the fleet has been on the rise, with only a few wartime hiccups, for a century.
According to the Earth Policy Institute (EPI) post that kicked it off earlier this week, during 2009 about 14 million vehicles were retired, while only about 10 million vehicles were sold—effectively shrinking the U.S. fleet by a very significant 4 million vehicles, or about two percent of the total fleet, down to 246 million.
The EPI attributes many reasons for the shift, including urbanization, congestion, economic uncertainty, petroleum uncertainty, gas prices, concerns about climate change, and disinterest in automobiles among young people. Also cited: improvements to mass-transit systems, higher parking fees, and unwillingness to take on long-term debt (even when it’s available).
Here’s where it gets interesting. Assuming a vehicle life expectancy of 15 years, the first vehicles from the sales boom that really kicked in around 1994 will be retiring about now, so EPI projects that scrappage rates will be higher than sales for the next ten years or more—with a total fleet decline of ten percent, to a total of about 225 million vehicles.
But above all, simple market saturation might be just as much to blame. According to the organization, there are 209 million licensed drivers for 246 million vehicles. And you can bet those 37 million vehicles aren’t future-minded electric rides like the 2010 Tesla Roadster, or for that matter garage queens like vintage Gullwings or split-window Corvettes. Nope, most of these surplus vehicles are just past their years of steepest depreciation but have plenty of service left. Cash for Clunkers added as many vehicles as it took out of service, so the affects it had on fleet size are debatable.
And while the end of the year finished on a positive note, as Marty Padgett reported earlier this week in his sales analysis, Reuters also summed that U.S. auto sales were at their lowest raw numbers in 27 years.
Looking at all these factors, however brief this snapshot might be, it’s tough to imagine sales bouncing back to where they were just a few years ago anytime soon.
Do you think an industry migration to electric vehicles, or at the very least more fuel-efficient vehicles, could give auto sales the burst of life they need? Let us know what you think.


text:
Total ad expenditures at newspaper companies were 11.3 billion for Q2, an 8.6% decrease from the same period a year earlier, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). Spending for print ads in newspapers totaled 10.5 billion, down 10.2% versus the same period a year earlier. Among the major print components in Q2, classified advertising fell 16.4% to 3.4 billion; retail declined 6.4% to 5.2 billion; and national was down 7.9%, coming in at 1.8 billion. Within the classified print category in the second quarter, real estate advertising fell 20.7% to 966.8 million. Recruitment dropped 18.5% to 995.4 million. Automotive was down 19.3% to 756.3 million. All other classifieds were down 1.8% to 716.1 million.
Ad expenditures for newspaper Web sites, however, increased by 19.3% to 796 million in the second quarter versus the same period a year ago. The increase reflects the 13th consecutive quarter of double digit growth for online newspaper advertising since NAA started reporting online ad spending in 2004. Newspaper website advertising now accounts for 7% of total newspaper ad spending, compared to 5.4% in last year’s Q2.
RBR/TVBR observation: Newspaper ad revenues were down 8.6% in Q2, but the NAA headlined its release with ads for newspaper websites being up 19%. Online is the growth area, but still not able to overcome the sharp decline for the larger traditional business.


text:
Everyone wants to be a productive member of society, and the ability to move is critical for that to happen. As Tupelo Transit grows, we’re looking at how we can assist with continuous improvement — how we can create opportunities for everybody.”
Senior Manager, Mobility, Toyota Motor North America and member of the Tupelo Transit cross-functional team
6,848 RIDES for Tupelo shopping
3,688 RIDES for healthcare
2,532 RIDES for employment
9,857 CITIZENS with disabilities have been assisted
DID YOU KNOW?
Car sharing helps communities improve accessibility to reliable, affordable transportation, and Hui is transforming the traditional car rental and car sharing approach.
We strive to make Toyota Connected an inspiring place where our team members are empowered to do things that can literally change world — and to enjoy themselves while they do it.”
