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This Season’s Food and Drink Lineup at Spruce Street Harbor Park
Spruce Street Harbor Park is opening earlier than ever this year, Friday, May 6th. The Delaware Riverfront destination is also expanding its summer restaurant collaborations, adding Chickie’s and Pete’s fries and a Little Fat Ham to a lineup that already includes Franklin Fountain, Federal Donuts, Frozen Delights and Garces Group.
Kevin Sbraga, who just announced a second Fat Ham at the King of Prussia Mall is bringing The Little Fat Ham to the riverfront park. The shipping container-sized Fat Ham won’t be offering hot chicken but will be have hot fish sandwiches, plus pulled pork, beef brisket, spicy pork rinds, corn on the cob, homemade Southern sweet tea and old-fashioned lemonade.
Chickie’s and Pete’s seasoned fries will be available on the Harbor Park’s boardwalk, as will cheesesteaks, crab pretzels and more.
Jose Garces is changing it up this season. His restaurant group has four concepts along the river. On the floating barges you’ll find Distrito Taco serving Mexican street tacos and fresh fruit margaritas. Garces’ food truck will go from tacos to burgers, offering a rotating selection of burgers, as well as fries and a house-made veggie burger. On the boardwalk, Garces’ Froman’s will offer hot dogs, sausages, provolone stuffed pork sausage, kielbasa burgers and Jersey cucumber and tomato salads. Joining Froman’s on the boardwalk will be a new concept, Papas Fritas. The fry stand will offer a selection of toppings including braised short rib, chorizo, chicken Ropa Vieja and queso sauce.
Federal Donuts is back with their runaway success, fried chicken sandwich and magical cinnamon sugar mini-donuts. Franklin Fountain will have two locations from which to serve their ice cream, soft serve custard and milkshakes. The new Franklin Sugar Shack will be a sugar fiend’s paradise with real fruit fancy ices, old-fashioned soft serve custard and tropical drinks made with fresh-pressed sugar cane. No, high-fructose corn syrup here. Daniel Rivera’s waterfront mainstay, Frozen Delights will continue to serve summer staples like ice cream, hot dogs, funnel cake and more.
Look for news on a summer-appropriate collaboration beer from Yards Brewing to be announced in the coming weeks.
Last summer, Spruce Street Harbor Park saw more than 750,000 visitors to its lazy hammocks, boardwalk and urban beach. With a three week head-start, it’s likely the park will trounce that number. The park will be open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, from 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Spruce Street Harbor Park [Foobooz]


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Side-channel sniffing is designed to grab encryption keys by measuring the power consumption or electromagnetic radiation emitted by the encryption engine, be it a CPU or other device. Google security researchers warned earlier this year that attacks such as Spectre wouldn’t end, unless chip manufacturers, like as AMD and Intel, changed their CPU architectures. To help protect against side-channel attacks, researchers from Georgia Tech and Intel have designed a circuit that mitigates sniffing by masking the electromagnetic and power emissions.
“Side-sniffing has been a longtime problem in cryptography, and we’ve always known that you could theoretically make the chip do 1,000 redundant jobs to mask the signal, but [previously, that wasn’t] realistic unless you were okay with the battery running out in 15 minutes. That’s where we got interested because as circuit designers we know how to make things last longer.” — Georgia Tech professor Saibal Mukhopadhya
Their circuit functions by introducing random noise into the signal, which scrambles the timing of the outputs. More specifically, the circuit employs an all-digital version of an analog low-dropout voltage regulator to power 128-bit encryption engines in 130nm CMOS using random fast voltage dithering (RFVD). An integrated voltage regulator with bond-wire inductors and an on-chip all-digital clock modulation circuit enable that RFVD.
According to the researchers, the circuit isn’t 100% effective at guarding against attacks, but it would take hackers 3,579 times as long to breach the platform over a standard circuit, which can be circumvented in a matter of minutes or seconds. What’s more, the circuit has a performance overhead of just 10%, and while that may not seem that great, it’s reportedly better than previous side-channel attack mitigations.

domain: news


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the stock was down slightly at the end of Thursday’s session, despite the discounter’s better-than-expected third quarter results.
Costco (ticker: COST) earned $ 1.22 billion, or $ 2.75 per share, up from $ 1.89 per share a year ago. Total revenue increased 21.5% to $ 45.28 billion. Analysts were looking for EPS of $ 2.38 per share for revenue of $ 44.71 billion.
Costco stock is down 0.7% to $ 385 after hours. Stocks have gained 2.8% year-to-date, and just over 25% in the past 12 months.
As Barron’s noted earlier this week, investors were likely already betting on a Costco beat, given strong results elsewhere in the industry, both
(TGT) releasing very optimistic reports in the first quarter.
So, maybe they were hoping for more than a quarter of a rash. The company’s position as a critical value-driven retailer has allowed it to thrive during the pandemic, which has led to many months of strong same-store sales growth, although better-than-expected numbers have emerged. not always translated into gains for the stock.
In March, Costco stock fell after reporting mixed earnings in the second quarter of the fiscal year.


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Travel will continue to play an irreplaceable role in meeting critical business needs, however, travellers’ health and safety, and a new era of trip preparation and policies, will be front and centre as travel resumes, reveals a new survey.
According to SAP Concur Business Traveller Survey 2020, 88 percent of Indian business travellers feel concerned about resuming travel while 100 percent travellers will consider some measures from their company critical for safely returning to the road.
Here is an insight into the trends that are shaping a new normal for business travel by determining what measures are being considered as necessary by business travellers, both from themselves as well as from their employers.
Covid-19 has charged health, safety concerns, creating added stress over business travel
Thirty-eight percent of Indian business travellers now say they experience the most stress during the trip, rather than before (30 percent) or after the trip (32 percent). When the same study was conducted in August last year, 36 percent of Indian travellers cited the trip itself as the most stressful stage of travel.
With the pandemic dominating news headlines, more than 1 in 3 say their health and safety is their top priority while travelling for business (37 percent). This is more than three times the number of respondents who regard business needs (12 percent) as their top priority. The concern for personal health and safety is even more pronounced in China (57 percent), Malaysia (55 percent), and Taiwan (53 percent), where more than half the respondents ranked health and safety as their top priority this year.
Given such stress levels, it stands to reason that 88 percent of Indian business travellers feel concerned about resuming travel. They are especially worried getting sick themselves (57 percent) or infecting their family (46 percent). Additionally, the trip itself is likely to be anxiety-inducing: among those with concerns, 59 percent are concerned about staying in a hotel, 48 percent about being on a plane, and 32 percent about using public transportation.
Organisations in India must prepare to meet emerging traveller expectations
When business travel resumes, all (100 percent) of Indian business travellers will consider some measures from their company critical for safely returning to the road. These include mandatory personal health screenings for travelling employees (48 percent), real-time updates and alerts on potential travel risks (40 percent), and easier access to personal protective equipment (37 percent).
Employees will increasingly require guidance from organisations on how to stay safe when they travel. Almost all (99 percent) of Indian business travellers say company trainings would be beneficial, especially trainings on how to protect their health and safety while travelling (67 percent, compared to 54 percent globally) and how to maintain healthy habits while travelling (44 percent).
Organisations that are not proactively protecting employee well-being on business trips could risk consequences – 44 percent of Indian business travellers say they would ask to limit travel if their company does not implement the measures they want, 19 percent would look for a position that does not require travel, and 9 percent would consider a position at a different company.
Travellers in India believe in the need to resume in-person meetings
Although 29 percent of Indian business travellers say they are worried about resuming travel once restrictions are lifted, even more travellers feel excited. This sentiment is particularly strong in India, where half of business travellers (50 percent) say they are excited about their next trip.
This excitement to return to the road is likely because most Indian business travellers (64 percent, compared to 44 percent globally) anticipate limited representation of their company at industry events while 61 percent expect a reduced number of deals or contracts signed without face-to-face meetings. More than half (53 percent) of Indian business travellers expect declines in new business due to a lack of in-person meetings.
When a trip does need to take place, companies should have a way to ensure that employees only use approved and safe airlines and hotels; that they can receive information on changing ground situations that impact their health and safety; and that the company can reach out to them and render assistance 24/7.
The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research, among 4,850 business travellers defined as those who travel for business three or more times annually from across the globe.
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Having admitted recently that Fable II was rushed and riddled with bugs, just as he did with Fable when Fable II was about to be released (we see through your lies, bald man!), Molyneux has stated that Fable III’s world will be bigger and better than any Microsoft game has ever created, including Crackdown 2, Gears of War, and Halo.
He told GameIndustry.biz this: “Fable, because it is part-simulation, part-role-playing game, part-action-adventure… it’s got more voice acting, a bigger cast, more musical scores, a bigger, freer world – more so than any other game in the whole of Microsoft Game Studios’ portfolio, full stop.
“It’s got more bugs, more active bugs, than any game that MS has ever had in its history – and the team of over 100 people are working insanely long hours, and they’re coming down. That’s the way it is.”
Fable III will be out for the Xbox 360 and PC by the end of October 2010. Watch out for it.


