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Guests arriving at the Riverside Convention Center for the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital’s annual fundraising gala were greeted by three polo players atop ponies that stamped and trotted around the building’s grassy lawn.
Inside, they were dazzled by the shimmering gold and white draperies and translucent balloons hung high, as well as sequined tablecloths and gold-trimmed chairs. Towers of champagne flutes flanked the ballroom entrance, ready to be filled by ladies in 1920s attire pouring non-alcoholic bubbly while perched on swings suspended from the ceiling.
The March 12 event was the hospital’s best-attended gala, drawing more than 1,000 guests and raising $1.1 million.
And it couldn’t have happened before the convention center’s $43 million renovation and expansion, officials say.
The center reopened about a year ago, boasting 30 percent more space and 21st-century decor and amenities.
“This is a knockout,” said former San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris, a gala guest who had been to numerous events at the facility before its facelift. “I do not recognize this place.”
By all accounts, renovating the Riverside Convention Center was worth the money and the time, though construction closed it for more than a year and a half.
In the first year since reopening, the center didn’t host as many events as in the previous comparable period before it closed. But officials say the average number of people and amount of revenue per event are up, and total revenue is on track to set a record for the fiscal year.
“In 17 years of operating the facility, we’ve never had this sort of interest from meeting planners,” said Raincross Hospitality Corp. CEO Ted Weggeland, whose company runs the city-owned convention center.
“The goal isn’t to bring in much larger groups. It’s to bring in higher-end groups that will spend more money at the convention center, they’ll spend more money at the hotels, they’ll spend more money at the restaurants, the stores and the gas stations.”
SEEN AS HIDDEN GEM
The Riverside Convention Center opened in 1976, and before the recent fix, hadn’t seen a major upgrade in about 15 years.
The renovated center has by some measures surpassed its previous performance. Records have been set for attendance and the number of meals served at one event. A partnership with Loma Linda University Health means healthy menus with vegetarian and vegan choices rather than “standard chicken” meals, Weggeland said.
The added space and flexibility allow up to eight groups to use the center at the same time, he said. Before, the maximum was three, Weggeland said.
At 66,816 square feet, Riverside’s center is far smaller than its counterparts in Anaheim and San Diego, each of which has more than 1 million square feet. But size wasn’t the goal.
“Our wheelhouse is not going after the much larger groups that really have the ability to go to L.A. and San Francisco and Orange County and San Diego,” Weggeland said. “Our strength is in leveraging the quality of the facility.”
Having the Mission Inn, Hyatt Place and Marriott hotels within blocks and a cluster of restaurants on the downtown mall was a draw for Meagan Catafi, a training and program manager who planned the California Police Chiefs Association’s recent conference.
“It’s beautiful and it’s brand new,” Catafi said of the convention center, adding, “I loved that Riverside’s very walkable.”
The chiefs’ weeklong event in late February filled the center with about 1,600 people from around the state, including Attorney General Kamala Harris and Gov. Jerry Brown.
Deb Childs, local accounts manager for Arizona-based HelmsBriscoe, recently booked a 2016 conference in Riverside for a California government group. She said the group doesn’t want its convention announced yet.
“Riverside was always way out there – it’s like, ‘Oh, why would anybody go out there?’” said Childs, a California native.
But with the redone convention center plus the historic Mission Inn, the city is now “the quiet place that nobody knows about that you can get really good rates at,” she said.
CONVENTION BUSINESS CLIMBS
Downtown businesses have felt the difference since the convention center got back into action.
Between events there and at the Fox Performing Arts Center and other downtown venues, “it’s just like a frenzy now,” said Michael Lopez, marketing assistant manager at ProAbition Whiskey Lounge and Kitchen. “There is probably a convention every single week.”
Wendie Monrroy, whose high-end gift and home decor shop on Main Street bears her name, said convention attendees come in complimenting the center and the food. Her only complaint is that there’s no parking garage.
That surge in business is in keeping with a rebound across the travel and tourism industry, said Alan Reay, president of Atlas Hospitality Group, an Irvine-based industry research firm.
“Secondary markets” such as Riverside have trailed more popular destinations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, but they’re doing much better now than they were a year or two ago, Reay said.
“People are feeling better about the economy,” he said. “Unemployment is down, corporations are expanding – they’re all feeling better about getting out there and traveling.”
That’s reflected in what Reay called a “tidal wave of new hotel construction” around the country – a wave that looks likely to splash over Riverside.
City officials say Irvine-based Greens Group, a private developer, is pursuing plans for a new hotel at Fifth and Market streets, across from the Marriott hotel. Greens Group officials did not respond to a phone call or email seeking comment, but Riverside Councilman Mike Gardner said the tentative plan calls for a roughly 100-room hotel with midrange prices such as a Hampton Inn, as well as an extended-stay hotel of about the same size.
Riverside officials have been coveting another downtown hotel to supplement the luxury Mission Inn, full-service Marriott and more modestly priced Hyatt Place. Because the hotels have their own corporate, leisure travel and walk-in business, they can book only about 350 to 400 total rooms for convention business, Weggeland said.
“There are times when the convention center is not able to book an event they would like because there are not enough hotel rooms,” Gardner said.
Demand for the improved convention center is high now, with Weggeland’s staff having to choose carefully which events to schedule through 2018.
But what about a few years from now, when the facility isn’t so shiny and new?
“Even though the building may be the same building five years from now, we’re not the same organization,” Weggeland said of his company. “We’ll keep getting better and better and meeting our clients’ needs.”
Contact the writer: 951-368-9461 or firstname.lastname@example.org


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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- COVID-19 has impacted every business at different levels, but for companies that are just getting their businesses up and running, it's been particularly hard.
"COVID hit and there was no face to face and so our revenue and our business shut down for two months with no money coming in," says Lawrence Wagner, the CEO, and founder for Spark Mindset. His startup prepares high school and middle school students for cybersecurity careers.
With schools playing a big role in his business model, uncertainty has left him on edge. Wagner says, "Schools who are still trying to figure out what they are trying to do and then you have parents who are waiting on schools."
Jacob Montoya found himself in a similar situation. He's the founder of FitSW, a company that provides software to gyms and personal trainers. "Right away, as soon as it hit, all the gyms closing, personal trainers; some of them losing their jobs," Montoya says.
Struggling to make ends meet, both turned to the Paycheck Protection Program for help. As Montoya explains, it didn't amount to much given the size of his small startup. "The PPP wasn't a big help for us just because, we didn't have many hires last year," Montoya says.
Wagner on the other hand didn't get anything. Saying his business didn't even qualify for PPP. "These programs that were created are not really for startups, and more for small businesses and restaurants and things like that," Wagner says, "So we didn't have a lot of access to capital."
Both business leaders are trying to be optimistic about the future. Saying things are starting to get a little better, they just hope that if there is more federal stimulus down the road, businesses like theirs won't be forgotten.

domain: news


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From the start of the pandemic, hospitality has borne the brunt of the restrictions. It is an industry reliant on being able to bring people together – whether for food, for drinks or just for fun.
Preparing to open back up at the start of July, hospitality businesses spent huge sums to become COVID compliant and to ensure they could deliver a safe return. There were still huge concerns. Could they turn a profit on 30-50% occupancy? Could they survive without commuter footfall? Could they ensure a fantastic experience whilst meeting regulatory standards?
By and large, they came back fighting and absolutely determined to save their businesses and the industry as a whole. Inevitably, even with the support of furlough and government schemes, there were redundancies and closures.
The sector has regularly called for extensions to support to avoid further job losses but have been told they are not “viable”. The Winter Economy Package is not enough for these venues to weather the storm.
And then. The ten o’clock curfew.
Brought in without any scientific backing or financially modelling, the curfew will be the death knoll for many businesses. It cuts trading hours, reduces customer confidence and, ironically, drives people out of safe, regulated environments and into huge crowds.
We had hoped when filming this roundtable (on Monday 28th September) that it would almost immediately be out of date. Sadly, it isn’t and, whilst a difficult watch, we highly encourage you to listen to the impact it’s having.
Thank you so much to Lucy Noone-Blake for chairing and to Abi Dunn – Sixty Eight People, Felicity Tulloch – Kuits Solicitors and Andrew Strugnell – Arc Inspirations for sharing their expertise.
There are a number of things you can do to help in this crisis:


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The Lordstown Motors Corp. Stamina electric powered pickup truck sits on stage throughout an unveiling function in Lordstown, Ohio, U.S., on Thursday, June 25, 2020.
Matthew Hatcher | Bloomberg | Getty Visuals
Struggling electric car or truck start-up Lordstown Motors explained it is really on monitor to start off production of its Stamina pickup in the third quarter, about a yr later than initially expected. But even if it hits that commence date, the enterprise expects to lose income on each individual one particular of the around 500 vans it hopes to ship by year-stop.
Whether Lordstown will endure extended sufficient to experience that obstacle is nonetheless in dilemma. The company’s economic future hangs on a deal it struck final September to promote its Ohio factory to Taiwanese deal company Hon Hai Technological innovation Team, better recognised as Foxconn. Below the deal’s phrases, it will have to near by May possibly 18. (The initial conditions required the offer to near by May possibly 14, but the parties agreed to a 4-day extension, Lordstown mentioned Monday.)
If the offer does not take place – as of Monday early morning, it was not finished – Lordstown will be needed to refund the $250 million in down payments manufactured by Foxconn above the final various months.
A refund would deplete approximately all of the aspiring truck maker’s remaining cash. Lordstown experienced $203.6 million in funds as of March 31 and gained an added $50 million from Foxconn in April. Just about all of that will have to be repaid if the deal will not come about.
If the offer does close, Foxconn will make a final payment of $30 million, plus an additional payment of about $27 million to reimburse some of Lordstown’s charges. But that will even now depart Lordstown limited of the money it requirements to ramp up creation of the Endurance.
Assuming a successful closing with Foxconn, Lordstown will probably have to elevate an extra $150 million or so by yr-conclude, Main Financial Officer Adam Kroll claimed Monday.
The information was section of Lordstown’s to start with-quarter earnings update. It noted a net loss of $89.6 million for the very first quarter, or 46 cents for every share, as opposed to its $125.2 million reduction (72 cents for each share) in the initially quarter of 2021. Income then and now was zero, as the enterprise is not but shipping and delivery automobiles.
Lordstown’s operations employed up internet $69 million in hard cash in the very first quarter, together with $21.9 million in money charges on tooling and similar expenditures for its assembly line. Its level of cash burn off is likely to speed up as it gets closer to the begin of creation of the Endurance.
Lordstown’s inventory fell practically 19% in early investing soon after the news was unveiled to a new all-time minimal of $1.55. The shares recovered considerably as the day went on, ending Monday’s session at $1.78, down 6.5%.