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Digital Officer, Toyota Motor North America and Chief Executive Officer and President, Toyota Connected North America
Advancing Mobility Through Science
Dr. Rana Mohtadi, Principle Scientist at Toyota R&D, has always had an interest in science, discovery and a passion for respecting the environment.
“Science is the never-ending expansion of knowledge and collaboration,” she says. “And, I want to contribute to making people’s quality of life much better through the use of renewable energy.”
Focused on alternative energy sources, specifically materials research for batteries, hydrogen storage and fuel cells, Rana works on materials that have potential to store more energy than lithium-ion batteries, helping create cleaner mobility solutions.
SUSTAINABILITY FOR OUR FUTURE
A future hydrogen fuel generation station using biogas to generate 100% RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY AND HYDROGEN for Toyota’s Long Beach and Los Angeles Port facility in California will help improve air quality in the port’s surrounding neighborhoods
HOLD THE #1 AND #2 spot for largest privately-owned non-utility
systems in Texas
- 8.79 MW solar power system at Toyota North America headquarters in Plano, Texas
- 3.1 MW solar power system at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas in San Antonio, Texas
When installed, the 400,000-gallon rainwater capture system at Toyota North America headquarters in Plano, Texas was the LARGEST SYSTEM IN NORTH AMERICA
Toyota Connected, Toyota’s global technology strategy unit, was named to The Dallas Morning News’ “Top 100 Places to Work” for the second consecutive year in 2018. The award honors the best of the best companies in creating hospitable, nurturing and fun environments
Trailblazing Toward Success
Ellenae Fairhurst is an expert in overcoming adversity. From attending the segregated schools of the 1940s and 1950s in Dayton, Ohio, to being refused entry to another automotive titan’s retail dealer development program on the basis of her gender — after 17 years of service — she persevered and decided to trailblaze her own path of success.Read Full Story
LEXUS ELITE DEALERS
The Elite of Lexus award is reserved for those dealers who have achieved the highest levels of customer satisfaction. From sales and service to the overall ownership experience, these dealerships are truly in a class all of their own. Ellenae Fairhurst has been awarded Elite of Lexus for 13 years.
A Lasting Partnership
Throughout a relationship that formed nearly two decades ago, Toyota has been an advocate, mentor and client to Tierra Kavanaugh Wayne, co-founder and CEO of TKTKONNECT, a Louisville, Kentucky-based human services firm.Read Full Story
SUPPLIER TIERS DEFINED
Companies that SUPPLY AUTOMOTIVE-GRADE PARTS or systems directly to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)
Companies that PRODUCE PARTS that may be used in automotive manufacturing but also support non-automotive customers and do not sell directly to OEM
Toyota helped me understand the company culture and the Toyota Way, provided me exposure, and helped me see how I could grow professionally and personally.”
Manager, Quality Engineering
MENTORING DIVERSE SUPPLIERS
Toyota recognizes the hurdles small and diverse businesses face when bidding with large corporations. They created a mentoring program to help these businesses focus on strengthening their ability to compete and provide new and agile solutions. The program demonstrates how team members represent the Toyota brand in ways that yield measurable business results for the larger community.
OVER 25 small and diverse businesses have been mentored
of the businesses in the program RETURN FOR A REPEAT MENTORSHIP experience
After three years, there has been a 30% INCREASE IN DIVERSE SPEND with more competitive incumbent supplier pricing
The Five Compadres
When Toyota chose San Antonio as the site of a new plant to build its Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks, it was putting down roots in a dominantly Hispanic city with no automotive industry presence.Read Full Story
Toyota has been the #1 Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) brand for Hispanic, African-American and Asian buyers for over a decade.