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Opportunities presented by a growing demand for logistics services and infrastructure in the Middle East, as well as the possible ways of addressing such demand, are expected to be discussed by industry experts during the first Global Logistics Forum scheduled to take place on 15th March 2010 at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahar in Abu Dhabi.
To be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Rulers Representative in the Western Region, the forum aims to bridge the gap between the global supply chain industry and the regional logistics sector.
A first-time international gathering of global logistics professionals, His Excellency Abdulla Rashed Al Otaiba, Chairman of the Department of Transport, Member of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi and Director of the Board, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, will share the development of a modern logistics infrastructure as an integral component of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Economic Vision.
In addition, with Germany being recognized as the largest logistics market in Europe, His Excellency Gerhard Schröder, Former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, will deliver the forum’s keynote address as he shares his country’s experience and expertise on the industry.
“The UAE remains to be a leading logistics hub in the region and Abu Dhabi is a fast growing city with a modern and developing logistics infrastructure. The Global Logistics Forum provides a proper understanding of needs of the local supply chain and logistics industry from a global point of view. Forum delegates will also be in a better position to develop the required skills and learn the latest sector trends from international logistics experts,” said His Excellency Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi University.
A joint initiative by the Abu Dhabi University and TU Berlin Chair of Logistics, the Global Logistics Forum will also speak about the customisation of local requirements of infrastructure projects, as well as the development of global logistics services in the region. It is also supported by Abu Dhabi Ports Company, the event’s platinum sponsor.
Attendees will also witness a unique plenary session wherein logistics experts will discuss drivers, success factors, challenges and enablers of growing logistics markets for dedicated countries.
The forum will be highlighted by presentations from Mohamed Al Shamsi, Port Unit Vice President, Khalifa Port & Industrial Zone Development; Prof. Dr. Stephan Reimelt, Chief Executive Officer, IPIC Ferrostaal Contracting and Member of the Executive Board, MAN Ferrostaal AG; Richard Bowker, Chief Executive Officer, Union Railway and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Frank Straube, member of the Management Board of the European Logistics Association.
The two-day event will also feature reputed industry leaders from around the world speaking about the ever-changing dynamics of the current logistics sector across a regional and global scale. The second day features a series of technical workshops discussing logistics infrastructure optimisation, innovative transportation concepts and customer-oriented development of logistics services.
© 2000 - 2022 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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In a win for Internet trolls and teenage cybercriminals everywhere, a Finnish court has decided not to incarcerate a 17-year-old found guilty of more than 50,000 cybercrimes, including data breaches, payment fraud, operating a huge botnet and calling in bomb threats, among other violations.
The Web sites for computer game giant Eidos Interactive and one of its biggest titles — Deus Ex– were defaced and plundered on Wednesday in what appears to have been an attack from a splinter cell of the hacktivist group Anonymous. The hack comes just days after entertainment giant Sony told Congress that Anonymous members may have been responsible for break-ins that compromised personal information on more than 100 million customers of its PlayStation Network and other services.
Sony warned today that intruders had broken into its PlayStation online game network, a breach that may have jeopardized the user names, addresses, passwords and credit card information on more than 70 million customers.
In a post to the company’s PlayStation blog, Sony spokesman Patrick Seybold said the breach occurred between April 17 and April 19, and that user information on some PlayStation Network and Qriocity music streaming accounts was compromised. The company said it had engaged an outside security firm to investigate what happened, that it was rebuilding its system to better secure account information, and that it would soon begin notifying customers about the incident by email.


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With detailed reports on audience growth, audience geography, engagement and the ability to identify tags that are relevant to their products and services and influencing contributors posting on them, brands now have a unique platform to professionally fine-tune their content and engagement strategy on Instagram.
The team at Fanpage Karma recently analyzed over 60,000 active Facebook pages in a period of three months to see how and why growth rates differ. Differences can be found in terms of the type of page, the engagement rate and how large the fan page already is.
Four Seasons has done an exceptional job integrating social media into their website and general marketing, and constantly continues to expand its social media presence.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and technology can help you up your game. From gifts to the perfect meal, you can’t go wrong with a cell phone in your hand and a search bar at your thumb.
Swiss-based Treovi.com, the first truly 100% no commissions online hotel reservation system, has launched a new beta of its website.
ChowNow is an online ordering system for the foodservice industry that uses branded mobile and social media tools to expand restaurant’s capabilities.
The Honest Company was started to ensure that parents (or anyone for that matter!) could easily find non-toxic, eco-friendly products that are beautiful, affordable, and effective.
Cupcake Vineyards asked fans to suggest a dessert and a label name to serve as his next muse in creating a new wine blend, encouraging fans to participate in the Cupcake Vineyards Share Deliciously Contest.
Three Key Trends for Social Media in the Hospitality Industry in 2013.
Twitter is one of the most widely used social media platforms on the web today and a great portal for catching up on news, sharing information and promoting your personal or business profile. It’s also a great opportunity for link building – if you know where to go.


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- New Forester takes shape with Viziv concept
- Revealed: Subaru's high-performance Forester tS
- Read all the latest Subaru news and reviews here
Subaru has begun prototyping a new mid-engined sports car that could replace the popular BRZ coupe, a new report suggests.
American publication Car and Driver says the Japanese manufacturer is modelling a new petrol-electric hybrid system which sends drive to all four wheels. At present, the company is using a modified BRZ coupe to test the technology but word is the new model would employ the company's new Subaru Global Platform instead.
The all-wheel drive hybrid system is said to be based on the Viziv Future Concept SUV, unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo motor show. On the concept application, the hybrid's front wheels are driven by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder boxer engine and an electric motor, while two separate electric motors power the rears.
The rumoured coupe would reportedly flip that design, allowing the engine to power the rears and the electric motors to power the front. Torque vectoring technology similar to the upcoming Honda NSX would manage the distribution of power between the two front motors, the report claimed, with power said to be capped at 250kW.
Quoting internal sources, Car and Driver said Subaru is considering its next-generation hybrid design for either a coupe or a small sports SUV application.
"Whether the end result will be a two-door sports coupe or some kind of sports crossover/CUV is still in the evaluation stage," the quoted source said. "A coupe seems more likely, though."
Whatever the case, stay tuned for more in the months ahead.


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Visteon to close Eureka plant; loss of 94 jobs
- Kelsey Volkmann
Automotive supplier Visteon Corp. plans to close its one-year-old Eureka plant by the end of the year, affecting 94 workers.
The plant, which made door panels, cockpits and consoles for Chrysler, lost its biggest customer when Chrysler stopped making Dodge Ram trucks at its Fenton facility in July.
Visteon then focused on making instrument panels for General Motors, but the two reached an agreement last week calling for Visteon to “wind down undesirable operations,” and transfer GM contracts to other suppliers, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
Its agreement with GM still requires court approval.
Visteon has never posted an annual profit since it spun off from Ford Motor Co. nine years ago. Visteon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May.
The auto supplier plans to work out the details of severance packages and possible transfers with the United Auto Workers union and the plant’s 77 hourly workers, said Jim Fisher, a company spokesman. Some of the 17 salaried workers also could be transferred to other locations.
ARCO Construction Co. finished building the $10 million Visteon plant in January 2008, and production started there in the summer of 2008.
“We don’t see a viable case to keep operating that plant,” Fisher said.
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Farming leaders have questioned the need for a new meat free campaign that kicks off today, which denounces meat production on environmental, health and welfare grounds.
The fund-raising campaign for animal activist group Voiceless encourages Australians to give up meat for a full week, starting from today.
The campaign website states that Australians now consume 120kg of meat per person per annum, almost three times as much meat as the world average.
“Eating this much meat has come at a cost. It has created large scale and inhumane industrial farming of animals – factory farming.
“Two thirds of the world's meat now comes from factory farming and it is considered the number one cause of animal cruelty today.
“In Australia, it's predominantly chickens and pigs that are affected, however there are issues with other animals too.
“And it's not just the animals. Eating too much meat also has a major impact on our environment and your health."
The campaign calls for Australians to give up meat for a week and to ask friends and family to sponsor their efforts, with donations to go to Voiceless. It also encourages people to reduce their total meat consumption by 30pc in future.
NSW Farmers president Fiona Simson said that with farmers already meeting stringent national welfare standards, and recognising that safe food meant healthy and happy animals, the need for the meat-free campaign was questionable.
Ms Simson said that while the campaign might seem like a good way to raise the profile of groups such as Voiceless, it failed to take into account the people it affected the most.
She said there were 44,000 farming families in NSW whose livelihoods depended upon consumers eating the produce they worked hard to grow and this campaign lacked compassion for farmers – many of whom had recently experienced multiple natural disasters from bush fires to floods.
Ms Simson said farmers were committed to high animal welfare standards and many had been extremely distressed witnessing the deaths of their own livestock during recent natural disasters.
"I find the timing of such a campaign ill thought out and I encourage consumers to ignore the pleas of such groups and get behind our farmers who work extremely hard every day at growing the best for us to eat," she said.
"Animals in Australia are raised in extremely good conditions.
“Some 97 percent of NSW beef cattle are grass fed and live outdoors and Australia’s pork farmers were the first in the world to voluntarily agree to phase out sow stalls by 2017.
"I know many consumers including people living in metropolitan centres throughout NSW support our farmers and enjoy our produce. So I urge you all not to change your habits and not to make it a meat free week this week at all."
The Victorian Farmers Federation has also questioned the actions of animal activists after broken glass was left inside gumboots lined up outside a Mornington Peninsular egg-farmer’s shed during a recent raid on his farm.
“I knew they’d been in (to the shed) cause they’d jimmied the lock so they could get in to take footage and I had lots of smashed eggs ‘cause the birds went beserk,” the farmer told the VFF.
VFF Egg president Brian Ahmed said farmers faced a growing plague of rogue activists who broke into barns, destroying facilities and sabotaging equipment.
“It not only risks the health and safety of farmers, their families and workers, it also puts the very animals theses activists seek to protect at risk,” Mr Ahmed said.
During the 2010 Victorian election campaign, the coalition promised it would: “ensure that adequate legislation exists to protect all food producers from unreasonable attacks by extremist animal rights lobbyists.”
More than 300 delegates at last year’s VFF Conference called on the Victorian Government to pass legislation protecting farmers against the economic damage caused by animal activists.
In July last year the VFF wrote to Victorian Attorney General Robert Clark seeking State government support to protect food producers from malicious vandalism, something which has already been implemented in the United States.
Mr Clark wrote back in mid-September stating the government was “committed to ensuring adequate legislation exists to protect food producers from unlawful actions”.
The minister’s letter went on to state: “The Department of Justice, in consultation with DPI, is already considering existing legislation, including trespass provisions, for that purpose. I have asked that the department also consider the appropriateness of the United States legislation that you referred to in your letter”.
But as recently as last week the VFF was told by DPI that an advisory group was still being formed to examine the issue.
“It’s not good enough,” Mr Ahmed said. “We need action now.”
The US has adopted the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act that prohibits any person engaging in unlawful conduct that is "for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise.”
The US legislation has penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for offences causing more than $1m in damages and restitution would be:
(1) For the reasonable cost of repeating any experimentation that was interrupted or invalidated as a result of the offense;
(2) For the loss of food production or farm income reasonably attributable to the offense; and
(3) For any other economic damage, including any losses or costs caused by economic disruption, resulting from the offense.
Sources: Meat Free Week, NSW Farmers, Victorian Farmers Federation