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Good morning, All,
Two things happened last week to which attention must be paid. Aereo lost their right to exist, because, well, that’s the way court wanted it, since they pretty much ignored the facts and made their decision based on, that’s the way they wanted it. Aereo offered an “alternative to the bundle” that consumers are forced to accept from cable providers. (Why the Supreme Court just set TV innovation back a decade. The Supreme Court’s decision to kill Aereo was bad from a legal point of view — and downright horrible from a policy and innovation perspective.) The company ceased providing access to broadcast television as of this past Saturday. We’re reminded of Napster, which was also shut down by the courts in the Web 1.0 days and note to self and heads up to the broadcasters: even with napster gone, the music labels still failed to seize technology, thinking that it would just go away and leave them alone, and that given the court’s decision, it was game over and life as usual. Didn’t happen. Au contraire.
Google also held their i/o developer conference this past week, and here’s Everything You Need to Know. We’ll bottom line it: Android is “becoming contextually aware, flowing from place to place with you, and taking advantage of any input you throw at it—be it your voice aimed at a device on your wrist, a button on your steering wheel, your mouse on your laptop, or a gaming control on your TV.” They’re taking over your home, your car – they’re already at the office – and all sorts of other devices you may own now, or in the near future. (Does Nest remind anyone else of HAL – and just waiting for that little red eyeball to be enabled…) Let’s not forget what Google Everywhere really means. The cloud part of the announcement was interrupted by a protestor who chanted “wake the fuck up, you’re all working for a totalitarian company that builds robots that kill people.” Our question is: with Google in every aspect of our lives and waking moments, how are they different from the NSA, except that we opt in? Knowingly and completely?


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by M JAY SHEILA / pic source: klk.com.my
PLANTERS will likely register a weaker performance, both quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and year-on-year (YoY), in their upcoming quarterly results on the back of lower palm oil prices, said a local research house.
Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd (HLIB Research) has maintained an ‘Overweight’ stance on the plantation sector, supported by commendable valuations and high near-term crude palm oil (CPO) prices.
It has maintained 2022-2024 CPO price assumptions of RM5,050/RM4,000/RM3,800 per tonne.
On a YoY basis, it said most planters will likely post a YoY decline in their upstream plantation earnings, on the back of lower fresh fruit bunches (FFB) output and palm product prices, coupled with higher production cost (arising mainly from full impact of minimum wage hike in Malaysia and higher fertiliser prices).
“Planters with high exposure of upstream operations in Indonesia will likely fare better than those with high exposure in Malaysia, given the change in export levy structure and possibly higher FFB output,” it said in a note released today.
On Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK), HLIB Research said its core earnings will likely come in lower in the third quarter of calendar year 2022 (3Q22), as higher FFB output (+26.8%, due mainly to FFB contribution from newly acquired subsidiaries) and inclusion of earnings from 26.3%-owned synthomer will likely be offset by lower palm product prices, impact from minimum wage hike and challenging operating environment at downstream segment.
For IOI Corp Bhd, it said the company’s core earnings will likely come in lower in 3Q22, as the 8.9% FFB output growth will likely be offset by lower palm product prices and potentially weaker contribution from manufacturing segment.
It has maintained a ‘Buy’ call both for KLK (target price of RM26.80) and IOI (RM4.65).
At 10.36am, KLK was trading at RM21.66, valuing the group at RM23.35 billion, while IOI was trading at RM3.97, valuing the group at RM24.58 billion.


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Miami Dolphins And Uber Team Up To Give Fans The Ultimate Tailgate Party
A dedicated drop-off and pick-up zone at the Hard Rock Stadium will give access to an exclusive area of grills, tents and picnic tables
Ride-sharing company Uber has partnered with the Miami Dolphins for Uber Tailgate, an innovative tailgating experience that lets fans reserve an exclusive area with a charcoal grill, picnic table, cooler, and a tent. There is also a provisions store located nearby, where they will be able to buy food and drinks including hot dogs, pretzels and beer.
For the 2016 season, twenty Uber Tailgate spots will be available per game, with the deadline to purchase a spot being the Thursday before each home game.
A dedicated drop-off and pick-up zone is being provided at the Hard Rock Stadium for fans wanting to use the service, conveniently located just west of the Florida Turnpike. They will be able to get Uber rides to the designated lot and then be assigned a specific spot after the game to get a ride home.


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Samsung's Yoon to Keynote at CES
CEA said Wednesday that Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung's Visual Display Business devision, will deliver a keynote address at International CES in Las Vegas. Yoon will speak at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 6 in the Las Vegas Hilton Center.
Yoon supervises Samsung's TV, monitor and Blu-ray divisions.
"We are thrilled to welcome back Samsung to its second CES keynote,” Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA, said as part of the announcement.


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The problem was that Google never asked its Gmail users whether they wanted to enroll -- and what was that again about who you emailed most often? ● In 2011, Google reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission regarding revelations about how it handled user search information.
Google had been on notice since 2003 that its ads violated U. law, but it continued to solicit and support them aggressively until at least 2009, supposedly generating upwards of 0 million in revenues.
Epstein, Bianca Bosker (Senior Tech Editor at the Huffington Post), Pete Pachal (Tech Editor at Mashable.com), and others by visiting Huff Post Live here.
This unique proprietary algorithm measures relevant data while simultaneously examining trillions of pieces of publicly relevant data from millions of websites.
As you may have noticed, however, those highly targeted ads Google sends you based on your email content and Internet activities seem to be coming faster than ever.


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What is the bitcoin hard fork
On August 1st, Bitcoin divided into two rival versions, BTC and BCH.This occurs when developers seek to change the rules the software uses to decide whether a transaction is valid or not.Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Glossary entry explaining what a fork is, including soft and hard forks, codebase and blockchain forks.With the scheduled bitcoin cash hard fork, it is essential that you retain your wallet and corresponding recovery phrase, even if you empty the BTC balance.Either a soft or hard fork will likely cause bitcoin to lose value.
Chinese Government Wants to Control Bitcoin Through a Hard
Scaling Dilemma and Bitcoin Hard Fork PossibilityNot like the kind you would find on a table, on a blockchain, a fork is a technical event that occurs because diverse participants need to agree on common rules.
First of all, it is critical to explain what a hard fork of program formula entails exactly.The problem comes when some sort of political impasse arises, and a portion of the community decides to stick by the old rules no matter what.Tomorrow, August 1, is the big day for the future of Bitcoin.
Blockchain fork will create new digital currency calledThe bitcoin protocol is essentially a set of rules that say when a block is valid.On August 1st, Bitcoin will fork into two different currencies.So far, we know some forks resolve on their own, but others, fueled by deep rifts in a community, can cause a network to permanently split, creating two blockchain histories — and two separate currencies.
How to protect your bitcoin and online poker balances during the User Activated Hard Fork of Bitcoin and creation of BitcoinCash.As a result, those who use the blockchain have to show support for one choice over the other.On Tuesday morning, bitcoin analysts woke up to witness the birth of a new currency.Currently this idea is theoretical and has not been implemented.Hashpower support for Bitcoin Unlimited is at an all-time high.What matters is that its data (and ruleset) is still perceived to have value, meaning miners still want to mine a chain and developers still want to support it.
Due to discrepancies in opinion between Bitcoin miners and developers on how to handle increasing transaction times, the digital currency has split into two separate.The general way in which rule changes have been made to Bitcoin so far is through the use of soft forks, specifically the process outlined in BIP 9 (at least these days).Bitcoin Core developer, Alex Morcos has been working for years to make sure bitcoin transaction fee estimation tools are smarter.Soft Fork - A soft fork is a change to the bitcoin protocol where some.
As stated in the recently-published hard fork contingency plan, Poloniex agrees that any contentious hard fork.The Bitcoin community fears that the Bitcoin blockchain will split into two persisting chains when Bitcoin Unlimited miners initiate a hard.Bitcoin Cash is not a hard fork of Bitcoin, it is a spin-off.
A Bitcoin Hard Fork is Coming and Creating New Money WithToday, a statement was released by the major exchanges and service providers in the ecosystem voicing how we will handle the fork and.Bitcoin has undergone its first major hard fork leading to the creation of a new cryptocurrency, Bitcoin Cash.
What is a Fork? - Cryptorials | Decentralized Technology
The Bitcoin Cash Hard Fork Will Show Us Which Coin Is BestUPDATE (31 July 2017 at 14:30 hrs UTC): The cut-off for BTC withdrawals and deposits has now been extended to 1 August.
Is a Bitcoin Hard Fork Still Avoidable? – LibertyLifeTrailThe latest entry in the debate over Bitcoin scaling comes from mining firm Bitmain.
The leader in blockchain news, CoinDesk is an independent media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies.Over the past two weeks, the bitcoin community has been discussing the possibility of a hard fork in the near future.Yet, there are many different types of forks, and the science of studying them is still new.Non-upgraded nodes will still see the new transactions as valid (500k is less than 1MB in this example).
The Hard Fork: Will Bitcoin XT Take? - Nasdaq.comJP Buntinx is a FinTech and Bitcoin enthusiast living in Belgium.Interested in offering your expertise or insights to our reporting.
Most likely there will be a real Bitcoin hard fork mid-November.The hash rate, or network computing power, behind the old chain is irrelevant.
Bitcoin Hard Fork August 1st – What is happening, Latest
This method requires a much longer lead time to work than a hash-power-triggered soft fork.The majority of major exchanges would need to publicly support the change before it could be written into a new version of code.
Bitcoin gambling on android | Reddit coin flip | Buying usd rate | Bitcoin mining hardware ebay india | Bitcoin otc markets | Bitcoin ledger example | How to bitcoin wallet address |