- 21.2% share of Asian market
- 19.4% share of the Hispanic market
- 13.4% share of African American market
*Source: Toyota Brand and Multicultural Marketing as of November 2018
Number of Toyota and Lexus DEALERS
Number of MULTICULTURAL Toyota and Lexus dealers
Number of WOMEN Toyota and Lexus dealers
Business Partnering Groups — Going Places, Together
Toyota’s business partnering groups (BPGs) are company-wide employee resource groups that include networks for team members to share or learn more about different engagement and diversity groups. BPGs have a critical role in helping execute our D+I strategy, offering a voice and perspective for all team members.
NEARLY 3,000 TEAM MEMBERS
participate in BPGs
across North America
88 BPG CHAPTERS
in North America
Toyota BPG Affinities
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Baja California established the 14th Women Influencing and Impacting Toyota (WIIT) chapter and the 85th BPG in North America in 2018.
The TMMWV Toyota Christian Fellowship BPG creates random acts of kindness every February, including cards to team members, visits to senior centers, free refreshments, donations to schools and much more.
Toyota Asian Americans in Alliance (TAASiA) at Plano HQ partnered with LEAP, the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, to host a workshop to inspire team members to start their impossible and become next-gen leaders at Toyota.
ToyotAbility and Young Professionals BPGs in Plano, Texas hosted “Understanding Deaf Culture and Creating Inclusion in the Workplace,” a campus talk promoting awareness of the deaf community.


text: So selfish. Cally, who publicly hit out at Luis following their split earlier this year, replied: "He cheated on me thanks very much u know f*** all n I'm very happy but thanks for ur input hun." We live together just me and her! Cally, one of the Islanders who found romance the first series of the ITV2 dating show back in 2015, split from Luis Morrison last year. Luis Morrison and Cally Jane Beech Love Island season 1 featured the likes of Jonathan Clark, Hannah Elizabeth, winners Jessica Hayes and Max Morley as well as Luis and Cally Jane. Don’t pretend u know my life! Our daily newsletter - To get the latest headlines direct to your email inbox every day, click here. ", Cally Jane Beech turned heads in Manchester, Lucy Fallon opens up about Corrie 'crisis' after quitting the soap, Asda shoppers spot 'hidden message' on delivery driver badges, The supermarket giant has been praised for what's written on its delivery driver badges, Owner of missing puppy says stranger contacted her family claiming to have found her pet - but won't give it back, Nelly's owner Melissa Baylis said she can't stop worrying about her, Sainsbury's is changing its opening hours for most UK stores, The supermarket says shoppers will notice something different about its stores over the festive period, Aldi Black Friday shoppers in disbelief over how many people are in the queue, The supermarket's Black Friday sale was branded a 'joke' by some angry shoppers who queued to buy AirPods and Nintendo Switch consoles, Coward who showed 'little remorse' after killing boy, 13, has 'unduly lenient' jail term increased, Jack Worwood was walking to play football with friends when he was hit by a speeding Jaguar with Liam Wilson at the wheel, 'He was all over the place': Drink driver jailed for slew of driving offences, 'It was only by good fortune that no one was killed,' say police, Car ploughs through shutters of shopping centre in ram raid, A man has now been arrested following the raid at the Clarendon Square shopping mall in Hyde, Sir Alex Ferguson teams up with Marcus Rashford to help tackle food poverty, Rashford, 23, has forced the government into two humiliating U-turns over providing meals for hungry children this year, Corrie star petrified after being called 'inconsiderate a***hole' by neighbours, Coronation Street's Craig Tinker has had real-life drama, Inquest opens into death of teenager who died following crash during police chase in Stockport, Kyle Hudson was driving a Toyota Yaris being pursued by officers from Cheshire Police, McDonald's slammed for 'disrespect' over the name of its new burger, Primark reveals which stores will be open 24 hours when lockdown lifts - the full list, Several Primark stores will be open for 24 hours when lockdown lifts - with others having extended opening times, Ralph Hasenhuttl answers question about becoming Manchester United manager. In 2018, Cally and Luis announced they'd split … The former Miss Great Britain was in town to open