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A U.S. safety advocacy group is demanding the recall of Windsor-made 2017 Chrysler Pacificas after reports of some vehicles stalling without warning.
The Center for Auto Safety said more than 50 people have reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that their Pacificas suddenly lost power. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said Monday it is not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with the complaints.
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The safety group and a Pacifica owner from Virginia have filed a petition with the NHTSA to investigate potential problems with the vehicle.
Reports to the NHTSA, a U.S. government agency which does not verify the online complaints it receives, have included drivers being unable to accelerate, decelerate or use power steering.
“Stalling is a dangerous defect, and has repeatedly led to tragedy,” Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, wrote in a statement on the group’s website. “The danger goes beyond what happens to families in the stalled minivan during the loss of power, as drivers of disabled vehicles are often hit and killed by other cars after they have pulled over to the side of the road. Chrysler needs to recall these vehicles, provide alternatives for owners in the meantime, and figure out how to fix the problem.”
FCA has sold more than 150,000 Pacificas in the U.S. and 7,100 in Canada.
The Center for Auto Safety said that according to consumer complaints to NHTSA, the vehicles have lost power at various speeds and while idling. The reports state that some vehicles were new when they lost power, others had thousands of miles on them. A spokeswoman for NHTSA did not respond Monday to a request for comment.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles U.S. said in a statement Monday that the company takes “seriously all concerns raised by its customers.”
The company said it routinely monitors vehicle performance using information from multiple data streams, and is in constant communication with NHTSA.
“Further, in most of the complaints of which we are aware, customers were able to restart their vehicles immediately thereafter, and the condition did not reoccur,” the company said.
The company in June voluntarily recalled nearly 1,700 Pacifica hybrids it had sold in Canada and the United States and halted production of that vehicle at the Windsor assembly plant for a short period of time. At that time, customers reported the vehicles would unexpectedly lose power and stop dead in their tracks. The company said it had pinpointed a problem with “certain diodes” that could “cause propulsion loss.”


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Enticed by the low cost of e-books, education technologist Preetam Rai buys at least four a month from Amazon's Kindle store.
Mr Rai, 40, a frequent traveller and avid reader, loads his Kindle e-book reader with several titles before a trip. Some of his e-books cost less than half of the print versions.
"But if the price difference between printed books and e-books is not much, I would buy the physical book," he said.
"Physical books offer a sense of serendipity, and allow people to stumble upon interesting reads, say, at a library or a backpackers' inn."
That said, the charm of discovering new reads at a library and the tactile experience of flipping printed pages have not stemmed the demand for e-books globally.
According to a research note by Morgan Stanley Internet and e-commerce analyst Scott Devitt, global unit sales of e-books reached 859million last year, up from a previous estimate of 567 million.
Leading e-book retailer Amazon did not reveal how many e-books it sold last year, but its chief executive Jeff Bezos said in an earnings statement in January that Amazon's e-book sales grew about 70 per cent last year.
"In contrast, our physical book sales experienced the lowest December growth rate in our 17years as a bookseller, up just 5 per cent," he noted.
New market to tap
The size of the e-book market in Singapore is unknown, but industry watchers see growing interest in e-books among consumers here.
In November 2011, SingTel unveiled Skoob, the first e-book service here. It was hailed as the first of its kind to offer works by Singapore writers, and study guides and educational books for primary and secondary school students.
Meanwhile, the number of e-book downloads from the library rose from 3.9million in the financial year ended March 2011 to 4.9 million in the financial year ended March 2012.
To meet the surging demand for e-books, the National Library Board (NLB) will add 820,000 more e-books to its virtual shelves, bringing the size of its e-book collection to more than three million by year-end.
"I do believe there is a fair amount of e-reading going on that is hard to see or measure," said MrPeter Schoppert, director at NUS Press.
"Amazon, Apple and Kobo are doing some business here, operating offshore. It's hard to know how much, but I would bet that their combined sales here are in the millions," he added.
But not everyone has benefited from the switch to paperless books. MediaCorp's year-old service, ilovebooks.com, which stocked more than 700,000 local and international titles at its launch last May, was shut down yesterday.
Mr Philip Koh, managing director of MediaCorp's convergent media division, told The Straits Times recently that the business was not commercially viable because of tough market conditions.
That, however, did not stop StarHub from taking a stab at the fledgling market. In late March, the telco launched Booktique, the first local e-book service with a social networking element which allows readers to share their book lists with others.
Like a Kindle e-book, a Booktique e-book can be annotated with comments, which are then shared with those reading the same e-book.
Mr Stephen Lee, StarHub's head of innovation, investment and incubation, said the telco is seeing better-than- expected response to the launch of Booktique, with many book fans exploring its new e-bookstore offerings.
IT manager Wong Boon Hong, 39, an avid reader, welcomed StarHub's foray into e-books, but reckoned that the lack of a universal e-book format and digital rights management (DRM) issues will plague the e-book industry.
Most e-book retailers require readers to use proprietary e-reader apps or devices with DRM technology to prevent the copying and sharing of e-books. For example, books bought on SingTel's Skoob service cannot be used on StarHub's Booktique's e-book app.
"If a store's DRM server goes down, I may not be able to re-download my e-books. Also, e-books with DRM may not be available if I upgrade my device or change devices," he said.
Indeed, MediaCorp advised customers to back up and download their e-books about a month before ilovebooks.com's closure. They will not be able to open their e-books if they upgrade the operating system on their devices or switch devices.
But the biggest barrier for consumers is that they may not be aware of the major e-book formats currently used in the market.
For instance, e-books published in the Kindle format can be read only on Kindle e-readers and apps.
NLB's e-books from Overdrive, which supplies e-books to libraries, however, can be transferred to e-reader devices such as the Nook.
The good news: Major e-book services, such as Kobo and Amazon, offer apps for Android and iOS devices that let users read e-books on tablets and smartphones.
More than a website needed
Mr Schoppert said the e-book market here has not taken off, as no one has invested enough in it.
"The kind of explosion in e-book reading we've seen in the US and Britain, and increasingly now in Australia, represents quite a big change in reading habits. That's not something that's achieved by just launching a website."
The big players in those markets, he said, launched their stores with e-readers and had a strong presence in the big bookshops and a well-developed system for self-publishing for readers who want to be authors.
All these different elements, he said, work together to help create the buzz and the word-of-mouth around e-reading that is necessary to create a change in reading habits.
Mr Schoppert said: "With smartphone and tablet penetration being so high in Singapore, I totally understand why none of the local players invested in launching an e-reader, which most tech industry players see as a transitional device.
"But in other markets, e-readers helped to create the buzz and proved popular with older and non-tech- focused readers.
"My 80-year-old mother is not interested in an Android phone, but she loves her Nook, from Barnes & Noble, and she's a heavy e-reader."
Another bugbear is the different cost of e-books across the many services out there.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' self-titled biography, published by Simon & Schuster, for instance, costs US$9.99 (S$12.30) at the Amazon Kindle store, while SingTel's Skoob charges $25.83 for the same e-book.
Mr Rai said: "Why would anyone pay so much for an e-book?"
Higher e-book prices here will continue to motivate e-book fans to find ways to circumvent geographical restrictions imposed by sellers such as Amazon, which does not sell e-books to Singapore customers.
StarHub's Mr Lee said publishers generally determine the selling price of their e-books and retailers do not have direct control over pricing.
"Nonetheless, we are actively negotiating with our partners and publishers so as to offer competitively priced e-book titles to Singapore consumers."
This story was first published in The Straits Times on May 4, 2013
To subscribe to The Straits Times, please go to http://www.sphsubscription.com.sg/eshop/