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Apple's iPad has led the tablet revolution with others trying desperately to make inroads. From Samsung to Blackberry to the Nook, the table is becoming the must have device. And now Amazon will soon announce its own tablet.
The age of the tablet brings a whole new paradigm to the digital landscape. Hollywood is bracing for digital distribution, Netflix is pushing streaming, and print sees a new opportunity to recapture subscriptions and grow advertising. For The New York Times, digital subscription is growing as consumers are using their iPads at night to catch up on articles they missed earlier in the day. For them, it opens up a whole new viewing time that had died with the demise of the evening newspaper. The table rests in our kitchens, on our coffee tables and in our beds. And with this connectivity, the ads served can speak directly to the users interests and relevant to the time of day. Context and connection.
And as multiple devices talk to each other, the tablet with the smart phone, or perhaps with the big screen TV, data can be shared and connected. As other devices in the home get smarter, connectivity with a mobile device will only be enhanced. Our devices can talk to the refrigerator, HVAC and security system, and every other home appliance. And information can be shared among family members. We will be informed, entertained, and enlightened.


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Apple Watch is definitely not a cool technology that everyone is clamoring to own because it lacks a lot of good features, still in its early stage and most importantly people don’t like to carry too many gadgets on them.
Termed as the most personal device ever made, Apple wants everyone to wear one. It will keep tracking your body’s temperature, pulse and send you notifications without having to open your phone. On paper, the idea looks amazing because you don’t have to switch on the huge screen every time.
But, in real life it is more annoying than ever as reported by multiple critics who reviewed it. The push notifications keep pestering you about promos, e-mail messages that you hardly care about and update notifications from multiple apps. If you have to remove them all, you should manually switch off notifications in the watch.
The interface and screen size of Apple Watch isn’t impressive either because people with big fingers will lose their patience when they try to peek into the tiny screen and access settings page. It took some time for users to learn how to use smartphones but it may take a long time for everyone to get accustomed to watches.
Despite all these negatives that confirm it is not such a cool tech, avid fans have pre-ordered the Apple Watch. A statistics from Slice Intelligence confirmed that the number is growing and most of them are people who will buy anything that Apple sells.
The most popular version is the Sports watch which is the cheapest of them all at $350 while the higher priced ones witnessed very minimal sales. While statistics confirm Apple has tasted success, in reality this is not the smartphone or tablet era that changed the way the world behaves. It might probably lose itself in the ever changing tech world.


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Limited Brands to Shed Express
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Limited Brands said yesterday that it plans to sell a majority stake in its women's clothing chain Express to private-equity firm Golden Gate Capital for $548 million, ceding control of the stores' daily operations after years of failed attempts to rejuvenate the brand.
The company also said it is exploring strategic options for Limited, another women's apparel store, but has not set a timetable for a decision. The retailer has been shifting attention from the two chains in favor of its intimate apparel, personal care and beauty brands. Along with Limited and Express, the company owns Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, C.O. Bigelow, La Senza, White Barn Candle Co., Henri Bendel and Diva London.
"Over the past decade, we've changed a lot and we've evolved," said Leslie H. Wexner, Limited Brands chairman and chief executive. "The announcements that we made today are consistent with that narrowing of focus."
Golden Gate Capital, which owns catalogue companies Spiegel and Newport News, would have a 67 percent interest in Express under the terms of the deal, which is expected to close by July 6. Limited Brands would retain a 33 percent stake in the chain.
Express operates 743 stores that did a total of $1.7 billion in sales last year. Limited has 292 stores and had $493 million in sales last year.
Retail consultant Craig R. Johnson, head of Customer Growth Partners, said Express has struggled to define its core customers in recent years, alternating between styles targeted at 17-year-olds and 30-year-olds. Meanwhile, he said, Limited stores have failed to offer inspiring merchandise.
"It is a good move," Johnson said. "If you look at the strengths in that business, it has not been on the apparel side."
Martyn Redgrave, chief administrative officer of Limited Brands, said intimate apparel, personal care and beauty account for about 70 percent of the company's revenue. The company has invested heavily in remodeling many of its Victoria's Secret stores, decorating them with scantily clad mannequins and creating boutiques within the store. Its collegiate-inspired lounge and sleepwear line, Pink, has been wildly popular.
Wexner said the company plans to increase the size of its Victoria's Secret stores by 50 percent over the next five years and is considering launching Victoria's Secret sportswear, accessories and swimsuits lines. It also plans to expand Bath & Body Works in locations outside of malls and internationally, as well as invest in e-commerce and catalogue business for the chain.
Johnson said yesterday's announcement could also be considered a defensive move by the company, as both Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works stumbled last month. Sales at Victoria's Secret stores open at least a year were down 4 percent from April 2006, when there was a blockbuster 12 percent increase. Redgrave called the results disappointing. Same-store sales at Bath & Body Works declined 2 percent in April after an 8 percent jump in April 2006.
"They want to get ahead of the curve on the problem," Johnson said. "Victoria's Secret hit a speed bump and not having the distraction of the other two nameplates makes a good amount of sense."
Redgrave attributed the problems at Victoria's Secret to a lack of "energy and newness" in its bra launches and discounting after weak Valentine's Day sales.
As a result, Limited Brands reduced its outlook for first-quarter earnings from 25 cents to 28 cents a share to 12 cents to 14 cents a share. For the year, it reduced the forecast to $1.55 to $1.65, from $1.75 to $1.90.
Limited shares closed yesterday at $26.18, down $1.23 or 4.49 percent.


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As Joel Makower, executive editor of GreenBiz writes:
The drumbeat of headlines has become steady and strong. Each week, it seems, the rhythm of news stories about the greening of business picks up tempo.
Just since new year’s, for example, we’ve reported in GreenBiz.com that: Swiss Re will give rebates to employees for purchases that helped reduce their carbon footprint; GE and AES will jointly develop greenhouse gas reduction projects; Tesco, Britain’s largest supermarket chain, will label the products it sells according to their carbon footprint; HP will surpass recycling a billion pounds of used electronics; Morgan Stanley’s vice chair will head a new group focusing on market-based economic solutions to global environmental and climate issues; Wal-mart’s new 360 Sustainability plan will make environmental concerns central to its business decisions. And ten big companies joined forces with a activist groups to demand that Congress enact comprehensive global warming legislation.
And 2007 is barely a month old.
Meanwhile, over the past several months, Business Week, The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, and Business 2.0 have all run cover stories on the greening of business.
What, in Al Gore’s name, is going on here? Could the mainstreaming of green business finally be upon us?
Maybe. But we’ve only just begun — and we’ve got a long, long way to go.
Join the dialogue: Turning the Ship


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After purchasing cloud gaming tech PlayGiga last year, Facebook launched cloud gaming support in beta. Facebook has announced over 1.5 million users play games via cloud streaming on their app. The service is on track to cover 100% of mainland U.S. by fall. They’re also launching in Canada, Mexico, and Europe later this year and early into the next.
The cloud model of Facebook Gaming is unique. The service has no subscription cost and every game is free to play and ad supported. Furthermore, cloud-run games live alongside those running HTML5.
People play our cloud-streamed games right alongside games in HTML5. And they shouldn’t have to think too hard about how the games are delivered so long as we do our jobs right.
It can be hard to tell what type of game you’re playing. The concept, though, is that more resource-intensive games are playable on any given device, no matter how old.
We now have over 25 cloud-streamed games on the platform, with recent additions including: Roller Coaster Tycoon Touch by Atari, Lego Legacy Heroes Unboxed and Dragon Mania Legends by Gameloft and State of Survival by FunPlus.
The Facebook Gaming app is available on iOS and Android.


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MacTracker, the App which tracks all of the Apple hardware has been updated. According to the MacTracker website, the following items have changed in 7.6.6.: Version 7.6.6 – Adds iMac (21.5-inch, 2017), iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017), and iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) – Adds MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017), MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 […]
Category: Apple Inc.
Items of news from Apple, Inc.
From Call-A.P.P.L.E. Magazine: January / February 2017 – Over the last 30 years or so of Steve Jobs life, many in the both the Apple community and the philanthropy driven community accused Steve of not giving or hoarding his billions of dollars in wealth. What they did not see was the reality that Steve was […]
40 years ago, Apple Computer Inc filed the papers of incorporation. One of the people who was there in those early years, Chris Espinosa posted a copy of the original seal: Happy 40th birthday, Apple Inc. pic.twitter.com/CZTvaPDTrq — Chris Espinosa (@cdespinosa) January 3, 2017 Espinosa is still an Apple employee and along with Daniel Kottke, […]
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, spoke at the Utah Tech Tour yesterday with other industry leaders. Members of the audience had the rare chance to submit questions to Tim. As always, Tim is very thoughtful, articulate and clearly brilliant. I feel lucky to have been there and heard his insights into encryption, being a successful […]
I had the pleasure of interviewing Mike Harvey of Nibble magazine with my friend John Leake at KansasFest, as another joint interview between Call-A.P.P.L.E. and RetroMacCast. The interview audio can be heard on RetroMacCast episode 413. Mike Harvey, the founder and publisher of the long-lived Nibble magazine, has career that spans major companies in the […]
Seattle, Washington — July 22, 2016 — Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.) and David H. Ahl are proud to announce the immediate availability of the book The Colossal Computer Cartoon Book: Enhanced Edition – “The best collection ever of computer cartoons from the 1970’s!” Produced in coordination with legendary editor and publisher David […]
Seattle, Washington — July 22, 2016 — Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.) and Robert Tripp are proud to announce the immediate availability of the book What’s Where in the Apple – Enhanced Edition: A Complete Guide to the Apple II Computer. Produced in coordination with original publisher Robert Tripp and last published in 1984, this […]
Seattle, Washington — July 22, 2016 — Apple Pugetsound Program Library Exchange (A.P.P.L.E.) is proud to announce the immediate availability of the classic book The Apple II Monitor Peeled by William E. Dougherty. Last published by A.P.P.L.E. in 1979, this release returns the book to print and for the first time in Hardcover. Writing programs […]
The Apple II computers are still very popular among retro hobbyists, but one of the problems some people face is the availability of video display options when their CRT fails. There are still some TVs that accept composite video, but sometimes the display is fuzzy or the colors are inaccurate. Then 80 column display becomes […]