the new bubble tea store Gong Cha, a global brand who have picked Manchester as their first UK base. "I think Lucie will do really well and I love Amber's attitude. "This makes me happy," said former Geordie Shore star and I'm A Celebrity winner Vicky Pattison. Follow us on Instagram - On the Hull Live Instagram page we share gorgeous pictures of our stunning city - and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! Cally and Luis welcomed baby Vienna into the world in May 2017, with Cally writing on Instagram at the time, 'Meet Vienna Morrison-Beech our absolute world '. You can unsubscribe at any time. Love Island beauty Cally Jane Beech was looking on great form as she headed out in Manchester after revealing she's found love again. Cally Jane Beech released a statement about the split (Image: Cally Jane Beech/Twitter). And it's not the first time Cally has had to defend herself over social media in recent months. Click here to give it a like! In 2018, Cally and Luis announced they'd split … One said: "I wouldn't even respond to p***s like that.". Click here to follow Hull Live on Instagram, Map confirms where East Riding coronavirus cases are rising and falling, There are four areas with a rise in cases but the overall picture is positive, Man taken to hospital after brutal attack in Bransholme, The 22 postcodes in Hull worst affected by Covid-19 as city prepares to enter Tier 3, Only two areas in Hull showed an increase in cases in the seven days up to November 21, Hull man 'raped girl until she passed out as partner watched' - trial, Mark Aspin and Debbie Pickersgill are on trial at Grimsby Crown Court, Martin Lewis tells Brits to haggle on broadband 'unless you're in Hull' during Money Show Live, The Money Saving Expert said the city is served by a 'monopoly provider', What Black Friday looked like in Hull during lockdown, This years Black Friday was a little different, Parents 'left in dark' as Hull primary school sends entire year group home, "Several" pupils from the reception class have gone for a coronavirus test, The festive treats dog owners are warned not to buy for their pets, Rodney Zasman, resident vet at Lily's Kitchen, shared his views on festive pet treats, All 11 Primark stores open for 39 hours when lockdown ends, Several Primark stores will mark the end of the nationwide lockdown with bumper day of trade, Martin Lewis tips on getting better broadband WiFi signal in your home, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis up to his old tips and tricks, Live Grand Final build-up as Wigan Warriors take on St Helens at the KCOM Stadium, Tonight's Super League Grand Final is being played in Hull for the first time, City centre shock as graffiti daubed across iconic Hull landmark, The graffiti was carried out 30m above the ground, The Deep remains shut as disappointed bosses 'cannot furlough sharks or penguins', The Deep will have to remain closed on December 2 as Hull head into Tier 3, 'This is his club' - Hull City secure fresh deal for talented youngster Billy Chadwick, A product of the Tigers'' youth academy, Chadwick made his City debut earlier this season, Rapid Covid-19 test from Hull is used across the globe but 'those in power' blocked UK rollout, It never got close to a rollout in the UK due to 'insurmountable obstacles', Tier 3 rules and key questions about Christmas, travel and fines answered, Everything you should know, including exemptions, testing and when Tier 3 might end, Everything new Hull FC coach Brett Hodgson said on the job, his style, expectations and pleasing the fans, The new FC head coach met the media this morning, Hull parents plan to pull children out of school early to 'save Christmas'.


text:
Editor's note: Northwest Shingle Recyclers was a finalist in the Sustainable Business Oregon Innovation Awards for product. Read about other award winners here.
It’s as simple as it sounds.
Asphalt, made from oil, is used to make roads. It’s also used to make roof shingles.
But only one of those things is something people eventually throw away.
So it makes sense that someone would come along and find a way to take used shingle and turn them into roads.
Except nobody did, at least not with the same amount of success that has come to Portland-based Northwest Shingle Recyclers.
In just a year, the company has built not only a business, but a following — enough to allow it to open a second location in Tigard in September to serve the metro area’s Southwest region.
“I think (someone) should have come up with this 20 years ago,” said Kerry McKinney, the year-old company’s general manager.