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HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Police responded to eight burglaries reports to homes, businesses and vehicles since Saturday morning.
- Boxwood Court Northwest, 4000 block; forced entry into home between 7:45 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 27; $360 Polo jacket, $250 value on five pairs of Levi jeans, $75 pair of Air Force One shoes, $50 pair of Air Jordan flip-flops and a $69 Sony DVD player.
- Paden Drive Northwest, 5000 block; forced entry through door of home between 5:30 and 10 p.m. on Friday; undisclosed values on a 50-inch television, Yamaha 5-disk CD changer, five-eights caret diamond ring, 24-inch gold chain, diamond ring, class ring and Wii gaming system.
- Spacegate Drive Northwest, 100 block; forced entry into business between 4:30 and 4:39 a.m. on Sunday; nothing listed missing, but there was an unknown amount of damage to interior wall.
- Campbell Truck Stop, Alabama 53; forced entry into business between noon Friday and 12:40 p.m. on Saturday; unknown values on coins and damage to vending machine and front door.
- Terrace Trail Southeast, 4400 block; forced entry through window of 1991 Chevrolet Caprice between 2:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday; undisclosed values on a Pioneer CD player and damage to dashboard and driver's side window.
- Triana Boulevard; forced entry into business between 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 and 9:30 a.m. on Thursday; undisclosed value on an HP laptop computer and computer speakers.
- McClain Circle Northwest, 2400 block; forced entry into home between midnight and 3:30 p.m. on Friday; undisclosed amount of damage to 3-by-2-foot window frames, double-pane window, garage door and walls; nothing listed missing.
- Crosswinds Drive Northwest, 4900 block; forced entry into home through window at 5:45 a.m. on Saturday; undisclosed value on damage to window; nothing listed missing.


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Designer off to UK
Blantyre- based fashion designer Lillian Mpatsa, leaves the country today for the United Kingdom to exhibit her designs at the Africa Fashion Week London 2015 set to run from August 7 to August 8.
Lillian, who is a daughter to business magnet Korea Mpatsa, is expected to exhibit her ‘Broken Pieces’ collection at the Africa Fashion Week London which is this year running under the theme Apprentice and skill empowerment.
“This will be the first time for me to exhibit at the Africa Fashion Week London and I am happy that this chance has come up. I know Lilli Alfonso, who is one of the country’s top designers has been there and I am happy to follow in her footsteps,” said the 27-year old designer.
She said with the fashion week set to start on August 7, she has left early as she wants to prepare more for the event as well as get to link up with other designers.
Lillian said for her to be accepted to exhibit at the Africa Fashion Week London 2015, she applied and after going through her collection they were satisfied.
“It’s exciting to exhibit my works and represent Malawi at this event, this platform will give me an opportunity to link up with other designers but also show what Malawi has. As designers we really need to be embracing such platforms and I am happy that fashion designing is growing in the country and people are able to utilise fashion designers to create cloths for their different events,” she said.
The youthful designer, who launched her Miizu by Lilly Clothing in October last year having founded it in 2013, said she is happy that this task has come to pass this year, adding that through the event, she will experience new challenges.
“My brand is all African and as I said I will be showing my brand new collection ‘Broken Pieces’ that uses Chitenje which is mixed with modern style. I have a passion for fashion and this is why I launched my brand in 2014. Having done my undergraduate degree I decided to teach myself sewing after seeing that there were cloths which were very expensive but then easy to make,” she said.
To come up with her designs, Lillian uses local material and that once in a while she uses material from outside the country.
“I do some of the work on my own but I have also employed tailors who assist me. With fashion growing, I want to do more and actually I will hold an exhibition when I come back from the event just to show what will be on song at the Africa Fashion Week London,” said the designer, who exhibited a t the Wedding Expo organised by Amakhosi in Lilongwe two months ago.
Created by Ronke Ademiluyi, Africa Fashion Week London is Europe’s largest catwalk event of African and African-inspired design.
A collaborative catwalk and exhibition, highlighting the industry’s established and emerged African designers, Africa Fashion Week London is at the forefront of capturing the surge of the African inspired trends in the fashion industry.
It’s an annual event that aims to celebrate the work of African and African inspired designers in the UK and worldwide.
The event has hosted four catwalk events since inception in 2011 and contributed expertise to at least 10 more events produced by 3rd parties such as The Mayor of London’s Black History Month celebrations and the annual Africa Centre Summer Festival.
The organisers say that as part of their youth development initiative for the fashion business industry, they will be nominating apprentices within the fashion industry that will be Tourism Ambassadors who will be mentored by different Fashion designers from all over the world for a rare opportunity to be on AFWL 2016 next year based on excellent performance index
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Innovations In Sustainable Packaging: The Great Debate
Leading, marketing & communications company, PHD Marketing & Strategy, is confronting high profile packaging issues head on by hosting a unique event for the media on the key challenges and solutions around sustainability.
PHD Marketing will examine how packaging and print businesses are meeting the demands of a new generation of socially conscious consumers through sustainable innovation at PHD Presents, an event in London later this month (October).
Jo Stephenson, Managing Director of PHD, said: “What has now become know as the 'Blue Planet Effect' is creating a lot of debate, change and challenge for the UK print and packaging markets on sustainability and the future of the industry.
“Changing consumer attitudes to the environment and corporate responsibilities are forcing brands, retailers and packaging companies to readdress their processes and products.
“Sustainability is no longer a niche proposition. Print and packaging manufacturers are now looking at ways of delivering honest, transparent and sustainable solutions to leave a more hopeful legacy for the planet and future generations.”
PHD Marketing is hosting 16 of its clients who will present their sustainability developments in the labels, flexible and corrugate packaging sectors and discuss what challenges each face.
Sponsored by bespoke packaging supplier, BoxMart, the seminar-style event is invite only and will take place in London on October 25, 2018.
PHD Marketing is a specialist in business to business marketing strategy and communications and provides a range of services to manufacturing, distribution, science and technology businesses across the UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.


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Itasca, IL - Jun 21, 2016 - With EURO 2016 in full swing, soccer fans around the world are watching 24 teams play 51 games now through July 10. And millions of those fans are leveraging popular mobile apps to stream content and stay up to date - apps that could pose security risks to enterprises. According to a new report , "Will Companies be Shown a Yellow Card during EURO 2016?", if used on employer-issued or employee-owned BYOD devices, many of these popular apps could violate corporate risk policies.
"CIOs are likely unaware that many popular EURO 2016 apps used by millions of employees all across Europe are able to access very sensitive device functions and data - such as ad networks, location services & tracking, telephony, in-app purchasing, social networking and microphones - to name just a few," said Maureen Polte, Vice President of Product Management at Flexera Software. "Enterprises do a great job monitoring the various enterprise apps running on their networks and mitigating risks - however most do not extend their Application Readiness best practices to their mobile apps - an oversight which could invite unacceptable risk into the organization."
The report found that of the almost 50 popular Apple iOS EURO 2016 apps tested :
"CIOs need to understand that the behaviors of the mobile apps their employees are using may interact with their corporate systems and data - because not all mobile app developers are trustworthy," added Polte. "This requires a centralized, automated, repeatable Application Readiness process to identify and test those apps to determine what they do, and whether they comply with or violate the organization's BYOD policies."
To compile the report, Flexera Software identified almost 50 widely used EURO 2016 applications, representing a small sampling of those that can be found in the Apple App Store and that could easily be downloaded by employees to a corporate-issued or BYOD device. These apps were tested using AdminStudio Mobile, an Application Readiness solution that helps organizations identify, manage, track and report on mobile apps, simplify mobile application management, reduce mobile app risk, and address the rapidly growing demand for mobile apps in the enterprise.
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By Faryal Najeeb
KARACHI: Gold dealers have found a perfectly tax-free legal way to ship the precious metal into another country with an intention to sell them for a profit. Have women wear them as jewellery and travel to the desired destination.
Gold rates in Pakistan are considerably stable now than few months ago. However, it continues to remain cheaper by Rs300-500 per 10 grams compared to the Dubai bullion market.
Recently, a case was brought to light when a man tried to take around 100 tolas (1.17kg) of gold jewellery out of the country in a very simple way. He had his wife and daughters adorn heavily with gold jewellery, which he had planned to sell in another country.
President of All Pakistan Supreme Council of Jewellers Association, Haroon Rashid Chand said, “this is not an unusual way to ship gold to other countries with the intention of selling them.
“It isn’t illegal for women to wear heavy gold jewellery and carrying the same is not a crime. Taking advantage of this fact, many families and more than often, dealers ship gold and other precious metals and stones out of the country in this way.”
He explained that this was a perfectly legal way to sell precious metals and gems in other markets that were far more lucrative than Pakistan.
Referring to the incident, Chand was of the view that had the man sold all that jewellery in the Dubai market, he could have earned a profit of Rs40,000, keeping the difference between current local and UAE rates in mind.
He continued to say that earlier Customs used to believe that gold was only brought into the country and not exported abroad. However, the practice of smuggling gold to other bullion markets has existed for long and only recently has the Customs taken note of it.
Referring to the variety of gold being sold in Pakistan, Chand said that it was mostly local recycled jewellery. A thin percentage of international gold was brought in the country mostly by women visiting/living abroad, Chand said adding gold imports were now almost negligible of the total volume of local bullion trade.
Chand said that the Pakistani bullion market was cold as an average persons purchasing power continued to decline by the day and hence consumers preferred to stay away from the markets.
Gold was valued at Rs23,657 per ten grams and Rs27,600 per tola on Friday. International bullion rates stood at $923.50 an ounce on Friday.


