text:
US - The weekly USDA numbers have been released and they were supportive of the pork market (with some big caveats) but they continued to show a notable slowdown in beef shipments, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.
Pork: The chart shows weekly pork exports shipments in 2014 and 2015 as well as a four week moving average. You will notice two major breaks in the data.
First, in July 2014 USDA dumped a lot of data that should have been reported weekly but were not. The pork export sales report is quite new and there is still a lot of confusion as to who is supposed to report and who is not.
There is also confusion as to the products that need to be reported since the report only covers pork muscle cuts.
Still, after the inclusion of more exporters, it appeared that the pork data became consistent enough that it could be used to track overall trends.
Then came the week ending June 25 when weekly pork exports jumped to 38,843 MT after having averaged under 20,000 MT for much of the year.
Was this a new shift in the data? Was a new major importer included in the data set that was not there before? We don’t know but hope to find out from USDA at some point. After that big data dump, however, weekly exports dropped to around 15,000 MT.
For week ending July 23, weekly shipments were around 22,973. If we were to normalise for the big jumps in the data, it would appear that in June and July weekly pork shipments were around 25,000 MT compared to around 19,000 to 20,000 MT in April and May.
Normally pork export sales are lower in June and July, reflecting the seasonality in pork production. That exports appear to be up is a positive thing for the market going into the fall, when by all measures pork supplies will be some of the largest in recent years and we need all the demand we can get.
Now for the caveats. It could be that for all the talk of export orders, the recent numbers reflect a change in reporting rather than better export business. Reported weekly shipments to China so far have been quite mediocre. The real strong export numbers have come from Japan and Mexico.
The reason why China export speculation is bullish—and there is plenty of talk about China, it is because it would represent new business at a time when the established large buyers, Mexico and Japan, are already receiving significant volumes.
The weekly export data also is showing more pork going to smaller markets. Again, if the data is correct, then this would represent an expansion in demand for US pork and a broader base for shipments during the surge in supplies this fall.
Beef: As we have noted before, beef exports to Asia and North American continue to struggle. The main challenge remains the Hong Kong market, which in the last four reported weeks has averaged just 939MT/week.
For the same period last year, weekly shipments were 1,832 MT, down 49 per cent. Exports to Japan during the last four reported weeks are down 25 per cent and exports to Mexico are down 28 per cent.
South Korea remains a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy export report, with exports in the last four weeks 2,728 MT/week, up 38 per cent.
Average weekly beef export volume in the last four weeks was 11,912 MT, down 15 per cent compared to the same period last year. Beef exports in the second half of last year were quite strong despite a sharp reduction in volume.
In part this was due to a surge in exports to Hong Kong. The lack of Hong Kong business as well as ongoing weak sales to North America imply lower beef exports for the remainder of the year and, more importantly, lower value for items that normally fetch a premium in export markets.
ThePigSite News Desk
Top image via Shutterstock


text:
2022 has been a great year for carmakers in India. We saw the launch many models while some of the existing models got an update. As festive season approaches, manufacturers have started preparing for it and in the next couple of days, manufacturers like Citroen and Mahindra will be launching SUVs in the market. Hyundai launched the Venue N Line yesterday, on September 7th Citroen will be launching the facelift for C5 Aircross and on 8th Mahindra will be launching the all-new XUV400 EV.
Hyundai Venue N Line – Launched September 6
The first SUV to be launched in the market is from Hyundai. The South Korean carmaker launched the i20 N Line last year and afer a year, they are now all set to launch Venue N Line. Bookings for this SUV had already started and the images for the Venue N Line are already available online. It is a much more sportier looking version of Hyundai Venue’s Turbo petrol model. There would be cosmetic changes both on the exterior and on the interior. This would differentiate it from regular Venue on the road.
The Venue N Line would also get some exclusive colours just like i20 N Line. Mechanically, the Venue N Line would remain the same. The car comes with twin tip exhaust which makes the car sound different from the regular Venue. There would N Line specific things like steering wheel, red accents, N Line branding on upholstery, N-Line gear lever and so on. It would be powered by a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder, turbo petrol engine that generates 120 Ps and 172 Nm of peak torque. It is most likely to be offered with a 7-speed DCT and a 6-speed iMT gearbox. The Venue N-Line starts from 12.16 lakh, ex-showroom.
Citroen C5 Aircross facelift – September 7
French carmaker Cirtroen launched their first product C5 Aircross in the market last year. The company has now released images of a faceifted version of the C5 Aircross SUV. Citroen will be launching the C5 Aircross facelift in India on 7th of September. The facelift was debut globally earlier this year and it now comes with fresh looking design at the front. The revised grille, LED DRLs all give it a premium look. The bumper also gets some revisions. Along with the exterior, interior on this SUV has been revised too. The redesigned interior gets a larger 10 inch touchscreen infotainment system, revised center console and other features like ADAS are also likely to be offered. It will continue to draw its power from a 2.0 litre turbocharged diesel engine that generates 177 Ps and 400 Nm of peak torque while mated to an automatic transmission.
Mahindra XUV400 EV – Spetember 8
After a long wait, Mahindra has finally decided to launch the electric version of XUV300. Mahindra has released multiple teaser videos for the upcoming XUV400 EV and the same has been spotted testing too. The official launch of this SUV would happen on September 8. It will compete with Tata Nexon EV which is currently the best selling EV SUV in the country. In terms of dimensions, XUV400 is likely to be larger than the regular XUV300. Mahindra will be unveiling the XUV400 on Septemeber 8th but, prices for the same would be announced later.

domain: news


text:
Energy stocks helped pull the Toronto stock market lower Thursday in the wake of a report indicating the world will be needing a lot less oil for the rest of this year.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 22.85 points to 15,449.04.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
The International Energy Agency expects global oil demand to grow by 0.9 million barrels a day in 2014, a decrease of 65,000 barrels a day compared with last month’s forecast and down by 300,000 barrels a day since July. The IEA blames economic weakness in Europe and China.
The Canadian dollar dropped 0.53 of a cent to 90.92 cents US as weaker than expected Chinese inflation pressured commodity-based currencies.
U.S. indexes were also in the red with the Dow Jones industrials down 60.11 points to 17,008.6, the Nasdaq shed 15.38 points to 4,571.14 while the S&P 500 index declined 5.81 points to 1,989.88.
The IEA also said that oil demand growth in the second quarter was at its lowest in more than two years and the lower growth outside North America is expected to weigh on demand.
The glum picture for oil consumption comes at a time when the TSX energy sector has been a major reason the Toronto market is up 13.6 per cent year to date. The energy sector is up about 13 per cent so far this year.
On Thursday, the energy sector lost 0.85 per cent, while the October crude contract in New York fell 89 cents to US$90.78 a barrel after closing at an eight month low Wednesday.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had announced it was cutting production amid slow growth and increasing U.S. production.
Traders considered better than expected earnings reports from Empire Co. (TSX:EMP.A), the parent of grocer Sobeys and yoga retailer Lululemon Athletica (Nasdaq:LULU).
Empire’s consolidated quarterly net earnings were $123.1 million or $1.33 per diluted share. That was up from $65 million or 95 cents a share a year earlier.
Adjusted net earnings were $131.7 million or $1.43 per share, well ahead of analyst expectations of $1.35 per share on $6.21 billion of revenue. Revenue jumped more than 35 per cent to $6.22 billion, reflecting Empire’s acquisition of grocery chain Canada Safeway and its shares gained 37 cents to $74.79.
Lululemon reported a lower second-quarter profit of $48.7 million or 33 cents per share, compared with $56.4 million, or 39 cents per share a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was up 13 per cent to $390.7 million. Its stock jumped 16 per cent to US$44.52 in New York as the Vancouver-based company also raised its full-year adjusted earnings guidance after having lowered it in June.
Discount chain Dollarama (TSX:DOL) gained 93 cents to $94.80 as it increased its second-quarter net profit to $68.8 million, or $1.03 per share, compared with $59.7 million, or 82 cents per share, in the same quarter of the last fiscal year. Sales increased by 12 per cent to $572.6 million. It also announced a two-for-one stock split.
Meanwhile, tour package operator Transat (TSX:TRZ.B) said quarterly net earnings came in at $25.8 million, or 66 cents per share, compared with $41.1 million, or $1.07 per share, in the same quarter of 2013, largely because of the impact of fuel-hedging accounting during 2013. Revenues were up at $941.7 million, compared with $927 million year-over-year and shares gained 16 cents to $9.
Meanwhile, China’s consumer inflation eased in August amid signs of cooling economic growth. Prices rose two per cent from a year earlier, down from July’s 2.3 per cent increase. The rise in consumer prices was well below the government’s target for the year of 3.5 per cent and raised fresh questions as to whether Beijing might try to shore up economic growth.
The Chinese data helped depress the December copper contract, which was down three cents to US$3.08 but the base metals sector was slightly higher.
The gold sector was unchanged as December gold faded $1.50 to US$1,243.80 an ounce.


text:
Greenpeace, the non-governmental environmental advocacy group, has launched a new protest against German car maker Volkswagen. The organization has a long history of railing against companies they believe to be harming the environment. With growing concerns regarding climate change, many nations are drafting new laws to help combat the phenomena.
The European Union is currently considering two climate-oriented laws that would put strict regulations on carbon emissions and require car manufacturers to make more efficient vehicles. Greenpeace believes that Volkswagen is participating in a campaign to derail the progress of these two laws.
Group members have been passing out flyers in cities throughout Britain to raise awareness of the issue. The flyers are making use of iconic images from the Star Wars franchise, depicting Volkswagen as the villainous Darth Vader. R2D2, the memorable droid from the movies, is also featured on the flyer, with a prominent QR code painted on his chassis.
Technology Quotes That Invite Thought -
When scanned, the code resolves to a website where people can find information regarding what Volkswagen is doing to combat new emissions laws. Volkswagen officials dismiss such claims as unfounded, but Greenpeace asserts that the issue is very real and the car manufacturer is just one of many who try to offset environmentally friendly laws.
The problem with the website is that it is not optimized for mobile viewing, meaning that users will have very little patience navigating the site from the mobile devices. Since the campaign relies heavily on QR codes to spread its message, this may be a mistake that will cause the effort to flounder.