The company charges customers $68 per ton to dump excess asphalt shingles at their Southeast Portland recycling center at 6110 S.E. 111th Ave.
From there, Northwest Shingle Recyclers’ staff — the company employs 8 — will remove ancillary material such as metal flashing or pieces of plastic to provide clean asphalt.
|View all SBO award winners | See photos from the event|
What remains is driven out to the company’s portable grinder housed in Canby in close proximity to an asphalt plant.
The shingles are ground into a powder and given to the asphalt plant which, as McKinney puts it, “makes highway out of it.”
“We’re making asphalt to re-do roads, re-do neighborhoods,” he said.
Though the business started slowly after it launched in August 2010, McKinney said advertising and word-of-mouth marketing helped increase business.
McKinney didn’t have exact metrics on the volume of asphalt the company has recycled in the past year. But from the middle of September through mid-October the company had collected around 1,500 tons of shingles ready for the next delivery to the grinder.
“People are happy,” McKinney said, “there’s a facility out there that’s not a landfill.”
@ErikSiemers | firstname.lastname@example.org | 503.219.3418


text:
Home > News > Nation
Saturday March 1, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Saturday March 1, 2014 MYT 7:26:22 AM
Perfect gift: Yap and i.Star Ideas Factory Sdn Bhd manager Janice Yam showing the 42-inch Panasonic LED television that will be given out daily during the exhibition at the Persada International Convention Centre in Johor Baru.
JOHOR BARU: Over 50,000 visitors are expected to throng the Perfect Livin ’14 home and lifestyle exhibition here over the next three days.
The exhibition, which covers a floor space of 5,574.18sq m, features a wide range of products and services, created as a one-stop platform for renovation, refurbishment and decoration needs for homeowners.
i.Star Ideas Factory Sdn Bhd business development corporate communications director Jason Yap said the exhibition generated some RM20mil in sales revenue last year.
“We hope to receive support from locals as well as Singapo-reans and see similar or better sales this time around.
“Visitors stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM100,000 including three 42-inch Panasonic LED televisions just by registering at the event,” he said during a press conference yesterday.
i.Star Ideas Factory is a subsidiary company of Star Publica-tions (M) Bhd.
Yap added that the first 500 visitors would receive a free limited edition Perfect Livin aluminium drinking bottle each day.
Besides the televisions, those who spend a minimum of RM100 could also walk away with Hiker Bochum mattresses worth RM6,990, Milanohaus premium recliner chair worth RM1,990 or RM1,000 cash vouchers from Maxly Land-scape.
Yap also said a customer pick-up service counter was also set up to offer a hassle-free and convenient shopping experience to its visitors, so that customers do not have to carry around their heavy goods while browsing through some 350 booths.
“We have prepared a sand-art corner and children’s colouring contest to entertain the kids while parents browse and shop at ease,” he said, adding that attractive prizes also awaited the young participants.
Taking up to 20 booths, Tat Radio and Television Co was the largest exhibitor offering assorted Panasonic home and electrical appliances.
Its managing director Kuok Ming Le said the 3D Smart Viera 55-inch television was among its popular products which is up for grabs at only RM9,999, almost a whopping RM6,000 cheaper than its usual price.
The Perfect Livin ’14 exhibition, which ends tomorrow, is being held at Persada Interna-tional Convention Centre here from 11am to 9pm.
Tags / Keywords:
Lifestyle, Johor Baru, Perfect Livin, exhibition, home, products
New shuttle train service will take Singapore commuters to JB in just five minutes
Johor Baru launches first Anti-Litter Squad
Drawn to help
Johor property growth seen steady
Surprised by preference to end bullet train service in Johor Baru
We will take legal action against WSJ, says PM's pol sec
Banks should verify existence of accounts, says Rafizi
'Yes' or 'No', Kit Siang asks Najib on embezzlement allegations
Azmin hopeful Selangor water deal can be signed before Hari Raya
Celebrate Raya in style with GEMFIVE
The 3 unexpected life events that leave us in debt
Price of fish has gone up but association head says ample supply
Mark Zuckerberg's A Year in Books hits halfway point
Gearing up for the jungle
Copyright © 1995-2015 Star Media Group Berhad (ROC 10894D)(Formerly known as Star Publications (Malaysia) Berhad)


text:
U.S. consumer borrowing fell more steeply than expected in February as credit and charge card use dropped by the most on record, a Federal Reserve report showed on Tuesday.