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Mediatex, owners of the Thor Steinar clothing label often worn by neo-Nazis, bowed to pressure from local politicians, shop-owners, and citizens who protested in front of the shop.
They were offended by it being just one letter short of that of Anders Behring Breivik, the far-right extremist who killed 77 people in Norway last year, the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported on Thursday.
Thor Steinar, which decorates its clothes with symbols from Nordic mythology, names all its branches after places in Norway – their newest branch, opened last Thursday, was named after the village of Brevik, south of Oslo. Indeed, the company previously had a shop called "Brevik" in Hamburg, though it was closed in 2008.
A company spokesman said Mediatex had “not expected” that people would make the association, and called the name “an oversight.” The shop is now called Tønsberg.
Local Social Democrat politician Hanka Kliese was unconvinced by the explanation, citing the company’s alleged neo-Nazi sympathies. “The name was consciously chosen to make the connection to Breivik,” she told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. “It is repellent, shocking and unmasks the firm.”
“Behind the company there is a violent and inhuman ideology,” she added. “We don’t want a shop like that here, whatever they call it.”
Chemnitz has seen a rising problem with neo-Nazis in recent years. “The situation has got a lot worse, since the head of [far-right party] the NPD moved his office here,” said Kliese.
Several Norwegian newspapers have also picked up the story, and Anne-Kirsti Karlsen, spokeswoman for the Norwegian embassy in Germany, described the choice of name as “very unfortunate and thoughtless.”


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One of Apple’s biggest suppliers says the item may spend more than $7 billion to build a brand new factory on U.S. soil in which would certainly create tens of thousands of jobs.
Foxconn is usually famous for its enormous iPhone assembly plants in China. Its potential investment within the U.S. came to light last month when Softbank ( CEO Masayoshi Son was photographed leaving a meeting with Donald Trump. Son was holding a document suggesting Foxconn could create 50,000 jobs. )
Over the weekend, Foxconn’s billionaire chairman, Terry Gou, filled in some of the gaps within the plan.
He told reporters in which the plan to build a plant for displays was still very tentative, yet if the item went ahead the investment would certainly exceed $7 billion along with could create 30,000 to 50,000 jobs, according to news reports.
Gou singled out Pennsylvania as a possible location, adding in which the investment would certainly depend on Foxconn being able to negotiate Great rates for land along with power.
Foxconn, which is usually based in Taiwan, said the item was “conducting an evaluation of the conditions along with potential locations for establishing manufacturing facilities within the U.S.” yet declined to elaborate on the reports.
“While the item is usually not currently possible to confirm the location for in which potential investment or estimate the number of jobs in which might be created, the item is usually expected in which the item would certainly create many direct along with indirect job opportunities with the brand new operation along with throughout the supply chain within the U.S.,” the company said.
Related: SoftBank’s $50 billion pledge to Trump just got more complicated
Softbank’s Son made his own pledge after the December meeting with Trump to invest $50 billion in U.S. startups along with create 50,000 jobs. Much of the money is usually required to come through a fund SoftBank has already set up with Saudi Arabia.
Gou said he’d spoken to Son before in which meeting along with thought the item was a private conversation — yet then his plan was revealed to the globe.
“There is usually such a plan, yet the item is usually not a promise. the item is usually a wish,” Gou said, according to Reuters. He said Foxconn had been considering such a move for years, indicating the item was not a direct response to Trump’s call for companies to make more products inside the U.S.
Gou said the display plant would certainly involve Sharp, a Japanese company in which Foxconn took over last year.
According to Japanese publication Nikkei, Gou also said in which Apple ( is usually willing to invest within the brand new plant. An Apple spokeswoman didn’t respond to a request for comment. , Tech30)


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The Alibaba stock price is up 1% today (Wednesday) in early morning trading after Alibaba signed a multiyear agreement for DisneyLife.
The move fits into Alibaba's long-term expansion goals and is part of the reason we're so bullish on the Alibaba stock price in 2016.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) will now be able to create a subscription service for Walt Disney Co.'s (NYSE: DIS) Disney and Pixar movies. The subscription service will also include games, animated series, songs, travel services, and Disney resort information.
The Alibaba stock price is also up today because Alibaba has agreed to work with its rival, Tencent Holdings Ltd. (OTCMKTS: TCTZF), in a group bid for the Chinese film company Bona Film Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: BONA).
Bona Film has a market valuation of $781 million and was a backer of the Matt Damon film "The Martian," according to The Wall Street Journal.
This is big Alibaba news, and it follows recent aggressive attempts by Alibaba to be the dominate player in the Chinese video market...
In early November, Alibaba announced that it would buy Chinese video site Youku Tudou Inc. (NYSE ADR: YOKU) for $3.6 billion. Youku is known as the "Chinese YouTube" and boasts 580 million members, according to digital marketing company DMR.
The purchase of Youku was a strategic move to promote Alibaba's online retail site, storefronts, and other services. Youku Tudou has well-known Chinese video bloggers who are able to promote Alibaba's goods and services to their already built-in audiences.
But these acquisitions are just a small part of Chairman Jack Ma's plan for future success...
As Money Morning Executive Editor Bill Patalon puts it, "It's a 'transformational' type of company, meaning its leaders are 'planting seeds' right now that will have big future payoffs."
And Alibaba's contract with Disney and partnership with Tencent Holdings aren't the only reasons we're bullish on the Alibaba stock price heading into 2016...


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One of Apple’s most successful marketing strategies is product placement, especially when it comes to big blockbusters. Google, via Sony, wants to do the same for Android, starting with Skyfall, the latest James Bond spy film. Here’s what the Android account just posted on Google+:
Did you know James Bond uses an +Android smartphone in the latest movie, Skyfall? Get a chance to win the new Bond Phone, Xperia T the Android powered smartphone from Sony +Sony Xperia: http://campaigns.sonymobile.com/xperiacompetition/
As a sidenote, I want to point out that Android’s Twitter account, which usually mirrors everything the Google+ account sends out, has remained silent this time. Maybe the message was simply too long (it’s over 140 characters!).
Anyway, back to Skyfall. Since recent James Bond movies are produced in part by Sony Pictures Entertainment, it’s no surprise that Sony is making a point to promote its devices in the latest film as well. It’s also not the first time; as my editor Matthew Panzarino notes: in Casino Royale, Blu Ray disc players were featured prominently in the country club scene and Bond used two Sony Ericsson phones throughout the movie.
Now, Sony is going even further by pushing the Sony Xperia TL as the official James Bond phone. AT&T announced earlier this month it will be offering the device, which features a 1280×720 4.6-inch HD display, a 13-megapixel camera, 1080p video recording, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with an upgrade to Jelly Bean sometime later.
So the phone isn’t new, and neither is the Skyfall placement. Yet as far as we can tell, Google only started to endorse Sony’s marketing push today. In fact, the Google+ post was made by the Android account (as opposed to simply being a reshare of a Sony post) and points to a competition to win the phone. Furthermore, the link first tells the visitor about Sony Xperia on Google+ before they can continue.
It looks like Google and Sony have recently strengthened their relationship in the hopes that both will be able to benefit.


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Third of SMEs' growth stunted by postage charges
28th April 2015 | News
A new YouGov survey, commissioned by eBay UK, has found that a third of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) feel their businesses are being held back by the cost of postage and delivery logistics.
The report shows that 31 per cent of small business owners fear that postage charges and delivery logistics limit their ability to grow; while 75 per cent of respondents believe overseas shipping costs hamper their chances of securing custom from outside the UK.
Tanya Lawler, vice president of eBay UK, said: “We have been calling on the Government and policy makers for years to do more to level the playing field for Britain’s army of SMEs by reducing postal costs and improving delivery and logistics services.
“These diverse businesses are vital to the UK because they are the engine of our growth at home and abroad, with more than four-in-five small businesses on eBay in the UK selling internationally.”
With the general election just weeks away, additional issues reared their head in the study that SMEs want politicians to focus on; including lowered taxes for all businesses (48 per cent), investment in faster broadband (31 per cent), improved postal and delivery services (27 per cent), better advice on setting up and running an online business (17 per cent) and more police effort to tackle cybercrime and fraud (16 per cent).
These figures follow on from a previous YouGov survey which found small firms also feel they are not getting the support from banks that they received pre-recession.
Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of SME owners believe the banks are not lending as much as they should to small firms, with 60 per cent of the belief that it is now harder to obtain credit than it was pre-coalition.
Subsequently, business owners are increasingly taking matters into their own hands with almost three-quarters no longer relying on financial support from banks.
Image: Gerry Kane