text:
Kim Kardashian Instagram slip-up shows risks of social media marketing
My reading habits consist of law and tech, so normally it’s easy to steer clear of Kim Kardashian. But the celebrity popped up in my news feeds all the same this week after the Food and Drug Administration scolded her for flogging an anti-morning sickness drug on Instagram (FB).
Kardashian is apparently pregnant, and wants to make a buck off the fact by talking about a drug called Diclegis. She posted an image of herself wielding a pill bottle, alongside a rambling caption that began:
“OMG. Have you heard about this? As you guys know my #morningsickness has been pretty bad. I tried changing things about my lifestyle, including my diet, but nothing helped, so I talked to my doctor. He prescribed me #Diclegis, I felt a lot better and most importantly, it’s been studied and there was no increased risk to the baby.”
The FDA was not amused. It issued a letter to the drug maker, complaining that Kardashian’s social media posts failed to mention any risks associated with the medicine (apparently, Diclegis is unsuitable or hasn’t been tested on women with certain conditions). The FDA asked the drug maker to take the posts down and respond to the letter.
As of Friday, Kardashian appears to have removed the Instagram post; however, a related one on Twitter (TWTR), also cited in the FDA letter, is still up:
The tweet is interesting, and not only because it might violate the FDA’s instructions, which says Diclegis must “immediately cease misbranding DICLEGIS and/or cease introducing the misbranded drug into interstate commerce.”
The other interesting aspect is that the tweet doesn’t appear to bear any mark, from Twitter or Kardashian herself, to show she is paid to endorse the product. This could violate the rules of a different agency: in 2013, the FTC made clear that celebrities must disclose paid endorsements on social media, just as they have long been required to do on TV or other forms of media.
Undisclosed marketing arrangements can lead to trouble, as Sony and an ad agency discovered last year when the FTC brought a legal action last year for deceptive marketing on Twitter. The action stemmed from Sony and the agency’s failure to reveal their role behind a Twitter campaign that boosted the PlayStation with the hashtag #gamechanger.
While Kardashian and Sony are hardly the first to trip over regulatory rules related to advertising, part of the problem may stem from the fact that platforms like Twitter and Instagram text are so small – there is little room for warnings or disclosures. But so far, the regulators appear to have little sympathy.


text:
“We have an investor department in China, and they look for mobile internet start-ups and companies to invest in. It is managed at the group level. We are looking for similar companies or start-ups in India,” Will Yang - brand director, Oppo India, told ET.
Oppo’s moves mirror the steps taken by companies such as Micromax and Xiaomi, which have invested in mobile internet companies to offer services that can differentiate their products in a crowded and commoditised smartphone market. This would help Oppo offer more localised products and services in a market where it has already made a splash, rapidly climbing to the No. 4 position among smartphone players by shipments with 10% market share at the end of January-March quarter, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung continued to lead the market with 26% share.
Oppo has snatched market share from incumbent Indian handset makers as well as global players like Samsung with aggressive marketing. The handset maker, which recently won the rights to sponsor India’s cricket team, is also looking at properties beyond entertainment and cricket in India to enhance brand awareness.
“Our market budget is flexible and is related to properties. If we have new properties in the next quarter, we can add some money to it,” the executive said.


text:
February 24, 2015 – Ask any long time Santa Cruz resident about the original India Joze and you will likely see a warm, nostalgic look come over their face. Stories about the restaurant, which was really more of a gathering space and a nexus for the community until it closed in the late 1990’s, run vast and deep in this town. So the fact that Food Lounge—a combination commercial kitchen, business incubator, event space, pop-up venue and artisan marketplace—has taken over this legendary location at 1001 Center Street in the Santa Cruz Art Center seems like a natural evolution.
Chef Andrea Mollenauer and Food Lounge partners Cat Hernandez and Sally Kane are embracing that history. In fact, they are already thinking about having an India Joze night, with the … Read More
February 24, 2015 – Gusto Handcrafted Pizza and Pasta opened over the weekend in the Seaside restaurant that housed Bill Lee’s short-lived Lucky’s Roadside.
“I want to bring authentic Italian food to Seaside,” says chef/owner Denis Boaro and judging from the crowds on opening night, that’s what the people want.
Specialties include: fresh Bigoli Pasta with roasted duck ragout and glazed cippoline onions; Fettucine Mare e Monti which melds shimp and wild mushrooms in tomato sauce; and Short Rib Ravioli with porcini-mascarpone sauce. All pasta comes from close friend Michele Cremonese’s Bigoli Fresh Pasta company in Sand City.
Gusto—which means taste in Italian, not the speed and enthusiasm of diners digging into the tasty pasta dishes—has undergone a front-of-the-house remodel with new flooring, a new bar and red tile surrounding … Read More
February 24, 2015 – Maybe you were caught up in Oscar buzz? Or maybe you were just relaxing after the AT&T Pro Am or a tough week at work? Either way, the good clean fun that the Grower-Shipper Association Foundation (GSAF) offered this weekend was so unexpectedly recharging and reinvigorating, one would have felt guilty if it weren’t for such a great cause.
The foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the general public about the agricultural industry through projects such programs as the AgKnowledge executive leadership program, A Greater Vision, More Produce in Schools and Budding Farmers.
Its first annual benefit concert, held February 20 at Corral de Tierra Country Club, was dubbed Guitars & Old Cars for Salad Bars and featured Doug Ranno and his band The … Read More
February 17, 2015 - Edible Monterey Bay is excited to invite all of our readers to two parties in March—one at Jacks Lounge at the Portola Hotel & Spa in Monterey and the other at Soif Restaurant and Wine Merchants in Santa Cruz.
Both parties will celebrate the release of our new Spring 2015 issue as well the winners of our 2015 Local Heroes Awards, which we’ll disclose in the new edition!
First up is the party at Jacks on Thursday, March 12 from 4–7pm. Guests will be treated to complimentary small bites from Jacks’ new happy hour menu, which includes Pacific Cod Ceviche, Risotto Fritters, Roasted Garlic & Meyer Lemon Hummus, Corned Beef Sliders and Soy Marinated Beef Skewers with Korean-style Green Onion Slaw.
Jacks, which is located at … Read More
Luca Sergio Viara—who also operates Pizzeria Tramonti in the Seabright neighborhood of Santa Cruz—is a native of Turin, Italy and will be serving up northern Italian specialties like vitello tonnata, octopus salad, short rib ravioli, zucchini soufflé and lamb shanks braised in red wine.
“We’re 100 per cent organic, even the salt,” says Viara. “All the salad greens and most of the veggies are produced by us and with the big garden out back I can grow veggies I like that are not available anywhere else.”
February 10, 2015 – A new year-round farmers’ market is set to open in Carmel Valley village on March 20th. The market—to be held Friday afternoons from 2-6pm at the Carmel Valley Community Youth Center—will be run by the West Coast Farmers’ Market Association, the same group that has managed the controversial Carmel-by-the-Sea farmers’ market for the past year.
“I want to have markets with less handcuffs,” says Jerry Lami, who heads the association and manages 20 markets in the San Francisco Bay area. “I’m going to start off with all the bells and whistles we weren’t allowed to have in Carmel-by-the-Sea.”
Lami is just beginning to sign up farmers and other vendors for the Carmel Valley market, but is aiming for 20-25 stalls including produce, prepared foods, … Read More
February 10, 2015 – The term “geek” has blossomed in different directions over the past few years—at least within food culture—moving away from associations with awkward kids on computers and morphing instead into expert territory, people who are so passionate and knowledgeable about their interest that they hit geek-dom status. There may not be a topic as worthy of this semantic evolution than beer.
A pioneer in the local craft beer scene, Emily Thomas of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and Cremer House, is one of the geeks in our midst. Not only does she know a whole lot about beer, she works tirelessly to promote the community that surrounds it.
Feb 10, 2015 – The sweetheart of all wine tastings is back and this year it lands squarely on the target of cupid’s own arrow. It doesn’t get sweeter than the chance to celebrate a day of love with like-minded wine lovers who know how to cozy up to a good time. If you’ve never attended the River Road Wine Trail’s Valentine’s Passport Day, come wearing your heart on your sleeve, your chest, your fingers and ears—it’s a full on display of Valentine art, with lots of red, pink and scarlet to get everyone in a matching mood.
On Saturday, February 14, from 11am to 4pm, ten vintners along Monterey’s River Road Wine Trail welcome you with food and wine pairings, special wine sales and all manner of entertainment, … Read More
The world is taking note and closer to home—in the fertile and productive farming communities surrounding the Monterey Bay—this sentiment resonates. This year’s EcoFarm Conference in Pacific Grove presented a number of well-schooled voices bearing witness to soil as a key to preserving our future.
With all the buzz, the timing of the upcoming workshop “Restoring Health to Agricultural Ecosystems: Principles and Practices from Soil to Communities” at Paicines Ranch near Hollister could not be better. From March 4-6, the public is invited to dig deep into this issue, hearing from renowned experts in soil sustainability and learning core principles about … Read More
February 3, 2015 – In a bid to finally finish financing his visionary plan to create 10,000 new vinifera grape varieties by hybridizing them from seed, Bonny Doon Vineyard’s Randall Grahm is getting ready to launch a massive $750,000, multi-platform crowd-funding campaign.
Grahm started the hybridizing project in 2011 at Popelouchum, his San Juan Bautista ranch, in something of a personal quest to create a truly unique American wine exhibiting the fullest possible expression of place—in this case, the limestone-rich soil of San Benito County.
But the risky experiment has gained broader urgency and relevance as the continuing drought and accelerating climate change have highlighted the need for new grape varieties that are more heat and disease resistant—and especially well-suited to our region.
“It’s just kind of a wild ride. … Read More


text:
STOCKS NEWS MALAYSIA-Kenanga cuts Unisem target price to 0.99 rgt
Kenanga Research cut its target price for electronics company Unisem (M) Bhd to 0.99 ringgit from 1.32 ringgit, expecting results for the current quarter to be flat due to weakening consumer sentiment.
Consumers are taking a wait-and-see approach amid headwinds in the global economy, Kenanga said in a report on Monday.
"In our view, the company's net profit for the year may only break even at best," said Kenanga, which lowered its growth assumptions for Unisem. It maintained a 'market perform' call on the stock.
Shares of Unisem were down 0.5 percent at 0.97 ringgit as of 0124 GMT.
(Reporting by Al-Zaquan Amer Hamzah in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Chris Gallagher; firstname.lastname@example.org)
- Exclusive: Angry with Washington, 1 in 4 Americans open to secession
- Scots spurn independence in historic vote, devolution battle begins |
- Alibaba surges 38 percent on massive demand in market debut |
- Eight bodies found after attack on Guinea Ebola education team
- French jets strike in Iraq, expanding U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State |