February's consumer credit dropped $7.48 billion, or at an annual rate of 3.5 percent, after advancing at a rate of 3.8 percent or an upwardly revised $8.14 billion the prior month, previously reported as a $1.8 billion rise.
Analysts polled by Reuters were expecting a $1 billion drop in consumer borrowing for February.
Non-revolving credit, which includes closed-end loans for big-ticket items like cars, boats, college educations and holidays, rose $313 million, or at a 0.2 percent rate.
However, revolving credit, made up of credit and charge cards, plunged at a 9.7 percent rate, or $7.79 billion in February, the largest dollar drop since the Fed started tracking the series in 1968.
In percentage terms, the 9.7 percent decline was the biggest since January 1978, when it dropped 15.7 percent.
(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Dan Grebler)


text:
By Matthew Malinowski
Brazil economists reduced their 2014 growth forecast for the ninth consecutive week, as policy makers seek to spur demand without further stoking above-target inflation.
Brazil’s gross domestic product will expand 0.90 percent this year, compared with the previous week’s forecast of 0.97 percent, according to the July 25 central bank survey of about 100 analysts published today. The economists’ growth forecast has dropped by nearly half since their 1.63 percent estimate from May 23.
President Dilma Rousseff is torn between the fastest annual inflation in 13 months and weakening growth as she campaigns for re-election. The central bank said on July 24 its strategy does not contemplate a lower key rate as above-target consumer prices will remain resistant. The next day, policy makers announced they would loosen deposit requirements to free up 45 billion reais ($20.2 billion) in consumer credit.


text:
Sterling Bank said it has waived all personal account transaction fees in solidarity with customers facing a new naira shortage. Sterling Bank CEO Abubakar Suleiman made the announcement to clients via email. Here is part of an email to Sterling customers: Feb 6, 2023 – Feb 18, 2023.
We are also happy to announce that we are offering a free debit card to all interested customers. It’s a convenient and secure way to shop and make transactions.”
The statement said this was part of Sterling Bank’s ongoing efforts to support customers and the general public as Nigeria adjusts to the availability of the new Naira banknote, which is currently being rolled out across the country.
“By eliminating transaction fees during this time, we believe we can help our clients leverage our powerful digital solutions to simplify their banking experience,” said Dante Martins, Chief Marketing Officer of Sterling Bank.
We understand that our customers have choices when it comes to their daily needs and we want to be able to serve them in the best possible way during this time.”


text:
With the second Poole Harbour Boat Show looming, Westover Jaguar Land Rover is pleased to announce it’s on board to support the popular event, which takes place in Poole Quay Boat Haven and is open to the public on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May.
Sponsoring for the first time, Westover will have a full display of both Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles at the Boat Show, featuring the Jaguar F-TYPE (dubbed “one of the top sports cars on sale today” by Auto Express), the Jaguar XE (a luxury sports saloon, launched last year and shortlisted for the title ‘2016 European Car of the Year’), as well as the magnificent all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Poole Harbour Boat Show in association with Sunseeker, organised by Poole Harbour Commissioners, is open to all and entry is free.
The event, which will be officially opened by former British rower and five-time Olympic gold medallist, Sir Steven Redgrave CBE, brings together a spectacular showcase of yachts, motor cruisers, tall ships, marine equipment and water sports gear. Exhibitor stalls will line the Town Quay, from where visitors can enjoy stunning views across to Brownsea Island. There will also be demonstrations on the water, live music, children’s rides and face painting, as well as fireworks.