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We found 1996 items for the tag: ics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB Video Card Review
Mar 26, 2013 12:00 pm
What? A reference video card from NVIDIA? And the review going live at NDA time? Yes - we've made peace and we're showing the GTX 650 Ti Boost today.
GIGABYTE Radeon HD 7790 1GB OC Overclocked Video Card Review
Mar 26, 2013 4:56 am
With a new GPU model from AMD we're got some different versions of the new Radeon HD 7790 and today we look at one from GIGABYTE and overclock it.
Sapphire Radeon HD 7790 1GB Dual-X OC Video Card Review
Mar 22, 2013 7:45 am
AMD has released a new model and we see just what the Radeon HD 7790 is about with the Dual-X OC model from Sapphire.
HIS Radeon HD 7770 iCooler 1GB Overclocked Video Card Review
Mar 20, 2013 6:41 am
We take a look at what HIS is doing with the mid-range AMD Radeon HD 7770 and take the time to overclock it to see what it can do.
LG Optimus L9 Smartphone Review
Mar 19, 2013 7:23 pm
LG's third outing in their first-generation L series gets reviewed, the Optimus L9. Let's take a look.
HIS Radeon HD 7850 iPower IceQ Turbo 4GB Video Card in CrossFire
Mar 19, 2013 6:17 am
We throw another 4GB HD 7850 into the mix and see how CrossFire performance is with these new bad boys from HIS.
Samsung shifts into a multiple-CEO system, adds two new co-CEOs
Mar 15, 2013 4:08 am
Samsung announces a multiple-CEO system, adds two new co-CEOs to the company
HIS Radeon HD 7850 iPower IceQ Turbo 4GB Video Card Review
Mar 12, 2013 5:20 am
HIS double the memory on the HD 7850 and release a 4GB version of the popular model.
Tomb Raider Xbox 360 Review
Mar 10, 2013 3:14 pm
Lara gets rebooted by Crystal Dynamics and the results in our opinion are just fine.
Tomb Raider Benchmarked with AMD EyeFinity at 5760 x 1080
Mar 9, 2013 2:23 pm
We take a look at Crystal Dynamics' reboot of Tomb Raider with Sapphire's HD 7970 in both single and multi-monitors configurations up to 5760 x 1080.
AMD and Crystal Dynamics Collaboration Delivers "Tomb Raider" with TressFX
Mar 6, 2013 5:39 am
NASA's Curiosity rover stuck in safe mode thanks to a flash memory issue
Mar 4, 2013 9:33 am
Thanks to a flash memory issue, NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars is stuck on safe mode
AMD Launches the FirePro R5000 Remote Graphics Card for Deployment in Data Centers
Feb 26, 2013 12:40 am
LG aims to sell 40 million smartphones in 2013
Feb 25, 2013 11:34 am
LG would like to sell 40 million smartphones this year
Metaio brings world's first Augmented Reality Accelerated chipset to market, signs agreement with ST-Ericsson to integrate future mobile platforms
Feb 21, 2013 7:00 pm
Crytek at it again, say that it is "impossible" for next-gen consoles to compete with PCs
Feb 20, 2013 4:27 am
Crytek say that it's "impossible" for next-gen consoles to compete with PCs
The first bionic hand that can feel will soon be here
Feb 18, 2013 9:37 am
The first bionic hand that is capable of feeling will be here later this year
Julian Assange to run for a seat in the Australian senate
Feb 15, 2013 9:11 am
Julian Assange confirms to be running for a seat in the Australian senate
New Addonics 1U Cipher RAID Rack and Cipher RAID Tower Offer AES 256-bit Encryption
Feb 11, 2013 9:45 am
RumorTT: No new Radeon GPUs from AMD for most of 2013
Feb 11, 2013 4:38 am
RumorTT: It looks like we won't be seeing any big GPU releases from AMD this year
ZOTAC Refreshes ZBOX nano XS with AMD Radeon HD 7340 Graphics
Feb 6, 2013 3:58 am
Behind closed doors, South Korean giants Samsung and LG will settle their patent dispute
Feb 5, 2013 7:29 am
Samsung and LG will shake hands over their patent dispute behind closed doors
Updated Intel 4K Collage graphics driver now available for Gigabyte's Thunderbolt-capable motherboards
Jan 30, 2013 5:38 am
Gigabyte's Thunderbolt-capable motherboards receive new Intel 4K Collage graphics driver
Philips drops out of the consumer electronics business, surprises no one
Jan 30, 2013 3:38 am
Philips waves goodbye to the consumer electronics business


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Photos of the first Android mobile phone from LG have leaked online, as the South Korean mobile giant looks to join the Android gold rush.
Reportedly dubbed the Etna KS360, the new handset was snapped at the Vodafone booth at the IFA show by a German website called Chip Online.
Full specifications have yet to be confirmed but it is known that the mobile will feature a five megapixel camera, Bluetooth support, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and pre-installed Google applications such as Maps and Facebook.
LG’s entry into the market for Android mobiles comes in the wake of huge sales figures for the likes of the T-Mobile G1 and the HTC Magic, both of which have sold over a million units worldwide.
Since then these handsets have been followed by the HTC Hero and the successor to the T-Mobile G1, the T-Mobile G2 Touch.
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Ateme Enables the First 5G Broadcast Transmission in the U.S.
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Missouri farmers are upset about President Donald Trump’s trade policies that are driving down commodity prices but they haven’t turned on the man they voted overwhelmingly to elect president, leaders of two major agricultural associations said this week.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday announced how it would spend $4.7 billion to mitigate “trade damage from unjustified retaliation by foreign nations.” For corn farmers, the payment will be one cent per bushel, payable after they have completed this year’s harvest. For dairies, the payment will be 12 cents per hundredweight, or about one cent per gallon.
The Missouri Corn Growers Association called the payments “adding further insult to injury” because the amount doesn’t come close to the 44 cents per bushel they expect farmers will lose due to the trade war and the state corn crop is severely curtailed by drought. The Missouri Dairy Association said it “is very disappointed” with payments that will cover less than 10 percent of the losses due to retaliatory tariffs by Mexico and China.
Anger with the department’s decision hasn’t translated into anger at Trump, said Gary Marshall, CEO of the corn growers association.
“The farmers have an amazing amount of patience with the president on these issues,” he said.
The political impact of the trade disputes could be felt as early as November, when voters will choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, and Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican. McCaskill is highly critical of Trump’s actions on trade while Hawley backs Trump.
“Missouri’s farmers are hurting, and between the drought and the ongoing trade war, they’re worried that they’ll end up underwater with this year’s crop,” McCaskill said in a statement issued by her Senate office. “These payments may help some folks on the margins, but what I’ve heard from our agriculture producers is they won’t even help them break even, and instead of bailouts they want markets—so I’m going to continue fighting to end this trade war.”
At a campaign stop in Columbia on Tuesday, Hawley said Trump’s action to impose new tariffs was justified by years of unfair trade practices.
“This trade war was started by China, it was started by our opponents and it has been going on for years,” Hawley said. “Now, finally, we have a president who has said I am not just willing to lay down and be defeated.”
Trump on June 15 imposed a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports, which resulted in China imposing a 25 percent levy on imports of agricultural products and other goods from the United States. As a result, agricultural prices have plummeted, with soybeans down 25 percent from their February peak, corn down almost 16 percent and milk down 5.5 percent since June.
There has been some good news, including tentative deals with the European Union and Mexico, but prices have not rebounded.
The plunge in prices comes as corn growers are expecting a 23 percent decline in yields due to drought and hay prices have shot up because pastures have stopped growing.
Missouri has been losing dairy farms for decades and this year’s problems will probably cause more farmers to quit, said Ted Sheppard, president of the Missouri Dairy Association. The average dairy herd in Missouri is 80 cows and the payment under the trade mitigation plan would be about $960, based on average production for each cow, he said.
“If you bring it down to that size farm level and what that is going to do on the farm, that may buy one tractor tire, if it is not too big a tractor,” Sheppard said.
So far, he said, members of his organization aren’t directly blaming Trump for their losses this year. How long that will last, he said, is uncertain.
“I think the patience comes from a long-time thinking that things need to change and finally we have an administration that is trying to change things,” Sheppard said.
The dairy association endorsed Hawley in the Senate race, as did many other farm organizations. The corn growers are an exception and will remain neutral in the Senate race, Marshall said.
Hawley and McCaskill each met with the corn growers’ board, he said.
“They both did a very good job of articulating their positions,” Marshall said. “Our guys tend to be a little more conservative. Both the attorney general and the senator acquitted themselves very well in talking with our growers.”
So far, the plunging prices haven’t been felt by many Missouri farmers because the growing season is not over and much of their past production remaining on the farm has been sold under futures contracts for prices above current levels. In July, soybean farmers received $9.28 a bushel for beans, according to a monthly USDA report, while spot market prices were about $8.50 a bushel.
The same report, however, shows that overall, farmers who grow grain and oil seeds are receiving only 65.8 percent of the prices they enjoyed in 2011 and dairy farmers are being paid only 76.6 percent of 2011 prices. Farm costs are 8.7 percent higher than in 2011, the report states.
Rural reaction to trade policies can change the political landscape for decades. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter imposed an embargo on grain shipments to Russia over the invasion of Afghanistan, turning many farmers away from the Democratic Party.
Marshall remembers the grain embargo, he said. The reaction to the small relief payments hasn’t hurt Trump yet, he said.
“Farmers believe that is coming from USDA, it may or may not be coming from the president,” he said. “What they announced isn’t anything what they were hoping to see.”