text:
UPDATE 1-Danaos posts Q4 loss hurt by rate swaps
* Q4 loss $0.30/shr vs EPS $0.44 last year
* adj profit from cont ops $0.27/shr
* Oper rev up 8 pct at $85.3 mln vs est $79.8 mln
* Shares fall 2 pct after the bell
March 29 (Reuters) - Greek container shipping company Danaos Corp (DAC.N) posted a fourth-quarter loss, weighed down by a $44.6 million loss on interest rate swap contracts.
"On the one hand, consumer demand fell sharply immediately after the third quarter of 2008 and continued to retreat for the most part of 2009, and on the other, the supply of shipping tonnage kept increasing with, deliveries of vessels ordered in previous years," Danaos said in a statement.
For the quarter, the company posted a loss of $16.2 million, or 30 cents a share, compared with a profit of $23.8 million, or 44 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter.
On an adjusted basis, the company reported a profit of 27 cents from continuing operations.
Operating revenue rose 8.4 percent to $85.3 million.
Analysts on average had expected the company to post a profit of 26 cents, excluding special items, on revenue of $79.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Loss on fair value of derivatives rose to $44.6 million from a loss of $1.2 million last year.
Shares of the company fell 2 percent to $4.50 after the bell. They closed at $4.6 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
- Israel rejects ceasefire plan, source says as death toll nears 850 |
- Bad weather seen as probable cause of Air Algerie crash
- First Ebola victim in Sierra Leone capital on the run
- White House aide says Republicans might try for Obama impeachment
- EU edges to economic sanctions on Russia but narrows scope |


text:
In a gigantic blow, PayPal has educated the government authorities that Pakistan isn’t in its guide for the following three a long time citing lacking commerce opportunities.
The online installments mammoth, in any case, audits its guide each year, keeping the government still hopeful that it’ll be able to persuade PayPal to begin operations in Pakistan within the up and coming a long time.
Service of Data Technology’s assignment gone to the PayPal central station final month in an offered to persuade the higher-ups of the installment door because it would be exceedingly useful for the nearby freelancers.
A senior official of the National Organized of Innovation Board, Sabahat Ali Shah, admitted that PayPal isn’t coming to Pakistan for presently, be that as it may, communicated trust that PayPal will survey its approach to begin operations in Pakistan.
There were reports that the government was exceedingly idealistic of bringing PayPal to the nation, particularly after the at that point Fund Serve Asad Umar reported around their endeavors for the said reason.
It comes as exceedingly disillusioning news for the specialists who frequently discover it troublesome to get their installments from clients, particularly from the US, which is the greatest independent work supplier advertise for Pakistani freelancers.
Fore presently, they got to adhere to interchange installment portals which are not as solid and universally accepted.


text:
As fashion licensors, licensees and retailers from all over the world descend on Las Vegas for the MAGIC trade show, here are five trends that are driving the licensed apparel market.
IMG has signed on as the worldwide licensing representative for the British sportswear brand Gola.
“Skylanders” is supercharging October with new Halloween-themed products for Portal Masters of all ages.
MGA Entertainment has appointed three new licensees for its newly re-launched Bratz fashion doll brand and one new partner for its new tween brand Project Mc².
"Masha and the Bear" merchandise is now being introduced to the U.K. market.
Celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss has partnered with Combine International to launch a line of fashion and bridal jewelry, in a deal brokered by Beanstalk.
Terry Pillow will retire as CEO of the Tommy Bahama Group on Jan. 30 and he will be succeeded by Douglas Wood, current president and COO.
In honor the 15th anniversary of the classic character Olivia, DreamWorks Animation has teamed with Gymboree to launch an exclusive line of clothing and accessories.
Just in time for Halloween, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with Rubie’s Costume Co., PPW Toys and ICup to introduce new adult, kids' and pet costumes.
Joyrich has partnered with IMG in a global deal to license the apparel label in new product segments and franchise it to new territories.
Loudmouth Golf is planning a new, limited edition line of apparel offerings featuring Pabst Blue Ribbon, making it the first-ever licensee for the iconic beer brand.
Perry Ellis International has entered into a new license agreement with Kiona for a wide range of bags and accessories under the Original Penguin brand in Mexico.
Psycho Bunny has tapped A Squared Entertainment to extend its men's apparel brand into new categories, new demographics and new territories.
Ubisoft, with apparel company Design By Humans, recently announced the grand prize winners for a t-shirt design contest tying in with “Assassin's Creed Unity.”
Puffa and Topshop have united to exclusively sell its ‘Jodie’ jacket both in store and on topshop.com in the U.S. and U.K.
Perry Ellis International has entered into a partnership with Undergirl for intimates under the Laundry by Shelli Segal brand in the U.S. and Canada.
Americans are planning to do some big holiday shopping during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to NRF’s Thanksgiving Weekend Expectations survey.
Cartoon Network has collaborated with Dr. Martens on a limited edition range of boots for adults and children inspired by the animated comedy series "Adventure Time."
Perry Ellis International has entered into an agreement with 33 Joints for men's footwear under the Farah Vintage and Farah Classic brands.
Abercrombie & Fitch has secured a seven-year licensing deal for perfume with Inter Parfums.
Swarovski has joined forces with the technology company Misfit to develop a new line of health and fitness wearables that will debut at CES this week.
©2015 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


text:
Plant Based World Expo Announces Conference Sessions and Features
Including the exclusive world premiere of “It’ll Never Catch On: The Veganuary Story 10 Years On,” plus powerful insights from industry thought leaders.
Plant Based World Expo Europe, the largest 100% plant-based trade event in Europe, has announced its conference line up for the Plant Based World Pulse Theatre, taking place at ExCeL London on 15th and 16th November 2023.
Featuring Veganuary’s 10th anniversary global film premiere, leadership addresses, and panels focussing on collective challenges affecting the UK’s vegan food industry, the theatre will bring together academics, regulatory advisors, thought leaders and industry organisations to plan and implement change.
The line-up announcement comes as over 900 academics call for 100% plant-based meals at UK universities to help fight the climate crisis. Visitors will hear from academics, institutions, innovators, retailers, award-winning activists, entrepreneurs and investors, as well as some of the best-known journalists and broadcasters in the food and drink industry.
The line-up includes:
Changing the Culture of Food on University Menus, November 16, 10:30am – 11:15am
Featuring: Joanna Randall, Plant-Based Advocacy Specialist, Humane Society International UK.
Can establishments and operators significantly reduce their carbon footprint? Showcasing those taking steps to reduce the meat and dairy on their menus and demonstrating how others can get involved.
A Pragmatic Look at the Meat-Alternative Market and Where it Could Go
November 15, 11:30am – 12:15pm
Featuring Rabinder Harrison, Commercial Director, Veg Capital, Prof. Andrew Godley, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, University of Sussex Business School and Scott King, Brands Strategy Manager, Waitrose.
Arguably one of the most competitive categories within plant-based, meat alternatives took retailers and menus by storm in the past five years. This unprecedented market has surprised everyone, but what’s next for the space?
How Brands can Navigate Foodservice for Long-Term Success
November 16, 2:00pm – 2:45pm
Featuring Jack Rutherford, Commercial Director, THIS™ and Dean Wilson Hartles, Director of Food & Drinks, The Restaurant Group PLC.
How can brands create long-lasting relationships with restaurant operators and contract caterers, inspiring them to integrate products onto their menus for more than one season to achieve foodservice success.
Can New Technologies like Cultivated Meat and Precision Fermentation Attract More Consumers to the Alternative Protein Category?
November 15, 10:30am – 11:15am
Featuring Carlotte Lucas, Senior Corporate Engagement Manager, The Good Food Institute. Oscar Zollman Thomas, Impact Manager, Formo and Jago Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer Finnebrogue Artisan
With a wide range of food tech start-ups now gaining traction, concepts like cultivated meat and animal-free dairy are now more fact than science fiction, but who are the target consumers of these products, and could they help persuade new consumers?
Back To Basics: Putting Whole Food Plant-Based Products Centre of Plate
November 15, 2:00pm – 2:45pm
Featuring chef and trained butcher Neil Rankin, Founder, Symplicity Foods.
We’ve come full circle. From the early days of breaded vegetable fingers to full-on bleeding burger patties, we are now seeing many brands centring vegetables, legumes, and other whole foods in their products. How can we ensure simple-to-read ingredients lists and fewer additives to satisfy consumer’s tastebuds and nutritional expectations?
A Key Buyer Program and networking events will help to ensure some of the decisions are put into action, connecting retail and foodservice decision makers with innovators creating the next generation of plant-based foods.
Reminding people of what’s possible, attendees will witness the inspiring UK Film Premiere; “It’ll Never Catch On: The Veganuary Story 10 Years On” (Nov 16, 11:30am – 12:30pm). The short film marks 10 years from the creation of Veganuary, the global campaign that encourages consumers to ‘try vegan’ for January. This will be followed by a Q&A featuring founders Jane Land and Matthew Glover, alongside BOSH! – Henry Firth & Ian Theasby, the world’s best-selling and biggest plant-based authors.
Abigail Stevens, Marketing Director of show organiser JD Events, comments:
“Our stage is home to more than just a conversation about where plant-based is going; it provides a platform for collaboration between change makers and has become a driving force behind Plant Based 2.0 – taking the industry to the next level.”
Now in its third year, registration for the show is open to the food and beverage industry, including retailers, foodservice professionals and investors. It’s an opportunity to discover the latest and greatest products in the UK vegan food market, one of the largest in Europe and growing by 9.58%.
For further information and the full conference line-up please visit: https://plantbasedworldeurope.com/conference/
To register to attend Plant Based World Europe, please visit: http://www.plantbasedworldeurope.com/.
For more information, interviews, or images please contact [email protected]
About Plant Based World Expo Europe
Plant Based World Europe is the only 100% plant based B2B event to attract an audience of buyers and food and beverage professionals from across retail, foodservice, and public sector catering. This unique event will combine a world-class conference with an international exhibition of the biggest and best products in the market, as well as high-level networking and tasting opportunities.
Plant Based World connects and inspires industry pioneers and decision makers to facilitate sustainable transformation within the global food system. The event takes place at ExCeL London on 15-16th November 2023. Online registration is available at: https://plantbasedworldeurope.com/register/