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Today, Aqueous Digital celebrates its 5th birthday. It’s quite a milestone; five years is a long time in the world of digital marketing. As one of the most rapidly changing industries, it can be a challenge to keep up with what’s going on, let alone stay one step ahead.
Fortunately for us, we’ve grown year-on-year since 2011. We’ve had three office moves to make room for new staff and we’ve built a steady portfolio of clients with a 90% plus retention rate. We’re proud of these achievements, particularly as more web design agencies move into the online marketing space.
So what are the major trends in online marketing today, and how has this affected the way businesses reach their audience in our new, digitally-dominated era?
The best companies can adapt
Success online means being willing and able to adapt to ever-changing circumstances in the quest to occupy that hallowed ground of page one on Google, often for an ever growing list of high volume search terms.
For us, it’s a question of never taking our eye off the ball. Search engines are a law unto themselves, with regular – and often unannounced – algorithm changes. In truth, only Google really knows Google, though there are many so-called SEO experts who will try to tell you otherwise.
The rest of us combine the latest knowledge of Google with sound tried-and-trusted marketing techniques in the hope of building our clients’ businesses online. It’s rarely the realm of magic and overnight success, and more akin to a sensible yet creative well-executed strategy.
The good thing is that we’ve seen consistent good practice will keep a company on the first page of Google, regardless of the box of tricks and quick-fire techniques employed by their competitors.
Artificial Intelligence is the future
Many companies are now looking to integrate artificial intelligence into product development. Although true AI is still a long way off, the use of ‘machine learning’ is very much a product of our time. Machine learning, as the name suggests, is where a computer teaches itself rather than being taught by humans or following data heavy programming.
Of course, Google is already ahead of the game – late last year it announced it had developed RankBrain, a machine-learning artificial intelligence system. RankBrain is one part of Google’s algorithm that’s used to help process its search results. According to an article in Search Engine Land, RankBrain is designed to help better interpret multi-word or long-tail queries to find the best pages for the searcher.
‘Google can see patterns between seemingly unconnected complex searches to understand how they’re actually similar to each other. This learning, in turn, allows it to better understand future complex searches and whether they’re related to particular topics. Most important it can then associate these groups of searches with results that it thinks searchers will like the most.’
The rise and rise of localised search
Being found for a localised search is increasingly important, as recent research by Google found. Their study showed that 50% of consumers who conducted a local search on their smartphone visited a store within a day, and 34% who searched on computer/tablet did the same. Importantly, 18 percent of local searches lead to sales, compared to 7 percent for non-local searches.
For businesses looking to take a share of this highly valuable and potentially repetitive custom, this has had serious implications for the way in which they approach their online marketing. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a multi-national high street retailer or a small, one-town store, your customers expect to be able to find you online and get directions, store opening hours and a host of other information, all at the touch of a button.
Everything is mobile
According to Ofcom , smartphones have overtaken laptops as the most popular device for getting online. Two-thirds of the population now own a smartphone, using it for nearly two hours every day. In fact, we now spend almost twice as long online with our smartphones than on laptops and personal computers.
This trend has implications for companies marketing themselves online. It’s no longer enough to have a good website, you have to have a responsive website. A responsive website is one which alters the way its displays information based upon the device being used to access it. A mobile-friendly website will be designed with a smaller screen view and touch screen navigation in mind.
Plus, because mobile-friendly sites make for a better user experience, Google now uses this as a ranking factor and as a way of improving its own user experience. Visit any search results page and you’re likely to see the ‘mobile friendly’ label against a selection of results.
Increase of paid-for options in search
Not so long ago, Google displayed three Adwords at the top of its results page and a long list of Adwords on the right-hand side. Now, there is a myriad of options open to any company with an online advertising budget.
Just a few months ago, Google added a fourth Adword slot to the top of its results page, and a further three Adwords at the bottom. It removed the right-hand side ad panel and now only shows ad displays from Google Shopping when it feels it would benefit the searcher.
No doubt, this continual flexing of its advertising power muscles will continue to evolve. For companies operating in competitive marketplaces, there’s no getting away from it – for competitive search terms the first page of Google is a crowded place. Organic real estate is being crowded out by paid for options and long tail organic is now the holy grail for many companies.
Social media became the place to become famous
Social media is, without a doubt, one of the most influential marketing channels available today, and Facebook leads the way.
The most recent research on Smart Insights says that 63% of smartphone owners use the Facebook app on an average of 15 days per month. However, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, Snapchat, Vine, Pinterest – these are all social media channels which get phenomenal levels of engagement. In the business environment, there are many LinkedIn advocates who swear by the platform as one to not only promote themselves and their business but as a great lead generation tool.
The result is that marketers have had to re-think the way they reach and influence their audience, hence the rise in social media and content marketing roles across the digital sector. Many marketing teams now comprise social media specialists – there’s certainly an art to building an audience and turning it into your biggest fan base.
What are your thoughts on the biggest challenges facing online marketers today? And what trends do you see on the horizon? Feel free to share your thoughts below.


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It's been a long time coming, but Bryan Paijit finally wants to develop for Wear OS again. Previous versions were too "hacky," and he got tired of fighting against the very platform he was trying so hard to build for.
Paijit, a software developer based in San Diego, developed a golf app called Golf Scorekeeper for Wear OS 1.0. The app helped golfers track their game and score, but bugs in the code kept the app from broad adoption. "It was frustrating," he says. "What would happen is my watch would go into ambient mode and when it came back on my app was no longer on top. When I'm walking to my ball ready to hit, I'd have to go to my watch and relaunch the app and basically start from scratch.
"[Communication] between the watch and the phone was hacky and it just didn't seem mature. I don't feel [Google] put a lot of thought into treating the watch as a first-class citizen."
Paijit explains that when Google released Wear OS 2, he hoped the company would fix some of those issues, but Google focused on improving the user interface, not the developer tools.
"I was interested in 2.0, but it didn't really answer a lot of questions I had. It still didn't seem to be fixed. I'm still a huge fan but I felt 2.0 was still kind of hacky," he says.
But despite this, Paijit, an Android smartwatch enthusiast, says he wants to develop for Wear OS 3 and thinks Google might have gotten it right.
More apps are on board with new Wear OS changes
Samsung recently launched its new Galaxy Watch 4, the first smartwatch to run Wear OS 3.0 and the best Android smartwatch you can buy right now. The new operating system was co-announced with Google in May, during which Samsung said it would be committing to replacing Tizen with Wear OS on all of its future smartwatches. When the Galaxy Watch 4 was announced in early August, Google highlighted several improvements and updates to its Wear OS apps and services, reminding the world that while Samsung makes the watch, it still controls the ecosystem.
Several Wear OS 3 apps like Google Maps will now offer turn-by-turn directions from the watch, while the Messages app can keep conversations synced between the watch and the phone to easily pick up where you left off in a conversation. Google is also working with companies like Spotify, Strava, and MyFitnessPal to launch updated apps with features that take advantage of Wear OS 3.
But while many apps are integrating new features so they work on Wear OS 3, some are moving away from the Wear platform — like popular encrypted messaging service Telegram. The company quietly pulled its Wear OS app after its recent update. Android Central tried getting in touch with Telegram for more detail, but the process to contact the company was unavailable.
Per a press request by 9to5Google, Telegram responded: "Starting with Telegram v8.0, the WearOS app will not be available to download anymore. Note that if you still have Telegram installed on your WearOS device, it may stop working soon."
Android Central reached out to Google for comment on this article but did not get a response in time for publication.
Google could have finally gotten it right with app distribution, Tiles API
Like Paijit, Juhani Lehtimäki, the chief technology officer at Snapp Mobile, says in an interview that Wear OS 1.0 was excellent, despite plenty of glitches. But he believes Google "screwed up from a user's point of view" when upgrading to 2.0.
"I was a huge fan of Wear 1.0. I had the LG Wear 1.0 watch. When it was upgraded I had to throw it out. I'm a believer in wearable tech, but Wear 2 from a user's point of view was so bad. I tried the Fossil's [Wear OS watch] for a long time but I just couldn't make myself like it," he said.
Snapp Mobile is a German-based company that develops apps for various platforms, as well as advises and builds apps for clients on different platforms.
Wear OS 3 has promising upgrades
Lehtimäki adds that with Wear OS 3, there are some promising upgrades that might entice developers to go back and design for the platform.
He explains that app distribution looks like it's "going back to the right way of doing [things]," which is important for an app developer to retain users.
"It's very important because, a) It would be easy for me to distribute, and b) If I have to explain to my customers how to install the app I already lost the user. But if it's automatic that's important," he says.
Lehtimäki also notes that the new Tiles API will show contextual information to the user without needing to open an app, something that the Apple Watch has excelled in for years.
"If you use an Apple Watch and you start music on your Apple device it will automatically bring up the music control on your watch. And that's the kind of interaction that should be more," he says. "I have not looked at the API from a technical perspective, but from a user perspective, if the apps can start pushing information automatically and be proactive on the watch then it [will be] interesting."
Lehtimäki says that these potential fixes don't mean that Google got it right with Wear OS 3, adding that "it's still trying to be a smartphone on your wrist."
"I think [Google] should give up that idea," he says. In 2019, Lehtimäki wrote in a blog post about how Google should "rescue" Wear OS, touting deficiencies in the platform. Many of those deficiencies have been addressed in 3.0, including more powerful Complications, Tiles, and better health APIs.
Future developers likely don't care to develop because Wear isn't mainstream
The new platform has enticed many, but David Kopec, a professor of app development at Champlain College in Vermont, says part of the reason why so many developers do not want to develop for Wear OS is because of its low market presence.
"I can say that this will be my sixth year teaching Android Development and in that entire span, almost no students showed any interest in developing apps for Wear OS. I doubt this [new version] will change anything," he explains. "Like all platforms, it's a chicken and egg problem. Developers want to develop apps for platforms that have solid market share. And users want to use platforms that have a lot of apps. They need some kind of x-factor to break through that dilemma and I doubt [the new Wear] is it."
For a while now, Apple has dominated the market with its Apple Watch. According to Statista, in Q1 2020, Apple captured a 55.5% market share, while Samsung was second at 13.9%.
Kopec adds that Google likely wants to ensure that it is releasing products that users will want to remain in its ecosystem, as well as compete with other companies.
"I think both Google and Apple try to do a me-too on every one of each other's initiatives to stay at feature parity and developer ecosystem parity," Kopec explains. "They are hard competitors that don't want to cede in any area."
And Google likely understands that Wear's growth potential was limited by continuing on its previous path of working with a handful of lesser-known manufacturers — namely Fossil Group and Mobvoi. It had no choice but to make drastic changes to its wearables strategy, first by purchasing Fitbit and second by partnering with Samsung.
Lehtimäki, however, thinks that total app numbers don't matter as long as users have quality apps that they need.
"I don't see the lack of apps as a problem. I think the important ones are there. But the mainstream appeal is absolutely true. Apple probably has the best marketing material (and) marketing engine anywhere. The Apple Watch is a status symbol. Even if it's out of battery, people wear it because it's something that shows you're an Apple user," he says.
Lehtimäki explains that now that the watch face will allow for more customization from companies, it might entice brands to build with Wear again and, in turn, popularize Wear OS with users. With a big player like Samsung on board, he says that more companies will likely be drawn in to build watches with Wear and in turn, more developers might want to build apps.
"It might be the big difference in the long run. It will create a business for manufacturers and we might see Motorola coming back to watches. We might see Nokia," he says. "In the end, public perception is all about marketing, and going against Apple might not be an admirable place to be. You can't win alone."
He points out the wearable market is enormous, and with Google focusing on Wear OS again, it can finally build broad appeal in previously underserved markets.
"Android's market share is massive compared to Apple."
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Shruti Shekar is Android Central's managing editor. She was born in India, brought up in Singapore, but now lives in Toronto and couldn't be happier. She started her journalism career as a political reporter in Ottawa, Canada's capital, and then made her foray into tech journalism at MobileSyrup and most recently at Yahoo Finance Canada. When work isn't on her mind, she loves working out, reading thrillers, watching the Raptors, and planning what she's going to eat the next day.