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As we begin the new year, we are sensing great positive momentum on the economic front. Unemployment is down, oil prices are down, and consumer sentiment is up. Nonetheless, questions abound as to what these numbers really mean. Where will all this economic activity take us in the coming year? Most importantly, what are the opportunities to look for as entrepreneurs?
Since our last update, interesting economic events occurred to change several previously held paradigms as to where we are headed. As we will see in this article, some of these new developments pose a challenge. They benefit some economies and industries, while posing serious concerns for others. One thing evident is that the U.S. economy improved significantly during this last quarter. However, the question still remains as to whether or not this improved economic environment will be sustainable, and to what extent it will permeate to all sectors of our country.
Let’s now take a look at what’s behind the recent numbers and developments…
Gross Domestic Product
The Consumer Department on Tuesday December 23, 2014, reported that the U.S. GDP expanded at a 5% annualized rate in the third quarter. Previous estimates had reported GDP to be closer to 3.9%. One main reason for this improvement is due in large part to the unexpected drop in oil prices.
Without question the falling oil prices will reshape the 2015 outlook for U.S. growth and inflation. The recent decline in gasoline prices at the pump will put an estimated $40 billion in American’s pockets in the fourth quarter. This equates roughly into $42 to $60 extra cash per person each month, based on the current population numbers in the U.S. On balance lower oil prices are positive, if spending doesn’t overheat causing inflationary pressures. As we will see below, the increase in personal wealth caused by the drop in oil will continue to be a significant factor to the U.S. economy.
In the first 11 months of 2014, the U.S. economy added 2.65 million jobs. Currently, the unemployment rate is now the lowest since the recession began at 5.8%. However, it is important to note that this number does not include all those Americans who are no longer looking for work. The traditional unemployment rate counts only those actively looking for work. Those who stop looking are not included and instead counted as labor force drop outs.
In December 2007, the month the recession started, 66% of the working age population either had a job or was actively looking for one. By September 2014, participation in the workforce had dropped to 62.7%; the lowest level since 1978. This drop in participation represents 11.5% of the population that are no longer participating in the workforce. Some of the drop out was expected due in part to the Baby Boomer generation turning 60 and retiring by the millions.
However, their impact is only a small percentage of the total drop out rate. The reason the participation rate is important is because it is directly related to the size of the workforce, which is a key determinant of how fast the economy can grow. A smaller workforce presents a drag on the economy both from a consumer consumption and government fiscal outlook. Two thirds of the U.S. GDP comes from consumer consumption, so fewer workers paying taxes affects the government fiscal outlook.
Despite more Americans being employed, wage growth continues to be stagnant. This puts a damper on the economy growing further. The average hourly earning for private sector workers rose 9 cents in November, a 0.4% increase from October, doubling the average monthly gains in the prior 12 months. Yet, this small increase is not enough to even offset the inflation rate. When compared with workers earnings in the early 1970’s, today’s workers have lost approximately 74% of their purchasing power. Amazingly this is true despite many workers working two and three jobs.
Adding to the stagnant wage growth is an additional constraining factor: the current trend of the majority of workers staying put in a job. This fact suggests that the labor market lost some of its luster, making it harder for people to enter the workforce and for younger workers to grow into senior and better paying jobs. Some of this lack of upper job mobility is also indicative of the slowdown and continued lack in the formation of new companies.
The Federal Reserve made it clear that they will begin to increase interest rates near the middle of 2015. When the rates actually are raised depends on what develops with regards to inflation. The drop in oil has a direct effect on the overall inflation rate in the U.S. For Example at $60/barrel, GDP is calculated to be 2.7%; with consumer spending contributing 3.0% and inflation projected to be 2.0%. Hypothetically, at $40/barrel, GDP is projected to rise to 3.1%; with consumer spending increasing to 3.4% and inflation dropping to 1.9%.
Now, it is expected that if the Central Bank puts more weight on the looming inflation drop, they will hold off on an interest rate increase. In contrast, should they put more weight on underlying commerce strength, they will proceed as planned. Also if they put more weight on underlying economic strength, they will proceed as planned. Any business considering to borrow for expansion and growth reasons is prudent to keep an eye on these developments and plan accordingly.
The University of Michigan Index of Consumer Sentiment rose to 93.4 in early December. The highest level in eight years. This growing optimism among consumers boded well for retailers during the holiday season. Both Costco and Wall Mart, as well as many restaurants, reported same store sales significantly improving these last two months when compared to the previous quarter.
Since our last update, Americans increased their borrowing with new mortgages, car loans, credit card purchases, and student loans. Auto lenders made $105 billion in new loans, the highest level in nearly a decade. Student loan outstanding rose $8 billion to $1.1 Trillion. Debt rose $78 billion between July and September to $4.7 Trillion. All these numbers suggest that Americans are gradually borrowing again after years of shedding debt. This increase in consumer confidence emboldens households to once again begin to use credit to supplement their cash flow. As we discussed above, the wage stagnation is a contributing factor here.
Default rates on mortgages and car loans declined, whereas loan delinquency on student loans rose from 10.7% to 11.1% in the third quarter. The student loan burden continues to be a major problem with younger Americans, especially the millennials. This group now features a -2% savings rate, which dampens any possibility of making large purchases such as buying a home.
Sales of previously owned homes tumbled to a six month low in November by 6.1% from a month earlier, the lowest level since May of 2014. Yet in the last month of 2014, contracts signed to buy previously owned homes rose to the third highest level since 2013. Meanwhile, sales of new homes essentially remained unchanged over the past year.
Interestingly earlier indicators hadn’t pointed to such a slump. For example, pending home sales declined just 1.1% in October and were flat in September. It was therefore expected that in general the housing market would see more robust activity and appreciation. Nonetheless, prices so far are holding up with the median sales price for existing homes up 5% from a year ago. As foreclosures fade, and investor purchases step back from the market, price gains have slowed and are holding at this level. Many economists believe that the 5% level of appreciation is the sweet spot where real estate wealth can increase without the market developing into a bubble.
U.S. domestic manufacturing appears to be doing well. The Institute for Supply Management’s Index of Manufacturing activity rose to 59 from 56.6 in September. There is some cautionary optimism, due in part to the stronger dollar making U.S. products less competitive globally.
Retail spending over Thanksgiving weekend fell 11% from a year earlier, according to the National Retail Federation. One reason cited for this decline may be due to the fact that retailers started offering deals days and even weeks before Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, shoppers spent an average of $380.95, down 6.4% from a year earlier.
The global economic outlook is grim as of the time of this article. China reported slowing economic growth, which contributed to the drop in prices of raw materials – including oil. As a result of sanctions and the price drop of oil, Russia appears to be on the verge of entering another recession. Meanwhile Europe continues to struggle due to a combination of low growth and low inflation, coupled with a high unemployment rate. Europe is currently reporting their GDP at only 1.3%. Purchase Indexes in China, South Korea, Germany, France and Italy showed manufacturing in these nations barely grew or contracted.
The Ever Increasing Strength of the Dollar
Currencies across the globe continue to rumble against the Dollar. On a positive note, the surging dollar and falling commodity prices are delivering a windfall to American shoppers. Unfortunately most commodities are priced in Dollars, so consumers and companies outside the U.S. see their buying power shrink when their currencies weaken.
At the same time, a stronger Dollar hurts U.S. exports by raising the production costs relative to foreign rivals, therefore cutting the value of overseas profits when converted into dollars. These are some of the issues cited by many multi-nationals, including IBM and McDonalds, as to why they are experiencing a major drop in revenue. As a result, the Institute for Supply Management at the beginning of December stated that its Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (a gauge of sentiment among purchasing executives) eased slightly to 58.7 in November from 59.0 in October.
Historically, readings above 50 indicate expansion. The index has remained in this positive territory for 18 consecutive months now. The question currently; will this decrease become a downward trend going forward? Overall, U.S. multi-nationals have hurt because of both the strengthening dollar and by the slowing European economy. Any business dealing internationally, and especially in Europe, will have to take into consideration these two critical aspects of the economy as they do business internationally.
What does this all mean?
As we see in this article, the overall economic outlook for the U.S appears to be positive. The momentum going forward is strong, holding much promise for a good economic year. The U.S. stock and bond market benefited greatly by this show of strength, as world wide investors move their funds to the safety of the American markets. Since two thirds of the American economy is based on consumer spending, increase in wages is a critical part of maintaining and growing this momentum.
Without wage inflation much of what is gained in GDP will dissipate. It is expected that in a more competitive job market we begin to see an upward pressure on wages. The primary dark economic clouds in the horizon come from overseas markets such as Russia, Japan, and Europe, as well as from various commodity based economies. To what extent their challenges will effect the U.S. over this next year is not known at this time.
For a small business, the increase in consumer confidence should translate to more sales as consumers continue to spend. Any business considering borrowing for expansion is wise to keep a firm eye on potential interest rate hikes and plan accordingly. Alternatively, it is expected that the Securities and Exchange Commission will finalize rules required by the Jumpstart Our Business Startup Act of 2012. This will allow businesses to raise small amounts of capital from investors through what is known equity crowd funding.
As the year progresses we will continue to track these developments. In the meantime, from all of us at Bay Area Mastermind, we wish you a prosperous New Year.
Explorations of the current business landscape often occur during meetings of the Bay Area Mastermind group. The intention is to provide business owners a chance to meet, collaborate and support each other as they face the day to day challenges of running a business. If you feel called to connect in this way with other entrepreneurs, then check out a “Test Drive” in the coming weeks.
Your business will thank you.
Image courtesy © Can Stock Photo Inc. / mscottparkin