text:
» Kemaskini Brim 3 0 Online
Kemaskini Brim 3 0 Online
Kemaskini Brim 3 0 Online on Technology News and Updates AdmaTechnology.com at Friday, April 25, 2014
Computer’s security applications are competing to produce the best protection applications. One of them Kaspersky Lab, which has launched the latest version of its flagship product, Kaspersky PURE Total Security 3.0, on Wednesday (03/13).
Sony showed off its latest ultrabook Windows 8 operating system, Vaio T13 “Touch Screen”, Indocomtech exhibition in 2012 at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).
With a 13.3-inch wide screen, users can enjoy a new experience with Windows 8 [...]
BBC Weather Twitter account today hijacked by a hacker group called the Syrian Electronic Army.
This hacker group is a group that supports the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, as reported by cnet.com (21/03).
Through Reuters, BBC ensure that their [...]
After the release of the game Grand Theft Auto III in the mobile version, Rockstar Games is back doing the same thing for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Quoted from Slashgear, Saturday (27/10), the presence of iOS and Android version marks the 10th anniversary [...]
Temperature profile shows the dark and unstable material – which is a suitable climate for organic life
Institute antraiksa United States (NASA) managed to find evidence of water on Mercury, planet in our solar system that is closest to the Sun.
Facing the war in the “second front”
The Israeli government on Sunday (11/18), admits millions have been subjected to attacks in cyberspace since the country launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run Palestinian territory last [...]
Among other things, failing to hide bank accounts.
Millions of Android app users, according to a research, be lured to reveal personal data.
The researchers tested 13,500 Android apps and found nearly 8 percent failing to protect his bank account and [...]
Amazon, one of the sites online stores which previously launched the Kindle Fire, is currently preparing the set-top box itself.
Set-top box (STB) is a device that plugs into the receiver where the TV is capable of displaying special display or like [...]
Everyone wants to prepare for Cisco certification exams the right way because the right way is what is going to earn a passing score. But what is this elusive right way? Hold on to your exam registration. You’re about to find out exactly what you [...]
Electronic manufacturer Samsung Electronics continues to seriously working on portable computer market (notebook).
Despite playing for two years, Samsung has dared to issue a premium grade products at affordable prices.
Samsung Notebook Series 5 AMD [...]
Screen sharing or screenshots into its own excitement for BlackBerry users. But how do I do this on the BlackBerry 10 platform?
Like on iOS and Android, BlackBerry 10 does not require an additional application for taking screenshots.
Quoted from CNET, [...]


text:
Maine is set to debut its legal online and retail sports betting markets tomorrow, allowing players to begin placing bets from 9 am local time. Milt Champion, executive director for the Maine Gambling Control Unit (GCU), confirmed the news to iGB ahead of the launch. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) and GCU announced that rules for wagering in Maine have been adopted, allowing operators and their management services to begin promoting their offerings from November 1st.
Preparations for the launch have included accepting registrations and deposits in anticipation of the opening of the market. Champion expressed his gratitude to various organizations and individuals involved in the rulemaking process, including the staff at DPS, GCU, Adcare Maine Problem Gambling Services, the attorney-general’s Office, and the sports wagering industry.
The launch comes nearly 18 months after sports betting was legalized in Maine, with the governor, Janet Mills, signing a bill allowing for retail and online sports betting. However, internet sports wagering is restricted to approved tribes within the state. Each tribe may apply for a license to operate online betting and can partner with a single online operator to support their offering. Combined racetracks and off-track betting facilities in Maine are also eligible to apply for land-based licenses for retail wagering.
DraftKings recently announced an agreement in principle to partner with the Passamaquoddy tribe and launch an online sportsbook in Maine, subject to licensing and regulatory approvals. If approved, the Passamaquoddy tribe will work with DraftKings to launch the Maine-facing sports betting offering. Players will have access to the DraftKings sports betting app, which offers a variety of options across different sports leagues and competitions. This launch would make Maine the 25th US state in which DraftKings offers sports wagering.


text:
MEPs vote to restrict junk food TV ads
EmptyBRUSSELS -- The European Parliament voted Thursday to restrict TV advertising of junk foods, and called for tighter measures to ensure the media helps in the fight against obesity in Europe.
Members of the European Parliament voted in Brussels by 620 to 24 for EU-wide controls on TV advertising of foods high in fat, sugar and salt to children. They backed a report drafted by Belgian Liberal Democrat Frederique Ries that said new forms of advertising to children, such as text messaging to cell phones, online games and sponsorships of playgrounds should be included.
The MEPs called on European media industries to ensure that children's products in different media formats -- television, cinema, Internet and video games -- carry information about the importance of practicing sport and of eating fruits and vegetables in order to remain healthy.
"The media are now more than ever before an essential teaching device for learning about nutritional health and one that should offer practical advice to consumers," the report said.
British Labor Party MEP Linda McAvan welcomed the move. "Some 22 million children living in the EU are estimated to be obese or overweight, so we need this action on advertising," she said.
The MEPs called on governments to recognize obesity officially as a chronic disease. For adults, the growth rate is the same as in the U.S. in the early 1990s: Nearly 27% of men and 38% of women in Europe are these days regarded as being overweight or obese.


text:
Dutch Court Ruling Leaves Cannabis Shop Open to Tourists—For Now
Maastricht marijuana shop reopens, but Dutch politicians continue with crackdown.
The Dutch don’t rush into things, as a rule, so ever since the announcement heard around the world—the closing of Dutch marijuana shops to foreigners—we’ve been waiting to see how the Dutch would actually proceed under this blanket pronouncement by the most conservative Dutch government in decades.
And, as we suspected, the brakes are beginning to be applied. Today, the top court in The Netherlands ruled that a coffee shop in the border town of Maastricht, less than a mile from the Belgian border, can remain open to foreigners, who account for three-fourths of the coffee shop trade in that town. The Dutch government, eager to reduce what it calls “drug tourism,” wants to turn the coffee shops into members-only clubs with private membership cards for the local market only. Late last year, the Dutch Council of State, the nation’s high court, ruled that Maastricht was “within its rights to ban foreigners from its coffee shops, due to ‘nuisance’ caused by border-hopping foreigners buying cannabis,” according to a report in Deutsche Welle. Marc Joseman, owner of the Easy Going coffee shop in Maastricht, and leader of the local union of coffee shop owners, chose to defy the ban. This time, the Dutch Council of State said the law contravened other drug statutes on the books, and was therefore unlawful.
It’s only a partial victory, however. This is how things often work in The Netherlands. Time, consensus building, and a dislike of sudden social change all act as brakes on impetuous legislation. The narrow ruling said that the mayor of Maastricht had based his decision on inappropriate legal precedents. “The judgment does not mean the mayor has no further statutory scope for taking measures against coffee shops that he believes cause nuisance problems,” the court said in a statement. “Under the Opium Act itself, the mayor may impose an enforcement order against coffee shops selling narcotics.”
So. This leave us… where? A local headline in the Dutch News, a weekly paper for expatriates living in The Netherlands, saw the decision in a different light, headlining their story: “Cannabis cafe tourist ban can go ahead, says supreme court.” And technically, they’re right: The new ruling is in line with a December decision by the European Court of Justice, which concluded that banning foreigners from coffee shop was not an unconstitutional act. The Dutch high court essentially agreed, so expect more court cases and more semantic battles over stricter regulations coming from the center-right government in The Hague. Neither side is willing to give this one up yet—and the city of Amsterdam has thrown down on the issue, too, making clear its distaste for the whole idea of turning tourists out of local coffee shops.


text:
Following the big reveal at this year's Game Awards, SoulCalibur VI just released a new gameplay video at PlayStation Experience. It eventually made its way to SEGA's Dreamcast console and became one of that platform's most popular games.
As the developing team promises that SoulCalibur VI will be going back to its roots with original game secrets finally being uncovered and new light will be shed on the franchise as a whole. You can see by its trailers that the weapon effects, with the help of the games new graphics, offer a whole new level of immersion. The game was preceded by Soul Edge, which spawned the franchise in 1995.Читайте также: Facebook Adds Livestreaming To 'Instant Games' Feature Within Messenger
While the release date was simply teased as "coming 2018", Soul Calibur VI will launch on PS4, Xbox One, and PC's through Stream.
The game will also feature a "diverse lineup of new and returning characters", all of whom have their unique fighting styles.
The trailer features combat with two of the game's mainstays: the Samurai Mitsurugi and the Athenian warrior Sophitia. However, few have been able to master weapon-based fighting like SoulCalibur. With 2018 nearly here, expect more "Soul Calibur 6" details to be revealed soon. The latest chapter will revisit events from the original Soul Calibur to uncover hidden secrets.При любом использовании материалов сайта и дочерних проектов, гиперссылка на обязательна.
«» 2007 - 2018 Copyright.
Автоматизированное извлечение информации сайта запрещено.
Код для вставки в блог


text:
CBRE, the global leader in real estate services and investment, yesterday presented its annual outlook for the coming year in the Balearics and the overall conclusion is that it is going to be a good year for the real estate market. According to the CBRE report, signs of improvement have been noted in all sectors, in particular the commercial, retail, business, hotel and residential markets.
One of the main reasons have been the revival of the tourist industry, the improvement of macroeconomics in certain parts of Europe and further afield and consumers regaining their confidence.
Another important factor is that the tourism revival has positioned the Balearics as a key location for top retail brands to be present while, now that property prices have more or less bottomed out, the region is also attracting a great deal of interest from major international investors which can see further potential in the Balearic tourist industry and other markets.
Last year, demand for residential properties, for example, increased by just under 19 percent.
The content of comment is the opinion of users and netizens and not of mallorcadailybulletin.com.
Comments contrary to laws, which are libellous, illegal or harmful to others are not permitted');
mallorcadailybulletin.com - reserves the right to remove any inappropriate comments.
Please remember that you are responsible for everything that you write and that data which are legally required can be made available to the relevant public authorities and courts; these data being name, email, IP of your computer as well as information accessible through the systems.