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3:53 a.m. May 17, 2017
- By Claire Atkinson
Colgate-Palmolive CEO signals he is open to a sale CEO Ian Cook suggested he would open to selling the company for $100 a share, according to a sourceColgate-Palmolive’s chief executive recently signaled he would be open to selling the company — which has grappled with sluggish demand for its toothpaste, deodorants and food products — for $100 a share, a source told The Post.
12:06 p.m. March 23, 2017
- By Robert Schroeder
Trump Today: President twists arms with health vote in peril Trump tells truckers U.S. roads and bridges will be world’s bestPresident Donald Trump twisted lawmakers’ arms on the American Health Care Act only to see a House vote on the bill postponed.
3:37 p.m. Dec. 11, 2016
Healthier food not quite what Pepsi customers wantAny new, low-volume products can slow sales and thin profit margins. Normally, for a new product from a small company, $50 million in sales is a huge success. For a company the size of PepsiCo, with more than $60 billion in revenue, "it's a distraction," says Jeremy Cage, who was senior vice president of global snacks before leaving PepsiCo in 2012.
12:51 p.m. Aug. 12, 2016
- By Wallace Witkowski
Trian Fund Management eliminates Legg Mason, Tiffany positionsNelson Peltz's hedge fund Trian Fund Management LP made few changes in the second quarter, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Friday. Trian eliminated its small stake in Tiffany & Co. and 11-million-share stake in Legg Mason Inc. , while adding slightly to its stake in Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and trimming slightly its position in DuPont .


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SENSO, the in-platform token of Sensorium Galaxy, is suddenly in the spotlight following a $7 million purchase from TIDAL — global music and video streaming service co-owned by JAY-Z, Rihanna, Daft Punk, Lil Wayne, Chris Martin, and Calvin Harris.
The Sensorium Galaxy is a social VR platform where users can interact with each other in an immersive alternate universe. The platform works in close collaboration with world-famous artists and entertainment partners to make real-life events (concerts, dance performances, music festivals, art exhibitions, etc.) available in a globally accessible virtual setup.
The token purchase from TIDAL, a high-fidelity entertainment streaming service with over 3 million users globally, is the result of a partnership agreement to give artists listed on that service exclusive access to stream their content in the Sensorium Galaxy platform. “Our relationship with Sensorium provides TIDAL with the opportunity to gain exclusive rights for its stellar artist roster to have their shows and music broadcast exclusively within Sensorium’s themed virtual entertainment worlds,” says TIDAL COO Lior Tibon.
Aside from TIDAL artists, Sensorium Galaxy works in close collaboration with Yann Pissenem, the mastermind behind Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza — two of the hottest nightlife hubs in the world. Dance superstar Sergei Polunin is also a supporter of Sensorium Galaxy, and his jaw-dropping performances are being recreated in virtual reality. The platform is scheduled for release in H1 2021.
“The Sensorium Galaxy is a next-generation platform for entertainment consumption which will elevate the connection fans have with their favorite artists and bring the artist’s vision to life in a new and exciting way,” Mr. Tibon explained in a written statement.
Sensorium Corporation, the company that oversees the technological and business development of Sensorium Galaxy, was founded by Forbes-listed billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov in 2018. To date, the company has attracted over $100 million in private investments.
Sensorium sets itself the ambitious goal of taking user communications to the next level and ensuring their digital evolution in the new environment. The technological basis of the project is a combination of VR and AI technologies. “Sensorium Galaxy avatars constantly learn from users, learn about their actions and preferences, and can continue to exist autonomously, performing actions that match user behavior patterns,” explains Brian Keane, director of communications at Sensorium. “AI is a vital component of Sensorium Galaxy as it brings users closer to digital immortality – something that seemed impossible until recently,” he adds.
As is the case with most modern games and VR platforms, all transactions on Sensorium Galaxy are carried out using its own in-platform currency: SENSO token. The company plans to attract more than 1.8 million users by 2022, who will pay for premium accounts, avatar customization items, and event tickets exclusively with SENSO tokens.
Disclaimer: The information presented here does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author/company and do not represent those of Bitcoinist. We strongly advise our readers to DYOR before investing in any cryptocurrency, blockchain project, or ICO, particularly those that guarantee profits. Furthermore, Bitcoinist does not guarantee or imply that the cryptocurrencies or projects published are legal in any specific reader’s location. It is the reader’s responsibility to know the laws regarding cryptocurrencies and ICOs in his or her country.


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At the BSE, shares of Bajaj Auto opened at Rs 3,071, but slid 2.88 percent to its intra-day low of Rs 2,953.95.
Shares of Bajaj Auto on May 20 defied the broader market sentiment and settled with over 1 percent loss on bourses.
Though the fourth quarter earnings for the auto major was a good show in a tough environment, the company is expected to face margin pressure, market experts said.
At the BSE, shares of Bajaj Auto opened at Rs 3,071, but slid 2.88 percent to its intra-day low of Rs 2,953.95. They finally settled at Rs 3,005.85, down 1.18 percent over its previous close of Rs 3,041.80.
At the NSE, the scrip of the company fell 0.82 percent to close the counter at Rs 3,015. Intra-day it was trading at a low of Rs 2,951.
Bajaj Auto was trading in the negative zone even as the broader market was trading with significant gains. The stock was the biggest loser in the Sensex pack.
"While we believe that margin downgrade cycle (but for any change to product mix) is behind, focus on domestic market share and higher share of Africa in exports are likely to keep margin range bound," Edelweiss Research said in a note.
It further noted that a subdued demand environment, costs related to the entry in middle/executive segment (current market share of around 3 percent) and technological changes due to BS-VI will restrict margin to the current level.
The company on May 17 reported a 19.82 percent increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 1,408.49 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2019.Meanwhile, the BSE benchmark Sensex closed with gains of 1,421.90 points or 3.75 percent at 39,352.67.The Great Diwali Discount!
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MasterCard introduces authentication security measures for online checkout
Mastercard has introduced a digital commerce solutions suite that enhances the security of stored card credentials, advances authentication to reduce checkout errors, and speeds the online checkout experience, according to a press release.
The company will enable token services on all cards by 2020 to make online transactions simple, seamless and secure. With token services, consumers can store their card credentials with a merchant or retailer without the risk of exposing actual card account details, adding another layer of security to online transactions without removing the convenience. It also prevents service disruptions with a consumer’s favorite merchants by automatically updating card credentials should a card expire or need replacement, the release said.
Together with banks, merchants and payment service providers, Mastercard is bringing EMV-like security to digital environments. The company is working with Adyen, BlueSnap, Digital River, Stripe, Square, Worldpay and Mastercard Payment Gateway Services to extend tokens to thousands of retailers. According to the release, it is also working directly with issuers such as Citi and Fifth Third Bank to convert cards on file into tokens, and with Bank of America to provide enhanced fraud scoring to help increase approval rates over time.
Mastercard is also leveraging technology such as biometrics and artificial intelligence to enable merchants and issuers to verify a consumer is who they say they are, thereby reducing falsely declined transactions and delivering a better consumer experience, the company said. Mastercard Identity Check provides merchants and issuers an easy way to support the new EMV 3-D secure standard and leverage enhanced security solutions to determine potential risks and ensure more transactions can be completed with a single touch or click.
The company has worked with issuers and merchants in the U.S. and Europe to enable the technology, and has partnered with merchants and issuers across the globe to begin rolling out the technology in early 2019, the release said.
The company will begin to roll out its solution based on SRC in the second half of 2019. Its Masterpass acceptance network supports this rollout, delivering a consistent checkout experience for consumers and reducing the multiple steps they face at different sites today. SRC will also make it easier for merchants to implement and securely store tokens on file and improve their approval rates. This supports a move toward a token-only world by building on the tokenization standards. Masterpass acceptance is compatible with SRC.
Mastercard is also working to ensure consumers are made aware which card they have set with card on file merchants with the introduction of new digital branding requirements. The requirements ensure a consumer is aware they are paying with a Mastercard credential during the checkout process whether it’s in-app, via browser, contactless, voice-enabled devices or a QR application.
“Adyen was the first to launch Automatic Billing Updater Direct with Mastercard and we are thrilled to now add tokenization capabilities. We see these integrations as important steps to ensure a seamless digital commerce experience for consumers backed by best in class security and transparency,” Kamran Zaki, president of Ayden North America,, said in the press release.