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Could this be the reason for the ballooning obesity epidemic? The infographic created by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that hamburgers and french fry meals have tripled in size over the decades, while a cup of fountain soda is a whopping 6 times larger today than it used to be. A 2.4oz portion of french fries has grown to 6.7oz; hamburgers from 3.9oz to 12oz; and soda from 7oz to 42oz.
What may be even worse is that accompanied by this massive increase in portion sizes is the heavy use of harmful and toxic ingredients. While the ingredients used in food used to be minimal, you can find a plethora of toxic substances in the majority of food today, including MSG, aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring, neotame, caramel coloring, and much more. McDonald’s chicken McNuggets, which would be expected to have nearly 0 ingredients, contains autolyzed yeast extract, dimethylpolysiloxane, sodium phosphate, to name a few ingredients. Even something as simple as ‘strawberry flavor‘ consists of nearly 50 different chemicals. These ingredients along with many more can be found throughout the mainstream food supply.


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Youth campaign for safe surfing
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups' u21.hk website has launched an Internet Green Charter to promote a safer internet culture among local students.
The Charter, which is part of a wider Internet Green Campaign, has already attracted students from more than 100 schools.
Young people who sign the charter promise to practice sensible internet behaviour.
The campaign includes seminars for students and computing courses targeted at parents. It is sponsored by Microsoft, the Internet Society Hong Kong Chapter and the Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association.
'The internet is boundless and free but we have the responsibility to maintain a healthy and safe online world and to develop a green online culture,' said Dr Rosanna Wong Yick-ming, executive director of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups.


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Mobile learning platform to deliver revision materials to connected devices.
McGraw-Hill Cos. and Wipro Ltd.’s Wipro Technologies are working together to develop a new mobile learning platform, attempting to tap potentially massive opportunities in emerging markets by creating an educational tool accessible to poor, rural users.
The product, dubbed “mConnect”, will be introduced in India by offering preparation material for university entrance exams. The programs will be available via cell phone, laptop and other mobile devices. According to McGraw-Hill, India has more than 700 million cell phones, with 100 million used by youth in rural areas.
New-York based McGraw-Hill, a financial-information provider and education company, and Wipro, a Bangalore-based information-technology company, plan to extend the program later to other countries in Asia and Africa.
The two companies already partner on another education technology platform, Connect. That product offers web-based learning to more than 1.2 million college students and professors across the U.S., with online texts, interactive quizzes and supplemental study materials.
Source – total telecom


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One of Canada's top Thai eateries PAI is gearing up to host a cool street-market-inspired this Saturday in celebration of Songkran (Thai New Year).
Drawing inspiration from the many street markets one can experience across Thailand, this April 15 Songkran market will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature a mix of interesting local makers and retailers selling vintage clothing, vinyls, jewellery, handmade candles, and more.
Of course, there will be plenty of eats too, with PAI serving up tasty street eats including yum kanom jin (rice noodle salad), khao kha moo (braised pork hock on rice), khao mun gai (Thai-Style chicken rice), and papaya salad.
“We love being able to bring Thai traditions to Toronto and make our guests feel like they’re in Thailand,” said Jeff Regular in the event announcement. “As much as we do this for Nuit and the Thai community who are missing these experiences from home, we also do this for our team, who love any opportunity to do something unique and allow us to celebrate together and give everyone joy."
Net proceeds from the food stalls at this special one-day event at PAI's downtown location will be used to sponsor 10 students in northern Thailand to attend school for one year. Attendees are also able to make additional contributions via donation boxes throughout the market space.
“Part of the Songkran tradition is elders giving the younger generation new things for them to use, whether it is new clothes, shoes, books, etc. It signifies a fresh beginning for the new year. I want to continue this tradition and give back to my community by helping young students in need to attend school and assist them with buying new books, school supplies, and school uniforms,” said chef Nuit Regular.
PAI is located at 18 Duncan St. and its celebratory Songkran market event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 15, 2023.


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Voting in The Sunday Times Motor Awards 2019 has closed. The winners will be announced on Driving.co.uk in October.
VOTING is open in the second Sunday Times Motor Awards sponsored by Bridgestone and over the weeks since launch we’ve be giving you the details of each of the shortlisted entries in each category.
Our motoring writers whittled down the long lists of their favourite cars on sale this year to produce the final nominees, but most of the winners will be decided by you. Even better, by voting you could win a seven-night holiday for two in Thailand.
Below are the Best British-Built Car of the Year contenders with the reasons behind their nomination. When you’ve found your favourite, be sure to click through to vote for it — the winner will be the one that receives the most support from our readers.
Choose from the Bentley Continental GT V8, Jaguar XE, LEVC TX taxi, Nissan Qashqai, Range Rover Evoque, MINI Electric and Toyota Corolla.
Our panel of experts were looking for the cars that represent the best of the British car industry and prove, despite the ongoing uncertainties over Brexit, the UK can still produce some mighty fine motors.
The winners of the 2019 Sunday Times Motor Awards, including the coveted Sunday Times Car of the Year and Jeremy Clarkson’s Car of the Year, will be announced at a star-studded event in October.
Bentley Continental GT V8
Bentley is celebrating its centenary in 2019, so it’s appropriate that one of the firm’s Crewe-built cars has been nominated this year. We haven’t picked a Bentley for patriotically sentimental reasons, however: the Continental GT is, in our opinion, one of the finest luxury cars on the market right now, with our pick of the slowly-expanding Continental range being the V8 version you see here.
Reviewing the Jaguar XE for The Sunday Times, Jeremy Clarkson concluded that it was extremely good-looking and felt like a £100,000 car. It’s also an exceptionally well put together vehicle, thanks to the team at Solihull.
LEVC TX taxi
The black cab is as much a London landmark as Big Ben, Tower Bridge and Nelson’s Column. The London Electric Vehicle Company has reinvented it for the electrified age and hopes to find buyers not just in London but around the world. But it will forever be a British landmark to us.
BMW has learned a lot about electric cars through pioneering models like the i3 and plug-in hybrid i8. So it must be confident that the new, pure-electric version of the MINI Hatch will more than satisfy the needs of its customers. The car maker is claiming quick recharging times, and while the range of up to 144 mile won’t impress some, it’s the badge on the front that may entice a new breed of electric motorist.
Even Driving.co.uk accepts there are times when drivers want a comfort-blanket of a car; one that won’t be challenging to drive or taxing to own, and is affordable to buy in the first place. The Qashqai (which we crowned the Best British-Built Car last year) is that car, a family SUV that is so popular it is the UK car industry’s most popular export.
Range Rover Evoque
It may look like not much has changed with the new Evoque, launched this year, but the familiar shell shrouds a significantly updated car underneath, with big improvements in comfort, technology and interior space (without increasing overall length). The Evoque remains an extremely capable and desirable machine, though. And it’s built in Liverpool.
The Corolla is back, and this time it’s built in Britain. One of the world’s most popular cars, it has suffered from a reputation of being as mediocre as a badly made chicken korma, but this one changes all that. The boot isn’t huge but it’s dynamically and technologically impressive, genuinely giving the Volkswagen Golf a run for its money.