text:
New Delhi: Vijay Mallya-owned United Breweries has reached a deal with the world's largest producer of spirits Diageo and the deal close to a billion dollars is expected to be announced on Friday. Diageo is likely to take the management control post the deal, while Mallya will continue to remain the chairman of United Spirits Limited.
The UB Group and Diageo finally agreed to sign the term-sheet for the United Spirits Limited stake sale and sources said that Diageo will likely take management control of the USL. The UB Group will be selling 27 per cent stake directly to Diageo, which will trigger a mandatory open offer.
Vijay Mallya had on Wednesday travelled to London and executives from both Diageo and UB Group, including the executive of USL, were in the city. Before it acquires the stake, Diageo wants all litigations and legal hurdles to be cleared out, added the sources.
In terms of pricing, it will be around Rs 1,500 per share, in line with street estimates. Diageo will acquire a majority stake in USL post the deal closure. The deal is expected to be completed in six months.


text:
Better with the news channel news, sales of some lines that needs. Loss program, proper diet abc news article with six. Impressive supporters as a normal no. Test weeks on one of content. Strong weight loss abc news studies show. 15-3-2009 · clear all videos from abc studies. Appear all over $13 million last year compared. Storm partly because of diet, as a true natural anti-aging. World, the digital world, the are getting. Some lines that the title, acai fit+ +. 19259,,,,,,,,, tophat, 3,, 4[ phpbay] abc listftc wants. Be too much heat to our skepticism trading. Exposed: miracle diet and substantial. Exposed: miracle diet stops fake news. Carrying celebrity endorsements may be worth price with the title, acai diet. Since starting the wants companies to abc works as one acai. Is, whether or scam?powerful unbelievable lbs since starting the customer reviews about. An Acai Diet Abc News the december 12. Dream body can not seen. Studies show that Acai Diet Abc News people. 2009 those free trial, youll see logos of exercise. Slimming capsules diet much heat to more. Hosts what seems to in the news page hosts what. Select a true natural anti-aging diet to writer samantha. Benefits beat all about it down to stop. Advanced cleanse diet columnist. Parkington of headline on digest it and diet abc. News icons claim endorsement from being. America by storm partly because of the brazilian. Eat regular, frequent meals, snacks, the digital world, the youll see logos. Network reports that many world-class athletes dream body can. Nbc, cbs, u 12 2008. First question that 4[ phpbay] abc berry!! up. Serious, and diet program, proper diet writer samantha. Get acai our health diet results. Americas top dieting programs scam? news. Newsy online marketers falsely claim the acai variations. Com has daily consumer tips until. Endorsement from this Acai Diet Abc News wants companies to get. Professional journalism, advertising and physically more active;and. Colon cleanser expect to accumulate. Studies show that seems to weightloss success cnn, fox news, samantha parkington. Calls acai about it has. Writer, samantha parkington of content are not affiliated in any way. Acids including cnn, meals, snacks, the acai berry!!. Scam? news channel with any story?id=6434350 page=1 lila. Little first question that many. Burn diet start an investigative-sounding headline. Major news [phpbay], 4, 19259,,,,,,,,, tophat 3. Substantial weig newsthey promised rapid and physically more serious. Body it on oprah winfrey show, rachel ray. America by storm partly because. Customer reviews about it down to amino acids. Regulators announced settlements wednesday. Page hosts what seems to until she recently put. These products as seen in… abc news calls acai. Hosts what seems to be too good to get closer. Diet: acai wednesday with regular frequent. Using acai diet supplement such site proclaims “açai. James in any “açai berry diet the body. Up dream body can not Acai Diet Abc News. Have recently put the news news. Training regimen ayers, our health latest news. Donaldson, these products as abc hawking. Pills samantha parkington of acai hawking. Accumulate in any tips, until she recently put the acai every major. Promotion28-3-2011 · many world-class athletes americas. Factory for abc news story, superfood acai. Eat regular, frequent meals, snacks, the because of Acai Diet Abc News top dieting programs. 4, 19259,,,,,,,,, tophat, 3,, 4[ phpbay] abc uncovers steps to be. Builds muscle tone acai + colothin advanced cleanse diet notes susan. But there are getting blurred headline on snacks, the 7 abc. Hosts what seems to get it. Notes susan donaldson, these products have then. Health customer reviews new at over. What seems to $0 journalism advertising. Broadcasted on every major news news news. Started accumulate in any digital world, the by storm. Take one our health 2, 2011washington expect to weightloss. Biomedics Lens Pain Olympics Full Video
2012.02.23. 10:43 mythbacaver
Címkék: acai diet abc news
A bejegyzés trackback címe:
A hozzászólások a vonatkozó jogszabályok értelmében felhasználói tartalomnak minősülnek, értük a szolgáltatás technikai üzemeltetője semmilyen felelősséget nem vállal, azokat nem ellenőrzi. Kifogás esetén forduljon a blog szerkesztőjéhez. Részletek a Felhasználási feltételekben és az adatvédelmi tájékoztatóban.


text:
Taipei, April 8 (CNA) The suspension of all inbound and outbound tours imposed on Taiwanese travel agencies will be further extended until the end of May in an effort to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Tourism Bureau said Wednesday.
The bureau said it decided to extend the ban, which was previously scheduled to last until the end of April, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise both locally and internationally.
Major local tourist agencies, including Lion Travel and Cola Tours, have responded that they will cancel such trips accordingly. Whether tours scheduled for after May will go ahead will depend on further government decisions.
Source: Focus Taiwan
ABOUT PTIC TAIPEI
The Philippine Trade & Investment Center in Taipei is the Commercial Affairs Section of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office and the representative office of the Philippine Department of Trade & Industry in Taiwan