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AECAS and Mosprom Agree to Jointly Develop Exports of Goods from Moscow-Based Companies to Africa
Photo by AECAS (c) — Signing of agreement AECAS — Mosprom
June 3, St. Petersburg — Alexander Saltanov, Chairman of the Association for Economic Cooperation with Africa, and Natalia Shuvalova, Director General of Mosprom, signed a cooperation agreement on the margins of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
According to “Mosprom”, which is subordinate to the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy of Moscow, there is a need to support and develop the industrial and agro-industrial export of Moscow as well as to create favourable conditions for the promotion of the products made in Moscow on foreign markets.
“Combining the efforts of AECAS and regional business support centres, joint promotion of the business agenda of Russian companies on the African continent in this regard will allow us to offer our African partners a wider range of interaction to build a long-term mutually beneficial partnership,” Saltanov said.


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In its latest series of reversed policies, Twitter plans to lift its longstanding ban on political ads “in the coming weeks” and let marketers serve cause-based advertising or ads that educate people or take action on social and economic topics. While some political ad buyers welcome the move, Twitter has work to do to encourage advertisers back to the platform.
“We believe that cause-based advertising can facilitate a public conversation around important topics. Today, we’re relaxing our ads policy for cause-based ads in the U.S.,” Twitter’s Safety account tweeted on Tuesday.
Other platforms such as Facebook and YouTube allow for paid political content.
The platform’s ban on ads from advocacy groups and politicians has been in place since 2019. This policy reversal, however, comes as 70% of the platform’s advertisers fled Twitter. Advertising serves as the main source of revenue for the platform, accounting for 90% of its $5.1 billion turnover in 2021. However, Elon Musk’s takeover in October last year led to a surge in hate speech and misinformation on the platform making advertisers wary. Musk has since attempted to mollify marketers.
Still, Twitter’s move is piquing marketer interest, especially those catering to an energetic community base.
“Twitter plays a large part in driving the news of the day. It’s an echo chamber for society’s loudest voices,” said Reid Vineis, vp of digital at Republican political ad firm Majority Strategies. “So, Twitter advertising will be especially helpful for public affairs advertisers who want to shape the narrative on a particular legislative or regulatory issue.”
This move could open up some revenue for Twitter as it attempts to lure advertisers back on the platform. However, the U.S. has no national elections scheduled in 2023. Additionally, Twitter’s former CFO Ned Segal tweeted that political advertising accounted for less than $3 million in the 2018 midterm election.
Meanwhile, Google and Facebook still dominate political advertising. However, media buyers have greatly diversified ad spend in recent years, with streaming television, text messaging and organic content creation playing a larger role.
As Twitter’s future looks uncertain, and as users have left, competing platforms have rolled out Twitter-adjacent features, such as Cohost and Mastadon. Despite peaks in users, these aren’t “real options” for marketers who would have previously used paid reach to find Twitter’s unique audiences, said Aaron Grote, vp of digital products at Stirista.
“Since Twitter’s ecosystem has already adapted to not having paid political ads, that won’t cause a lot of confusion or strategy changes [for marketers],” he said.
Further, Twitter has not positioned itself as a strong direct-response platform, and many brand-building marketers have left, so it has work to do if it wants to turn that interest into ad dollars.
“Political ad buyers are looking for units and experiences that can change opinions,” said Vineis. “The platform needs to demonstrate it not only is a safe environment for causes and candidates but that it is effective at changing voters’ minds.”
#Twitter #Reverses #Ban #Political #Ads


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Streaming giant Netflix announced on Monday their first kids original series from India. Aimed at the preschool audience, “Mighty Little Bheem,” produced in partnership with Indian animation studio Green Gold Animation, is based on enormously popular character Chhota Bheem.
Created by Rajiv Chilaka and based on the mythological character Bheem from the Indian epic the Mahabharata, the “Chhota Bheem” action comedy animated series aired on Turner Broadcasting’s Pogo TV channel from 2008. The franchise has also spawned several TV films and three feature films.
“We are thrilled to work with Netflix and take ‘Mighty Little Bheem,’ a story based on India’s most popular children’s character, to an audience across India and 190 countries worldwide. This is an incredible opportunity to bring best-in-class storytelling to young audiences everywhere,” said Green Gold Animation founder and chief executive Rajiv Chilaka.
“We continue to invest in Indian productions and creative storytelling that our members will love and cherish,” said Andy Yeatman, director of Global Kids Content for Netflix. “We’re excited to partner with Green Gold Animation and announce an original show that will bring great storytelling, based on one of India’s beloved characters, not just to India but to kids and families around the globe.”
Netflix’s first India original, “Sacred Games,” is being filmed, while two more, “Selection Day” and “Again” are in development.
“Mighty Little Bheem” will debut on Netflix in 2018.


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Faults aside, The Daily is the digital future
Publishers, editors and entrepreneurs who underestimate this valuable experiment – generously underwritten by News Corp. to the tune of $30 million – will do so at their peril. Setting aside the bewildering fact that the app billed as first news product for the iPad scarcely contains any news, here’s why The Daily matters:
Dramatic display. The Daily takes full advantage of the iPad’s ability to handsomely render rich media on a large, high-resolution screen. The cover of Friday’s edition stunningly featured a 360-degree view of Tharir Square in Cairo, which began panning as soon as the page was launched. Every issue features photo galleries that appear when the tablet is turned in a horizontal direction. The Daily is the real deal when it comes to high-tech eye candy.
Concise storytelling. The Daily has disciplined itself to hold stories to a screen or two, packing as much punch as possible into every paragraph. Even though reading a book on the iPad can be pleasant for as long as your upper-body strength holds out, those publishing news for the digital media need to respect the limited time and attention span possessed by the typical info-overloaded consumer. Long-form programming is best left to the legacy print and broadcast media. Shoveling those formats onto the iPad is an unnatural act that will turn off most consumers. The Daily is differentiated from the legacy publishers because it is a digital native.
Rich-media integration. The Daily fully leverages the storytelling power and emotional impact of video, audio, photos and graphics. This is not to say that the implementation is perfect. Technical gremlins trip up the daily download of the app and often freeze and pixellate videos as they are playing. Some of the videos seem forced, off-point or just, plain dubious. In the latter case, a video of Rep. Gabrielle Gifford was promoted in a way that suggested it was produced since she was shot, rather than recycled from a filming that took place prior to the Tucson tragedy. Audio clips add texture and verisimilitude to the coverage and a slick recording format in the comments section lets visitors literally voice their opinions. Photos and graphics are bold, creative and help tell stories without the proverbial thousands of words. Notwithstanding the missteps described above, The Daily has the power to take rich media to the next level.
Interactive advertising. Ads don’t just look good in The Daily. They come alive. Best of all for advertisers and motivated consumers, the iPad makes it possible to connect immediately (assuming the stuttering AT&T network cooperates). Big buttons on the Macy’s ad in The Daily help readers click and buy at the department store’s website, download its iPad app or become a follower at its Facebook and Twitter pages. If instant gratification is the future for consumers and marketers, then The Daily is pretty, darn gratifying.
The sad part of the story is that the creators of The Daily evidently got so caught up in building a dazzling technical platform that their editorial platform became an afterthought.
As noted previously here, the journalism is too lightweight to substitute for the New York Times or CNN, the news is too generic to satisfy consumers of local print or broadcast media, and the 99-cent weekly tab is too high for devotees of such free products as TMZ and Entertainment Tonight.
Thus, serious questions remain about whether The Daily can attract a sufficiently large audience of paying customers to achieve commercial viability.
Shortcomings aside, The Daily stands as a gift and a challenge to the media industry.
It’s a gift, because Rupert Murdoch generously is sponsoring an eight-figure science fair experiment to stretch the boundaries of this important new publishing genre.
And it is a challenge, because The Daily has stepped up the expectations for digital publishing. Those who are not prepared to compete will be left behind.


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Looking for some fun at home? How about the board game Pandemic?
People in the Chicago area with nothing but time on their hands are flocking to stores to pick up traditional board games, puzzles and hobby kits.
You’ve taken all of the grim news you can handle for the day. So you turn off the TV and settle down with the family around something that conjures a more care-free era: A board game.
What do you choose?
If you’re like a lot of people in the Chicago area, you’re playing Pandemic, the collaborative game that asks players, “Can you save humanity?”
Craig Marney, store manager at Good Games Chicago on West Webster in Lincoln Park, says he’s sold out of the popular board game.
“Everyone has been buying it,” Marney said Thursday. “I just restocked [Wednesday], after we just got bought out completely. There are several different versions and people are just flocking to it.”
The reason, Marney said, is perhaps psychological.
“The wonderful, fantastical nature of board games is that in your imagination, at least, you can take control of the situation,” he said.
Puzzles are also selling well, he said.
“We’ve always sold a reasonable amount of puzzles, just because of where we are — we have a lot of family and young children around here — but it really ramped up over the weekend and the early part of this week,” he said.
And nostalgia has played a part in what people are buying. Monopoly sets are selling well.
“Which is crazy because it often leads to arguments,” Marney said.
Sales have also been brisk at Chicagoland Games: Dice Dojo in Edgewater, even though they have been recently operating on reduced hours.
“I wouldn’t use the word ‘traffic,’ because people come in very quickly and buy their stuff,” said store owner Alex Dunning. “We went from a place where people spend all day gathering and playing to a place people come into for five minutes, make a very quick purchase and go home.”
Dunning said it’s been “very, very hard” on customers accustomed to hanging and talking about their shared passion.
“It’s mostly community — it’s finding people who like what you like,” he said. “If you’re a Star Trek guy or a Star Wars guy or you have a strong opinion on [a particular] board game, you can come here and yell about it.”
Dunning said his store has a “very limited” supply of Pandemic in stock.
“There is an element of the macabre,” Dunning said, noting Pandemic is his store’s top-selling game.
But it’s more than that.
“In the Pandemic game, you are the research scientist trying to save the world,” Dunning said. “So you’re not like vicious scientists trying to outdo each other. You’re trying to save everybody. There’s a sense of working together. There’s a sense of making progress.”
Model kits, with hundreds of tiny parts, are also selling well, Dunning said. So are games that might stretch on into the night, for people who have, as Dunning said, “got nothing but time.”