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Ade*, a young man who lived in the hinterland of Ogun State—a southwestern Nigerian state, received a phone call from the CEO of a leading sports betting company during the Yuletide. It was a congratulatory call. Ade had won ₦24 million with ₦1,500 bet.
The growth of Nigerian sports betting industry is fuelled by a combination of hope, passion for sports (football), a get-rich-quick mindset and the use of mobile technology by betting companies (AKA bookmakers). There are 28 sports betting companies in Lagos alone, according to the Lagos State Lotteries Board.
There is money in sports betting no doubt, but that money does not go round. Because if every punter wins, bookmakers won't make money. So, sports betting companies ensure they have the last laugh. For every Ade, there are over a million punters losing money. And publicizing big wins is how bookmakers keep losing-bettors hopeful and to believe in the gambler’s fallacy.
What if there was an alternative? A gaming platform without the negative baggage of sports betting? Osi Iyizoba, co-founder and CEO of Fantastic Technologies Limited, believes he and his team have found the answer with their free-to-play gaming platform called Fantastic.
Our platform, which is all about the fans—hence the name fantastic, gives users an experience similar to sports betting and rewards them without requiring any payment from them.
How does fantastic.ng work?
There are three ways to use fantastic.ng:
- Football Manager: A daily fantasy football game similar to the FPL (Fantasy Premier League). You select your 11-man team within a budget and compete against other users' team. The football manager on the platform currently hosts weekly contests featuring games from the the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Champions league.
- Predict & Win: This is the popular form of gaming for most football fans. You correctly predict outcome of a match and win a prize.
- Sports Quiz: This option will be launched soon, according to Osi. It will allow users to answer different sports-based trivia questions and the user with the highest score wins.
Fantastic.ng model is quite different from the typical sports betting company. The initial idea, Osi explained to benjamindada.com, was to develop an ad-supported platform and allow users to play for free. He said, "While building the platform, we talked to several blue-chip consumer goods companies that are heavily invested in football and we received great feedback."
However, when the platform was finally launched, they pivoted to a freemium model that allows users to play for free or buy ₦100 token to access premium games with higher rewards.
The more intriguing aspect of fantastic.ng is that, unlike other platforms, users are not directly rewarded with cash. Instead, they receive a digital currency called Fan Coins (FCs). These FCs are then used in the Fan Shop to purchase different items, including airtime, food, phones, laptops, and cash. Users don't only get FCs for playing games, they are also rewarded for engaging with the platform by watching videos, filling surveys, and daily logins.
On our platform, the only reward is [Fan] Coins. It is these Coins that can be used to get anything from the Fan Shop. Our Fan Shop is like a marketplace where users trade their Coins for valuable items and we are always updating the Shop with items we believe our fans [users] will love and appreciate.
Meet the Fantastic Team
Fantastic Technologies Limited was co-founded by Osi Iyizoba (CEO), Ugo Asuzu (CTO), Wonuola Okoye, and Felix Okoye (Director of Strategy).
Prior to starting Fantastic Tech, Osi had worked with CSL Stockbrokers Limited as a Margin Trading Executive. And the CTO, Ugo, has over 10 years of experience working in the IT department of companies in the consumer goods and power sector.
Future plans: 2020 and beyond
The fantastic plan of Fantastic Technologies is to build the largest online sports community in Africa by leveraging the overwhelming passion for sports and gaming on the continent, according to Fantastic Technologies CEO, Osi.
The three-year-old startup is currently raising a seed round that would enable them to grow their team and introduce new features, such as sport news, private contest, fan forums and new games on the platform.
*Not real name


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A new shop in Caversham has revealed what it will be selling after weeks of mystery.
Humos Aromatherapy has been launched by the same team that runs Le Masseur Personnel - based next door - and promises customers a personalised shopping experience offering “an ever-evolving scent library” to design personalised perfume, candle, reed diffuser or room mist.
A sign has gone up at the front of the building in Church Road, having previously teased passersby with nothing but a question mark on the front door.
Customers will be able to go in and see the new shop for themselves when it officially opens to the public on Saturday, September 23.
The aromatherapy studio will offer workshops for both individuals and groups in perfume, candle, reed diffuser and room mist making, guided by expert tutors.
All of the above products will also be on sale either in the shop or online in ready-to-buy fragrances.
Humos Aromatherapy will be open from 10am to 5pm from Wednesday to Saturday, as well as on Tuesdays by appointment only from 11am. Workshops will be available on Sundays by appointment only.
For more information visit www.humos.co.uk.


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Karl Lagerfeld has announced that he is launching a new, more affordable line. The collection is to be called ‘Karl’ and prices will range from €60 to €450, a huge drop from the usual price-points for his designs.
“I just want not too expensive clothes that people may like and perhaps want to wear. That was my concept for a long time, but my business partners in the past wanted to be like Chanel or Fendi without putting behind what is needed to be like that.” he told WWD.
The range will be made up of 100 pieces that include evening and daywear and will go on sale in January on luxury site, NET-A-PORTER.com, though there are plans to open Karl Lagerfeld stores in the future.
This comes as Lagerfeld pairs up with Fossil to design a new line of watches to be launched in Spring 2013. The 78 year old designer has previously collaborated with Macy’s, H&M, Diet Coke, Hogan to name a few.
By Katie Clinton


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Google has revealed new admin settings to "control access to experimental Google Workspace apps," suggesting that the company is working on a range of new products or services.
According to a company blog post (opens in a new tab), "Admins can use new experimental app control settings to grant or deny their users access to experimental or pop-up apps from Google and determine whether they're applications can access the basic data of the service.
It's also a nod to the company's founding years, when it used Google Labs to test new and upcoming productivity tools. New software is currently being developed under the title Area 120, with some recent additions including the dubbing aloud tool (opens in a new tab) and the Stack document scanning and organization tool (opens in a new tab). new tab).
The company said that, until now, there hasn't been an on/off switch, so adding it will be important to help users control who has access to their data, not to mention software stability.
Test apps with Google Workspace
The global rollout has already started, but it may take up to 15 days for some users to see new orders in Google Workspace.
The new rules will be available to all Workspace customers, as well as former G Suite Basic and Business users.
It will be enabled for most customers, and K-XNUMX customers will have it disabled from the start. Administrators can control it via applications > Additional Google services > Settings for workspace experiences.
At the time of writing, there is one Area 120 app that can be turned on or off from the new controls: the digital trading tool Qaya (Opens in a new tab).
Future additions are likely to focus on collaboration or workflow, as the new controls are only available to Workspace customers, not person/individual accounts.


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- Daily Zen
Symantec, maker of Norton anti-virus software has admitted that its anti-virus software is no longer effective against cyber-attacks and is practically dead.
Brian Dye, Symantec’s senior vice president for information security claims that antivirus only prevents 45% of attacks from hackers but it is still worth buying anti-virus to stop certain threats. Even with that Norton still accounts for more than 40% of the company’s revenue.
Dye’s comments has drawn a lot of criticism and provoked strong reactions from security experts. Perhaps the announcement must have been a shocker to the Symantec customers who have been shelling out nearly $50 a year for Norton anti-virus, Symantec’s most popular consumer product, which has been the trusted security software for a number of users for almost 25 years.
The company, which has seen two CEOs exit in the space of two years, is trying to shift the focus on minimizing damage rather than trying to prevent them. The company plans on selling both recovery services and offer threat specific intelligence briefings to corporate customers on data loss prevention, stopping information leaving or being compromised once hackers have cut through the company’s defences and the other kind of dangers they can expect, and how to prevent them. The company is also building technology to scan for next-generation malicious software inside a network that mimics security software.
“If customers are shifting from protect to detect and respond, the growth is going to come from detect and respond,” Dye added.
Part of the problem is that malware is becoming increasingly complex today. There are computer viruses which range from criminal attacks like identity theft, as well as Trojans that open a back door into a computer for hackers who can easily conduct mammoth data breaches and implement malicious computer codes that can record a user’s every mouse-click and keyboard stroke. There is also security vulnerability like Heartbleed that are immune to AV software. The list goes on.
The company said that the January report was disappointing with the overall detection by anti-virus software was just 70.62 percent followed by even worst February with only 64.77 percent detected. In March the average detection was 73.56 percent, which means that 29 percent, 35 percent and 26 percent was not detected.
While Symantec is having trouble safeguarding its users from malicious cyber attacks present in the world, it is also trying to change strategies and pursue a new direction as its revenue has dropped over the last two quarters. Its quarterly revenue is predicted to be down at least 5 per cent from the last year quarter.


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MidAmerica signs first air cargo tenant
By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – MidAmerica Airport in the Metro East has found its first tenant for a new air cargo facility.
St. Clair County built the $7 million warehouse last year as part of an effort to expand beyond the airport's fledgling passenger business.
Airport Director Tim Cantwell says a consortium called Trade Zone Partners will lease half of the 50,000 square foot space.
"Over five years, it's $250,000 rent plus we average out about 27 percent of the net profits as a partnership," Cantwell said.
The tenant company is a partnership between two suburban St. Louis companies: Sunset Transportation and homebuilder McEagle Properties.
MidAmerica has had a tough time attracting passenger carriers since it opened eight years ago.
However Allegiant Air has been operating regular flights there since early 2005.


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The BRC/Springboard-ATCM Footfall and Vacancies Monitor for February to April 2012 reveals that last month there was a 12.6% decrease in the number of town centre shoppers compared to the same period last year.
This is the worst drop in footfall since November 2009.
In contrast, indoor shopping centres, where shoppers could escape the downpours and perhaps park more easily, recorded a small increase in footfall of 0.4% for April.
Over the three-month period and including all types of locations, footfall was 2.0% lower than a year ago, down from a 1.8% increase in the previous three months.
Scottish retailers were particularly badly hit, with the number of shoppers down 12.6% in February-April, followed by an 8.9% decline in the East and 8.2% in Greater London. Wales was the only region to show increased footfall, with a rise of 0.6%.
Shop vacancies in town centres across the UK remained stable at 11.1% in April 2012. The figure, which includes high streets and shopping centres, was unchanged from January 2012 and October 2011. The highest vacancy rates were recorded in Northern Ireland (16.6%), the North and Yorkshire (13.5%) and the West Midlands (12.9%).
The persistently high shop vacancy rates, combined with double digit declines in shopper numbers, confirm how difficult the conditions are for customers and retailers, commented Stephen Robertson, director general of the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
Robertson noted that part of the decline in April 2012 can be attributed to the comparison with a strong performance last year, when the weather was better, Easter was later and there was an extra bank holiday.
Nevertheless, he added, it’s clear that consumer confidence remains low, their disposable incomes are still dropping and fewer people are shopping for non-essential items.