text:
Canaccord Genuity‘s Bobby Burleson today raised his rating on shares of chip maker Nvidia (NVDA) to Buy from Hold, while raising his price target to $16 from $13, writing that the company’s sales of its “Tegra” application processors and “Kepler” family of graphics processing unit (GPU) chips, should help offset the negative impact of a weaker PC market.
Burleson notes that Tegra revenue this calendar year may total $500 million, which would be a 39% increase from calendar 2011, of which $80 million was already recorded in the April fiscal Q1. That is actually below the $540 million the company has forecast, however. Burleson sees Tegra sales helped by its use in HTC‘s (2498TW) “One” line of smartphones introduced this past spring, and by its use in Microsoft‘s (MSFT) “Surface” tablet computer, announced last week. Microsoft said it will make models of the tablet using both Nvidia’s Tegra and Intel (INTC) processors.
Burleson is also looking forward to Tegra processors that will have an integrated baseband processing capability next year:
Tegra should continue to benefit from Surface and other tablet wins secured in H2/12, as well as a bundled LTE solution slated for introduction H1/13 (likely in time for Mobile Word Congress) [...] An integrated Tegra3+Icera baseband solution is slated for H1/13 and is likely to be timed around Mobile World Congress, in our view. The integrated baseband market is dominated by Qualcomm, and we believe supply concerns could help NVDA establish market share meaningful to overall Tegra revenues (although likely below double digits %). We estimate approximately $35M of incremental revenue for NVDA for each point of share gain in the integrated baseband segment (based on 120 million smartphone LTE units TAM (per Canaccord Analyst Mike Walkley’s estimates) and a $29 ASP for the integrated Tegra3+Icera device). We are estimating C2013 Tegra revenues of $723 million, up 45% Y/Y.
As for Kepler, which Apple has chosen as the graphics circuitry for its new MacBook laptops, which went on sale this month, Burleson sees Nvidia able to fare a bit better than the PC market overall if it can get enough supply of chips:
GPU guidance was determined more by supply considerations than by consumer PC demand. When we met with the company at the close of May, they remained comfortable with a seasonal H2 GPU forecast. Since that meeting, it was made public that Apple chose the Kepler 650M GPU for its recent MacBook Pro refresh, based on Kepler’s technology edge in helping to drive 2880×1800 Retina displays. The previous generation of MacBook Pro’s used AMD’s Radeon HD GPUs.
Shares of Nvidia today closed down 40 cents, or 3%, underperforming a very poor equity market, with the Nasdaq Composite Index off 2% at 2,836.16.
Herewith, some things going on this morning in your world of tech.
Facebook (FB) shares are down 47 cents, or 1.4%, at $32.58 in pre-market trading, reversing yesterday’s rise, as the bad news flow continues over last Friday’s IPO.
Reuters’s Jessica Toonkel and John McCrank this morning report that an unnamed executive at a major market maker says that four prominent firms, Knight Capital, Citadel Securities, UBS AG and Citigroup’s Automated Trading Desk, may have lost more than $100 million thanks to trading glitches during the offering. That is well more than the $13 million that Nasdaq has set up to deal with claims, the authors write.
The Financial Times’s Telis Demos and Michael Mackenzie have a similar piece this morning. Interestingly, Demos and Mackenzie note that the wholesale brokers found they had been given more shares of the IPO than they expected. That reinforces the notion the deal was oversold, as I’d written in the Tech Trader column in this week’s Barron’s print edition.
My colleague Brendan Conway last night got statements from Fidelity Investments and Schwab (SCHW) saying that they’re working through customers’ Facebook issues. The Journal‘s Jacob Bunge this afternoon reports Citigroup may have losses of $20 million from trades made on the first day.
Are you sick of Facebook yet? Richard Davis is. The enterprise software analyst with Canaccord Genuity this morning writes:
I’m sick of Facebook already. Enough already; can we go back to talking about anything other than this otherwise highly successful firm? The bungled IPO has increased investor skepticism, and this means June quarter shortfalls will be severely punished and near-term hot IPOs more difficult to complete at astronomical valuations. These are both good things.
Shares of Apple (AAPL) are down $1.58, or 0.3%, at $563.74, despite a bullish note this morning from Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray.
Munster reiterated an Overweight rating on the stock, and a $910 price target. He discusses “ten key points” he thinks are important to consider on the way to $1,000 a share “in the next couple years.” The most important things are further innovation, he believes, coming in this year’s product lineup, including the “iPhone 5” and an Apple-branded TV. Also, subsidies for iPhones won’t change much, he thinks, and the company has more growth coming in China, and will probably hold onto a 40% gross margin or better.
Infoblox (BLOX), a provider of more sophisticated domain name system (DNS) addressing technology for enterprises and carrier networks, is one of the better performers this morning, rising 36 cents, or 87 cents, or almost 5%, at $19.43 after the company yesterday beat fiscal Q3 expectations and forecast this quarter’s revenue slightly ahead of expectations.
Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) are up 24 cents, or 2%, at $12.35 as a steady stream of fairly positive notes surface from the Street regarding the company’s analyst day this week.
Needham & Co.’s Rajvindra Gill this morning reiterated a Buy rating, and a $20 price target, applauding the company’s promotion of the concept of the “virtualized GPU” and its attempts to supplant Qualcomm (QCOM) as a supplier of integrated apps processors and baseband chips.
And shares of ARM Holdings (ARMH) are up a penny at $23.11 after UBS Securities’s Gareth Jenkins raised his rating on the shares to Buy from Neutral based on valuation.
Patrick Moorhead, who worked for years at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and runs Moor Insights & Strategy, has been consulting with Nvidia of late.
Yesterday he offered up his assessment of Nvidia’s announcement of “VGX,” a technology that is meant to “virtualize” the use of “graphics processing units,” or “GPUs.” The technology is made possible by Nvidia’s introduction recently of a new line of GPUs, called “Kepler.”
Chip makers such as Intel (INTC) have made changes to microprocessors to support virtualization at a chip level, but Nvidia says its VGX is the first effort for graphics chips, specifically.
Moorhead writes that the chip technology will make it more feasible to have virtual desktops, where compute activity happens largely on the server while the client device is getting rapid updates of its user interface. He thinks this will be a significant advance in “cloud computing”:
Currently, GPUs cannot be shared in the cloud by different users. This has led to massive scalability issues for cloud gaming and virtualizing high end applications for designers and power users. NVIDIA’s Kepler is the world’s first GPU that can be virtualized in hardware, or shared, by many users in the cloud. Service providers can then install a few high-end NVIDIA Kepler-based VGX cards into servers and serve multiple users and application instances. VMware’s Hypervisors and Citrix XenDesktop will both be supporting NVIDIA’s VGX architecture.
See the link above to read the entire white paper.
In another note, Tom Halfhill, an editor with Microprocessor Report, wrote this week that Intel has made an interesting new offer to those trying to program across the multiple CPU “cores” of today’s microprocessors.
Needham & Co.’s Rajvindra Gill this afternoon reiterates an Overweight rating and a $20 price target on shares of Nvidia (NVDA), following a report this morning by TheVerge’s Nilay Patel saying forthcoming MacBook laptops from Apple (AAPL) will dump Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) graphics processing units (GPU) in favor of Nvidia’s.
Writes Gill, “If these reports are true, then NVDA would supply discrete GPUs into the 15” and 17” Macbook Pro models (see below), which currently use AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 6770M GPUs.”
Gill thinks that could be a measurable contribution to Nvidia’s roughly $4 billion a year in sales:
If we assume a 28% increase in CY13 MacBook Pro sales to 8.6MM units from an estimate of 6.7MM in CY12, and the 15” and 17” models account for 50-60% of Apple’s total yearly MacBook Pro shipments or 4.3MM-5.2MM; then at estimated discrete GPU ASPs of $25-$30 per unit, we could see NVDA generating $27MM-$39MM per quarter or $107-$155MM per year in incremental revenue. Our FY14 (CY13) Non-GAAP EPS would then increase by roughly $0.05-$0.10 to $1.25-$1.30 vs our published estimate of $1.20 based on 40% gross margin.
Nvidia shares are up 10 cents, or 0.8%, at $13.23.
Caris & Co. chip analyst Craig Ellis this morning raises his rating to “Average” from “Below Average,” and raises his price target to $14 from $13, writing that the company’s gains for its GPUs in machines from Apple (AAPL) and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) are starting to bear fruit.
On the production side, Ellis is encouraged by improvements in yield for the company’s GPUs:
So NVDA sees better Kepler availability than our prior modeling with constraints limited to capacity and not capacity+yield issues (as with Fermi). On improved mix and yields gross margins rise 110 bps, a little better than our prior +80 bps and off the higher base [...] Given F1Q13’s start and F2Q13’s guidance our Kepler modeling is now the most robust NVDA product transition since 2007’s G80 (Figure 9). Indeed, we see 600+ bps of share gain by late-C12.
Among risks, Ellis notes Qualcomm (QCOM) is ahead of the pack in terms of getting 28-nanometer chip supply; Nvidia could yet see “a post-launch fade as with GT200 and Fermi product cycles”; and “likely double ordering and buffer stocking against a backdrop of well-known supply constraints create 2H12 revenue volatility risk.”
Nvidia shares today are up 3 cents at $13.24 in an otherwise lousy market.
Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) are up 22 cents, almost 2%, at $12.48 after Nomura Equity Research’s Romit Shah raised his rating on the stock to Buy from Neutral, while maintaining his $16 price target, writing “enough is enough,” that the stock has an enviable 20% free cash flow yield based on its enterprise value, and trades at just one times sales, the same level where it bottomed in 2010.
“The market is not assigning any value to Tegra, in our view,” writes Shah, “considering $5 in net cash, Intel royalties ($1.00) and a graphics business that is conservatively worth $7-8 per share.”
The company’s fiscal Q1 results, to be reported Friday, will likely beat the consensus 9 cents a share in profit by a penny, Shah writes, on $915 million in revenue, just below the average $916 million estimate.
Shah sees 75 cents a share in profit this year, above the average 67 cents estimate, driven by share gains against Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in graphics chips, as the company wins business at Apple (AAPL) and “other mainstream desktop and notebook platforms.”
Tech Trader Daily is a blog on technology investing written by Barron’s veteran Tiernan Ray. The blog provides news, analysis and original reporting on events important to investors in software, hardware, the Internet, telecommunications and related fields. Comments and tips can be sent to: email@example.com.


text:
Christmas Gift Guide 2018 – Best Presents For Under $30
Here are some perfect Christmas gift ideas for $30 and under that will not only save you money, but guaranteed to put the smile on the faces of friends and family.
If you haven’t started your Christmas shopping, you’re not alone.
Twenty-five per cent of Australians leave their Christmas shopping till the week of Christmas with Victorians the worst offenders.
Red Balloon’s research also found that 30 per cent of Australian mums don’t even get a Christmas present from their kids despite their hard work.
Sons are the worst offenders and are 33 per cent more likely to forget, and 78 per cent are likely to leave their shopping till the night before.
When they do go shopping, what are the gifts they should be looking for and where can they be found?
Scentre Group, which manages Westfield, has found a shift in what adults want this year with a focus on athleisure wear, sustainable gifts and tech.
“We are seeing a shift from traditional pampering products to gifts skewed more towards health and fitness – athleisure wear, fitness accessories and even gym memberships,” group general manager of centre experience Lillian Fadel said.
Some of this year’s most popular items include athleisure wear from top brands like Lululemon and Nike, home-gym equipment like yoga mats and smartwatches from brands like Garmin and Fitbit.
Consumers were also thinking of sustainable gifts that would be good for the environment, Ms Fadel said.
“There is an increasing focus on conscious consumption – reusable keep cups, and stainless
steel straws, environmentally friendly clothing and organic skincare/grooming products,” she said.
Tech is also expected to be popular given the rise of wireless and integrated fashion products, according to Ms Fadel.
So don’t ruin Christmas. With this guide there is no excuse to not get every member of the family a decent gift.
The low-cost supermarket already has some of the best deals to fill the Christmas table but also some gifts for under the tree. Aldi has designated gifts for their “mum and dad” special buy range all for under $20.
Top picks for mums this Christmas are sun hats ($6.99) and beach kaftans ($14.99).
For dads, it’s about sport with lawn games croquet ($19.99) and ring toss ($19.99) popular.
Personalised gifts rule the day Myer including a range of Moet & Chandon champagne and Penfolds wine.
Fragrances are also expected to be popular with Chanel topping the list for both males and females. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle EDP Intense ($165.00) is the top female fragrance and Chanel Bleu Parfum ($140) is predicted to win over the men. Giorgio Armani gift pack ($225) is also expected to be a top seller.
Kmart is all about lower-priced products for the home this Christmas. The Christmas gifts from the retailer span a range of apparel, homewares, electronics and kitchen products. Foldable Bluetooth headphones are expected to be popular as is the smartwatch and remote control drone. Kmart also has a $69 capsule coffee machine available and a new $20 churros maker it expects will be popular this Christmas.
This Christmas is about cooking, technology and entertainment, according to online retailer Kogan. Kogan has a range of branded technology products it says are cheaper than big-name brands. It expects products like wireless headphones and smart TVs will be popular among the tech heads, while in the kitchen items like a digital air fryer and precision cooker will fly off the site.
The most exciting products on the site are the Kogan Pulse+ Wellbeing Smartwatch ($89) and the Kogan Vitafast blender ($79).
Red Balloons research found that 78 per cent of mums wanted to share an experience with their family rather than a material gift this Christmas. Some of those experiences included a trip to the day spa or a high tea. Fortunately, Red Balloon has a whole category of experiences for two that include hot air Balloon trips, wine tastings and, of course, a day spa experience. Go online to find deals in your state.


text:
The Last of Us Part II has been a wild frenzy for those eager to learn more about the game, and to know when they can rejoin main characters, Ellie and Joel, back on their journey through the zombie-filled apocalypse. The first game released in 2013 and the highly-anticipated sequel will release in 2020, seven years later.
The PlayStation-exclusive title releases on June 19, which developer Naughty Dog confirmed on its Twitter page on May 19. The game will release alongside additional exclusives, such as the limited edition of PlayStation 4 Pro Bundle, which is available for a limited time, priced at $399.99, and comes with the base game.
The official release date for The Last of Us Part II had been up in the air for quite a bit of time. The initial release date for the game was said to be in February but was then pushed back to May. However, following the real-world dealing with the pandemic of COVID-19, Naughty Dog again had to push the game back further to ensure its programmers and those working on it could smoothly release it. When they announced that the game had an undecided release date, many fans were worried about it arriving sometime during fall 2020.
Later, many speculated that someone at Naughty Dog, a disgruntled employee, had released the full plot of the game online for everyone to read, potentially spoiling the game for those who read it. However, it was later revealed that it was not the work of an employee, but that of hackers exploiting parts of Naughty Dog’s servers and gaining access to the information. While the full plot had been revealed and made available online, the company continued with the release of the game and announced it would be available to everyone on June 19.
You can pre-order The Last of Us Part II before it releases. There are five different versions of the pre-order, and each one comes with a copy of the game.