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42.85 +0.64 (1.52%)
Pre-market: 7:39AM EDT
|Bid||42.80 x 900|
|Ask||42.99 x 1100|
|Day's range||42.15 - 42.47|
|52-week range||30.36 - 46.37|
|PE ratio (TTM)||N/A|
|Earnings date||15 Aug 2018|
|Forward dividend & yield||1.32 (3.10%)|
|1y target est||49.64|
Amazon (AMZN) recently announced that it might start selling its own switching devices through its cloud unit, Amazon Web Services (or AWS), which could help shift traffic onto its own servers. Reportedly, by building its own devices, AWS is planning to grab a slice of the $14 billion global market for the equipment. The news of Amazon entering into the equipment market and considering selling its own network switching devices has unnerved rival data networking companies including Cisco Systems (CSCO), Juniper (JNPR), Arista Networks (ANET), and F5 Networks, as AWS could sell its switches at a lower price than the switches from rivals.
Cisco Systems (CSCO) is acquiring July Systems, a cloud-based location service provider. July Systems, which offers its services on a subscription basis, has been Cisco partner for years. July Systems offers include data-driven behavioral insights that allow businesses to improve customer and employee experiences.
Amazon's (AMZN) Prime Day, its rumored entry into the network switching business and its PillPack acquisition are the top stories in this roundup.
The Street is mulling Friday's story by TheInformation saying that Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Amazon Web Services unit is “considering selling its own networking switches for business customers,” in competition with Cisco Systems (CSCO), Juniper Networks (JNPR), Arista Networks (ANET) and others. There’s some debate today about how serious this move by Amazon, if true, would actually be. Arista and Cisco shares are actually bouncing back from Friday’s sell-off, with Arista up $6.13, or 2%, to $272.62, and Cisco up 90 cents, or 2%, to $42.68.
Cisco (CSCO) shares declined 4% on a report stating Amazon's AWS developments regarding market networking switches to business customers.
Apple's updated MacBook Pros, analysts' underwhelming outlook for Netflix stock, and Amazon's possible foray into networking hardware were some of the top stories in tech this week.
From a multibillion-dollar verdict to disappointing quarterly results and new competitive threats, these three companies lagged the broader market today.
Shares of Cisco Systems (CSCO) have turned sharply lower this afternoon following a report by TheInformation’s Wayne Ma and Kevin McLaughlin stating that Amazon.com’s (AMZN) Amazon Web Services unit is “considering selling its own networking switches for business customers,” citing a single unnamed source. Cisco is down $1.95, or almost 5%, at $41.63. Arista Networks (ANET), Cisco’s primary competitor, is down $9.03, or 3%, to $269.33.
Shares of data networking companies including Cisco Systems Inc. tumbled after a report that Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud unit may begin selling its own switching devices. Amazon Web Service’s plan to enter the $14 billion global market for the equipment that helps shepherd traffic around networks, signals the company may become more entrenched in the enterprise computing marketplace, The Information reported, citing a person with knowledge of the discussions. It would pose a formidable challenge to existing players including Juniper Networks Inc. and Arista Networks Inc. because AWS would price the so-called white-box switches from 70 percent and 80 percent less than compatible ones from Cisco, the news site reported.
Analysts from Goldman Sachs have proposed a play that should be profitable either way: Go long in cybersecurity stocks. In a report released Thursday afternoon, Arjun Menon and his team highlight investment opportunities in the constituents of the ISE Cyber Security Index (HXR) over the coming months, as the topic of cyberattacks takes center stage in the lead up to November. According to Menon, front-and-center hacking concerns should lead to a boost in security spending and lift cybersecurity stocks through the end of the year.
Two-thirds of the population in the world's fastest growing economy isn't connected to the internet, and Cisco (CSCO) is changing that. Here's why you should care.
Tech stocks were back in favor Thursday after the Nasdaq composite suffered a mild distribution day Wednesday, falling 0.6% in higher volume.
Cloud computing giants like Amazon and Salesforce.com are grabbing a bigger share of enterprise spending on information technology, Goldman Sachs said Monday in a report on IT spending trends.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In some versions of a story July 5 about Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Vekselberg had hired Michael Cohen as a consultant. It was the New York investment firm headed by his cousin, Andrew Intrater, that hired Cohen.
In May, Cisco Systems (CSCO) agreed to a deal to sell its service provider video software business, part of a unit in which revenue has been shrinking. Revenue in Cisco’s Other Products segment, which includes its video software business, fell 6.0% YoY (year-over-year) to $249 million in its fiscal third quarter, which ended in April. Cisco sold its video software business to Permira, the same private equity company that sold the business to Cisco six years ago.
Nokia (NOK) stock generated returns of 28.0% in the first half of 2018. The stock closed at $5.75 on June 29. Nokia beat its earnings estimates in the fourth quarter of 2017 by 36.0% and reported earnings 50.0% below estimates in the first quarter. Analysts have a median price target of $6.20 for Nokia, which indicates that the stock is trading at a discount of 8.0% to analyst estimates. Growth drivers
Cisco Systems (CSCO) stock returned 14.0% in the first half of 2018. Cisco beat its earnings estimates in the fiscal third quarter by 1.5%, and it beat estimates in the fiscal second quarter by 6.8%. Analysts have a median price target of $50.00 for Cisco, which indicates that the stock is trading at a discount of 16.0% to analyst estimates.
The Dow Jones industrial average is down so far in 2018. But Nike has sprinted ahead. Visa, Microsoft, Boeing and Cisco also are strong Dow Jones stocks.


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“The Case of the Missing U.S. Exports”: The Wall Street Journal has joined the head-scratching about why the rebounding U.S. economy hasn’t produced a commensurate bounce for Canada’s non-energy exporters. According to a post last week on the WSJ‘s Real Time Economics Blog, Canada should have seen a $40 to $50 billion boost in shipments across the 49th parallel, but those gains never materialized. Quoting a Bank of Canada research paper, the post notes¦
“¦that in some industriesclothing, textiles and furniture, for examplecompetition from lower-cost producers, including China, picked up steam. Trade deals also eliminated some textile tariffs. New entrants started to make bigger inroads; suppliers to the auto industry cited tougher competition from Mexico and [South] Korea.”
Feds giving grants to industry groups to boost exporting: As part of Ottawa’s ongoing push to counter the sluggishness in the non-energy export sector, Conservative government officials have been touting a program designed to provide funding for industry associations to help their members build off-shore markets. According to a report last week in The Mississauga News, MP Erin O’Toole, parliamentary assistant to trade minister Ed Fast, turned up at a fabricated steel products manufacturer to hand over a cheque for $120,000 to a mining-sector group—one of 38 such organizations to get those grants.
The money is from the Government of Canada’s Global Opportunities for Associations (GOA) program, contributing up to $3 million this year to 38 industry associations across Canada. The financial assistance is supposed to create new opportunities for Canadian companies in foreign markets.
Ride-sharing phenom doesn’t work in every business destination (yet): Budget conscious U.S.-bound business travellers take note: Uber, the San Francisco ride-sharing firm that has thrown a monkey wrench in the gears of a growing number of taxi industries, doesn’t work in every destination, including a city that attracts some of the world’s largest trade shows: Las Vegas. According to the Las Vegas Sun,
The company has set up shop or plans to do so in more than 70 cities in the U.S. since launching in 2009—from New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago to smaller outposts like Tacoma, Wash., and Ann Arbor, Mi. Las Vegas is conspicuously absent from the list, leaving tourists and residents who pull up the app wondering why Las Vegas isn’t in on the action¦ Nevada’s taxi and limousine regulations are among the strictest in the nation, with guidelines on everything from insurance to minimum fares to driver background checks to vehicle safety. The number of authorized taxis operating on the street is limited by a strict medallion system.
“There’s nothing prohibiting them from operating here. They simply need to go to the taxi authority and make an application like every other provider in the industry has done,” Jonathan Schwartz, director at Yellow Checker Star, said about ride-sharing companies.


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SVTP brings you the Ford performance news from the PRI Show floor
By Steve Turner
Late last year,Â your friends at SVTP prowled the aisles at the Performance Racing Industry show in Indianapolis, Indiana, seeking the hottest new Ford performance products that will make your wish list for the coming racing season. Yes, the PRI Show is the place where racers and manufacturers come together to share the fruits of their labors and plan for their upcoming campaigns.
As regular readers know, we already posted up our comprehensive coverage from the show floor, but that coverage was limited to words and photos. Not only were we snapping stills, but we also took the time to visit several booths at the show to get the in-depth scoop on some of the hottest hardware at the show.
Weâ€™ve been releasing these videos over the last several days, but now that theyâ€™ve all hit the web, we thought weâ€™d compile them here for those of you that donâ€™t subscribe to the SVTP YouTube channel (and, if you donâ€™t subscribe, you really should). So, if you want even more from the show, we kicked things off with an overview of what we spotted in Indyâ€¦
There was definitely some great gear at PRI, but Ford Performance really stole the show with a host of new announcements.
For more videos from the PRI Show, check out the thread on our forum.