“Visitors to the Poole Harbour Boat Show will be able to get up close and personal with some of the most luxurious cars from across the current Jaguar and Land Rover ranges,” says Mark Whittam, Head of Marketing at Westover Group. “What better location to have them all in one place, than in the wonderful setting of Poole Quay? A highlight of our display will undoubtedly be the Jaguar F-PACE – it’s Jaguar’s first-ever performance SUV, it was only launched this year and it’s receiving staggeringly great media reviews.
“Land Rover has a solid record of supporting sailing - most recently supporting Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing in their attempt to bring home the America’s Cup in 2017 - so our presence at the Poole Harbour Boat Show fits perfectly with what Land Rover are doing nationally.
“We’re really proud to support such a great local event and we look forward to welcoming lots of visitors over the weekend – we hope as many people as possible will come and join us on our stand!”
For more information about any of the vehicles and services available from Westover Jaguar and Westover Land Rover, please go to westovergroup.co.uk. To find out more about the Poole Harbour Boat Show in association with Sunseeker, visit pooleharbourboatshow.co.uk.


text:
Connoisseurs of gastronomic cuisine will be treated to a sensuous feast when TV celebrity chef James Martin displays his culinary skills at a series of cookery demonstrations in Swindon next month.
Appreciative gourmets of fine food are set to flock to the Brunel Centre for James Martin’s demonstration on Thursday 4 April.
The event will be the highlight of an ambitious four-day programme designed to give a further boost to the Centre as a favourite shopping venue.
Although details are still being finalised, plans include lots of ideas to give food for thought and whet the taste buds, including DIY skills workshops; food tasting sessions and cookery exhibitions by several local restaurants.
Kerry Hunter, marketing supervisor at the Brunel Centre, said: “We’re really excited that James Martin is coming to the Centre. We’re expecting it to be a great day which will really appeal to our customers.
:We wanted to put together an event that would capture people’s interest, and we’re sure that James Martin will be really popular with shoppers.”
Brunel Centre owners First Investments commit to more events in the town centre
In January this year property managers First Investments announced that the marketing budget for the Brunel Centre had been increased as part of a bid to attract more visitors and increase occupancy rates. This event is the first in a series scheduled to encourage people to explore what facilities the Centre has to offer.
For more information on the Brunel Shopping centre visit www.thebrunel.co.uk.


text:
Conveyancing giant PEXA has held its fourth annual awards, with NAB being named as the best lender.
The Big Four bank was garlanded at the 2021 PropertyX Innovate Awards, which reward innovative behaviour in the property settlements space.
NAB was singled out for the changes that it had made in its internal processes to become the fastest financial institution in terms of the time taken to verify settlements for home buyers.
PEXA chief customer officer Lisa Dowie said that the awards had put the spotlight on the amazing pace of innovation in the property settlement industry that had been brought upon by the pandemic.
“Particularly during Covid, it has been remarkable to see how they’ve dealt not only with the pivot, which was required to navigate that environment, but also how they have continued to innovate and embrace the digitisation that is happening right across the industry,” she told Australian Broker.
READ MORE: Phil Waugh on NAB’s turnaround times
“Ultimately, our customers and PEXA are striving to provide Australia home buyers and sellers with the best possible settlement experience. These awards are in their fourth year, and it’s been great to see the number of new entries that we are seeing and the new types of innovation that are going on with all these different businesses across the country.”
“What has been evident over the last 12 months is the amount of change a business can institute if they really have to. Often, many obstacles can be put in place for change occurring, whether big or small organisations, and what has been really evident is how fast organisations can move when they have to and the benefits that they can reap.”
“I think that we’re going to see ongoing, fast-paced innovation and digitisation across the industry because businesses now know that they can and that there’s huge benefits to be gained that improve the customer experience, which is what everyone is striving to do.”