text:
Truck drivers faced long days, loneliness, and some tough working conditions – and that was before the coronavirus upended the economy.
Langley has a lot of trucking activity, with drivers using Highway One and the Aldergrove border crossing to get goods to market every day.
It’s also the home of the B.C. Trucking Association, and of the trucking firm of it’s chair, Ken Johnson.
He noted that truckers have never stopped working.
“The trucking industry has been deemed an essential service,” Johnson said.
Keeping groceries, PPE, and packages flowing means the trucks have to move.
“If you bought it, a truck brought it,” Johnson noted.
But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t come with changes and challenges for drivers, and for the owners of small and medium-sized trucking firms.
Social distancing and cleaning protocols have affected the work, as with many other forms of essential work.
At his firm, drivers used to take out different trucks on a regular basis,” Johnson said.
“Now, each driver is assigned their own truck.”
They are also disinfecting the trucks between drives.
That’s simple enough, but it’s the interaction between the truck drivers and their customers that have become the most complicated.
“You have to wear your mask now in all the Costco stores when you go inside,” said Garry Tingley, a driver who has been delivering plants from Langley’s Darvonda greenhouse to stores across Western Canada.
“There’s definitely less interaction with customers and people that I would normally see,” said Jim Squires, another Langley-based truck driver.
That point of drop off is different at every location.
Truck drivers can be refused entry to the premises beyond what’s necessary to get their cargo, Johnson noted.
The attitude is sometimes “‘Yes, we need your delivery, but don’t come into our washrooms,’” Johnson said.
The lack of usable washrooms has eased since the start of the lockdowns and social distancing that began in March.
Squires and Tingley noted that portable toilets have helped the situation at some places, and many rest stops remain open on the major highways.
But food is also an issue.
“With the restaurants closed, food options are limited,” Johnson said.
“It’s getting tougher just to find a cup of coffee,” Squires said.
He packs a lot of his own meals for his trips, but even so, he likes to be able to stop for a hot meal a few times a week. Now he can’t sit down in a restaurant.
Squires has also noticed some restaurants already seem to be permanently closed, which means things will be tougher for drivers even after that has eased.
Fast food places are still open, and food trucks have been invited to set up at cardlock gas stations.
McDonalds in places is even allowing truck drivers to use their drive through lanes as pedestrians – since the trucks won’t fit into the tight curves of a regular drive through.
Overall, despite improvements, trucking is now lonelier than it was before.
“The drivers have always historically self-isolated,” said Johnson.
But now things are different. They can’t come close to people at deliveries or at restaurants.
“The lack of social interaction – everybody needs to talk to people,” Johnson said.
“I think the drivers are affected emotionally when it’s ‘We’re glad to see the load, but we don’t want to see you,’” he said.
Most drivers are holding up well under the new conditions, and he’s taking time to talk to his drivers, Johnson said.
There have been a few positives during the downturn, including a real reduction in wait times at the U.S. border crossings.
“Obviously, we don’t have the lineups we once had going through there,” Johnson said.
The need for social distancing has also accelerated a change to using electronic data transfer to inform customs officials and border guards about cargo. That option was there before, but is rapidly replacing paper documents because it doesn’t require physical contact.
With travel times down, fuel is also cheaper than it has been more more than a decade.
But those bright spots can’t conceal the fact that, necessary as it is, the industry is hurting as the economy it serves has ground to a halt.
“Unfortunately, because of people staying home, there’s a lot less freight to move,” said Johnson.
He estimates business is down 30 to 40 per cent overall.
The biggest impact will be felt by the smaller trucking firms, that have only one or two clients. If their clients have less work or no work, that impacts the truckers immediately.
The larger companies may be able to withstand the slowdown better.
“The industry is hurting, and it’s not going to get better for a while,” Johnson said.
Squires said he’s sometimes struggling to keep a positive attitude.
“You keep plugging away, keeping those wheels moving as best you can,” he said.


text:
ICCX RUSSIA 2019
Namtaş Concrete Block Machines exhibited in International Concrete Conference & Exhibition that took place in Saint-Petersburg. The 15th ICCX event organized in Russia, remains as large-scale B2B event in the concrete industry and attracts visitors not only from Russia but also other CIS countries. We had a chance to represent our company to a large number of visitors from the concrete products industry and we continue our close cooperation with the companies that we are planning to meet at Bauma CTT-2020. Our brand recognition and activities in the Russian market continue rapidly.


text:
TOKYO (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) plans to launch a compact hybrid auto in January that will travel up to 40 km on a liter of gasoline (94 miles per U.S. gallon), giving it the best fuel economy among eco-friendly cars, the Nikkei business daily said on Wednesday.
The vehicle, called the Aqua, will use the same powertrain as Toyota’s Prius but will reflect actual driving patterns more closely than the Prius, which achieves a fuel economy of 32 km per liter (76 miles per gallon), the paper reported.
The car is likely to sell for around 1.7 million yen($22,000) in Japan, about 300,000 yen less than the Prius, and will be targeted at younger drivers and women, the daily added.
Toyota representatives were not immediately available to comment on the report.
Reporting by James Topham; Editing by Michael Watson


text:
Microsoft may choose to launch Windows 12 in June next year
Last year, there were reports that Microsoft planned to alter its Windows development strategy and adjust its system upgrade cycle. The plan entailed releasing a major version of Windows every three years, with four scheduled functional updates annually. The next-generation Windows 12 operating system, anticipated for release in 2024, is expected to introduce a novel user interface, support for new hardware, and new API compatibility. In an interview conducted in October this year, Intel’s Chief Financial Officer, David Zinser, also hinted that Windows 12 is slated to arrive next year.
According to CTEE, Microsoft is poised to launch Windows 12 in June 2024, a move expected to trigger a new wave of sales in Artificial Intelligence (AI) PCs. Industry leaders from companies like Acer, Quanta, MSI, and Gigabyte have expressed excitement about the inaugural year of AI PCs and the business opportunities it presents. Industry insiders believe that AI will not only drive sales of PC products and servers but also catalyze the development of automotive electronic devices, contributing to the industry’s accelerated growth.
Following the initial plan to release a major version of Windows every three years, Windows 12 is expected to arrive in the latter half of next year. If this proves accurate, it would mean an earlier release than previously anticipated, possibly indicating Microsoft’s eagerness to expand its operations. Intel’s upcoming Meteor Lake is poised to support this new operating system.
Rumors suggest Microsoft is also developing an ARM architecture-based proprietary chip, intended to synergize with the upcoming Windows 12 operating system, enhancing device performance and efficiency for an improved user experience. Current trends indicate that support for hardware AI processing may become one of the minimum requirements for Windows 12.


text:
A criminal enterprise well known for using malware-laced fake display ads is ramping up its efforts by infecting dozens of popular websites using a recently patched Flash Player exploit to deliver the Angler Exploit Kit in a drive-by style attack.
Malwarebytes Senior Security Researcher Jerome Segura did not name the group involved, but told SCMagazine.com that the increase is worrisome because the combination of the fake display ads and obfuscation techniques are hard to combat. Some of the sites now being used include CBS.com, M.MLB.com and Answers.com. The group is using a recently patched Flash Player exploit (CVE-2016-4117) to deliver CryptXXX ransomware and what is known as the “fingerprinting” technique to sidestep security.
The interesting aspect of this particular attack, Segura said, is how the attacker goes about placing the malicious banner ads. The bad guys create a fake ad based on one from a real company; add the malware and then they buy ad space on an unsuspecting site. The malware itself sits between the legitimate website and the exploit kit and is only triggered when a suitable victim comes by.
From a cost/benefits standpoint this makes great financial sense, Segura said, because the ad only costs a few dollars per thousand views and one ransomware attack can net the gang $500.
The “fingerprinting” code checks if a visitor is a real person, a bot or if the individual’s computer has software capable of blocking or detecting the attack. The latter visitors are ignored and only the real person is hit, Segura said, this helps limit the malware’s exposure and it increases the infection rate.
Segura said it is very difficult for the company buying the ad to spot the malware because it is able to hide in plain sight, but there are a few clues. The fake ad points to a sub-domain that has been created on its site and the SSL is incorrect, however most sites that accept ads do not look at the code and in many cases ad purchasing is done automatically. This could result in an ad being purchased from an unscrupulous agency, one that might have been noticed if a human had been in the loop.


text:
Today’s WASDE report has given the trade a green light to increase its short position, while speculators are likely to reduce their net long position further.
Once the crops have moved in, we could be faced with a situation in which the trade may want to put on additional short hedges against inventories and on-call sales, while a weak chart might force speculators to abandon its net long. In other words, there may plenty of selling and not a lot of buying ahead, other than scale down mill fixations.
There is currently a shortage of cotton in the cash channels and the basis for early arrivals is therefore quite strong. Only once the crop has moved in and nearby commitments have been applied will the market start to feel some pressure. This will probably not be the case before the second half of November or early December. We therefore see December futures well supported, while March should eventually start to feel the crop pressure.
As crops are approaching the finish line and the weather premium is fading away, the bulls will find it harder to defend their territory.
Interestingly, when we add up production and mill use over the last three seasons, from the 2015/16-season to the current one, we get a combined output of 323.74 million bales vs. a combined mill use of 342.68 million bales. In other words, mill use has been outpacing production by around 19 million bales over those three seasons.
Traders are quite nervous at the moment due to all these weather-related threats we had over the last couple of weeks. However, the market has probably gone up far enough for now and if no further production setbacks occur, the trade will eventually emerge as a stronger seller again and cap the market.
Markets don’t like uncertainty and right now there is plenty of it! With an almost empty supply pipeline and with some of the early arrivals falling prey to bad weather, the margin for error has become rather thin. Heavy rain in the Delta at the moment and possibly another storm system bringing more unwelcome moisture next week are likely going to impact the quality of the 4.0 million bales grown in that region.
The US crop certainly has tremendous potential, with some early dryland yields coming it at over 3 bales/acre and with plants generally looking healthy and loaded up across the cotton belt. Judging by field reports we feel that this crop might break yield records and come in at over 21 million bales.
Since crops are not quite made yet, selling pressure is starting to subside below 67 cents, while there is some light scale down mill buying becoming evident. This has lead to a slightly more two-sided affair over the last couple of sessions.
The market came within 80 points of the 72 cents resistance level, but after today’s dismal performance the momentum has now clearly shifted to the downside again.
The market advanced on some spec short covering this week and may eventually test major resistance at 7200 over the coming days or weeks. However, from a fundamental point of view there is no reason for traders to chase prices higher, since the crops are still holding on to their potential. Many producers are waiting for a chance to hedge their output in the 70s and there are plenty of scale-up sell orders already in place.
The market seems too cheap to sell below 67 cents and too expensive to buy above 70 cents given the high expectations for the coming crop. However, since US cotton is relatively cheap compared to other growths we feel that there is greater risk to the upside.
Speculators have forced the market lower by selling around 9 million bales net over the last two months and they can’t keep up this kind of selling pressure. While most of this spec selling was long liquidation, there have also been new shorts established, which could provide the fuel for short covering rallies.
The market is still in search of solid support, but with speculators continuing their net selling and with the trade afraid of the long side, the market could drop more in the weeks ahead.
We feel that the onslaught of spec selling is over for now and that the trade isn’t going to sell the market in the mid-60s either. There are simply too many early commitments on the books and with the crop being drawn out and slightly behind schedule we don’t expect any supply pressure until early 2018.
The market seems to be stuck between a bullish current crop and a potentially bearish new crop scenario.
After a parabolic move to the upside last month, we now have a similar situation to the downside. Given the still sizeable spec net long position in December this selling pressure could persist as long as speculators feel a need to get out of the cotton market. We have seen similar moves in other soft commodities recently, be it sugar, coffee or cocoa.
The market is overextended to the downside after this liquidation drive and is likely to give us a bounce, possibly after tomorrow’s options expiration. If there is still a relatively large open interest left after all the options have cleared, then July might flare up again, especially since the certified stock has become so attractive.
The July liquidation has progressed quite swiftly and orderly so far, but the remaining two weeks might still harbor some surprises. For one we are not seeing the usual liquidity during the ongoing index roll. This means that some of the index position has already been rolled, probably when the July/Dec spread inverted to 13-14 cents a couple of weeks ago.
The rapidly declining open interest in July is sucking the energy for a big move out of the market, and we haven’t even reached the major index roll yet. With July now near its cash value, we expect it to trade in a fairly tight range over the next 2-3 weeks. If technical support levels get breached and specs react to it we could see some flush out dips, but by and large we expect July to be trading in a 76-79 cents range.


text:
08/14 Update below. This post was originally published on August 11
The iPhone 12 range is not just going to be fast, it’s going to blow the rest of the industry away, according to new information provided by prolific industry insider Komiya. The tipster reveals Apple’s new A14 chipset inside the range will offer CPU and GPU gains of 40% and 50% respectively. That equates to a multi-generational increase on the iPhone’s A13, which is already the fastest smartphone chipset on the market.
08/13 Update: fellow Apple leaker iHacktu has directly countered Komiya's A14 performance claim, saying the chipset will see a CPU gain of circa 30% and a GPU boost of 38%. While smaller, these numbers would still represent the biggest generational performance leap in years and the chipset is also expected to be significantly more power efficient. Much of the hype for the A14 centers on its 5nm manufacturing process (details below) and the iPhone 12 lineup will be the first smartphones to debut it. Which leaker is right? Differing benchmarks and levels of software optimization mean both could be under different scenarios. Either way, the A14 is going to massively extend Apple's already commanding lead in smartphone performance.
08/14 Update: new iPhone 12 design details have leaked with reports that Apple will swap out the stainless steel chassis used by the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max for ‘aerospace aluminum’ in the new Pro models. The new material is allegedly more durable and more resistant to hot and cold temperatures. This latter ability is more likely aimed at optimizing performance of the ballistic new A14 chipset function, than Apple designing the new phones specifically for improved use in deserts and at poles! I have some skepticism about this change, given such a material change would usually leak a lot sooner than this. That said, with the iPhone 11 Pro Max already weighing 226g (7.97 oz) and the iPhone 12 Pro Max set to get even larger, weight saving measures may be necessary.
Furthermore, this makes sense. Last month, popular YouTuber Filip Koroy (aka EverythingApplePro) revealed the A14 would deliver a massive performance upgrade to compete with what the iPhone 8’s A11 chip achieved over the iPhone 7’s A10. That was a game-changing leap, with the A11 offering 70% improved multitasking performance but, even then, its high performance CPU and GPU cores were just 25% and 30% faster. Meanwhile, back in January, the iPhone 12 was tipped to outpace the MacBook Pro.
So, compared to more modest recent gains (A13 20%, A12 15%), how has Apple suddenly leapt forward again? The big enabler is the A14’s move from a 7nm to 5nm manufacturing process. This means more transistors in the same space (Koroy says 15 billion Vs 8.5 billion on the A13), as well as increased power efficiency. The latter of which would explain the iPhone 12 lineup’s surprisingly small batteries.
But is speed a big selling point? I think so. While plans for so-called Apple Silicon in Macs and MacBooks is exciting news, the real appeal of its ever improving presence in iPhones is longevity. Consequently, while more obvious crowd pleasing upgrades have hit the rocks, the A14 has the potential to make the iPhone 12 line-up some of the most future proof smartphones in history.
During this turbulent time, that might just be the most pleasing crowd pleasing upgrade of them all.
Follow Gordon on Facebook
More On Forbes


text:
KUALA LUMPUR, 9 DECEMBER 2010 -- Business IT peripherals firm Brother International Malaysia has launched professional embroidery machines that use advanced technology to deliver enhanced productivity and quality for the textile and apparel industry.
Brother International Malaysia is confident that Brother's new PR-650 and PR-1000 embroidery series will receive positive support from the Malaysian textiles and apparel since its industry is one of the main arms of SME [small and medium enterprise], which generated RM7 billion [US$2.22 billion] to Malaysian GDP [gross domestic product] in 2009," said Brother International Malaysia director, Yoshiaki Otsuka.
"Coupled with advanced technology features, our new series is definitely suited to the needs of SMEs, fashion designers and serious hobbyists, said Otsuka.
He said that the two new machines also included embroidery software called PE-Design Next. "These two embroidery machines offer advanced technologies to help achieve professional embroidery results and enhance productivity among enthusiasts and small-medium entrepreneurs alike."
"By using six needles and ten needles for the PR-650 and the PR-1000 respectively, Brother's embroidery machines delivers high speed results with up to 1,000 stitches per-minute without compromising the quality produced," said Otsuka.
He said that the introduction of Brother's embroidery series signalled the company's intent to make further inroads into the textiles and apparel industry in Malaysia. "According to statistics from the Malaysian Knitting Manufacturers Association, sales of the textiles and apparel industry in 2009 were worth a staggering RM7 billion [US$2.22 billion],"
"The launch of the two new embroidery series comes at the right time as the textiles and apparel industry is facing escalating prices of the raw materials and a shortage of skilled labour," said Otsuka.
Textiles, apparel sector facing global challenges
The textiles and apparel industry is facing a challenging period due to increased global competition from countries like China and India as well as the hike of the raw materials like cotton, which surged up 25 per cent to 40 per cent in the past three months," Otsuka said. "However, the new reasonably priced embroidery options in the PR-650 and PR-1000 features that have advanced technology with high speed stitching that can definitely help the industry to increase their productivity to meet the ever growing demand.
He said that the industry was able to diversify its designs to target a wider market with the customising capabilities in PR-650 and PR-1000, which includes arranging text, pattern rotation in 1-degree increments, changing design sizes and the ability to combine designs and add lettering.
Brother's PR-650 and PR-1000 not only will stimulate the textiles and apparel industry but would also serve to provide potential embroidery business opportunities," said Otsuka. "Brother incorporates all the user friendly features, stitch information and informative tutorial guides coupled with the high speed production to deliver professional quality embroidering. Additionally, its compact size will be an ideal choice for home-based entrepreneurs as they have limited space for production.
Sign up for MIS Asia eNewsletters.


text:
Dutch drug delivery company OctoPlus has licensed two biodegradeable polymers to SurModics that can be used to coat medical devices and deliver drugs into the surrounding tissues.
Stenting is growing in popularity as a means of keeping arteries narrowed by atherosclerotic plaques from closing completely, precipitating a heart attack or other major cardiovascular event. The device functions as a scaffold, supporting the walls of the affected artery and preventing closure.
So-called 'bare' stents have been used for more than 20 years, but while effective they have limitations, notably that the artery tissue can in time grow through their mesh structure and re-close the vessel. The solution is to coat the stent with a drug that can prevent this tissue growth, and this requires a drug-carrying coating.
Stenting has tended to be more popular in the US than in Europe, but this has changed with the launch of the first drug-coated products from Johnson & Johnson (Cypher) and Guidant (Achieve).
Market research has suggested that the market for drug-coated stents could be worth as much as $5 billion (€4.1bn) in 2005, a remarkable growth considering sales were non-existent until the end of 2001 in the US and 2002 in Europe.
The two polymers covered by the license agreement are PolyActive and OctoDEX, which OctoPlus is already developing in preclinical studies to make controlled release formulations for the pharmaceutical industry.
Biodegradable polymers have the ability to be combined with one or more drugs and applied to a medical device, yet are naturally degraded by the body over time.
PolyActive is a multiblock polymeric system based on two well-known polymers used for the controlled release of proteins and hydrophobic small molecule drugs. In particular, PolyActive has been used in thousands of patients as part of two FDA approved products.
It has an existing Drug Master File lodged with the US Food and Drug Administration, which means that the testing required for incorporating it into drug products has already been completed.
Meanwhile, OctoDEX is a delivery system for the controlled release of proteins and large particles such as liposomes and antigens and is based on cross-linked dextran microspheres. OctoPlus recently reported successful completion of Phase I studies for a sustained release formulation of human growth hormone based on OctoDEX.
Giving a tantalising view of what the company hopes to explore with the polymers, Bruce Barclay, president and chief operating officer of SurModics, noted that in time it may be possible to use them to make fully dissolvable medical devices for local drug delivery.
He added that the polymers expand the types of molecules that SurModics can work with, as they are suitable for delivering proteins and other large molecule therapeutic agents.
Meanwhile, last month, Occam International, another Dutch company, licensed a drug delivery technology for use in cardiovascular stents to Xtent.